Overnight Train to Vientiane

June 24, 2026July 14, 2026 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

After three nights in Phnom Penh, we flew back to Bangkok and took the overnight train to Vientiane. The train ride was smooth and easy that the next thing we knew we already arrived in Vientiane!

Spending time in Vientiane was what I was looking forward to the most in this trip. I’ve been back to Phnom Penh and Bangkok many times for work after we settled in Helsinki in 2015. But I’ve never been back to Vientiane. And I love Vientiane and really enjoyed living here. So it was a wonderful time to be here after 11 years. We also stayed at a fancy hotel. It was well located, clean, spacious and the breakfast was amazing. I would say it was the best breakfast I ever had at a hotel and guess how many hotels have I been!

The first evening was spent walking by the riverfront and just trying to capture the many changes that happened in this city since the last time we were here. There were more traffic, tall buildings and lots of activities by the riverfront. And they actually built an amusement park which took away the serenity that I used to experience while watching the sunset here in the past…

The next day we visited Pha That Luang and a bit of souvenir shopping before walking towards the house we used to live. The house remained the same with the bamboos and coconut tree that Ari planted growing well. It was also lovely to see our landlord still strong and healthy, like the time stood still. We reminisced the past together and they said they always remember us every time they look at the coconut tree!

For dinner, we went to the restaurant where we frequent while living in Vientiane. Did their food change or was it my tastebuds? Because somehow, I really can’t imaging myself enjoying their food in the past!

The next day, we revisited MAG Laos and COPE to be reminded of the past and all the suffering this country underwent. We also visited the old market and the new mall. And on the way back to our hotel, we saw this beautiful, old, very rugged cafe. Vientiane has changed a lot but its charm remained the same.

For the evening, Ari and I went to watch the sunset while the boys met up with their friends. We found a beautiful and peaceful place and I was happy!

The next morning after another delicious breakfast, we slowly packed our bags and checked out of the hotel. We were trying to avoid the heat so we stayed at the lobby and at a cafe to wait for our overnight train. So after three nights, we headed back to Bangkok for the last leg of our trip.

All photos by Ari Vitikainen at https://www.arivitikainen.com

June in Phnom Penh

June 19, 2026July 14, 2026 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

June came and it was the time for our family holiday. Last year, we spent 10 days on a camper van and drove from Helsinki all the way to Senja in Norway. This year, we decided to go even further. To Asia to be exact to visit Phnom Penh, Vientiane and Bangkok. It was in December when we started reminiscing about our time living in Asia. Little did we know that in a couple of months we will go ahead and buy flight tickets. It took almost 12 hours to reach Bangkok from Helsinki. We arrived before 6:00 in the morning and it was a joy to be back in Bangkok as a family after 11 years. The airport was just the same with no significant changes. We sat around for almost 8 hours waiting for our flight to Phnom Penh. We went to the food court and enjoyed some Thai food and before we knew it, it was time to board the plane.

We arrived in Phnom Penh and the airport was not the same airport where we first landed in September 2001. We recalled how small, dark, chaotic and underdeveloped the airport was back then. Now, it was new and huge with so much unoccupied space. We knew there and then that the Phnom Penh was not anymore the same Phnom Penh that we left in December 2009.

The hotel van was waiting for us and it took a few minutes to walk to the parking lot. It was so hot that we can’t wait to get to the van for the aircon. The ride was a bit long on a good road, passing by empty lands, lots of construction and unfinished buildings. Somehow, I didn’t know where we were exactly and everything seems very unfamiliar. It was only when we reached the riverfront that I understood our location. The hotel where we stayed was familiar to us but somehow, the place became outdated and in need of renovation. The view from the hotel was amazing though. And as we walked by the riverside that evening, the Phnom Penh we knew started coming back. We walked as far as we could then continued until we reached the Independence Monument. The traffic was horrible and it was impossible to cross the streets without the thought of getting hit! Unfortunately, we arrived safely back at the hotel with the help of a tuk-tuk.

