day trip – Page 2 – The Wknd Travel

YEHLIU-JIUFEN-SHIFEN Klook Tour – Perfect & Hassle-Free Taiwan Northeast Coast Day Tour

Note: This post is not in any way sponsored by Klook. This is a narrative & a review of the day tour we took with Klook during our Taiwan trip last June 2019. Just like any other group, we paid the full day tour fee through Klook’s website.

Yesterday, I shared with you details about Uinn Travel Hostel, the modern & excellent hostel we stayed in Taipei last June. My family went on a 4-day weekend trip to Taiwan last June. We flew with EVA Air for an affordable price & even went on a day trip to Taichung. Watch out for the post that will lay out our chill itinerary around the city.

It was a sunny day; a perfect weather to explore Yehliu Geopark, the Northeast Coast of Taiwan. 🙂

One of the famous day trips outside of Taipei is a trip to the Northeast Coast of Taiwan. This trip goes to the known places of Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen & Shifen. I already went to Shifen & Jiufen in 2015 (via a do-it-yourself itinerary) & in 2017 on a half day trip with Klook. We opted to go with Klook again this year since we were travelling with our parents & our baby cousin.

I will share with you details about the day tour – its price & inclusions, meeting place & boarding procedure & the itinerary for the whole trip in the different sections below.

Day Tour Price & Booking

We booked the day tour via Klook‘s website. We opted for the 9:00 am tour. The tour included a shuttle bus with driver, shuttle toll & parking fees, an English-speaking tour guide & a bottle of water. At the time of booking, it cost us ₱8,786 for 8 people & 1 infant – around ₱1,100 per person. The rate also included the entry ticket to Yehliu Geopark.

At the time of writing, Klook offers the tour at a cheaper rate of ₱975, including the Geopark entry ticket. No idea why it’s cheaper than our trip – maybe because it was peak season during? Anyway, there’s no need to print the Klook voucher; you can present it using your phone on the day of the tour.

This is Klook’s day tour rate at the time of writing this blog post – 8 September 2019 at 5:00 PM.

Tip: Full names, birthdays & passport details are required while booking the tour.

Meeting Place & Boarding

Klook’s designated meeting & boarding place is in front of GaKuDen Bakery near Exit 4 of Ximen Station. The meeting place is very easy to find; you’ll also see a lot of other people (many of them are Filipinos) waiting for the buses.

On the day of the tour, we went to the designated meeting place at least 30 minutes before our scheduled trip. Our trip is due to leave at 9:00 am but we were already there at 8:30 am. Our tour guide (Hillary) called the groups one by one, asked for a copy of the Klook voucher (showed the voucher in my phone) & let us board the bus. Upon leaving the meeting place, she handed everyone a water bottle & started talking about Taiwan, Taipei & our destinations – Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen & Shifen.

itinerary

Allow me to share with your our itinerary for the day tour. I will give you information about every stop & how long we stayed in every place. The trip to the 1st stop (Yehliu Geopark) took about an hour while the trip back to Taipei took about 1 hour & 20 minutes because of traffic in the city.

YEHLIU GEOPARK

Yehliu Geopark is a natural park consisting of interesting sedimentary rock figures formed through geological forces of sea erosion on softer rock layers. The most famous rock formations found here is the Queens Head. There are a lot more interesting formations found around the Geopark. We stayed around the park for 70 minutes.

The famous Queen’s Head rock formation in Yehliu Geopark; I took the photo from another angle.

YIN YANG SEA

The Yin Yang Sea is the dual-colored part of the northern coast of Taiwan. The blue-colored sea is mixed with the yellow-colored water coming from the old mine sites. The Yin Yang Sea viewing platform & 13 Layer Remains were located in the same area. We spent around 10 minutes in these 2 areas.

13 LAYER REMAINS

The 13 Layer Remains is a former smelter plant that used to process metal from the mountains. The plant was run by the state from the 1940’s & for about 30 years. The plant shut down operations when the metal resources ran out in the 1970’s.

GOLDEN WATERFALL

The Golden Waterfall doesn’t have true golds in it. Its ‘golden’ color is a mixture of regular rainfall in the mine sit & the rich metal elements in the riverbed. We stayed in the waterfall area for only 5 minutes.

