Speed traveling: Kansai in five days or less!

After a series of "speed traveling" posts, I thought I would attempt to (theoretically) condense our 9-day Kansai trip with toddler in tow, to a much shorter version for the solo traveler (or those traveling without little ones).

Here's how to see the best of Kansai in half the time needed compared with what we did. For the details of each sight, check out the specifics in my "Kid in Kansai" series.

Day 1: Kuromon Market (lunch), Osaka Castle, either Shitennoji or Sumiyoshi Taisha, Dotonbori (dinner). Overnight in Osaka.

Day 2: Himeji and Kobe (or replace with Universal Studios in Osaka). Overnight in Osaka. Check out of Osaka hotel the next morning.

Day 3: Nara half-day (leave luggage at the station locker), then onward to Kyoto (Arashiyama, Tenryuji, Bamboo Grove, Kinkakuji). Overnight in Kyoto.

Day 4: East Kyoto (including Kiyomizudera, Sannenzakai, Ninenzakai, Ishibe Koji, Maruyama Park, Shoren-In, Chion-In, Nanzenji, Path of Philosophy, Ginkakuji). Then Pontocho and Gion in the evening. Overnight in Kyoto.

The lovely Ishibe Koji

Day 5: Fushimi Inari, Uji (if you like green tea), then back to Nijo Castle and some shopping at the Kyoto Station area thereafter. Take a night flight out, or overnight in Kyoto.

It's possible! :)

Speed traveling: Anaheim Disneyland in five hours or less!

And while I'm in the mood of speeding through Disneyland, here's a tip on whizzing through Anaheim Disneyland... the original home of Mickey Mouse!

Unlike Tokyo Disneyland, Anaheim doesn't have an After 6 passport, but the good thing is, the park remains open till midnight during summer hours.

I was there from 6.30pm to 11.30pm (couldn't go earlier for various reasons), but still managed to see what I set out to do. And because there is no special After 6 passport, the crowds are just everywhere, sadly so.

In terms of chronology, I went to the Anaheim one about half a year before I went to the Tokyo one, which explains why I was more precise in what I wanted to see in Tokyo.

Here goes:

1. Jungle Cruise (Adventureland): 6.45pm - 7.35pm
This is the first "major" ride as you exit left of Main Street (the shopping street). Be prepared to wait. The queues look deceptively short thanks to hidden winding lanes and clever queue designs. But yes, wait you must, and wait a long time. Thankfully, the queue keeps moving, so you don't feel like you want to dive into the river to escape.

2. Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland): 7.45pm - 8.35pm
Very close by to Jungle Cruise, so this is the natural next stop as you move in a westerly direction. Be prepared to wait again, but not as bad as Jungle Cruise.

3. Haunted Mansion (New Orleans Square): 8.45pm - 9.30pm
Move in a westerly direction from Pirates to the home of 999 ghosts.

4. Fireworks (Fantasyland): 10pm - 10.30pm
The whole of Fantasyland will be closed about 20 or 30 mins before the fireworks show, and re-opened about 15 mins after that for safety reasons, as the fireworks are situated in the castle area. You can take the time to visit other hot spots like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or the likes of it, but I took the time to do some shopping at Main Street instead, since the best view of the fireworks was at Main Street.

5. Snow White's Dark Adventures (Fantasyland): 10.30pm - 10.45pm
Once the fireworks subside, the crew will progressively re-open the Fantasyland rides. As It's A Small World wasn't ready, I went to Snow White first. This is definitely one of my favourite fairytale rides as it has a number of dark elements to it (the witch at the mirror was definitely scary!)

6. It's A Small World (Fantasyland): 10.50pm - 11.10pm
On to my favourite ride with the "can't get you out of my head" song.

7. Pinocchio's Dark Journey (Fantasyland): 11.10pm - 11.30pm
The last ride before some additional shopping!

So the tally is...
Anaheim: 6 rides, 1 show, 2 shopping sprees in 5 hours
Tokyo: 6 rides (since I was on Small World Twice), 1 show, 1 glimpse of a show, 1 shopping spree in 4 hours

Maybe one day I'll try Disneyworld in six hours! By the way, regarding the Hong Kong one, it's really small compared to the others, so you can easily finish everything in four or five hours... no need for any speedy traveling :)

Speed traveling: Tokyo Disneyland in four hours or less!

I am a big fan of Disneyland thanks to various experiences with it as a child, and have been able to visit all the Disneyland / Disneyworld resorts except for the one in Paris (which for some reason, I have no strong desire to do so) and Disneysea in Tokyo (as I prefer the traditional Disneyland).

While Disneyland should be enjoyed by making use of a full day, the After 6 passport, offered in the Tokyo Disneyland / Disneysea resorts, is a great way to see the main attractions on a ticket that is 60% of that of the full-priced one. The downside is of course, you only have 4 hours in the park at most, from 6pm till closing time at 10pm.

