Last share of my Japan post! We had a great time in Kyoto and I’m more than happy to share the details with you if you’re thinking of adding this to your travel list!
More posts from our amazing time in Seoul and Tokyo:
Seoul review
A Korean spa experience
Tokyo recap and why I love Japan
and Tokyo eats + gf picks
Kyoto recap, bamboo forest, and monkey park
So many of our friends had told us to take the bullet train to explore the surrounding areas while we were in Tokyo. Okinawa, Nara, Kyoto, and Osaka were highly recommended. I think I mentioned in a previous post that I was nervous about planning this trip, and adding another leg of travel felt like it was beyond my brain. One of my friends told us that we would regret going to Tokyo and not seeing Kyoto, so we decided to do that… and it ended up being the highlight of my trip.
While Tokyo bustles with bright lights and tall buildings, Kyoto feels like a cinematic, peaceful Japan. Think streetlights, temples, and geishas.
The bullet train was a great experience – we were going 200mph and it was fun and much more fun/hassle free than flying –
(Mt Fuji!!)
and before we knew it, we were checked into our hotel in Kyoto.
We stayed at the Gion Elite Terrace, which I booked through Amex travel (<— our referral link) and would highly recommend. We will stay there again. The lobby was stocked with amenities, tea, hot cocoa and coffee, and the rooms were very clean and modern. The girls had to flip a coin to see who could sleep on the highest floor… P won.
It had an oxygen bath that infused the water with tiny bubbles of oxygen. They say they help eliminate free radicals (good for anti-aging), improve skin texture, keep your skin warm after you shower (you don’t feel cold afterwards), and help with sleep. I found all these things to be true. I am looking to buy one with the bathroom remodel and the mold remediation thing we are doing but the average is 27k. It’s cheaper for me to fly back to Japan and use it there lol.
We spent our first night exploring. Gion is absolutely amazing and we walked over the bridge and saw TONS of great shops and restaurants.
(the dress has arrived!)
(Saw a nutria in the river which is obviously an invasive animal but we all loved it)
Dinner was Pontocho Shabushabu Sukiyaki Kiraku, which I found on Tabelog. It’s a restaurant review service used by locals (this was popular in Korea, too) and a friend told us that anything over 3.0 would be great. They did not mislead us.
Shabu shabu is like a Japanese hot pot with a pot of boiling broth on the table and vegetables and meat to be cooked. There are different dipping sauces and many courses. We had wagyu and kobe beef, lots of tasty vegetables, and afterwards, they made noodles for Liv and Pilot and egg soup for me and P (gluten-free option) using broth.
The next day, we woke up early and headed to Bamboo Park, which was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip.
We were surrounded by bamboo. It was clear, green, and peaceful. We took a trip to Arashiyama monkey park, where monkeys roam freely around you. One kept walking inches from my legs!
The rest of the day was spent shopping and lunch was at Engine Ramen. They have a gluten free ramen option and it was everything. SO tasty and satisfying. I will dream about this bowl of ramen until we get back!
The next day, we returned to Ginza, where we spent another day and night before ending the trip.
I still have Japression and I’m doing what I can to get little bits of Japan here. I think one of the things I love most about a trip like this is not necessarily the location (although in this case, the location was absolutely stunning), but the uninterrupted time with family, the opportunity to slow down, walk more and spend time in nature. Less time scrolling, more time enjoying. I feel like I’m upset about how my life has changed, but this trip really touches me on a soul level. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and it made sense to see the traditional and modern way I got along, how everyone in Japan seems to take great pride in what they do, a community that works for the benefit of others instead of selfishness. It was very difficult. It’s been a month now and I still think about it every day.
Thanks for reading about our adventures!! What have you been doing this summer? Any exciting adventures on the horizon?
no
Gina
