Bow Meiji is the woman behind Meiji Wanders, a blog where she chronicles her travels and experiences all over the world. She travels a lot, and she leaves reviews of the places she has been and activities she has done. She also loves experiencing the different cultures of different countries, and has a new YouTube channel where she discusses this.

Bow, why did you decide to start Meiji Wanders?

I have been lucky to have visited many wonderful places around the globe. In every country that I visited I was touched by its uniqueness. These memories stay with me for a long time, and by keeping them in a journal I am always able to relive them. I decided to publish them online with a new added purpose – to share my wandering stories in the hope that they would inspire others and myself to keep exploring.

Which countries have you been to as a part of the blog?

I have been to 24 countries so far and I am currently sharing my stories from my recent Italy trip. I have done extensive posts on Tokyo including things to do, food and Disneyland. Other countries include Cambodia, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Iceland.

I also write posts on art and architectural designs that I have come across during my trips overseas. This year I plan to share an in-depth experience on Thailand, which has been an eye-opening experience. Upcoming articles will be on Burmese islands, Cairo and Niles excursions and exploring Iran.

Do you have a favourite city out of all the ones you have been to?

I have too many favourite cities, they all are so lovely in its own way. If I had to pick, I was recently in Italy and Milan was the city that surprised me the most. It is a modern megacity that is famous for fashionistas and skyscrapers but I think it is a perfect place to experience Italian culture.

Duomo di Milano in the city centre still stands tall and pretty after hundreds of years. The city centre is super busy and has everything that you would need. Only 15 minutes train ride from here you can find the masterpiece The Last Supper. Outer suburbs are surprisingly green and picturesque, like the Parco Portello area. CityLife district also represents well where the modern Italy is heading to. I think Milan is underrated and visitors can easily spend more time in this city.

What do you love most about travelling?

I find new things intriguing. I love learning about new things and the stories behind them. Even if I get to travel to the same place again, my experience would be different depending on many things, such as the seasons, the place I choose to stay at, the food I decide to try, whether I am alone and who I am with. The people I meet during traveling are also so interesting in so different ways. Both the local and fellow travellers have their stories.

What kind of videos do you put on your YouTube channel?

Culture is what drives me to travel and the stories that I learn from my journeys are what I want to share with my audiences via my YouTube channel. There are many cultural aspects that are presented much better through videos rather than just written on a blog. I explore a culture that I find fascinating and record people discussing a series of topics such as food, rituals, local secret places, accommodation and the top things to do.

Do you notice big differences between cultures when you travel?

Yes! And that’s what’s so charming about it. For example, you might usually hold a bowl of rice in your palm while eating but you wouldn’t do that in Korea because of the difference in culture. The type of bowls that they use are different for this purpose (they use metal bowls in Korea to prevent you from holding the bowl of hot rice while eating – should you forget). For me, the stories behind the difference in each culture make normal activities or routine a bit more special and meaningful.

If you had to pick just one country to go to, which one would it be?

I still have so many countries that I wish to visit but for now I would really love to visit Morocco. Moroccan culture seems like a good blend of religious and ethnic traditions with many influences from nearby cultures. I also would like to see the architecture in Morocco, to experience being in a riad or a Moroccan villa and to understand how the local lifestyle reflects in their housing design aspects.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
You can follow up with Bow Meiji at www.meijiwanders.com