But it's completely doable, provided you have already been to a Disneyland resort and been through it for a full day at least once (either Anaheim, Florida or Tokyo - not the Hong Kong one). The trick is, you need to know which rides you want to go for, and which to prioritise.

One thing you need to know... the After 6 passport is popular! When I got to the gates five minutes before 6pm, there was already a huge crowd waiting for the clock to strike 6 and the gates to open. But thankfully, the crowds were moved in very quickly.

Tokyo Disneyland is laid out fairly similarly to the Anaheim one, so that's good to remember when you are rushing for time and don't have time to consult the park map (except for the Haunted Mansion which is situated at Fantasyland for some reason in Tokyo).

Here's my route to see the main attractions. All times indicated below include waiting time but not the time walking between attractions. Oh and don't forget to buy your ticket online in advance to save time.

1. Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland): 6pm - 6.30pm
After you get pass the gate and long row of shops in the area known as "World Bazaar", head left and charge towards this classic ride. It should be the first ride you see after you head left from World Bazaar. When I was there, the queue was reasonably short, perhaps because the 6pm crowd just started to come in (and the people with the full-day pass should have finished this ride long ago earlier in the day. Based on this logic, you should run for your biggest priority ride first once you get in at 6pm). One interesting thing is (for people who hate "heights" of any kind, like me), the Tokyo version of Pirates only has one "waterfall slope" instead of two like Anaheim.

2. Haunted Mansion (Fantasyland): 6.40pm - 7.20pm
The queues would have started to build up by now, and the logical "route" would have been to go on to Jungle Cruise, which is also within Adventureland, rather than to head up north towards Haunted Mansion. But there are two good reasons. Firstly, Jungle Cruise tends to have a longer waiting line. Second, by the time you are done with Haunted Mansion, you have just the right amount of time to come out and secure a nice spot for the Nighttime Parade (7.30pm), which passes by the front of the Haunted Mansion.  

3. Nighttime Parade: Electrical Parade Dreamlights (Fantasyland): 7.30pm - 7.45pm
Do not miss this parade... it is truly spectacular! Mickey, Minnie and many Disney characters come out on trains, horses, floats etc, all lit up in hundreds of thousands of lights!

Now here's a trick. DO NOT stay until the parade is entirely over. It's ok, since after a while, you would have seen enough. Instead, run over to It's A Small World, which is usually packed.

Tokyo Disney Electrical Parade

4. It's A Small World  (Fantasyland): 7.50pm - 8.20pm
Some adults will refuse to go in because they cannot get the song out of their heads after that. For me, this is one of my favourite rides as a small child... and still remains so. It makes me happy seeing the little children (dolls) of the world sing and dance a happy tune. It's almost a way of "escaping" the real world of strife, poverty, war, ethnic persecution and being transported into a utopian and childishly naive, but happy, world. Anyway, at this point, people are still finishing up the Electrical Parade, so there should be no queues. I tried this trick and managed to take this ride not once but TWICE in succession... without queuing up either time!

5. Peter Pan (Fantasyland): 8.20pm - 9pm
It's on to another nice ride. As I explained, I don't like heights, so none of the roller-coasters / drop-from-the-high-heavens type of rides for me please. At Peter Pan, the number of people queuing is not long, but the waiting time is long because each car can only take 2 at a go, compared to some other rides which can take more. Oh and yes, the Peter Pan ride takes you "flying" over the city of London, but the heights here are still manageable as there is no sudden drop.

6. Once Upon a Time (Fantasyland): Starts at 8.50pm, but I was there at 9.10pm
Now, it's time to head back for some fun. But not before we catch a quick glimpse of the light projection show at Cinderella's castle, showing scenes from beloved Disney cartoons projected against the castle, set to the Disney tunes.

7. Jungle Cruise (Adventureland): 9.15pm - 9.40pm
Now, the crowds should have thinned pretty much. You can use this time to go to your favourite adventure rides like Splash Mountain (Critter Country), Big Thunder Mountain (Westernland) or Jungle Cruise (Adventureland). I chose the last-mentioned as it was a childhood favourite. The waiting time was only 15 mins now, compared to if I had taken it after Pirates... which would have been 50 minutes!

I finished the above at about 9.40pm, giving me some extra time to grab some snacks and decide whether to try one more ride. In the end, I decided to hit the shops instead, thinking I would need at least 20 minutes. The good thing was... the shops at World Bazaar don't really close at 10pm if there are customers already in the shop by 10pm. I finished shopping and left at about 10.20pm.

So there's my 4-hour whirlwind visit to Tokyo Disneyland!

