We now have a foreign exchange counter at our office and I hope you will use this new service before you take your next holiday abroad. We believe we have the best rates in town, but more importantly a quick service without having to queue, plus a nil commission charge to our clients. Our foreign exchange counter is also able to help you with last minute bookings for airport lounges, overnight hotels, car parking and car rental from your destination airport

A taste of Japan with Thomas Cook



Tokyo is a large modern city with very little real sightseeing and not much of its past history on show, much of it destroyed by a major earthquake in the 1920s and during WW2. One of the few remaining features is the retaining wall that surrounded the Shogun’s palace. Another attraction is the Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine set in 175 acres of wonderful gardens. We headed south by road to the Five Lakes area surrounded by the spectacular Mount Fuji which has inspired writers and painters for centuries. Down in the valley we made for Lake Ashi and boarded a large pleasure boat across to Hakone, a smart spa resort with hot springs and a name for attracting celebrities. A trip to Japan has to feature the famous bullet train. They may be nearly forty years old but still run quietly, efficiently and very quickly – less than two hours to Kyoto, a distance of 250 miles. Kyoto was the ancient capital and the Emperor’s residence until 1868. Many of its old wooden restaurants and tea houses remain, a number in the Gion district where the Geisha girls live and work. Sights of interest in this area of Japan include Nijo Castle and Kinkakuji Temple. You can also visit Nara, take a day trip to Hiroshima and enjoy various cultural evenings in Kyoto.