Kitakanto Area Jednodenní výlety

S Theou jsme se vydali na prohlídku Kjóta. Naše skupina čítala asi 10 lidí a trvala přibližně 2,5 hodiny. Byl to skvělý způsob, jak poznat a pochopit historii Kjóta. Prohlídka se líbila i mým 9 a 12letým dětem, dokonce víc než workshop kitsune, který jsme absolvovali dříve dnes. Thea byla skvělá v tom, jak dala skupině čas na focení, modlitby v různých svatyních, pokud jsme chtěli, a pomohla nám pořídit pěkné rodinné fotografie. Tip: Zarezervujte si čas asi hodinu před západem slunce, abyste viděli některé chrámy za denního světla, ale také Gion v noci s lucernami.

Při cestě do Tokia s dětmi jsem vybírala zájezd velmi pečlivě. Moje volba byla skutečně vynikající. Bylo obrovské štěstí potkat průvodkyni Seigu Kanazawu. Sraz byl v 8 hodin ráno na nádraží v Tokiu, a protože jsme bydleli v Ariake, vstávali jsme brzy ráno, abychom se připravili. Přesto jsem se obávala, že přijedeme pozdě, když pojedeme autobusem, ale byla jsem velmi vděčná za to, že nás průvodkyně průběžně informovala přes KakaoTalk. Také jsem byla velmi vděčná, že nás vyzvedla, když jsme vystoupili z autobusu a potřebovali se dostat na místo srazu. Naštěstí jsme stihli autobus přesně v 8 hodin, za což jsem byla vděčná. Během cesty se usmívala a vyprávěla spoustu zajímavých příběhů. Myslela jsem si, že naše druhé dítě neposlouchá, ale pak mi vyprávělo všechno, co průvodkyně říkala, a to mě naplnilo hrdostí. Myslela jsem si, že neuvidíme horu Fudži, ale byla vidět tak jasně a krásně, že to byl opravdu velmi uspokojivý zájezd. Průvodkyně nám také s velkým nadšením fotila a skvěle nás provázela. Určitě si tento zájezd zarezervuji i příště^^ Díky ní to byl šťastný zájezd.

A refreshing escape from Tokyo as it offers a perfect mix of nature, culture and great food.The local seafood was fresh and delicious. Seaside park was a bit disappointing as now is the season for the flower hills but since the park is big so still a nice walk in the green forest. There is fun fair and play ground for children but no time to play. Overall, exploring scenic parks, visiting temples and shrines, taking in the ocean views, Ibaraki offers a different side of Japan that's well worth discovering.

Právě v době, kdy v národním parku Hitachi Seaside kvetly nemofily, bylo pro nás z Tokia obtížné se tam dostat sami, a tak jsme se přihlásili na jednodenní výlet s Klookem. Naší průvodkyní byla Elsa, milá čínská dívka s jemným hlasem. Cesta z Tokia trvala asi dvě hodiny a první zastávkou byla svatyně Oarai a torii u moře. Svatyně má více než tisíciletou historii a její venkovní zahrady jsou velmi klidné. Po dlouhém schodišti jsme sešli k moři, abychom viděli torii, a Elsa nám tam pořídila nádherné fotografie! Poté jsme šli na oběd na rybí trh Nakaminato. Trh nebyl velký, ale i když byl všední den, bylo tam mnoho turistů a na oběd jsme čekali velmi dlouho! Málem jsme nestihli sraz, takže jsme požádali Elsu, aby nám pomohla s komunikací, a ona nám dokonce pomohla s vyzvednutím jídla, za což jsme jí moc vděční! Poslední zastávkou bylo hlavní lákadlo – moře nemofil. Národní park Hitachi Seaside je obrovský, takže jsme si za vlastní peníze vzali vyhlídkový autobus k květinovému moři a tam jsme si užili focení a prohlídku. Bylo to opravdu velkolepé a krásné! Měli jsme štěstí, že jsme potkali skvělou průvodkyni a spolucestující. Všichni se sešli včas a v autobuse tiše odpočívali, takže jsme si společně užili příjemný den!

The tour leader was great and emphasized the importance of being on time, mentioning that the bus would leave otherwise. This reminder was very helpful, and everyone was on time today, February 2nd. Lunch was delicious. The snow tubing and sledding in the morning were a lot of fun. The weather was great, with light, fine snow falling. We had a lot of fun. The strawberries were delicious, and we ate so many we were stuffed. The tofu skin making experience in the afternoon was fantastic. It was my first time making tofu skin myself, and it was a lot of fun. Today's itinerary was wonderful. We were constantly eating and on our way to eat, haha. It was an excellent trip. The tour leader and guide were Taiwanese, very helpful, and helped me take photos. They were very nice. This trip was great, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to play in the snow.

I’ve joined quite a few tours labeled as “small group,” but they often end up being larger than expected but this one truly delivered. The group was genuinely small, which made the whole experience feel more relaxed and enjoyable. We visited three locations, and I really appreciated how the guide gave us the freedom to explore each place at our own pace. As a solo traveler, I loved being able to wander around and discover things on my own while still getting helpful recommendations from the guide on where to go. One tip: make sure to check the flower calendar for Hitachi Seaside Park before booking, as different flowers bloom throughout the year. I was hoping to catch the nemophila, but during my visit, only the daffodils were in bloom, which were still beautiful in their own way. Overall, this is a great tour if you enjoy a balance of guidance and independence. I highly recommend it, especially for solo travelers who value flexibility.

Many thanks to Mr. Gao Hongmiao for his meticulous and patient care. He made every part of our itinerary today incredibly smooth! ♥️ Although we didn't go to the waterfall, we saw the cherry blossoms in full bloom and caught the tail end of winter. In one day, we experienced the spring of blooming cherry blossoms, enjoyed all-you-can-eat freshly picked strawberries, and saw the pure white snow that only appears in winter. Plus, we were back in Tokyo by 6 PM, with time to shop at the mall. We did so much in one day; it was truly great value for money, and I highly recommend it.

I almost wanted to cancel this trip because the flower season was over, but then I thought a suburban tour would also give my feet a rest. The date was the Friday after Golden Week, so there were far fewer tourists, and we hardly had to wait in line for anything. The three stops on the itinerary weren't far apart. Initially, it was just 'get on the bus - sleep - attraction - eat - attraction - go back.' It took over two hours to get to the first attraction, even without much traffic. At Oarai Isosaki Shrine, I think the main point is to go down the stairs to the beach. For the fish market, you really need to do your research beforehand and decide immediately which restaurant you want to eat at, otherwise, you definitely won't have enough time. The last stop was a park. I initially thought it was just a nature park, but it actually had playground equipment, so it's a great place for those with kids. Since the flowers had already withered this time, we took the guided tour bus that circles the park. One loop took about 40-50 minutes. The park is truly enormous; if you don't take the bus, you'd need to rent a bicycle, or you'd be exhausted from walking. In summary, this tour isn't one where the guide takes you around the attractions; it's all free time, so it's essential to do your homework beforehand.

Our guide was incredibly kind, and when we asked for recommendations for good restaurants around Tokyo, they meticulously found some for us, which allowed us to enjoy delicious meals. However, the travel time was longer than expected, so the time we could spend at our destination felt a bit short. This was the case even on a weekday, which made me think that travel times could be even longer on weekends.