Some tips to remember if you are using an After 6 passport:

• Before you go, identify which rides you want to go for, and among those, which are the must-go and which are the nice-to-go
• When the gates open at 6pm, go straight to the ride of your topmost priority. The crowds will be the least now, because the 6pm crowd has just come in, and the full-day passport folks would have long finished that ride earlier in the day, especially if it's one of the popular ones
• Watch most of the Electrical Parade, but LEAVE before it finishes. The crowds at so-called popular rides would have thinned out as everyone is watching the parade, so go and take your 2nd biggest priority ride now if you couldn't do it earlier
• Skip the Once Upon A Time light projection show if you're not super keen on it. I only took a quick glimpse as it wasn't as spectacular as the Electrical Parade. Use this time to go for super popular rides, as the waiting time would be way less

Tokyo Disneyland can be reached by subway (Maihama station). Upon exiting the station, do not worry about getting lost. Simply follow the crowds and walk - you'll reach the Disneyland entrance between 7 to 10 mins later.

For tips on how to get through Anaheim Disnelyand in five hours, click here!

Traveling with kids: My packing list

Since the holiday season is coming up, plus we have scheduled a couple of family vacations coming up, I thought I would share my usual packing list here in case anyone is looking for one (partly to help me remember better as well).

Here goes!

This is in order of how I pack, assuming you are staying at a three-star and above hotel with standard amenities. All go into the check-in luggage except for the ones specifically marked out as in the carry-on bag.

(A) Clothes
1. Outdoor clothes: 1 set per day + 1 or 2 extra sets just in case
2. Sleepwear: 1 set for every 2 days
3. Underwear (if needed): 1 piece per day, or bring kiddy detergent to wash if insufficient
4. Shoes: You might want to bring an extra pair of shoes or slippers / sandals
5. Kiddy socks: 1 pair for every 2 days

6. Swimwear if needed

(B) Pee, poo & bath-related
1. Diapers: Depends on your child + 2 - 3 extra pieces just in case. If traveling for a longer time, you can just buy it at your destination and bring along one or two day's worth
2. Portable potty / auxiliary toilet seat (if child is potty-trained)
3. Small-sized "no tears" shampoo + bath 
4. Wet wipes: 2 small packs
5. Plastic / trash bags for soiled diapers

(C) Comfort-related
1. His / her pillow and / or well-loved toy
2. Entertainment: A couple of books, one or two other toys that the child chooses (and pack in a couple more as "surprise" without telling the child)

(D) Medicine
1. Fever, high fever, flu / cold, cough, diarrhoea medicines are my must-haves
2. Anti-vomitting medicine for countries with lower standards of hygiene

3. Anti-septic cream which usually also doubles up as nappy rash cream

4. Mosquito bite cream to relieve the itch, though the anti-septic cream will work on reducing the bite as well

(E) Food-related
1. Milk (my kid likes drinking fresh milk) and any other beverages (eg. milo which my kid loves). A cooler bag is useful if you're bringing fresh milk, but do check on the destination's restrictions on bringing food and beverages in (eg. Australia)
2. Biscuits, raisins and any other products that can be stored easily

(F) Sun-related / elements-related (if going to a hot / beach destination)
1. Kiddy sunblock
2. Aloe vera gel
3. Kiddy body lotion
4. Mosquito repellant (spray, gel, patch etc)

(G) In the carry-on bag:
1. One extra set of outdoor clothes
2. One or two diapers
3. Wet wipes and tissue paper
4. Hand sanitiser
5. One small face cloth
6. One or two small plastic bags for soiled diapers, wet clothes etc
7. One small pack of biscuits / raisins / snack
8. Kiddy sunglasses (if needed)
9. Kiddy cap (if needed)
10. Toddler carrier (if needed)
11. Kiddy utensils (if visiting a country of lower standards of hygiene that you don't trust)

12. Kiddy food scissors
13. Kiddy waterbottle
14. One or two small toys / books etc as needed
15. And of course, don't forget kiddy's passport!

If it sounds like a lot of stuff in the carry-on bag (it is), make sure you get a lightweight but sturdy shoulder bag / baby bag to chuck everything in. I like this one here from Kate Spade, which also doubles up as a good travel bag for business trips as it can take a laptop and other stuff. Compartmentalise using smaller bags if needed to find things easily.

All the best!

Traveling with kids: My tried-and-tested tips

I can't say we have traveled super frequently with our little one (henceforth referred to as Cheeky Lamb), but we have been blessed to be able to fly quite regularly since his first trip at 10 months old. More importantly, these trips have given us some great insights on how to make the next family vacation better, even as his needs are ever-changing and his curiosity ever-growing.

Here are my tips geared for parents with children below 3. Some are obvious of course, but hopefully others are of use to someone else. Do note that the maximum duration we have flown with him is 8 hours (including over-nighters), so it might be different if you're flying longer than that.

