Japan

Coffee Guide – Day 5

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Top Knotch Gear

Well folks, this is the 5th and final day of my coffee adventures around the world… just in time for the weekend! To read the whole article from MSNBC Itineraries, click here.

United States – Frappuccino
It’s funny to see what people (in this case MSNBC Itineraries) thinks is the quintessential all-American coffee drink. Starbucks, yes. But a frap? Weird. For anyone who doesn’t know (or any non-coffee drinkers out there), a frappuccino is a coffee-meets-milkshake concoction. Usually high in calories and not as much caffeine as your classic black cup of Joe, a frappuccino can be especially tasty on hot days in the summer.

Netherlands: Bakkie Troost
This my type of morning brew: black coffee served with a cookie!

Brazil: Cafezinho
Very sweet and very strong. Did you know that Brazil produces 1/3 of the world’s coffee beans?! Awesome!

Poland: Kawa Parzona
Ground coffee beans and water mixed right in your cup. No filter. I feel like this would be like drinking sandy water. Hmmm.

Japan: Kan Kohi
Two words: canned coffee. Usually from one of the 6 million vending machines in the country that will dispense a cold brew in the summer and hot brew in the winter.

Photo by Alberto Pizzoli - MSNBCtravels

Categories: Adventure, Around the World, Asia, Coffee, Europe, Explore, Food, Globetrotting, Japan, Photography, Pinterest, South America, Top Knotch Gear, Travel, Travel Tips | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Travel Tip Tuesdays are Back!

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear

Travel Tip for today: Sightseeing

If you’re like us, then you probably enjoy visiting tourist sites every now and again. Whether it’s for the pictures, the experience or the bragging rights to say, “I’ve been there!”, tourist traps can be lots of fun – if only they didn’t have so many…. tourists! Here’s a tip: Go during lunch. Most tour companies (you know, those ones with the large groups of loud people all wearing the matching hats) will take a break from their touring for lunch and it will give you the perfect chance to see the site(s) up close or to snag the coveted photo op without everyone else in your way.

Happy sightseeing!

Categories: Travel, Adventure, Circumnavigation, Globetrotting, Mountains, Outdoors, Trails, Backpacking, Rock Climbing, Nature, India, South America, Japan, Random, Asia, Hong Kong, Transportation, Africa, Survival gear, Paracord, Parachute Cord, Snorkeling, Family, Photography, Thailand, Travel Tips, Cuba, Latin America, Summer, Night Market, Tourist Site, Vietnam, Explore, Cambodia, Czech Republic, United States, Chile, Costa Rica, Russia, Croatia, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Laos, Luxembourg, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Top Knotch Gear, Europe, Italy, Sydney, Easter Island, Moai Statues, Great Wall of China, Paracord Pet Supplies, Paracord Pet Gear, Travel help, Planning vacation, Trip planning, Paracord Watch, Germany, Switzerland, Canada | Leave a comment

Travel Tip Tuesday!

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear

Travel tip #15: When traveling long distance in countries that offer trains or high speed rail systems, consider traveling at NIGHT. This way, you do not lose a day of sight-seeing AND you save on the cost of a hotel/hostel for that night. The same tip can be applied to flights, too. When we fly long distance, we try to book red eye flights so we’re able to maximize our time at our destination.

Train ride at night - photo from Pixdaus

Categories: Adventure, Africa, Airplanes, Asia, Australia, Backpacking, China, Circumnavigation, Europe, Explore, Globetrotting, Hiking, Japan, Mountains, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Planning vacation, Random, Stumble Upon, Summer, Top Knotch Gear, Tourist Site, Transportation, Travel, Travel help, Travel Tips, Trip planning, United Kingdom, United States | Leave a comment

2011 Lonely Planet Travel Destinations

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear

The Lonely Planet just released their list of top 10 travel destinations for 2011! How many of these places have you visited? Are any of the countries on your summer travel itinerary? Let us know!

  1. Albania
  2. Brazil
  3. Cape Verde
  4. Panama
  5. Bulgaria
  6. Vanuatu
  7. Italy
  8. Tanzania
  9. Syria
  10. Japan
Brazil, Panama, Tanzania and Japan are all on our ’round-the-world itinerary! If you wan to read more about the individual countries and learn tips and tricks for your travel, check out what the Lonely Planet has to say about the 2011 list of travel destinations. Have any travel stories from these places? Please share them with us! We love hearing about other travelers’ adventurers and experiences!

