One of our favourite haunts in Kyoto is the Nishiki Market. We love markets and never fail to visit one whenever we travel to any city. The market is the life centre of locals and of course, visitors as well. It’s easy to get to the Nishiki Market. It’s just about 5 minutes’ walk from the Shijo Station on the Karasuma Subway Line (4 minutes from Kyoto Station). The market takes up 5 blocks, filled with more than a hundred shops and restaurants. The main attraction in Nishiki Market is … [Read more...]
My Favourite Spots in KYOTO, Japan
As the former imperial capital of Japan for more than a thousand years, Kyoto is a beautiful and interesting city in the Kansai region. As it was spared much bombing during World War II, much of the city’s ancient architectural sites and pre-war buildings are still standing today. Interestingly, Kyoto was removed from the atomic bombing list and replaced with Nagasaki, hence did not suffer the devastation that ended the war. Modern and bustling city Kyoto is a charming blend of … [Read more...]
Get enchanted with SHIRAKAWA-GO in Japan
From the very first time I saw pictures of Gassho-zukuri-style houses in Shirakawa-go, I was smitten and promptly put that into my bucket list. The village scene of these picturesque houses with triangular thatched roofs, especially in winter, has always been mesmerising. It’s only on my 3rd trip to Japan that my family and I made it to this Unesco Heritage site. Even though we didn’t make it in winter, I was still mighty happy that we visited in autumn. UNESCO added the historic … [Read more...]
What’s your Favourite Japanese Sake?
As the national beverage of Japan, sake is often served during religious ceremonies, court festivals and any special event, back in the old days. Sake brewing was restricted to mostly temples and shrines and only from the 20th century did sake-brewing technology grow by leaps and bounds. Today sake has become a world beverage with breweries springing up outside of Japan. The drinking of sake has also taken on a more social trend. Sake is made by fermenting rice that has been polished to … [Read more...]
My 9N 11D Trip to HOKKAIDO – Part 3: LAKE TOYA
The Hokkaido trail continues. After a 3-hour drive from Hakodate, we arrived at our ryokan, Kohan Tei in Lake Toya in the late evening. As our booking included dinner, we had a very decent buffet dinner in the hotel. The next morning we headed out early to explore the pretty town. Our Stay: KOHAN TEI Lake Toya It was a lovely bright autumn day and trees have turned red and gold. Driving through the small quiet roads in Lake Toya town, we appreciated the slow unhurried … [Read more...]
My 9N/11D Trip to HOKKAIDO – Part 2: HAKODATE
Hakodate is the 3rd largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo and Asahikawa. Our leisurely drive from Noboribetsu took about 3 hours as we took our time and stopped for coffee along the way. We reached our hotel, Dormy Inn Express in the late evening. After checking in and freshening up, we headed out looking for dinner. We drove a short distance - it’s easy to get around in Hakodate, and found ourselves at Daimon Yokocho - food alleys serving local food. The eateries in Daimon Yokocho are … [Read more...]
MY 9N/11D TRIP TO HOKKAIDO – PART 1: CHITOSE/NOBORIBETSU
Our trip to Hokkaido was in end September/early October 2016 for 9 nights 11 days covering Noboribetsu, Hakodate, Lake Toya and of course, Sapporo. We decided to visit during autumn when the weather was delightfully cold and yet with the fall colours still visible. We took the Air Asia night flight directly from KLIA2 and arrived at the New Chitose Airport the next morning at 8.20am. This 1st post covers what we experienced in Chitose and Noboribetsu, with a short sojourn to Sapporo, just for … [Read more...]
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