JIUFEN

Jiufen used to be a small village of nine families. With the development of the gold mine industry in Taiwan, this village eventually became a town & housed those involved in the gold mining activities. At present, this village is a famous weekend holiday destination for both locals & visitors. The village features old Taiwanese & Chinese architecture & vibe. It also has numerous tea houses, cafes & souvenir shops. In 2001, the place became more famous because of the Japanese film Spirited Away. We stayed in Jiufen for 2 hours; we also had our lunch here.

SHIFEN WATERFALL

Shifen Waterfall is a scenic waterfall found 30 minutes away (by foot) from Shifen Station. This natural & beautiful body of water is regarded as one of the most scenic places in Taiwan. It is definitely worth the visit & more worth the walk towards the viewing platform in front of the falls. We went around the waterfall area for about an hour.

SHIFEN OLD STREET

Shifen Old Street is the famous place to fly the sky lanterns in Taiwan. This place also houses the Shifen Railway Station, which was initially used to transport coal during the Japanese invasion. The station is still used for scheduled train services to Riufang & nearby towns. The old street now is full of souvenir shops & food stalls that cater to the tourists & visitors. We experienced a pretty heavy rainfall whilst in Shifen; we were not able to fly a sky lantern. We opted for a walk around the shops & had some snacks in between. We still stayed here for an hour even if it was raining really hard.

After Shifen Old Street, we boarded the shuttle & took the trip back to Taipei. We were dropped off at the same meeting place – in front of GaKuDen Bakeryin Ximen. This pretty much sums up our Klook 9-hour day tour to Yehliu, Jiufen & Shifen.

VERDICT

Klook’s day tour was worth every peso – it made the 3 places accessible. I already tried using public transportation to Shifen & Jiufen in the past & I can definitely say that this day tour was super convenient & hassle-free. The addition of Hillary, our tour guide, was a plus. She shared a lot of facts & information about Taiwan’s history & culture. She also helped us book our place for lunch in Jiufen.

Shifen Waterfall – one of the highlights of the day tour. It was worth the walk to the view deck! 🙂

The order of itinerary & allotted times for all places were enough except for Jiufen. I wish we stayed longer in Jiufen because there’s a lot more to see, do & eat in the area. I don’t mind taking an extra hour in Jiufen, just to have more time to explore the place. The heavy rainfall definitely spoiled our excitement in flying a sky lantern, but it was all good. Believe it or not, I’ve been to Taiwan 3 times & I haven’t flown a single sky lantern. Perhaps another reason to fly back in the future? We’ll see.

Wish we had more time in Jiufen – I’d love to check all the shops & food stalls along the old street.

Overall, we enjoyed how relaxed & convenient this tour was planned. Thanks heaps to Klook & the tour operator for the fun, enriching & worthwhile day trip to Yehliu, Juifen & Shifen. I highly recommend this day trip by Klook to everyone – you no longer need to plan out how to go to this place & on what train or bus to catch. Klook has everything set for you!

The Golden Waterfall – glad to finally see this one after missing it during my previous two visits 🙂

What are you waiting for? Book your Yehliu-Jiufen-Shifen Day Tour with Klook now!

Have you been to Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen & Shifen? Which was your favorite place & why? Have you also booked your day trip with Klook? How was your experience? Feel free to share them in the comments section below & let’s engage in a discussion. Do you have any questions about the day tour of the places we visited? You can email me at contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

N9 In Straya Series: PHILLIP ISLAND – A Perfect Day Out With Nature & Australian Wildlife

Last Sunday, I shared with you the details of our day trip to the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. It is considered the world’s largest war memorial dedicated to the fallen soldiers of World War I; at the same time it is one of the most famous day tours outside Melbourne.

I mentioned in my Great Ocean Road post that we took a number of day tours outside Melbourne during our 8-day visit. Today, I’ll share with you the whereabouts of the 2nd day trip – a day around Phillip Island.

Before I go into details, feel free to check out the other Melbourne posts I had – the stroll around the city’s parks, gardens & heritage sites, the walkathon around the hipster lane ways & communal spaces & the visit to the famous Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes. I also shared with you some information about Flinders Backpackers – the hostel where we stayed in Melbourne. I have a few more posts coming up after this so watch out!

