INSPIRATION & EXPERT ADVICE FOR INDEPENDENT TRAVELLERS
Early on an August morning, while Tokyo was just beginning to wake up, I was already standing in front of the large wooden torii gate marking the entrance to Meiji Shrine. Breathing in the fresh morning air, I happily began walking down the wide graveled path leading to the main shrine building. Shaded by tall...
Ah, Tokyo. Just hearing the name conjures up images of densely packed skyscrapers, streets lined with larger-than-life advertisements and crowded public spaces. Yes, that vision is correct, but as we discovered during our 4 days in Tokyo, there is much more to the city than first meets the eye. Tokyo is a city where the...
I love visiting gardens on my travels, so it’s no surprise that the Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park was a highlight of my 3 day trip to the Tottori prefecture of Japan. With about 50 hectares, the Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park is one of the largest flower gardens in Japan. There’s a wide variety of flowers...
If you’re planning a trip to Japan, you may have heard about the Japan Rail Pass. It’s a convenient, easy to use pass designed for tourists who will be travelling by train in Japan. We decided to buy a Japan Rail Pass for our 2 week trip to Japan, since train was going to be...
UPDATE: The Edo-Tokyo Museum will be temporarily closed for renovations from April 1, 2022 until 2025 or early 2026. The entire facility will be renovated including displays, equipment and more. It’s not very often that I go out of my way to visit museums when I travel, but once in a while I find one...
Walking into the Tottori Sand Museum I was dripping with sweat, having spent the last hour or so across the street exploring Japan’s largest sand dunes. I was eager to get into the museum not just for the cooler temperatures (although, that was a big part of it), but also because I was curious to...
Wait a minute…I’m still in Japan, right? I scan the scenery surrounding me- it’s all sun, sand and sea. This looks nothing like what I saw on my first trip to Japan a year earlier. Where were the castles, the temples, the shrines, the forests? Instead, here I am, standing at the edge of the...
Walking up a smooth, well-worn stone staircase to Sanbutsuji Temple, I instantly hoped the whole trail up Japan’s Mount Mitoku wasn’t going to be this steep. Looking back now, that was the easiest part of hiking Mitokusan. My adventurous hike (or should I say climb) up Mount Mitoku began simply enough. I met with the...
Stretching along the Sea of Japan, in the Chugoku region of Western Honshu, is a coastal prefecture that’s largely untouched by foreign visitors, at least for now. But once the secret gets out, I’d expect that to change. Tottori prefecture is an ideal area of Japan to visit for people, like myself, who prefer smaller...
Entering into the heart of Nara Park we are greeted by a small, friendly deer wandering freely throughout the grounds. Approaching us, the deer bows its head down, as if to say hello. “Oh, so cute! Look how she’s bowing her head,” I enthusiastically announced to Mike. “I think she’s politely asking for some deer...
Our one day in Nara was spent almost exclusively at Nara Park. I usually like to explore as much of a city as possible, but there were so many places to see in Nara Park that I didn’t feel guilty for not branching out into Nara’s other areas. Nara Park is very large and packed...
When I hear a place described using the words “best” or “most”, I become skeptical of the claim. Sometimes I’m even disappointed upon visiting, since not every place warrants such high praise. However, that was not the case with Nikko Toshogu Shrine- it absolutely lives up to the hype of being called Japan’s most lavishly...
For our last day in Japan, we decided to ditch the hustle and bustle of modern Tokyo, and head to the forested area of Nikko for one last opportunity to experience the traditions, spirituality and natural beauty of Japan. Nikko is a Buddhist-Shinto religious centre, its shrines and temples scattered among the hilly woodlands. At...
During our two weeks in Japan, I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful sake barrels that were piled on top of each other at Shinto shrines. Called kazaridaru, these “decoration barrels” are physically empty, but hold immense spiritual significance. Sake (Japanese rice wine) has long been an important part of Japanese culture. Traditionally, sake is...
“Ooh…it’s so elegant,” I exclaimed as we approached Himeji Castle, the largest castle in Japan. Its bright white walls, delicate decorations and grey roof tiles gleamed brightly, even through the light mist of a rainy spring morning. Himeji Castle, as we would soon find out, is a popular place. It survives as one of Japan’s...
As a big animal lover, I am always thrilled when I get to see wildlife on my travels. As educational as zoos can be, nothing compares to seeing an animal in its natural habitat, unconfined. So when I found out about the Iwatayama Monkey Park in Kyoto, where monkeys freely roam the hilltops, I just...
Ryozen Kannon is a temple honouring the Japanese soldiers and citizens who died during World War II. It’s located in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto and features a huge concrete statue of the Goddess of Mercy, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Kannon). The statue is impressive at 24 metres (80 feet) tall and 500 tonnes. Its beauty is...
A trip to Japan would not be complete without visiting Kyoto. It’s a city full of enchanting sites- geisha hurrying down dark streets, ancient temples rich with spiritual tradition, a natural beauty that is both appreciated and celebrated, especially during cherry blossom season. We spent 3 days in Kyoto and it was just enough time...
The rain was coming down hard during our visit to To-ji Temple, but not enough to conceal its simplistic beauty. Finding shelter under our umbrella, we dodged puddles as we walked down the gravel path. Pink-blossomed cherry trees lined its edge, leading the way to To-ji’s five storied pagoda, a symbol of Kyoto. As we...
Kyoto is one of the best places in Japan to enjoy the cherry blossoms, so soon after arriving we eagerly headed off to one of the most popular sakura (cherry blossom) viewing spots in Kyoto– the Philosopher’s Path. The Path of Philosophy is a gorgeous place to go for a stroll when the cherry trees...
We are Rhonda and Mike, a Canadian couple who make it a priority to travel every chance we get!
We describe our travel style as "laid back luxe" and enjoy a mix of outdoor adventures and historic sites.
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