Kate Iles - where2travel

01/08/2024

24/06/2024

When you start the week with a lovely gift from some new clients sitting on your desk.
Thank you so much David and Fiona!

21/06/2024

Join Cassie Muhlhan and myself on our tailormade two week tour of Enchanting Sri Lanka!
Enquire by emailing [email protected] for the full itinerary.

09/05/2024

Join Diane Rawlings and myself, on an unforgettable adventure with our exclusive charter cruise and tour package of the beautiful 'Magnificent Mekong' ! 🚢
Explore Ho Chi Minh City, sail aboard the luxurious, fully chartered Mekong Princess and immerse yourself in ancient cultures culminating in the wonder of the UNESCO World Heritage Angkor Wat.
Contact [email protected] for the itinerary, cabin options and pricing.

02/05/2024

Embark on an unforgettable adventure with where2travel's 13-night 'Magnificent Mekong' cruise tour package! 🚢
Explore Ho Chi Minh City, sail aboard the luxurious, fully chartered Mekong Princess and immerse yourself in ancient cultures culminating in the wonder of the UNESCO World Heritage Angkor Wat.

Contact us to learn more about this once-in-a-lifetime experience! ⚓️
For more information, please click the link: https://where2travel.com.au/mekong-princess-register-interest/ or call us at +61 (03) 9576 0166.

Don't miss out on the chance to experience the with and join the on this .

19/04/2024

We have a couple of spots left on this great rail/cruise package.
If you have been wanting to experience the Ghan, and always find it is booked out so far in advance, this would be the perfect opportunity!
Please email [email protected] to enquire for more information.

07/04/2024

Not my typical weekend, but thoroughly enjoyed inspecting the Celebrity Edge whilst she is docked in Melbourne today.
What a stunning ship, everything was just beautifully designed and elegant.
So many special touches on this ship, was lovely to view and have lunch on board.

31/01/2024

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Don't miss your chance to carve out the best deals and beat the queue to book the perfect room and dates for you. You can now save 𝙪𝙥 𝙩𝙤 𝟯𝟬% on Japan Ski resorts such as 𝗞𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗼 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗞𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗼 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗸, 𝗦𝗮𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗼 𝗛𝗼𝗸𝗸𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗼, and 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗺𝘂 𝗛𝗼𝗸𝗸𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗼.

Contact where2travel now to secure your ski adventure!
Enquire here: https://where2travel.wishlists.au/club-med-ski-deals/
Call us:
📞 Malvern: (03) 9576 0166

18/01/2024

Get ready to make waves and soak up the sun with Club Med's Early Bird Summer Pre-Registration! Sign up now to turn your summer dreams into a reality.

Early Bird Pre-Registration Benefits:
- Priority Booking Access
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- Tailor-Made Packages

The early bird catches the best deals, and at Club Med, your paradise is just a click away!
Click here to pre-register now: https://where2travel.wishlists.au/club-med-summer-registration/

28/11/2023

Pre-Register now for early access to unbeatable 2025 Club Med Ski Resort deals!

Whether you're a ski enthusiast or looking for a family getaway - Club Med has an all-inclusive ski resort perfect for you!
Don't miss out on these 2025 savings, pre-register your interest now to be the first to know and book the best dates at the best price.
Click the link to join: https://where2travel.wishlists.au/club-med-ski-pre-registration/
Or give us a call
Malvern: (03) 9576 0166
Greensborough: (03) 9434 1354
Glen Waverley: (03) 9886 8899

13/11/2023

Travel Designer Kate hosted a tour through the breathtaking landscapes and vibrant cities of Honshu Island, Japan.

Kate's itinerary included not only Japan's well-trodden paths in cities like Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Tokyo but also ventured into off the beaten track gems such as Takayama, Akita, and Aomori.

Click here to read what Kate wrote in her blog about her hosted Japan tour:
www.where2travel.com.au/where-have-we-been-lately/kate-hosts-a-tour-through-the-island-of-honshu-in-japan

03/11/2023

What a fantastic time we had exploring the island of Honshu in Japan.
Although we are home and a little jet lagged, I had a lovely welcome home party waiting for me! 💕

31/10/2023

Wow, what a great 16 Days in Japan we have had.

Today we spent sometime on the bus, but boy was it worth it! Oirase Gorge had been one of my top places to see in Japan at Autumn and it didn’t disappoint. Such natural beauty, I don’t think my photos will do this 14km gorge the justice it deserves.

After lunch, we strolled around Lake Towada, which was also very magical.

Many people asked why I designed a trip that included northern Honshu as it is not very well known to Australian’s and when you look at todays photos and the last 2-3 days, you will see we are out of the cities and doing what the locals do!

