Our stay was for two weeks in the country. Started in Chiang Mai where we stayed for five days. Moved to Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort and Spa and finally Bangkok. Each of the locations we stayed at proved to be great for short trips to the various attractions we wanted to see. Chiang Mai was full of many cultural experiences. Santhiya Koh Yao Yai was an awesome relaxing paradise. Bangkok as expected was one of the craziest big cities we have ever seen. For brevity, only a few details will be listed under each section below. To get all the places we visited and attraction details click on the read more link next to each paragraph.

Chiang Mai

There is so much to see in Chiang Mai. Figuring out what to see is a challenge. It has so many temples, statues, bazaars that you always feel the time is not on your side. The plan was to do various trips every day to different attractions. Many of the places you would want to see are a few hours drive so have that in mind when planning. For example, the Floating Market was 3 hours drive from Chiang Mai for us. Elephant Rescue Park was about an hour. Staying in a good hotel with various concierge choices helps. We did that vs arranging those beforehand. Elephant Rescue Park was the only one we pre-arranged due to it being fully booked all the time. Here are some of the photos of the places we visited from Chiang Mai. / read more

Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort and Spa

We wanted to have some relaxing time while in Thailand. Santhiya was a perfect place for this. It is a resort located on Koh Yao island and has everything you can imagine for a resort & spa. Due to its location, it is also perfect for daily trips to the Phi Phi islands, Phuket, James Bond island, etc. We truly enjoyed our stay there and we highly recommend it. Here are some of the pictures we took while staying at Santhiya. / read more

Bangkok

Bangkok was a very unique experience for us. It has such a big contrast between the rich and fancy areas and the less fortunate ones. Downtown has these amazing stores, malls, temples, and places to see. We stayed close to downtown and traveled mainly with taxies. Traffic is pretty crazy so plan accordingly. There were many places to visit to list here. Here are some of the photos we took. To get more details about all the places we visited and we recommend click on / read more

Conclusion

After the two weeks we spent in Thailand we left the country truly blessed to have been able to explore and experience it. It has a very different feel from Japan and other countries we have been to. Truly unique landscapes, cuisine, and culture. People were super nice everywhere and always eager to help and assist you. Overall we would really miss Thailand and would want to go back for another similar adventure! Our 5 year old still asks about that trip. It appears he really likes Asian countries :).

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Lodging

Picking a good hotel in Chiang Mai with a central location is very important. The economical state of the country is such that many five-star hotels are at the price level of 3 stars in the United States. We stayed at the Le Méridien Chiang Mai which is literally in the center of the city. From there it was a breeze to explore and get transportation to attractions that were driving distance from the hotel. The room, food, and service were awesome. Also, there were tons of options around the hotel including one of the best Japanese sushi we have ever tried. The Night Bazar is also within walking distance if you feel like shopping in the very late afternoon.

Things to See & Do

Our main goal was to visit as many temples, animal parks, and other tourist attractions as possible. Some were very close by others required close to 3 hours drive from the hotel. Doi Suthep was very close. Elephant Rescue Park was about an hour drive. The floating market, white and blue temples were much further. Some of the roads were in heavy construction at the time and there was some traffic as well.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Temple

One of the most beautiful temples we visited during our trip. Probably the most famous and busiest of all we explored. So much detail it is absolutely awesome to see. The temple is 15 km (9.3 mi) from Chiang Mai and situated at an elevation of 1,073 meters. Since it is high in the mountain you can also see great views of the city.

The name of the Temple (Wat Phra That Doi Suthep) actually explains what the temple has. Phra entails of an honorific Buddha image, and That means a relic. Combining the two tells that there is a relic of Buddha’s in the sanctity of the Wat, and in this case it’s half of Buddha’s shoulder bone.

The temple itself is quite large and has various different buildings, statues, and places to explore. There is a huge sitting Buddha as well as one laying down on the terrace of the temple. From there you can oversee the Chaing Mai downtown and just relax and enjoy the views. Make sure you have some water with you. You must remove your shoes when going inside the temple.

Elephant Rescue Park

When in Thailand you must visit one of the Elephant Parks/Sanctuaries. The overall experience is hard to beat and for us specifically was the first of its kind. The overall drive to the park was about an hour. We booked a private tour which includes our family and the guides only. The park rescues elephants from around Thailand and heals them. Some of the elephants were used in the logging industry others performed in circuses. The experience took about half a day and it also included an awesome lunch. Overall one of the absolute best attractions we experienced in Thailand. Highly recommended! Here is a link to the Elephant Rescue Park Website.

