SINGAPORE - Our 2 Day Itinerary

Singapore is a wonderful family friendly location; there is so much do, you could easily fill out a week or more holiday. 

While Singapore is a rather expensive destination, we found there were some incredible kid friendly, free options available to fill our our two day stopover. 

First up, we purchased tickets to the Art Science Museum at Marina Bay Sand where there was a TeamLab exhibition called FutureWorld. The girls absolutely loved TeamLab Planets in Tokyo, it still rates as their most favourite activities so far. Future World has similar digital projected artworks that reacted to the movements of the guests, as well as a large animated artwork where you could design your own plane, bird or butterfly, scan it and see it come to life with in the artwork. 

From the outside, the Art Science Museum is a really unique building, its lotus flower inspired design was created by architect Moshe Safdie. It is next to another one of Singapore’s spectacular building, Marina Bay Sand, the iconic three buildings with the boat like platform at stretches across the top of all three. 

We walked through the shopping arcade at the base of Marina Bay Sands and were wowed by all the high end designer brands and theatres. 

Our next destination was the Keppel Centre for Art Education, located in the National Gallery Singapore. This was a fantastic FREE experience for the kids, with so many hands on, engaging, creative based activities. We easily spent a couple of hours here and girls were kept busy with the multiple different rooms and artistic activities. We were fortuate to be there on a weekday, so we found the crowds quite minimal however, I have read that if you plan to go on a weekend, it’s best to book a time slot in advance as it’s very popular.

We then spent the afternoon at Gardens By The Bay, home to the iconic Supertree Grove. While it’s free to enter the Gardens, there are some paid sections like the Cloud Forest, the Flower Dome, Skyway and the Supertree Observation Deck. We were planning to do at least the Cloud Forest, which is inside one of the gigantic glass domes and has a man made waterfall and foliage covered mountain, however the kids were having so much fun in the Far East’s Organisations Children’s Garden, we simply ran out of time. The Children’s Garden was free and featured a wonderful playground set within the vegetation and a large splash park, which was the perfect way to cool off in the late afternoon sunshine. 

Within the Gardens are a few restaurants; we had dinner at Shake Shack before heading to the Supertree Grove for the free nightly ‘Garden Rhapsody’ light show. It was quite spectacular to see the enormous structures lit up at night, in sync to a music soundtrack. 

If I were to recommend Gardens By The Bay to another family, I’d say you could easily allocate the majority of the day, but be prepared for a lot of walking and be prepared to spend a bit on admission tickets, especially if you plan to go into the Cloud Forest or Flower Dome. These glass structures are air conditioned so it would be a great option to escape the humidity of Singapore, however we ended up doing a budget friendly version of Gardens By The Bay by sticking to Children’s Garden and free light show. 

The second Day in Singapore, we met up with a friend of mine from my university days and his family. Chao and I were in the same film and television degree and have kept in touch via social media. (Its almost been 20 years since we graduated!)  Chao and his wife Bonnie visited Australia around 11 years ago, before any of our old uni crew had kids, but it’s been lovely to see their family grow with the addition of their kids. 

Chao and Maya met up with us in Chinatown, were they showed us around the Hawker Food centre which was right across the road from our accommodation. 

Hawker Food is a big part of Singapore’s culture and history, traditionally it was sold from little trolleys and wagons on the streets, drawing on the culinary influences of the many different cultures that have immigrated to Singapore. In recently years, it has become more regulated and hawker food stalls are now set up in the many large centres throughout Singapore. 

Chao, a talented illustrator and comic strip artist, actually illustrated a children’s book about Hawker Food and he graciously gifted us a signed copy. A really lovely gesture considering how much the girls love to draw and create their own comics.

At first the Hawker Food centres feel a bit overwhelming with so many options and so many new, different types of food. But Chao picked out a few dishes which were delicious - the rice jelly like cakes and the mince like vegetable relish was amazing. 

Later that afternoon we meet up with Bonnie and Aiden at the National Musuem of Sinagpore where we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the Story of the Forest exhibit was created by TeamLab! The kids loved the animated, projected artworks along the walls of the spiral ramps and inside the domed room. 

We all wandered through the history of Singapore section of the museum and girls enjoyed reading some books together. We chatted more over afternoon tea in the museum’s cafe and then headed out to the play area where the kids had a chance to run around. It was such a lovely experience catching up with Chao and Bonnie , reminiscing about film school and hearing about life in Singapore and the kids had a lovely time meeting new friends too. We’re so very grateful that Chao and Bonnie made the time to see us and we’re very blessed to have these connections and travel memories.  

A few other things I would recommend families do in Sinagpore:

The Children’s Museum - it had a interactive exhibit called Into The Hawkerverse about Sinagpore’s history of Hawker food.

Museum of Ice Cream Singapore

Science Centre Sinagpore

Mandai Wildlife Reserve - includes Singapore Zoo, Bird Paradise and River Wonders.

LegoLand. - technically this is across in Malayasia but it’s very close and easy to get to from Singapore.

Sentosa Island - this is the resort / tourist hub for Singapore, where you’ll find Universal Studios, along with Adventure Cove Waterpark, KidZania, Madame Tussauds, S.E.A Aquarium, Sentosa Sensoryscape, Hydro Dash and so much more!

I would check out Klook for ideas and tickets for what’s on in Singapore.

IN TRANSIT - From Japan to Singapore

Our flight out of Narita Airport in Tokyo was set to depart at 8am so we had made the decision to travel from Kamakura to Narita Airport the day before. We stayed at Hotel Nikko Narita, which had a free shuttle to the airport and we were relieved to find that there was a train that ran directly from Kamakura Train Station to Narita Airport. It was only a 2 hours journey but the trains would have been running early enought for us to get to the airport in time for a 8am flight. I would highly recommended staying overnight near the any airport before an early flight to save the stress of waking up early and potentially running late to the airport. 

Hotel Nikko Narita was a great option, we found the staff to be extremely helpful and the room was spacious and comfortable, we had three double beds in the one room but it was still quite big. The only downside was the food at the restaurant and cafe was rather expensive and not great quality. 

We flew with Scoot Airlines which is a budget airline affiliated with Sinagpore Airlines and it was a fairly uneventful. There was mild turbulence throughout the whole flight, so the seat belt signs where on pretty much the whole flight and the lights were dimmed even though it was a day time flight, which was kind of odd. Seeing as it was a budget airline, there was no food service or inflight entertainment but the girls were happy enough with the downloaded movies and shows on the iPad. 

Singapore’s Changi Airport is one of the most remarkable airports ever! The central ‘Jewel’, the huge indoor waterfall is amazing, it feels like a futurist temple, like something you would see in a movie like Avatar. The interior walls around the waterfall resembled rocks with foliage growing over it, like an overgrown stone temple, but then the little monorail like airport train zooms past - it’s very surreal. And then, outside the Jewel area is 4 or 5 storeys of shops and restaurants. If you ever have a long stopover in Sinagpore, but not long enough to leave the airport, you’ll have plenty to do in the airport. 

Actually, once we arrived, we decided to organise a taxi / airport transfer rather than navigate public transport. We were able to easily find a service desk that could book us a taxi and also provide us with Singapore based SIM cards. We’re glad we did organise a taxi because by the time we left the airport, we were driving through a torrential downpour. The taxi driver was really cool about it though, Singapore gets a lot of tropical style rainstorms. 

We had booked accommodation in Chinatown, which seemed to be an affordable but central area. It was really lively and vibrant, with lots of markets and restaurants amongst the historic buildings. There were some beautiful street murals throughout alleys and smaller streets of Chinatown, which I loved finding and photographing. 

We chose to stay at the Cube Family Boutique Capsule Hotel on Smith Street. We knew it was going to be a small room but, yeah, we were surprised at just how small the room was. It was designed for families and had a double sized bunk beds, and a single sized bunk bed. The bunks were built like small little capsule / cubby houses and there was also a small bathroom in the room and a well designed cupboard space but all up we estimated that the room was about 12 square meters in total! The kids had a great time though. Hallie had the top double bunk while Braino and I were in the lower one. Farley and Hallie had the single bunks and they were honestly like little cubby holes. Did I also mention there wasn’t any windows! This actually worked out in our favour as the darkness meant the girls slept well, although Braino found that the noise from other guests in the corridor kept him up. Not surprising as the bed was right next to the door, he was able to open the door and stick his head out while still laying in bed. 

