Visiting Iwatayama Monkey Park in Arashiyama Kyoto

Visiting Iwatayama Monkey Park in Arashiyama Kyoto

When thinking about Kyoto you’re likely to think of temples, shrines and Geisha. Dig a little deeper and you will find that this former imperial capital has so much more to reveal. Thanks to the amazing Rebecca at Aldven Tours & Adventures we were able to uncover a few of these including Iwatayama Monkey Park in …

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Featherdale Wildlife Park : A Private Animal Encounters Experience

Featherdale Wildlife Park : A Private Animal Encounters Experience

Each year we welcome family and friends from all over the world to our home city of Sydney and without fail they ask us to point them in the direction of the best place to see Australian wildlife within town. Featherdale Wildlife Park has been our recommendation for years, so we were a bit shocked …

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Senso-ji : Visiting Tokyo’s Oldest Buddhist Temple

Senso-ji : Visiting Tokyo's Oldest Buddhist Temple

Seeking out sites of historic significance is something our family tries to do whenever we are in a new place. When we started planning Tokyo, Senso-ji made it onto my bucket list for the family. It’s both the oldest and most significant temple in the city and provides an opportunity for kids to step foot in …

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Bungarribee Park : A New Family Space for Western Sydney

Bungarribee Park : A New Family Space for Western Sydney

Suffering from a super dose of wanderlust, we woke up Saturday morning with a craving to get outdoors and walk. A few weeks ago I was told that a new family space had opened in Western Sydney and it was amazing. So we packed a little picnic, put the dog on a leash and headed to Bungarribee …

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Meiji Jingu Shrine : Visiting a Shinto Shrine with Kids

Meiji Jingu Shrine : Visiting a Shinto Shrine with Kids

Exploring Meiji Jingu Shrine and observing Shinto rituals. The Meiji Jingu Shrine is located in Shibuya, Tokyo and is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the revered spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Sh?ken. Whilst I was mistaken it for an very old shrine, it was formally dedicated in 1920 and completed in 1921. It was destroyed in the …

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National Museum of Nature and Science Tokyo

National Museum of Nature and Science Tokyo

When rain washed our outdoor adventure plans away on one of our Tokyo days, we decided that we may as well do what we do in Sydney on such days and head to the museum. We chose the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno Park. Tokyo’s National Museum of Nature and Science was open in 1871 and offers an amazing collection …

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Hachiko : The Akita Who Waited Every Day

Hachiko : The Akita Who Waited Every Day

As a kid I heard about a famous dog in Japan who was renowned for being the countries most loyal dog. Visiting the very spot where Hachiko the Akita once sat each day to wait of this master Hidesabur? Ueno to return from work was on our Tokyo Bucket List. You see, our family have always been …

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Harry Hedgehog Cafe Harajuku Japan

Harry Hedgehog Cafe Harajuku

Having grown up with Sonic the Hedgehog, I thought it fitting to visit the Harry Hedgehog Cafe when we came across it in Harajuku, Japan. Pygmy Hedgehogs have been domesticated for decades and are seen as an easy alternative to dogs and cats in Japan. It was also interesting to read that back in the Victorian …

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Exploring Nijo Castle In Kyoto : Across the Nightingale Floor

Exploring Nijo Castle In Kyoto : Across the Nightingale Floor

“The world is always outside. And it is in the world that we must live.”  ? Lian Hearn, Across the Nightingale Floor It was years ago that I read Across Nightingale Floor and became fascinated by the idea of a nightingale floor. Learning that the Nijo Castle in Kyoto possessed one and was also one of the UNESCO seventeen …

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RIHGA Royal Hotel Tokyo : Family Accommodation in Japan

RIHGA Royal Hotel Tokyo

RIHGA Royal Hotel Tokyo : Family Accommodation in Japan Tokyo isn’t just a city. It is a megacity, so for the first time visitor deciding on a hotel can be anxiety provoking. Tokyo hotels are notoriously small and expensive. Knowing a little about the city train lines, the difference between City Hotels vs Business Hotels and …

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Dot and the Kangaroo : A Theatrical Adaptation at the Sydney Opera House

Dot and the Kangaroo : A Theatrical Adaptation at the Sydney Opera House

The Australian bush is a magical place especially if you’ve just watched Dot and the Kangaroo. As a kid there were countless times I wandered into the bush just near our house hoping that the wildlife I encountered would suddenly converse with me as they had for Dot. When I heard that the theatre production Creature: An …

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Bobux Kid+ Launch + Giveaway

Bobux Kid+ Launch + Giveaway

When the kids were little I searched high and low for first walkers that were stylish but also super flexible in the sole. I discovered Bobux shoes and it became the kids first walkers and then their toddler shoes. They then grew out of them, and sadly I needed to leave Bobux behind. Until now. …

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Weekend Adventures at Crowne Plaza Newcastle Hotel

Weekend Adventures at Crowne Plaza Newcastle Hotel

Until recently, Newcastle has eluded our attention. We thought of it pretty much as an old industrial town full of steel. But then we received an invitation to stay at the Crowne Plaza Newcastle Hotel and the thought of a night in a luxury hotel had us changing our mind. Oh boy I am glad it …

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