Wat Rong Khun, The White Temple

The White Temple is an interesting one. Build very differently than the other temples and it feels more of Thailand’s version of a Disney Land theme park than anything else. It was by far the most detailed and unique architecture wise temple we saw on our trip. Nothing came close really. Turns out it is not an actual temple but a privately owned art exhibit. And as such it is impossible to take a decent photo once inside due to the number of people everywhere. It does get less crowded in the afternoon. You also need to buy a ticket to enter.

Wat Rong Khun is a privately owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997.

Rong Suea Ten, The Blue Temple

After we visited the White Temple our driver recommended seeing the Rong Suea Ten or as it is known to tourists – The Blue Temple. It is a short drive and well worth it. Beautiful architecture and attention to detail. Build by a student of the main architect of the White Temple. It is also an actual real temple with a huge sitting Buddha inside. There are various statues around it that we could not stop taking pictures of. Each one more unique and better (sometimes scarier) looking than the other. If you are visiting the white temple make sure you visit this one as well. It is much smaller in size but offers a lot in color and detail.

Rong Suea Ten was established in October 27th, 2005  and successfully complete in January 22nd, 2016, It is on the area of 6 acres. Blue color represents the Dharma, the Lord Buddha virtue code of moral that spread all over the world becomes the doctrine of logically naturalistic as the bright blue sky. This temple displays the contemporary Buddhist art that implied the Lord Buddha ‘s doctrine.

Night Bazaar

The Night Bazaar was within walking distance of our hotel and it was recommended to us by the locals. It is a large covered marketplace hosting tons of merchants selling all kinds of handmade items and food. There are more than a few restaurants there as well. Overall it was nice to see and experience. Make sure you look after your belongings since the place is packed with all kinds of people. That was a recommendation by the locals.

Conclusion

Overall we absolutely loved our stay at Chiang Mai. So many and so different experiences. From temples and parks to elephants and tigers. The food as well as the service was great. People were very nice and overall always helpful. The only issue we had was with the traffic and the overly busy attractions (like the temples we visited).
We highly recommend Chiang Mai!

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Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort was by far the most relaxing experience we had in Thailand. It is an eco-luxury resort comprised of 39 teakwood pool villas and 109 deluxe rooms located on the Koh Yao Yai island. We loved every minute spent there. The villa, service, and the overall experience was truly unique and very memorable. In fact, it would remain the highlight we enjoyed the most from our adventure.

The Santhiya Resort

We found this resort by looking at places to stay near Phuket and the Phi Phi islands as those were some of the main attractions we wanted to visit. It did not take long for us to choose once we saw the pictures online from this place. We booked more than 3 months in advance just to make sure (booking link). We strongly recommend not to book a room but a villa with a pool. Those are absolutely awesome! The views, the size, and the service were very impressive. The resort size-wise is enormous. It has a large pool at the lower level and one at the top. The latter has an infinity pool type view and it is right next to the Saaitara restaurant (which is where the breakfast is served).

The Vilas

The main Santhiya Koh Yao Yai resort attraction to us was the actual vila. You could probably easily not leave at all while staying there and still have an amazing vacation. It has everything you would imagine. Pool with an awesome view, outside showers, bathtub & plenty of other amenities to enjoy your stay. Our favorite by far was the private infinity pool. The villas are all built mainly with wood and everything inside is done with that material. You have internet and TV although the internet connection in our case was barely usable.

The Pier

The Pier at Santhiya has a dual purpose. During the day it is the only way for you to get out of the island. During the later afternoon, it also becomes a bar that serves quite tasty small bites and of-course all types of alcoholic beverages. You have to reserve your spot however around breakfast time since the bar/tables get booked very quickly. The beds are nice and the sunset views breathtaking. Highly recommended.

The Food

Overall the food was very good (with some exceptions). The main bar at the lower level named “The Titan Grill” had by far the best tasting meals. The breakfast at the top-level restaurant (named “Saaitara Restaurant”) was also decent. The lower level restaurant we did not like at all. Both the main one and the buffet one we only tried once and never came back. It might have been a bad day for them that night but the quality and taste were atrocious. The Titan Grill was consistently good throughout our entire stay. It is also very close to the main pool and the pier so it was a strategic place for us :). Here is a link to the resort restaurant page.

