Trifter

We booked Hyatt Regency Hotel for our stay in Kyoto. When we landed in Kansai International airport in Osaka we had a choice to go to Kyoto by train or by shuttle service. The Shuttle service takes you directly to the hotel for the same fare as the express train. Usually 2 days reservation is required for the shuttle service. However when we asked at the MK Shuttle customer service desk we were pleasantly surprised that they had two seats available for us despite us not having made any reservation. The fare is 3,500 Japanese yen per person. Hand luggage is free. There is an extra Baggage Surcharge of 1,000 yen per person. The distance from the airport to the hotel is 60 miles. We reached our destination in two hours. The Hotel is recently built with the latest technology used so we were assured of its earthquake proof infrastructure. We had the opportunity to test it. After check-in we went to our room to lie down for a while. Lying on the bed my wife and I noticed that the room was shaking. After a long haul flight we were not sure whether we were tired and it was just our imagination or we had just experienced real tremors. Only the following day we found out that it was a real earthquake. The tremors did not cause any damage, not even a little crack on the wall.  There is a sign on the bedside table making you aware of the possible earthquakes. The Decor of the Hotel is simple, stylish and trendy. Our room was amazing. Deep soaking bathtub, High Speed Internet access, flat screen satellite TV, individual air conditioning control are some of the amenities on offer here. Also available  in the room are the traditional  Japanese robes called YUKATA. The toilet is so High Tech you need a manual to use it. There is a computerized  console with several functions like warming up the seat and an integrated bidet. In the Hotel  there are three restaurants (Japanese, Italian, French cuisine), one main and two junior ballrooms, a wedding chapel and wedding salon. There is a RIRAKU Spa

where you can unwind after a long day of sightseeing. A 40 minutes Reflexology treatment is 10,000 yen and 100 minutes Aroma stone treatment costs 24,000 yen. These are just examples of the treatments on offer. Other treatments like back and shoulder massage, acupuncture and many more are available.

The Hyatt Regency Hotel is very close to many places of interest. Sanjusangendo Temple is 0.5 mile, Kyomizu-dera Temple is 1 mile, Gion Corner (the entertainment area of Kyoto) is 1 mile and Kyoto Imperial Palace is 2.5 miles distance. These are some of the places we visited on our few days stay. We never spent more then 20 minutes to reach these places. On some occasions we used taxis which are very good value for money. With 900 yen they can cover two miles. JR Kyoto Station is just walking distance from the Hotel. There are 15 floors with the top floor also being an observation area. From this station you can take the very famous Shinkansen or bullet train. It covers 319 miles to Tokyo in just 2 hours and 20 minutes. Price is 13,500 yen one way.

Shopping: Kyoto handicraft Centre is the place you want to visit to buy Japanese souvenirs. It is 2-3 miles North of the Hotel. There are some beautiful ”Musashi” swords for 178,000 Japanese yen, Hakane dolls for 22,000 yen and kimonos for 13,500 yen. You can spend the whole day in this 7 floors building  and have a meal on the second floor restaurant. For more sophisticated presents Kyoto Craft Center (275 Gion-machi-kitagona, Higashiyama-ku, in the heart of Gion district) is the place to go. If you are passionate about Japanese comics head to Teramachi street off shijo-dori where there are several stores selling Mangas and Animes.

Excellent service: The night before our departure to Tokyo I asked the receptionist to use a lap top with an English keyboard. In a matter of seconds I had seen a young girl  storming to  one  room and coming back with a Laptop computer. She set up the Internet connection for me in seconds. I was amazed by the incredible response and the fact I could check all my e-mails before leaving.

Recommendations - Time to visit: March-April for blossoming cherry trees and October when the leaves change their colour from green to red, yellow,gold. Absolutely beautiful. If you are in Kyoto in April do not miss the Geisha dances in one of the Theatres in the Gion Area.

Tea ceremony not to be missed;

HYATT REGENCY KYOTO Hotel 644-2 Sanjusangendo-Mawari, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan 605-0941  Tel: +81 75 541 1234  Fax: +81 75 541 2203 E-mail: Kyoto.regency@hyatt.com

More accommodations: http://www.kyoto.travel/accommodations/ 

Walking tours of kyoto: www.chrisrowthorn.com

For a full list of events: http://kyoto.travel/events/

To rent a bike : http://www.kctp.net/en/

Shopping: www.kyotohandicraftcenter.com

 Food: http://www.kyotoguide.com/ver2/thismonth/japanese-cuisine.html