The next day we decided to visit the markets. First stop was Lucky Market where we used to buy all our groceries. But the once very busy street was now quiet and Lucky Market has become a bit fancy with products coming from Japan and South Korea. There was really no one shopping there but at least, they still sell the roasted chicken!

Psar Thmey was the next stop. It was surprisingly cool inside and quite clean and orderly. The boys were so happy to find the classic Same Same But Different t-shirts.

Then we went to Sorya and found that the once busy mall was quite empty. Many shops were closed. We recalled how lively this mall was and those times when people were learning to take the escalators and elevators. We ended the day on a revolving rooftop bar to see the ever-changing Phnom Penh. We also celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary!

The next day, we went to Toul Tompong Market. I found the market not as busy as before.

Then we headed to Wat Phnom. The boys used to enjoy watching the monkeys here but now, no more monkeys can be found. The locals told me that they were taken somewhere as they became a nuisance, fighting with each other and attacking people.

Then it was the last mission for this trip and that was to check out all the old places where we lived in Phnom Penh. One turned into a physiotherapy clinic of some sort. The second house was totally demolished and instead a tall strange wall has been built and the last one remained the same but now surrounded by tall apartments.

We ended the day with beautiful fireworks to celebrate the 91st birthday of the Queen Mother of Cambodia!

After three nights in Phnom Penh, we flew back to Bangkok to take the overnight train to Vientiane…

All photos by Ari Vitikainen at https://www.arivitikainen.com

Kagoshima, Japan

April 3, 2026May 3, 2026 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The weather forecast for our three nights in Kagoshima was rainy. There was a light rain when we arrived. But we still took the ferry to Sakurajima the next day. Sakurajima is the most active volcano in Japan and it erupts on a daily basis. Therefore Kagoshima is such a unique place where an active volcano and a city coexist. It was cloudy but we did see Sakurajima up close at Yunohira Observatory which is the closest public point to the volcano. I guess what I didn’t like about this trip was the number of tourists. The Sakurajima Island View bus was so crowded that it was so uncomfortable. But the island was full of Camellias and Cherry Blossoms which was lovely.

However, when we left Sakurajima, the sun began shining. So we had a lovely time at Sengan-en Garden. It’s one of the most beautiful gardens I’ve ever been with Sakurajima in the background. There were lots of Cherry Blossoms and different kinds of flowers. It was just so pretty! We had Shirokuma, a kakigori with a bear face at the cafe and joined a stamp rally too. It was such a fun day!

But the highlight of the trip to Kagoshima was something that I didn’t know about and didn’t plan for. At the station, I saw a poster of a koala at Hirakawa Zoological Park. I didn’t know there was a zoo and I didn’t know that there are koalas. I always thought that I can only see koalas in Australia. But Hirakawa Zoo is one of the first zoos in Japan to breed koalas so I met around 20 of them. Even a baby one! It was my first time and suddenly, my life became complete! Although, it was raining and we missed the entrance gate resulting to a longer walk under our very wet umbrellas, we enjoyed the rainy day at the zoo. There was hardly anyone and we got to spend time with the animals by ourselves, especially the extremely cute red panda. It was the most perfect red panda I’ve ever seen!

After three nights in Kagoshima enjoying the sights, food and shopping, it was time for us to fly to Osaka…

Peaceful Nagoya

May 15, 2025May 13, 2026 by elainevitikainen ♥ 2 Comments

Nagoya was a fun city to just chill and relax. All I wanted was to take a photo of my Traveler’s Notebook with Nagoya Tower and we did just that. We walked, we shopped, we ate in Nagoya. No other plans whatsoever. I thought we were going to Nagoya Castle but it was so hot that we skipped it. I can’t imagine walking the castle grounds under the hot sun and I’m not into castle either. So we just chased colourful stamps and just enjoyed the long walk with lots of eating in between! We saw a long queue for a Japanese pop group called Impact or was it actually IMP ACT. I think the fans were buying concert tickets and they were all nicely dressed with their photocards and plushies. It was so fun for me to see it!

