https://detourmoments.com/en/ DETOUR MOMENTS is a personal travel journal sharing places, food, stays, experiences, and practical travel tips discovered along the journey. en-US Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:56:00 GMT https://detourmoments.com/en/place/vik-vikurfjara-black-sand-beach/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/vik-vikurfjara-black-sand-beach/ Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:56:00 GMT Our winter visit to Víkurfjara and Vík after Reynisfjara: a detour around the ridge, snow and sunshine over the beach, and an unexpected village zipline. Detour Moments place coast vik vikurfjara black-sand-beach reynisdrangar village south-coast winter visited place Vik, Iceland vik-vikurfjara-black-sand-beach https://detourmoments.com/en/place/reynisfjara-black-sand-beach-winter/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/reynisfjara-black-sand-beach-winter/ Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:55:00 GMT Our February 2025 winter visit to Reynisfjara, from the snowy parking walk to basalt columns and heavy surf, with updated guidance after coastal erosion. Detour Moments place coast reynisfjara black-sand-beach basalt-columns halsanefshellir sneaker-waves south-coast winter visited place Reynisfjara, Iceland reynisfjara-black-sand-beach-winter https://detourmoments.com/en/activity/seokmun-breakwater-fishing-dangjin/ https://detourmoments.com/en/activity/seokmun-breakwater-fishing-dangjin/ Fri, 09 Oct 2026 07:22:00 GMT A quiet October 8, 2026 shore-fishing trip to marker 18 of Seokmun Breakwater in Dangjin, followed by Gagok Wharf and Masem Harbor, with tide and access safety notes. Detour Moments activity fishing dangjin seokmun-breakwater shore-fishing octopus gagok-wharf masem-harbor west-sea visited activity Dangjin, Korea seokmun-breakwater-fishing-dangjin https://detourmoments.com/en/place/solheimajokull-first-glacier-winter/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/solheimajokull-first-glacier-winter/ Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT My first close view of an Icelandic glacier at Sólheimajökull in February 2025, from the snowy approach and glacial lagoon to guided glacier hikes and current safety guidance. Detour Moments place glacier Solheimajokull Sólheimajökull South Coast Iceland winter Ring Road glacier lagoon visited place Solheimajokull, Iceland solheimajokull-first-glacier-winter https://detourmoments.com/en/place/skogafoss-winter-rainbow/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/skogafoss-winter-rainbow/ Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:38:00 GMT A February 2025 stop at Skógafoss on Iceland's South Coast, from the snow-covered falls and a rainbow to the staircase viewpoint and a sky that turned dark on the walk back. Detour Moments place waterfall Skogafoss Skógafoss Skogar South Coast Iceland winter Ring Road visited place Skogar, Iceland skogafoss-winter-rainbow https://detourmoments.com/en/tips/iceland-golden-circle-winter-self-drive-route/ https://detourmoments.com/en/tips/iceland-golden-circle-winter-self-drive-route/ Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:23:16 GMT Our real winter route through Thingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss, Secret Lagoon and Kerid, including why an overnight stay near Geysir worked better for us than rushing the whole Golden Circle in one day. Detour Moments tips planning iceland golden-circle winter-road-trip self-drive thingvellir geysir gullfoss secret-lagoon kerid visited tips Geysir, Iceland iceland-golden-circle-winter-self-drive-route https://detourmoments.com/en/tips/mount-fuji-road-trip-itinerary/ https://detourmoments.com/en/tips/mount-fuji-road-trip-itinerary/ Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:23:16 GMT Our real winter driving route from Fujinomiya and Lake Tanuki through Lake Shoji, Lake Kawaguchiko, Fuji-Q Highland, Fujiyoshida and Lake Yamanaka. Detour Moments tips planning mount-fuji fujikawaguchiko fujiyoshida fujinomiya yamanakako road-trip rental-car winter-japan visited tips Fujikawaguchiko, Japan