Transportation

Due to its large size of the resort you need to get one of the transport-themed pickup trucks to get to your vila. That is probably one of the main negatives about the resort. The trucks are not super comfortable and in some cases due to the road incline even dangerous. Make sure you hold on tight when getting into one of these. In the case where you are close to the top walking would take some time to get to the bottom but it is definitely doable if you want to avoid the trucks. As far as getting off the island you would need to use one of their boats. They have a specific schedule for the trips to the mainland and also a different one to attractions nearby.

Day trips

At the Titan Grill, there is a reservation booth where you can book day trips to all kinds of local attractions. We visited James Bond Island, Phuket, and various other local hot spots. The prices were ok but definitely more expensive than booking in advance outside of the resort. The convenience would not be there however since you need to get a boat to the mainland and from there go back to the attraction you want. Time-wise this was much better and allowed us to experience more things per day.

James Bond Island

The insanity of that island in terms of people there was astounding. We have never seen so many tourists in one place in our entire lives. It was so bad that we had to be super creative to take any pictures. On top of that the locals, there were constantly trying to sell something and following you every step of the way. It is one of those places where you want to go in, experience it as fast as possible (take a quick photo), and get out!

Phuket

On one of the day trips, we went for a few hours to Phuket. Initially, we thought that a few hours hardly would be enough but as time passed we realized that Phuket was way too touristy for us. It was so packed and busy that you felt stressed just being there without doing anything. Tons of people, boats, and noise. It absolutely seemed the place to be if you are into diving and water sports, however. Plenty of shopping opportunities as well.

Phi Phi Islands

We were not lucky enough to get closer to the Phi Phi islands. The government had closed them due to the number of tourists and mainly due to the fact that the sunscreen on them was killing the local reefs. Initially, that made zero sense to us but once we did some snorkeling there we witnessed it with our own eyes. Just imagine for a minute how many tourists had to be there daily that the sunscreen on them would actually kill the reefs under them. Just unbelievable. It just shows again how touristy the Phi Phi islands have actually become.

Fishing Village Island

One of the day trips also included a visit to a unique island on which there was a fishing village. The residents on it lived there for generations. Fishing and selling small hand made items to the visiting tourists is how they made their living. Quite an interesting experience. No roads, no cars, just boats, and small walkways. We stayed there for a few hours, just enough to get some souvenirs and move on with our daily adventure.

More Island Views, Monkeys & Caves

During the multiple day trips, we did we encountered on more than one occasion some interesting caves and their inhabitants. The monkeys were so used to the humans that they were already proficient at drinking from soda cans and opening sealed candies. They had zero fear from the boats and on one occasion they literary jumped on ours and started walking on people’s heads. Needless to say that caused some panic on the boat. The caves themselves were very nice to explore and they provided some shade and cover from the sun as well. A meal is also included as well as various drinks as part of the day trip package/price.

We also stopped for a lunch on a few smaller islands which only had a small exposed beach area. Most of these we frequent stops for other locals as well as we noticed in other boats coming and going. In some cases, we were the only boat on the island which felt quite relaxing. The provided lunches were nothing special but when you are all day exploring various islands on the sun they ended up being more than sufficient.

Conclusion

Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort was exactly the experience we were looking for in Thailand. Relaxing and full of pleasant surprises week which would remain in our memories for years to come. The resort itself was very unique and different in terms of villas and transportation. Villas were absolutely awesome, the way to get to them not so much. If you do not pay that much attention to this your stay at Santhiya would be absolutely awesome. At least it was for us and we highly recommend it based on that!

Here is a link to a booking.com hotel page in case you want to book your stay at Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort.

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Bangkok is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep. The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometers (605.7 sq mi) in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has a population of over eight million, 12.6 percent of the country’s population. Over fourteen million people (22.2 percent) lived within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region at the 2010 census, making Bangkok the nation’s primate city, dwarfing Thailand’s other urban centers in both size and importance to the national economy.

Lodging

In retrospect the hotel we stayed in in Bangkok was ok but nothing extraordinary for a 5 start hotel. It just felt small and cramped. The area could have been better around the hotel as well. Options were few when we were booking so that was the best option at the time. We used taxies to travel around and do day trips.

Things to See

Every day in Bangkok we either explored the attractions of the city or we had a day trip to something that was recommended to us to see. We loved the temples and the Grand Castle. We never expected those places to be so busy so have that in mind. The castle and temples get almost empty after 3 PM since most of the tourist buses leave around that time. We were almost alone in most of them after that time. Also if you look at the map you would notice that most of the main attractions are very close by. So in a day, you could visit the Grand Castle, The Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Temple of the Dawn for example.

