Japan is a dream country for many people, including myself. Although we have a lot of darkness in us, they also have a lot of cuteness. In a few weeks, it will be the autumn foliage season in Japan. Let me share some photos of the autumn foliage from last year, which might give you some ideas. My mother asked me what's the difference between the autumn foliage and the rubber tree leaves changing color in Phatthalung. She said they are the same. We can just look at them in our country. (Yes, Mom. You have a very strong vision.) But I can only shout in my heart, "It's not the same, man!"

This trip has six members. It's our first time in Japan. Of course, each person will have different desires. We want to go to Yufuin. Another friend wants to go to Osaka to take a picture with the Glico sign. Another person wants to soak in an onsen and see Fuji. How about all the places are close together? To make everyone's wishes come true, our trip starts with Fukuoka - Yufuin - Osaka / Kyoto - Kawaguchiko lake - Osaka / Kyoto and ends with a bang. Everyone is happy. (Fly to Fukuoka and fly back to Osaka)

Travel time 21-29 Nov. 2015

Places Fukuoka - Yufuin - Osaka / Kyoto - Kawaguchiko lake

( I won't go into detail about inter-city travel and routes, as there are already countless reviews available. I'll just highlight the key points and basic preparations. If you'd like a detailed itinerary, feel free to message me privately. I have complete information and can send you a file.) If you love traveling and photography, come join the conversation on our page: FB Page: Goanywhere E-mail: [email protected] photo / Story by LamHub

Getting ready to see the changing leaves

What to wear and how to take beautiful photos with the leaves

We understand the modern woman's obsession with taking photos. Some of our friends even bring a whole arsenal of props and spend months researching poses in advance. While it's true that beautiful photos don't necessarily translate to a good time, they are undeniably "spicy." So please understand us, the girls and our gay friends. It's a universal problem. Those who are already beautiful can wear anything and look stunning, regardless of the setting. But for those of us who are saving our beauty for the next life, we need to be prepared. Autumn leaves are already vibrant and colorful, so we recommend wearing white or pastel colors for your photos. Avoid patterns, or you'll blend in with the leaves. (This is just my personal opinion.)

See the sample image.

(This season is not only coveted by us, but also by other people, including Japanese, Thai, and Chinese. Therefore, when taking pictures, if you encounter a crowd, just raise the camera above their heads. You can get a hipster feel, beautiful views of the changing leaves, and solve the problem of accidentally capturing humans in your photos. If you don't want to raise the camera, bring a ladder and let the model stand on it. They will be almost as tall as a giraffe, and you won't have to worry about capturing people's heads in your photos. However, bringing a ladder can be a bit much, to say the least. So, just raise the camera and get the shot.)


( The cleanness of the outfit will make the leaves stand out, and we won't sink. Even if we're not that pretty, we can still be confident. Trust me. )

Prepare your body

During peak season, everything is a competition. It is recommended to go as early as possible. Therefore, it is normal to stay up late and wake up early. And, and, and, walking, taking the train, or sightseeing all require a certain level of physical fitness. (But not too much, because the weather is good, and you won't get tired no matter how much you walk. You'll only know when your feet are numb.) It's best to choose shoes that you can walk in for a long time. I once walked the most, 25 km a day.

Check the weather

For those who are going to Fuji, since she is a shy person, not everyone will be able to meet her. Our simple technique is to check the weather forecast before planning your trip. Arrange the Fuji plan first, choose the day with the clearest sky, and then plan the other days. Japanese weather forecasts are quite reliable. This will give us a high chance of seeing Fuji. On the last trip, we were able to see Fuji with a clear sky. (Sometimes, not everything comes by luck. Do a little more homework, your life will be much better.)

The recommended time to see the changing leaves is Kansai late November - early December / Kawaguchiko Lake late October - mid-November. (If you want to visit multiple zones like us, you have to choose where you want to see the full changing leaves. This trip, we mainly chose to see the Kansai area.)

Internet

I used to think that when I went on a trip, I didn't want to use social media at all. I wanted to turn off all communication and soak up the atmosphere as much as possible. But, but, but, thank goodness my friend was sensible. Because on the job, I can tell you that the plan we made didn't really work out. We changed plans as needed. The internet was important for checking train times from hypedia. So, take it and make the most of it. Go in a group and get a pocket wifi. Book well in advance and you'll only pay a hundred baht a day (more than worth it).