mount-fuji-road-trip-itinerary https://detourmoments.com/en/tips/shizuoka-rental-car-first-day-route/ https://detourmoments.com/en/tips/shizuoka-rental-car-first-day-route/ Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:23:16 GMT The first day of our Mount Fuji road trip from Shizuoka Airport: rental-car setup, Nihondaira Yume Terrace, Shimizu Fish Market, a downtown stay and an evening walk. Detour Moments tips planning mount-fuji shizuoka shizuoka-airport rental-car nihondaira shimizu road-trip visited tips Shizuoka, Japan shizuoka-rental-car-first-day-route https://detourmoments.com/en/stay/kviholmi-premium-apartments-aurora/ https://detourmoments.com/en/stay/kviholmi-premium-apartments-aurora/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:54:00 GMT We chose Kvíhólmi Premium Apartments to balance our South Coast driving route. It looked remote from outside, but the apartment was warm and comfortable, and after an unsuccessful late-night aurora drive, we returned to find our first Northern Lights right outside. Detour Moments stay apartment kviholmi kviholmi-premium-apartments south-coast hvolsvollur aurora northern-lights iceland-road-trip visited stay Kviholmi, Iceland kviholmi-premium-apartments-aurora https://detourmoments.com/en/place/seljalandsfoss-gljufrabui-winter/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/seljalandsfoss-gljufrabui-winter/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 06:17:00 GMT A February 2025 walk from Seljalandsfoss to nearby Gljúfrabúi on Iceland's South Coast, from frozen spray and a closed winter path to a hidden waterfall inside a narrow canyon. Detour Moments place waterfall seljalandsfoss gljufrabui gljúfrabúi south-coast iceland winter visited place Seljalandsfoss, Iceland seljalandsfoss-gljufrabui-winter https://detourmoments.com/en/place/kerid-crater-frozen-winter/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/kerid-crater-frozen-winter/ Sun, 04 Oct 2026 17:00:00 GMT A February 2025 visit to Kerið Crater on the Golden Circle, walking around the rim and down to the frozen crater lake. The scale of the volcanic landscape felt completely different from above and below. Detour Moments place volcano-hike kerid kerið golden-circle volcanic-crater crater-lake iceland winter visited place Kerid, Iceland kerid-crater-frozen-winter https://detourmoments.com/en/activity/secret-lagoon-fludir/ https://detourmoments.com/en/activity/secret-lagoon-fludir/ Sun, 04 Oct 2026 13:30:00 GMT A February 2025 visit to Secret Lagoon in Flúðir, a quiet Golden Circle geothermal bath with warm pools, a cold plunge, snowy paths and changing winter weather. Detour Moments activity hot-spring secret-lagoon gamla-laugin fludir golden-circle geothermal-pool iceland winter visited activity Fludir, Iceland secret-lagoon-fludir https://detourmoments.com/en/place/gullfoss-waterfall/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/gullfoss-waterfall/ Sat, 03 Oct 2026 07:31:00 GMT A winter stop at Gullfoss on Iceland's Golden Circle, where the broad Hvítá River drops in two stages before turning into a narrow canyon. Detour Moments place waterfall Gullfoss Iceland Golden Circle Hvita River winter viewpoint visited place Gullfoss, Iceland gullfoss-waterfall https://detourmoments.com/en/place/geysir-geothermal-area/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/geysir-geothermal-area/ Sat, 03 Oct 2026 02:30:00 GMT I walked from Hótel Geysir into the geothermal area, waited through a small false start for Strokkur's full eruption, then spent the morning exploring steaming pools and winter paths as snow began to fall. Detour Moments place geothermal-area Geysir Strokkur Haukadalur Iceland geothermal area geyser hot springs Golden Circle visited place Geysir, Iceland geysir-geothermal-area https://detourmoments.com/en/stay/hotel-geysir-haukadalur/ https://detourmoments.com/en/stay/hotel-geysir-haukadalur/ Fri, 02 Oct 2026 15:50:00 GMT My first night in Iceland was at Hótel Geysir, with a spotless room, geothermal steam visible beyond the balcony, the Geysir area within walking distance, and a breakfast that made the start of the road trip