Travel 2 U

19/10/2026

We arrived at the last stop of our journey, and Tokyo proved a fitting place to finish.

Our mornings were spent among temples and gardens: the five-storey pagoda at Sensō-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo Tower rising behind the rooftops of Zōjō-ji, and a slow wander through Hamarikyu Gardens, where the old tea houses sat in the shadow of the Shiodome towers. A stop at the Imperial Palace brought a glimpse of the guard at his post by the main gate.

Evenings took on a different pace, with the clock tower in Ginza lit up after dark and the lanterns and signs of Shinjuku's Kabukichō coming to life at dusk. In between, there was time to sit down together at a rooftop b**r garden and raise a glass to everything the trip had brought.

After weeks of new places and shared moments, we headed home with plenty of stories to tell. Thank you to an amazing group!

15/10/2026

Hello Everyone,

We have made a new Youtube channel that we would love you to subscribe to. This channel will have updates of our adventures as well as information on upcoming tours and live streams of our evenings.

https://www.youtube.com/

We look forward to seeing you there.

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

08/10/2026

✈️ You're Invited to our 2027 Tour Information Evenings!

We're hosting a series of information evenings and afternoon presentations, and we'd love you to come along! Join us for an introduction to our touring styles, followed by a brief overview of our exciting 2027 tours. Every presentation will cover the same programme.

📅 20 October – 4 November

With just 30 places available at each presentation, we encourage you to register early.

🌏 Can't make it to Christchurch? We're also exploring the possibility of live streaming our presentations, so you can register your interest in joining us from elsewhere.

Register your interest or reserve your place here: 👇
https://travel2u.co.nz/2027-information-evenings/

We look forward to seeing you there!

04/10/2026

Our penultimate stop in Japan is the Fuji area.

We have had great luck with Mt Fuji! Mt Fuji appeared on the drive into Fujiyoshida, with clear views across the valley and the summit sitting above a band of cloud.

That evening we changed into yukata for a traditional Japanese dinner at our onsen hotel, Kaneyamaen. It was an amazing experience to try many courses of top quality Japanese food, made even more special with the fact it was Bev’s birthday! The next morning many of us walked the hotel's gardens, with their stone bridges, koi ponds and the first autumn colour coming through.

We then took the Panoramic Ropeway above Lake Kawaguchi. Fuji stayed behind the cloud, but the lake and town below were laid out in full. Lunch was at Oshino Hakkai, a small village built around eight spring-fed ponds. The water here is snowmelt from Fuji that filters through volcanic rock for years before it surfaces.

The day ended at Fuji's Fifth Station, and the mountain came out for us once again. Clear blue skies and the summit right there in front of the group. We later met a group of Australians who had been up the same day and hadn't seen it at all. It seems Mt Fuji has picked a side for the Bledisloe Cup!

03/10/2026

Next up is Takayama. We spent our time here walking the old merchant streets of Sanmachi Suji. The dark timber houses here date back to the Edo period, and a few still operate as sake breweries, marked by the cedar balls hanging above their doors. We had a group photo on the red Nakabashi Bridge, then onto the coach.

The drive east took us through the Japanese Alps, following the Azusa River through steep forested gorges and past the jade-green water of the Inekoki Dam. We broke the journey at a wasabi farm in Azumino, where the plants grow in cold spring water from Mount Fuji beneath long rows of black shade cloth.

02/10/2026

After Kanazawa we made our way through the mountains and explored Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage village in the Japanese Alps known for its steep thatched farmhouses, some more than 250 years old. With clear skies and the rice fields turning gold for harvest, it was a beautiful day to wander the village.

We then visited Matsuri no Mori in Takayama, a museum carved into the hillside that houses ornate festival floats, lanterns and a collection of taiko drums. Pictured below is Tim striking the biggest drum in Japan, and the sound carried right through the hall!

01/10/2026

We’ve just wrapped up a wonderful couple of days in Kanazawa!

We explored Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan’s most famous gardens. The following day we wandered through the old town of Kanazawa, including a visit to an old tea house where we experienced a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. We then strolled through the historic Nagamachi Samurai District, where we visited a beautifully preserved samurai house.

We also enjoyed a lovely dinner together to celebrate Karen’s birthday, making our time in Kanazawa even more special. A fantastic few days discovering the history and culture of this beautiful part of Japan

30/09/2026

Our last day in Kyoto consisted of the old and the new. We started our day at Teamlab, a futuristic exhibition. A little disorientating, but a great experience nonetheless. The original one in Tokyo was so popular, there are now of these Teamlab’s 4 in Japan.
We then headed to Fushimi Inari Taisha, where 10,000 Tori gates line paths up the hill. Although wet, we still had a great look around and got some great photos, including some of ladies in traditional Kimono dresses.
We finished the day in Gion, Kyoto’s geisha district. Many of the streets we could not take photos of, for the privacy of the geisha and maiko. The streets here are lined with well preserved townhouses.
Next up, Kanazawa.

27/09/2026

We have had a few days in Kyoto so far. We first visited Nishiki Market, full of fresh fish, Wagyu beef and plenty of shops. The next day we visited Kinkaku-ji and Kiyomizu-dera. Kinkaku-ji is the “golden temple”, lined with gold leaf. Kiyomizu-dera is a temple built in 780AD, with the stage and hall built without a single nail.

The next day we visited Arashiyama, we took a scenic train here, where we visited the bamboo grove and then Tenryū-ji gardens.

Although the rain is pouring, the group is still in high spirits as we take on a few more days in Kyoto before heading to Kanazawa.

24/09/2026

Today our group travelled through Hiroshima and Miyajima, experiencing two places that offer very different perspectives on Japan.
In Hiroshima, we explored the city’s history, mainly relating to the horrible events of WWII. We then continued to Miyajima, taking in its beautiful scenery, historic temples and the iconic torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine.

A memorable day of history, culture and discovery as we continue our journey through Japan.