Chris Dyson's Travel Blog

Raining once again as I left Tokyo transferring to the airport. I had used transfers in all 3 different countries to and from the airport, all of them were on time with no issues. Tokyo Airport I used my last few Yen coins trying some limited edition Japanese mint flavoured kit-kat which were very nice. I would be flying with Aeroflot for both of the flights back to London. Soon after we boarded we were informed that the in-flight entertainment system was broken, which was not ideal for a 10 hour flight. We were offered several drink refills, 2 meals and a yoghurt/ice-cream throughout the flight tho which was nice. Aeroflot plane Moscow Airport I had a 3 hour connection here, so I grabbed a few croissants and tried to grab some rest in the corner somewhere. The next onward flight to London would be 4 hours but it was OK as I had enough leg room on this flight. Heathrow Airport I arrived into London and cleared border control around 21:30pm. I would be staying overn...

The rain had unfortunately greeted me for my last full day in Japan. But I was determined to get the 3 things I had planned at home for today completed. Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine The first of which was Inari Shrine which is just 2 stops on the JR Nara line from Kyoto station. This took just 5 minutes to get there and cost only ¥140Yen (£1). The trains run every 15 minutes and the admission for this popular shrine is free. I arrived around 9am so it was just starting to get busy but it is actually open 24 hours a day. To walk all the way up to the top is around 4 kilometres. I chose to walk to point 6/7 on the map as it had a good viewing point of Kyoto. I then walked back to Inari station for the journey to Saga-Arashiyama station. This cost ¥240Yen (£1.60) and requires a change at Kyoto. Torii gate leading up the trails Iwatayama Monkey Park 6 stops later on the JR Sagano Line and I had arrived, it took 16 minutes in total. After walking for 15 minutes I was at the en...

Nijo Castle Our first stop of the day was Nijo Castle. We had to take our shoes off before entering the building and no photographs were allowed inside. This castle is one of 17 ancient buildings on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. We then went a bit further north west to the Kinkakuji Temple, which is more commonly known as the Golden Pavilion. Kinkakuji Temple(Golden Pavilion) As soon as we arrived at the Golden Pavilion everybody was keen to take photos straight away. Once again we had a clear day despite the recent poor weather in Japan from Typhoon 21. With the clear water and autumnal colours surrounding the building this is one of the top sights in Kyoto for sure. It was completed in 1397. Golden Pavilion Kyoto Imperial Palace Our final stop pf the morning was at Kyoto Imperial palace. Most of the functions of the palace stopped after the capital of Japan was moved to Tokyo in 1869. There are lots of different architecture to be seen here and various build...

Mount Fuji We made the drive to Mount Fuji starting at 8am and the weather was one of the best days in October the guide said. It had also snowed in the early hours of the morning so it looked exactly how I had seen in pictures online before travelling to Japan. We were allowed to travel up to the 5th station at midday and is one of the most popular viewing points as its open all year round pending heavy snowfall in the winter. Mount Fuji Lake Ashi In the afternoon we took a 15 minute cruise on Lake Ashi, which is in the Hakone area of Kanagawa Prefecture. The boat was very spacious and relaxing just looking around the beautiful scenery in the distance. Disembarking the cruise on Lake Ashi The destination took us to Hakone cable car ropeway which was next on the agenda. Hakone Ropeway The cable car runs every 10 minutes, and I took the 15:50 up and the 16:30 back down. In total it takes around 7 minutes each way and as soon as it starts to move the view is fan...

I left my luggage at the hotel as it was still too early to check-in and made my way onto Tokyo Metro ready to explore. Ueno Park My first stop of the day was in Ueno Park. When I originally left home I wasn't planning on coming here so it was a last minute decision. There was also some light rain in the air but that wasn't going to deter me. I saw a small baseball park inside which looked very well maintained as I understand it is one of Japan's most popular sports. From here I went back to the metro and headed towards the Tokyo Skytree. Tokyo Skytree As soon as I arrived in the area departing the metro I saw a group of people who had rented some Mario like go karts. From what I understand the company is called Maricar and you will need a driving license if you want to do this while in Tokyo. The Skytree tower itself was just in the distance and is an observation deck, broadcasting and restaurant tower. In 2010 it was the tallest structure in the world but has si...

DMZ Tour My pickup time was around 07:30am and the coach was full. You may be surprised but these tours are very popular. We made the drive north to the border and made a rest stop at Imjingak Park. Imjingak Park Entering Imjingak Park is the last stop before you enter inside the DMZ area properly. Here there are memorials of the Korean War as well as Freedom Bridge in the distance. This is where prisoners of war would be sent from the North back into their own country in the South. Freedom Bridge 3rd Infiltration Tunnel The next stop was the 3rd infiltration tunnel. The Third Infiltration Tunnel is one of four known tunnels under the border between North and South Korea. It is just 44km from Seoul and was discovered in October 1978. I had a walk half way down but turned back as the head space started to diminish, unfortunately no photos are allowed here. Dorasan Observatory Here you can get a great view of the border and see the North Korean city of Kaesong. You ...

I was picked up at the hotel for my transfer to the airport. Today I was leaving China and making my way to South Korea. It was a couple of hours on the flight from Shanghai to Seoul. Gyeongbokgung Palace After transferring to my hotel in Seoul it was around 4pm and I knew the sunlight was fading. I dropped off the suitcase in the room and walked around the corner to the metro and went to the palace straight away. I needed to make sure I made the last admission time of 5pm or I couldn't get in at all because it would be closed tomorrow and I was only in South Korea for 2 days. This palace was build in 1395 and was part of the Joseon dynasty. It is the biggest of 5 palaces that were built around that period of time. I then made my way back to the hotel after closing time as I needed to do some laundry at the hotel. I packed for around 11-12 days worth of clothes and I was in Asia for 16-17 so this was the best time to do it as I had seen the hotel had a coin operated laundry...