much easier. Detour Moments stay hotel geysir hotel-geysir haukadalur golden-circle geothermal-area breakfast iceland-road-trip visited stay Geysir, Iceland hotel-geysir-haukadalur https://detourmoments.com/en/place/thingvellir-national-park/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/thingvellir-national-park/ Fri, 02 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT I walked across the exposed winter landscape of Þingvellir toward Öxarárfoss as clear skies gradually gave way to snow. At the end of the long walk, I found the first waterfall of my Iceland trip. Detour Moments place national-park Thingvellir Þingvellir Iceland national park Oxararfoss rift valley winter visited place Thingvellir, Iceland thingvellir-national-park https://detourmoments.com/en/place/fagradalsfjall-volcano-hike/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/fagradalsfjall-volcano-hike/ Fri, 02 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT My first stop in Iceland was a winter hike through the Fagradalsfjall volcanic landscape, with strong wind, black lava terrain, moss, rising steam and wide views across the Reykjanes Peninsula. Detour Moments place volcano-hike Fagradalsfjall Reykjanes Grindavik Iceland volcano lava field hiking visited place Grindavik, Iceland fagradalsfjall-volcano-hike https://detourmoments.com/en/place/yamanakako-swan-boat-feeding-fuji/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/yamanakako-swan-boat-feeding-fuji/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:13:00 GMT Our final stop around Mount Fuji was Lake Yamanaka, where swans came close for food and I lingered by the water, reluctant to leave the clear winter view of the mountain. Detour Moments place lake yamanakako lake-yamanaka mount-fuji mute-swan swan-feeding yamanashi visited place Yamanakako, Japan yamanakako-swan-boat-feeding-fuji https://detourmoments.com/en/food/izumiya-fujiyoshida/ https://detourmoments.com/en/food/izumiya-fujiyoshida/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:35:00 GMT A late-morning meal at Izumiya in Fujiyoshida. The grilled fish and udon were nothing unusual, but the salty seasoning, crisp skin and rice good enough to eat on its own made an ordinary meal linger. Detour Moments food japanese-set-meal fujiyoshida yamanashi izumiya grilled-fish udon japan-food visited food Fujiyoshida, Japan izumiya-fujiyoshida https://detourmoments.com/en/stay/hotel-mystays-fuji-onsen-resort/ https://detourmoments.com/en/stay/hotel-mystays-fuji-onsen-resort/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 22:45:00 GMT A one-night stay at HOTEL MYSTAYS Fuji Onsen Resort, within walking distance of Fuji-Q Highland, with a room overlooking Mount Fuji and the park, pink dawn light on the mountain, and a top-floor hot spring and open-air bath. Detour Moments stay hotel fujiyoshida hotel-mystays-fuji-onsen-resort mount-fuji fuji-q-highland onsen open-air-bath yamanashi visited stay Fujiyoshida, Japan hotel-mystays-fuji-onsen-resort https://detourmoments.com/en/food/gyushige-fujikyu-highland-mae/ https://detourmoments.com/en/food/gyushige-fujikyu-highland-mae/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:14:00 GMT A late dinner at Gyushige Fujikyu Highland Mae after a full day at Fuji-Q Highland, with assorted yakiniku, beef tongue, tablet ordering and an unlimited soft-drink option. Detour Moments food yakiniku fujikawaguchiko gyushige japan-food yamanashi fuji-q-highland visited food Fujikawaguchiko, Japan gyushige-fujikyu-highland-mae https://detourmoments.com/en/activity/fuji-q-highland-fujiyoshida/ https://detourmoments.com/en/activity/fuji-q-highland-fujiyoshida/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 07:55:00 GMT A January 2026 afternoon and evening at Fuji-Q Highland in Fujiyoshida, with Mount Fuji views, Takabisha's 121-degree drop, the Ferris wheel, spinning thrill rides and practical notes on face-recognition entry. Detour Moments activity fujiyoshida fuji-q-highland takabisha mount-fuji theme-park yamanashi visited activity Fujiyoshida, Japan fuji-q-highland-fujiyoshida https://detourmoments.com/en/food/genroku-tonkatsu-fujiyoshida/ https://detourmoments.com/en/food/genroku-tonkatsu-fujiyoshida/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 22:50:00 GMT An unplanned New Year lunch at Tonkatsu Genroku in Fujiyoshida, with crisp and tender pork cutlet, notably good rice, and an unusually firm bowl of udon. Detour Moments food tonkatsu fujiyoshida yamanashi genroku yoshida-udon japan-food visited food Fujiyoshida, Japan genroku-tonkatsu-fujiyoshida https://detourmoments.com/en/place/oishi-park-mount-fuji-lake-kawaguchiko/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/oishi-park-mount-fuji-lake-kawaguchiko/ Sat, 26 Sep 2026 14:25:00 GMT A clear January visit to Oishi Park on the north shore of Lake Kawaguchiko, with Mount Fuji across the water, winter reeds and a lavender soft-serve stop. Detour Moments place view oishi-park kawaguchiko mount-fuji fujikawaguchiko yamanashi winter-japan viewpoint visited place Fujikawaguchiko, Japan oishi-park-mount-fuji-lake-kawaguchiko https://detourmoments.com/en/stay/shoji-lake-hotel-snowy-night-fuji-view/ https://detourmoments.com/en/stay/shoji-lake-hotel-snowy-night-fuji-view/ Sat, 26 Sep 2026 07:10:00 GMT A one-night winter stay at Shoji Lake Hotel, from a late arrival through heavy snow and a tatami room facing Lake Shoji and Mount Fuji to a dawn open-air bath and quiet lakeside walk. Detour Moments stay hotel shojiko shoji-lake-hotel mount-fuji fujikawaguchiko yamanashi japanese-room open-air-bath winter-japan visited stay Fujikawaguchiko, Japan shoji-lake-hotel-snowy-night-fuji-view https://detourmoments.com/en/place/lake-tanuki-observation-deck-sunset/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/lake-tanuki-observation-deck-sunset/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 12:01:25 GMT A sunset visit to Lake Tanuki in Fujinomiya, watching Mount Fuji shift behind the clouds as the lake grew quiet at the end of the day. Detour Moments place view lake-tanuki fujinomiya mount-fuji sunset viewpoint shizuoka visited place Fujinomiya, Japan lake-tanuki-observation-deck-sunset https://detourmoments.com/en/place/shiraito-falls-fujinomiya/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/shiraito-falls-fujinomiya/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 07:52:33 GMT A January afternoon at Shiraito Falls in Fujinomiya, from the Mount Fuji view near the parking area to the short walk down to the falls, plus a practical note on official and nearby private parking. Detour Moments place waterfall shiraito-falls fujinomiya mount-fuji shizuoka japan-road-trip visited place Fujinomiya, Japan shiraito-falls-fujinomiya https://detourmoments.com/en/place/yanagida-bridge-fuji-neighborhood/ https://detourmoments.com/en/place/yanagida-bridge-fuji-neighborhood/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 01:21:00 GMT An unplanned stop around Yanagida Bridge in Fuji, where a small river, quiet homes and Mount Fuji came together in an everyday neighborhood scene. Detour Moments place view fuji mount-fuji yanagida-bridge kourui-river shizuoka japan-road-trip visited place Fuji, Japan yanagida-bridge-fuji-neighborhood https://detourmoments.com/en/food/niku-to-kome-fujiyoshiwara/ https://detourmoments.com/en/food/niku-to-kome-fujiyoshiwara/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 01:20:00 GMT An unplanned lunch at Kando no Niku to Kome Fujiyoshiwara in Fuji, with unexpectedly good steak and hamburg, a self-service setup, and a supermarket stop right across the shared parking lot. Detour Moments food steak fuji shizuoka niku-to-kome hamburg-steak japan-food visited food Fuji, Japan niku-to-kome-fujiyoshiwara https://detourmoments.com/en/food/ramen-danbo-shizuoka-tokiwacho/ https://detourmoments.com/en/food/ramen-danbo-shizuoka-tokiwacho/ Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT An unplanned first-night stop at Ramen DANBO Shizuoka Tokiwacho for spicy Rekka Ramen and a highball, with notes on the open kitchen, ticket machine and cash/QR payment options. Detour Moments food ramen shizuoka danbo tonkotsu rekka-ramen japan-food visited food Shizuoka, Japan ramen-danbo-shizuoka-tokiwacho