Kyoto-Osaka trip 2016

Himeji Castle, Himeji, Japan

Me trying to catch a snowflake with my tongue outside Gion Ryokan Q-beh Inn, Kyoto, Japan.

The Plan

My cousins and I had been planning to travel on our own for ages. Last July 2015 my cousin found a low rate fare to Japan (Davao- Manila-Osaka) for only Php 7719 or $154.38 round-trip. Wasn't it cheap?? :) The tickets were booked and the travel date was set for January of 2016. All eight of us were excited. Naturally, our parents were kinda jealous since they wanted to go to Japan too, but we asked them to allow and support us on this trip.

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Travel info #1: We booked it with Escapes Unlimited Travel and Tours, a local travel agency here in Davao City. To get the lowest (and therefore best :)) rates, best book a flight as advanced as possible.

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Fast forward to January.. we were all set. Winter clothes checked, all the travel essentials checked, and last but not the least.. tickets and passports checked.

Take-off

We left for Manila early morning on the first flight: 8 eager souls ready to embark the most awaited trip. When we arrived in Manila. We had take out and waited for the drop off counter to open so that we can leave our baggage and roam around the airport and wait for our flight.

Unfortunately, our flight was delayed. The schedule was supposed to be 3pm but we took off for Osaka around 5pm.

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Travel Info #2: From Manila to Osaka, it was a 5 hour trip. Best to bring travel-friendly snacks and drinks to battle hunger while on the go.

Since we had our early lunch, most of my cousins were hungry, good thing a friend of mine gave a box of caramel bars as a late Christmas gift, so we ate it.

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Touchdown Japan!

We arrived at Osaka by 10pm and had to move fast because we needed to catch a train to Kyoto. The last trip going there was 12 midnight but the train ticketing office closed by 11pm. We were so confident that the flight to Osaka wouldn't be delayed and we didn't anticipate to buy train pass before hand. Well that was a lesson learned.

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Travel Info #3: For unlimited train travel on all Hankyu Lines in Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, you can purchase a ticket here.

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From left to right: my big sis, me, my cousins Steve and JV. I didn't expect it to be so cold and couldn't smile properly for the camera!

We finally got to Kyoto past midnight. We took a cab going to Gion Ryokan Q-beh. It's an old traditional Japanese style of hotel. It was a nice experience for a change to sleep in a futon bed, which is the traditional Japanese way of sleeping.

Needless to say, this Japanese lodging was clean, orderly and came with high-tech amenities while still managing to feel traditional and homey.

Kyoto Sight-seeing

We made a LOT of stops and visits around Kyoto and Osaka, but I can't share them all in just one post or it would take me several days to talk about all I experienced. I'll be taking you through the highlights of my trip.

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Travel Info #4: We looked up the best tourist destinations before we left for Japan and arrived there already with an itinerary. We didn't use anything fancy, just Google searches. We also asked advice from the travel agency and friends who already traveled to Japan.

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If you are unsure where to visit, hotels will usually have free pamphlets of the best tourist spots to visit. Otherwise, Google is your friend. It can tell you anything, from where to go, how to get there, and what food to try or souvenirs to buy.

First Day: Bamboo Forest in Arashiyama, Kyoto.

They say that standing underneath the towering bamboo stalks is like finding yourself in another world, and they were quite right. Check out our pictures of the scenery, both people and plants.

Although the forest is also in Kyoto, we needed to take a train going there (again, refer to the link I gave to get unlimited access to train lines in Japan).

Good to know: entrance to the site is free!

After visiting the bamboo garden, we grabbed some local Japanese street food to fill our tummies and headed back to the inn.

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Travel Info #5: Mouth-watering street food is endless in Japan. Most dishes will cost between 600-800 Yen (7-8 USD). We sampled some of the most popular ones such as takoyaki, mochi, taiyaki and okonomiyaki.

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A feast for the eyes, as well as the stomach.

Second Day: Koko-en Garden and Himeji Castle

The next day, we took a train going to Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture.

Located there is another popular tourist destination, the largest and most visited castle in Japan: the Himeji Castle. Right next to it, the Koko-en Garden which is 3.5 hectares in total and houses 9 gardens in total!

In 1993, the castle was also registered as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country.

We got off at Himeji station and the castle was only a short walk away.

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Travel Info #6: When in Japan, if your destination is just a short walking distance away - definitely take the stroll! In Himeji, for instance, the roads are wide and there are plenty of lovely sights on your way.

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We had a blast taking our time walking to the castle. Here are a few shots on the way.

Happily posing for the camera as we enjoy our walk

Lots of time to goof around on the lovely streets of Himeji

We got to the spacious ground surrounding Himeji Castle. Even the most basic photographer can take a photo of the castle and it will still turn out breathtaking; it is even more so in person.

Spacious grounds around the landmark

A full view from afar

The entrance path to Himeji Castle

You can enter the castle itself, explore and take pictures. Entrance to the castle is 1,000 Yen (9.37USD). We even took a bird's eye shot from an archer's view from the higher floors.

After touring inside, make sure you step out and enjoy a walk in the Koko-en gardens beside the castle. Entrance is 500 Yen (4.69 USD).

We were feeling pretty hungry after walking around. Perfect time to stop by the many restaurants flanking the castle site. We sampled one very popular dish in Japan: the Unagi (eel).

A lot of the establishments served this and you have only to take your pick. The prices can range from 1,200-3,000 Yen (12-29 USD).

Unagi is cooked in different ways and served with a variety of side dishes. Here's what we had:

Grilled Unagi (eel) served on top of rice, accompanied by a side dish of pickled vegetables and a bowl of savory broth.

Third Day: Noodle-Making in Osaka

By train, we went to a "Ramen Dream Academy" in Osaka. There we learned how to make an authentic bowl of Ramen Noodles from scratch. It is just about 20 minutes from downtown Osaka.

This establishment encourages visitors to be really hands-on! They showed us how the broth is prepared, how the noodles are made, and of course how to arrange the perfect Ramen on a bowl.

Making the broth

A soup stock is made mostly from meaty bones and potatoes, as you can see.

Me, trying my hand at prepping some meat to go into the stock pot. Hygiene is VERY important here. Note the mask and hair tied up.

The Noodle Factory

This school has top-of-the-line equipment to manufacture its ingredients. Pictured here, is the Miyajima Sensei, the Head Teacher at the academy showing us the tricks of the trade.

After making the broth, noodles and toppings from scratch, we assembled everything in a bowl, ready to impress:

Ramen with clear chicken broth

Gone in a just a few minutes - the broth too (look at the heart-shaped spring onion!)

Time to say Sayonara, Japan!

All in all, we spent five busy but enjoyable days in Japan. All too soon, it was time to leave the beautiful chilly land to the warm all-year round sunshine back home in the Philippines. Our plane home left at 9:00 am and we checked out early and rode the train to the airport with our trusty J-Passes.

Homeward bound

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Travel info #7: Seven impressions of Japan: Courteous people, clean environment, great food, efficient systems, fascinating culture, rich history, and of course, an overall beautiful land to travel to.

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If you ever have an opportunity of going to Japan, I highly recommend you take it! A satisfactory and enjoyable trip is definitely guaranteed. Especially for my fellow Filipinos, not used to seeing four seasons, there is no other place more beautiful to experience this than Japan. The air is very wholesome, the food is fantastic, and the culture is fascinating.

Here's a few highlights in photos:

I have traveled to a few other Asian countries as well and may post other informational travel experiences in the future. For now, I hope you enjoyed reading about my trip and find it helpful if you are planning an excursion of your own!

Until my next post,
@sukiyakii