I love Nagoya. It was not crowded, there were very few tourists and they have lovely peaceful gardens. It was nice to shop because we didn’t have to queue like in Tokyo. Shopping at Uniqlo and Muji was so peaceful and so was Donki. Accommodation was very affordable and lots of cheap yet delicious eats. It was a lovely ending of this trip!

For the never ending repeating tips:

A good pair of walking shoes is a must and be prepared for the stairs!
Registering online at Visit Japan Web for the QR codes for immigration and customs made entering Japan so much faster. I would also say that Chubu Centrair International Airport was the best!
Having an IC card was really useful when using public transport and also paying for convenience store purchases. I also recommend the Tokyo Metro Pass.
It’s fine to buy train tickets at the station. No need to buy beforehand as trains have large capacity to accommodate passengers.
It’s good to have cash as many places only take cash, like street food vendors, small local shops and restaurants and small places like the Kiso Valley.
Having a pocket wifi all the time was very good because we really need to be connected to check on routes and locations. I highly recommend it and it is not expensive at all!
Buy flight tickets early as prices tend to spike up.
Book accommodation that has free cancellation because there might be changes along the way.

In the end, I realised that the very reason why I love Japan is because of the nature and food. I also enjoy looking for stamps and ephemera for my journals. I also like the safety and clean toilets. Also, it is really affordable at this time. I always asked myself after the end of every Japan trip if I wished to return to Japan again. And again this time, it is a yes! I would love to walk in Nagano along the very tall Cedar trees…

My travel Journal for this trip can be found here! You can also follow my journal at https://www.instagram.com/sweetpugnacity

Photos by Ari Vitikainen at https://www.arivitikainen.com

Magome to Tsumago in Kiso Valley

May 14, 2025May 21, 2025 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Hiking the Nakasendo Trail was something that had attracted me for some years now. So hiking even just a tiny part from Magome to Tsumago felt great! The Nakasendo Trail is one of Japan’s most famous walking paths known as the Samurai Road in the Kiso Valley. It was not a difficult 8.5 km hike but the sun was shining brightly so it was hot. I didn’t anticipate that the umbrella I bought with me in case of rain would help to protect from the strong sun. I also rang all the bells to scare the bears! There were lots of Wisterias too. So beautiful and a sight that I’ve never seen before. They were on the mountains and the paths we passed by. They also smelt so good and sweet! Here is a short clip at Tateba-chaya Teahouse, around halfway from Magome to Tsumago where they offer a place to rest, some candies, a cup of tea and some coloured chalks to write on the wall where the hikers from for that day.

When we arrived in Tsumago, I got certificates and more stamps for my journal from the Tourist Information Centre. I got 15 stamps during this short walk. We had a late lunch of soba in Tsumago before getting on a bus to Nagiso then the train to Nagoya Station. We had to pay everything in cash including the train tickets back to Nagoya. So if you are planning to do this hike, prepare some cash.

On the train from Nagiso to Nagoya Station.

The top one proved that I have walked from Magome to Tsumago and the other one says I have visited Tsumago Juku. These are not paper certificates though but certificates made of super thin wood. So pretty!

My hope is to walk another part of the Nakasendo trail in the near future!

In Japan! Again!

May 9, 2025May 21, 2025 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I did consider another country for our next holiday. I really did! But after much thought, my longing for Japan returned. I guess I’m just too old with not much money to spare to go on a holiday that I’m not sure if it will succeed. But having been to Japan 5 times, I haven’t got any disappointment yet whatsoever. So I recall that a 6th time will not hurt either. The tricky part were the dates. The Cherry Blossom season was over in the mainland and we also wanted to avoid the Golden Week. So we decided to go after the Golden Week and to fly to Sapporo for the Cherry Blossom. It was an amazing idea! Sapporo was so beautiful at this time of the year and I have never seen as many varieties of Cherry Blossom in my entire life. I also love Sapporo’s peaceful atmosphere with few tourists. Although I know that it will be a different story during the winter season especially during the Sapporo Snow Festival in February. But we didn’t fly from Helsinki to Sapporo. Instead we flew in to Chubu Centrair International Airport with the initial idea of walking a part of the Nakasendo trail in Kiso Valley for the last part of this trip before flying back to Helsinki.

