Nara is often visited as a day trip from Kyoto or Osaka, which is exactly how we went.

Unfortunately, too many people try to rush through here, but we discovered that it’s worth slowing things down to truly appreciate what Japan’s ancient capital city has to offer.

We decided to explore Nara independently by bicycle. After days of walking around Japan, it felt like a welcome change; a rest for our weary feet, and a way to travel faster yet slower—something a little more relaxed, yet a little more fun. 

In this article, Feet Do Travel shares our day trip cycling around Nara, including the sacred deer and historic temples we visited along the way.

​We hope to show why Nara deserves a place on your Japan itinerary, but also why it is a destination best enjoyed slowly, with time to wander beyond the obvious sights.

Penang’s Street Art is famous worldwide and, before we visited, I didn’t truly understand what made it so special.

On the day we arrived in George Town, the capital of the Malaysian island on Penang, our homestay handed us a map of the area. This map featured not just the infamous street art, but the locations of the wrought iron sculptures which are dotted all over town. Whilst wandering around the City, we started to spot some of them and ticked them off on our map … very quickly and unconsciously, we were hooked!
​
When we realised that we were actively seeking the next sculpture or piece of art on our map, it dawned on us how much we were enjoying this “art treasure hunt”.
​
But what is it about the street art that appeals to us, and draws in millions of other tourists, each year? We hired a bicycle to explore Penang's street art, and Feet Do Travel share our findings with you.

You may not have heard of Guilin or Yangshuo in China, however you may know of the Li River which is synonymous for its mountainous beauty, and limestone karst hills. If you have ever looked at the 20 yuan note, a scene from this stunning part of China is printed on the back.

There is an old saying in China "Guìlín's hills and water best under heaven".

Guilin is an easy 1 hour 25 minutes flight away from Hong Kong or seven hours by bullet train from Shanghai making it convenient to visit when touring China ... and it will be worth it!

​We visited Guilin & Yangshuo for three days as part of an 18 day tour of China. It was part of our tour programme and we didn't know what to expect, but those three days ended up being a highlight.

What was it about Guilin and Yangshuo that made our trip to China so memorable?

​During our trip to the Malaysian side of Borneo, we spent a few nights in Kuching, which is in the Region of Sarawak. Kuching is actually Malaysian for ‘Cat’ – literally the city of the Cat.

On previous adventures, a cycling trip proved to be a wonderful experience and a great way of learning more about the place you are visiting. We love seeing the most out of any destination and we found a cycling City tour that appealed to us.

We never dreamed that this trip would be one of the highlights of our travels.