Showing posts with label Osaka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Osaka. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Osaka/Nara/Kyoto : Japan Kansai-Kanazawa-Kinosaki Drive - Part 1


2 Autumns ago we decided to bring J to Japan for one good holiday before he starts primary 1. Our HK friends joined us for this trip as they always wanted to travel around Japan with us as we speak Japanese and can order nicer food and bring them around with more ease.

The plan was to meet up in Osaka, pick-up the car and then make a quick stop in Nara before checking-in to Kyoto. From there we will travel to Hida-Takayama, Shirakawago, Kanazawa, Kinosaki, finally a quick detour to Takeda Castle before returning the car in Osaka. The total distance traveled for this trip was at least 1,000km.



Day 1
We took the afternoon SQ flight to Osaka-Kansai as Grandma is with us on this trip so we want to take it as easy as possible. By the time we reached Kansai Airport, it was already 9pm. By the time we reached Namba it was already past 10pm. Our HK friends met us at the station and walked with us back to the hotel. Along the way I grabbed a few snacks from Dotonbori before the stalls closed for the night~

Gyoza to fill the tummy~

What's Osaka without takoyaki?

Dotonbori late at night~
This trip we stayed at Ibis Style Osaka. it's around 15 minutes from Namba Station and located near enough to all the action @ Dotonbori.



Day 2
Early next morning we had breakfast at the hotel, and the restaurant for the hotel was on the top floor of the building and it was a glorious morning~ The buffet spread was decent enough for a business hotel but the queue can be pretty long!



Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Japan-Kansai Trip 2016 - Day 5-7

After our stay at Arima Onsen, we traveled by bus to Osaka~


Shinsaibashi - sushi, fun, fashion, all in one fabulous stretch~







The following day we made our way down to Universal Studios Japan. Managed to take a picture of the Harry Potter school.... wasn't willing to spend time to queue up for the ride~




Had so much beef over the 2 days in Osaka. Yakiniku for the 1st night and a Beef Tongue specialty shop for the 2nd night.

All in all, a wonderful trip. I thought it was also lucky that we forgot the international driving license because that allowed us to bond over the public transport.

J was fantastic as he bravely roughed it out with us and hardly complained until we really walked too much all over Kyoto in one day. He keep surprising me. Always thought he's a homely boy but when we need him to be physically tough, he tough it out with us~

Posts from this trip:

Friday, January 15, 2016

Kansai Drive 2016!


Photo of a deer in Nara taken from my last trip back in 2013

Air tickets booked...
Hotel reservations done...
Rental car voucher obtained...

I think we are ready for a holiday to Kansai region soon~ My first trip back to the region after my last visit in 2013 to Kyoto, Osaka and Nara. This time round we hope to do a drive around the region and hopefully cover places we've never been to before.

Day 1 - Shirahama
Day 2 - Nara
Day 3 - Kyoto
Day 4 - Arima Onsen
Day 5 - Osaka
Day 6 - USJ

A bit of onsen on days 1 and 4, a bit of sight-seeing on days 2 and 3, a bit of fun and shopping on days 5 and 6. I think the balance is pretty good and I hope I can show little J some of the magnificent sights on offer~ I've found some interesting links below which should help me plan the detail itinerary...

Takeda Castle Ruins
http://www.city.asago.hyogo.jp/0000001275.html

Driving Guide to Osaka
http://car-me.jp/articles/3035

Driving Guide to Kansai
http://car-me.jp/articles/3287

Any suggestions will be much appreciated~