Kawaguchiko

Kawaguchiko is a town located near the base of Mount Fuji, and accessible from Tokyo via bus or train. We opted to visit this, as we didn't want to miss seeing the beautiful volcano (almost did due to the clouds) and it was a nice escape from the Tokyo. We spent a couple of nights here, and went for a stroll around the lake and made pizza at the hotel (bizzare, I know). If you're a fan of heights, would recommend the Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway and Fuji-Q Highlands.

Osaka

Osaka is considered one of the best culinary cities in Japan, with some of the best street food vendors and Michelin awarded restaurants. This, in combination with the vivid night life provides a perfect destination for all to indulge. We saw the iconic Glico Man in Dotonbori and Osaka castle. Would recommend getting a ticket via klook for this, as we skipped a very big queue.

Tokyo

Tokyo is the capital of Japan, and is one of the world's largest cities. You'll feel like a very little fish in a very big pond. At first, it may be overwhelming, but you quickly become at ease between the high tech sky-line and the non-stop noise. There are many scattered neighbourhoods to explore, amongst vast temples, including Senso-Ji. You can see Tokyo from above at the skytree, and on a clear day see as far as Mount Fuji. Otherwise, head to the Tsjuki fish market to enjoy some Japanese delicacies.

France

Domaine du gouverneur

This was quite an impromtu stop for us, as we didn't plan on playing golf as we didn't bring our own clubs! But, this golf club offered club rental, and was also dog-friendly meaning Simba (pet dog) could roam around on the course with us. This was perfect, as we didn't want to leave him alone! The golf course was fun, playable and the weather was delightful.

Germany

Freiburg em Breisaug

This was one of our favourite stops on our European road trip. We booked an AirBnB in Freiburg, which was a short drive from Todtnau waterfall. We parked in town and made our way up - it was a pleasant walk and because we started from the bottom, a quiet one as well. There were many opportunities for Simba (pet dog) to cool off in the water. At the top, we enjoyed the views, which you can take in more from the skywalk

Switzerland

Oeschinensee

Oeschinen lake is a beautiful lake nestled away in the Bernase Oberland. We headed up the mountain in a gondala, but you are able to hike from the bottom! We ventured down to the lake, and rented a boat for an hour, the boat hire recommends paddling out to the waterfall! Once we had hopped out, we went for a dip.. be prepared though, the water is ice cold.

England

Cotswolds

The Cotswolds is a beautiful area in the south of England. Throughout the towns and villages in the area, golden stone homes are scattered throughout the rolling hills. Everywhere you look is incredibly picturesque and charming. We booked an AirBnB in Horsley, in the middle of a farm, and used this as our base to explore the countryside. This trip was primarily focused on enjoying the fresh air, some downtime away from our busy 9 - 5 life.

Scotland

St Andrews

We're planning a proper road-trip around Scotland later this year, as we've explored Edinburgh (not covered here) and St Andrews. We're a big fan of watching and playing golf, so headed up to watch the Dunhill links. This was our second attempt, as it was called off the year prior due to the storms. In all honesty, this wasn't our favourite golf event (prefer Wentworth), but, it was still a lovely trip, and we got to spend a lot of time on the beach.

Wales

Rhosneigr

Similar to Scotland, we haven't explored much of Wales, as we often choose to stay in Angelsey. It's a perfect destination for a weekend away, with our favourite spot being Rhosneigr. Places around Wales are often dog-friendly, and we had a lovely roast dinner at the Sandymount club.There are plenty of places to walk the pup, along the beach and through the sand dunes. If you're lucky, you can catch the RAF during their practice sessions.

San Francisco

When I first arrived in San Fran, there was a thick fog covering the city. This lifted throughout the day, and allowed the city to flex it's charm, as well as the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge. We spent most of time our time walking (slowly) around San Francisco, up the steep hills to the windy street (Lombard street) shown in The Princess Diaries and Pier 39, a perfect place for humans and seals to rest and recover. We also headed over to China town via Waymo, an AI, self-driving car, which was much smoother than an uber!

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite was my first national park in the US, and it did not dissapoint. It's a few hours from San Fran, made longer by the up and down, swirling roads. But, the hikes and views make it worth it. We stayed in a cabin in the woods, which meant it was only a short drive to the hiking points. We weren't brave enough to hike half dome, but ventured around this iconic walk. Hikes included Yosemite Valley, The Mist Trail, Lower Yosemite falls and Mirror Lake Loop. All of which were quite easy (bar the Mist trail, gets quite steep on the way up!). However, we were brave enough to chuck ourselves out of a plane, as we went sky diving at Yosemite Skydive. You don't jump over the national park, but you can see the iconic mountains from afar!

Redwood National Park

Redwood National Park, the home of some very very very big trees, perhaps the largest in the world. One of our favourite walks was the "Grove of old Titans", which was the home to the oldest and largest trees in the park. Other hikes included the Lady Bird Johnson Trail and Trillium falls. Keep an eye out for animals, as we saw a young deer nesting amongst the leaves... bears are present throughout, althought we were unlucky and did not see one (perhaps lucky!).