Hiraiwa Ryokan, Kyoto

Advantages: Enormous temples, exciting centre & good wooded walks.
Disadvantages: Disappointment if you let the guidebooks build it up too much & expensive.

...with gas cookers, crockery and cutlery which is free to use. There’s also drinking water so you can save money by refilling yesterday’s PET bottle before you set off. Newspapers, magazines, travel guides and, of course, fellow travellers are all on hand for tips and small talk. I cannot comment on other accommodation, but have heard that Kyoto is a good place to try the traditional Japanese “Ryokan”, a sort of inn or traveller’s lodge. They are not to everyone’s taste. If paying through the nose to receive prissy food in small quantities while scheduling your day to a brutally regimented timetable sounds worth the luxury of these service intensive establishments then splash out for a unique cultural experience. To my mind they sound infuriating and overpriced, and I’ve heard of people that grew... Read review

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Advantages: beautiful, hundreds of temples and shrine
Disadvantages: real danger of shrine overload

...and also cooler during the summer. Where to stay- Look in a guide book for a list of places there are a few hotels right next to the station and a large number of Ryokan spread throughout the city which are feel worth staying in to enhance that traditional Japanese feel. Kyoto is a haven for the budget traveller because of a series of guesthouses. I stayed at Uno house to the north of the city during my stay. They are generally pretty grotty places but a lot cheaper than hotels and are great places to meet other travellers. Night Life- There is a pretty good choice of night life as you'd expect in a major city try heading along the Western side of the river. Some of the bars have great views over the river and often you can see children setting off fireworks along the river banks over festival periods. So in summary the closest... Read review

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Advantages: It is a fascinating city which presents many of the contrasts of Japan
Disadvantages: This review is very long - but there is so much to Kyoto that I've only given you the main sites

...Warning: many of you may want to scan this review, as it is far too long. Kyoto has a great deal to see though... Kyoto gives its name to possibly Japan's most historically and culturally rich prefecture (kyoto-ken), and is contained within the Kansai region. The city itself which was then known as Heian-kyo, was used as the country's capital before Tokyo and shares this privilege with nearby Nara which predates it. Along with Osaka, Nara is also well worth a visit if you are interested in learning a little about Japan's history or seeing many of its most beautiful shrines and temples; many of which are national treasures, UNESCO sites or important cultural properties. The earthquake devastated and recently rebuilt Kobe is also an easy distance (all are reached within half... Read review

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