Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan Kobe is the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture, which is also the seventh largest city in Japan. It didn't exist in its current form until its founding in 1889. It's home to the headquarters of several prominent companies, such as ASICS and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, as well as over 100 international corporations with Asian headquarters, such as Nestlé and Procter & Gamble.

Chuo, Kobe, Japan It's been 25 years since the Great Hanshin Earthquake that happened on 17 January 1995, which was one of the worst earthquakes of the 20th century in Japan. Kobe Luminarie is an annual winter light-up held in memory of the earthquake victims, taking place in the vicinity of Motomachi train station for two weeks from early to mid-December.

Rokko Mountains, Nada, Kobe, Japan During our December 2019 trip, my BFFs and I had the opportunity to witness two of the three "10 Million Dollar Night Views" of Japan from Mount Inasa in Nagasaki and Mount Rokko in Kobe. Standing at 931.6 m above sea level, Mount Rokko is the highest peak of the Rokko Mountains located in the southeastern part of Hyogo Prefecture.

8-2 Takaha, Nada, Kobe, Japan Daily: 7.00am - 9.00pm The reason why my BFFs and I couldn't spend a longer time  Kobe Oji Zoo  was that we'd be going up to Mount Rokko to enjoy the panoramic view of Kobe and Osaka. Rokko Cable Car is a funicular that has been in operation since 1932. The difference in elevation between the lower and the upper stations is 493 m.

3-1 Ojicho, Nada, Kobe, Japan Thu-Tue: 10.00am - 5.00pm (Mar-Oct)                 10.00an - 4.30pm (Nov-Feb) Welcome to Part 2 of Kobe Oji Zoo, which has been around since 1951! In addition to the various animal exhibits, the zoo has also got a small amusement park for children within its premise, alongside a zoological science centre and a 19th century house that you can explore when you come at the right time.

3-1 Ojicho, Nada, Kobe, Japan Thu-Tue: 10.00am - 5.00pm (Mar-Oct)                 10.00an - 4.30pm (Nov-Feb) Boasting a total of 150 different species of animals, Kobe Oji Zoo is a pretty awesome zoo that covers an area of more than 80,000 square metres. Although I haven't been able to confirm this, it's said that this particular zoo is the only one that has got both giant pandas and koalas in the Land of the Rising Sun.

1-6-2 Higashikawasakicho, Chuo, Kobe, Japan [Museum] Daily: 10.00am - 5.00pm [Mall] Daily: 10.00am - 7.00pm Did you know that Anpanman is one of the most popular anime series among young children in Japan? Though I'm not a big fan of it, I did grow up with the superhero that's the personification of  anpan (Japanese sweet bread filled with red bean paste). Out of curiosity, my BFFs and I went all the way to the shopping mall dedicated to it in Kobe.

2-2 Hatobacho, Chuo, Kobe, Japan Nankinmachi is Kobe's Chinatown. It was born in 1868 when the port of Kobe was opened to foreigners, including Chinese immigrants mainly from the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. At that time, the Japanese referred to the Chinese as 'people from Nanjing' (even though Nanjing is in Jiangsu province), hence the name Nankinmachi that literally means 'Nanjing Town'.

2-2 Hatobacho, Chuo, Kobe, Japan Built on a reclaimed land, Meriken Park is Kobe's most popular waterfront park. Once devastated by the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, it's now home to some of the iconic landmarks of the port city. The word 'Meriken' was how the Japanese referred to an American during the Meiji period, simply because there used to be a US Consulate General near the park.

6-5-1 Kanocho, Chuo, Kobe, Japan Mon-Fri: 8.15am - 10.00pm Sat-Sun: 10.00am - 10.00pm If you're looking for a place to get a quick aerial view of the city of Kobe, look no further than the observation deck on the 24th floor of Kobe City Hall. It's possible to observe Kobe Luminarie, an annual winter light-up held in memory of the victims of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, from up there, but most likely you'll need to queue for an extended period of time.

1-1-22 Isobedori, Chuo, Kobe, Japan I'm no stranger to the Sunroute chain of hotels, having previously stayed at one of its properties in Hokkaido. At the point of writing, the chain has got more than 30 properties in Japan and one in Taipei, Taiwan. Hotel Sunroute Sopra Kobe is located not far from Boeki Center monorail station and, a little bit further ahead, Sannomiya railway station.

NGS-UKB (1h 5m) Boeing 737-800 ETD: 5.25pm (GMT + 9) ETA: 6.30p m (GMT + 9) Founded in 1996, Skymark Airlines is a low-cost carrier that's headquartered at Haneda Airport in Tokyo and also the dominant carrier at Kobe Airport. At the point of writing, it remains the largest independent airline and the only independent low-cost carrier in the country as the others are actually controlled by either Japan Airlines or ANA.

593 Mishimamachi, Omura, Nagasaki, Japan Located in Omura, one of the thirteen cities in Nagasaki Prefecture, Nagasaki Airport serves mostly domestic with a few international destinations. The airport terminal and one of the runways are situated on an island, while the shorter runway used by Japan Maritime Self-Defense Foce is on mainland Kyushu.