1. Prioritise your objective especially when you are used to a certain style of traveling without kids
The type of vacation that I used to enjoy the most before kids, was one which had lots of historical / cultural sights, lots of fantastic food, and / or lots of fun activities by the beach. Vacations were always fast-paced because both my husband and I liked that type of pace, rather than dwelling on one place for long.

When the Cheeky Lamb came along, things changed up quite a bit, even more so when he was able to walk, had a mind of his own and did not simply like "tagging" along with Mama and Papa Lamb.

If you're like us, assess your objective first - is this vacation more for the little one? Or is it more for the parents, with little one tagging along? Or try to be a best of both worlds? Some destinations are a either-or when it comes to kids or parents.

For instance, when we went to Brisbane / Sunshine Coast / Gold Coast, we knew it was a vacation primarily for Cheeky Lamb, with things that the parents could enjoy. (On that note, I guess if the little one enjoys it, the parents usually enjoy just seeing the kid enjoy).

But when we went to Kansai, we knew it would be a vacation for more the parents, with little things thrown in here and there for the little one to enjoy.

2. Slow down... and be flexible
We were used to packing 10 activities on our itinerary each day when we hadn't had our kid... and we could do it with time to spare. With the kid, we would cut that down to about half. 

I usually like to plan out my itinerary in advance (being a travel planner is my secret ambition), but with the kid, I always make a mental note to be flexible to change up things at the last minute (kid needs a nap... kid needs to poo... kid needs to throw a tantrum etc).

3. Night flight or day flight?
A night flight is great as the kid is knocked out and sprawled across the parents' seats. You don't need to think of how to entertain the restless one. Plus, you "save" some time for those who don't like "wasting" precious time on the plane doing nothing.

But if the parents don't sleep well on the plane (especially a medium-haul flight which is neither here nor there in terms of number of sleeping hours), it can be tough. Just be mentally prepared if you choose this option.

A day flight is less disruptive to sleeping patterns, but do be prepared to entertain the little one... especially during the all important take-off and landing times when he / she HAS to sit down belted up, tantrum or not.

4. Kiddy meals are not always good for kids
Isn't it obvious that I should pre-book a kiddy meal? Well, Singapore Airlines - which I take the most frequently over other airlines - has an odd definition of kiddy food sometimes. For breakfast, my friend's toddler was served spaghetti (who eats spaghetti for breakfast???) while the adults got omelette and bread rolls (much more suitable for toddlers in my opinion). Another time, my kid got nuggets for lunch (which parent gives a toddler unhealthy processed mystery meats?) while adults could have a choice of western or Asian meal, the latter of which was more like what my kid was used to in pre-school.

We stopped requesting for kiddy meals since he was 1.5 years old, and now he eats (or shares) the adult meal.

5. Must-haves in the bag
My must-haves include a spare change of clothes, water-bottle, wet wipes, hand sanitiser, tissue, antiseptic cream, one or two piece of diaper and plastic bags (to dispose of soiled diapers if still at the diaper age)... or a portable auxiliary toilet seat / potty (if already potty-trained). Thankfully, my kid has never had the problem of ear pressure (take-off / landing) but I heard sucking on sugarless lollies can be helpful. 

Do also remember that airlines don't usually have fresh milk onboard, so bring along your own if the kid needs it. Pre-boarding screening usually has no problem with fluid restrictions if the toddler is coming along. Do note that fluids here refer to fluids relevant to a toddler's immediate use on the aircraft. Beer for Papa does not qualify, nor do large bottles of toddler's soap or shampoo even if it's for his use after landing.

6. Time long drives with his nap
If you're driving, like we did from Perth to Margaret River, or Sunshine Coast to Gold Coast, which takes about 3 hours, time it for his nap so that a) he doesn't get bored and restless during the drive and b) you don't waste "double" time by driving 3 hours, then having the little kid nap at the hotel for another 1 or 2 hours.

More tips on packing can be found here.

7. Things that "imitate" adults
Our kid likes to imitate us (I guess most kids will do so of their parents?) so we try to give him a pretend wheel (something round) to drive as Papa is driving... or a "microphone" to sing as the radio is playing his favourite song. I read on another website that there are kiddy cameras available, and I have just placed an order for a VTech Kidizoom Camera Connect as we have two upcoming vacations with the little one. It could be fun especially in places where it's not "typically fun" for him... and an alternative way to express himself.

I will add more tips as go we along... and perhaps a review, with photos, of the kiddy camera when it comes!

Speed traveling: Seeing London in 2 days or less!

London is one of the "great" cities which should be enjoyed slowly. But sometimes, time is just too tight and if you just have one or two days, is it possible to see London's main sights?

Yes, absolutely. Here is my tried-and-tested itinerary for those short on time.