Mahanakhon Skywalk

The skywalk for us was a must-see. You get this stunning 360-degree view of the entire Bangkok. There is a bar and a transparent walkway which felt super scary to some of us :). Also, there is a gift shop and an amazing mall build into the 78 stories tall building. Have in mind that tripods and obviously drones are not allowed at all.
Here is a link to the official attraction web site: https://kingpowermahanakhon.co.th/skywalk/

Thailand’s highest outdoor observation area, with its highest point located at The Peak, 314 meters above ground level.

Wat Phra Kaew, Temple of the Emerald Buddha & Grand Castle

Probably the most impressive set of buildings you would see in entire Thailand. The temple resides on the territory of the Grand Castle which itself is a must-see. Insanely busy attractions. We have never in our lives seen so many people packed in one place at the same time. Make sure you go in the afternoon when it gets less crowded. You can’t go wrong visiting either of those. We explored both the temple and the castle. Have in mind that both have very strict dress code rules and would return anyone who does not follow them.

Built within the grounds of the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew or ‘The Temple of the Emerald Buddha’ is the most important and most visited temple in Bangkok. One of the most significant features of Wat Phra Kaew is the Emerald Buddha, carved from a 66 cm tall block of jade.

Wat Pho, Temple of the Reclining Buddha

Another interesting temple nearby is the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. This one left an impression on us due to the Buddha size. It is located within walking distance from the Grand Palace.

Wat Pho, named after a monastery in India where Buddha is believed to have lived, is one of the oldest and largest Buddhist temples in Bangkok. It is also known as ‘The Temple of the Reclining Buddha’ thanks to the 15-meter-high, 43-meter-long Buddha image it shelters, covered with gold leaf and baring 4-meter-long feet encrusted with exquisite mother-of-pearl (or nacre) decorations.

Wat Arun, Temple of the Dawn

This one is better to be seen when it is dark outside. They turn on the lights surrounding the temple and the view is pretty awesome. Very different than the other temples which you see during the day. Worth the wait.
We were quite tired from a full day of exploring other attractions and waiting on the grass to get dark felt relaxing. There are plenty of places to sit and enjoy the view.

Tiger Park

There are not many places in the world that offer close proximity to elephants and tigers. After we found from a brochure in one of the taxies we took about the Tiger Park we knew we are not missing that experience. It was not initially planned in our itinerary and was totally improvised. It was awesome! You have a choice between baby/small/medium and large tigers with which you share a large cell. You can play/touch the baby and the small tigers where the medium and large ones you kind of do not want to even if you could. The time per session is 30 minutes and you can buy as many sessions as you want.

We have never in our life witnessed bigger and more majestic animals than the ones we saw in this Tiger Park. Some of the large ones felt as big as some of the elephants we played with the previous day. Size-wise we spent time with the baby and the small tigers. You have plenty of time to take photos and also enjoy the experience. The prices were reasonable overall. Here is a link to their web site: http://tigerpark.co.th/

Floating Market

Floating markets are quite a popular tourist attraction in Thailand. There are multiple ones in the country and each is somewhat unique. We went to one that was recommended by our concierge at the hotel. It was not very close but the drive was worth it. Quite a unique experience. You are on one of Thailand’s famous motorized small boats shopping through these water canals, surrounded from every side by merchants. All prices are negotiable. Make sure you negotiate the time on the boat. We had to argue to have two trips around the entire market. One was not enough to really get the feel since we were there early and most of the shops were closed.

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Safety

• Japan is a very safe country and has one of the highest in the world literacy rates. Gun laws are extremely strict and the country hardly ever sees more than 10 gun deaths per year. We roamed the streets of the big and small cities with our son without being concerned at all for our safety. Policemen are exceptionally well trained in various martial arts and are very well respected. Overall Japan would be one of the last counties for you to be worried about your safety. Just use common sense and you would have nothing to worry about.
• Many Japanese people wear face masks. This is mainly for health reasons and allergies. Also since the majority of them travel via the train/metro it helps them to feel more safe health-wise.

Language

• English is not a very popular language in Japan. We found out that other than the staff at the hotels we stayed at (in various cities) the majority of the people we had the pleasure to speak with did not speak English. Many of them at all. Staff at the train stations were helpful but mainly by hand signals and finger-pointing. At the main tourist attractions, most of the staff there either spoke or understood English so if you are planning to visit those places chances are you would be just fine.
• The vast majority of the signs at train stations, airports, roads, etc are translated. Overall be patient if you are in a situation where you need to ask for advice or directions. Japanese people are very nice and polite and will do their best to help.
• Learning some key phrases, words, etc would help. Other than saying “Hi” and “Thank you” in Japanese we did not know much else and we were just fine so do not spend too much time on this.
• Luggage storage. Most hotels would let you store your luggage with them. Most of the train stations have plenty of lockers for luggage storage.

