One of my favourite spots in Japan has to be the beautiful island of Miyajima. With its dense forests, ancient shrines and great hiking options, it’s a popular day trip from Hiroshima and is famous for one of the most scenic views in the whole country.
Koh Chang, Thailand’s second largest island, isn’t on many first time visitors’ bucket lists. While tourists flock to Phuket for their package holidays and backpackers do the obligatory island hopping on the “Banana Pancake Trail”, Koh Chang’s white sandy beaches are still relatively unspoilt.
The speedboat appeared from around the corner and made its way to the beach, hopping across the waves. We jumped on and a couple of minutes later were climbing onto the deck of Thaifun’s boat where we were due to spend the majority of the day cruising around Koh Chang and the nearby islands.
The biggest island in Hong Kong also happens to be one of its most scenic. Only a ferry ride away from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, Lantau offers an alternative HK experience. The island’s twisting roads take visitors through dense forest, up mountains and past picturesque beaches and settlements.
No visit to San Francisco is complete without venturing out to “The Rock” in the choppy waters of San Francisco Bay – Alcatraz stood as a notorious federal prison for almost 30 years between 1934 and 1963 and housed some of America’s most dangerous prisoners including gangster Al “Scarface” Capone and murderer Robert Stroud or the “Birdman of Alcatraz”.