2018 Showcase Gallery - Second Half

My first half of 2018 was focused on the Americas, while my second half covered Asia, Australia, and Europe. The preference was on road trips to better explore nature's wonders at my own pace. Luckily, there were plenty of good airfare deals even during peak season to make these trips possible.

Porvoo, Finland

This small town an hour east of Helsinki is a nice place to spend a day. The riverbank has a collection of red warehouses and the side streets uphill are quiet and pretty as well.

For more photos : [Porvoo Gallery]

Norway - From Oslo to Trondheim

The midnight sun summer is a great time to road trip across Norway. There is plenty of daylight for long drives with random stops along the way and not worry about sunset or attractions closing their doors at 5pm. Nature doesn't have operating hours. I spent 2 weeks here but only covered 1/3 the length of the country.

This country is pricey, but luckily there are affordable options on Air BnB right in Oslo's new city centre, known as the Barcode district. There is plenty of funky architecture to impress.

For more photos : [Oslo Gallery]

The route between Oslo and Bergen is quite popular among tourists. For single travellers, many go for a public transport itinerary with a combination of rail and ferry connections. For a larger group, I would suggest renting a car, as you can stop along the way to enjoy the mountain scenery.

There are plenty of safe places to park, do some light hiking, and admire nature without anyone else to interrupt the silence.

However, there are pockets along this journey that are well-touristed, such as this stave church built in the 12th century.

Stretching this drive into 2 days allows for more stops and there are plenty of them. The Aurlandsfjellet climbs the mountains and offers many different landscapes and is a far slower but nicer alternative to the E16 tunnel.

Although most of this road is closed for the winter, the section from Stegastein is open year-round and offers a tourist-friendly platform to enjoy the scenery.

Bergen is known for its wet climate, but when the sun comes out against the odds of 260 wet days a year on average, it is spectacular. Cruises call here so the city can get busy with tourists.

Yet, some people are able to escape the crowds and build a little piece of exclusive serenity with a wonderful view.

Food-wise, I have no shortage of options at the waterfront fish market. There aren't that many stalls but there is plenty to photograph.

There are plenty of scenic roads in this country but never enough time to explore them all. With blue skies and a spare day, do make the long drive to Hardangerfjord. There are waterfalls along the way to break the drive and have a picnic break.

The roads hug along the fjord and are not crowded. The country's engineers are able to build roads and even roundabouts deep into mountains to make these road trips possible.

The ultimate prize is a hotel at the top of the mountain with viewing decks of the valley below.

Then on the way back, take another route to stop at yet another waterfall.

Happy with the day trip to Hardangerfjord, expectations for the drive north from Bergen to Trondheim are high. The highways are easy to drive and are not busy. Where nature wins, ferries help us cross the fjords and the road continues on the other side. Tolls do add up but with enough people in the car to share, Norway shouldn't cost an arm and a leg.

Thanks to light wind, blue skies, and clean waters, beautiful reflections are everywhere.

Many roads along the way show the resolve of engineers to connect communities despite grave topographical restrictions. The Gaularfjellet zig-zags its way uphill and there is an observation area at the top to look back at that journey.

The Utvikfjellet also makes a similar zig-zag downhill, and some wildlife in the area gave us a pleasant surprise.

The Gamle Strynefjellsvegen is another scenic route worth a detour for its mountain scenery.

Across the other side of the mountains, the Dalsnibba viewpoint is also scenic and would not disappoint. It is big enough to spread the crowds out so you can have that exclusive photo at ease.

Geirangerfjord is popular with cruise ships so the town may get quite busy. Otherwise, the roads are quiet though. I didn't have much interest to linger in town, so headed out quickly and up the mountains again looking for a vantage point.

Further up north, Trollstigen is another zig-zag road with a well-developed tourist site built to facilitate viewing the hairpin bends from 200m above.

Best to do this road trip in the summer when there are long days to really push the sightseeing well into the evening.

For more photos : [Norway Road Trip Gallery]

Western Australia

A month after the Norway road trip, I was itching to fly again, and with a good deal available, I was off to another continent once again. Similar to Norway, a drive through this remote corner of the world is definitely worthwhile. The scenery here is far different though. A well-developed one-way track allows visitors to explore the Pinnacles' limestone formations set in a desert landscape with ease. This is a short day-trip from Perth, but I would suggest a 2-3 day outing to incorporate Kalbarri further north with a base in Geraldton.

While the roads along this Indian Ocean coastline are not busy, there are overtouristed bottleneck points, such as the Lobster Shack at Cervantes for lunch.

Spring is a great time to visit as wildflowers explode everywhere. There is a lot of tourist literature to find out the hot spots. Chapman Valley is quite nice and is a reasonable drive out from Geraldton.

Depot Hill also has a few good patches with a parking lot and well-paved trails. If I had more time, I would have explored a bit further east as well.

Pink Lake is not radioactive but completely natural. I have never seen anything like it and the blue sky really helped contrast the pink. I wouldn't drink the water or eat any fish from here though.

Further north, the Kalbarri coast is also nice with many spots to stop and admire the coastal scenery. You might even catch a whale or some dolphins out there.

There are many stops along this short stretch of coastline with proper parking lots and paved trails, making the visit quite easy. Just keep your car gas'ed up properly and you are all set.

The national park further inland is also worth a look with many easy and short hikes for the postcard scenic shots.

For more photos : [Indian Ocean Drive Gallery]

Taipei

The planned Xinyi District is gradually filling up with skyscrapers. Luckily, builders have placed some restaurants on the higher floors to take advantage of the nice views. Cathay Landmark's 45th floor has a Japanese restaurant with an outdoor balcony that is well worth a visit.

The city has a number of art and cultural districts but a less accessible one is Treasure Hill, which was once home to soldiers fleeing the civil war. There are still a lot of domestic tourists though.

For more photos : [Taipei Gallery]

Kinmen

This was the frontline in the Chinese civil war and tensions are still present with Communist China within the horizon. Kinmen used to be heavily fortified but tensions have eased enough and ferries now ply between the 2 sides of the divide. The country town life here contrasts to the bustling and modern Xiamen on the enemy side.

Many villages were funded by the wealthy diaspora, resulting in beautifully-decorated lowrise homes.

Time has stood still here, while life has progressed significantly over in Xiamen.

Underneath an otherwise quiet village are protection tunnels in case war erupts. This is an interesting place for military tourism.

With a heavy military presence on the island, local industry supported the personnel stationed here, such as this brothel.

At the edges of the island, huge loudspeakers broadcasted propaganda messages towards the Communist side.

The coast was littered with these metal rods to prevent boats from landing.

For more photos : [Kinmen Gallery]

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