Yet another 1st time trip to Japan - 3 weeks - advice much appreciated.
Jan 24th, 2014, 03:17 PM
#21
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,339
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Tim
Very happy to be of any help, I'm not as much of a Japan old-hand as some of the travellers here, who helped me so much with my own trips, and will no doubt help me again when it comes to the third. But I love sharing, as I'm constantly dreaming about past trips and future ones.
Indeed, I've spent the last two weeks writing full time about Japan, as I've been given some paid writing commissions for a new food and travel mag and of course, I pitched pieces about Japan!! And tonight, I'm sitting here processing photos and writing about Japan for my blog, as I have so so so much I want to share. Once I have started sorting through that all a bit more, I want to write a trip report for Fodors too, as I'm VERY overdue!
If you need more feedback on accommodation options for the any of the places I went to, just shout. I tend to avoid the larger American chains (mostly because they're way above daily accommodation budget) - I save the splurge nights for the ryokan stays. The kaiseki dining is like nothing I've experienced!
A couple of posts I wrote after the first trip that may be of interest:
What to expect of a Japanese ryokan: http://www.kaveyeats.com/2012/11/sta...se-ryokan.html
Kankaso Ryokan: http://www.kaveyeats.com/2013/01/kai...o-in-nara.html
Shiraume Ryokan: http://www.kaveyeats.com/2013/03/her...n-me-into.html
Temples: http://www.kaveyeats.com/2013/03/mes...of-love-6.html
Understanding temples: http://www.kaveyeats.com/2013/12/kyo...-ema-tree.html
And all the rest are here: http://www.kaveyeats.com/tag/japan
Very happy to be of any help, I'm not as much of a Japan old-hand as some of the travellers here, who helped me so much with my own trips, and will no doubt help me again when it comes to the third. But I love sharing, as I'm constantly dreaming about past trips and future ones.
Indeed, I've spent the last two weeks writing full time about Japan, as I've been given some paid writing commissions for a new food and travel mag and of course, I pitched pieces about Japan!! And tonight, I'm sitting here processing photos and writing about Japan for my blog, as I have so so so much I want to share. Once I have started sorting through that all a bit more, I want to write a trip report for Fodors too, as I'm VERY overdue!
If you need more feedback on accommodation options for the any of the places I went to, just shout. I tend to avoid the larger American chains (mostly because they're way above daily accommodation budget) - I save the splurge nights for the ryokan stays. The kaiseki dining is like nothing I've experienced!
A couple of posts I wrote after the first trip that may be of interest:
What to expect of a Japanese ryokan: http://www.kaveyeats.com/2012/11/sta...se-ryokan.html
Kankaso Ryokan: http://www.kaveyeats.com/2013/01/kai...o-in-nara.html
Shiraume Ryokan: http://www.kaveyeats.com/2013/03/her...n-me-into.html
Temples: http://www.kaveyeats.com/2013/03/mes...of-love-6.html
Understanding temples: http://www.kaveyeats.com/2013/12/kyo...-ema-tree.html
And all the rest are here: http://www.kaveyeats.com/tag/japan
Dec 15th, 2015, 12:59 PM
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 321
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi
I thought I'd just update this old thread before I post a new one. Time moves on and our 2015 Japan trip was postposed to enable me to get a new hip, which is in and working well. So now our Japan trip will now be November 2016. I've taken on board much of the advice given directly above, thank you everyone, and picked up from other people's questions and trip reports on this wonderful resource. I've pored over guidebooks and studied japan-guide.com However there is much I'm not sure about and I hugely value the advice of those that have travelled this path before. I'll post a new updated itinerary on a new thread.
Tim
I thought I'd just update this old thread before I post a new one. Time moves on and our 2015 Japan trip was postposed to enable me to get a new hip, which is in and working well. So now our Japan trip will now be November 2016. I've taken on board much of the advice given directly above, thank you everyone, and picked up from other people's questions and trip reports on this wonderful resource. I've pored over guidebooks and studied japan-guide.com However there is much I'm not sure about and I hugely value the advice of those that have travelled this path before. I'll post a new updated itinerary on a new thread.
Tim
Dec 16th, 2015, 04:49 AM
#24
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,392
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Tim, glad to see your trip is still on, if postponed.
Most of the posters above have a great deal of experience with Japan - honestly, you couldn't buy advice as good as what they hand out here for free!
I have a few things to add:
1. Your original itinerary is 18 nights in Japan.
tokyo 3, matsumoto (maybe), kanazawa -2, Takayama - 1, Tsumago (or similar) - 1, Kyoto + Nara - 5, Hiroshima + Miyajima - 3, Yakushima - 2 total 18
2. I'm going to suggest
Tokyo -3
matsumoto -1
Takayama via bus through mountains - 1
Nagoya - (base for Magome-Tsumago) -2
Kyoto + Nara - 6 (plan Nara as daytrip from Kyoto and omit if you find you need more time in Kyoto)- I've added a night to Kyoto to make it somewhat more likely you get to Nara)
Hiroshima/Miyajima - 2
Yakushiima - 2
Osaka (to facilitate connection with departing flight) - 1
I agree with the others - either add a night so you can stay in Osaka the night before you fly out, or drop something else so you can. Even in Japan, schedules can get disrupted so don't push the schedule too hard prior to departure - allow for contingencies.