Overall, it was an experience, we managed ok, considered we only really slept there; we were out all day on both days we were in Singapore. Would I recommend it to another family of 5? Well it depends on how much patience you can muster when confined to a small space with your family and how much you value privacy and only maybe if you’re relatively small. Haha! So no, I wouldn’t recommend it Haha! 

KAMAKURA, JAPAN - Day Trip - Enoshima Island & Enoden Electric Railway

The second day we were in Kamakura, we decided to head over to the neighbouring beachside town of Enoshima. I had grabbed a local brochure of the area and also read a few blogs, all of these highlighted Enoshima Island and the Enoden Rail Line. The dragon myth associated with the island particularly caught my interest, so it felt like a great way to see more of the area.

The Enoden Electric Railway runs along the coastline between Kamakura and Enoshima. It’s a retro stye tram like train that has a very quaint feel to it. It was a fantastic way to see the coastline and we saw so many people taking photos of the train as it passed by. Once we arrived at Enoshima train station, we found that the train has it’s own little merchandise shop, it’s like train itself is a local celebrity. I later found out that there is a well known anime film called Slam Dunk that features the Enoden Train and specifically the Kamakurakokomae train crossing. This particular area was swarming with tourists taking photos. (I came back the following morning, to capture the photo below)

The town of Enoshima seemed a little more built up than Kamakura, with more high rise apartments and a few more tourist attractions like an aquarium. Enoshima Island is just across a short bridge from the mainland and is steeped in mythology about a dragon and a goddess.

The legand, called the Enoshima Engi, it is a Japanese chronicle written in 1047 by the Buddhist monk Kokei. It narrates the mythological origins and history of Enoshima Island and its associated shrine, dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten. The text combines historical records and folklore, detailing the divine intervention of Benzaiten to subdue a five-headed dragon that was terrorizing the local population. The dragon, after falling in love with Benzaiten, reforms and transforms into a hill on the island, symbolizing the triumph of spiritual power over destructive forces. The Enoshima Engi is an important cultural artifact, blending religious themes with the geographic and social history of the region.

The island itself was so fascinating! We were able to walk across the bridge and into the bustling narrow street that led up to the steep stairs of the shrine. We ascended all the steps to the top of the hill to the Enoshima Shrine, dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten. The area was very lush and tranquil, with stunning views of Sagami Bay. We continued on to the ocean side of the island, in search of the sea caves, where we wound our way through the narrow lane that was filled with restaurants that overlooked breathtaking views of the ocean. No cars are able to access this part of the island so it was quite intriguing how they would be able to supply all these restaurants.

The final leg of the journey took us down steep stairs towards the island's southern tip, where the Enoshima Iwaya Caves awaited. These ancient sea caves, carved by centuries of ocean waves, are shrouded in mystery and spiritual significance. We were given little candle lanterns to take with us down the first cave to the alter of the goddess Benzaiten. The girls were given battery powered lanterns but they loved the experience of carrying the lanterns.

The second cave is home to a large dragon statue, complete with lighting and thunder sound effects. The girls were slightly scared to go close the dragon, but afterwards they talked about how cool it was to see the dragon cave.

Below the sea caves is a rocky shoreline, there was plenty of people enjoying the sunshine and fishing out into the ocean. On a clear winter day, this area apparently has an incredible view of Mt Fuji across the bay.

We were relived to find that there was a little ferry that took passengers between the ocean side of the island and the mainland. I had kind of winged the whole sea cave quest, without giving much thought to how we’d get back. So rather than walk back up and over the island, we opted for the speed boat. The girls loved it. It was another unexpected highlight of the day. For our last full day of sightseeing in Japan, it turned out to be a favourite of mine.

KAMAKURA, JAPAN - The Great Buddha & Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

Kamakura is a small beachside town, just an hour south of Tokyo. It’s often referred to as Little Kyoto because it was also once an ancient capital of Japan and has so many temples and shrines. However, it also has a very laid back vibe that incorporates Californian and Hawaiian surfer culture to creates a really unique feel that is so far removed from the frenetic energy of Tokyo.

As we were flying out fo Tokyo, I wanted to spend our last few days close enough the Tokyo without going back into the heart of the city. Admittedly, I loved Tokyo way more than I thought I would, we all did in fact. So I’m sure we could have found plenty more to do in Tokyo had we gone back. But what appealed to me about Kamakura was the stretch of beach that we could relax on and unwind a bit after all the travel we had been doing.

It ended up being a good decision. Once we arrived and checked into our accommodation, we headed down to the beach to enjoy the sunset and take in the view. The beach had blackish sand which I believe is typical of beaches in areas with high volcanic activities, and the waves were very small, although there was no shortage of locals out in the surf attempting to make do with the little action they had to work with. During the Summer months of July and August, pop up beach clubs are set up along the beach. We were a month too early but it was interesting to see the construction of the temporary structures getting underway.

We had booked three full day day in Kamakura which was probably a little generous in hindisght, two busy days would be enough, however it rained very heavily on the first day. I stayed in the with the girls an dcaught up on some school work and creative time - Hallie was working on a great story about Godzilla, while Braino went out in search of a laundromat to wash and dry our clothes - we were down to our last clean outfits.

We dedicated our second day to exploring some of the temples and shrines around Kamakura, starting with the Great Buddha of Kamakura. The Great Buddha or Kamakura Daibutsu dates back to the 13th century and is the second tallest bronze seated Buddha in Japan. (the first is the one I saw in Nara). The 11.4m Buddha was quite amazing to see and the girls were particularly excited to be able to go inside the statue.

I had read that there was a hiking track that led from the road next to the Great Buddha and wound it’s way through the hills, between suburban street, past a collection of smaller shrines to the Kamakura train station. So we set off to find the trailhead, which we did quite easily. However, after traipsing through the steep muddy track for 20 or so minutes, we realised we were not even on the right track and had headed in the completely wrong direction. It was a bit of fail on my behalf. Thankfully no one had slipped over, because the mud would have literally ruined an outfit (and probably our day), so we decided to bail on the hike and find a bus stop and head to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine via road.

We caught the bus back to Kamakura Train Station and walked up Komachi-Dori Street which is a bustling street full of street vendors, restaurants and souvenir shops. This led to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu which is the most important shrine in the Kamakura. This shrine seemed to have a little bit of everything, the sake barrels like Meiji Jingu Shrine, the mini torii gates like Fushimi Inari Shrine. There is even a bamboo grove in Kamakura at Hokokuji Temple, which is similar to the very popular bamboo grove at Arashiyama in Kyoto.

TAKAYAMA, JAPAN - Day 2 - Sanmachi Historic District

The second day that were were in Takayama was very rainy, it rained heavily for most of the morning. But we didn’t mind actually, the accommodation we were staying in was so spacious and lovely , it was nice to be able to spend some time indoors appreciating the house. 

We booked this guesthouse via booking.com and while the host / management team were very hands off, it was a really beautifully presented two storey house, in a very authentic Japanese style. The kitchen and dining room had a large table, the bathroom was big and modern and there was spacious lounge room that led out to a landscaped courtyard. Upstairs was two bedrooms, although they were only separated by sliding screens. Both had tatami mats. Which seems to be the typical bedroom layout in Japan. One bedroom had futon beds, the girls sleep in this one, while the other room had two western style double beds, which were very comfortable. 

The girls play so well together and with all the travel and moving around, it’s been helpful to give them some free time to just play. It definitely keeps everyone in a good mood on the days that we are out and about exploring and on the days were we are traveling to the next destination. It’s also been surprisng to see how well they play with the small amount of toys that we have with us. We then dedicated a bit of time to ‘school work’, catching up on maths and english units and some quizzes about what ever learnt about Japan. 

Once the rain cleared up in the afternoon, we all went out for a walk around the Sanmachi area. There is a number of blocks that have beautifully preserved wooden buildings that date back to the Edo period, many of which are sake breweries, ryokans and artisan craft shops. 

Takayama is the kind of town that you can just wander around and explore. It wasn’t very busy although there we lots of sovenier shops and more dedicated artisan boutiques. Hallie found a t-shirt that featured a design of godzilla rising up out of the ocean in the scene Hokusai, ‘Great Wave Off Kanagawa’ and Rooney found a cute t-shirt with her favourite Japanaese icon - Maneki-neko the beckoning cat.

