Kyoto Top Picks

I'm often asked which destination I consider to be the best or the most memorable. The safe answer, of course, is that there are many. After all, the answer often depends on your current mood. But, when pushed for just one city, Kyoto in Japan almost always tops the list.

Unlike the rest of the country which is constantly undergoing reconstruction, Kyoto stands the best chance of keeping its skyline and streetscape intact. Not that there haven't been attempts to redesign the city. In Japan, construction companies, real estate giants and local politicians are always on the prowl for some new project to build or some new area to cement over. Even Kyoto, Japan's so-called spiritual center and old imperial capital, has had portions of the city ravaged by overzealous urban planning. In fact, the Kyoto that greets you just as you get off the shinkansen from Tokyo is the farthest thing you imagine it to be. The Kyoto Tower (the Japanese love towers) is the first building you see - an image so out of place in a city of temples and medieval streets - it makes you wonder if the Kyoto of our imagination is precisely that - imagined. An image preserved in guidebooks with the sole purpose of drawing in tourists, perhaps.

Kyoto, after all, is as urbane and modern as any other Japanese city. Most of us, however, come to this city with tunnel-vision - seeking out only the images of Japan's graceful past and ignoring the cement monstrosities that have become the daily reality for Kyoto's residents.

Well, that's the great thing about being a short- time visitor. We don't have to deal with the realities of Kyoto's slowly receding traditional streetscape. Instead, we can choose to focus on the images that conform to the Kyoto of geishas, temples, rock gardens and cobblestone streets that we all come to this city for. And I have no problem with that.

My Top Picks:

Getting Lost. Going with the Flow.

At first, getting lost coming out of the train station was the last thing I wanted. Getting lost anywhere in Japan is precisely the last thing you want to happen. English is hardly spoken - and even if it is - Japan's streets are so tangled you probably couldn't navigate them despite clear instructions on how to.

Well, this is Kyoto, right? So like the Zen monks of this temple city, I ditch my map and go to wherever the roads, streets and lanes lead me. In Kyoto, those streets will always lead you to a temple, a garden or a ryokan - the traditional Japanese inn. I've never tried exploring a foreign city this way but it in Kyoto it works. You follow your instincts (or your heart) and not the guidebook writer's or the JTB's (Japan Tourism Bureau) recommendations. Often the road leads you nowhere. But once you drop the tourist frame of mind - which is always seeking some important site - and replace it with a, well, zen-like frame of mind - things start to get really interesting. Like Basho's haiku - I try sitting still - quietly - and observe the environment unfold around me: a bamboo grove whistling in the wind or a meandering brook reflecting the midday sun. Basho's words come back to me and describe the moment accurately:

"Sitting silently
Doing nothing
Spring comes
And the grass grows by itself."

The only difference is that it's autumn, but these images of Kyoto have perhaps changed little since Basho composed these words. Surely, a lot has changed since, but even Kyoto's ungainly telephone posts take on a poetic form. Kyoto is so much more beautiful viewed this way - and with tourists like me occupying every piece of space available - surprisingly peaceful and meaningful. The trick is to let go of every impulse to observe Kyoto like everyone else - covering as much ground as possible in the least amount of time. Like Basho, all it takes sometimes is a quiet corner to observe the autumn leaves change - doing nothing, sitting silently - just as Zen monks continue to do today within Kyoto's many temples.

Temples and Gardens.

Ryoan-ji. A visit to Ryoan-ji is perhaps the most meaningful of all. And if there's only one temple to see - this is it. Not because it's the most famous one in Kyoto, but because there is true beauty in its simplicity. We're used to being awed by grand temples like Angkor Wat and the Taj Mahal. Ryoan-ji is in every way different and yet, for me, even more awe-inspiring. Instead of massive structures and intricate art, Ryoan-ji is all about the absence of these. Ryoan-ji - the temple grounds, pond and stone garden - is all about the presence of space. This is the Japanese way - the Zen way. There is beauty in emptiness and reason in non-reason - to borrow a Zen Buddhist teaching.

