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Kamikochi in Winter: A Snowshoe Walk Into Japan’s “Closed” Alpine Valley
Kamikochi “closes” for winter, but you can still walk in. A firsthand guide to the 12 km snowshoe route from Nakanoyu to Kappa Bridge: access, gear, tours, costs.
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Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan): Taipei’s Classic 101 Viewpoint, 30 Minutes from the MRT
Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan) is Taipei’s classic 101 viewpoint: 30 minutes of stairs from the MRT to sunset and night views. A local photographer’s guide.
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Japan’s Oigawa Railway: The Mountain Line Most Riders Miss
Oigawa Railway in one day: SL steam trains, Japan’s only Abt rack section, the No. 2 secret station, and a station in the middle of a lake.
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Nanhu Mountain, Taiwan’s Emperor Peak: Four Days to a Rare Glacial Cirque
Nanhu Mountain is Taiwan’s ‘Emperor of Mountains’: a 4-day hike to rare glacial cirques, Wuyanfeng cliffs and a 3,742 m summit. Permits, huts and route.
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Japan’s Hardest Single Peak: Mt. Tsurugi with My Son
Mt. Tsurugi is Japan’s hardest single peak: 13 chain sections, near-vertical rock, and a three-day loop over Tateyama. A firsthand account, climbed with my son.
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Hiking the Suhua Highway: Taiwan’s Cliff Coast in One Day
Hiking the Suhua Highway in one day: Heren to Hanben along Taiwan’s cliff coast, with train times, safety notes, and the old road’s last years.
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Japan’s Best Open-Air Onsen: Hiking to Yari Onsen
Yari Onsen is the best open-air bath in Japan, a free-flowing spring at 2,011m in the Northern Alps you can only reach on foot. The hike, the hut, the soak.
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Taiwan’s Peak of the Century: Hiking the Dabajian Peaks
Hiking Taiwan’s Dabajian Peaks: Dabajian Mountain and three more of the 100 Peaks in one trip — permits, the 19 km forest road, huts and the classic NT$500 view.
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Taiwan’s Most Beautiful Coastline Is in Kenting: Longpan Park
Longpan Park, at Taiwan’s southern tip: a clifftop grassland like England’s Seven Sisters, five minutes from Eluanbi Lighthouse — and almost nobody goes.
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The South-Link Line: Riding Taiwan’s Most Scenic Railway
Ride the South-Link Line, Taiwan’s most scenic railway around the island’s southern tip: the Breezy Blue train, Duoliang Station and hidden coastal stops.
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Climbing Yushan, Taiwan’s Highest Peak: A Father-Son Trip and Practical Guide
Taiwan’s highest peak, taller than Mount Fuji. A father-son climb of Yushan, plus a practical guide to permits, route, lodging, and the dangerous summit push.
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Taenoyu, Nyuto Onsen: A Refined Stay at One of Japan’s Best Secret Hot Springs
Nyuto Onsen is one of Japan’s top secret hot springs. A first-hand guide to Taenoyu ryokan: access, rooms, food, and its open-air mixed bath.
Lu Huawei
Lu Huawei