Phillip Island

Phillip Island is a small Australian island located about 140+ kilometers southeast of Melbourne in Victoria. The island’s name came from Arthur Phillip, the 1st governor of New South Wales & was given by explorer George Bass. The island is connected by a concrete bridge from San Remo (from the main island) & Newhaven (the 1st suburb in the island). Phillip Island is a favorite summer destination of the locals because of its beautiful beaches & untouched nature. The island is also famous for tourists who want to have a glimpse of Australian wildlife & more importantly, to see wild kangaroos & penguins.

Day Tour Booking

Just like our Great Ocean Road tour, my friends & I booked our Phillip Island Tour with Sightseeing Australia. I totally forgot the name of the tour agency we were endorsed to but I’m sure that the agency is a member of the Get Lost Travel Group.

We got the day tour for AUD 115 per person. It includes a ride to & from Phillip Island from designated pick-up & drop-off points, morning snack, entrance to Maru Koala & Animal Park, wildlife viewing, a regular ticket for the Penguin Parade & a friendly & informative bus driver / tour guide. Lunch meals were not included. The tour guide handed our discount passes for the lunch at Maru Kitchen.

Planning to get an Australian tourist visa soon? I’ve summarized the visa application process into 6 steps. Check out the post here.

Itinerary

Let me share with you our itinerary for this day around Phillip Island. The tour bus picked us up in front of St Paul’s Cathedral, corner of Swanston St & Flinders St at 9:55 am & dropped us off at around 9:00 pm. The drive to & from the Phillip Island took about 1.5 hours per way.

MORNING TEA @ TOORADIN

Our 1st stop was for morning tea in an open space / park in Tooradin. The guide prepared cookies, coffee & tea for all guests. It was also the time when we officially met the people we are with for the day. It was probably the most diverse tour group I had so far – we basically had people from all over the world.

MARU KOALA & ANIMAL PARK

We headed to Maru Koala & Animal Park after morning tea. Our tour guide paid for our entrance fee (already included in the overall tour fee) & arranged a small talk about the koalas. My friends had a photo with the koala for an additional fee. I didn’t bother to have one because I already had a photo with a koala during my 2018 Brisbane visit. My friends & I went around the mini zoo & played with the kangaroos & other Australian native animals.

LUNCH @ MARU KITCHEN

We had our lunch in Maru Kitchen, Maru Koala & Animal Park’s in-house restaurant. We opted for 2 meat platters & oh boy, the servings were large. We used the discount voucher given to us by our tour guide. My friends & I were not able to finish everything so we decided to bring them for the rest of the day trip.

CAPE WOOLAMAI

After lunch, we headed to Cape Woolamai & walked barefoot along the beautiful coast of Bass Strait. Cape Woolamai’s golden beach is one of Melbourne’s most famous surfing spots. The weather during our visit was perfect – it was sunny with a bit of clouds & it was perfect for the photos.

PHILLIP ISLAND RACING CIRCUIT

The driver also took us outside Phillip Island Racing Circuit. The circuit is primarily used for racing events in the island. We were lucky to see & hear race cars running around the track during our short visit.

SWAN LAKE

We also went to Swan Lake, the only freshwater lake in Phillip Island. The lake has a 1.3 km walking trail that will take about 30 minutes walk. This place is perfect for bird watching. The lake was a little dry during our visit, resulting in just a few species present.

NOBBIES OCEAN DISCOVERY CENTRE

The Nobbies Centre is an ecotourism centre in Point Grand famous for its wooden boardwalks. These boardwalks provide an amazing view of rock formations in the Phillip Island’s coast. This place is also famous for fur seals, which didn’t show up during our visit. The centre has an on site cafe & a paid attraction called Antartic Journey.

PENGUIN PARADE

The last stop & the highlight of this day trip was the visit to the Summerland Beach for the Penguin Parade. A regular ticket to the parade was given to us by our tour guide & we immediately went to the viewing area & waited for the penguins. Guests who want a closer look at the parade have the option to pay for the Penguin Plus package where they will have a special viewing deck for the parade.

