The Backpack Adventures

June 2016 seems to be one of the highlights of the Backpack Adventures. This month several of my articles and photos were published in different magazines. TravelPlus Magazine - Vol 8 No 2 Two of my articles and several of my photos were published and featured in the June 2016 issue of TravelPlus Magazine .  I feel special being first on the list... The Raw Beauty of Palaui Island my favorite article One of these articles talks about the raw beauty of  Palaui Island  in the province of Cagayan. It also talks about my one day stay on the said island. You should probably try this itinerary The other article is all about the best way to spend your week in Kansai Region in Japan . You'd probably discover more about Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Wakayama, and Hyogo in this article. They gave me three copies of the June 2016 issue.  You might find these articles helpful for your next adventure. So please do grab your copies of the June 2016 issue of TravelPlus Magazine .

My adventures in Japan might have been long over but their memories still linger. To summarize my adventures in the Land of the Rising Sun , here's the list (complete with links*) of places and events that I have visited and experienced: *click the links to read the articles Japan Diaries Day 0 and 1  - Arrival & Stroll around Tsubasagaoka-kita Day 2  - Rengakan Illumination Day 3  - Expo 70 Commemoration Park Day 4  - Solo Backpacking to Okuyama Ameyama Natural Park Day 5  - Universal Studios Japan Day 1 Day 6  - Universal Studios Japan Day 2 Day 7 and 8  - Christmas in Japan & My Solo Wakayama City Visit Day 9  - A Day in Kyoto City Day 10  - A Visit to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan Day 11  - Wakayama City Checkup Day 12  - Nishikinohama Beach Park, Dotonbori, & Osaka Castle Day 13  - Rinku Town Visited Day 14 and 15  - New Year in Japan Day 16 and 17  - Meeting the Deer of Nara City Day 18  - Tokyo Disneyland Day 1 Day 19  - Tokyo

Located in Himeji City in Hyogo Prefecture in Japan, Himeji Castle ( 姫路城   Himeji-jō )   is the largest castle in Japan. Its complex is comprised of 63 buildings that were built on top of Himeyama Hill. Himeji Castle  ( 姫路城 ) Himeji Castle History Himeji Castle is also called Hakuro-jo ( White Egret Castle ) or Shirasagi-jo (White Heron Castle) because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight. The first structure built on top of Himeyama Hill was a fort built by Akamatsu Nornimura in 1333. In 1346, the fort was dismantled and rebuilt as Himeyama Castle .  Himeji Castle - Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture A stone maker outside the Himeji Castle vicinity After two centuries, the castle was remodeled and renamed Himeji Castle . In 1581, the castle was significantly remodeled and the three-story keep was added under the instructions of Toyotomi Hideyoshi . In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu awarded the castle to Ikeda Terumasa for his help in the Batt