Seeing the beautiful scenery, learning about cultural aspects, none of us new existed in Japan and exploring the less unknown has created a lovely and insightful way to end our trip.

30/10/2023

Today we travelled about 3hrs from Akita to Aomori, and again the photos in this post sum to the reasons of why to get off the beaten track in Japan.

The first highlight was seeing a moon bear run accross the road whilst we were in the coach.

After a beautiful lunch, we headed to Neputa village and witnessed a Tsugaru Shamisen Performance. Some tried the drumming, whilst we were all fascinated by the beautiful lanterns they make for the Neputa festival.

We then explored Hirosaki Castle and the park grounds. Once again, the autumn colours did not disappoint!

As this prefecture of Japan is known for its apples and there are orchids all around, we were lucky to be at Hirosaki Castle for the Chrysanthemum and Autumn Foliage Festival.

29/10/2023

We got to witness yet again the most magnificent Autumn colours you will ever see in our road trip to Kakunodate today.

They pictures don’t do it justice but it is so enchanting driving through roads between the majestic colours of Autumn.

Today was a busy day, first visiting Kakunodate Aoyagi samurai manor and museum. Followed by lunch and viewing at Mt. Kanpuzan rotating observatory with amazing views of the Sea of Japan.

We finished off our day at Namahage museum… and that was beyond interesting, very unusual and a tad scary!

Namahage is practiced in over 80 areas in the Oga Peninsula.

An obvious purpose of the festival is to encourage young children to obey their parents and to behave. This happens on the 31st of December each year.

Parents know who the Namahage actors are each year and might request them to teach specific lessons to their children during their visit. The Namahage repeat the lessons to the children before leaving the house.
It was terrifying to watch the ways in how the children were scared out of their minds and crying. I’m not sure many of us understood why you do such a thing but we certainly learnt a lot today!

29/10/2023

Yesterday we left the busy city of Tokyo and headed to Morioka which is located north of Honshu island.
Covering 540km by bullet train in just over two hours, which is amazing!! If only we had the same operating from Sydney to Melbourne.
On arrival we had a picnic in the park, visited Morioka Castle ruins and partook in indigo dyeing at Tezukurimura.

27/10/2023

Asakusa, a very interesting part of Tokyo that we explored on foot today, this was after taking local transport to and from our destinations in Japan. Seems a little daunting at first but works like clockwork!

After Sushi making, we went our own ways to explore the city. 🍱

I explored Harrajuku, as I wanted to see the different fashion trends and outrageous outfits.

Some explored beautiful parks around the city.
(Thanks Robin for the pics)

26/10/2023

Our second day in Tokyo has been full of fun and laughter, and there is nothing better than a good belly chuckle!
We started the day with a sumo demonstration and learning about “Sumo’s” in general.
They eat 10,000 calories per day over two meals, WOW!
This was lots of fun and the pictures I’m sure will give you a laugh.

We also visited the Imperial Palace East Garden, the Ginza district and Shibuya crossing street.

The night ended with a private dinner on a boat cruise down the river. The lights of Tokyo were amazing, not to mention having the the full moon present, great food and KAROKE!! 🎤

25/10/2023

We arrived very late into our hotel at Lake Ashi last night, but woke to an incredible views.
A walk on the lake front gave us a great view of Mount Fuji 🗻
All our travels today have had Fuji following in the background, and it was so clear to see which is very lucky!
We took the Hakone Ropeway, visited Owakudani Valley and Sato Historical Village, all on our way to Tokyo.

24/10/2023

Day 9 into our Japan Tour and it was a long one travelling, as we leave beautiful Takayama and head towards Tokyo with an overnight in Hakone.
Although a long day travelling we still managed to add some highlights to the journey…
- Soba noodle making (and eating!)
- Matsumato Castle
- seeing Mt Fuji from a distance on our drive

The best thing of today was the stunning Autumn colours as we drove up through Gifu Provence. We were all in awe and could not show just how amazing it was with a photo from the bus. It is making us very excited to see the colours continue to appear the further we get into our Japan travels!! 🇯🇵 🍂 🏰

23/10/2023

A sudden drop in temperature this morning in Takayama, which certainly woke us up whilst walking the markets in the city, and Takayama Jinya.
Still in love with this city and it’s amazing photo opportunities everywhere you look!

We tried the local Hida apples which are huge and very sweet, not to mention the grape size being larger than a standard strawberry!

We explored the Gassho style houses in Shirakawa-go, had a Japanese Masuen Bunsuke lunch. If your not into seafood then maybe not your ideal lunch.

And then we learnt how to make paper and made our own at Gokayama Japanese Paper Village.

A week into the the trip and most people thought the spectacular train ride or Takayama was the favourite but this was prior to seeing the Gassho houses, now we may have new one!

