Meet Emma, one of our resident Japan experts (and travel writer extraordinaire!) She’s not long returned from her three-week adventure around the country and she has some tales to share. You’re in for a treat.  Of course, she visited the must-sees. She walked the bamboo forests of Kyoto , soaked up the crazy in Osaka , and wandered the neon-lit streets in Tokyo . But, she explored the unexpected, too. Teasing out a side to Japan that might just surprise you. Join Emma as she takes you beyond the guidebooks, uncovering the stories, sights, and experiences that make Japan a destination unlike any other…   Tokyo Before ever visiting Tokyo I had my reservations – as a country bumpkin, I thought it would all be a bit too much! That all changed the first time I went on the subway and walked around the busy Shinjuku area. Yes, there are bright lights everywhere you turn, and a lot of information in a completely foreign language, but somehow there’s order to the chaos. The Japanese culture puts respect at the forefront, and it really shows when you’re wandering around. Tokyo feels like the safest city I’ve ever travelled in; no such thing as pickpocketing here, and every local will do their best to make you feel warmly welcomed. If you need help, any Japanese person will try to assist, even if they can’t speak much or any English. All of this makes exploring the neon neighbourhoods and packed alleyways so much fun, and much calmer than you’d think! Another thing I love about Tokyo is that it’s really a series of small places packed into one sprawling city, so there are plenty of neighbourhoods to explore that feel quiet and relaxed despite the fact you’re in a metropolis. Yes, many of the main sights and temples will be packed, but scratch under the surface (and head out on a tour with one of our amazing guides) and there is so much more to see that will surprise you.     Kanazawa I loved spending time in Kanazawa – this small city on the northern side of the island of Honshu is also known as Little Kyoto, mainly down to the Edo-era streets you’ll find in the centre and the geisha culture that’s still very much alive today. You really feel like you’re in Japan of yesteryear when you’re surrounded by these beautiful typical houses with wooden slat fronts and sliding paper doors. There are also some old samurai houses there that are worth exploring, preserved to show you the typical way in which these iconic Japanese figures used to live. Don’t miss the magnificent castle too, it boasts some mind-boggling engineering that’s well worth a look. Kanazawa is definitely one for the history buffs! It’s one for nature lovers too. Immediately next to the castle, you’ll also find Kenrokuen Garden, which is described as one of the top three landscape gardens in Japan, and it’s not hard to see why! The perfectly manicured grounds are filled with cherry blossom trees in spring and come alive with rich reds and oranges in autumn. The gardens are big enough to spend a good couple of hours wandering along its magical walkways and soaking up the peace away from the hustle and bustle. See if you can spot some of the gardeners meticulously working on the moss that covers some of the beds, it’s crazy how precise and thorough these professionals are!       Kyoto Kyoto is just as hectic as expected, but I still managed to find little pockets of calm all over the city. I spent four nights here and could happily spend another 4,000 as there seemed like so much to see and do. Kyoto had a period of being Japan’s capital until the late 19th century and it wasn’t obliterated in WWII (like Tokyo) – so it’s still got a lot of that charm and tradition; that magic of ancient old-world Japan I always picture. But with that has come a lot of over-tourism in recent years, and sadly a lot of visitors overstep boundaries for locals (showing disrespect of geisha culture and the geishas themselves for example) and this has made things very difficult. Not to mention seriously over-crowded! So while I still say a visit to Kyoto is a must, it’s well worth remembering that there are thousands of temples and shrines across town – not just the big ones like Fushimi Inari and Yasaka Pagoda – so worth doing your research and venturing to the quieter corners of the city – I can help with that. It’s also worth travelling here at different times of year (cherry blossom season is completely overrun!) if possible, and visiting places in the evening/outside of peak hours. There’s definitely ways around it. There are a couple of brilliant excursions here that will help you along the way too – whether you want to explore the backroads by bike or visit some must-see attractions from a different perspective and with a local, we can use our expertise and first-hand experience of the city to help you see the very best of Kyoto.       Okayama, Kurashiki & Naoshima So many people won’t make it further down from Kyoto and Osaka on the islands of Japan, but there are a couple of really special bits just 60-90 minutes away by Shinkansen (the bullet train). Okayama is a major city along this line and it’s well worth adding two or so nights here on your Japan holiday as it’ll give you time to visit a couple of beautiful little places. The first is Kurashiki , which is a 30-minute local train from Okayama Station and is home to a very charming historical quarter with a canal running through it – seriously picture-perfect. You can take little boat rides with guides along the canal, and the streets are lined with cafes, restaurants and artisan shops. This is also the home of Japanese denim so a lot of quality denim apparel can be found here too! I just love Kurashiki, such a calm vibe and it was so quiet when I visited – a hidden gem for sure.   