Explore with India

Japan has been on the top of my list of countries that I have wanted to visit for a number of years but I could never convince my family to go with me. My boyfriend has been to Japan many times before and so being familiar with the country and willing to travel with me, my parents have decided to gift me my trip to Japan as my first trip without them for my 21st birthday!

Although Japan is a small country there are plenty of places to see and activities to do. Kyoto is the capital of the Kansai region of Japan and while it's population is approximately a quarter of that of Sydney (where I'm from), the density of the city is almost quintupled.
The city is modern, with a railway station that exhibits interesting and progressive architectural techniques. Though modern at first glance, there is opportunity to find many spectacular temples, shrines and castles. There is nowhere in Kyoto that exemplifies the sophisticated nature of society in Japan than Kiyomizu-dera, a beautiful and complex temple that was founded in 778. Right up the road from our hotel is Nijo Castle which allows for visitors to gain a bit of an understanding about the traditional cultural lifestyle of Japan.

Travelling on Shinkansen is a whole other adventure in itself. Trains will reach speeds of 250-300 kilometers per hour which allow for travelers to reach destinations on the other side of the country in only a couple of hours. It's not only affordable for overseas travelers coming to Japan but is a great way to see the rural country in Japan. It is very different to what you would see in the countryside of Australia with rice paddies and evergreen trees dusted with snow.

The Hokkaido Snow and Ice Festival in Sapporo is a great experience that will interest the whole family. There are 3 large locations with activities as well as hundreds of snow and ice sculptures. A less well-known snow festival in Hokkaido is the lantern festival in Otaru, a port city that is only 30 minutes by train from Sapporo. Thousands of lanterns compliment snow sculptures and lie in the frozen water on the river and the show runs between 5-9pm.

Tokyo is our final destination and the city offers so much to any traveler. If it's entertainment that you are after then Akihabara is the place. If you are interested in shopping then Ginza can easily be explored for days on end. Foodies will find comfort in knowing that Tokyo has more Michelin rated restaurants than any other city in the world.