Money

• Japan is a cash society. The local currency is the “yen”. Credit cards are not accepted in many places. Many of the mid and high-level restaurants, taxies, hotels as well as 7-Eleven convenience stores do accept credit cards. We carried cash with us consistently.
• Bring cash with you. We never carried more than $500.00 with us and when we ran out we just used an ATM. There are plenty of ATMs at airports, train and metro stations, etc. Overall we never had a problem finding one to get cash out.
• Japan is not cheap. Prices overall are comparable to those in the USA so plan accordingly.
• When paying to place the money/credit card at the little tray. Japanese people only take the payment from that tray and never from your hands. This was our experience.

Lodging

• Plan your hotel’s locations strategically. Make sure they are close to train/metro stations. Japan has a superb rail system and you barely ever would need a car if you made a good hotel choice. To see how we did it check out the main post going over each of the locations we stayed. In each of the cities, we have provided a link to the actual hotel. The hotels we stayed at were within walking distance of the train station.
• Hotels are not cheap. Prices are similar to those in the USA and Canada. Rooms are noticeably smaller.
• Make sure you try the Ryokans (the traditional Japanese inns). At least one night you should stay at a Ryokan for the experience. It is worth it. Note that you sleep on the floor on a portable mattress. Do not worry it is overall pretty comfortable. The food is great too.

In general, ryokan rates include meals fees, too. If you stay overnight, ryokan prepares the dinner on the day and the breakfast on the next day.

Transportation

• Japan’s rail system is second to none. Use it. Get yourself a JP rail pass and book your hotels close to the train/metro stations. You would not need a car if you do that. Note that JS rail pass is NOT always the most cost-effective way to get where you want to. We got it mainly for convenience but in more than a few cases it was not what we needed and we had to buy extra tickets.
• Cars overall are not a very popular way of transportation in Japan. Since their rail system is so efficient the majority of people use it for their daily transportation needs. Also, space-wise owning a car does not make much sense in large cities. We did not use a car even once during our stay in Japan. Anytime we needed to go anywhere we either used a train or a bus.
• Taxies are decent in Japan. Prices are reasonable and drivers would generally not try to screw you over. Just like in other countries in larger cities taxies tend to be more expensive. Based on our research.

Cuisine

We absolutely loved the food in Japan. However, we are big fans of raw fish, sushi, and overall exotic cuisines. Our son obviously is not being four years old. For him, however, there was plenty of rice and chicken, pork katsu, etc. His favorite meal to this day is the Kobe beef we ate in Kobe. But then again … once you try that it is hard to say anything else really.

• Food quality overall is great. If you love sushi and raw fish Japan would be a heaven for you food-wise.
• Japanese people do not eat on the go. This is not a thing there at all.
• If you are not into raw fish etc there are plenty of other options. There are also various Italian and other types of food restaurants. We mainly focused on the local cuisine however and we do recommend it.
• A lot of local places do not have servers but instead have vending machines located right at the entrance. You push the letter/number combination of your dishes, then insert your money. The machine will print a ticket which you give to the chef. They will let you know when your meal is ready to go pick it up. We ate one of the best Udon soup in one of those places.
• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are the same in most places. We had udon soup and chicken with rice for breakfast and we loved it :).
• Meal portions are good. Not as humongous as those in the USA however and that is a great thing. If you are used to 2-3K calories per portion meals (not including your Coca-Cola) you would be disappointed.
• Make sure you try an authentic Kobe Beef. Do not leave Japan without experiencing this. Trust us!

Electricity

• Same as the USA – electrical outlets are 100 volts non-polarized and ungrounded with two pins. If you are coming from USA no need for a converter.

Garbage

Yes, you read that right. Garbage is a topic in Japan because THERE ARE NO TRASH CANS almost anywhere! One of the biggest time wasters during our stay was to constantly look for trash cans. After a few days, we just carried a plastic bag with us. We also carried paper towels as well. Yes, we know traveling with kids is fun 🙂

• Trash cans are hard to find. Carry a plastic bag with you. Japan has very strict garbage laws. Businesses and homeowners need to be very careful about how they organize their trash. Almost all the attractions we visited did not have trash cans anywhere. Probably our biggest frustration during the entire trip!

