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#summervacay **📍 *Why Visit in Summer?*** This tranquil park in **Machida City** (just 30 mins from Shinjuku) is a lesser-known gem featuring **seasonal flowers, a lotus pond, and forest trails**—perfect for escaping Tokyo’s summer heat. Highlights include: ✅ **July Lotus Blooms**: Thousands of pink/white flowers covering the pond. ✅ **Shaded Walking Paths**: Cool forested areas with wooden bridges. ✅ **No Crowds**: A peaceful alternative to busy Tokyo parks. --- ### **🗓️ Half-Day Itinerary: Flowers, Forest & Local Bites** #### **Morning: Lotus & Nature Walk** - **8:30 AM** – **Arrive Early** (best light for photos, fewer visitors). - Stroll around **Yakushi-Ike Pond** (lotus flowers fully open by 9 AM). - Spot **wild birds** like herons and kingfishers. - **10:00 AM** – **Forest Trail** - Walk the **"Moon Bridge"** and explore the **mini waterfall area**. #### **Midday: Picnic & Art** - **12:00 PM** – **Lunch at Café Kura** (near the park entrance) - Try **matcha parfait** or **soba noodles**. - **1:30 PM** – **Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts** (5-min walk) - Free admission! Features **woodblock prints and local art**. #### **Afternoon: Optional Extensions** - **3:00 PM** – **Tama Plaza Shopping** (10-min train) - Cool off at **Daiso** or browse **Japanese handicrafts**. - **OR** **Hiking at Mt. Takao** (20-min train + cable car). --- ### **📌 Pro Tips:** - **Access**: From Shinjuku, take the **Odakyu Line to Machida Station** → Bus #26 to **Yakushi-Ike Iriguchi** (5-min walk). - **Best Month**: **Early July** for peak lotus blooms. - **Free Entry**: No admission fee! **"Yakushi-Ike isn’t just a park—it’s a quiet poem of water and green."** Ready to unwind? 🪷🎋

#cherryblossom25 Heyyy temple explorers! 👋 Just discovered Ninna-ji Temple, and why isn’t everyone talking about this place?! Tucked away in northwest Kyoto, it’s got imperial vibes, insane cherry blossoms, and ZERO crowds compared to the usual tourist spots. Here’s why you need to go: First Impressions: "Is This a Palace?!" 👑 Ninna-ji was built in 888 AD as an imperial temple—and it shows. The Gotendo Hall (former emperor’s residence) is all sleek dark wood and elegant gardens. But the real star? The Omuro Cherry Trees—a special late-blooming variety that turns the whole place pink in mid-April (when other sakura spots are done!). Hidden Gem: The Reihokan Museum (¥500) has 1,000-year-old Buddhist statues… and air conditioning. A+ for history and comfort. The "Only in Kyoto" Moment 🏮 Tried to take a artsy photo of a weeping cherry… until a monk in traditional robes walked into my shot, nodded sagely, and disappeared into a side gate. Peak aesthetic. Snack Attack! 🍡 Omuro-zakura mochi (pink cherry-blossom-infused rice cakes) sold only here! Matcha warabimochi from a tiny stall near the temple gate—so soft it’s like eating a cloud. Pro Tip: The temple’s tea house serves actual matcha with a view of the five-story pagoda. No reservations—just zen. Secret Spots Most Tourists Miss 🔍 "The Moss Garden" → Behind the main hall, a tiny hidden garden with emerald-green moss so thick, you’ll want to pet it. (Don’t.) "The Back Gate Cherry Tunnel" → Exit via the north gate to find a quiet path where cherry branches arch overhead like a pink hallway. Chill Itinerary ⏳ 9:00 AM 🚌: Arrive via Bus #26 (stops right outside). 9:30 AM 🏯: Explore Gotendo Hall + pagoda. 10:30 AM 🌸: Omuro cherry grove + photo ops. 12:00 PM ☕: Matcha break at the tea house. 1:00 PM 🚶: Sneak away to the moss garden. Why It’s Perfect for You ✔ Late sakura = less FOMO (blooms mid-April!). ✔ Feels luxurious without the crowds. ✔ Underrated—most tourists rush to Kinkaku-ji next door and miss this! Rating: 10/10—would get spiritually photobombed again. Ever been? Tag your fave underrated Kyoto temple! 👇 #NinnaJiNinja #SakuraSecrets P.S. Wear slip-on shoes—you’ll be taking them on/off a lot! 👟

#meetsingapore Ever since I have been to Vietnam, I have fallen in love with their food and especially their coffee. Thus, every now and then in Singapore, I will go for Vietnamese food. My wife and I were shopping in Changi City Point. After that, we wanted to go for dinner. I then saw a restaurant called Paper Rice Vietnamese Kitchen which attracted me. We then proceed to go in. I like the ambience. It's clean and neatly designed. I also like the uniform the staff were wearing. We proceed to order our dinner which included fresh vermicelli with grilled pork, grilled smoked duck and of course the vietnam milk coffee. They were all so nice. Highly recommended to those who love Vietnamese food. Address: Changi City Point #b1, #26/27, Singapore 486038