Mount Koya-san ~ The Sacred World Heritage

The best way to travel in Japan is by taking advantage of the travel passes available for foreigners. My family and I love traveling by train. So, we decided to purchase Kansai Thru Pass when we there. To make the passes pay off, we decided to travel to Mount Koya-san.

As we were staying in Namba, we took the Nankai Koya Line train from Nankai Namba Station to Gokurakubashi. The journey was less than an hour and a half. At Gokurakubashi, we transferred to cable car which transported us up the mountain to Koya-san. Once in Koya-san, we boarded one of the buses waiting right outside the cable car station. In our case, we took the bus heading to Daimon. Having the Kansai Thru Pass is really pleasant, it made our lives a lot easier. The pass itself served as our tickets for our train, cable car and bus journey from Namba to Koya-san. The only time we took our money out was when we wanted to pay for our souvenirs and snacks.

Walking up the path, I couldn't help but feel a sense of privilege to be able to reach this beautiful mountain. Up until about 100 years ago, women were not allowed to enter the mountain, and could go only as far as Nyonin-do. There were a number of tourists who lugged their bags all the way to Koyasan. When we enquired, we were told that they had booked their temple lodgings known as Shukubo. It's an ultimate experience of Japanese's temple hospitality.

Koyasan, for me is a solitary place, a place that offers peace and quiet from the hustle and bustle of the city. The mountain is surrounded by lush greenery. The beautiful surroundings is unforgettable.