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We loved visiting Nara Deer Park, a sweet way to s

We loved visiting Nara Deer Park, a sweet way to spend the day where friendly deer roam free, in beautiful Nara, Japan 🦌

As soon as we arrived the deer greeted us to say hello, or more likely to find out if we had any crackers that they could munch on! 🤣

You could spend a whole day here, but I think heading out early in the morning (especially during summer ☀️), and heading home after lunch is perfect.  🚊 Getting there: We made our way from Osaka by train, which took around half an hour (around AUD$8). After arriving, we caught a bus up the hill to Nara Deer Park (around AUD $2). If you’re traveling from Kyoto, it will take about an hour.

💰 Costs: Visiting the park is free, but if you want to buy food for the deer, it’s around AUD $2 for each bundle of biscuits.

⏰ Hours: The park is open 24/7, so you can go as soon as the sun is up (if you’re an early bird, like me). Most of the temples don’t open until after 8am though, so keep that in mind.

THINGS TO KNOW

♡ There are so many deer, that you won’t miss out. Once off the bus, walk around and find a spot to call your own and the deer will find you! 
♡ While the deer are super gentle and sweet, they can also be a little cheeky. I did hear a little bit of squealing from people who were getting nibbled on by the deer.

♡ Bring cash! You’ll need cash to buy food for the deer, and also some of the restaurants only accept cash as well.

♡ Once you’ve finished hanging out with the deer, you can visit the nearby Todaiji Temple, and then head down the hill towards Nakatanidou (pop it into your Google Map) for the fastest mochi pounding in the country. The crowds get big here, so it can be hard to see, but they put on a little show every half hour, or as big grounds form. They even have crowd control to keep the crowds off the roads.

♡ You can catch the bus back down to the station, or walk down the hill yourself (which we did) to stretch your legs and get some fresh air.

Would you visit the deer at Nara? Is this something your family would enjoy too? ♡

☝️😉 The one piece of advice I’d tell anyo

☝️😉 The one piece of advice I’d tell anyone visiting Japan…  As soon as you arrive you need to admit defeat. I mean this in the gentlest way possible.  As soon as you start planning a trip to Japan, you’ll find out there’s SO much to do. Your Instagram feed will start filling with Japan must-visits, must-eats, and must-sees. It’s gonna be exciting.

The fact is though, you won’t see it all. You simply can’t. 👀  And I think that once you admit defeat, and just promise to come back another time. It also means you’re not living in that mindset, that’s a little frantic, worrying how you’ll jam-pack it all in, or get from one side of the city to the other in the same day.

Just breathe.

Make a small list of your must-dos, and then leave space for, what I like to call, magic.  You’ll read (or watch videos) of all the must-dos, but one of the biggest joys of Japan is discovering YOUR Japan. I love wandering down a street, and then into another, and finding a little hidden away Tempura Restaurant and enjoying it, without being told, “YOU HAVE TO DO THIS!” by some stranger on the internet.  Take your time. Wander. Explore. Discover your Japan, with a few suggested spots in between.

Have you been to Japan? Would you agree with this advice?  

#japan #familytravel #traveltips #tokyo #traveltheworld #travel #tokyojapan

We're in Japan! 🇯🇵 We booked our flights on

We're in Japan! 🇯🇵 We booked our flights on a whim last year (when Jetstar was having one of their wild Asia sales - around $1800 for all four of us, return), and before we knew it it was time to pack our bags and head to one of our favourite places in the world.

📍 First stop, Shinjuku

A bustling area that made us feel alive the moment we stepped off the train (and yep, we got lost straight away, walked over a kilometre, weaving through back alleys and side streets (stopping momentarily for poor Lulu to vomit, dang!), over bridges, under them and then eventually had to ask a local to show us the way, which he kindly did).

We loved the vibrancy, the location, being close to Harajuku, the food, and the fun.

Highlights were: Reuniting with egg sandwiches (my fave!), walking through the Omoide Yokocho (alleys), visiting the Meiji Shrine early in the morning and the Capsule Lab (so fun!).

Next stop? Osaka 🚆

My kinda rush hour ✨ photo a day | #fmspad #fms

My kinda rush hour ✨

photo a day | #fmspad #fms_iwalkedhere

Sometimes you just need the reminder ✨ Feel free

Sometimes you just need the reminder ✨ Feel free to tag someone who you want to read this 🫶🏻

photo a day | #fmspad #fms_iheldthis

Back in high school, in year 11, on the first day

Back in high school, in year 11, on the first day of one of my electives the teacher asked to take a blank piece of paper and finish the sentence, “I am…”

But we couldn’t use our name, descriptions of our appearance, or our age.   Do you know how hard that is, especially when you’re 16 and have no idea who you are? 👀

From memory, I couldn’t answer, so I took home the blank piece of paper and tried to work on it at home.

Who was I?

And now, over two decades later, who am I now?

Well, hey, I AM Chantelle (sorry for breaking the rules Mr Worthing).

I am 43 (ugh), and married to my best friend and the love of my life. We have two girls, who we adore.  We live in a small, hilly town in Northern NSW, Australia.

After hitting breaking point last year, I’ve been trying to find the joy again, and can say, I’m getting there, slowly. I love mushrooms (not the magic kind 🤣), I love the work I do (freelance social media magician), and I love traveling, but hate flying.

Can you finish the sentence (without using your name)? I am ________.    #FMSPAD #fms_iam #photoaday #fmsphotoaday

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