Lucille Wong

  • So many temples, so little time

    Kyoto has thousands of temples and shrines including 17 UNESCO world heritage sites.  According to the very handsome young man at the capsule hotel, all of them is the “most beautiful.” Unless you are a temple buff, you’re unlikely to see them all. Here are my top three: Kinkaku-ji is the distinctively gold temple surrounded…

  • Staying in a ryokan

    A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. They’re typically floored with tatami mats and equipped with sliding doors. They have rollout futons rather than beds. A high end ryokan would be made exclusively of organic materials such as wood, grass, bamboo and stone. Rooms would come with private gardens and bathtubs filled with water from…

  • Staying in a ‘luxury’ capsule in Kyoto

    The ‘luxury capsule’ is perfect for the traveller who wants the capsule experience with some additional comforts. Traditionally, capsule hotels have targeted drunken Japanese businessmen who have missed the last train home. These hotels offer coffin-sized ‘rooms’ stacked on top of each other. Each capsule is generally equipped with a single mattress, power point, clock,…