Day 1
7am - 9am: Airport to hotel
Assuming you land at Heathrow, take the Heathrow Express` which stops at Paddington in a short 15-minute ride (trains depart every 15 minutes... and there is free wifi onboard!). From Paddington, take another train to your hotel as needed. I highly recommend the Amba Hotel Charing Cross, which is on the Bakerloo and Northern lines; Bakerloo is a line serving Paddington as well. The service is fantastic, the rooms are good with complimentary minibar, wifi and iPad use. Best of all, of the two times I stayed there, they allowed me an early check in at 7.30am and 8.30am. How many hotels actually let you do that? This hotel also has great reviews online, and the cost is not exorbitant. Plus, the location is very good and of walking distance to Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Covent Garden.

9am - 11am: Westminster area
Take the Tube to Westminster and visit the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. The Eye of London can also be seen from this area for a nice photo opportunity. 10 Downing Street is also nearby. Walk (15 mins or so) from here to Buckingham Palace, stopping before / after at St James Park for a quick stroll. Do note that the changing of guards at Buckingham Palace takes place at 11.30am, so if you do want to see that, you can change the timings a bit. There is also a nice shop at the Buckingham Palace that sells souvenirs and stuff.

Westminster area: (Clockwise from top left) Big Ben and the London Eye in the distance, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street and flowers in St James' Park.

11am - 1pm: Tower of London area
Next, hop on to the trusty Tube once again and alight at Tower Hill station to see the Tower of London. Since this is a whirlwind tour of London, you need to decide which ones you want to go in and see, and which are just a photo stop. I didn't go in, choosing to move on to Tower Bridge. From Tower Bridge, you can see the "famous" but ugly London Bridge to your right and wonder what all the fuss is about. Tower Bridge is much more beautiful! You can also see more modern designs like the Shard.

Stop for lunch at the Borough Market. I had a very lovely burger there (not quite British food maybe, but nonetheless, delicious).

Tower Hill area: (Clockwise from top left) Tower Bridge, view of the Shard and London Bridge in the distance, burger at Borough Market, Tower of London

1pm - 2pm: St Paul's Cathedral
Take the Tube to St Paul's for some nice photos of Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece.

2pm - 5pm (or however long you need): Shopping
Time for some shopping. Take the Tube to Oxford Street to check out Selfridges and Marks & Spencer. The Marble Arch is also in the middle of nowhere. Then move on to Knightsbridge, home of the infamous Harrods. You might want to stop at Hyde Park and check out the tranquil Serpentine before that, assuming you are not bogged down with too many shopping bags.

Top: Serpentine at Hyde Park; Bottom: St Paul's Cathedral

Dinner can be had at Harrods' Food Hall (caviar and champagne, grilled meats, seafood!) or restaurants. 

Dinner: Piccadilly, Leicester Square, Covent Garden
If not, there are many pubs that serve decent pub grub (pies, fish and chips) around Leicester Square and Covent Garden. Check out the small little statue of Eros at Piccadilly too. Covent Garden market is pretty cool, with shops such as Whittard of Chelsea, Laduree, Chanel etc there. 

Sleep at a decent hour tonight, assuming jet-lag is hitting on. Remember to take some photos at the impressive Trafalgar Square, which is just a minute away from the Amba Hotel Charing Cross.

Day 2
8.30am - 9.30am: Breakfast at Cafe in the Crypt, just a couple of minutes from the hotel on foot. The food is nothing to shout about, but it is housed in the Crypt of St-Martins-in-the-Fields, so you can eat over tombstones. The church is also quite pretty.

9.30am - 11.30am: Make your way by Tube to the British Museum. It opens at 10am and the best thing is... it's free though you are encouraged to make a five-pound donation. That is pretty amazing as the museum is huge and has really good artefacts. It is one of my favourite museums in the world, along with Louvre and The New York Metropolitan Museum.

British Museum

11.30am - 12.30pm: Diagonally opposite (and a few more doors down) the museum entrance is Tea and Tattle. A little bookshop is on the ground floor but when you go down the little stairs, you'll find a quaint little tea room serving sandwiches, scones, cakes and tea. As the British love to say... "lovely!"... or "perfect!"... or "brilliant!". Yes, it's morning and perhaps not quite time for "afternoon tea", but who cares? The food is the same and I am happy to eat "afternoon tea" food at anytime of the day. Also, it's better to visit the British Museum in the morning where the crowds are less, so for convenience sake, you might want to just have your "afternoon tea" at Tea and Tattle at whatever time you finish at the museum. Beware though - the food is extremely filling even though it's "tea nibbles". After eating the scone, i could only finish half the Victorian sponge.

A spot of traditional English tea at Tea & Tattle to refresh yourself after a visit to the British Museum

12.30pm - 2pm: If you are a Sherlock fan, then it's on to Baker Street next and to call on the "world's most famous detective" at 221B Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes Museum). For 10 pounds, you can go up to his "house" and see his study, rooms etc. The shop downstairs is pretty cool as well. Don't forget to check out Sherlock's statue at the entrance of the Baker Street station.