After sunset, the little penguins started to go back to their natural habitats from a day of fishing. They came back in groups & they were so cute. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed during the parade. Yes, I enjoyed the penguin parade but not much the waiting time.

After the penguin parade, we headed back to our tour bus & took the trip back to the city. Overall, the tour was alright. Personally, I liked our visit to the Maru Koala & Animal Park, the unexpected barefoot stroll along Cape Woolamai Beach & the penguin parade. It was a perfect day out with nature & wildlife!

One last look at Cape Woolamai’s golden beach.. What a view from the view deck. STUNNING! 🙂

Have you been to Phillip Island in the past? How was your trip? Which was your favorite spot? Keen on going to Phillip Island in the future? I’m interested to see how is it during winter. Do you have any questions about the day tour? Feel free to comment them below. If you want to remain anonymous to everyone, feel free to send your questions via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll answer as soon as possible. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you very much for spending time here today. See you in the next post! 🙂

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

N9 in Straya Series: GREAT OCEAN ROAD – A Day Trip To The World’s Largest War Memorial

Over the last few weeks, I started sharing with you some details about our Melbourne, Australia Trip last April 2019. I’ve posted about the parks, gardens & heritage sites we visited, the hipster laneways, communal spaces & modern areas we walked through & the famous bathing boxes we went to. I also gave you some insights about Flinders Backpackers Melbourne, the extremely popular & affordable accommodation we booked for 7 nights while in the city. Today, I will share with you 1 of the 3 day trips we took during our trip – that is the Great Ocean Road Tour.

The Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is a 243-kilometer road along the southeastern cost of the Victorian State. This long road stretch was built from 1919-1932 by the returning soldiers for those killed during the World War I. This road is listed in the Australian National Heritage & is also the world’s largest war memorial. Today, the Great Ocean Road is one of Melbourne’s most famous day trips outside the city.

Day Tour Booking

We booked our 1 day Great Ocean Road & Twelve Apostles Tour with Sightseeing Australia. It’s the same agency where we booked our Hunter Valley Wine Tour in Sydney last year. The agency then endorsed us to another tour company called Wildlife Tours Australia.

The day tour cost us AUD 105 per person. It includes all pick-up & drop off at selected places, morning snack, park entrance fees, wildlife viewing & a friendly & informative bus driver / tour guide. Lunch meals were not included.

Itinerary

Allow me to share with you our day trip itinerary. The tour bus picked us up (you can choose your pick-up station upon booking) at St Paul’s Cathedral, corner of Swanston St & Flinders St at 7:15 in the morning & dropped us off at around 8:00 in the evening. The tour usually lasts 12 hours; may even take longer depending on traffic.

MORNING TEA

We drove for a few hours away from the Melbourne CBD & stopped in a park / public open space for 30 minutes & had morning tea. Our driver / guide brought us some cookies, coffee & tea for snacks.

GREAT OCEAN ROAD MEMORIAL ARCH

We continued the journey & stopped at the Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch. This arch marked the original start of the 243-kilometer war memorial. We stopped here photos.

EASTERN VIEW BEACH

A few meters from the memorial arch is a pristine beach in Eastern View, Victoria. We took some time to walk around the nice beach & got some amazing photos.

WYE RIVER COASTAL RESERVE

We went on for about 30 minutes until we reached the Wye River Coastal Reserve. It is a reserve where we saw wild koalas. The reserve had a caravan park in it & the Great Ocean Road beach was just at the other side of the road. We also stopped by a lookout which gave stunning views of the Victorian coast.

APOLLO BAY LUNCH

Next stop, lunch! We headed to the coastal town of Apollo Bay to have lunch for 45 minutes. We went into this local restaurant & ordered food. I got the Aussie staple food – fish & chips! The meal prices were higher than the usual, maybe because it is a popular stopover area.

OTWAY RANGES RAIN FOREST

After lunch, we went away from the coast & headed to the Otway Ranges Rain Forest, still on the Great Ocean Road. We took a guided walk through the rain forest, among the ancient Eucalyptus trees & cool forest scenery.