The other perhaps more famous highlight in this area is Naoshima , which is Japan’s art island. What a unique place! This is a 15-20 minute ferry from a town just south of Okayama, and you’ll find beautiful little beaches here, as well as a scattering of art galleries across the shores. There are outdoor art installations all over the place too, and if you’re really into your art there are some hotels here as well so you can maximise your time on the island. If you’re just here for the day (which is certainly enough time if you don’t have much more to spare), rent e-bikes for the days and pootle your way between galleries.     Hiroshima Most people will of course know of Hiroshima because of the awful events of August 6th 1945, when the atomic bomb exploded here and changed Hiroshima forever. While this is undeniably still a big part of the city’s fabric and shouldn’t be ignored while you are here (the Peace Memorial Museum is well worth a visit even though it is difficult), there is so much more to Hiroshima. There is an energetic and fun feel to the city, bolstered by a lively downtown area where you can wander for a spot of shopping and in the evenings sample from one (or more!) of its many craft breweries. There is one speciality you definitely need to try here and that’s okonomiyaki – a delicious savoury pancake and here in Hiroshima they fill them with noodles. So tasty and there is a particular food hall with dozens of okonomiyaki vendors for you to choose from, such a fun experience! While I was in the city I also took the 45-minute quick ferry out to Miyajima , a beautiful island nearby that has a lovely little shopping area, a handful of gorgeous shrines  (one with a torii gate in the sea, a picture of Japan you may have seen before), deer roaming the streets and when the weather’s right there are some nice hiking trails here that offer beautiful views out to the water. You can spend anything from a couple of hours here or a full day, and the ferry journey is also lovely!       Nagasaki Right down on the edge of Japan’s main larger island, you’ll find Nagasaki , a charming small city that feels really tucked away from Japan’s other more over-run places. My main highlight here was definitely the observatory on Mount Inasa, which you can get a cable car up to in just five minutes and be treated to an epic view across both the city and the islands of the Kyushu prefecture. I went up there just as the sun was going down, which meant everything was being kissed with golden sunshine – a truly beautiful sight! The city is on one side and then all you can see is the sea dotted with lush green hills and islands. However, the view is very famous after dark too – in fact it’s heralded as one of the very best night views in Japan, with twinkling lights reflected in the water as far as the eye can see.     Fukuoka Fukuoka is the sixth largest city in Japan and still manages to be such a hidden gem! It definitely feels like it gets overshadowed by the other cities in the country but it’s definitely worthy of some of your time on your Japan holiday. I loved the feel of Fukuoka; it felt fresh and exciting, and of course the biggest highlight for me here was the Taste of Fukuoka tour. The city is known for its yatai food stalls, of which there are around 100 – more than any other city in the country! And they each have their own specialty; I went to a hot plate one with my guide Norry, which is a family-run stall that’s been there for 30 years. I had the most delicious garlic pork and mushrooms here, all whipped up on the hot plate right in front of me and served with a crisp, cold beer to wash it down. Lovely. On the tour we also visited a couple of markets, as well as a local department store where Norry could guide me through all sorts of traditional Japanese ingredients. Here’s where we came across a pyramid-shaped watermelon that cost £1,000!       Osaka & Nara There is one word that sums up Osaka perfectly and that is F-U-N! I loved all of the bright lights of Dontonburi (the central entertainment district), where you can see giant dumplings, crabs and octopus stuck to the sides of buildings – it is all completely bonkers and so loveable! Close to this district are also a couple of little lanes packed with restaurants, which make for a lovely evening out. Other treasures in the city include the beautiful castle (surrounded by cherry blossoms in spring) and Shitennoji Temple, one of the oldest in the entire country. There’s also more madness to be found at Shinsekai neighbourhood; home to nostalgic arcade games, bright lights, cheap street eats and dive bars. Lots of fun at night and seriously retro.   While I was in Osaka I did a half-day trip to Nara, which is only 30 minutes’ train from Namba Station. The main attraction here are the hundreds of deer that roam freely through the park, and you can feed them with little crackers sold by local vendors – very cute! A lovely place to take the children if you’re travelling as a family and want to get out the city. The deer will also bow their heads in response to a bow from you which is pretty magical…  Only in Japan! There are a couple of beautiful temples to explore here as well, I definitely recommend going inside Tōdai-ji to take a look at the giant Buddha in there, it’s incredible!       Here at HA, we love nothing more than a natter about travel. If Japan intrigues you, get in touch for a chat with our Emma. She’ll share first-hand stories from her Japan adventure, get to know you and what’s important to you, before designing the perfect Japan holiday itinerary to match. You’ll find no one-size-fits-all offerings here. Every single holiday we design is as unique as you are. Let’s get started.  

