Images from Shirakawa-Go, Japan
Shirakawa-go is a well preserved Japanese village that represents rural life in Japan from a few centuries ago.
Free travel checklist
Travel smarter, lighter, and deeper after 50.
Get our free carry-on packing checklist plus practical travel advice
from Tom and Kris, based on more than 15 years of full-time travel.
- Pack lighter without leaving essentials behind
- Plan better trips with less stress
- Get real-world destination tips for curious travelers
Let us help you travel more
Our goal is simple: we want to help you travel more and better for less money.
Our blog and newsletter are focused on exactly that: how you can get where you want to go as easily as possible, and how can you have the richest experience once you're there. It's our pleasure to offer personalized travel advice, helping our readers sort through travel decisions and providing our best, tried and true travel tips.
We've been sharing our experience since we started traveling full time in 2010.
Top Articles
- Our 50 Best Tips — Our experience distilled into 50 practical tips that will save you time, money, and headaches.
- Packing Light — Our complete carry-on packing system.
- Travel Resources — The booking sites, apps, tools, and services we personally use.
- Travel Gear — The tested gadgets that actually earn their place in your bag.
- Mobile Apps — The apps we use for navigation, translation, booking, and more.
- Travel Quotes — The lines that have stuck with us — from fellow wanderers who said it so well.
- Guide to Spain — Our comprehensive guide to traveling in Spain, from people who lived there.
- Guide to Italy — Our comprehensive guide to traveling in Italy.
- The Camino de Santiago — Our comprehensive guide to the Camino.
Our Latest Blog Posts
11 Tips to Make Your Travel Photos Better
This post is part of our Travel Skills for Travelers Over 50 guide, which includes our best photography tips alongside packing, gear, and practical travel advice. I’ve been consciously trying…
Castle and Cherry Trees, Hirosaki, Japan
I had to climb over a fence and slide part way down a hill toward the moat to get this shot. All I can say is that one day I…
Temple Ruins, Hiraizumi, Japan
At the Motsu-Ji site in the World Heritage town of Hiraizumi, Japan, most of the huge temple complex built in the 8th Century has been destroyed by wars, fires, and earthquakes over the years.
Types of Accommodations in Japan: We've Tried Them All
We’re not backpackers, but we’ve been on the move constantly during our six weeks in Japan. We’ve experienced a range of accommodations, but none for longer than five nights–at the…
The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Kyoto, Japan
The most famous temple in Japan, the gilded Temple of the Golden Pavilion of Kyoto, was intentionally burned to the ground in 1950 by a deranged monk.