The Yasaka Shrine | Kyoto | Japan Travels

Not a lot of people would share my sentiment but I found Yasaka Shrine to be really gorgeous and romantic. I have a knack for liking smaller and simpler things which I guess influenced how I felt while visiting this so called ‘only-average’ shrine.

My friends and I were quite lucky for consulting the locals before hand. They were really helpful in giving us the down low on the shrine and giving us advice on when to visit. Perhaps having just that little bit more information over others made our visit more memorable. The locals advised us to visit at night, which we did. 

Shogun Residence | Nijo Castle, Kyoto

Ninomaru Palace

Going to Nijo Castle was both an exciting and bitter journey for me. I loved learning about the samurai, their duty to protect feudal lords and their way of life, but on top of that I felt a little spiteful too because I was promised a visit to a ninja museum. Who knew that among my friends were still the rare population of people who believed the samurai and ninja were identical -_- Technically at some point in history some samurais became ninjas but that still didn’t make them one and the same.

Kyoto Brighton Hotel | Review | Japan Travels

Photo by Kyoto Brighton

Of all the hotels in Japan we stayed in, this was my favourite. I was aware that the Kyoto Brighton was a five star hotel but because we snagged the room at such an unbelievably good value, I didn't really expect much. There's always a catch when something good comes cheap. When we eventually arrived, we immediately thought we struck gold.

Momo Tea | Bubble Milk Tea | Things to do in Auckland #4

If you are looking for a clean, mean and sober hang out late at night with a friend or a huge group of friends, then I think Momo Tea is the undiscovered oasis for a fun night out. I’m not a big fan of the drinking and clubbing culture so I’m always on the look-out for stuff to do out late that doesn’t involve that.

A Night in Gion | Kyoto | Japan Travels

I remember our visit to Gion happened on a spectacular evening. It had just finished raining during the day and as the lights were lit up for the night its reflection off the drenched ground dazzled the streets. The fact that Kyoto was already so pretty with lanterns decorating the streets with a soft glow, added with that extra bit of sparkle just made everything look picture perfect. Only – and this is pretty upsetting – we couldn’t take pictures because the battery in our camera had been fully exhausted.

Kinkaku-ji or Golden Pavilion | Charms and Trail Walks| Kyoto | Japan Travels

I had always wanted to visit the Golden Pavilion or the Kinkaku-ji since I first studied Japanese in high school. The thought of a temple covered in gold painted a spectacular image in my head. It was always in magazines and books. In tourist brochures. It was an icon! When I finally had the chance to see it for myself, it was in the worst weather imaginable. It poured down with rain and the effort to trudge along mud and water gloomed my mood.

$10 Movie Tickets | Things to do in Auckland #3

Here’s a thrifty idea on a boring night. I’m sure everyone’s felt the $16.50 ticket fee just to watch a movie for 2 hours is a little too pricey. How about if that went down to $10 without having to wait for Tuesday? Well, now it’s possible with Berkeley Cinema’s Wednesday-Sunday deal.

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo | Review | Japan Travels

With the hotel a mere 2 minute walk from the train station, Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo was conveniently the perfect base for the earlier part of our trip in Japan. It allowed us to orientate ourselves with the train system without having to worry about coming back too late and walking in the dark at night. I mean, with three gorgeous women *ahem* how dangerous would that be...

Imperial Palace Tour | Kyoto | Japan Travels

My friends and I only sought for one of either the Tokyo or the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Frankly we thought visiting both was an absurd idea. Don’t get me wrong, we love our history but going Imperial Palace hopping is overkill. We sought the council of our wise Japanese friend and she advised us to visit the one in Kyoto. It was older. It was richer (in culture). It was THE one. And also because she grew up in Kyoto and obviously was biased towards Kyoto.

So Kyoto it was!

Toilet Stories | Modern and Squat | Japan Travels

I had a hilarious experience with the Japanese toilets. My poor friend who was the least travelled out of the three of us and therefore the most culture shocked, found it difficult facing the inconsistency of loos in Japan. One minute the toilet has an ass-shower and then the next, it’s a bowl on the floor. Poor girl must have felt homesick every time she had to relieve herself.