We arrived in Nagoya in the evening after a 13 hours flight from Helsinki. It was the best immigration process ever. We just walked straight to immigration with no queue whatsoever! We then took the airport limousine to our hotel. We walked a bit near the hotel to the lake (or was it the sea, or river. At least, a body of water) for a refreshing evening walk with a quick bite of this and that from the convenience store. The next day was an early wake up to our flight to Sapporo. It was a rainy Nagoya and it was a good idea to fly away from the rain.

Lively Osaka

December 8, 2024February 5, 2025 by elainevitikainen ♥ 3 Comments

I figured out that Osaka has two faces and that really depends on what you choose to see. It was alright to go to Dotonbori, Shinsekai, Namba and Umeda. But I would really be disappointed if I didn’t get to visit Katsuo-ji Temple and most especially, Mino-o Park. For me, Mino-o Park was the highlight of the Osaka trip. It was a beautiful and easy 2 hours hike that should not be missed. Also don’t forget to try the crunchy Maple leaf “Momiji” tempura and some hot Taiyaki along the way.

Our last day in Osaka was spent at the Osaka Castle Park. There were many areas with beautiful Autumn foliage. It was also there that I found my second Cherry Blossom. The first one was at Kyoto Botanical Garden. Now, I believe that Sakura can also be found in Autumn! There was a chill in the air as the wind was constantly blowing. Leaves were falling in large quantities from the trees which made me wonder if the Autumn in Japan was coming to an end and how we have enjoyed every minute of it!

I’m thankful for the nature, great food and lovely people. Thankful for stationeries, convenience stores, safety and even clean toilets everywhere. Will I return to Japan again for the 6th time? I hope so for I conclude that again Japan didn’t fail me during this holiday. It was a wonderful holiday that was worth every minute and money spent! Please check out the Osaka reels here, here, here and here. You can find my travel journal here.

We took the Northern route back to Helsinki, being my second time to fly over the North Pole. My first time was from Seoul last year. Bye, Japan and see you again soon!

Photos by Ari Vitikainen at https://www.arivitikainen.com

Kinosaki Onsen

December 4, 2024December 12, 2024 by elainevitikainen ♥ 1 Comment

After 4 nights in Kyoto, we took the taxi to the station to buy train tickets to our next destination – Kinosaki Onsen. We took a taxi because you can’t take big luggage on the bus in Kyoto and for this trip, we didn’t reserve tickets beforehand knowing that we can easily buy them at the station. But it’s a good idea to search a bit for the timetable so that you know more or less when you should be at the station. For this trip, I really wanted to include an Onsen experience, although, I know that nothing will beat our time in Kurokawa Onsen in April. I was thinking to go either to Kinosaki Onsen or Arima Onsen and in the end, decided that Kinosaki Onsen looks more pretty. We bought the train tickets from the machine then went to the Ekiben shop on the second floor to get an Ekiben and finally, I found the Hello Kitty bento. Although it was not on the shelf, I figured that they had it because it was early and they were just unpacking the boxes. So I asked the kind lady for it and she opened the box to get one for me. The child in me was extremely happy! You can find the reel here.

The train ride took 2 hours and 24 minutes. It was very fast yet very smooth as one could expect in a Japanese train. So we arrived in no time in the charming town of Kinosaki Onsen and the first thing we did was to buy our tickets for the next day to Osaka. There was a free shuttle bus outside the station that takes visitors to their ryokan. Our ryokan was very close to the ropeway so we decided to take the cable car up after check -in and enjoyed the view of the town and its surroundings.