Oman is a country really close to our hearts here at HA. Here’s Emma, one of our brilliant experts in all things Oman, to help explain why visiting Oman in 2024 is a great idea.  While we’d argue that an Oman holiday is always a good choice, here’s why visiting Oman in 2024 will be extra special. Oman is one of the first countries we set up here at Holiday Architects, way back in 2012. It helps that both our CEO and General Manager grew up in Oman, and since then hooked myself and fellow Oman specialist Catherine into falling head over heels with this Middle Eastern gem too. It’s an easy country to love, of course – the fantastic combination of city, mountains, desert and coast can all be covered in as little as nine or 10 days in Oman . What’s more, the manageable flight time of seven to eight hours allows you to be transported to Arabia relatively quickly (if only it was on a magic carpet to really seal the deal!)     A plethora of new hotels They’ve been busy bees over in Oman during and since the pandemic, and visiting Oman in 2024 will give you a real chance to enjoy the fruits of this labour. Not only are there some major players opening properties in Muscat – a stunning new Mandarin Oriental in central Muscat, and a decadent St Regis property opening in the Al Mouj area, both perfect for you 5* luxury travellers – we also have the local Sama Resorts brand expanding through the country as well. They’ve opened up new heritage and local-style hotels recently, a couple of our favourites being in the Hajar Mountains , an area we recommend all clients travel to as it gives you a dose of the real Oman. Small, boutique-style hotels are not easy to find on your Oman holiday, so these give more options for those who like character (and we know so many HA clients do!)     It still maintains (relatively) low tourist numbers It’s a simple fact that Oman is a country that not that many people think to travel to (despite us having sent thousands of happy clients there over the last decade!) Considering that almost nowhere on the planet feels undiscovered nowadays, it’s quite amazing how Oman manages to cling to that unexplored feel. Quick stat attack to prove it: looking at pre-pandemic numbers, Oman welcomed just under four million people to their country in 2019, compared to a whopping 16.5 million tourists heading to Dubai alone that same year.   It is so incredibly unspoilt, and with that extremely safe – Oman is proudly a very neutral place, not to be clumped with some of the more turbulent Middle Eastern countries. From my point of view as an Oman specialist of six years, I feel it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world cottons on to Oman being the perfect winter sun and safe destination, so go while you can! And have those gorgeous sand dunes and beaches (nearly) all to yourself.     Better flight prices and new routes Anyone who tried to go abroad, particularly long-haul, after the pandemic will have likely fallen off their chairs looking at flight prices. The airlines showed no mercy after their losses during the coronavirus crisis, but it is with great joy that I can say we are back down to pre-pandemic prices again! That means if you time it right (with plenty of notice to your specialist!) you could be looking at a direct return flight to Oman for around half the price of flights back in 2021 and 2022.   There are also a few more options on indirect routes now, including outbound day flights with Gulf Air via Bahrain, an option that sprung up late this year and runs through 2024. You also have more timing and pricing options than ever before with other carriers such as Emirates, Qatar and Etihad.     We have some fantastic last-minute Oman options for January and February 2024, so if you want to book in that winter sun holiday, get in touch with our Oman specialists Emma or Catherine today.  