Takayama is also home to Hida beef and Braino and I samples the best ‘beef on a skewer from a street vendor ‘ while walking around the streets of Takayama. We also sat down and had dinner at a restaurant called Kajibashi which had delicious Japanese cuisine.

Overall, while Tayakama is a little off the beaten track, I would still recommend it to families who are looking for a slower paced experience in Japan. There was quite a lot more to see and do that what we did, like the morning markets, the Showa-Kan Museum and the Retro Museum as well as the nearby Onsen town of Gero. We were there at the very end of May which is spring, leading into Summer, but I would love to see it in Autumn and Winter as well.

TAKAYAMA, JAPAN - Day 1 - Hida No Sato Open Air Museum

Takayama was another destination I had also seen photos of when researching Japan, the images of the dark wooden buildings from the Edo Period of Takayama’s old town have been stuck in my head as a must see location in Japan. I’m pleased to say that the old town area and the surroundings just as beautiful, if not more beautiful in person!

Takayama is located north east of Kyoto, (and north west of Tokyo) in the mountainous Gifu Prefecture. We travelled via an Nohi Highway Bus, which departed from Higashi-Umeda Station in Osaka (going via Kyoto Station) and arriving at the JR Takayama Station / Nohi Bus Terminal. From there we only had to walk 10 minutes to our accommodation. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, we have been very impressed by the standard and ease of the highway buses in Japans. They are comfortable and really reasonably priced. Alternatively we would had had to change trains a few times to get from Osaka to Takayama, potentially including a bullet train.

Another wonderful thing about Takayama is that it’s a small walkable town. Once we arrived we didn’t need to worry about getting around town via public transport, it was lovely just to walk around. On the morning of our first full day, we walked about 30 minutes out of town to the Hida No Sato Open Air Museum (or Hida Folk Village) which was a fantastic location to learn about the history of the Hida Region.

The Hida Folk Village is a collection of historical houses that have been relocated from various villages around the Hida region. The houses were built in the Edo period (from 1603 - 1868) and many are astonishing examples of the gassho-zukuri farmhouses that have the steep thatched roofs, able to withstand the heavy winter snow.

It was quite incredible to be able to walk around inside each house and learn about how people lived in the Hida region, especially how they raised silk worms and expertly wove kimonos from the harvested silk. The indoor fire places were even lit and we could climb up to the top levels of the houses. It was like stepping back in time. One thing to note is that you have to take your shoes off when entering all the house, we were continuously talking off sneakers and putting them back on, so my tip would be to wear slip on shoes.

The girls were kept entertained by the stamp collecting quiz books that we were able to pick up at the ticket office for 200 yen each. We followed the map around to all the locations that had a question to answer and a stamp to collect. It was great way to keep kids engaged and the book included an English version of the quiz. The girls got a small souvenir as a prize once they completed it all.

If you are even more interested in the historic homes of the region, there is a day tour you can do from Takayama to Shirakawa-go and Gokayama, two UNESO World Heritage Sites that are living villages of Gassho Zukuri Farmhouses. People are till living in them today, and you can even stay overnight in a thatched roof farmhouse. It would really be amazing to see, but I couldn’t justify the cost or the time spent on the bus against everyone else’s level of interest. The Hida Folk Village was no doubt just as good and much easier to reach from Takayama with kids.

Getting to Hida No Sato: We walked there from our accommodation, which was near the Red Cross Hospital in Takayama. It only took 30 mins and the kids were fine, even with the steeper hill towards the end of the walk. However we caught the bus back, the Sarubobo Bus regularly runs from the Takayama Nohi Bus Centre to the Folk Village and back. Fare is 210 yen one way.

The cost was 700 yen per adult (roughly AUD $7) and 200 yen for children although Hallie and Rooney were free as they are 6 and under. The stamp books were 200 yen each. We didn’t book tickets in advance, they were available for purchase at the entry booth.

KOYASAN, JAPAN - My Birthday Side Quest to a Mystical Mountain Retreat

When researching Japan, I was absolutely enchanted by the photos I came across of Koyasan, a scared Buddhist retreat high up in the mountains south of Osaka. The images of ancient, mossy covered gravestones with beautiful cedar trees towering above were simply breathtaking! I thought maybe if I could coincide a stay there with my birthday, I could justify adding it to the itinerary. :)

However, overall it was a bit of a logistical nightmare to get to Koyasan and Braino would 100% agree that it really should have been done as trip from Osaka, not Kyoto. It involved a lot trains from Kyoto via Osaka, ending in a vertical cable car train that went up the side of the mountain and then a bus into town from the cable car station. It was the sort of journey that was hard to plan via google maps. But once we got started, everything was well connected and flowed smoothly.

Braino has adopted the role of ‘navigator’, he’s the one interpreting google maps and directing us through train stations onto the right train platforms and keeping track of when to get off the trains. He liked to be in control and I’m happy to go along for the ride at this point. It’s easier having one person in charge because if there was two of us looking at google maps, there is a high chance we’d be looking at two different options ( as there is so many train lines and trip variations ) and no doubt we’d squabble unnecessarily.  But the Koyasan side quest definitely stressed out the navigator. 

Was it worth it? Well, Koyasan is a stunning, off the beaten track kind of location and getting there was half the adventure. The last section of the train trip from Hashimoto Station to Gokurakubashi  Station winds high up into the densely forested, misty mountains, past small villages and the final cable car and bus are an experience in themselves. Not your average commuter journey. 

Koyasan is considered to be one of Japan’s most sacred sites. It’s a small secluded Buddhist monastic centre, the birthplace of Shingon Buddhism, founded by Kobo Daishi. The walkable town is home to over 2000 temples and the sacred Okuno-in Cemetery and mausoleum to Kobo Daishi. 

While I wasn’t raised with any one particular religious belief, I’ve always had an appreciation for different religions and spiritual beliefs from a historical and cultural context. I’ve also been fascinated by and drawn to sacred sites from around world, having visited many places in Egypt, Cambodia, Peru and Mexico. 

Koyasan is the ideal destination for anyone who appreciates religion and spirituality, particularly Buddhism, nature and photography. Many people who make the journey here stay in one of Koyasan’s Shukubo temple retreats - essentially a homestay experience in a Buddhist temple where you can attend meditations with the monks, stay in very traditional settings and eat delicious vegetarian meals prepared by the monks of the temples. This experience out of our price range and probably a little extreme for the rest of the family but we were able to stay in a small guesthouse in the centre of town that was totally fine for us. 

We arrived in the afternoon, had an delicious curry in a lovely little restaurant and spent the last few hours of the day wandering around the town, visiting Kongobui-ji Temple ( the head temple ) and the Danjo Garan Sacred Temple Complex. It’s free to enter all the temple grounds but there are admission fees to go inside some sections of the temples. I think for us, with the kids, it felt like the most appropriate thing to do was just observe from the outside, considering how sacred these temples are and how there are some many rituals and customs that go into visiting a temple. The girls are happy enough to walk around and explore, especially if there is the prospect of getting an ice-cream at the end. 

The next morning we woke to heavy rain. In fact the heavy rain had set in across to Osaka and Kyoto too. Luckily I had packed raincoats. 

The rain let up enough around 9am for me to encourage everyone to join me for a walk to Okuno-in, the sacred cemetery at the far end of town. The 2km path lead through old and new monuments and tombstones, some covered in moss, with enormous ancient cedar trees towering overhead. This was the location that first captured my attentions, its otherworldliness was enhance by the atmospheric light rain. However it wasn’t long before the kids started to feel wet and cold and needed to go the toilet. So we made it to the halfway mark, where there were toilet facilities and a bus stop that headed back into town. Braino took the girls back to the accommodation while I continued on through the cemetery.

At the end of the path is Kobo Daishi’s Mausoleum, it is believed that he has sat in an eternal meditative state since 835AD. At 6am and 10:30am daily, you can witness three monks carrying an offering from one of the temple buildings across the Gobyabashi Bridge and up the path to the Toroda Hall ( Hall of Lanterns.) I joined the small group of tourist who followed the monks across the bridge into the Toroda Hall. It was a mesmerising experience. The Toroda Hall was dimly lit with thousand of red glowing lanterns hanging from the ceiling, everyone stood in silence as the chanting of the monks fill the air. 

