Although most tourists are familiar with the Japanese cherry blossom period the autumn is almost just as popular among domestic travelers. The red-leaf season is known as kouyou (紅葉) in Japanese, which literarily means "red leaves". The Japanese red maple looks stunningly beautiful with its dark red colors and is a spectacle within short traveling distance whether you visit one of the bustling Japanese cities or the laidback countryside. Below you can find a chart by the Japan Rail Pass Official Vendor that shows when and where to visit:

Bon-Odori (A dance taking place during the Japanese Obon period) is a typical sight during summer in Japan, concentrating on mid-August. You can find these dances being held throughout the country, both in the bigger cities (here from Bon-Odori in Ebisu) and out on the countryside. Amongst them is the Gujo Odori taking place at Gujo Hachiman (郡上八幡) in Gifu Prefecture, known as one of Japan's three most important Obon Odoris. Every night tens of thousands of people come together to dance to the songs of ancient times, with the sound of their geta shoes clashing against the pavement and tunes of shamisen filling the air. As you get closer to dawn the sounds around you intensify, and it is as if you can feel the spirits of an age long gone. This is a Japanese Obon festival you wouldn't want to miss out on.

While Papua New Guinea is known as a fantastic destination for diving, bird watching and exotic festivals the capital Port Moresby, also known as Pom City, is infamous for being one of the most dangerous cities in the world. The situation might not be as bad as portrayed by some international media, but if you’re visiting the capital it is still best to take some precautions to ensure that you’ll be able to go back home with only pleasant memories from your trip. 

The Walindi Plantation Resort offers a wide range of activities for staying guests, including bird watching, a trip to local towns and villages in the area, a hot spring river, volcano trekking, snorkeling and most famously diving. After our diving day trip onboard one of the resort’s diving boats we took a day relaxing at the resort and spent the morning trying out one of the free activities you can do while there, namely kayaking.