High speed bullet trains were born in Japan. It's where they began and one of the countries that are most famous for these exciting machines! We decided to catch the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto while we were in Japan. It was such an easy and fun way to travel, avoiding airport baggage lines, long queues to board and disembark planes, and so spacious and comfortable!
Kinkaku-ji, The Golden Pavilion
Monday, 30 May 2016
Continuing on my tour of Japanese temples is the beautiful Kinkaku-ji 金閣寺 the Golden Pavilion. Kinkaku-ji is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto, whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. The grounds of the temple are just as beautiful as the temple itself, with ponds and trees surrounding the paths and walkways.
Kibune
Saturday, 28 May 2016
Kibune is a small town in a forested valley in the northern mountains of Kyoto, which was developed around Kibune Shrine. I first heard about Kibune as a place where you could dine in the forest directly on top of a waterfall! But the arriving in Kibune itself, the town was far more beautiful than I could have imagined!
Asia, Phuket, Thailand
#TBTravel: The Big Buddha
Thursday, 26 May 2016
I've decided to start a new mini series on A Make Believe World, inspired by the notion of Throwback Thursday, we are going to have Throwback Travel Thursdays (#TBTravel). On Thursdays I will post a TBTravel post, that highlights some of my older trips from a few years ago, that I might not have enough photos of to make it a complete focus on the blog, but still definitely deserves a mention! Some of the information from when I visited might be a little bit outdated now and photo quality might not always be as good as my recent trips, but hopefully you still enjoy! To kick off, I visited The Big Buddha in Phuket, Thailand in March 2014.
Visible from most places on the south of the island, the Big Buddha is an important religious symbol for Buddhists in Phuket as well as a great tourist attraction with amazing 360 degree views of the south of Phuket.
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Hotel Gran Ms Kyoto, Review
Tuesday, 24 May 2016
Gran Ms Hotel was absolutely the perfect place to stay in Kyoto. On the recommendation of one of Laura's friends who is Japanese and visits Kyoto often, it kind of felt like we blindly booked Gran Ms without much research into the area, but I couldn't have been happier. The designer hotel is very new and absolutely beautiful. The staff were so lovely and friendly and were great with the English language, which made asking for help and directions so easy!!
Located in the Gion District on one of the main streets of Kyoto, everything was within our reach! From subway stations and train lines, marketplaces and high-end shopping, to all kinds of dining options including traditional and more western options, we were within walking distance of everything we needed. There is a 7/11 located right next door to the hotel, so late night snacks were never a problem.
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Iwatayama Monkey Park
Monday, 23 May 2016
Hidden at the top of Mount Arashiyama is a crazy little place called Iwatayama. A monkey park at the top of the mountain, with beautiful views over Kyoto and monkeys roaming freely around the mountain top. Looking over the Oi River it is inhabited by over 170 macaque monkeys.
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Arashiyama & The Oi River
Saturday, 21 May 2016
When we were planning our trip to Arashiyama we had specific sights we were hoping to see - the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and the Iwatayama Monkey Park. I was absolutely not expecting the beauty of the Oi River and it's surrounding areas.
As we exited the Bamboo Grove we walked right into the middle of the Arashiyama forest that surrounds the Oi River. I'm pretty sure we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way, because there were hardly any other people around and all of the signs were suddenly in Japanese with no English subtitles, but I have never been more thankful.
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The Bamboo Grove
Thursday, 19 May 2016
Arashiyama's Bamboo Grove is well known for it's beautiful extensive bamboo gardens, with stalks stretching up to the sky and swaying gently in the wind. As much as I tried, no photo I took could capture the bamboo forest the way I wanted it to! It was so much more beautiful in person, with wide walkways, geisha girls walking around, and endless bamboo as far as the eye could see.
You can get to the Bamboo Grove directly from the main street of Arashiyama. It is located to the north of the entrance to Tenryu-ji Temple. You can either stroll along the pathways or rent a bicycle to enjoy the gardens. Another option to see the grounds of the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is to take a rickshaw ride from the young Japanese men through the bamboo forest and around the grounds of Arashiyama.
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Understanding a Japanese Temple
Wednesday, 18 May 2016
As a visitor to Japan you will no doubt be visiting quite a few temples or shrines. They are a staple of a Japanese itinerary and with their rich culture and beautiful grounds, and they are definitely a highlight of any trip to Japan. There are many different pieces to a Japanese temple, each with their own importance and significance. Here is a quick guide to what you might find in a Japanese Shrine and what they mean.
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Fushimi Inari-Taisha Temple
Monday, 16 May 2016
One of the most visited attractions in Kyoto is Fushimi Inari-Taisha, the shrine famous for it's thousands of tightly placed torii gates set along it's beautiful hiking trails around the shrine grounds. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari, which stands at 23 meters and belongs to the shrine grounds. To visitors of Japan the shrine is a must see for it's unique structures and rich heritage, but to the locals of Kyoto, Fushimi Inari Shrine (伏見稲荷大社, Fushimi Inari Taisha) is a very important Shinto Shrine.