It is forbidden to take photos and video past the Gobyababshi bridge and in the Lantern Hall so I have no footage of the monks or the offering. And rightly so. It’s a such a sacred space, you really have to experience it in person, photos would not do it justice.

After about 20 minutes of deep contemplation and gratitude, I left the Toroda Hall and headed back through the cemetery but by this stage the rain started getting much heavier. I was much too busy taking photos to be distracted by the rain and even though I had a raincoat on my pants soon became drenched. It was probably best that the girls and Braino turned back when they did, they avoided the heavy downpour. I scampered back through the rain, down the main road back to our accommodation and changed into some dry clothes, very satisfied with my Koyasan experience. 

We were planning to stay two nights in Koyasan but decided to forgo the second night. We took advantage of a late checkout and head back to Osaka late in the afternoon. 

The following day we had planned to head to Takayama which is north beyond Kyoto and it would have been a huge day in transit to travel from Koyasan to Takayama in one journey.  The bus alone from Kyoto to Takayama is 5hours. It was Braino who revised the itinerary and booked a night in Osaka, he found a cheap guesthouse that was surprising spacious and had a free laundry room, perfect for what we needed. It was still bucketing down in Osaka so we just did some washing and Braino did a quick location scout to see where the bus left from in the morning. 

The following day we tackled the bus trip from Osaka to Takayama. We could have again used a Shinkansen ( bullet train ) for part of the trip but the long distance buses are really comfortable, cheap and efficient. They have wifi and ports to charge your devices so the girls were kept entertained with movies on the iPad. 

The girls have been really good with all the travel. Hallie and Rooney can get a little rowdy and squirmy on the public transport at the end of the days which is understandable but they always stay close to us in the busy stations, there is never a fear of losing anyone. 

If I was to rebook the itinerary or recommend the same locations to a friend; I would suggest Tokyo > Lake Kawaguchiko > Osaka > Koyasan > Kyoto > Takayama. Rather than Kyoto > Koyasan > Takayama. 

Overall, it was a very special way to spend my birthday. I’m truly blessed to be able to able to visit Japan with my family, let alone a place as sacred as Koyasan. And big shout out to Braino for entertaining some of my more ambitious ideas.

OSAKA, JAPAN - Day Trip - Osaka Kids Plaza & Osaka Aquarium

Osaka is just under an hour from Kyoto via the train lines. It has a major international airport is a popular destination for families as it is home to well known attractions like Universal Studios and a Legoland. Neither of these were on our itinerary but we thought the girls may like the Osaka Kids Plaza and the Aquarium, so a day trip was an ideal approach. 

You can take a Shinkansen (bullet train ) from Kyoto to Osaka but it was quite expensive for a such a short amount of time and it would have meant changing trains a few times to get the to right Shinkansen station in Kyoto. We found that the Keihan line from Demachiyanagi Station was cheaper with less changes, although a little more slower. 

OSAKA KIDS PLAZA

The Osaka Kids Plaza was a wonderful education experience for the kids! It’s an interactive museum designed especially for children to learn in a very hands on way. There was a huge indoor playground in the centre of the building that resembled more of a cave village with lots of maze like rooms and bridges, the girls loved running around and cllimbing in it. Then there was lots of activities, similar to what you find in a science museum ( like Sparklab in Brisbane, Scienceworks in Melbourne, Questacon in Canberra ). There were areas to learn about the human body, world music, geography, speed and motion, bubbles and moving images.

Purchasing tickets - we arrived around 10am ( Osaka Kids Plaza opens at 9:30am ) and we were able to purchase tickets from the front vending machines and go straight in, no line or waiting time.

Adult tickets were 1400 yen, kids over 6 years of age were 800 yen, kids 6 and under were 500 yen

We also treated the girls to their first Gacha, which is essentially a vending machine with a huge range of random things, mostly little collectable figurines. They are everywhere in Japan and were especially hard to avoid in the foyer of the Osaka Kids Plaza. The girls chose one that had five different little finch type bird toys and thankfully they got a different one each. We haven’t been buying many toys or souvenirs, which the girls have been quite good about. The gacha machines are around 200 - 300 yen ( roughly $2 - $3 AUD ) and they have been treasuring their little birds, but I’m sure we’ll do another gacha before we leave. 

OSAKA AQUARIUM KAYIUKAN

After the Osaka Kids Plaza, we headed to the Osaka Aquarium Kayiukan. The Aquarium is one of the largest in the world and is based on the Pacific Rim, featuring animals from all the different habitats around the pacific ring of fire - otters & giant crabs from Japan, puffins from the Aleutian Islands, sea lions from Monterey Bay in the USA, dolphins from the Tasman sea, penguins from Antartica. ( there was a Great Barrier Reef section that was closed for renovations ) 

The centrepiece of the aquarium is the huge 9m deep tank that contains two whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, manta rays and many other fish. This section represents the pacific ocean as a whole - the whale sharks are impressive! While I do question the ethics behind keeping sharks of that size in a big indoor tank, I’m also guilty of taking my kids to any zoo I can. I do believe that zoos and aquariums can be great educational experiences, provided the animals are treated well. 

The aquarium as a whole was really well set out, you start at the top and corridors wind their was down around the central whale shark tank. This gives you plenty of opportunities to see the animals, you can see the seals and dolphins from both above and below the surface. The girls have always had an interest in aquatic animals and ocean life so the Aquarium was very worthwhile and I’m sure they absorbed some information about the Pacific Ocean so it was kind of counts as a geography lesson too, haha!

Purchasing tickets - I booked online the night before, directly via the Aquarium’s website. There are timed entry times ( we entered between 1pm - 1:15pm ) and again didn’t have to wait long to enter. When I booked online, all the morning time slots were sold out but afternoon slots were still available. But I’d probably recommend booking a couple of days in advance if you  want to go in the morning. 

Adults tickets were 2700 yen, kids over 6 were 1400 yen and kids 6 and under were 700 yen 

KYOTO, JAPAN - Day 3 - Rest Day, Local Playgrounds & Photography at Dusk

This day was very much a rest day where we didn’t plan any extensive outings. We create some time and space for the girls to just play together at the accommodation and then watch a movie while Braino and I sorted out some planning for the upcoming days and washing. 

Our guesthouse in Kyoto was a two story apartment / house in the Chayama neighbourhood in the northern part of Kyoto. We booked it through Booking.com although I’m fairly certain it was available through Airbnb too. It was a very authentic Japanese house with a small kitchenette and a lounge area with a small bathroom at the back of the house and a laundry in a very small courtyard that lead out to a back alley. 

Upstairs was two room that were only separated by sliding doors and both had traditional tatami mats, which is a like a sturdy woven straw mat, very authentic to Japan. The beds were also very authentic in nature - essentially just thin mattresses on the tatami mats, which could be folded up and stored in cupboards to create more living space during the day. I found the thin mattresses on the floors to be suprisingly comfortable while Braino didn’t. The girls were all in one of the rooms while Braino and I were in the other, but essentiall you could open up the sliding doors to make one big room on the upper level.

It was fairly cozy for a family of five but much better than a hotel room. 

Fiona, the owner of the guesthouse, was so friendly and helpful! She was originally from England and lived in Kyoto with her family including two teenage daughters. She was incredibly helpful with restaurant & playground recommendations and luggage forwarding. (More on luggage forwarding later - it’s been amazing option to ditch the two large suitcases)

The guesthouse also had a selection of bikes that we could use, Braino made use of these to ride out to get takeaway and groceries.

Also the weird little bear statue is actally a Tanuki, a native Raccoon Dog that features heavily in Japaness folklore. We saw so many of these statues around Kyoto, in front of houses and shops as it symbolises good luck. The girls love spotting them throughout the neighbourhood.

In the afternoon, we went to explore a local playground that Fiona recommended - Tarakgarike Children’s Playground. It was quite a large park with a playground that appeared to have something for kids of all ages. It was a lovely hot Sunday in Kyoto and there were many families who had set up little tents in the park, probably having spend most of the day there. The girls liked the big slide that was built into a large mound and the maze. 

Our guesthouse was very close to the Chayama train station on the Eizan railway line. Tarakgarike Station was a few stops north but afterwards we rode the rail back to the end of the line to Demachiyanagi Station where I had spotted a lot of people out in the parkland near where the river spilts. There was some large stepping stones that crossed the shallow river, including some that been custom made to looks like turtles. The girls loved it here, it was really relaxing just people watching and enjoying the fresh air along with all the locals.

