Travel Is My Sport

Where to Stay Although Kyoto is only 1 hour by train from Osaka, we opted to stay in Kyoto to maximize our time. For our Kyoto leg, we booked a room in Hotel MyStays Kyoto-Shijo. The hotel is walking distance from the Shijo station and the Nishiki Market. It is both convenient and centrally located. To book a room, click here . Tips Plan your itinerary carefully and start early!  Allot at least 2 days to visit the major sights, divide them by their location: Northern, Western, Southern, Eastern, and Central Kyoto. We didn't have the chance to explore the Central part during this trip. Most tourist spots are far from train stations. To make the most out of your budget, purchase a 1-day bus pass.  If you know how to bike, Kyoto is a good location to showcase your skills.  Day 1 - Northern and Western Kyoto Kinkakuji How to get there: Bus is the most convenient way. Take either of the following: 101, 102, 204, or 205. Sagano Scenic...

Where to Stay Nara is about an hour by train from Osaka. For this trip, we decided it would be best to stay some nights in Osaka and then transfer to Kyoto for our Kyoto leg.  I came across For Leaves Inn Uehonmachi when I was looking for a place to stay in Osaka. The inn is on a convenient and quiet location. From Kansai airport, I would recommend taking the limousine bus which drops you right at Uehommachi station. From there, the inn is just walking distance. Nara How to get there: There are 2 train station serving Nara. JR Nara and Kintetsu Nara. The latter is closer to the tourist spots. You can also purchase a bus pass if you are visiting lots of places in Nara. For this trip, we visited Kofukuji and Todaiji temples and the surrounding Nara Park. These attractions are just walking distance from Kintetsu Nara station. Nara Park Kofukuji Todaiji Osaka After spending half a day in Nara, we decided to go back to Osaka. It was rainy...

Maokong Gondola Directions: Take the Taipei Metro to Taipei Zoo station and follow the signs going to Maokong Gondola. What's special here: Compared to Ngong Ping 360 (Hong Kong), I can consider the price for a ride at Maokong Gondala as quite cheap. There's also no price difference between the regular cabin versus the crystal cabin. If you're brave enough, I highly recommend taking the crystal cabin. Round trip ticket costs TWD 120. Taipei Zoo Directions: If you're coming back from the gondolas, trace your back to the Taipei Zoo metro station and then follow the signs for the Zoo. What's special here: Well, it's a huuuge zoo! I suggest going here on a weekday though as this is a very popular destination among locals. The entrance fee is very cheap at TWD 60 for adults and TWD 30 for children. I would also suggest that you bring your own food as the stores inside are not able to keep up if there's a huge number of visitors. I wis...