Total 18
3. If you don't like the idea of 'too much time' in Matsumoto, consider that you don't have to leave Tokyo for Matsumoto first thing; you could spend the morning in Tokyo and leave for Matsumoto in the afternoon. You only have two full days in Tokyo as it is, and this would give you at least a bit more time there.
4. There is a bus from Matsumoto to Takayama
https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/matsumoto.html
5. Someone is sure to object, but as my suggestion indicates, I would consider dropping Kanazawa this trip. I think your trip needs simplifying and since you seem very interested in Yakushima, Kanazawa seems to be the place to postpone to another trip.
6. Substitute 2 nights in Nagoya and use it as a base for Tsumago. It is 3 hours from Takayama
Although many do stay a night in Tsumago, we elected to spend two nights in Nagoya and do this as a daytrip, taking the train/bus into Magome and the bus/train back from Tsumago.
The advantages: connecting this part of the trip to previous and next ones is often a snap, because Nagoya is a major train terminal.
- if it pores the scheduled day of the hike, you have options.
- there is, of course, no need to make arrangements for luggage (the hike is usually done as a one way affair, it took us 3 hours, plus time to dawdle in Magome and Tsumago and lunch.)
Most of the posters above have a great deal of experience with Japan - honestly, you couldn't buy advice as good as what they hand out here for free!
I have a few things to add:
1. Your original itinerary is 18 nights in Japan.
tokyo 3, matsumoto (maybe), kanazawa -2, Takayama - 1, Tsumago (or similar) - 1, Kyoto + Nara - 5, Hiroshima + Miyajima - 3, Yakushima - 2 total 18
2. I'm going to suggest
Tokyo -3
matsumoto -1
Takayama via bus through mountains - 1
Nagoya - (base for Magome-Tsumago) -2
Kyoto + Nara - 6 (plan Nara as daytrip from Kyoto and omit if you find you need more time in Kyoto)- I've added a night to Kyoto to make it somewhat more likely you get to Nara)
Hiroshima/Miyajima - 2
Yakushiima - 2
Osaka (to facilitate connection with departing flight) - 1
I agree with the others - either add a night so you can stay in Osaka the night before you fly out, or drop something else so you can. Even in Japan, schedules can get disrupted so don't push the schedule too hard prior to departure - allow for contingencies.
Total 18
3. If you don't like the idea of 'too much time' in Matsumoto, consider that you don't have to leave Tokyo for Matsumoto first thing; you could spend the morning in Tokyo and leave for Matsumoto in the afternoon. You only have two full days in Tokyo as it is, and this would give you at least a bit more time there.
4. There is a bus from Matsumoto to Takayama
https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/matsumoto.html
5. Someone is sure to object, but as my suggestion indicates, I would consider dropping Kanazawa this trip. I think your trip needs simplifying and since you seem very interested in Yakushima, Kanazawa seems to be the place to postpone to another trip.
6. Substitute 2 nights in Nagoya and use it as a base for Tsumago. It is 3 hours from Takayama
Although many do stay a night in Tsumago, we elected to spend two nights in Nagoya and do this as a daytrip, taking the train/bus into Magome and the bus/train back from Tsumago.
The advantages: connecting this part of the trip to previous and next ones is often a snap, because Nagoya is a major train terminal.
- if it pores the scheduled day of the hike, you have options.
- there is, of course, no need to make arrangements for luggage (the hike is usually done as a one way affair, it took us 3 hours, plus time to dawdle in Magome and Tsumago and lunch.)
Dec 16th, 2015, 05:14 AM
#27
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,392
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
One last thought: I know zip about Yakushima but I checked the schedules and was assuming you could commute from Hiroshima to Fukuoka by train and fly from there to Yakushima.
However in hindsight that doesn't really strike me as an efficient use of time. I also think that as you are investing a lot to get to Yakushima for hiking, you should consider dropping the 2 nights in Hiroshima-Miyajima and proceed direct from Kyoto to Osaka, from there to fly to Yakushima. Take one of the Hiroshima nights and add an extra night in Yakushima (you've gone so far, it seems worth it). Take the other night and add it to Osaka, to make it 2 nights in Osaka at the end of the trip.
You then have the option of doing Hiroshima as a daytrip from Osaka on that last full day in Osaka. Using the fastest Nozomi trains, it's a little over 1.5 hours to Hiroshima, so a daytrip is doable.
However in hindsight that doesn't really strike me as an efficient use of time. I also think that as you are investing a lot to get to Yakushima for hiking, you should consider dropping the 2 nights in Hiroshima-Miyajima and proceed direct from Kyoto to Osaka, from there to fly to Yakushima. Take one of the Hiroshima nights and add an extra night in Yakushima (you've gone so far, it seems worth it). Take the other night and add it to Osaka, to make it 2 nights in Osaka at the end of the trip.
You then have the option of doing Hiroshima as a daytrip from Osaka on that last full day in Osaka. Using the fastest Nozomi trains, it's a little over 1.5 hours to Hiroshima, so a daytrip is doable.
Dec 16th, 2015, 11:24 AM
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 321
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks Sue. I'll jump in here and say I'm dropping Yakushima, it just seemed too much of a stretch and compromised so many other things, and I'm having 3 nights in Kanazawa....posting new itinerary later tonight
Dec 16th, 2015, 03:50 PM
#33
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,123
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The OP has begun a new thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...-you-agree.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...-you-agree.cfm