 Emma, one of our destination specialists here at HA, is just back from her first (but not last!) holiday of the year. She spent 10 days exploring Saigon and Hoi An in Vietnam. Here Emma fills us in on what she got up to, and her best bits!   Name: Emma ‘Higgo’ Higgins (HA Destination Manager: Morocco, Oman, Lebanon and Israel) Trip: Vietnam holiday Travel dates: 9-19 th March 2024   1. Where did you go? I spent three nights in Saigon and five nights in Hoi An. Courtesy of our delightful HA Vietnam expert, Erin.   2. What did you do while you were there? I went on a fantastic Vespa tour through Ho Chi Minh; a really fun way to spend an evening in the city, trying local food (my favourites are the summer rolls for sure!) and hopping between bars. It’s lovely to have a local to tell you all about traditional Vietnamese dishes and also go to authentic places to try them. And what’s more authentic than being on the back of a Vespa while doing it? It’s a little scary at first as there are so many bikes in Ho Chi Minh, but it’s best to lean into the experience! And the drivers are all absolutely delightful and make you feel safe.     I also really enjoyed the AO Show at the Opera House in Saigon, another evening well spent learning all about the evolution of Vietnam from its rural roots to the urbanisation we see in lots of the country today. In Hoi An, I visited the My Son temples just outside the city, which I highly recommend if you’re in the area. These fascinating temples are like a mini Vietnamese version of Angkor Wat in Cambodia – smaller, but no less beautiful and interesting. Going with a guide really helps to understand exactly what you’re looking at, and the history of the Champa Kingdom that created the complex.     3. Did you discover any secret spots you can tell us about? I think the backstreets of Hoi An are a real gem – I learnt all about the making of cao lau noodles – a regional dish you’ll find in vendors all over the ancient town – from one of only two people who make them in Hoi An. We visited the family’s home, next to which you can see the kitchens where they create the noodles – the father figure has been doing this for 66 years, he gets up at 1 am every day to make them, and only has one day off a year! We tried them right there and then with some soy sauce and they were absolutely delicious. Likewise, just down the road we wandered to a beansprout producer and learned all about how they grow the sprouts from mung beans in sand (yes, really..!) and then take them off to sell in the market each morning. We of course visited the market later in the tour too; a must-do for any trip to Vietnam.     4. Talk to us about the food… what was your favourite meal? See above! Anything on the food tour was fantastic. The thing I love about Vietnamese food is that it’s so fresh and light; the herbs they put with all their dishes make them so unique and delicious. I of course really fell in love with Vietnamese coffee (made with condensed milk) too, which is the complete opposite – rich, strong and almost a whole meal in itself! But so satisfying. And then of course banh mi at Madame Khanh – there’s a reason she’s called the banh mi queen!   5. Where was your favourite place you stayed? I really liked both of my hotels – Silverland Yen in Saigon is perfectly situated right in the centre and I could walk everywhere. Cosy Savvy in Hoi An was tucked away a five-minute walk from the ancient town (which is good because it was really quiet, and central Hoi An can get noisy at night) and the people were so kind and welcoming!     6. Your most unforgettable interaction or moment… I think the guide and drivers on the Vespa tour were a real highlight for me. So kind and generous, but also really put me at ease zipping around the big city, as well as offering local insights for everything we did. Above all else, they made it really FUN!   7. Your favourite experience: What’s the bit you’ll be telling your friends about over dinner? All the food, for sure! I’ll be cooking it for them, too!   8. What were your key take-homes, what did you learn on your trip? I really enjoyed the War Remnants Museum in Saigon and learnt a lot about the Vietnam/American War. I knew a limited amount prior to my trip, but this museum (which can be harrowing in part, just to warn anyone looking to visit) really put things into perspective from a Vietnamese point of view, and I was baffled by the fact it is all still having am impact of life in parts of Vietnam even today. I also learnt a lot about this heading out to the Cu Chi Tunnels outside Saigon. I did go down one for the briefest of moments but not too far – I still recommend it for anyone not keen on going into the tunnels themselves!     9. What’s the thing people absolutely can’t miss? Beautiful Hoi An! I loved having a good chunk of time here and the streets are just so charming and pretty.     10. Do you have a Vietnam Top Tip for us? I was travelling alone in Vietnam and felt incredibly safe everywhere I went. This meant I did a lot of strolling around at night in both Saigon and Hoi An, and I couldn’t have felt safer. People in Vietnam are just so friendly, warm, and if you give them a smile they will certainly smile right back! And definitely make the most of all the spas you can find absolutely everywhere – you can get a full body massage for as little as £8 for an hour (plus a tip, which I recommend!), whereas hotel spas will charge you much more. It’s one of the best things about travelling in Asia and they are all open late too – popping in for a foot massage after dinner and hours of wandering around in the heat is complete heaven.     Tempted by a Vietnam adventure of your own? Get in touch with our experts today to start tailoring a Vietnam holiday that’s perfect for you.