Vanuatu

Tanzania

Categories: Adventure, Africa, Asia, Australia, Backpacking, Circumnavigation, Europe, Explore, Food, Globetrotting, Hiking, Italy, Japan, Landscape Photograph, Latin America, Mountains, Nature, Outdoors, Packing, Photography, Planning vacation, South America, Summer, Top Knotch Gear, Tourist Site, Trails, Transportation, Travel, Travel help, Travel Photography, Travel Tips, Trip planning, Water, white and blue | 6 Comments

Travel Tip Tuesday! – What kind of packer are you?

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear

Travel tip #13:

Part 1: For this week’s travel tip (sorry, we missed last week), try taking this quiz provided by Independent Traveler to see what kind of packer you are! Once you answer the questions, some tips will be generated that will help you fit your packing style. It’s fun and easy!

Take the quiz here: http://www.independenttraveler.com/packing-quiz/

Part 2: Tell us which kind of packer you are on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TopKnotchGear) and you’ll be entered in a contest to win our newest paracord key chain with a bottle opener carabiner! It’s just perfect for those summer brews and you can customize the paracord colors! We’ll use a random number generator to pick the winner on Thursday, May 26th at 12:00PM EST.

WIN THIS! To enter, take the packing quiz and tell us what kind of packer you are - post your packing-type on our TKG Facebook wall!

I’m a last-second lightweight packer!

I always bring my pack as my luggage. If it doesn't fit in my pack, I don't bring it and I don't think twice about it. The quiz had me pegged!

Categories: Adventure, Africa, Airplanes, Asia, Australia, Backpacking, Beijing, Caves, Caving, China, Circumnavigation, Cuba, Explore, Globetrotting, Hiking, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Latin America, Mountains, Nature, Outdoors, Packing, Parachute Cord, Random, Rock Climbing, South America, Survival gear, Thailand, Trails, Travel, Travel Tips | Leave a comment

Our Travel Bucket List!

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear
  1. Visit the wonders of the world.
  2. Cross every longitudinal line and every major meridian.
  3. Step foot on all 7 continents.
  4. Hike some of the Annapurna circuit.
  5. See Mount Everest (bonus points for climbing to base camp).
  6. Hike some of Kilimanjaro.
  7. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef.
  8. Kayak through the mangroves in Everglades National Park.
  9. Visit the Grand Canyon.
  10. Visit all National Parks in the United States.
  11. Become fluent in French and Spanish. (Bonus points for using it abroad).
  12. Become certified SCUBA divers.
  13. Teach English abroad.
  14. Volunteer with a children’s organization abroad.
  15. Install water filters in a 3rd world country.
  16. Experience a sunrise in the Serengheti.
  17. Party on top of a skyscraper in Hong Kong.
  18. Climb a mountain (the entire thing – height doesn’t matter).
  19. Star gaze in South America.
  20. Take a National Geographic Linblad tour.
  21. Spend an extended time at a Buddhist monastery.
  22. Take tango lessons in Argentina.
  23. Visit the Amazon rainforest.
  24. Hug a koala.
  25. See the fjords in Norway.
  26. Celebrate Oktoberfest in Germany.
  27. Learn wine appreciation – and become connoisseur.
  28. Visit a medicine man and/or a shaman.
  29. Get our fortunes read overseas.
  30. Sleep in a hammock on a beach.
  31. Take a roadtrip across the U.S.A.
  32. Hike the Appalachian Trail – the entire thing!
  33. Swim with dolphins.
  34. See a whale in the wild.
  35. Swim/slide off of a natural waterfall.
  36. Hike the trail to the Po Lin Monastery in Hong Kong.
  37. Go on a mediation retreat.
  38. Take a helicopter ride over a volcano.
  39. Hike a volcano.
  40. See the cherry blossoms in bloom in Japan.
  41. Visit the family castle in Scotland.
  42. Eat authentic Italian food – in Italy.
  43. See the Olympics in person.
  44. Have a romantic dinner in Paris.
  45. Visit the Holocost concentration camps & memorials.
  46. Celebrate New Years in different countries (specifically Sydney and Hong Kong)
  47. Visit Iceland.
  48. Experience the Iditarod in Alaska.
  49. Experience Holi Day (Festival of Colours) in India.
  50. See the dragon boat festival in China.
  51. Carnival in Rio.
  52. Visit the Mount Gay Rum distillery in Barbados.
  53. See the Tour de France.
  54. Smoke a real Cuban cigar – in Cuba. Whilst drinking Cuban daiquiris.
  55. See the Northern Lights. (Bonus points for getting crystal clear pictures of them.)
  56. Go on a bike tour of Vietnam.
  57. Take cooking classes in India and Thailand – learn to make authentic coconut curry!
  58. Eat fresh seafood (this is a big deal for us because we’re both long-term vegetarians)
  59. Rock climb at Joshua Tree and Red Rocks
  60. Photograph penguins in their natural habitats.
  61. Visit the Jane Goodall Sanctuary in South Africa.
  62. Witness a tea ceremony in Japan.
  63. Live out of a pack for an extended period of time (which we’re planning to do anyway!)
  64. Celebrate the Festival of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico
  65. Experience the Full Moon Party in Thailand.
Categories: Adventure, Africa, Airplanes, Alcohol, Animals, Asia, Asian Food, Australia, Backpacking, Beijing, Caves, Caving, China, Circumnavigation, Communication, Cuba, Disaster Relief, Donation, Drink, Explore, Family, Food, Fresh Food, Global Aid, Globetrotting, Hiking, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Latin America, Love, Mountains, National Geographic, Nature, Night Market, Outdoors, Parachute Cord, Paracord, Photography, Plants and Flowers, Random, Rock Climbing, Science, Seafood, Snorkeling, South America, Summer, Survival gear, Thailand, Tourist Site, Trails, Transportation, Travel, Uncategorized, Vietnam, Volunteer, Water | 2 Comments