Later the evening, I headed back into the Gion area of Kyoto to capture some photos at dusk. Gion is the iconically authentic, albeit a little touristy area of Kyoto, it’s very photogenic and there was a lot of other photographers out snapping photos from the popular vantage points. I think I arrived a little too late but I was quite happy with what I captured.

KYOTO, JAPAN - Day 2 -Fushimi Inari Taisha, Nara Deer Park and Todai-Ji

FUSHIMI INARI TAISHI

After the crowds of Kiyomizu-Dera the previous afternoon, we committed to getting up very early and heading to Fushimi Inari Shrine, another iconic shrine of Kyoto. We were out of the accommodation by 6:30am, which saw us reach the shrine by 7:00am and this turned out to be the perfect time. Thankfully, our accommodation was fairly close to Demachiyanagi Station at the end of the Keihan line, Fushimi Inari train station is a few stops down on the same line so it a nice and easy to reach. 

Fushimi Inari Taishi is a shinto shrine dedicated to the gods of rice and sake, which features many statues of foxes, who are considered to be the messengers of the god of cereal. The girls loved spotting all the stone foxes, I think any animal association, like GotoKuji Temple in Tokyo, makes visiting temples and shrines a little more interesting for kids. 

The vermilion red torii gates are probably the most well known aspect of this shrine complex and it was a really amazing experience to walk through all the torii tunnels that line the path that winds up the mountain. for approximately 4km. However we made it about two third of the way up. It was a very enchanting shrine to experience, definitely one of our favourites. 

There was still a number of other people but it didn’t feel too crowded or hot. As were leaving around 9:00am, we were gobsmacked by the shear amount of people getting ofF the trains that were arriving at Inari Station, and these trains were arriving every 10 or so minutes! So thankfull that we were able to experienced this shrine early in the morning. 

NARA DEER PARK & TODAI-JI

As we still had the rest of the day ahead of us, we continued south on the train towards Nara. Nara is a solid day trip from Kyoto, but it’s well worth the visit. Like Kyoto, Nara was also once the ancient capital of Japan and is home to many fascinating shrine and temples. It’s also well known for the deer in the Nara Koen area. 

The deer have lived in the Nara Koen area for a hundreds of years and are considered to be messengers of the gods, they are protected as National Treasures. Tourist can actually buy shika senbei, ‘deer crackers, to feed the deer which are made out of flour and rice bran. The deer were fairly friendly and the girls were quite keen to see them up close, but we soon realised that the deer love the crackers and can get a little pushy if you have crackers for them. If you don’t, well, the deers won’t give you much time. We even saw some deer pull at peoples shirts and chase people who had crackers. It was kind of amusing. We realised that if you hold up your hands and show the deer that you don’t have any crackers for them, they will leave you alone. 

Nara Park has a number of temples and museums in it, but we wandered over to Todai-ji, Nara’s main attraction. Todai-ji is a sprawling Buddhist temple that contains Daibutsu-den (Hall of the Great Buddha), which is considered to be largest wooden structure in the world. It’s truly awe-inspiring! Inside is the daibutsu (Great Buddha) is one of the largest bronze figures in the world, again truly awe inspiring. 

It was free to enter Nara Park and wander around Todai-ji, however it was 1200 yen per adult to enter the Daiutsu-den, so I went in alone. The deer and rest of the temple grounds was interesting enough for the rest of the family. I wasn’t too knowledgable about the significance of Todai-ji and the Great Buddha inside, but I’m grateful to have had the chance to visit it. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and such a magnificent site to behold. 

KYOTO, JAPAN - Day 1 - Kyoto Train Museum & Kiyomiza-Dera Temple

KYOTO RAIL MUSEUM

To carry the theme of trains over from yesterday’s bullet train trip, we decided to start the day with a visit to the Kyoto Train Museum. 

I had read on Trip Adviser that this train museum is the best in the world and I would have to agree. We stayed for 3 hours and even then it was hard to drag the girls away, especially Hallie. 

The museum has so many actual train carriages and driving carriages that you can walk through. They have one of the first ever Shinkansens from the 1960’s that you can sit in the drivers seat and pretend to  drive. 

There are loads of interactive things for kids to do like building model bridges, manoeuvring life sized controls and controlling miniature trains around a miniature city track. And there are lots of displays and information about the history of trains in Japan. There was even an exhibit about how rain tunnels are built which really resonated with Braino. There is minimal English information but you can scan a QR code to get more in English or we often used the translate app, where you can take a photo and the translation appears in over the photo - very handy!

There was a good cafe inside with tables that overlooked the actual train lines near Kyoto Station. It was quite fun to spot all the Shinkansens travel past. 

There was also a kids indoor play area with lots of toy trains and tracks to build with and then outside there was a great playground surrounded by a railway turntable and a dozen old steam trains - just like Tidmouth Sheds, if you know that reference. 

Hallie has always had a thing for trains and the other two girls seem happy enough to get into trains as well, so this was a real win. Even if you’re not that interested in trains but can appreciate Japans next level train technology, I say it’s still worth a visit.

KIYOMIZU - DERA

After the Kyoto Rail Museum, we caught the train to Kiyomizu-dera where we then walked for about 20 mins to reach Kiyomizu-Dera Temple. We wound our way up the narrow streets lined with tradition Japanese architecture until we reached the base of the temple grounds. 

Kiyomizu-dera is a thousand year old buddhist temple dedicated to Kannon, the deity of compassion and great mercy. (The same deity that Senso-Ji in Tokyo is dedicated too). It sits halfway up Mt Otowa, and is set in beautiful lush greenery, overlooking Kyoto. The main hall is a sight to behold, perched on the side of the mountain, supported by traditionally constructed wooden  beams that interlock, no nails have been used. 

Even though we are there at 4:30pm in the afternoon, it was still very busy. Lots of school groups as well as the many other tourists. We were aware that the well known temples and shrines in Kyoto can be very busy, and it was really fascinating to witness the amount of people that dress in traditional kimonos and take photos around the temple.  It was a rather hot but we’re still glad we visited this popular destination in Kyoto. It’s free to enter the temple grounds but 500 yen each to enter the mail hall, so only I walked through the main hall around the mountain side path. 

We walked back to the train stations through the Gion district, which holds a lot of beautiful historic architecture and is traditionally the area where a lot of Geisha work in the teahouses. The area is very popular with tourist but still has a magical air about, in some of the streets it’s very easy to imagine yourself transported back in time.

TRAVEL DAY - from Lake Kawaguchiko to Kyoto - Shinkansen time!

The day of travel from Lake Kawaguchiko to Kyoto was our first ( and maybe only ) experience on a Shinkansen; the famous bullet train of Japan! 

Shinkansen’s have their own train lines and there must better hundreds, if not thousands of Shinkansens zipping around Japan at any given time. While we were waiting on the platform for ours, at least a dozen raced past. They are so fast and so silent. I was trying to record one zoom through the station and every time I glanced way, one would fly through and it would disappear before I even had a chance to get my phone up and recording. 

The girls loved riding on a Shinkansen, especially Hallie! The Bullet Trains are so spacious inside- much more leg room than an aeroplane. 

Howeve, as much as we enjoyed our Shinkansen experience, we may not go on one again. The main reason is so far, we’ve found the highway buses to be very straightforward and much cheaper.  We had to catch a highway bus from Lake Kawaguchiko to a station called Mishima to meet up with the Shinkansen line. That was the second highway bus we took and we really can’t complain about them. They seem like great value for money to us. But I will keep you posted and probably do an overall post about transport towards the end of our trip. 

Once we arrived in Kyoto, we left the main train station in search of another one and I have to say it was the first time we caved in and hailed a taxi. It was very hot and we could see the girls were getting to the end of their tether so we hailed a cab and had it drop us off right at our accommodation. Not the cheapest option but it avoided a potential meltdown. 

I’m writing this after being in Kyoto for 3 days now and I can say that the local trains in Kyoto are nothing like Tokyo with it comes to efficiency. They are are much more challenging to navigate. There is a good chance we all would have had a meltdown if we had tried to catch the local trains to our accommodation from the Shinkansen station on our arrival into Kyoto.