22/10/2023

When we left Kyoto this morning by bullet train to Nagoya, then swapped trains to continue to Takayama, I was expecting it was a good time to nap.
I don’t think any of us could close our eyes as the scenery was absolutely stunning from the train!
Surround by mountain peaks covered in trees in Autumn colouring, snow capped mountains in the distance and quaint towns on beautiful lakes. It truly is up there with one of the best rail experiences I think you could have.

Then we arrive in Takayama…
WOW, what a stunning city! I think I’ll let the photos speak for me, but I’m so looking forward to tomorrows adventure in this area!!

22/10/2023

Today, I think two seperate posts are well deserved.
My lovely group spent there last morning in Kyoto visiting Fushimi Inari Shrine.

Senbon Torii is a traditional Japanese gate usually found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine. It symbolizes the transition from the mundane to the sacred.

The reddish/orange colouring of the gates symbolises the sun and every black ink marking/scribe is the name of the individual or business person who has donated it.

They do this with the hope of receiving good luck and fortune. I could only afford a little one for my wishes of a healthy family!

After exploring this area we visited a sake brewery. Not particularly my favourite but many were pleasantly surprised and did some shopping 😁

21/10/2023

Kyoto, and there just seems to be endless things to see, do and experience in this charming city!

We started our day strolling for 1.5km walk down “Philosophers Lane”, which was easy and beautiful and we found a dusting of autumn colours everywhere we looked.

After enjoying our walk we got into creative mode and participated in a calligraphy class.
What great fun, good laughs and lovely teachers who made the experience very memorable.

Continuing on with a traditional Japanese tea ceremony 🫖 ☕️

Finishing off the day with lovely fried pork cutlets for lunch at a lovely restaurant and time to explore the shopping districts on offer.

Then I went to buy Pokémon for my boys… what a tedious experience that turned out to be!
😁🤦‍♀️
(they better have extra hugs for me when I’m back!

20/10/2023

A day in Kyoto for everyone to go explore as they like with no structured itinerary.
Some visited nearby Nara, others wondered the city…

In the evening some of the group went into Gion despite the rain appearing. However no Geiko (geishas) to be found.
We have heard it is very hard to spot them but it was still lovely to walk around the district and have a yummy bite to eat- Okonomiyaki!

Yasui-Konpiragu, is the ema-shaped stone covered in white paper amulets that looks like feathers. This shrine although unusual, is particularly popular with young women and has a history that dates back to the 7th century.
The stone features a hole through which visitors crawl to rid themselves of the unwanted relationships.

19/10/2023

Another day and another bullet train. So clean, on time and an enjoyable experience.
We arrived in Kyoto, and were lucky enough to get glimpses of the Autumn coloured leaves 🍁
We were a little worried it may not happen with the heat wave in Japan.

Our first visit was to Kinkakuji temple, then we got to explore Arashiyama area of Kyoto.
We enjoyed a traditional Buddhist vegan lunch, before exploring Tenryuji Temple, the Bamboo forest walk and Togetsukyo Bridge.

18/10/2023

Another 25 degrees day and very unusual weather for Japan in Autumn, but the sunshine sure did bring out the beauty of Miyajima Island!
From the red Torri gates in the ocean, the beautiful pagodas or inquisitive deers, this island has a lot to offer.
If only the deers didn’t attempt to eat Barbs post card. Barb -01/ Deer- 0 🦌
After Miyajima we returned to Hiroshima to learn about the Atomic Bomb zone and the after effects.
A very interesting place and spectacular day!

17/10/2023

This morning we learnt about the art of the Samurai through an interactive lesson.
A few Oscar awards for some of the great samurai fights we saw today!

After mastering our moves, we travelled to Himjei, to visit Himjei Castle. 🍂 🇯🇵
Himjei Castle in its current form, dates back to 1617 and has remained intact despite extensive bombing during World War II, and a great earthquake in 1995.

We then experienced the first bullet train of our tour for our two night stay in Hiroshima. 🚄

16/10/2023

We have arrived! This long awaited where2travel tour to Japan has started off in Osaka with an amazing 7 course dinner.
Although a little jet lagged, we look forward to our adventures tomorrow, and experiencing the bullet trains.

27/09/2023

This morning, Travel Designers Kate and Diane hosted their Japan Discovery Pre-Tour Briefing. They set up tables for morning tea and shared all the exciting events that await them on their upcoming group tour through Japan. All attendees left with a where2travel ticket wallet with all their documentation required for their overseas adventure.

Looking to book your next Japan escape? Contact a where2travel Travel Designer today!
Click the link to enquire: www.where2travel.com.au/enquire
Or give us a call:
Malvern 📞 (03) 9576 0166
Glen Waverley 📞 (03) 9886 8899
Greensborough 📞 (03) 9434 1354