Most Inspirational Moment
It's extremely hard to just pick one inspirational moment of this trip as there so many. Kyoto is a beautiful, friendly place with so many hidden gems which might be missed without a tour guide. However, the day trip to Nara has really stuck with me and if you're an animal lover like me then this should not be missed! What's not to love about crowds of cheeky deer bowing to you for a snack in front of the stunning view of a giant buddha statue. Truly amazing.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Ayaka Tsukamoto was an ideal group leader! She was extremely knowledgeable in every part of the tour and never ceased to go the extra mile, during free time to roam certain places she made sure she found us to tell us extra little facts and stories so we really knew the history of the places we were visiting. On our free days Ayaka went out of her way to make herself available and ensure a day never was wasted, she gave us all the information we needed to visit the places we wanted and had no problem accompanying us when we were unsure where to go. Ayaka has such a great sense of humour and really made us feel at ease in a country with a completely different culture to our own. She never rushed our group and allowed us to go at our own pace while making sure we never missed anything important. Ayaka truly made our holiday one to remember!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Comfy shoes are definitely a must, there's quite a lot of walking but it's definitely worth it. I was surprised at just how hot it was some days so make sure you take plenty cool clothes, we got lucky with just one day of rain so make sure you take a light raincoat too! I definitely over-packed my suitcase and didn't wear half the stuff I took, it's a casual trip so don't go nuts. I was far too strict with myself when buying souvenirs etc. and now i'm home I definitely regret not buying the things I wanted. There's so many lovely little things to take home, if you like it just buy it!