Helloooooo!

First off, to those that are celebrating this week, Happy Thanksgiving!

The whirlwind trip through Asia is finally winding down. I'm currently in Hong Kong right now and squeezing this one in between a few hours of sleep 😅.

This is a long one so why don't we just jump right in!

All About Shikoku

When I told people that I'd be going to Shikoku, Japan, I could tell most people were puzzled.

I'm not going to lie, I also didn't have a good grasp of Shikoku before my 10 days there.

Where is Shikoku?

Shikoku is the name of an island in the more southern part of Japan. Traditionally, it's always been a bit more isolated than other parts of Japan.

It consists of 4 different prefectures, has 4 major airports, and is connected to Honshu (mainland Japan) by two bridges.

Why did I go to Shikoku?

After the ATTA conference in Hokkaido and spending another 2 weeks with Chantelle, I wanted to bridge the gap with my parents coming to Asia by exploring a lesser-known place in Japan - going off-the-beaten-path if you will.

Japan's Golden Route has only gotten more and more congested post-COVID and I really wanted to go somewhere that not many people knew about.

Similar to how the Far East of Hokkaido is a place that very few get to go to, something similar could be said about Shikoku.

What's Shikoku known for?

This was a common question I got that I didn't have a great answer for. If I had to choose, here are the top things Shikoku's all about:

Pilgrimage - This isn't something I got to do but I saw plenty of people along the way hiking to see part of the 88 official temples scattered around Shikoku.
Farm stays - While I'm sure these exist in all parts of Japan, there are incredible experiences in Iya Valley where you can stay in traditional Japanese houses on steep slopes that allow you to get a glimpse of local life and the beauty of this region.
Mikan - These are Japanese mandarins that originate from the Ehime prefecture of Shikoku that is seedless, juicy, and sweet. It's all part of the huge culture of oranges here.
Castles - Himeji Castle is the biggest and most-visited BUT as I found out, Shikoku has numerous underrated castles that will impress ranging from huge (Matsuyama) to tranquil (Ozu).
Authentic Japan - If you want to get a more raw feel for Japan, Shikoku is for you.

What were my Shikoku highlights?

There were too many to list but 3 of my favourites were:

Knife making - The detour to spend a day making my own knife from scratch near Shimanto. Easily one of the coolest things I've ever done in my travels.
Town of Uchiko - This "Little Kyoto" was the perfect day trip from Matsuyama.
Iya Valley Farmstay - I spent 2 nights at Kouya, where I got a chance to get to know the owner, made my own soba noodles, and ate authentic local foods.

This Month's Travel Deals

Happy Black Friday! No doubt you've been bombarded with lots of e-mails about different deals and promos so sorry for adding to that. With this, I wanted to summarize the travel-related ones to help make your shopping a bit easier.

This is always the best time of year to buy travel gear and book travel. Companies always reserve their deepest discounts for this holiday period.

Remember, the most up to date page is the deals page and we also share the really good ones on our special FB group.

Travel Gear

AllTrails: Use code cyber2023 to save 50% off premium membership. Expires Nov 29.
Db Journey: Black weekend sale of up to 50% off
Columbia Sportswear: Black Friday Offer Live Now: 25% off everything + 60% off doorbusters + 40% off select footwear + free shipping on all orders.
Mountain Hardwear: 25% off Holiday Sale and 40% off select items. Ends Dec 4.
Amazon: The top 5 BF trending travel-related items right now are the DJI Avata, GoPro HERO12 Black combo, AirTag, Beats Studio3, and YETI Rambler 14 oz Mug. Check out more of their deals.
YETI: If you purchase $200 from YETI, you can get 2 free 750ml Yonders with a Chug Cap. Expires Dec 31.
MEC: Check out their Black Friday deals where you can save up to 50%.
Smartwool: Get a Free Holiday Sock with a purchase over $99+. Ends Nov 28
Unbound Merino: Black Friday (Nov 19-26) is the only time of year that they run sales so jump on it if you've been waiting to buy something for your travel kit. On Cyber Monday (Nov 27-28), use code CM10 where you can get $10 off if you spend $100.
TUMI: The Semi-Annual Sale has TUMI styles up to 20% off.
Keen: Use code EARLYCYBER25 to save 25% off everything.
ECCO Shoes: Pre-Black Friday Sale - 30% Off Select Styles.
Sorel: 25% off Out N About Classic & Evie. For their Black Friday offer, get 25% off until Nov 28.
Etsy: Shop the Cyber Week Sales Event - Find deals of up to 60% off until Nov 29. Get an extra $5 off any order of $30 or more using code CYBER5 until Nov 27.
Joby: They have a promotion called Color Week where with code IPHONE15 you get 15% off all iPhone accessories, 30% off our Color Week Online Exclusive Kits, and up to 40% off our Bestseller selection.
Burton: Shop season savings during Burton’s Holiday Sale. The best deals on the best gear start 11/22, click through to save up to 50% off and launch into winter. Ends Nov 27. The Canadian page is here.
Solis: Pay-per-GB Black Friday savings where you get 40% off for the 20GB package and 30% off for the 10GB package. Their Solis 5G Hotspot & Power Bank is also 30% off (comes with lifetime data!).
Pin Adventure Map: Use code FESTIVE25 to save 25% off all push pin maps. End Nov 22.
Camelback: Through Saturday (12/2), save up to 50% off everything sitewide. On Cyber Monday (11/27), you can get a free Horizon Tumbler 30oz when you spend $100 or more.
Hydrapak: Don't miss out on our last big sale of the year! Shop and save 20% off site-wide now through 11/27. Use code BFCM23 at checkout.
Sonos: Black Friday Sale - up to 25% off.
Outdoor Research: Cyber savings of up to 60% off until Nov 27.