Kyoto has about 6 different train companies all with their own train lines and often a neighbour will have two different train stations for two different train lines and they don’t intersect. So if you want to change to a different train line, you often have to get out and walk to a different train station. It is definitely a difference from the intersecting networks in Tokyo. 

Anyway, that’s just my little rant about Kyoto trains. We do actually see a lot of locals riding bikes, some mums have bikes that have a baby seat on the front and back and they are even semi enclosed in case of rain. Kyoto is really flat and there is a great pathway that runs along the waterway. If you were here with friends or just as a couple, bike riding would be a great option. 

LAKE KAWAGUCHIKO & MT FUJI - Two Day Stay

Lake Kawaguchiko is part of the Fuji Five Lakes area where you can get a glimpse of Mt Fuji up close. When I was researching destinations close to Mt Fuji, Hakone often featured in blogs and tour itineraries as a popular tourist town. However it seems quite expensive and busy compared to the Fuji Five Lakes area. I’m so glad we made the trip out to Lake Kawaguchiko, it was a lovely restful two days after Tokyo.

We were able to catch a highway bus directly from Shinjuku Express Bus Way to Lake Kawaguchiko station, which look around 1hr and 45mins.  We caught a train from Akasaka-Mitsuke to Shinjuku and then navigated our way to the bus area. Shinjuku Station is not for a faint hearted - it’s like a huge maze of platforms and train lines and buses, literally the world’s busiest train stations, but the kids handled it well. 

We stayed in a fantastic two bedroom apartment in a quiet street at the base of the hills. It was within walking distance to Lake Kawaguchiko station and was also walking distance to the Lake.  After the cramped hotel room and busy days in Tokyo, we took the next two days really easy and gave the kids a chance to play around the accommodation

The first day we went down to the lake area and hired the little swan shaped peddle boats. Braino went in with Rooney and I was in one with Farley and Hallie. It was a work out - you essentially have to peddle like a bike to make the boat go and then use the steering wheel to direct it. Within the first five minutes, Braino’s boat broke! There was apparently a big clunk sounds and the peddles stopped working. He shouted to me to paddle over to him and then told me he was stuck. My only option was to peddle all the way to the wharf with Farley and Hallie and use the translate app on my iphone to tell the staff that my husband needed rescuing! The two men manning the little wharf area were really good about it and jumped into their speedboat, zoomed out to Braino and Rooney and then towed them back to shore. The whole thing was pretty funny, the older two got a real kick out of watching Braino and Rooney get rescued and then we all went out again, Braino & Rooney in a different swan this time. 

We also did a short hike up into the hills above the lake and found some Totoro souvenirs at a gift shop. ( The girls have really gotten into Studio Ghibli films in the lead up to the trip ). There was also a cable car that went to the top of the hill but without a clear view of Mt Fuji, we decided not to do it. 

Although we actually had an amazing view of Mt Fuji from our accommodation window, it was hiding behind the clouds for most of the time. Apparently Mt Fuji is very temperamental and is often hidden. The best times to see it is in the early mornings and the late afternoon. We got lucky on the second afternoon when the mountain revealed itself in all its glory! It was truely breathtaking to see Mt Fuji rising above the town! I took the opportunity to race around and take as many photos as possible. I even hiked the trail we discovered earlier in the day which lead to a fantastic lookout point in Tenjoyama Park. I feel like this park is a hidden gem. So many people were swarming around the streets near the train station to get a photo of Mt Fuji, but this hike wasn’t too long and offered such an incredible view over the town. 

On the second day, in my quest to capture the perfect photo of Mt Fuji, we caught the local train a few stops over to Shimoyoshida Station where we then walked up the 400 stairs to the Chureito Pagoda, which is in the Arakura Sengen Shrine area. This lookout area has become very popular as, if you’re lucky, you can capture a photo of the five storey pagoda with Mt Fuji in the background. And if you come at the right time of year, cherry blossoms surround the area, making it a very quintessential Japanese photograph

We were not so lucky. By the time we climbed those 400 steps, Mt Fuji was once again covered in clouds. It was probably one of those occasions where I should have woken up early and gone by myself. The kids were a little whingy about all the steps but it was still a cool view even without Mt Fuji. And we were kind of alarmed but also kind of amused to see signs saying that there were wild bears in the area. Oh My!

On the way we had a quick detour into Fuji Q Highland, a huge amusement park that was on the same train line. It’s free to enter the park, you just pay per ride and some of those rides are the most intense thrill rides I’ve ever seen. It was worth a stop just to marvel at the insane roller coasters but the main reason I thought it would be worthwhile was the Thomas The Tank engine themed land. While our girls haven’t ever expressed any desire to go on rollercoaster, that have gone through a Thomas The Tank engine phase, in particular Hallie. So I figure it was a relativley low cost way to see if the girls would like theme parks. (We haven’t planned on going to any of the major theme parks here in Japan)

They were pretty excited to see the Thomas themed rides and we decided on one small rollercoaster. Farley wasn’t that into it but because Hallie and Rooney are 6 years and under, Braino and I had to accompany them.  We felt a bit silly sitting on the kids ride, haha! It was basically a rollercoaster for toddlers! After a Thomas themed novelty icecream we headed back to the accommodation and rested for the remainder of the afternoon. 

I’m really glad we added these two days at Lake Kawaguchiko, and while there is plenty more to see and do around the Fuji Five Lakes area it was the perfect little rest stop for us after the intensity of Tokyo.

TOKYO, JAPAN - Day 3 - GotoKuji Temple, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Shinjuku at night

GOTOKUJI TEMPLE - ’BECKONING CAT TEMPLE’

We set off quite early in the morning to GotoKuji Temple, where we hoped to find the temple dedicated to Manekineko, the beckoning cat. Based on all the photos I had seen of the cute little cat statues, I thought this would be the perfect temple to keep the girls interested. We caught the train out past Shibuyu to Shimo-Kitazawa Station, where we changed to a local train and headed to Gotokuji Station. We had to stroll through some suburban streets to find the temple, which is actually one of myself and Braino’s favourite thing to do when traveling - see what everyday houses look like, it’s such a fascinating way to catch a glimpse of local life.

GotoKuji is a beautifully serene temple and the little statues of Manekineko did not disappoint. Legend has it that ‘one day, a lord on his way back from falconry was beckoned by a cat at the temple gate and decided to stop by. While spending time at the temple, thunder suddenly rang out and rain began to fall. Having gotten well out of a thundershower with an enjoyable conversation with the temple master, the lord was impressed by this luck that the cat brought. The lord was Naotaka Ii, the lord of Hikone domain. Financially backed up by Naotaka, Gotokuji temple was rebuilt in 1633. Later, Gotokuji temple built the Shofuku-den to enshrine the cat that brought good fortune, naming it as "Manekineko". Ever since, many people visit Shofuku-den continuously to pray for well-being for the family, prosperous business, luck and happiness.’ (This comes directly from the website. https://gotokuji.jp/en/manekineko/ )

We realised that we could purchase a cat statue from the administration office and leave it there with the rest of the collection as an offering, to bring us good fortune . The girls loved this idea and were thrilled to leave one of our own. As I write this blogpost almost a week later, everything we’ve done in Japan so far has been amazing but I think this is one of my highlights.

Afterwards we headed back via Shibuya, the second busiest train station in the world, whihc is also home to the iconic scramble crossing. We decided to check it out for ourselves, but this stage it was very hot and extremely crowded. We were all a bit frazzled, and the amazement of the scramble crossing was a bit lost on us to be honest. We ducked into Uniqlo to buy some socks and then headed back to the apartment were we rested and watched a movie on the laptop until around 4pm. (Braino and Rooney has a little nap).

MEIJI JINGU SHRINE

The rest period was quite strategic as we had plans to head out again in the later afternoon to experience Shinkuju at night. First we headed to Meiji Jingu Shrine, and I’m so glad we did, it was truly breath-taking. Meiji Jingu is a stunning Shinto Shrine that is set amoungst 70 hectares of dense forest. It was so peaceful and enchanting to walk through the winding paths that lead through the forests to the main part of the shrine, it was easy to forget we were right in the middle of Tokyo. While Senso-Ji is a buddhist temple, Meiji Jingu is a Shinto Shrine. Shinto is Japan’s ancient original religion or belief system as there isn’t a founder or religious book.

