Japan

In 2017 a friend and I went to Japan. I arrived late, as my plane had to stop in Vancouver due to technical difficulties, so I lost most of my first day in Tokyo. In addition to Tokyo, we visted Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara.

If someone has never travelled to Asia before, is a little unsure of where to start, and has a reasonable budget to work with, I recommend Japan. We felt very safe and I found the people really value order and politeness. In a megacity like Tokyo I can’t say I ever felt too crowded, aside from our time spent in Shinjuku station (one of the busiest train stations in Japan). In the big cities there is always something for you to explore. You never know what you may find if you start exploring the side streets.

My favorite city was Kyoto. I loved the mixture of nature and city. There are many shrines and temples throughout the city, and beautiful monuments and hikes just a short train ride from the city.