Sherlock Holmes statue at Baker Street station

2pm - 3.30pm: If shopping is your thing, don't forget to check out the Camden Lock Market with its grungy, edgy, 3D billboards and never-ending rows of shops. Perhaps more for youngsters, but still worth taking a look. Don't forget to bargain!

Bargain when you're at Camden Lock Market!

Do whatever else you wish for the rest of the afternoon (the title of the post did say two days or less!) but you might want to catch a musical at the West End area. The theatres are usually around the Piccadilly, Leicester Square and Covent Garden areas, all easily walkable from the Amba Hotel. Here is a good online listing of what's available, complete with reviews and seating plans.

Also, here's a link which is helpful to find out which Tube stations are nearest to the sights you want to go.

Have fun!

Kid in Kansai: How to nail Kansai with a toddler in tow (Part 8)

As most of the key sights were done, Days 8 and 9 were extremely relaxed compared to the other days.

Day 8 was spent at Nijo Castle (accessibly by bus). The castle is quite different in architecture from the Osaka and Himeji castles, and the interior of the main castle has been renovated (complete with mannequins) to tell its history.

Nijo castle

Thereafter, we proceeded to the futuristic-looking Kyoto Station, which houses Isetan, Suvaco and other shops. 

The evening was spent at Takashimaya and an evening stroll at the super cool Potoncho district. (I did say it was a relaxing day).

The next day, we decided to do some geisha-spotting, though it's known to be tough.

We started off at Potoncho as we knew there was the Kamogawa Odori (geisha dance at the Pontocho theater) going on. The little one had already said he did not want to watch the dance after we showed him a poster (perhaps it is the white-painted faces?) so we could only try to wait outside for a glimpse. We were there one hour before the performance and could only see people queueing to get in, so we left.

As we walked down the street, suddenly, we saw one maiko (trainee geisha, obvious due to the colour and style of her kimono) came walking past us quickly... probably rushing to get ready for the performance!

Five minutes later, a second maiko went past us, probably also rushing to get to the theater. So we saw not one, but two maikos. Not bad. (By the way, we did not had much hopes of seeing a full-fledged geisha as they do not usually do these dances).

We went to the lovely Gion to walk around a little, and queued forever at the fabled Tokuya - a traditional dessert shop serving warabi mochi. While we were queueing up, we saw a third maiko - not sure where she was going - so we pretty much had a good day at the maiko-spotting exercise.

Gion

Tokuya serves seriously good warabi mochi, but the wait is also seriously scary. Even before it opened at 12pm, there was already a long queue snaking around. 

In the afternoon, we went for a stroll near the Kamogawa river, which was really nice with buskers singing, birds flapping and the waters rushing over huge stones.

So that wraps up our nine-day Kansai trip!

I also wanted to share a few important phrases for non-Japanese speakers. Do note that my Japanese level is conversational at best, so there could be some errors below... but I used these on this trip and the Japanese had no problem understanding me.

• Kodomo no isu ga arimasu ka? (Is there a children's chair available?)
• Eigo menu ga arimasu ka? (Is there an English menu?)
• Ichinichi kado o ichimai kudasai (One one-day card / pass please. For two, substitute "ichimai" with "nimai". Kids under three go free.)
• Omizu o-ne-gaishimasu (Water please. Warm = Atatakai. Cold = Tsumetai)
• O-kanjo o-ne-gaishimasu (Bill, please. But this usually only happens at sushi bars, as most other restaurants will already place the bill at your table and you can pick it up and proceed to the cashier to pay)
• XXX wa dochira desuka? (Where is XXX place?)
• XXX ni wa dou yatte ikeba ii desuka? (How do I get to XXX? Or a more accurate translation is, what do I do if I want to go to XXX?)

Hope you find this series of Kansai posts useful!

The complete itinerary:
Day 1: Osaka (Kuromon Market, Osaka Castle, Dotonbori)
Day 2: Osaka (Shitennoji, Sumiyoshi Taisha)
Day 3: Kobe, Himeji (Himeji Castle, Mount Rokko, Harbourland)
Day 4: Nara (Todaiji, Kohfukuji, Nara Park)
Day 5: Kyoto (Arashiyama, Tenryuji, Bamboo Grove, Kinkakuji)
Day 6: Kyoto (Kiyomizudera, Sannenzakai, Ninenzakai, Ishibe Koji, Maruyama Park, Shoren-in, Chion-in, Nanzenji, Path of Philosophy, Ginkakuji)
Day 7: Inari, Uji (Fushimi Inari Taisha, Byodoin Temple, Kaiseki)
Day 8 & 9: Kyoto (Nijo Castle, Kyoto Station, Pontocho, Gion)

Kid in Kansai: How to nail Kansai with a toddler in tow (Part 7)

After Day 6, everything else was a breeze. Day 7 was devoted to the Southern area - Fushimi Inari Taisha (shrine) and onward to Uji, the green tea capital of Japan.