We walked from the southern entrance at Harajuku, all the way to the northern entrance in Yoyogi. It was a decent distance but the girls enjoyed it. It was late in the afternoon, the temperature was perfect and the low afternoon sun light was glimmering through the trees.

SHINJUKU AT NIGHT

We were planning to go to the Toyko Metropolitan Government Building again as there is a free nightly light projection show that started at 7:30pm and because we had the time, we decided to walk all the way up through Shinjuku. Shinjuku and Shibuya are two destinations where you can see all the iconic neon lights that are synonymous with Toyko and I was keen to see (and photography) it for myself. The streets between Shinjuku Station and the Toyko Metropolitan Government Building felt like a great kid friendly option. We found an acrade full of claw machine that the girls loved have a turn of (although we didn’t win anything) There were lots of restaurants and crowds are still very intense but it didn’t seem too overwhelming for the girls.

The light projection show at the government building was fantastic, it was sort of similar to TeamLabs in a way but the best bit was Godzilla! It went for 15 minutes in total and it started with a short section of Godzilla ‘smashing’ the TMGB. The girls have come mildly obsessed with Godzilla after we watched some videos on youtube of the older Japanese Godzilla movies, the really funny retro Godzilla. While the projection show runs for 15mins, it’s play on a loop until 9:30pm and it’s totally free!

Afterwards, Braino took the girls back to the accommodation via the trains while I headed into a seperate section of Shinjuku, to take more photos. It was Saturday night so it was extremely busy, but I felt quite safe on my own. It’s so mind blowing to see so many people, all on their way somewhere. It’s a very surreal feeling to just be apart of it.

TOKYO, JAPAN - Day 2 - Tokyo Toy Museum, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

SENSOI-JI TEMPLE  (Again)

I set an alarm for 4:30am so I could head out on a solo photography mission to Senso-Ji again, as I wanted to take some time to photograph the beautiful temple complex without the crowds.

I was surprised to discover that the trains in Tokyo don’t run between the hours of 1am and 5am so the earliest I could get out there was 5:35am. It was well worth the early start as the crowds had totally disappeared compared to the day before. There was a few other photographers and plenty of people out for a morning stroll with dogs. The sound of monks chanting and smell of incense filled the air. It was an incredibly peaceful way to experience this scared site.

If I were to come again with the rest of the family, I’d aim for 8am - 9am. The stalls along Nakamise-Dori open at 9:00am so if you arrived a little before 9am, you could beat the crowded but still browse all the interesting stalls and shops.

TOKYO TOY MUSEUM

Thanks to all the YouTube videos we watched in the lead up to the trip, I knew about the Tokyo Toy Museum, which looked like just the thing our girls would enjoy.

The Tokyo Toy Museum is set in an old elementary school and features many rooms that display toys from Japan and around the world. The majority are beautifully made wooden toys and the best part is that it is incredibly interactive. Children can play with a huge assortment of toys, puzzles and games.

The Wooden Forest room had a unique ball pit full of wooden balls and the girls especially loved the yellow room which had such a wide variety of wooden fruits and vegetables that the they could pick off the wooden trees and pretend to wash and sort.

The staff were incredible friendly and encouraged the girls to sit and play games with them, which was such a lovely experience. There was even a little craft class set up in what looked like an old art classroom.

We stayed for over two hours and found the whole space so engaging and interactive for the girls. Even Braino and I got carried away trying to out do each other on a particularly fun skill tester type puzzle.

I booked tickets online via the Toy Museums website the night before. It was 800 yen for the girls and 1,100 yen for adults (roughly $8AUD for children and $11AUD for adults)

The Toy Museum is located in Yotsuya, Shinjuku City and we were able to reach it by catching the Marunouchi Line to Yotsuya-Sanchome Station from Akasaka-Mitsuke Station.

TOKYO METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT BUILDING, SHINJUKU

From the Tokyo Toy Museum we jumped on the train again and headed into Shinjuku, which is the world’s busiest train station! We were headed to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and were surprised to find that there was a whole underground network of tunnels that lead from Shinjuku Station all the way to the Government Building. The Tokyo metro system is phenomenal.

The Metropolitan Government Building has a free observation deck in Building 1. It was very easy to find the correct elevator and we didn’t have to wait too long. It was amazing to see Tokyo sprawled out beneath us from 200m high. There are apparently many other vantage points where you can see Tokyo from above, but the TMGB is a fantastic free option. The whole level was quite spacious and there was a cafe, gift shop and even someone playing a grand piano.

SHINJUKU CHUO PARK PLAYGROUND

We discovered a fun playground in the beautifully landscaped Shinjuku Chuo Park behind the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. It had a great obstacle course style playground for older kids and a section dedicated to toddlers as well. The girls had a wonderful time playing for an hour or so. And best of all, it’s a totally free public playground. A great way to finish up the beautiful afternoon.

TOKYO, JAPAN - Day 1 - Senso-Ji Temple, Origami Class & TeamLab Planets

After such a huge travel day we had a slower start to the morning. Braino went out to purchase local SIM cards and food for breakfast. Yoghurt, fruit and croissants were an easy solution from the local Family Mart.

We first travelled from where we were staying in Akasaka-Mitsuke to Asakusa via the metro system. Navigating the underground rail system of Tokyo was surprisingly easy with the help of google maps, there are also english translation on all the signage which was extremely helpful.

Senso-Ji Temple, Asakusa

Senso-Ji Temple was only a short walk from Asakusa Station. This huge Buddhist temple complex is devoted to the deity Kannon and is one of the most significant religious sites in Tokyo. At 11am it was extremely crowded, so we only did a quick walk through.  Nakamise-Dori, the long shopping promenade, was full with interesting stalls, filled with souveniers, crafts and an assortment of different foods. It would have been interesting to linger long at some of the stalls but the crowds were intense. It’s free to enter the grounds of the temple and the stunning architecture was an excellent introduction to Japanese culture.

We found a beautiful little playground a few blocks over from Senso-Ji Temple in Hanakawando Park. The girls had a great time climbing on the fort like structure under a beautiful big tree.

Workshop at Taro’s Origami Studio, Asakusa

We had pre-booked an origami workshop in Asakusa at Taro’s Origami Studio so we continued on to find the quaint little studio gallery. I have fond memories of learning origami when I was around the age of 9, so it was really quite special to introduce the girls to origami, the art of paper folding, whilst in Japan. The little gallery is the home to stunning origami creations by the artist Taro and a workshop table for up to six people. The table had six different small iPads with a variety of different instructional videos. Braino helped Rooney while I helped Hallie and we managed to get through five different beginner origami patterns. Our host was fantastic, he spoke english with a North American accent and he often helped Farley, although she was fairly confident on her own.

TeamLabs Planets

Next we headed towards Toyosu, with a quick stop off in Ginza to change trains, as we had pre-booked tickets for TeamLabs Planets. TeamLab Planets is best described as a huge interactive digital art gallery. It has a number of different galleries that use water, lights, mirrors and colours to create a fully immersive sensory experiences.

I had actually experienced a taste of TeamLabs Borderless when it was at the Sydney Powerhouse museum in 2018, but the girls were just babies and toddlers at that point. It’s certainly one of the most talked about things to do in Tokyo and I’m pleased to say that the girls loved it! Our favourite was the dark room with knee deep water that has digitally projected fish swimming around that actually react to the movement of the people walking through. I also loved the colourful room filled with huge spheres. It was pretty busy but I have a feeling that it’s wasn’t as busy as it could be, judging by how long the line barriers were outside. We only had to wait 10 or so minutes to get in but it looked like lines could get much longer.

Despite the crowds it was still an experience that the whole family enjoyed. Honestly, the kids asked to do it again and we almost considered buying tickets for the other TeamLabs ‘Borderless’ experience that is in Tokyo.

REVIEW: Jetstar’s Brisbane to Tokyo Direct Flight.

The first flight of our journey was Brisbane to Tokyo direct and I’m thrilled to report that everything went smoothly.

There were a few reasons we chose Japan as the first destination of our year long trip. Firstly, neither Braino or myself have been to Japan and we its one place that we’ve both wanted explore. We’ve also heard how family friendly it can be.

Secondly, we wanted to start with a direct flight to a destination we’d like to spend sometime in and Jetstar’s direct flights from Brisbane to Narita Airport were very affordable considering it how far from Australia we were traveling.