Empty your mind and let go of expectations. If you come to Ryoan-ji seeking stillness and peace - you won't find it. At least not with too many tourists crowding the place. But if you take your time - the temple empties out and you too will find your quiet space - as I did - right in front of Ryoan-ji's rock garden. Pictures make the garden seem much larger than its thirty meter dimensions. But it doesn't matter. The Zen garden's beauty is precisely in its simplicity and perfect scale in relation to the its surrounding walls and trees. 15 rocks floating on a bed of white gravel are laid out in a way that encourages the mind (or no-mind) to meditate. Some say the garden is a representation of the universe. Again, it doesn't matter what it represents. What matters most is how the garden - and the space around it - connects with something deep inside you. This verse from William Blake comes back to me in my stillness:

"To see the world in a grain of sand
Heaven in a wild flower
To hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour".

Blake, of course, is Western but his words were triggered by the same meditative observation of nature that Ryoan-ji inspires. I have had moments of genuine consciousness in my life - and my time in Ryoan-ji is one of the most powerful moments yet.

The connection you have with Kyoto's temples is a very personal one so seek out the one that best inspires you. Here are other temples to visit:

Kennin-ji. This is another Zen temple and the fact that it's less well known should make it less crowded and therefore give you more space to simply be. You will also have a better chance of observing monks in the grounds and main hall. You really don't have to be into Zen and meditation to experience the beauty of the temple. There's enough "scenery" to make a photographer happy. For one, there's Daio-en - a beautiful rock and white gravel garden similar to Ryoan-ji, a pagoda, tea house and authentic Zen paintings which decorate the main hall's sliding doors.

Daisen-in. For many, Kyoto's rock gardens are often a case of "seen one - seen them all." That may be true for those looking at the city the traditional way: from the point of view of a tourist going after more bang for the buck in terms of experiences to record and mind-blowing memories to accumulate. If you're not into top ten lists then a visit to Daisen-in for even more samples of Zen gardens will be a rewarding detour. The main attraction of the Zen sub-temple is the rock garden in karesansui style where scenes of nature are represented - almost faithfully - using rocks and gravel.

Zuiho-in. If you're starting to develop an interest in Zen rock gardens then you must visit this rather unique temple that integrates Christian icons. This is because the garden was dedicated to a Buddhist feudal lord who converted to Christianity when the Portuguese Jesuits first arrived in Japan. Of particular interest is the Garden of The Cross where rocks form the crucifix and also the Garden of the Blissful Mountain said to represent the Sermon on the Mount.


Chion-in. Make sure temple fatigue doesn't start to kick in because there's so much more to visit if indeed you want to understand the spiritual core of the Japanese. Chion-in is a massive complex and this gives you the chance to find many quiet corners for contemplation. The Hojo garden within is a break from the sparse gravel and rock garden type common in Zen temples and instead infuses grass, shrubs, trees and a pond. Surely, the effect is more ornamental than meditative but when the leaves turn red in the autumn the effect is entirely spiritual.

Chion-in also features the San-mon, a massive main gate which is the largest of its kind in Japan. There's also the Daisho-ro, a grand bell that is 11 feet tall and 9 feet wide. This giant bell is rung 108 times on new year's eve in one of Japan's most important rituals.

Kodai-ji. This sprawling temple complex houses numerous sub-temples, tea houses, gardens and important works of art. In this way, Kodai-ji represents a complete Zen temple experience. But unlike Ryoan-ji which draws you to sit silently and focus on the rock garden, Daitoku-ji makes you want to wander around its many meandering paths that take you through ponds, bamboo groves and manicured gardens.

Kiyomizu. Compared to the others, Kiyomizu may seem unremarkable at first. Not until you catch the majestic views of Kyoto from the elevated wooden veranda of the main temple. It's a breathtaking image of Kyoto that will stay with you forever.


If you still have the time or appetite for more temples, do seek out Ninna-ji and its sprawling complex of pagodas and gardens. I am especially fond of the Koto-in Zen temple because of its beautiful all-moss and tree garden - a different interpretation of the traditional Zen garden. The Japanese maple trees or momi-ji are irresistible in the autumn when the leaves turn a vivid red. The view from the temple veranda is absolutely unforgettable.

One last thing about Kyoto's temples. These are also wonderful places to view traditional Japanese images. On Sundays, the temples are full of women in their kimono best. You won't quite understand what these women are saying but just watching the colorfully dressed graceful images is a delight in itself.





Ryokans.

