North Bound in April 2016
We just returned from completing the April 19, 2016 journey through the Land of the Rising Sun northbound from Kyoto to Tokyo. It was a wonderful tour with a superb look into the people, history, cities, towns, and villages of Japan. We highly recommend it.
Our journey began in wonderful Kyoto at the Westin Miyako Kyoto Hotel and got better and better until a finale in beautiful and amazing Tokyo at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Tokyo. The people are polite, and friendly, and helpful. The cities are clean, and the architecture, though without a pattern or style, was fascinating to see. All kinds of styles, and structures are in evidence, and the old temples, shrines, and homes add a mystique to Japan.
The schedule is ambitious and takes effort to get through the walking and stair climbing. But, the sights and sounds at the end of the walk are well worth the effort made. The castles are just as imagined. The customs are interesting and well worth investigating.
ATMs can be found in 7 Elevens in Japan, and at their Post Offices. There were also some opportunities to use Monetary Exchanges at some of the ports in the Visitor Information Centers right on the dock, and at good rates.
Recommend an extension cord with multiple outlets for shipboard if you have a number of electronic gadgets to charge or plug in. Two-post adapters were also handy on board ship. There are outlets, but perhaps may not be as many as you may need.
Overall, this tour is outstanding!
Our journey began in wonderful Kyoto at the Westin Miyako Kyoto Hotel and got better and better until a finale in beautiful and amazing Tokyo at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Tokyo. The people are polite, and friendly, and helpful. The cities are clean, and the architecture, though without a pattern or style, was fascinating to see. All kinds of styles, and structures are in evidence, and the old temples, shrines, and homes add a mystique to Japan.
The schedule is ambitious and takes effort to get through the walking and stair climbing. But, the sights and sounds at the end of the walk are well worth the effort made. The castles are just as imagined. The customs are interesting and well worth investigating.
ATMs can be found in 7 Elevens in Japan, and at their Post Offices. There were also some opportunities to use Monetary Exchanges at some of the ports in the Visitor Information Centers right on the dock, and at good rates.
Recommend an extension cord with multiple outlets for shipboard if you have a number of electronic gadgets to charge or plug in. Two-post adapters were also handy on board ship. There are outlets, but perhaps may not be as many as you may need.
Overall, this tour is outstanding!
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