Autumn in Nikko

Nikko has long been in the list of places I wanna go to in Japan because it's home to many shrines and heritages plus the leaves turn into gorgeous reds, yellows, and browns come autumn. Spring last year, I was able to go there for a day trip, however I wasn't able to go to a single shrine- I went to Edo Wonderland. Then come autumn that year, I was asked by my good friend Laila to join her and her church friends for a day trip to Nikko for some autumn sightseeing. Alas, I could visit world heritage sites and shrines, I thought. But we didn't.

I'm thankful that we didn't, though. I was able to see more of Nikko as it is, minus the very crowded shrines and the sea of touristsー I was able to see Nikko stripped of my expectations of what it should look like as dictated by the countless photos I've been fed with through years of "research" aka Google ha~

Soooo without further ado, let me share with y'all... NIKKO, a shotgun trip (cos we didn't even have an itinerary, only a car and seven people hungry for adventures *wink*)

Met at and left Shibuya a little after six in the morning, tummies packed with Mcdonald's breakfast meals and leftover dinner. I was excited, geez, I didn't even catch some zzzzzzzzs even if I'm not the designated driver cos how can you be sleepy when throughout the trip you're laughing??? Best road trip mates everrrr, even if most of them I've only met that day!

FIRST STOP: IROHAZAKA WINDING ROAD

SECOND STOP: AKECHIDAIRA PLATEAU, ROPEWAY RIDE, MAGNIFICENT VIEW OF KEGON FALLS

THIRD STOP:  RYUZU FALLS

FOURTH STOP: LAKE CHUZENJI 
(AND A RANDOM PARKING LOT LOL)

PASSED BY SHINKYO BRIDGE 
ON OUR WAY TO THE NEXT DESTINATION

FIFTH STOP: KINUTATEIWA OTSURIBASHI 
SUSPENSION BRIDGE

SIXTH STOP: RYUOKYO GORGE, NIJIMINOTAKI FALLS

 Wew! That was pretty long for a day trip, I know! I was so tired and hungry as we drove our way back to Tokyo (I may or may not have slept through the whole trip back lol) but it was one helluva great day! The pictures were just taken by random phone cameras so it might not give that much justice as to how beautiful the places we went were... so I suggest go and find out these gems for yourselves if you haven't yet! *wink*