With so much of traditional Japan seen in Kyoto's temples and gardens by day, why choose to stay in a Western style hotel at night? Instead, stay at a ryokan - the traditional Japanese inns. You can choose from a wide range of ryokans - from theme park-like tourist traps to more authentic luxury inns. Be it high-end or simple, all ryokans share a basic concept: to live, eat and sleep the traditional Japanese way. This means occupying sparsely furnished rooms with tatami flooring and shoji screens that separate sleeping quarters from other activities like dining. The more luxurious ryokans provide views to a traditional Japanese garden and serve gourmet traditional Japanese meals. All ryokans however provide the traditional communal Japanese bath of piping hot water - often overlooking a garden.

Expect the unexpected in a ryokan as the rituals that accompany bathing and sleeping will make you feel rather clumsy and truly gai-jin. Just let go and allow the ryokan staff to do their work - whether it be setting up your futon for the night or putting on your yukata robe before a bath. Read up on ryokan protocol if you don't like embarrassing yourself. Just remember - leave your shoes outside the inn at all times.

Geisha Gazing.

Japan's legendary geisha are a dying breed but Kyoto still gives you the best chance of catching these colorful ladies going about their daily routines in public. Unless you're an insider, it's hard to tell between the more senior geishas and the junior maikos. But it doesn't really matter, these elite ladies who make a living entertaining an equally elite class of men are a remarkable sight - if you do get to catch them.

You might see some of them - often in pairs or groups - walking around Kyoto's Gion entertainment district. Don't think brothels and karaoke bars, though. Geishas entertain behind the closed doors of upscale bars and restaurants but that doesn't mean they deliberately hide themselves from the public. They walk freely - although shyly - around town, but be sure to spot the real ones from poseurs who just want the attention of unsuspecting tourists. The real ones may flash you a smile but will hardly ever stick around for a photo-op. The hedonic culture of geishas is an interesting flip-side to Kyoto's temple culture. It's this duality, often misunderstood by foreigners, that makes Kyoto, and indeed, all of Japan, so wonderfully fascinating.

Hong Kong Top Picks

Admit it. Most of us visit Hong Kong for only two reasons: shopping and/or work. Usually its the shopping. Which is pretty much the best you'll experience in Asia. On my last trip to Hong Kong, I tried to put shopping in the background to see if the city has anything else worthwhile to offer the traveler. Well, here goes my list of top reasons to visit Hong Kong - which, no matter how hard I tried, still includes a good dose of shopping.

Architec(tour).

It's a pity that despite having the most breathtaking skyline - many visitors choose to ignore the cityscape. For the absolute best view of Hong Kong's skyscrapers - head to Statue Square in Central. Stand right across the square facing Victoria Harbor for a 360 degree view of the city's most beautiful modern structures.

Start with I.M. Pei's glass and steel icon - the Bank of China building. If there's any building that best symbolizes Hong Kong - this is it.

Close by to the right is another design icon - the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) building. Designed by Sir Norman Foster (who also built the new HK airport), the tower is a bit of "love it or hate it". Up close you begin to appreciate the kind of detail this building is noted for. Industrial chic!

In the same viewing direction are some other fine, though less iconic, structures. It's fun to point them out one by one. Remember that these buildings stand on some of the most expensive real estate in the world.

Turn 90 degrees north to see the original modern icon of the city - the Jardine building. The unusual use of circular windows all throughout the building may strike some as a bit tacky, but when viewed alongside the other glass structures in Central, the Jardine headquarters provides the perfect visual counterpoint.

From this vantage point its impossible to miss the imposing IFC 2 mega building. For now, it's the tallest building in the city and it's location right on the harbor literally raises the bar as far as Hong Kong's skyline is concerned. Frankly, it's a bit out of place and unnecessarily tall when compared with the island's otherwise modestly-sized but elegantly proportional skyline. (Surely, as taller buildings are constructed along the harbor, the idea of proportionality will change).

Hong Kong's buildings are even more spectacular when viewed from a distance. There are two places worth making the trip just to see the skyline in its full panoramic glory. One, and still the easiest way, is along the Promenade on the Kowloon side. Every night at 8PM the buildings put on a light display called the Symphony of Lights where the outlines of the structures burst into color. Any other time of day is breathtaking as well.