Unless you are planning to check out the temples, there was not much to do up there so we took the next cable car down to cook our own Onsen Tamago which I definitely recommend. We had a short walk around town then it was time for us to enjoy our private onsen at our ryokan. After the relaxing onsen, it was dinnertime where we were served with Sukiyaki and Matsuba crabs which were large crabs that Kinosaki is known for.

After dinner, we were ready to experience our first Kinosaki public onsen. Dressed in Yukuta and carrying a basket with our towels, we went to Goshino – Yu, an onsen which was built in the likeness of Kyoto’s Imperial Palace. It has a waterfall and surrounded by beautiful Japanese maple trees. It was a good choice since we were only planning to go to two public onsens out of the six. It was so refreshing and a cold milk was important to finish off the onsen mission of the day!

After breakfast the next day, we went to the onsen closest to our ryokan which was my second onsen choice – Kono – Yu. It has an outdoor onsen and I enjoyed every moment of peace and quiet as there was no one else in the onsen.

Then it was time to check out of our ryokan and explored the town a bit for coffee and souvenirs before taking the train to Osaka! Check out the reel of the day here.

Photos by Ari Vitikainen at https://www.arivitikainen.com

Back in Kyoto

December 3, 2024December 31, 2024 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The last time I was in Kyoto was in 2018. But we had to go back because every time I searched for the best Autumn places in Japan, Kyoto was on top of the list. It was not just because of the Autumn colours, but it has something to do with the old architectures blending well with the Autumn foliage. And this was perfectly true! Autumn colours can be everywhere but not as dramatic as the Autumn in Kyoto. When we arrived in Kyoto, it was the peak of Autumn so we were able to enjoy it everywhere we went.

But Kyoto is a bit problematic for me. It was so crowded. The buses were too crowded. I didn’t like it that way and I don’t remember it this crowded when we were there in 2018. It made me tired and not want to go back to Japan again until we spent our last day at Kyoto Botanical Garden. It was so beautiful and so peaceful. We had all the beauty, space and time that it made me want to return to Japan again! And if you like stamps, you must try the layered stamp rally at the Garden. We also enjoyed a rustic breakfast on the way to the Garden at a very interesting, rugged Cafe Bar that had a Brazilian theme. The breakfast set of cheese toast, boiled egg and Brazilian coffee was only 300 Yen (1,88 EUR). The coffee was really good and the owners were really kind and very friendly. They showed us photos from trips in Brazil in the early 80’s. Such a fun encounter!

Anyway, just for your information. If you want to see the Bamboo Forest, be kind to yourself and go to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. Don’t kid yourself and go to Sagano Bamboo Forest instead because it is not the same. Don’t believe that Social Media hype about Sagano!

Check out the reels of the day here, here, here and here

After 4 nights in Kyoto, we were off to an Onsen experience in Kinosaki Onsen!

Photos by Ari Vitikainen at https://www.arivitikainen.com

Finally in Kanazawa

November 29, 2024December 12, 2024 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

When we visited Takayama last year, I thought it would be great to go all the way to Kanazawa. But we didn’t do it because of lack of time. So I was happy that we finally get to stay in Kanazawa during this holiday. We took the local train from Nara to Kyoto then from Kyoto, we changed train at Tsugura station before reaching Kanazawa. We happily boarded the train with our self heating Ekiben! Such a fun experience!

The rain was on and off in Kanazawa when we were there but that didn’t stop us from exploring the city. Carrying our umbrellas with us, we were ready to see what the city had to offer. It was also said that there are three perfect gardens in Japan so it was a delight to visit one of them in Kanazawa. Kenrokuen Garden was the most beautiful garden I’ve ever seen in my entire life! They said that this garden is beautiful in every season but Autumn made it magical with its abundant, vibrant, explosive colours that covered every corner of the garden.

It was also fascinating to learn about the Samurai culture, to visit a Samurai house and to walk in the old Samurai town. It was like going back in time and I’m happy to be able to experience it. You can find the reel of the day here, here and here.