Finally, **prepare your money**. Money will make everything happen for us, from delicious food like grilled meat, sushi, raw fish, ice cream, and snacks to shopping for anything we want, like shoes, clothes, and bags. This country can drain our blood and flesh all the time, regardless of the time. Oh, this damn country!!! * (We didn't travel in the cheapest style. We like to think that we go all out when we go somewhere, so we prepare more money than planned so that we don't miss any opportunities. It's up to you. We can always eat rice porridge for a month when we get back.)*

Places to see the changing leaves

In 2015, the leaves were not very full because of the erratic weather. Some of the leaves were withered before they fell. But for our first time, it was still very beautiful. (I mean, there's nothing to compare it to, so it's beautiful anyway.) It's divided into Kyushu, Kansai, and Lake Kawaguchiko, as follows:

Osaka

Katsuo-ji temple

I love this place because it's so secluded and there are no crowds. It's a hidden gem for enjoying the fall foliage, untouched by tour groups. It's like a white elephant in the forest for Osaka, only known to locals.

Journey

Getting there: Take the train to Minoo Station (the same station for Minoo Waterfall). This is a bit difficult because the temple is on a mountain and not easily accessible by car. However, the beauty and tranquility increase dramatically once you arrive. After exiting the station, take a taxi up the mountain. Getting up isn't difficult because there are plenty of taxis available. Don't forget to plan your descent, though, as there's no guarantee of transportation. As for me, I was prepared to walk down and visit Minoo Waterfall on the way back to the train station.

The experience: I enjoyed the freedom to stay wherever I liked, sitting, lying down, and rolling around until the afternoon when it started to rain heavily. I didn't have an umbrella, and my raincoat was packed away in my large bag. My plan to walk down was interrupted. It would be late by the time I reached the bottom, and I might have to kill a chicken and eat it before sleeping on the mountain. So, I took out my mirror and checked my face. "Hey, I look okay," I thought. "Let's change plans and hail a ride." With my respectable appearance, it shouldn't be difficult. The Japanese are probably kind, I thought.

First step of hailing a taxi Focus only on luxury cars, after ten minutes, those cars didn't even slow down, oh my god! Okay, change the plan.

Hitching a ride, step two Focus on any kind of truck with a bed in the back that can be used to sit on. In the midst of the pouring rain and strong wind (If this were a Thai drama, I would definitely have to lose my virginity to the hero). I waved for another thirty minutes, but no one stopped. There were no buses either. It's going to be dark soon. If it gets any darker, people won't be able to see us anymore. Okay, change of plans.

Plan three is to go back to the first plan, walk down the loop, walk down and wave for a car, ummmmm, brother, I'm cooooold.

Luckily, we stumbled upon a tourist information center along the way. We stopped by to ask for directions, but to our misfortune, we couldn't understand each other. We tried asking in English, but the response was in Japanese. We tried Thai, and the response was still in Japanese. We even tried speaking in broken Japanese, but the answer remained the same. We thanked them, bowed slightly, and walked out, waving goodbye. "See ya!" I thought to myself, even though I was on the verge of tears. (There were tears hidden under number five.)

There were no plans left to change. P'Land walked down the street, waving for a taxi. She was hungry and there were no men to look at. But above all, the Japanese always have something to surprise us with. The uncle we asked for information at the tourist center, he drove his car to us. Any shyness I had, I left it on the side of the road and jumped into the uncle's car immediately. I was so cold I was shivering and my lips were blue (more than before). The uncle drove us to the train station. I love him so much (nowadays, when I meet tourists in Thailand, I'll walk up to them and ask, "Can I borrow some money?" Haha, just kidding. I ask if there's anything I can help them with. I think about myself when I travel, when I travel, I always meet people who help me. It's really good for the heart. If I were any prettier, I'd be Miss Thailand already. Music! One in a hundred, you are the star that guides the way, your smile changes the day, you are like a dream that comes true........ )



This temple is full of Daruma dolls, they are so cute!

Daruma dolls ( だるま daruma ) are Japanese wooden dolls that are round and have no arms or legs, similar to a tumbler doll. On the chin, there is a space for writing a wish. To make a wish with a Daruma doll, use black ink to draw one of the doll's eyes and make a wish. After that, the doll is kept on a shelf. When the wish is granted, the other eye is filled in. (I never knew this before, I just searched for information later. I didn't make any wishes. If anyone goes this year, try making a wish. If I had wished for a partner last year, my child would be running around now. I'm so sad.)