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How To Navigate The Tokyo Subway
Saturday, 14 May 2016
Japan is known for trains. They have one of the best underground systems in the world, are famous of their bullet trains, and have one of the most efficient public transport systems I have ever seen. But there are heaps of different options, from the Tokyo Metro, to JR Trains as well as the Shinkansen bullet trains! Here's a quick guide to help you understand the different types of trains you're going to find in Japan and some tips to help you get around this amazing city!
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Tokyo Tower
Thursday, 12 May 2016
If you're looking for the best views over Tokyo you can't go past Tokyo Tower (東京タワー). Standing at 333 meters high, Tokyo Tower is the world's tallest, self-supported steel tower and 13 meters taller than it's more famous big brother, the Eiffel Tower!
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Technology, Travel Tips
What's In My Camera Travel Bag
Wednesday, 11 May 2016
No doubt, when you're travelling you're going to want to capture every moment. Whether you like taking photos or videos, if you're anything like me you will most likely be boarding your flight with a bag full of equipment heavy enough to leave those big red marks across your shoulders! Here is a look into what's in my camera bag when I'm travelling overseas. I don't carry all this around with me throughout the days when I'm exploring - for example, my iPad never leaves the hotel room, but everything below comes in extremely handy at some point and I wouldn't leave for the airport without it!
1. Nikon SLR D5300
My baby, my other arm, my travel accessory that I never leave home without. My Nikon SLR D5300 is honestly one of the loves of my life. There is an argument that SLRs take up valuable room and space and are very heavy to travel with, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love this camera and everything it can do. I love taking it on adventures with me and having it as a constant travel companion. My SLR has been to just as many countries and destinations as I have, and it never disappoints. It has been a great investment and I love it to death!
2. AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Lens
My most expensive camera purchase to date (even more than the camera body itself), but the one I am always the most grateful for is my Nikkor 18-300mm camera lens. Primarily purchased because I hate changing lenses and don't want to miss out on a beautiful picture because I need to change at the last minute. It has come in handy more times then I can count, allowing me to effortlessly change between shooting landscapes and zooming in for impressive detail, especially when fast moving animals are involved! Yes, it is very big and does make my camera quite heavy at times, but I absolutely love it and can't imagine not using it. It retails for around a thousand dollars, depending on where you're buying it from. You can check it out here on Amazon.
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Shopping In Tokyo
Monday, 9 May 2016
Japan is famous for its shopping. From designer brands and luxury items to the best beauty and cutting edge electronics you could think of, Japan has everything!! Here is a quick guide to what some of the best suburbs in Tokyo have to offer!
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The Robot Restaurant Experience
Saturday, 7 May 2016
The Japanese Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku is one of the craziest experiences you will have in a Japan. For a country and a culture that is so polite, refined and traditional, everything about the Robot Restaurant show will surprise you! Located in the Kabukicho red-light district, the Robot Restaurant is an eclectic one hour cabaret show with performances full of flashing lights, taiko drums and techno music. To be honest, I definitely think that the best way to approach the show is with no preconceived ideas about what you are about to experience and just let it consume you! So, while I will include lots of photos, I'm not really going to give you a descriptive recount of what went on, instead just a few tips to make the experience even better!
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Senso-Ji
Thursday, 5 May 2016
One of the temples I was always the most excited to visit was Senso-ji. The iconic and historic red temple with the beautiful lantern at the front just screamed Japan to me! Senso-ji 浅草寺 (also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple) is a Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, and is one of Tokyo's most colourful and popular temples. The temple was completed in 645 making it Tokyo's oldest temple.
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Meijing Shrine & Yoyogi Park
Tuesday, 3 May 2016
Right next door to the bustling streets of Harajuku is a beautiful place of tranquility and peacefulness. You wouldn't expect such a beautiful forest in the middle of such a busy, bustling city, yet here is Yoyoji Park. Yoyogi Park (代々木公園, Yoyogi Kōen) is one of the largest city parks in Tokyo, and right in the middle you can find Meiji Shrine (明治神宮, Meiji Jingū).
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The Shibuya Scramble
Monday, 2 May 2016
If you ever wanted to have that moment that makes you think "Wow, I'm really in Tokyo!" the Shibuya Scramble will do it! Rumour has it that this crossing in Shibuya is the busiest in the world, with up to a thousand people crossing with every light change during peak hour in the city. It's incredible to watch, and although it might seem silly, it is even incredible to experience walking in such a crazy sea of people. To see what it's like, watch the video below!
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About Me
Welcome Back
Sunday, 1 May 2016
It's been a while between posts. I guess we can all see that I have unfortunately neglected my blog for a while now. For the last eight months I was working as a travel consultant for a massive international travel agency, and it was the worst job of my whole life. The hours were so long and I was so exhausted all the time that I could barely stay awake when I got home, let alone think about updating my blog. But I have recently accepted a new job with my dream company and I couldn't be happier! It's only been two weeks but I already feel so much better than I have in a long time! And the best part is I can get back to the things I actually enjoy doing, like this blog, rather than working all the time!
So, I'm sorry for the neglect but I am back! I have still been travelling over the last eight months, so I have lots of new places and so many new photos to share with you. First up is Japan! If you would like to chat with me about anything you can e-mail me at [email protected].
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