Amanda Kendle of Not A Ballerina is back to talk about her recent travels through Japan and Western Australia. Joe and Amanda talk language, food, high-speed trains and why you can’t miss the Robot Restaurant show in Tokyo. Then in Australia, Amanda talks about what it’s like flying in a microlight aircraft before giving insight into how she does her own podcast, The Thoughtful Travel Podcast.
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SHOW NOTES
15 years of Universal Studios Japan (and 15 years since I moved to Osaka), Not A Ballerina by Amanda Kendle
“My first full day in Japan this trip was spent at Universal Studios in Osaka, and it reminded me quickly of something I’d learnt back in the day. If you’re going to head to a huge theme park somewhere in the world – be it Disney or Universal Studios – pick the Japanese versions. For one, you get to be in Japan (easily one of my all-time favourite countries), and on top of that, you get to be surrounded by some of the world’s most polite people. Lining up for a rollercoaster is never going to get better than in Japan (definitely no queue-jumping here); the park is kept immaculately clean; staff will go out of their way to help you more than you could ever imagine.”
Reasons to Love Japan – Episode 36 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast
“I’ve been writing about my love for Japan ever since I began this blog 11 and a half years ago, but the fact is, I had lost sight of just HOW MUCH I love it! Thirteen years after I left Osaka, I finally got to return, and I was reminded of all the reasons I love Japan, and everything was even better than I remembered.
Enough of me. I’m not the only one who has ever visited Japan, and in this episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I have three guests who tell their tales of all things Japanese. It’s a wonderful place but in many cases a slightly unusual one (part of the charm) and that’s certainly reflected in several of the stories you’ll hear in this episode. One of these unusual things involves toilets, and I can’t help but take this as an opportunity to share a collage of my toilet control panel photographs … enjoy.”
5 ways Australia’s Coral Coast stretched my comfort zone (in a good way), Not A Ballerina by Amanda Kendle
“I wasn’t exactly sure what a microlight was when I saw it on my itinerary for my last afternoon in Exmouth. However, I did know enough about myself and my own anxieties to realise that the best way to deal with it was to ignore it until it happened. Fortunately I was busy enough having amazing Ningaloo experiences that I pretty much forgot about it until I turned up at the Birds Eye View hangar ready for my flight.”