Fushimi Inari Taisha is accessible via train, and just a few minutes walk away from the station. This was one of the most beautiful and memorable sights of Kyoto and definitely not to be missed, even if time is short.

Comprising hundreds of orange-red shrine posts, painstakingly mounted one after the other, it's hard to take a bad picture of this beauty. The trick of course, is having to wait for a moment where there is no one standing in the picture. A scene in Memoirs of a Geisha was filmed here too.

Fushimi Inari

Kid alert: Surprisingly, this place is not difficult with a child. Yes, it is a mountain (maybe more of a hill), and there are steps. But these are very gradual and almost hard to notice as you're busy admiring or photographing the site. You also don't need to climb all the way up unless you feel like it (since it's one orange pole after the other).

The city of Uji is a 20-minute train ride away from Inari on the JR line. The main heritage site there is Byodoin Temple, but for us, the green tea cafes were the main draw while the temple was more of a by-the-way.

Byodoin

Once in the temple compound, there is a nice flower garden and landscaped pond which makes the site worth visiting. On the road to Byodoin, you will see tons of green tea shops lining both sides of the road, with the smell of roasted tea in the air. The most famous ones are Nakamura Tokichi (there are two - both with shops and cafes - on that road) and Itoh Kyuemon (the Byodoin branch only has a shop, while the main one near the Keihan station has a shop and cafe). Be prepared to wait for long if you want to eat at the cafe!

Kid alert: Byodoin Temple is about a 15 to 20-minute walk from the JR station. It's even further if you approach from the Keihan station.

After Byodoin, we made our way to the Itoh Kyuemon main outlet (shop + cafe), which is a 15-minute walk, over the bridge near to the Keihan station.

Kid alert: Do not expect much options for mains here - there were only three when we went (hot chasoba, another hot version with some fish, and cold chasoba). The desserts are its main highlight, especially the green tea parfait. Be prepared to wait for long, once again, but you can while away the time by shopping for green tea products (Itoh Kyuemon special edition Kit Kat, daifuku / mochi, cheesecake, Swiss roll, langue de chat biscuits, puddings, and lots more). It's VAT-free for tourists. Itoh Kyuemon was in Singapore briefly for the Rakuten Japan Gourmet Festival.

By the way, there is also an Itoh Kyuemon shop (no cafe) opposite the Kyoto Station. Nakamura Tokichi (shop and cafe) is also in the Kyoto Station Suvaco shopping mall. The queues for Nakamura Tokichi cafe are not any shorter than those at Byodoin.

Itoh Kyuemon

After that, we made our way back to Kyoto to rest as we were going to have kaiseki for dinner!

We chose Kiyamachi Sakuragawa for our first taste of kaiseki in Kyoto as it was just a 3 or 5-minute walk from the hotel. We had asked the hotel concierge to make a reservation for us the day before, and also as part of a kid alert, this is what we would recommend on "how to ace a kaiseki with a toddler in tow":

1. Have the hotel call up to reserve unless you speak fluent Japanese

2. The restaurant will usually ask you to set a budget in advance. In Sakuragawa's case, they had a 10,000 yen and 15,000 yen menu to choose from

3. Ask if the restaurant can accept kids. Sakuragawa said yes, but they do not have a children's menu. They said that the child can share from the parents' meal, meaning we only had to pay for 2 adults set meal. Great!

4. There are unlikely to be high chairs. Sakuragawa has about 10 counter seats (which are high chairs, you could say) and one private room with four chairs. They kindly said they could provide cushions to elevate the child, though in the end, ours was tall enough so it was ok.

5. If your child is picky with food, go somewhere else to fill his tummy first before going to have the adults' kaiseki. Kaiseki takes about 2 hours (about 9 courses), so the kid has to eat before, or eat at the kaiseki. Thankfully, ours is not fussy with food and he liked the green tea tofu, tempura, shrimp rice, fried fish, salmon and soup.

We had a really good time at Sakuragawa. The food was very creative and delicious, and the manager and chef could speak some English to explain what the dishes were. 

Kaiseki at Kiyamachi Sakuragawa

When the hotel concierge called up for a reservation, they said they only had counter seats left, which we thought was okay. But when we got there, the nice lady manager showed us to a private room for four, which was even better considering that it was a two-hour affair and the counter seats were full with Japanese businessmen anyway.

All in all, we enjoyed our first Kyoto kaiseki very much, thanks to Sakuragawa. It's also located on a very atmospheric street, which made for a lovely pre- and post-dinner walk. Highly recommended!


