My Kyoto/Nara portion of the trip has now ended and here are some of my tips/tricks & observations that can hopefully help those going in the future:

• Wake up early and hit the famous spots first. We did Kiyomizu, Fushimi Inari & the Sagano bamboo forest each morning before 8am and they were wonderful. Fast forward 2 hours later, they looked like a human zoo.

• Speaking of bamboo forests, there are 2 smaller versions of them in Kodaiji & Adashino Nenbutsuji. They may not have the grandeur of the Sagano one but there was almost nobody there so you'll be able to enjoy it more.

• Weather in autumn is nice and crisp. Can be a bit cold in the morning and at night so layering is the best strategy.

• The best warabi-mochi I've tried on this trip is in this place called Rakushō. It's in Gion on Nene-no-michi, near the entrance to Kodaiji. Melts in your mouth and oh sooo good!

• Try out a kimono in Gion and choose the silk ones especially during autumn/winter as they are warmer. We rented ours from Rose Kimono Rental.

• Coffee lovers, the % Arabica in Gion is less crowded and more pleasant than the one in Arashiyama which had too long a queue (unless you go early in the morning).

• The green tea desserts and coffee in Yojiya Cafe were one of our favorites. Do take note that the one near Ginkakuji is under renovation.

• Buses are much easier to ride than I anticipated. Instructions are clear and in English. They are less crowded and you can get a seat if you start your journey from outside the city center. For example, I took a train from Shijo to Kitaoji station and changed to a bus to Kinkakuji.

• The Starbucks in a Gion machiya house is overrated although the interior and exterior are unique.

• Take a bus to the nearest Kiyomizu bus stop and make your way up to Kiyomizu. From there, head downward to Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka and the Gion district.

• Kinkakuji at 4pm on a Sunday was less crowded and manageable. Not sure how bad the morning crowd is although I've heard horror stories.

• If you have a Nara bus pass or Kintetsu Rail Pass, take the bus from the station to Kasuga Taisha and make your way anticlockwise to Todaiji. More downward sloping than the other way round.

• Yoshikien in Nara is free to foreign passport holders! Show them your passport to gain free entry into this beautifully manicured garden.

• Many people skip Naramachi and only visit the park for the deers. I like Naramachi and spent a few hours wandering around the old neighborhood, even visiting a traditional machiya called Koshi-no-ie.

• Finding rubbish bins was a pain so bring a spare bag for your trash especially if you're like us who snack a lot.

• The special edition Coke bottles are much cheaper in Bic Camera/Donki compared to the vending machines.

• When purchasing towels or hankies, look for the Imabari branded symbol as they are of high quality.

• Most products are genrally made in China but normally in a store they have a separate section for made in Japan goods. The price is higher but so is the quality.

• If travelling from city to city, use the luggage forwarding service to save you the hassle.

Bonus for onsen & seafood lovers:

• Kinosaki Onsen was LOVELY. Very worth visiting and spending the night in a ryokan. 2.5 hours from Kyoto and close to 3 from Osaka, the express train is covered by JR Pass.

That's it for me now, will see how my remaining trip goes and see if I have time for a concise trip report when I get back . Feel free to tag this post on the first page if it helps sweet_pez.

This post has been edited by Monya Meow Meow: Nov 23 2019, 09:23 AM

Not true. I withdrew from Seven ATM at 7-11 and it's 6-digit PIN. I used BigPay, just the additional RM 10 overseas withdrawal fees. No other additional charges.

Yea use 7 11 ATM and it works

tq both! thats great to hear! =)

Loving Kyoto so much that I'm planning for a solo photography trip here in the future

yeah went there but unfortunately it closed early. my flight back home was 2230 and too tired to go back to main building so no choice went to qantas. very underwhelming lounge

Osaka is kinda too crazy for me, definitely prefer Kyoto

Kansai is too packed for us. Other less tourists region next time.

AirAsia will be flying to Okinawa next year.
I might go

Growing up by the seaside, usually destinations that involved beaches will be my last choice.

That is unfortunate indeed.
The Qantas Lounge in Narita really needs a revamp, very underwhelming.

On the way to Arashiyama now! I know it's a bit late

The foliage during peak autumn is absolutely amazing, couldn't believe that it's that red. I honestly thought those videos/pictures I saw were mostly exaggerated in terms of colour editing but mannnnnn they were really like that in real life!!

This post has been edited by -kytz-: Nov 25 2019, 07:49 AM


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8Am and you are already at the attractions at Kiyomizu and Bamboo Forest?? What time did you wake up? 6am? Its like going to work.


Anyway... so jealous reading up on your adventures while I have to slog it out at work now.

This post has been edited by TOMEI-R: Nov 25 2019, 03:04 PM

I was at arashiyama at 6:30 and there's already ppl there lol

Do TOHOKU!

That one is for hardcore mang, if you don't mind some people in your shot, I think 8-9am is a sweet spot, just nice and easy enough to find quiet spots. The crowd tsunami usually start pouring in after 9am

This post has been edited by gaeria84: Nov 25 2019, 08:50 PM

Go holiday, why waste daylight especially when night falls earlier in autumn?

Lol. But daytime is rather short. So might as well make the best of it. 6am is almost sun rise already and sun sets much earlier too. Might be a good idea to start the day early and end the day early too.

This post has been edited by TOMEI-R: Nov 25 2019, 10:13 PM

Hey bumping this reply cause can't find the answer as well.


Torii Gate is under renovation until june 2020. Is it still worth the visit there?
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3401.html

There's so much more to see in hiroshima than just that torii gate, I'd say it's worth the detour if you have the time for it