In November 2019, I took my parents to Japan for their first time – and my seventh – over two weeks. This series is to be read as a diary, and serves as a place to showcase the pictures taken and preserve the memories made.
If you’re reading this during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, it must be surreal to be on a travel post. I get you. But perhaps there is no better time than now – especially as we have more of it – to have a good think about all the places to see, things to do and food to eat when this all blows over. After all, one of the best bits about travel is the planning and anticipation of it. We could all use a bit of an escape from this unreality.
Date of trip: 14/Nov/2019 – 28/Nov/2019
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All experiences – food, accommodation and activities in this post were independently paid for.
Series Contents
Japan Day 5 – Kyoto
What more can I add to the ocean of words that have already been said on Kyoto? With more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other city in Japan, the city of Peace and Tranquility can at times feel like an open-air museum with a who’s who of recognisable landmarks – with the tourist crowds to match (oh GOD, the crowds!)
So be prepared to be peppered with pictures of Kinkakuji Temple, Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari, the Imperial Palace…
…yeah nah. Not today. Later yes, but not today. Also, you have Google for that.
We actually spent the first half of Day 5 Kōyasan, which – assuming you’ve come from the post – was very much necessary. We only left after spending the morning hours observing the Goma Fire Ritual and visiting Okunoin in the morning, and so by the time we took the cable car down and the two trains required to get to our hotel, it was mid-afternoon and we were chuffed. What I’m saying with way too many words is that Day 5 was a rest day. Besides, with five nights planned for Kyoto, we could afford to take it slow.
On the plus side, this well-needed break gave us more time to enjoy our hotel – The Thousand Kyoto – which surely must have been named to give the finger to the Kyoto Century Hotel literally right next door (I kid, they’re actually both part of the Keihan Hotel Group). The Thousand opened up only a year ago at the time of writing, so not only was it sparkling new, it’s also right next to Kyoto station – the main reason for our selection. Convenient.
While it’s marketed as a four-star hotel, it definitively felt like a fiver to me, and it wasn’t just the welcome snacks and constant supply of excellent Japanese sencha (green tea). Despite Japan’s perchance for doing understated luxury, the hotel includes frivolous touches such as the ‘floating bedsheet’ (as I like to call it) at the entrance and – in what I hope will be a dying trend – copious levels of single-use toiletries. This part of the blog sounds like a sponsored post – I honestly wish it was so I could have saved a pretty penny on this segment of the trip LOL! Rooms are around $400 a night, twin-share but with Japan, expect this to easily be 50% higher during peak times.
Great food though, as always. Got my first cremia of the trip, for one. Long-time followers know that this is my favourite soft serve of all time, an opinion I’m sure many will disagree with because it’s bloody ice cream.
There’s also a superbly crushable ‘I can’t believe there’s no meat!’ vegan ramen from Kyoto Engine, which was so good it made my top ten dishes of 2019.
And while we were exhausted, it didn’t stop us from taking a quick gander through Nishiki Market – Kyoto’s most famous. Tourist Tings, as it were.
This post may contain affiliate links. Purchases made by clicking on an affiliate link may earn a small commission for me, but never at extra cost for you. Please visit the Affiliate Marketing Policy for more information.
All experiences – food, accommodation and activities in this post were independently paid for.