The complete itinerary:
Day 1: Osaka (Kuromon Market, Osaka Castle, Dotonbori)
Day 2: Osaka (Shitennoji, Sumiyoshi Taisha)
Day 3: Kobe, Himeji (Himeji Castle, Mount Rokko, Harbourland)
Day 4: Nara (Todaiji, Kohfukuji, Nara Park)
Day 5: Kyoto (Arashiyama, Tenryuji, Bamboo Grove, Kinkakuji)
Day 6: Kyoto (Kiyomizudera, Sannenzakai, Ninenzakai, Ishibe Koji, Maruyama Park, Shoren-in, Chion-in, Nanzenji, Path of Philosophy, Ginkakuji)
Day 7: Inari, Uji (Fushimi Inari Taisha, Byodoin Temple, Kaiseki)
Day 8 & 9: Kyoto (Nijo Castle, Kyoto Station, Pontocho, Gion)

Kid in Kansai: How to nail Kansai with a toddler in tow (Part 6)

Day 6 was dedicated to the Eastern Higashiyama area. Let's start off with a kid alert right away.

Kid alert: The itinerary covers a walking tour of about four to five hours (including a stop for lunch). It covers a number of key sights and while you can "break" it up into two days, it makes more sense to cover it as one long stretch. This was probably the most tiring day of our itinerary (along with Himeji). Walking, climbing and carrying will no doubt provide a fantastic cardio-strength workout, with a positive side effect of being able to eat a lot without growing fat.

We started off with the Kiyomizudera (via bus, as usual), which has to be approached via an uphill climb from the bus stop. If needed, stop for a soft serve ice-cream (hojicha, macha, sakura... choose your flavours!)

After Kiyomizudera, we proceeded downwards to Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, picturesque flights of steps with quaint shops on both sides. Don't miss Ishibe Koji, probably one of our favourite places in Kyoto - a picture-perfect lane lined with traditional houses. This whole process should take about 30 minutes if you're fast, or more likely an hour, if you want to take lots of photos.

The atmospheric Ishibe Koji

We then made our way to Maruyama Koen (park), a little Japanese-style park which is popular for sakura-viewing, for a brief rest. The little one will be glad to be out of the carrier (if he was in it) for a little stretching of his legs.

After the park, we made our way for a quick photo stop of Chion-In and Shoren-In temples, which were on the way to Nanzenji, which is a 20 or 30 minute walk away (slopes included).

Nanzenji

At this point, mama and papa should have been thoroughly worn out by now, and perhaps the little one is asleep in his carrier. (By the way, our recommendation is to use a carrier instead of a pram - there are just too many flights of stairs and pebbled pavements at the Kyoto sights). Walk along the Path of Philosophy towards Ginkakuji, the last of today's destinations. The path is not short - about 30 minutes in total - so try to stop for lunch along the path. 

We chanced upon a signboard that said it served udon. It was a lovely find - a little "hidden" shop serving wonderful hot and cold soba. Only later did we realise that it was a place that we had shortlisted as "to go". The shop's name is O-men - they had an outlet near Sanjo station as well, but this one seemed more atmospheric. They have the traditional tatami seats, which was very good for our well-worn legs. Altogether, a fantastic respite from the walk!

The highly-recommended O-men. Pictured here is their seasonal set.

After being suitably recharged, we made our way to the final destination of the day - Ginkakuji. Do not expect a silver version of Kinkakuji - this was is wood all the way, but the design is a replica of the gold version. Take a short hike up the hill for a great view of the temple.

Where's the silver in Ginkakuji?

After this, we made our way back to the hotel for some serious resting. In the evening, you can walk around Teramachi Dori street and if you're early enough, check out the Nishiki market.

Western-style desserts can also be found at the Lipton Cafe on Sanjo Dori.

Kids will enjoy the strawberry shortcake (top) while the adults will like the matcha sponge cake with kuromame black beans.

The complete itinerary:
Day 1: Osaka (Kuromon Market, Osaka Castle, Dotonbori)
Day 2: Osaka (Shitennoji, Sumiyoshi Taisha)
Day 3: Kobe, Himeji (Himeji Castle, Mount Rokko, Harbourland)
Day 4: Nara (Todaiji, Kohfukuji, Nara Park)
Day 5: Kyoto (Arashiyama, Tenryuji, Bamboo Grove, Kinkakuji)
Day 6: Kyoto (Kiyomizudera, Sannenzakai, Ninenzakai, Ishibe Koji, Maruyama Park, Shoren-in, Chion-in, Nanzenji, Path of Philosophy, Ginkakuji)
Day 7: Inari, Uji (Fushimi Inari Taisha, Byodoin Temple, Kaiseki)
Day 8 & 9: Kyoto (Nijo Castle, Kyoto Station, Pontocho, Gion)