TWELVE APOSTLES

From the rain forest, we drove for an hour to reach Port Campbell National Park, also known as the Twelve Apostles. It is Melbourne’s & one of Australia’s most famous landmarks. The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore. These landmarks were formed by erosion & natural occurrences. If I remember it right, only 7 or 8 of the original 12 can be seen from the view deck. This part of the tour was the highlight of this day trip. Too bad the skies were not clear during our visit. Nonetheless, the views from the boardwalks were stunning.

LOCH ARD GEORGE

Loch Ard George is located a few minutes away from the Twelve Apostles. This place is famous of its beautiful limestone cliffs as well as the famous shipwreck site of Loch Ard.

GIBSON STEPS

The final stop of this Great Ocean Road day tour was a brief stop at the Gibson Steps. We were given a few minutes to go down & have a final walk at the Great Ocean Road beach.

From there, we started our trip back to Melbourne. It took us about 3 hours before we reached our final stop, St Paul’s Cathedral. Overall, it was a long but a great day tour. The views were stunning & one-of-a-kind. It’s a unique place to visit in Melbourne & in Australia, something one should not miss when visiting the city / state. I recommend taking a tour through this agency because doing it your own could be too tiring. I won’t mind doing it again in case I fly back to Melbourne.

(L-R) Me, Leng, Shane & Lord at Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell, VIC. Photo courtesy of Shane.

Have you been to the Great Ocean Road? Which was your favorite spot? Was the weather nice & clear during your visit to the Twelve Apostles? I hope the weather will be perfect in my next visit as I’m surely going to be back. Share your experiences in the comment section below. Do you have any questions about the Great Ocean Road or Melbourne in general? Feel free to post them below or e-mail them to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll answer as soon as possible. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Before I forget, I want to let you know that it’s been a year since I first went to Australia with my friends. We explored Sydney for a few days & I flew to Brisbane for 3 days to spend some time with my relatives. Check out the Sydney & Brisbane blog list below to know more about my Australia previous trip.

Tuesday Tip: 6 Steps On How To Apply For An Australian Tourist Visa
N9 In Straya Series: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 1 – Heritage Sites Within The City
N9 In Straya Series: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 2 – City Icons, Alleys & Harbours
N9 In Straya Series – BONDI BEACH & COOGEE BEACH – A Short Trip To Two of Sydney’s Suburban Beaches + BOUNCE SYDNEY HOSTEL Tribute
N9 In Straya Series: HUNTER VALLEY Day Tour – Australian Wine Tasting At Its Finest
N9 In Straya Series: SCENIC WORLD BLUE MOUNTAINS – Nature & Adventure In One Place
N9 In Straya Series: BRISBANE Weekend – Quality Family Time In QLD
Hostel Of The Day: THE POD SYDNEY – Minimalist & Contemporary Hostel In The Middle Of A Busy City

Thanks for joining me today.. Until the next Melbourne post! ✌️

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

N9 In Straya Series: BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES – Iconic & Photogenic Bathing Boxes Found In A Coastal Melbourne Suburb

Over the last few weeks, I shared with you some details of our walk-a-thon around the City of Melbourne. I talked about the places we’ve been to in the city, mostly parks & gardens, heritage sites, hipster laneways & communal spaces. Melbourne is such a walk-able city – most of the places to visit can be reached by foot. I mentioned in one of my previous posts that my friends & I also went on day trips outside the city to see what the Victorian state has to offer.

One of the day trips, or should I stay half day trips, we took is a morning at the Brighton Bathing Boxes site. The iconic Brighton Bathing Boxes are located in Dendy Street Beach in Brighton, Victoria. These boxes played an important role in the seaside bathing culture in Melbourne in the 1900’s. Out of the thousands of bathing boxes present in the costs, only 82 of them remain. All these 82 bathing boxes are found at the Dendy Street Beach. Up to now, these boxes are licensed by the local government council as bathing boxes; although some of them are no longer functional.

The Brighton Bathing Boxes have become a popular tourist attraction outside Melbourne. Visitors flock to this site to see & have a photo with the colorful & uniquely-designed boxes. These boxes sport the intricate Victorian architecture with its original wooden materials. A photo with the bathing boxes is perfect for your next Instagram post or your Facebook profile photo. This place may be out of the way, but it’s definitely worth the visit.

Planning to visit Australia soon? Getting a tourist visa is easy as 6 steps. Check out my post on how you can get your visa to Australia.

