Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report From Sakura to Slovenia: A Journey Across Three Continents

We started this trip in Tokyo, mainly to see the cherry blossoms and spend time with some of my former employees. Watching the sakura bloom across the city felt almost surreal — soft pink clouds framing temples, parks, and busy streets. It was the perfect beginning to a long-awaited adventure.

From Tokyo, we headed to Milan for a few days to recover from crossing three continents in thirty hours. At this stage in our lives, we have learned not to rush travel too much. Sometimes a few quiet days are just as important as the destinations themselves.

After Milan, we spent six days in Verona, Italy. We had visited before on a quick day trip from Lake Sirmione, but even then we knew Verona deserved more time. It is one of Italy’s most charming towns — romantic, elegant, and somehow more relaxed than many of the country’s larger tourist cities.

We stayed in a beautiful apartment directly overlooking the fountain in Piazza delle Erbe. The apartment itself was stunning and full of character, blending historic charm with modern touches. The frescoed ceilings were especially memorable and gave the space a magical old-world feeling. The location was excellent — lively, central, and incredibly convenient. Despite being right in the heart of the piazza, the noise level was surprisingly manageable once the balcony doors were closed, and the building felt very secure.

That being said, we would not stay there again.

Although the apartment advertised air-conditioning, the owner controlled it remotely and clearly did not want guests using it. Our first night was miserable. The following morning, we told him we thought the air conditioner was not functioning properly. He insisted it was working but explained that he had decided we did not need it because “Italians do not use air conditioning” and suggested we simply open the balcony doors. Unfortunately, staying directly on Piazza delle Erbe meant that opening the doors late into the evening was not realistic because of the noise below. He eventually agreed to turn the air-conditioning back on, but only at 22.5°C and on the lowest fan setting. To make matters worse, the unit was located only in the living room, so the bedroom remained warm throughout our stay. It definitely put a damper on an otherwise beautiful apartment.

Finally, it was time to head to Slovenia — a country I had wanted to visit for years. After watching an episode of The Amazing Race filmed there, I knew someday I wanted to experience it for myself. My husband, however, was not nearly as enthusiastic as I was. Last July, I finally convinced him, and now I am so glad I did.

I will admit that I completely messed up the order of our itinerary. Since we are returning to Italy afterward to spend two weeks in the Dolomites, followed by a week in Lake Como and several more days in Milan before flying home, we now face a 4.5-hour drive back to the Dolomites from Slovenia. We usually try to limit our driving days to no more than three hours because long stretches in the car are difficult for my husband. Lesson learned for next time.

Lake Bled, however, immediately made us forget the extra driving. The hype is absolutely justified — it is breathtakingly beautiful. Photos simply do not capture how peaceful and magical it feels in person. The emerald-green lake, the tiny island church floating in the middle, the medieval castle perched dramatically above the water, and the Julian Alps surrounding everything create a scene that almost looks unreal.

One of my favorite experiences was hiking to Vintgar Gorge. The walk from the Lake Bled area was easy and scenic, winding through quiet paths and lush greenery before opening up to the gorge itself. Once inside, the landscape became absolutely spectacular. Wooden boardwalks hug the cliffs above crystal-clear turquoise water rushing through the narrow canyon below. The sound of the river echoed through the gorge while sunlight filtered through the trees overhead. Every turn seemed more beautiful than the last.

The trail eventually leads to Šum Waterfall, which was the perfect ending to the hike. Watching the powerful water cascade into the pool below while surrounded by moss-covered rocks and forest felt incredibly peaceful and untouched.

We also decided to go zip-lining, which ended up being one of the highlights of Slovenia for us. Flying high above the trees and valleys with views of the mountains all around us was both exhilarating and unforgettable. I was a little nervous at first, but the guides were fantastic — encouraging, patient, and fun — which made the experience even better. It added a completely different side to the trip after days of sightseeing and hiking.

Slovenia has already exceeded our expectations, and we have only just begun exploring it.