Inside Nijo-jo Castle

Last trip we spent the longest amount of time here and we are doing the same again this time with a total of 6 nights. Kyoto is a great base in the Kansai region, as you can do some great day trips from there. Osaka is a quick 30mins on the JR Line, 90 mins to Nara, and another 90 mins on the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Hiroshima.

If Tokyo is the modern-in-your-face bustling city, Kyoto is her calm and relaxed sister! I honestly love Kyoto and its more relaxed atmosphere. Don’t get me wrong, Tokyo is super fun! But sometimes you just need a break from being in the fast lane!

Kyoto is full to the brim with beautiful Temples and Shrines, two of my favourites are the:

Of course, you can’t go to Kyoto without heading to Gion and trying your luck at spotting some Geisha or Maiko (trainee geisha). We didn’t get a glimpse of one, however we went out to dinner to a very very nice (and expensive) restaurant for my birthday, and we ran into a Geisha as we were leaving, and she was very kind to let us take a photo.

It was my birthday while we were in Kyoto, and my boyfriend James organised for us to do a Japanese cooking class! I am so glad he thought to surprise me with it, as he know how much I love to cook! It was a Bento Box themed class, and we made 4 dishes (Teriyaki Chicken, Tempura, Spinach with Sesame Dressing and some rolled Sushi) which you can see below. You then get to enjoy them after slaving away in the kitchen all morning!




So there you have a very small snippet of my trip last year! I was actually pretty slack with taking photos, but this year, I am going to step it up, and come back with a updated post later on!!

Let me know if you enjoyed this photo diary and if you would like to see more from my last trip or my upcoming trip!

I fly out next Thursday, and if you would like to see what I get unto whilst I am over there, don't forget to add me on Snapchat (@loadsoflifestyl)