Access

Going to the Brighton Bathing Boxes is very easy. From Flinders Street Station, take the Sandringham Line to Sandringham. Get off at Middle Brighton Station & walk for about 15 minutes to Dendy Street Beach. The boxes are located on this beach. Take note that the nearest station to the bathing boxes is Middle Brighton Station & not Brighton Station.

The Sandringham Line was under repair / redevelopment during our visit. Public Transport Victoria provided free bus rides to Sandringham from the Parliament Station. These buses stop at every station on the Sandringham Line. We rode these free buses to Brighton & back to the city. It also helped us save some cash. Make sure to check the Public Transport Victoria website for service interruptions / maintenance.

Looking for a place to stay in Melbourne? Check out Flinders Backpackers. This hostel is affordable & has a great vibe. Know more details about the hostel by clicking this link.

Brighton Bathing Boxes

The 82 Brighton Bathing Boxes are positioned as one line on Dendy Street Beach. Visitors have 82 boxes to choose from for their best photo. We went there around 10-11 in the morning on a public holiday & oh boy, there were a lot of people. There were only a number of people swimming in the beach due to the relatively cold but sunny weather.

Brighton Beach

My friends & I decided to check out Brighton Beach since we were already in the area. Brighton Beach is about 15-20 minutes walk (about 1.2 kilometers) away from the bathing boxes site on Dendy Street Beach. Brighton Beach was quiet compared to the bathing boxes site. There were close to no one swimming because of the cold winds. We took the ride back to the city from Brighton Station.

This sums up our brief morning visit to Brighton & the Bathing Boxes site. Is this place worth going? Definitely. Will I visit the place again when I fly back to Melbourne? I don’t know. Seeing the boxes for the first time is great & that’s it. There’s nothing else to see in the area.

Have you been to the Brighton Bathing Boxes? What is your favorite bathing box? Were there a lot of people during your visit? Share your experiences & trips in the comment section below & let’s engage in a discussion. Do you have any questions about Melbourne & Brighton in general? You can also post them in the comments below or send it to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for taking your time to read my post. Watch out for my upcoming stories about our Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island & Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tours. It should be posted on this website soon!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Going Solo in Japan Series: NARA & KOBE

A week ago, I posted a blog about my stay in Kyoto & Osaka. I mentioned in my post that I went to Nara & Kobe for 2 separate day trips. These 2 cities, plus Himeji, are usually visited by tourists taking day tours from Osaka.

I was with my friend, Rona when I went to Nara while I was all by myself when I walked around Kobe. Let me discuss below how both day trips went.

With Rona on the way to Nara

NARA

The last time I went to Osaka, I didn’t have enough time to visit Nara. I felt bad I haven’t interacted with the roaming deer in Nara Park. I promised to myself that when I go back to Osaka, Nara will be number 1 in my list. And so it happened…

1, 2, 3, say Nara! 📷

Disclaimer: We did not spend the entire day in Nara. We had to go back to Osaka because Rona needs to get her bags for Tokyo plus we already have tickets for the Umeda Sky Building Floating Observatory.

How we went to Nara

Using our IC cards, Rona & I took the Midōsuji Line from Shinsaibashi Station (nearest station to our hostel) to Tennoji Station. From the red subway line, we transferred to the JR Yamatoji Line to Nara. This line to Nara starts in JR Tennoji Station so you can choose your seats inside the train.

One random walkway somewhere in Nara Park 😍 🍂

Journey takes around an hour & you pay ¥790 per way (¥230 from Shinsaibashi Station to Tennoji Station & ¥560 from Tennoji Station to JR Nara Station). An alternative route to Nara would be through the Kintetsu Nara Line from Osaka Namba Station. IC cards can also be used in this train line.

What to see in Nara

Upon arrival at Nara Station, Rona & I immediately went to the tourist information center to get maps & coffee. The walking adventure begins…

Tip: The best way to explore Nara is by foot. Yes, most sites are walkable from the main train stations.

Sanjo-Dori Street

Sanjo-Dori Street is the long, busy street that you take going to the temples & the deer park (if you are coming from JR Nara Station). It is full of restaurants, cafes, hotels & local souvenir shops. You will find almost everything you need on this street. The street has a very wide sidewalk which makes it very safe for everyone to walk.