Public Bathrooms / Washrooms

• Most of them are well maintained and clean overall.
• Some are squat toilets some Western-style toilets. Plan accordingly if you are traveling with kids 🙂
• No paper towels in most of them. Bring them with you. You would need them.

Travel Guide Book

Here is a LINK TO THE GUIDE BOOK we used to plan our trip to Japan. It had everything we expected and more. We highly recommend it.

Tours, Tickets and Attractions

A site we trust and you can use to conveniently book TOURS AND TICKETS FOR ACTIVITIES IN JAPAN.
There are more than 300 activities on that list so choose wisely.

Booking Hotels in Japan

If you are ready to go and just need to make your hotel reservations here is a LIST OF THE HOTELS IN JAPAN for your convenience. It is an affiliate link to Booking.com and booking through it would help support this web site. For which we thank you in advance 🙂

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Japan has always been a country we dreamed of visiting. It was simply a matter of time and opportunity. So when the time finally came we were absolutely ecstatic! Now looking back we are so proud of being able to visit and experience this amazing country as a family. It is one of the most important trips we ever did! Japan changes you in various ways. You get a different perspective on life, culture, and society.

We stayed for about two weeks. We landed in Tokyo. Stayed there for a few days and moved to Hakone for one night. Then to Kyoto from where we did various one-day trips. The final destination was Osaka from where we flew back home. This will be a summary of the entire trip. For more details on the specific locations click on the “read more” link next to it.

Tokyo

Hard to describe Tokyo in a few sentences. If we have to I would say that it is a magical city. We tried to explore it as much as we could and the crowds allowed. The streets were almost all the time full. The metro and train stations were an insane super organized madhouse! Everything just works. Everything is on time and life does not stop for a second. We stayed mainly in the Shinjuku District. That was the most optimal since the hotel was right next to the metro/train station which we utilized for every day trip we went on. / read more

Hakone

After the few day trips, we did from our hotel in Tokyo next on the list was Hakone. We stayed in a traditional Japanese ryokan hotel where the rooms were in their tatami style setup. We wanted to truly experience the culture and we absolutely loved it. The food was amazing and we never needed anything more than what we had in the room. We also had in the hotel one of the many hot springs (also known as onsen) on the island which we truly enjoyed. If you have a chance to experience it do it. It is a very similar experience to Iceland and its Blue Lagoon. / read more

Kyoto

Our second “base” was Kyoto and from here we did a series of day trips to various landmarks and must-see places. The city itself is beautiful and if you stay in a hotel close to the train station you can really visit a ton of places quickly. Everything in Japan is connected via the train line. Or at least almost everything. We visited here the famous Fushimi Inari shrine and many others. We also dressed in traditional Japanese clothing while exploring the city as many Japanese people do. It was tons of fun! / read more

Tsukushima aka Miyajima Island

Miyajima was a day trip from Kyoto and it is 30 mins ferry ride from Hiroshima. We spend most of our time that day in Miyajima and enjoyed the amazing views and food there. Island has so many traditional Japanese buildings, shrines, and little shops that even one day felt hard enough to see everything. / read more

There are many souvenir shops, tiny restaurants, and various attractions. Just offshore, you can see the giant orange Great Torii Gate. The gate marks the entrance to the Itsukushima Shrine, built in the 12th century.

Osaka

Another day trip we did from Kyoto made us realize that Osaka needed a lot more time than one day to be truly appreciated. Just exploring the amazing Osaka Castle requires more than half a day so we ended up spending most of ours there and around it :). / read more

Kobe

Our Kobe experience did not start great. The day we visited the city it was raining, windy and cold. We walked under the rain from the train station around the city until our reservation time was up for an authentic Kobe beef experience. After which no one cared about the weather, the wet clothes, or the cold. We thought we had an idea what a high-quality steak was but we were wrong. So … so … wrong. Nothing we have tasted before came close to this. Truly amazing! / read more.

Nara

Our last day trip was to Nara from Kyoto where we spent the majority of the day exploring the Kofuku-Ji Temple and the surrounding areas. This is also where we had the best shrimp udon soup by far. The temple was quite busy but its sheer size and layout make it a great place for pictures. There are deers everywhere in Nara. They are considered the “messengers of the gods” and if you visit Nara Park you can feed them and pet them as much as you like. / read more

Overall Japan was an adventure we will remember for the rest of our lives. We liked it so much that we are planning to visit again the first opportunity we get!

