Why did I travel to Takashima
As my unforgettable two-week adventure in Kyoto drew to a close, I found myself craving new places to explore. I was looking for a non touristy hotspots, hence I thought to myself "why not embark on a 2D1N trip to discover secluded floating shrines, away from the bustling crowds?"
Here is an overview of my trip on youtube ~
Countryside alert! If you are looking for a comfortable trip, this guide may not be for you :)
Minimal planning for this trip
There was minimal planning for this trip besides booking the accommodation, researching for the restaurants to visit and figuring out the transportation to get there - you may use google maps to figure out how to visit :)
Day 1
I arrived at Omi-Takashima Station and headed to my hostel to drop my bags
Where I stayed for the night
This hostel has a free bike to borrow for you to ride around the country side
I biked all the way to the famous floating shrine, the view was impeccable, so peaceful and tranquil. I stood there for a while and took my time to appreciate the view :)
You may pray at the Shrine for love, longevity and luck. This ancient Shrine boasts a remarkable history of 2000 year and is widely renowned for its association with longevity.
I took a break at this 7-11 and eat some Nissin cup noodle in spicy miso flavor. You could continue to bike along the way until you reach Biwa Lake.
I ordered their fried chicken set (Super huge portion), fried calamari and a small size beer. It was so delicious.
After 6pm Japan time, the wind was howling and there were little street lights along the way back to my hostel, I knew I had to get back before it gets darker. My night ended pretty early.
Day 2
As for the second day, I decided to visit the famous Kaizu Osaki which is voted as one of Japan's top 100 cherry blossom spots and well known for its 4km of cherry blossom.
Pro tip 1: Remember to check the train schedules ahead of time
There are not a lot of trains at this area, the train arrive at the interval of 1h interval. Do check the schedules and plan early on.
Pro tip 2: Rent an e-bike at the station
I arrived at the Makino station and saw that there was a place to rent e-bikes. You could even rent a car. The lady at the Makino tourism center is in charge of car/bike rental, you simply have to fill in a form and tell her what time you will return the bike. The process was smooth and pretty fast.
The view along this redwoods avenue was breathtaking, and during the spring season, it transforms into a lush green color!
The camping area was absolutely incredible as well! Picture this: lush green fields stretching as far as the eye could see, with majestic mountains wrapping around the entire scene.
After all that biking I was pretty tired from a good workout, I headed to this japanese restaurant that is well recommended by the locals.
I highly recommend the chef special lunch set, shown below :)
This is probably one of the best lunch sets I had in Japan.
Finally after lunch, I headed to Kaizu Osaki which was around 3.8 km away by bike. The scenic route offered breathtaking views of the riverside.
I ended my trip around 2pm and made my way back to Kyoto. It was a wonderfully laid-back weekend trip, allowing me to fully immerse myself in the beauty of the Japanese countryside. Even the streets along the journey were nothing short of breathtaking.
This is probably one of my favorite impromptu trips in Japan, I hope you enjoyed the guide!
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