Kyoto was a cherry blossom dream.
The post Travel Diaries: Kyoto Talk appeared first on Vicki Archer.

Kyoto was a cherry blossom dream.
According to the locals we were there at exactly the right moment; the three best days.

What does that mean"
It means that everywhere you look there are cherry blossoms in profusion. They crop up randomly all over the ancient capital but what is most impressive are the lines of trees that border the canals and waterways in and around Kyoto.

What I could never have comprehended were the amount of people who come to celebrate the cherry blossom. Needless to say I never captured the photographs I would have liked but I did feast my eyes on these beauties and was happy to settle for that.
My observation about travelling to Japan during the festival of “sakura” is to accept the crowds and that access to the most famous and beautiful of temples and shrines may be difficult and long winded. The queues are exceptional and in many cases not even possible; it can be very overwhelming.

We were extremely lucky and found an English-speaking taxi driver who knew his way about and where to go at what times. He was invaluable and while I was disappointed not to see all the famous temples and shrines on my list, he showed us much to be awed by.
If cherry blossom is your desire then early April is the time to go but be aware of the numbers and what it entails. I would love to venture back in the winter and brave th...