Here is our second video compilation of the trip. We hope you enjoy it:

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We only had a day in our schedule so we did what we thought would be the best time-wise. However, looking back you can easily spend 3-4 days in Kobe just visiting the attractions and eating Kobe beef daily. Some of the attractions we had on our list were: Arima Onsen, Mount Rokko, Sōraku-en gardens, etc. Number one however was as expected the authentic Kobe beef experience.

The Kobe Beef Experience

Plenty of restaurants offered Kobe beef and most of them were fully booked. We got quite lucky to make a reservation online the week before. The best restaurants there are very expensive and booked way in advance. We did not care about the price that much since how many times in your life you would actually eat an authentic Kobe beef? Unless you live in Japan this is a very rare and unique experience.

The restaurant we ended up going to was Royal Mouriya in Kobe. It was everything we hoped for and more. We had our own room with a personal chef who was very polite and dedicated. We had a salad and a soup while the chef was preparing the Kobe beef and the vegetables. Every single part of the main meal was cooked to perfection in front of our eyes. The steak looked like nothing we have ever seen with perfect distribution between the meat and the fat. The so-called marbled texture was like nothing else we have ever tried.

Kobe beef (神戸ビーフ Kōbe bīfu) is Wagyu beef from the Tajima strain of Japanese Black cattle, raised in Japan’s Hyōgo Prefecture. The meat is a delicacy, valued for its flavor, tenderness, and fatty, well-marbled texture. Kobe beef is generally considered one of the three top brands (known as Sandai Wagyu, “the three big beefs”), along with Matsusaka beef and Ōmi beef or Yonezawa beef.

The entire experience was about a few hours and remains the best meat we have ever tasted. We have tried plenty of filet mignon stakes etc but nothing comes close to this. It feels weird that you can point a finger at an entire city like Kobe and what you remember the most is a meal. But everything else just pales in comparison.
If you are going to Kobe make sure you have a reservation to try it. You would thanks us I assure you later.

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The City

Being the second-largest city in Japan you can imagine exploring it would take not days but months. We were very optimistic in our planning and had several attractions we wanted to see. To mention some of them: Osaka Aquarium, Minami (Namba), Universal Studios Japan (although we have been to a few of them in the USA), and the Osaka Castle. As we mentioned in some of the other logs when in Japan last week of our trip we got somewhat of a grumpy/rainy weather which limited our traveling options. Even with the bad weather, however, we loved the city. Plenty of green areas, parks, and cherry blossoms, and of course the gorgeous Osaka castle.

Osaka Castle

The castle is one of the top attractions. It has a very different feel from the various temples we visited. Surrounded by a huge moat, stone walls, gates, and citadels it is truly an impressive complex. The gardens and parks surrounding it are really adding color to all the gray stone walls everywhere. Cherry blossoms also paint a beautiful picture and the only drawback we noticed was the number of people there. The castle overall is quite busy so to take pictures in some of the areas you have to wait in line. To enter the castle you have to go through a somewhat narrow bridge over the moat. Traditional Japanese boats go under it and around the castle.

The castle is one of Japan’s most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period

You can go inside the castle and go to the top floor for a better view of the entire complex. There are also various gifts and other shops, a museum, etc. We spend our day exploring it and trying to learn as much as we could about its history. If you can be there on a sunny day it really is like a place from the fairytales. With all the cherry blossoms everywhere and the greenery, just a beautiful place. Must see if you are in Osaka.

You can also hop on a boat ride around the moat which even with the rain and everything plenty of people seemed to be enjoying. The moat is surrounded by high walls and the weather was enough for us to not be very excited about that attraction.

Given the limited time we had, we really enjoyed our stay in Osaka. It is a humongous city and to even begin to get a taste of it we felt you would need at least a week. If you want to experience an amazing mix of Japanese traditions and the modern city, Osaka is the place. We can’t wait to go back and explore it in more detail on our next adventure!

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Japan’s first permanent capital was established in the year 710 at Heijo, the city now known as Nara (奈良). Nara is located less than one hour from Kyoto and Osaka. Due to its past as the first permanent capital, the city remains full of historic treasures, including some of Japan’s oldest and largest temples.

We had enough time to walk the streets of Nara as well as the Kofuko-Ji temple. The streets and the little shops everywhere reminded us of the ones in Kyoto. The little parks and greenery around the temples as well as the deers made Nara stand out from all the places we visited in Japan. We felt really relaxed in Nara, something with the combination of the traditional Japanese architecture and those cherry blossoms under which deers just walk around makes you really happy and upbeat. Even though we were under the weather during that week we had an absolute blast there. You need a lot more days to explore everything in this city. We felt that we could have easily spend another 3-5 days just wandering around the temples and beautiful streets of Nara.