The one other place to see Hong Kong's fabled skyline is from Victoria Peak. Sure, this sounds a bit touristy, but there's enough space at the peak to find your private corner without the swarm of picture-takers getting in the way. In fact, lose yourself in one of the many leafy lanes around the peak and have a picnic with the view of the harbor and skyline beneath you.

Much of traditional Hong Kong has been leveled to make way for many of the buildings you see. That's the downside. However, bits and pieces of the old port town can still be seen in various parts of the city. Start your tour at Man Mo Temple along Hollywood Road. There are bigger, better and older temples on the mainland, but Man Mo is a good place to peak into a side of Hong Kong hardly on display: its spirituality. Hong Kong Chinese are perhaps the most secular and liberal of them all but a strong attachment to traditional beliefs and superstitions can be seen beneath the surface of everyday life. Fortune telling is huge in the city and so is the quasi-science of geomancy or Feng Shui.

Antiques and Curios.

The streets around the temple are where many good antique stores can be found with the best ones along Hollywood Road. When the communist mainland was still impenetrable, Hong Kong was where one went to purchase traditional Chinese artifacts and antiques. But even with antique stores opening up in Shanghai and Beijing, Hong Kong is still the best option because purchases are tax free and the establishments enjoy a much better reputation.

Antiques aren't the only things worth buying in this area, though. Fashionable these days are both original and reproductions of China's Maoist heritage: posters, busts, statuettes and pamphlets common during the Cultural Revolution. I know these are currently in vogue among young hipsters in Europe and the U.S. where out of their historical context these Maoist icons are viewed as cool pop art from China. How local Hong Kong residents look at these is another matter altogether. After all, Hong Kong was where refugees fleeing the excesses of the Cultural Revolution of Chairman Mao's Red Guards escaped to. No doubt memories of the mass persecution remain fresh in the minds of Hong Kong's elders while a lingering fear of a crackdown by the Communist Party are at the top of most young democratic activists' minds. Which is why I find the Maoist icons so disturbing. Just think: would young Russians find busts of Stalin and statuettes of Lenin in their living rooms cool? I doubt it.

Contemporary Chinese Art.
With so much media attention focused on China these days it isn't hard to understand why contemporary Chinese Art is all the rage. Hong Kong is currently the best place to snap up these art pieces - especially since purchases of art - even multi-million dollar pieces - are duty free.

Once again, Hollywood Road is a good place to start and so is Wyndham Rd. right behind Lang Kwai Fong. Along D'Aguilar is Opera Gallery which stocks European and Asian contemporary art works. The French and Chinese staff are extra friendly and make browsing fun and informative. You'll find that the works of modern legends Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol here are priced less than up and coming Chinese artists. Supply and demand, I'm told. These recurring depictions of overweight babies, hyper-expressive faces and, yes, more images of Chairman Mao are being snapped up by collectors the world over.

Hong Kong's Tailors.

If there's one thing that remains free of hype in Hong Kong - it must be their tailors. Fast, skilled and relatively affordable, the city's tailors are legendary. But it wasn't always like this. The tradition was actually brought to the city by Shanghai tailors fleeing the communist revolution. Today, their children and grandchildren operate tailoring shops that can sew up a bespoke suit in as little as 24 to 48 hours.

Aside from the skill of the tailors, Hong Kong's free port gives these tailors all the same choices in cloth and fabrics that a tailor in the UK or Italy enjoys. At a much cheaper price, of course.

For what is reputed to be the best shirt-maker in the city - head to Ascot Chang. Ascot Chang was one such tailor from Shanghai that moved his business to Hong Kong and has since built his brand into an internationally recognized name. I went to see for myself what the buzz was all about and decided to visit the Ascot Chang branch at the Prince building in Central. Ascot Chang has since passed away but his family now runs the business. His nephew, Lincoln Chang, was around to tell me what goes into sewing the perfect shirt: a lot of skill, but also the quality of fabric. The store stocks thousands of swatches of shirt cloth - mostly varieties of cotton from Italy and Switzerland that range from 650 HK Dollars to 4,000 HK Dollars a shirt.

Shanghai Tang.