Travel Tip Tuesday!

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear

Travel Tip #8: When traveling internationally, bring adapters for your electronics. Not all countries have the same-shaped electrical outlets. But you’ll also want to check to see what the voltage is for the country/countries you’re visiting. Without an converter, you’ll fry your gadgets and stink up your hotel/hostel room. (Not fun. I fried a sweet set of portable iPod speakers in China last year. Black smoke poured out of the outlet and the room smelled like burning plastic. So check or calculate the wattage before you plug anything in!) Final word: Adapters change the outlet so your plugs fit and converters convert the electricity to prevent power surges.

This link shows the various plugs and the corresponding voltage in nearly all countries in the world:

http://www.yung-li.com.tw/en/info/ww_specifications.htm

Check online and at your favorite travel store for a kit that includes a converter and multiple adapters for all the different countries.

Categories: Adventure, Asia, Backpacking, Circumnavigation, Globetrotting, Hiking, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Outdoors, Random, South America, Trails, Travel | 1 Comment

Help Support Japan Today!

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear

Click the image to be taken directly to the TKG online store where you will find the Japan Disaster Relief gear. Remember, ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE JAPAN GEAR ARE DONATED. Thank you for supporting Japan!

Categories: Adventure, American Red Cross, Asia, Backpacking, Benefit, Circumnavigation, Disaster Relief, Donation, Earthquake, Global Aid, Globetrotting, Japan, Mountains, Nature, Outdoors, Random, Travel, Tsunami | Leave a comment

Japan Gear Available Through April! 100% Proceeds Donated!

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear

In light of yesterday’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake/aftershock in northeast Japan, we will resume our Japan Disaster Relief gear fundraiser, making another donation to the American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami disaster relief efforts at the end of April. Please check out our Etsy store to purchase gear. 100% OF THE PROCEEDS ARE DONATED!!! It’ll be tough to beat the $3,717 we raised in two weeks last month, but we’re willing to give it a shot and we’d love your help. Custom orders are welcome!

Thank you for supporting Japan!

 

Safe travels,

September & Morgan – Top Knotch Gear

Japan Disaster Relief bracelet (paracord)

Japan Disaster Relief key chain set (paracord)

Categories: Adventure, American Red Cross, Asia, Backpacking, Benefit, Circumnavigation, Disaster Relief, Donation, Earthquake, Global Aid, Globetrotting, Hiking, Japan, Mountains, Nature, Outdoors, Random, Travel, Tsunami | Leave a comment

The Donations are Totaled!

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Top Knotch Gear

Top Knotch Gear has raised $3,717 (USD) in our Japan Disaster Relief gear to donate to the American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami disaster relief efforts!

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has supported Japan through TKG! Thank you for your generous support of our paracord bracelets and key chain sets. The people of Japan desperately need our help during this devastating time, so we are thrilled that everyone around the world has come together to support them. We’re truly overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

 

Much love,

September & Morgan

Categories: Adventure, American Red Cross, Backpacking, Benefit, Circumnavigation, Disaster Relief, Donation, Earthquake, Global Aid, Globetrotting, Hiking, Japan, Mountains, Nature, Outdoors, Random, Travel, Tsunami | Leave a comment

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