Nara (奈良) was once the ancient capital of Japan and it is today a famous tourist destination, well known for its temples, shrines and gardens. The compact city can be easily reach via the efficient transportation network from either Osaka or Kyoto under an hour. Hence there is no reason to skip Nara when you are visiting Kansai region.

WingShark's Note:
From Kansai International Airport(KIX) to Nara, the journey is approximately 2 hours, operated from 7:40 am to 9pm.
Flights from Singapore to Kansai Now: hellowings.com/h/cMRXi
Flights from Kuala Lumper to Kansai Now: hellowings.com/h/CSeju

Our Nara day trip started from the woody Nara train station. From here, it is about a 15mins walk through the gorgeous street to Nara Park. Useful maps of Nara can be downloaded from Nara City Tourist Association website.

Nakatanidou in Nara

We spotted this local mochi stall which I read about at one corner of the street, famous for its high speed pounding of the dough before it is make into mochi. Nakatanidou (中谷堂) freshly made mochi is filled with red bean paste and it’s absolutely delicious, also equally good is the crunchy biscuit.

Sarusawa-Ike

The charming small pond, Sarusawa-Ike (猿沢池) which we came across while en route towards Kofukuji is where devotees of Kofukuji will set free (放生) animals like the tortoises.

The charming small pond, Sarusawa-Ike (猿沢池) which we came across while en route towards Kofukuji is where devotees of Kofukuji will set free (放生) animals like the tortoises.

Kofukuji

Kofukuji (興福寺) was the ancestral temple of the influential Fujiwara clan during Nara and Heian Periods. The 2 prominent symbols of Kofukuji are its three story pagoda and five story pagoda situated in the vast complex area, at the very same ground which used to have more than 150 buildings!! That’s super impressive by any standard.

My Deer Nara

Upon entering the Kofukuji ground, we were immediately greeted by the star of Nara – a Sika deer. But it didn’t hang around us for long after spotting one tourist feeding its deer friends nearby. Considered to be messengers of the Shinto gods, more than a thousand of these doe-eyed deer roams freely around the expansive park area.

So many wandering Sika deer only mean one thing – poo!! Lots of them!! We were literally looking at the ground all the time while walking.

If you want to be Deer Popular, buy some deer biscuits from the vendors and start feeding one, you will be surrounded by herds in no time. Hmm…why don’t the deer nip the vendors for biscuits then? Perhaps these deer are really smart because I realized that if I show both my empty hands to any approaching deer, they will just leave me alone! How cool is that??

*All text, images, and links are from WanderLex.com
*All "WingShark's Note" are from HelloWings Journey, aims to provide readers more current information and tips assisting in WanderLex's travel itinerary.