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Landscape of the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan

Where to camp with Bedouins in Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan

Welcome back to Wondrous Paths! Thanks for everyone still reading and here’s my latest in a post series on Jordan. My favorite part of my trip was the Jordanian famous red sand desert, Wadi Rum. This otherworldly desert is definitely something every visitor to Jordan should make a top priority to see. I know many people just come for Petra and leave, but it’s worth...

Blue Mosque view in Istanbul

How to explore Istanbul’s Old City, Sultanahmet

If you’re new to Istanbul, chances are you are going to be spending time in the Old City, a.k.a. the Sultanahmet neighborhood. Sultanahmet is located in the Fatih district of Istanbul, on the southeast coast of the European side.  Sultanahmet is the oldest part of Istanbul, and was historically known as Constantinople and Byzantium.  Sightseeing in...

Red torii gates at the Fushimi Inari shrine

Visiting the Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto

Thousands of bright orange torii gates winding up the mountain, contrasted and framed with the neon green of the mountain forest. You’ve undoubtedly seen pictures of this striking Japanese Shinto shrine, Fushimi Inari. History of the shrine Inari Okami is the Shinto god of rice and business, and Inariyama is the sacred mountain dedicated to this god. There are about...

Plaza in Madrid

The legendary art museums of Madrid

There’s no shortage of art museums in Madrid. Madrid (one of my favorite cities) is globally renowned for its numerous art museums and collections ranging from modern to the Middle Ages to ancient. The Spanish capital houses one of the most extensive aggregations of famous artwork worldwide, with no shortage of museums to showcase them. The Prado Arguably...

Mexico City street food for beginners

UNESCO has designated only three traditional cuisines in the world as worthy of being called “cultural treasures”. France, Japan, and Mexico. All three are well deserved, but I think Mexican cuisine is probably the most surprising one on this short list (at least to my Japanese food tour guide, who happened to be French). Mexican food is unthinkably delicious...