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Where is Kyoto?

Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto

A guest post provided by New Zealand travel writer, Angela Pearse.

Kyoto is situated in central Japan and is around two and half hours by shinkasen (bullet train) from Tokyo. It was formerly the imperial capital but is still a major Japanese city, home to 1.5 million people, and where many traditional aspects of Japanese culture are still intact. It is said it is “impossible to know the real Japan without knowing Kyoto”.

It is true that no visit to Kyoto is complete without visiting one of the 2,000 Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. During my too short stay in Kyoto last year I visited three of the most popular: Tenryu-ji Temple, with its cool, peaceful avenues of bamboo; Kiyomizu-dera Temple, with its amazing hill-top views of Kyoto and Fushimi Inari Shrine, with its stunning trail of red and black torii gates. But the sheer choice was overwhelming. Next time I would take a guided temple tour, by bus or on foot, to fully appreciate Kyoto’s historical roots, or hire a bike, which was an option when visiting Tenryu-ji temple.

On the day I arrived in Kyoto I strolled round the Imperial Palace gardens. It was a lazy, hazy Sunday afternoon and many families were chatting, snoozing on the grass or playing with their children. A couple of my strongest memories are of a man stretched full-length on a bench snoring away peacefully, and a hyperactive corgi splashing crazily in one of the rock pools.

Kyoto Gardens

Although I had just missed the cherry blossom season, this would be another reason I would return to Kyoto. Maruyama Park is the most popular park for cherry blossom viewing but Kyoto contains many advantageous spots, such as the Philosopher’s Trail, Kamogama River and Hirano Shrine, to view the gorgeous pink blossoms. At Maruyama Park and Hirano Shrine in the evenings, the trees are lit up.

Major festivals in Kyoto to time a visit with, include the Aoi Matsuri or “Hollyhock Festival” on the 15 May, the Gion Matsuri, a traditional festival celebrating life, on 17 July and the Gozan Okuribi, lighting of fires on mountains to guide the spirits home, on 16 August.

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TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Kyoto

One Great Reason to Visit Kyoto

One great reason to visit Kyoto is to is to wander through 10,000 torii (shrine gates) in the quiet woods at Fushimi Inari Shrine at dusk.

Kyoto

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Where are the Galapagos Islands?

Iguanas by the Plenty

The Galapagos Islands lie nearly 1,000km off the west coast of South America in the Pacific Ocean and belong to Ecuador. They are an archipelago consisting of 19 main islands and all vastly different. The Galapagos Islands were inscripted as a UNESCO World Heritage site during 1978, largely for its most notable feature, its fauna and flora. These endemic plants, invertebrates and vertebrate species have evolved over time due to the isolated island existence. It was this that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection following his visit during 1835.

The best way to thoroughly experience the Islands is to enjoy a cruise over a period of 4-8 days. This will allow you to visit a number of islands to truly experience the diversity of each island.

A Great Introduction to the Galapagos Islands on DVD

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TravelTipsPlus Google Map of the Galapagos Islands

One Great Reason to Visit the Galapagos Islands

One great reason to visit the Galapagos Islands is for the amazing bio-diversity between the flora & fauna of each island.

Galapagos Islands

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