Photography/Videography

OWC: I started using their SD cards and they've been awesome for my video needs. Their OWC Atlas Memory Cards are up to 20% off. Ends Nov 27.
Insta360: Save up to $138 USD on Insta360 products for Black Friday until Dec 3. This includes their deepest sale on the Insta360 X3. The new Insta360 Go 3 is also 5% off. All purchases get a free t-shirt.
f-stop: Use code PACKWEEK23 to save 20% on their packs, inserts and accessories.
Peak Design: The full breakdown of their Black Friday + Cyber Monday promo. Ends Nov 27.
- 40% Off — All Phone Cases (except iPhone 15 / Pixel 8 Cases)
- 30% Off — Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod; V1 Camera Cubes; Travel Duffel 65L; Select Mobile Products (Car Mount, Stand Wallet, Wall Mount, Ball Adapter, Motorcycle Mount, Universal Adapter, Wall Power Adapter) Select Camera Gear (Capture Camera Clip & Clip Only, Slide, Clutch)
- 20% Off — All Mobile Products not listed above; Everyday Backpack Zip (All Sizes + Colors); 30L Travel Backpack (Midnight + Sage)
- 15% Off — Aluminum Travel Tripod; Camera Clip + Accessories; Camera Straps & Accessories
- 10% Off — Everyday Bags, Travel Bags, Pouches & Packing Tools (Except V2 Camera Cubes)

Accommodations

Hilton: Save 40% off your stay at Resorts World Las Vegas when you book during their Black Friday & Cyber Monday sale until Nov 30. Good for stays until end of 2024.
Hostelworld: Their Black Friday deals are up and ends December 4. The travel period is from November 14th to April 30th, 2024.
Priceline: They have several Black Friday promos:
- Get $100 resort credit with select Mexico and Caribbean hotel booking (11/20–11/24/23)
- Save 20% or more on top ski hotels (11/20–11/24/23)
- Save 60% or more on select Las Vegas Hotel Express Deals (11/20–11/24/23)
- Get up to $2,000 onboard credit + bonus travel credit on select cruise bookings (11/20–11/27/23)
- Save 35% or more on select Marriott vacation packages (11/20–11/24/23)
- Save up to 25% on select rental cars (11/20–11/27/23)
- Save 10% on Priceline Experiences (11/20–11/29/23) with code: EXPERIENCES10 (exclusions apply)
- Save 10% on any hotel, rental car, or flight purchase (11/20–11/27/23) with code: BFCM10 (valid anywhere a coupon is accepted)
- Save up to $100 on any hotel, valid anywhere a coupon is accepted (15% Off, Up to $100).
  Code: CYBERMON15
  First 500 bookings. Travel anytime. Must be signed in. Coupon valid from 11/27/13 9AM-12:59PM EST or until fully redeemed.
- Save $20 on sitewide Express Deals. Min. spend $175 required.
  Code: EXPRESSDEALS20
  First 500 bookings. Travel anytime. Must be signed in. Coupon valid from 11/27/23 5PM-11:59PM EST or until fully redeemed.
WesternDigital: They have Black Friday sales of up to 50% off for Canada and the US. Sale starts Nov 23 and ends Nov 27.

Car Rentals

Europcar: Save up to 30% for Black Friday offer which is available until Nov 27.

Flights

LATAM: Fly to South America from USD 225 round trip. Ends Nov 27.
TAP Portugal: Limited seats at special prices until 24 Nov, 2023.
Qatar Airways: Black Friday sale for the UK market.

Insurance

MedJet: BIGGEST SALE EVER, with discounts on Annual Individual and Family Memberships - $60 OFF Annual Individual Membership $90 OFF Annual Family Membership

These Months in Travel

Here are a few interesting articles we found this month. This sure inspires wanderlust and could be your ticket to awesome ;)

Best Tourism Villages - Article by the BBC about villages such as Hakuba in Japan as listed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
Worst tourists? - A funny and more light-hearted take on stereotypes for tourists around the globe.
On the horizon with Airbnb - Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says 2023 marks the end of the company’s focus on perfecting its core business. So what's next?

What's next at Going Awesome Places

3 months is a long time away from home especially for someone that doesn't live the nomadic lifestyle so I'll be glad to be home for December. As you can imagine, there's a lot of footage, photography to go over and tons of writing to do so we'll be super busy!

To see the latest of where we are and what we're up to, the most consistent place we post is on Instagram so make sure to catch us there!