Things to see

The most famous temple in Nara is the Todaiji Temple followed by the Hōryū-Ji temple. We did not have time to explore these since we were sick at the time but we highly recommend them. Both as well as some others were high up there on our list. Unfortunately, we only had time to explore the Kofuku-Ji temple realistically.

Kofuku-ji Temple

The temple was quite big in comparison to some of the others we manage to visit. It is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the Seven Great Temples, in the city of Nara. It used to be the family temple of the most powerful aristocratic clan during much of the Nara and Heian Periods – The Fujiwara. Temple was established in 710. At the height of Fujiwara’s power, it consisted of over 150 buildings!

During our time there (we visited Japan in March) there were plenty of cherry blossoms in and around the temple. Just beautiful scenery and a great background for pictures. The temple overall was not as busy as some of the others. The streets outside of it however were quite packed with cars and people. There were also some lines to some of the buildings so have that in mind if you plan to explore everything inside this temple.

Cuisine

By far the best shrimp udon soup we had in the entire trip was in Nara. It was a small place with a huge line to get a table and an old woman who ruled in there with an iron fist, She was not very polite and frequently re-arranged already sitting customers to different tables like she was playing Tetris. No one complained since they knew how good the food was. At the time we thought that was rude but after we ate our lunch we did not care. Best udon noodle soup ever!

Conclusion

We rushed through Nara and we wished the circumstances were different. It was an amazing city to easily spend a week there and enjoy everything it has to offer. If you are planning your trip make sure you have more than a day there. Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka we felt required more than a few days to really enjoy and see the main attractions. From the time we had there however it was an amazing experience and we highly recommend it.

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Itsukushima (厳島) is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. It is popularly known as Miyajima (宮島), which in Japanese means “Shrine Island”. The island is one of Hayashi Gahō’s Three Views of Japan specified in 1643. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture.

Getting There

Getting to the island is quite easy and convenient from Hiroshima Bay. In a typical organized way, you get in a line waiting for the ferry to arrive. You are on a boat for no more than than 35 minutes. Everything is very quick and nicely setup so you do not waste time. In less than an hour, you can be on the island ready to explore.

Itsukushima shrine

The “floating” tori gate that welcomes you on the island is part of the Itsukushima shrine and probably one of the most famous tori gates worldwide. The shrine is quite popular partially due to the great combination of scenery and location. Have in mind that the island is overall quite busy and there were lines to get inside of the shrine. We walked around it and got as close as possible without getting wet to the Torri gate. It was low tide.

The shrine looked absolutely beautiful from the outside and if we were not short on time we would have gone inside. At the time we were there however it was quite busy and we did not want to spend much time waiting. We tried the local cuisine (for which also you had to wait in most of the places) and just enjoyed exploring the areas around the shrine. It turns out it has tons of history and religious significance which we did not know at the time. There were boats full of people passing through the tori gate almost every hour.

The shrine complex itself consists of two main buildings: the Honsha shrine and the Sessha Marodo-jinja, as well as 17 other different buildings and structures that help to distinguish it. The complex is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and six of its buildings and possessions have been designated by the Japanese government as National Treasures.

The temple was designed and built to look like it is floating on the water. As a matter of fact, it would have been if we did not have a low tide when we were visiting. Overall a great looking attraction and cultural treasure which we highly recommend. If we had at least a day more to spend at the island we would have visited it in combination with the Toyokuni Shrine.

Toyokuni Shrine

Another shrine that made a great impression on us was the Toyokuni Shrine. You can see it from the ferry when arriving at the island with its five stories high pagoda (Gojunoto). The temple is built 500 years ago and is dedicated to the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (one of the three unifiers of Japan in the 16th century).

The Streets

The streets around the island really made an impression on us. The ancient temples on one side and the cherry blossoms on the other. Plenty of small cozy boutique/souvenir shops and restaurants. The deers who were running around not bothered by the people at all were the last ingredient to make this place one of our absolute favorites. Just make sure you protect your belongings from them. They ate almost half of ours! 🙂

As a matter of fact, we have it actually documented in our Japan trip video where the deer started eating various papers from our bag while we were enjoying the views. It did not bother to stop ever after we repeatedly tried / “asked” hereto. Pay attention and enjoy this beautiful island. We surely miss it already!

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