Jokyoji Temple

Jokyoji Temple – too bad it was closed when we passed by

Jokyoji Temple – we saw this small Buddhist Temple while on our way to Kōfuku-ji. The temple had beautiful flower displays near its gate. Too bad it was closed when we dropped by.

Kōfuku-ji

Kōfuku-ji is one of the ‘Big 3’ must see temples of Nara. It was once part of the powerful 7 Great Temples in Nara. There are a number of buildings & structures around the temple grounds, but the notable ones are the following: the 5-level pagoda (one of the tallest pagodas in Japan), the National Treasure Museum & the Eastern & Central Golden Halls.

Kōfuku-ji’s Eastern Golden Hall & the 5-level pagoda

Note: The Central Golden Hall is undergoing a major renovation. It is expected to be completed sometime in 2018.

Tōdai-ji

Tōdai-ji is Nara’s iconic & most famous Buddhist temple. The temple is also part of the 7 Great Temples of Nara. Its main hall houses the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue.

Entrance to Tōdai-ji Temple via the Nandaimon Gate

You know you are already inside the Tōdai-ji Temple grounds when you pass by the large wooden gate structure called Nandaimon Gate. Don’t forget to make friends with the tame deer roaming around the temple grounds.

Nara Park

Nara Park is the end point of the Sanjo-Dori Street if you are coming from the JR Nara Station. This park is home of the hundreds of freely roaming deer. This animal is considered sacred in Shinto religion.

The deer sittin’ like a boss 🦌

One funny thing you’ll notice is each deer knows how to bow. That also means they’re asking for food (you can buy deer crackers for ¥150 in the nearby shops). The interaction with the deer was the highlight of that day. I was also impressed that these deer know how to pose for a photo.

The autumn colors of Nara Park 😍 🍂

Aside from the deer, the park also offered beautiful autumn views. I wonder how it looks like during spring; could also be lovely. There were other halls & places to visit around the park like the Kasuga-Taisha & the Nara National Museum, but we had to rush back to Osaka. We also missed visiting Hōryū-ji (the temple to complete Nara’s Big 3 Temples) in Ikaruga. This gives me a reason to go back in the future & explore more.

What a view from Nara Park! 😍 🍂

KOBE

It was my last day in Osaka. At 9:30 pm on that same day, I will board a night bus to my last destination in Japan, Fukuoka. It was around 7:30 in the morning, I was contemplating on whether I should just stay & walk around Osaka for the last time or I go for another day trip to either Kobe or Himeji.

I didn’t want to waste another day lying in my bed or walking around Shinsaibashi, Dōtonbori & Osaka (this happened the day before – I was really lazy that day!) so I decided to go for a day trip. Himeji was a bit far from Kobe so I went for the latter.

How I went to Kobe

Random beautiful park in Kobe 🍂

Since I only have an IC card (and not the JR Pass), the only station I can arrive in Kobe is Kobe-sannomiya Station. JR Pass holders usually get off at Shin-Kōbe station. The 2 stations are about 2 kilometers away from each other. Later I found out, getting off at Kobe-sannomiya Station was actually a better idea because everything was near the area.

From Shinsaibashi Station, I took the Midōsuji Line to Umeda Station (¥230) then transferred to Hankyu-Kobe Line to Hankyu Kobe-sannomiya Station (¥320). You can also board the Hanshin Line to Hansin Kobe-sannomiya Station for the same price of ¥320. Journey from Umeda to Kobe is roughly 40 minutes.

What to see & do in Kobe

I went to Kobe with no itinerary or anything. I only have my phone & pocket Wi-Fi with me. I also had the mindset that I need to be back in Osaka by 4:00 pm to prepare for my night bus to Fukuoka. What I did was just to walk from one street to another & visit the places along the way. Luckily, I came across the following places:

Ikuta Jinja

Ikuta Jinja’s main shrine

Ikuta Jinja is a Shinto shrine located in the middle of the very busy Sannomiya area. This shrine is believed to be one of the oldest shrines in Japan. The shrine has torii gates in all entrance & exit points & even has a small garden at the back of the main temple.