Hong Kong used to be one of the few cities in Asia where you could find a good selection of global fashion brands - especially luxe brands. But with tiger economies roaring all over the region, cities like Singapore, Bangkok and Taipei are all getting their share of global luxury brands. Thanks to Shanghai Tang, a home-grown brand built by David Tang, Hong Kong can boast having the first Asian and non-Japanese luxury fashion house.

The flagship store in Pedder Street in Central is still worth a visit even after Shanghai Tang was bought out by a European luxury goods conglomerate. In fact, the additional financial muscle has given Shanghai Tang a wider global audience and global fashion style.

The store is a joy to navigate. Not only for the trademark colorful merchandise, but also for the architectural details. Aside from the tasteful use of chinoiserie all over, details like antique light fixtures, birdcages with real birds, and rich wood panels and floorboards give the store an elegance we can only imagine old Shanghai mansions to have once possessed.

You could skip the clothes if Chinese-inspired detailing is not your thing and head straight for the home section - if only for the delicate and colorful porcelain and china.


SoHo and NoHo.

As you can see, there's no way shopping can be ignored. So let's just get on with it with even more shopping experiences in Hong Kong.

Tired of big name luxury brands? In Hong Kong there's no escaping them! So why not small name luxury brands, instead? For the best selection of shops in this category there's the area north and south of Hollywood Road just around the mid-levels escalators.

Every big city you can think of will advertise one part of itself as "just like Soho." Alluding to the artist/bohemian districts of Soho in Manhattan or London, of course. In Hong Kong, that area is even called SoHo - which is short for South of Hollywood Road. In fact, SoHo in Hong Kong is not like being in Hong Kong at all. The vibe here is entirely, well, West Village. And so is the crowd. Which isn't such a bad thing. Unless you're looking for authentic Chinese cuisine or crafts.

The shops here are a merry mix of lifestyle stores and those that sell one-off items. MORN Creations along Staunton Rd. is worth a visit if you're into retro and quirky modern accessories for the home. Their original pandarama bags are hot collectibles that are copied and sold all over Asia's flea markets.

Also on Staunton is the absolutely adorable Chocolate Rain where stuffed characters in stories called Sky Latte and Fatina double as fashion accessories. The creations come in different sizes and are meant to be pinned on to clothes, bags, jewelry and even on sneakers. Chocolate Rain is a Hong Kong creation and the designers give the neighborhood the kind of edginess you'd expect from a place called SoHo.

While on Staunton, grab a glass of wine at the Staunton Wine Bar. Hong Kong imports every imaginable wine label on the planet and a great bottle is never too hard to access. The wine bar is right smack beside the mid-levels escalator so people watching comes with the territory.

SoHo's dining scene is also first rate though not in a Michelin guide kind of way. For that, you're better off in one of the many luxury hotels Hong Kong is famous for. You come to SoHo for atmosphere first and food quality a very near second. Which is just fine since dining standards in Hong Kong are very high to begin with. The choice of restaurants is truly global so you can begin your meal in Africa and end it in America with every continent in between.

North of Hollywood or NoHo is an area only starting to be aware of itself as a shopping district with a unique personality. Compared to SoHo, NoHo's borders are still rather undefined but the selection of shops is somewhat similar: designer furniture stores and fashion boutiques carrying brands not often found in the luxury malls and department stores of Hong Kong.

Luxury Hotels.

Hong Kong's luxury hotels are very much a part of the overall Hong Kong experience. Whether its the landmark hotels of the Peninsula and the Mandarin Oriental or the modern properties managed by the Four Seasons or the Intercontinental, a stay in any one of the many ultra-luxury hotels is fast becoming a tourist destination in itself.

With more and more sophisticated travelers choosing to stay in designer hotels these days, boutique hotels are popping up all over the city. We all know about the Philippe Starck designed JIA Hotel, but there are many more boutique properties coming up in areas close to where the stylish crowds congregate. The Hotel LKF at the top of groove central Lang Kwai Fong is the perfect base for the shop-by-day party-by-night set. True to any hotel that calls itself a designer boutique property, the LKF has all the ingredients: a stylish lobby, a first class bar and restaurant, neo-baroque touches and hip details all over. My favorite has got to be the retro inspired Francis! Francis! Italian espresso machines that come in all rooms. With free Illy espresso pods to boot. Classy.