For the longest time, since my two children came along, this is the first time my wife and I went for a vacation without them.
As I mentioned in the article, there were some reasons why we left them behind and had a holiday without children.
Of course, one of them was to rejuvenate our relationship as this trip could be hailed as our second honeymoon.
Though it was fun to have childless vacation (everything is super easy and there are no children to look after) but I always think something is missing and we should not do this too often. You can say it is guilt.
I just can’t bear to see one more time how J clung to me when we left for airport. She was screaming and holding on to me so tightly that I had to use force to free myself.
Going on a vacation without kids is not without its benefits. One apparent improvement I can see is J and K are getting closer than before. They are more independent and they play together with less fighting. I guess they have learned to overcome hurdles as a team rather than being selfish.
Anyway, the Japan trip turned out to be a great one. I am truly impressed with its culture, history, and technological advancement and innovation.
One thing that will not go unnoticed is Japan is a very clean country.
The tour was organized by Reliance Travel. It lasted for 7 days and 5 nights, starting from December 7. Every night we stayed at different hotel.
I have broken down the trip by day and location.
DAY ONE
DAY TWO
- Kimono Fashion Show at Nishijin Textile Center, Kyoto
- Geisha at Gion, Kyoto
- A visit to Kiyomizu Temple
DAY THREE
- A Quick Ride on Shinkansen Train and First Encounter with Mount Fuji
- Lake Ashi Cruise and Owakudani
- Naked encounter with the Japanese hot spring baths
DAY FOUR
- Close encounter with Fujisan
- Eight spring water ponds at Oshino Hakkai
- Peace Park, Gotemba
- Shopping at Gotemba Premium Outlets and Heading Tokyo
DAY FIVE
- A quick visit to Yasukuni Jinja or Yasukuni Shrine
- Sensoji (Asakusa Kannon Temple) and Nakamise Shopping Street
- Shopping in Akihabara
- BBQ lunch in Ginza
- Shopping in Ginza
- Imperial Palace
- Shopping at Odaiba’s Palette Town (Venus Fort and Toyota City Showcase)
DAY SIX
- Heading home
Overall Japanese are soft-spoken and courteous. They follow rules by heart and are highly disciplined.
Exchange rate: ¥1000 = RM37.80
Time zone: GMT +9 hours.
Interesting fact: By and large, hotel rooms have two single beds. Rooms with double beds are not common in Japan. I was told by the tour guide that even Japanese couples sleep in separate beds at home.
See Also…
Family Weekend Getaway: A Road Trip To Lumut
Family Travel – How We Survived a Trip to Melbourne With Two Children