View from the outside of the shrine grounds

I just accidentally saw this shrine in Google Maps while I was looking for a place to go from the train station. Beautiful shrine!

Kobe Motomachi Centre Gai Shopping Street

In my previous posts about Nagoya & Osaka, I said something about Japanese cities having a shopping street / arcade. If Nagoya has Osu Shopping Street & Osaka has Shinsaibashi Shopping Street, Kobe has its own – it’s called Kobe Motomachi Center Gai Shopping Street.

Inside Kobe Motomachi Shopping Street~

You will find all sorts of goods in this place – from clothing, to shoes, bags & even food. I found the cheapest dark chocolate & strawberry Kit Kats in one of the tax free shops here.

Meriken Park

Meriken Park is Kobe’s most famous waterfront park. It is the home of the Kobe Port Tower, Kobe Maritime Museum & the Earthquake Memorial Park. It also features a big public open space where events & special functions are held. On an ordinary day, visitors & locals normally walk or run around the park.

Meriken Park from the other side of the port

Note: There were significant improvement works being done with the Meriken Park when I visited last November. These works are in preparation for Port of Kobe’s 150th Anniversary this year.

Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park

In 1995, Kobe was devastated by the Hanshin Awaji Great Earthquake. It made significant damages to both public & private infrastructure & even to houses of the locals. The pier was also severely damaged.

The government has decided to preserve a part of the pier’s damage to remind the people (both locals & visitors) of the damages caused by the strong earthquake.

Note: This earthquake memorial park is different from the Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum. The museum is near the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.

Kobe Port Tower

Kobe Port Tower

Located within Meriken Park, the Kobe Port Tower is considered as one of Kobe’s iconic landmarks. This 108-meter uniquely shaped structure is made of red-painted steel structure. Just like any tower, it has an observation deck which I didn’t go into. It also has souvenir shops & restaurants / cafes in some of the levels.

Kobe Beef

Kobe Beef is the most famous regional specialty food in Japan. The branding came from where the cattle are bred & raised – in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. The Wagyu beef is known for its tenderness & unique flavor.

The oh-so-good Kobe Beef for lunch!~ 😋

Kobe beef is expensive. Yes, expensive. I had second thoughts of not trying it because of the price. A few minutes after, I decided to make the most out of my visit & have Kobe beef for late lunch. Who cares about the price, eh? Kidding.

The chef prepared preparing our food~

I went to Steak Land & ordered their Kobegyu Steak Lunch Set. I forgot how many ounces of Kobe beef were in the meal, but the set also included salad, miso soup, a cup of rice, grilled vegetables & a glass of juice (can be changed to coffee or tea). The chef cooked the beef in the hibachi table in front of me. I tell you, the beef was so good it melts in your mouth. It was so tender & the flavor was something I haven’t tasted in my life.

Steak Land’s Kobegyu Lunch Set 😋

I paid around ¥3,000 (₱1,300++) for whole Kobegyu Steak Lunch Set. I believe the price was reasonable. Honestly, I don’t mind spending that amount for such a good meal. This was definitely the highlight of my Kobe day trip. It’s definitely something one should try when visiting the city.

This pretty much sums up my quick day trip to Kobe. There were still a lot of nice places to visit but I had to go back to Osaka to prepare for my night bus to Fukuoka.

To be fair, I actually had really memorable times in Nara & Kobe. The day trips were definitely worth-taking. Going around these 2 cities, even just in the centers, gave me basically the idea of how beautiful these places are. I wish I had more time, but I won’t mind going back to explore more.

Before going to Nara & Kobe, I went to Nagoya, Hiroshima, Kyoto & Osaka. Make sure to check out the individual posts linked above. The final installment of this blog series will be about my last 3 days in Fukuoka. Watch out for it!

This lovely deer knows how to pose for a photo 🦌 😍

Did you know that I only spent less than ₱50,000 for this 13-day trip in 7 Japan cities? Click here to know more. If you are planning to apply for a Japan tourist visa soon, I also posted a blog about the 4 easy steps in applying for it.

Do you have any questions or suggestions? Feel free to comment below or send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also send me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Arigatou gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) 🇯🇵 😃

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC Re & HTC One M8.