I love how much Japan preserves their culture and history. Landmarks like the Fushimi Imari Shrine really make you feel like you have traveled back in time. Walking through the thousands of Torii Gates there is something you must put on your bucket list when visiting Japan. This shrine marks one of Kyoto’s oldest and most historical landmarks. Each Gate bears the name of the donor’s name and are traditionally made of wood or stone. As mentioned in my other Japan Travel Blog Posts, on this trip we were staying at an AirBnB in Osaka near Osaka JR Station. Getting to the Fushimi Inari Shrine was a quick 45 minute train ride hopping on the…
When I first came across the viral videos on Facebook & Instagram of a Japanese Chef in a red beret making epic omurices, I knew I had to visit him at Kichi Kichi in Kyoto. If you haven’t seen Chef Motokichi Yukimura cutting his infamous omlette yet, where have you been?! I’m kidding and you can definitely find these videos by looking up Kichi Kichi’s geotag on Instagram. I’m a keener when it comes to making reservations for vacation plans and for Kichi Kichi I set up a calendar reminder for 4 weeks from the day we were scheduled to arrive in Kyoto. 4 weeks is the earliest you can make reservations online in advance…
Walking through the magical bamboo forest in Kyoto, Japan was one of the most calming and relaxing activities we did on our recent trip to Japan. We stayed at an Airbnb in Osaka on this leg of the trip and to get here we took the Hankyu Rail from Umeda Station to Arashiyama Station (about an hour ride). Once you arrive at Arashiyama station, there are signs that lead you to the Bamboo forest. The walk is about a short 20 minutes from the station to the forest. ALSO READ – Things to do in Japan We arrived for 7am on a Monday morning and enjoyed a fairly quiet stroll along the winding path under…
People always tell me they love Kyoto more than any other part of Japan. I didn’t think I would agree with them until I visited Kyoto myself and witnessed how culturally different Kyoto was from the rest of Japan, with a unique blend of modern and traditional elements. Just steps away from Gion Shijo train station, we found ourselves wandering around a quiet and historic area of Kyoto that was beautiful and tranquil. We had made reservations to AWOMB Gion Yasaka few months prior to our trip and to my surprise, the restaurant was located in the middle of this quiet neighbourhood. ALSO READ – Things to do in Japan AWOMB has several locations with…
Whether you’re reading this blog post and hearing about MariCar for the first time OR MariCar is already on your radar for your next trip to Tokyo, you’ve come to the right place! I included some tips that I wasn’t really able to find online prior to my experience. So without further ado, here are 10 things you should know before riding MariCar! Feel free to leave me any comments with questions or things you want to share with everyone as well 🙂 ALSO READ – Things to do in Japan (#1) Believe it or not, you’re actually driving go karts on real roads beside real cars! So this means you’ll need an international driver…
It’s not a complete trip to Japan if you don’t make a trip to visit their infamous Cup Noodle Museum at least once (in my opinion). I think the concept is quite unique and something that you can’t experience anywhere else in the world. The cup noodles make cute personalized & affordable souvenirs for friends and family to enjoy. There are 2 Cup Noodle Museum locations in Japan – one in Yokohama and the other in Osaka. We visited the one in Osaka because we were staying in the area anyways and there is also no admission in the Osaka Location where as the Yokohama location, you have to pay a small admission fee. We…
So often we forget how many gems are in our own backyard. There are so many great destinations from Toronto that make awesome weekend trips that we have come to love over the years. We want to share with you our guide to exploring the town of Port Hope and all the different things that this town has to offer. Port Hope makes a good weekend getaway, not far from home. The best part? It’s only an one hour drive from Toronto. Visit East Beach Whether you’re an early bird and prefer sunrises over sunsets, you can enjoy both scenic waterfront views at East Beach & West Beach with clean and sandy beaches. Perfect for those that…
Bota Bota is one of those hidden gems that you hope no one else will find out about it and secretly wish you can keep the place all to yourself. I remember leaving Bota Bota feeling exactly this way and was debating whether I should share this gem with everyone or save it for myself! The entire experience at Bota Bota was perfect from check in until paying the bill at the very end. For starters, Bota Bota is a silent spa located in the heart of Old Montreal. The spa is divided into 2 sections – (1) The main spa “building” is actually sat on a ferryboat which facilitates the different spa offerings such…
During our weekend stay in Port Hope, one of the things on our itinerary was a horse back trail ride at Trickle Creek Farms. With living in the city, horseback riding is not something I can do very often so having horseback trail riding on our schedule really made another highlight to the weekend. The experience at Trickle Creek Farms was an incredibly fun experience being able to interact with the horses. My only interaction with a horse prior to this weekend in Port Hope was when I was in elementary school so with no experience under my belt, horseback trail riding was a little frightening. The staff at Port Hope were really helpful and…
One of most recommended activities suggested to me during the visit to our weekend in Port Hope was to visit Haute Goat Farm. The closest I’ve ever been to a goat is probably petting them a fence at the CNE so I was excited to visit Hate Goat Farm. The farm is situated on 200 acres of land with breathtaking views of the Northumberland Hills. They have Nigerian Dwarf Goats, Alpacas Icelandic Horses, Exotic Chickens, Apothecary Garden, incredibly bird watching and beautiful nature trails. When we arrived at the Farm, the staff was speaking to us about the history & facts of the farm and what they have to offer. Did you know they offer:…
This past weekend, my boyfriend and I had the pleasure of visiting The Municipality of Port Hope with 2 full days packed with activities and delicious foods. In the evening, we stayed at Moonlight & Pines Bed and Breakfast. Quietly tucked away in Ganaraska, Moonlight & Pines is a 4 season bed & breakfast that is an approximate 20 minutes drive from the downtown Port Hope. We were graciously welcomed by our hosts Helen & Colin – who have been living there for about 15 years. We stayed in a private suite with our own set of doors that opened up to a breathtaking view of the Ganaraska Forest. Our Bed & Breakfast included our…
Ever find yourself running out of ideas or tangible “things” to gift to your significant other, family or friends? I’m sure we’ve all been there whether its a birthday, anniversary or other occasions that you may celebrate. I’ve definitely been there and am guilty of putting gift hunting off to the very last minute. That’s when lifeexperiences.ca comes in super handy! Lifeexperiences.ca is Canada’s largest experiential gifting company. Experiences make great gifts and they promote the idea of togetherness and creating memories. They offer a wide range of gifting ideas from spa, adventures, food & drink, getaways, family activities, golf and lifestyle. Browsing through their website, you’ll find endless options of many possible “gift experiences”…
Not sure where in Toronto you can come super close or even feed a deer with absolutely no supervision but this totally happened when we were exploring one of the million things you can do in Japan. Spending the day at Nara Park was absolutely amazing and something we’ll probably not be able to do (at least as freely) unless we come back to Japan. I highly recommend you spend a good afternoon here to explore. Even if you’re not a huge fan of deer, the grounds of this park & greenery is enough to make you want to come back. Below, we’ve included some tips & suggestions we thought might be useful. Instead of…
I was able to cross off many things on my bucket list during this trip to Japan and one of the items was eating my heart out at Dotonburi in Osaka, Japan. E and I spent a good afternoon here eating and wandering in and out of the streets until our tummies couldn’t handle it anymore! Dotonburi is a very popular tourist area in Osaka serving a wide array of different foods. They have endless food stalls, restaurants, trendy shopping stores where you can find many international brands – which are all situated along the Dotonburi canal. Dotonburi is opened all day and night so if you want to beat the crowds, the best time…
