A time-out-of-mind atmosphere pervades the mountain town of Magome, a centuries-old staging post on the eastern border of Gifu Prefecture. On the main street, stone steps ascend alongside a trickling stream, where a wooden waterwheel ticks around slowly like a sleepy clock, setting the town’s somnolent tempo as it has for some 300 years. Houses line the road, old but beautifully preserved, shuttered with wooden screens and hung with swaying lanterns. Gingko and maple leaves crown the street in a blaze of saffron and cardinal red.
It’s autumn, perhaps the best season to visit Japan. At this time of year, the country is spared the crowds that come to chase the spring cherry blossom — but the trees put on an equally eye-catching show of fiery hues. In pale contrast to the inferno in the trees above is a wall crawling with ghost plants, succulents that bloom in wan rosettes through cracks in the stone.
“I’ve never seen that before,” says a passing tourist from Nagoya, peering disbelievingly for a closer look. This encroachment of nature in man-made environments is particularly noticeable in the unspoilt, little-visited prefectures of Gifu and Ishikawa, where in large swathes the only signs of human civilisation are ancient footways connecting wooden villages. Forests and rice paddies stagger down to some of the quietest stretches of coastline in Japan. My plan is to explore the historic post towns, sake breweries and swordsmiths of Gifu before heading north into Ishikawa, on a road trip that will become progressively more rural as I head for the Sea of Japan.
Magome has long been a place of rest. In the Edo period from the 17th to 19th centuries, it was a staging post on the Nakasendo, a highway from Tokyo (then called Edo) to Kyoto through the alpine spine of Japan’s main island, Honshu. The path is still more or less intact, though moss and ferns now creep between the flagstones. Whereas once it was used by feudal lords, merchants and samurai, today it’s a popular route for hikers.
Shops in Magome are geared up to cater for walkers. “Be Bear Aware!” warn several posters pinned to shopfronts, advertising the sale of bells designed to ward off the Japanese black bears that have been known to cross paths with people in the forests. There are around 10,000 of these bears in the country and, though normally shy, they’ve been known — in very rare instances — to maim or kill those who stumble upon them in the wild.
Heading out of the town on foot, I follow the original Edo-era cobblestones aimlessly through the woods of cedar, hinoki cypress and pine for an hour, fording tinkling streams and passing moss-grown forest shrines. A walk in the woods is well known in Japan as a health tonic, and I soon feel my
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
It's been over a century since Thailand’s first train line – a scant 50 miles linking Bangkok and the former royal capital of Ayuthaya – was completed. Tracks have since been extended to most of the country, and while train travel has almost entirely been superseded by bus and air, scenic railway routes and sleeper trains remain one of the best ways to see the country.
Australian entrepreneur Jason Renwick came to Copenhagen in 2005, travelling in and out of the country before opening vegan cafe Souls in 2016. He then teamed up with British chef Brett Lavender, who had spent much of his career cooking in luxury hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, to open Ark restaurant, in central Copenhagen, in 2020. The seasonal plant-based menu is a surprise for diners on the day, but might include signature dishes such as barbecued blue oyster mushrooms or deceptively complex combinations like turnip with apple and macadamia.
Iceland has become a victim of its own popularity. As travelers continue to be drawn to the island nation’s dramatic—and Instagram-friendly—natural landscapes, the impact on its environment is growing. In an attempt to curb that mounting pressure, the country’s Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir announced late last month that a new tourist tax—with specifics still being discussed—will be implemented in 2024.“Tourism has really grown exponentially in Iceland in the last decade, and that obviously is not just creating effects on the climate,” she told Bloomberg. “It’s also because most of our guests who are coming to us are visiting unspoiled nature, and obviously it creates a pressure.”
The holidays have come early this year for Capital One cardholders when the credit card company launched its first-ever travel sale offering up to $200 off flights and hotels around the world.
A walk in the woods is not only good for you physically, it’s also good for you psychologically. Studies show time spent in nature reduces mental fatigue and irritability, cortisol levels, and stress.
In the evolving landscape of post-Covid travel, Hilton has cast its spotlight on a new demographic, the “GenerAsian Traveler.” Hilton says this group is driven by a strong desire for self-discovery and a deep interest in exploring their cultural and ancestral roots through travel.
I'm a theme-park journalist who's been covering happenings everywhere from California's Disneyland to Missouri's Silver Dollar City for over a decade, but for several years there was one event that was a hard "no" for me: Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando.
A high-end train journey enables you to experience destinations at a unique pace and in total comfort while enjoying first-class service. These are some of the most exciting luxury rail routes to have on your radar.
Central Pattaya shopping center is collaborating with the government sector and partners to delight all participants in the event called “NAKIZ presents Pattaya International Bikini Beach Race 2023”, this sexy beach-running event, aiming to organize the largest of its kind in Thailand.
In an aviation world marked by startups, mergers, financial challenges, pandemics, and environmental concerns, reaching a century in operations is a noteworthy achievement. On November 1, 2023, Finnair proudly marks its 100th anniversary.