When we said we were flying with Jetstar many people jokingly cast doubts about whether the flight would actually leave on time, if even at all. But I’m pleased to report that it was only delayed by 30mins. 30 mins, I can handle, ha!

We were also pretty happy that the flight time was during the day. It was scheduled to depart at 9:30am Brisbane time and set to arrive in Japan at 5:40pm. Sure, we had to awake up before sunrise to get to the airport by 6:30am. But the kids got a real kick out of waking up ‘at night time’. 

How did we get to the airport? Thankfully Braino’s parents were able to drive the girls in their car with their car seats, while Braino and I went in an Uber with all the luggage. 

Speaking of luggage, because be booked with the cheapest tickets we only pre-paid for 2 x 20kg checked in bags. Braino and I had large cabin bags that we right on 7kg and then girls each had their individual backpacks that were around 4kg each.  It was a bit of a challenge fitting everything into the two large suitcases, but I really did my research on packing cubes and found some great one that compress down with an extra zipper. I also have a coloured coded system for each of use and it’s made packing very organised.

This Jetstar flight has the least amount of baggage allowance, many our future flights are much more generous but honestly, if it wasn’t for all the kids toys, pens and notebooks, I think I could have been even more ruthlessly minimalistic. We will need the extra space once we get into the colder climates. 

Because we were also going super budget; we did not get the tickets that include inflight entertainment or meals. The entertainment was no problems as we were stocked up on pens, notebooks, colouring books, sticker books and we had downloaded a number of shows and movies from Netflix onto the iPad and our phones. 

The kids were really good about snacks. We ate a big breakfast at the airport and only purchased minimal snacks onboard which were obviously overpriced. We probably should have BYO’d our own snacks but it would have been one more thing to squeeze into the bags. 

Although the girls have all been on domestic flights in Australia, it was when they were all either babies or toddlers so this was technically the first flight they have been on that they can remember, and they all handled it so well. Even on take off and landing. 

Overall we were stoked at how drama free the flight was and how well the girls handled the long travel day. When it come to airlines, I’ve always just happy to be on a plane, going somewhere exciting, no matter how budget the airline is.

Once we got to Narita Airport, we then had to catch a bus into Tokyo, which was about 2 hours. I had pre-purchased the tickets and while it was very fairly straight forward to find the bus at Terminal 3, the same Terminal we arrived at, this was were exhaustion really started to kick in. The kids had been great on the flight but the bus trip was a bit of a test of our patience. We had considering booking a night at a hotel near Narita Airport, so we could go straight there once the flight arrived but it would have cut into our sightseeing time the next day, so overall I’m glad we did push through and head straight in to our accommodation in Akasaka, Tokyo.

Where To Start: How to Begin Planning Your Family's Epic Gap Year

Embarking on our family gap year is quite literally a dream come true. But it has come with a lot of planning and research. I happen to love these two things and I’ve been thrilled by how much Michael has got involved in the planning process, it’s been a really fun, collaborative process.

The thought of deciding where to go, what to see and how to connect the dots would no doubt seems like a daunting task so in this post I’ll break down some of our decision making process and a few things to consider, if you were to plan your own extended family adventure.

Begin your global journey by envisioning the countries, regions, or landscapes that resonate with your travel dreams. Whether it's the allure of sun-soaked beaches, high altitude alpine adventures or the exploration of diverse cultures and languages, create a comprehensive bucket list that reflects your passions and interests.

We also factored in specific places and experiences that our daughters have a strong interest in, for example one has a fascination with Big Ben in London and bullet trains in Japan, while another daughter loves animals and has along list of animals she would like to see. 

Once your dream destinations and experiences are on paper, the next step is to dive into practical considerations. Investigate the duration of tourist visas for each country on your list. Understand the exchange rates to gauge the purchasing power of your Australian Dollar or your base currency. Factor in the climate; figure out when the weather is most favourable and if any particular season aligns with your preferences or activities.

Furthermore, it’s important to consider the concept of peak season, shoulder season and off-seasons. While peak times may offer ideal weather, they often come with inflated prices and bustling crowds. In contrast, off-seasons may be more budget-friendly but could limit certain activities and tours.

Our strategy involves a shoulder season visit to Greece in October, striking a balance between cost savings and the continued operation of transport around the islands . Conversely, for Ireland, we've opted for the peak summer months, accepting the higher costs for the warmest weather.

With these key considerations in mind, dive into researching the costs associated with each destination. This step will help in crafting a realistic budget, aligning with your travel duration in each location. Also, this knowledge becomes the foundation for mapping out an efficient route, both in terms of international flights and inner-country travel. 

I will go into some aspects in more details in further posts, like planning flights, booking accommodation and creating country specific itineraries. However, below are a few handy websites I’ve used along to way to piece together the overall itinerary for our gap year. 

Flight Connections

This websites allows you to see what direct flights fly in and out of any airport in the world. The free version has been fine for what I’ve needed so far. 

https://www.flightconnections.com/

Numbeo 

Numbeo is a good starting point to compare the costs of two countries, for example Australian vs Italy. This can give you an idea of how much to budget for each destination. 

https://www.numbeo.com/

Best Time to Visit

This website is a very handy way to search the best time to visit a specific country or region or you can search the time of year and your desired holiday style. For example - a beach holiday in August 

https://www.thebesttimetovisit.com/

Lonely Planet

I’ve been a huge fan of Lonely Planet since I first came across my Dad’s Lonely Planet guide to Nepal. Their website offers very easy to digest information on every country you could possibly image and I often used this when researching the travel seasons for each country we were interested in. 

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/

Passport Index

This website allows you to select your passport and then see the visa requirements of other countries around the world.

https://www.passportindex.org/

Below is a rough table I made to help visualise the best itinerary for the year. You can see I’ve made notes for each country and each month in that country, then I colour coded it; green was the optimal time to go, generally the shoulder seasons; yellow was the ok time to ok, generally the high seasons and red indicated the time period to avoid, generally when the weather was not ideal. I’m a very visual person and this really helped in mapping out our route, it was easy to create in word / google docs.

Mapping Our Journey: A Look Into Our Adventures Ahead.

So where are we going exactly? What’s the itinerary, you might ask?

Well, we have been chipping away at our master itinerary for the last couples of months. It’s fairly structured but there are still a lot of gaps to fill in at this stage. Here’s the basic run down:

May / June 2024 - Japan (3 weeks), Singapore (4 days) London (6 days)

June / July / August 2024 - Ireland

August / September 2024 - Spain / Italy / maybe Morocco

October 2024 - Greece / Slovenia / Austria / Germany / France

November 2024 - Scotland / England

December 2024 - Denmark / Norway, maybe Sweden

This is what we’ve been focusing on over the last couple of months; booking flights and accommodation. We have certain sections of this itinerary booked in but other parts are still just a rough idea at this stage.

If everything goes to plan; our budget holds up and we’re all still enjoying our nomadic lifestyle, we then plan to spend the first half of 2025 in Central America, primarily around the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. And maybe even a bit of South East Asia before coming home to Australia.

Our goal is to be away for a full whole year, from May 2024 - May 2025 but we will see how things unfold beyond our initial European & United Kingdom part of the journey.

Adventure Awaits: An Introduction to Our Family Gap Year

It’s finally ticked over in to 2024 and what has seemed like a distant dream is fast becoming a reality.

We have less than 6 months before we depart on what will no doubt be a trip of a lifetime.

Something that I’ve been dreaming about for many many years, and something that we have been actively planning over the last 6 months. Now that we’re on the other side of Christmas and into the new year the countdown for trip is officially on and it’s beginning to feel so real.

The trip in question is our year-long, around-the-world, family gap year. Sounds huge hey?! I almost can’t believe it myself. Who does this kind of thing!? But now as a I write this blog post I can feel my emotions changing. It’s strange because I’ve almost not let myself get excited about it. But I can feel something inside shifting, a sense of genuine excitement that has been buried deep.

Over the holiday period we finally told all of our family and friends and the responses have ranged from pure excitement for us, to genuine bewilderment and maybe a few hints of scepticism and jealously, which is only natural I guess. It’s not everyday that you hear of a family packing up their lives to go traveling for a year, let alone know people who do it.

This is what has finally prompted me to finally start blogging / journalling / documenting the whole process. I’ve been putting it off for a while now but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do; document and sharing my travels.

I’m sure this blog will change and evolve over the year to come but this is just me making a start.