If you are women and wish to travel alone in Asia then the following infographic will provide you with a list of the safest places to travel, together with general safety advice for women travellers and the top 13 safety tips for women travelling alone. Retirement in Asia This infographic is courtesy of Retire in Asia and Designed by Graphs
Travel Photo of the Week: Geisha District, Kyoto, Japan
Japan is a perfect example of a country where cultural traditions and modern technology co-exist. There is, however, nothing in the West that compares to the Geisha. Witnessing this Kyoto Geisha heading out early evening was a highlight of my trip to amazing Japan. These women are working and probably on their way to an engagement where Geisha elders or customers are waiting. I was unprepared for the richness of the Kimono, the teetering walk in their platform sandals, the elaborate hair, the whiteness of the makeup and the smile. It was thanks to the local Geisha School connections of our Canadian born tour guide which enabled such close proximity. It was breathtaking and moving.
The small rural community of Ohara is located about one hour north of Kyoto. It is a perfect travel destination to go on retreat if you want to escape the hustle of the bigger cities and experience traditional Japanese culture. Ohara has two hot spring ryokans (traditional inns) which pump mineral water to the surface from a depth of more than 1km. Angela Pearse stayed at Oharanosato, and gave the outdoor bath a go.
“Traditional bathing in Japan is different from what I’m used to. The washing part takes place inside at the taps so I won’t be wallowing in my own (and others) grime. It makes good sense but crouching naked on a low stool, while sluicing myself with warm water from a bucket, culturally goes against the grain. I keep one eye warily on the door in case anyone comes in and my hands poised, ready to cover myself faster than a samurai wheeling his sword.
Oharanosato Bath
Once I’m all clean I head outdoors to soak in the hot water, and I mean hot water. The Japanese generally consider anything below 45C for sissies. I’m worried about being boiled alive as I gingerly submerge my body into a pool of scalding mineral water, but the vista of brooding mountain range and darkened forest distracts from my tingling nerve ends. Overhead, tiny silver spheres sprinkle across a jet-black sky, while nearby bamboo rustles mysteriously with the cool night breeze and, to add to the atmosphere, a lone frog croaks from a rice-paddy. I’m in my element, though up until now I’ve never communed this closely with nature while having a bath”.
One great reason to visit this travel destination is to stay at Oharanosato where you can sleep Japanese style, eat traditional food and bathe in one of the outdoor mineral pools (men and women do have separate pools!).
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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