Kyoto

Tofukuji Temple 34.976526, 135.774454

It takes about 20 minutes to walk from Tofukuji Station to the temple. Don't worry about getting lost, just follow the crowd. We arrived at the temple very early, before it even opened, but the line to buy tickets was already very long. There were so many people that I had to hold my arms tight to my sides to avoid being jostled. I had to really squeeze into my personal space.





Arashima

Togetsukyo Bridge 35.013169, 135.677734 is a famous bridge in Arashiyama that connects the two sides of the city. The area around the bridge is full of shops and restaurants. After crossing the bridge, turn right and follow the river to find a beautiful atmosphere. (There are small riverside restaurants where you can sit and enjoy a beer. I don't usually drink beer, but the atmosphere really takes you away. I don't want to resist the atmosphere.)



The atmosphere here is amazing. It's the best place to rent a bike. After that, you can walk to the Bamboo Grove and Tenryu-Ji Temple. (If you have magical powers, you can book tickets for the Romantic Train and have the power to fight your way through the crowds. You must take the Romantic Train to see the autumn leaves here. But I don't have enough power to get tickets for myself.)

Lake Kawaguchi

To be honest, if you don't come here, you haven't been to Japan. It's really beautiful. I'm a big fan of mountains and have climbed many mountains to see the beauty of each peak. But here, you don't have to put in any effort, but you can still be amazed by the beauty. (Even if the leaves don't change color or there are no cherry blossoms, we can guarantee that this place is beautiful all year round, every day. If you go to Japan, please go there. It's a really powerful landmark.)




(When I went, it was past the peak season for the leaves, and they had started to fall. But they were still beautiful, like a forty-year-old woman who is still stunning.)





Kyushu

Add more pictures of Kyushu, Fukuoka / Yufuin. This area is not famous for its autumn leaves, but it is a lovely and livable city. It is so peaceful that I want to live here forever. Here are some pictures of the atmosphere.


However, there are many other places to see the changing leaves, but here are some of the best that we have found.

Oh, oh, and the hotel in Fuji that was included is a place we really like. It's good, not expensive, and the owner is super nice.

Location : Kawaguchiko lake is located near station 18, close to the tunnel of changing leaves. You can walk out to see the tunnel and admire Mount Fuji by the lake ( watching Mount Fuji from the accommodation is also very enjoyable ).

Price : 28,000 JYP ( 6-7 people) Price in 2015. Very cheap!

Accommodation details

  • The villa has two floors and can accommodate 6-7 people. There are two bedrooms, one living room, two bathrooms, and one kitchen. There is also a room for 2 people.
  • The accommodation offers a pick-up service from the train station. Please make an appointment in advance. (She also took us to Chureito Pagoda, so we didn't have to climb the stairs. We were so happy!) You can book through Booking, Agoda as usual. (I just checked and the accommodation is fully booked for a long time. Anything good is always in high demand.)
  • The accommodation does not provide meals, but they can order food for you. If you want to cook your own food, they can also take you to buy groceries. (Very kind) There is a barbecue stove in the backyard garden where you can have a barbecue party. You can also have a party with alcohol.

Here is our accommodation. We booked a villa for 6-7 people, so we will get the house in front. We can see Mount Fuji clearly.

View from the house, taken from the living room on the second floor

View from the living room

Bathroom view with a bathtub where you can soak and see Mount Fuji. Low budget but the feeling is worth millions, girl.

Japan is a very easy country to travel around. Public transportation covers the entire country, and the people are incredibly friendly (even though they speak a different language, somehow you can still understand them). Everything is well thought out, there are no surprises, and it's extremely safe. Even traveling alone is no problem, and you're bound to bump into other Thai people wherever you go. Making new friends is easy!

For those who already have tickets, feel free to read this for some ideas for your plan. For those who don't have tickets yet, check it out! I see promos coming out every day, even on public holidays and during the Vegetarian Festival. If you're going to Tokyo, let's meet up! If you see someone beautiful, feel free to say hi, it's me :) I love to travel and take photos. Feel free to chat with me on my page: FB Page: Goanywhere E-mail: [email protected] photo / Story by LamHub

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