RANDOM ESCAPES

European Backpacking: Money Saving Ideas!

2014-10-29T20:35:00.001+08:00

We all know Europe is an expensive getaway but there are a lot of ways to cut cost and extend your budget in Europe. I made up these tips based on my recent 2-week trip.

These ideas may not work on people who have a different take on their travels. In my case, it’s a shoestring backpacking trip. Hence, cheapest possible or the value for money.

1. Book your tickets in advance / Schedule your transfers

Aside from accommodation, plane tickets and train transfers are the biggest part of a trip. I suggest you decide on your route and how long you plan to stay in a city or country then book your airplane or train tickets in advance. Also, decide whether to take the plane or train. In my case, I decided on my country transfers even if I didn’t have my detailed itinerary per city yet. Yes, there may be instances that I wish I could’ve stayed longer or shorter but marking these dates is very important to get the cheapest ticket possible. I tell you, you can save a lot! You can even save time not queuing up for tickets! Just make sure you are not left by your train.

I regularly check tickets online to see if the flight tickets already changed. In my case, I got the cheapest deal for Lisbon – Paris (Beauvais) ticket from Ryanair. I booked my Ryanair ticket more than 2months in advance and it was worth it. I only paid 55Euros (Php 3,135) per person included the 20kg baggage allowance. Had I book it just a month earlier, I’m sure I would have paid more!

I got the best deals on our train rides. Since train fares are like plane tickets already, the earlier you book the flight, the cheaper you can get it. I booked all our trains online on the first day it was available online. Haha! I made sure to be the on the queue. Lol.

Just to give you an example, normally the bus ride from Madrid – Lisbon is cheaper than the overnight-sleeper train but since I booked it early, I got a cheaper ticket on the train. And yes, we were able to lie down on a full-flat bed. Yay!

In Italy, I got our Frecciarossa high-speed train tickets for only 29Euros (Php 1,653) per person for our Milano – Firenze and Firenze – Roma trip. By the way, it was business class! Haha! Had I gotten the ordinary seats, it would have just cost me 19Euros (Php 1,102). Like I said, I book it early. If I got my tickets on the travel day itself, the tickets were already 43Euros for ordinary and 63Euros for the business class. I saved a lot! Now, you see what I mean for the value for money -- I paid 29Eu for business class rather than buying it on the spot for 43Euros and it’s just the ordinary seat.

2. Get good hotel deals / Airbnb / Couchsurf / Overnight trains

The other major expense in a trip – a place to stay. It would be a big saving if you have a good friend to stay or find a couch. But if none, better plan this as well before your trip because it’s a big consideration. Try checking out Airbnb or hotel website for good deals. Consider taking an overnight train as well to save on hotel costs, sleep on the train and once you arrive, you are already in a new country. Yay!

A very good example for this was our transit from Paris – Milan – Firenze. We took the overnight train from Paris – Milan arriving in Milano Centrale at around 6AM. Waking up to a new day in a new country! We actually didn’t have hotel in Milano because we were scheduled to take the 2hr night train to Firenze so we just left our luggages at the station and roam around the city. At night, we got our things back, off to Firenze and checked-in in a hotel there. A well planned transfer, indeed!

Overnight train. LOL!

3. Get Tourist / Commuter passes

Most of the countries in Europe have their tourist pass – Paris has the Paris Museum Pass, Rome has Roma Pass while Lisbon also has Lisboa Card. Research on each card’s feature and see if it is useful for your visit in the country. Also, check the deals they have. It might fit your travel. Check out the commuter pass as well – NaviGo Decouverte week pass instead of Paris Visit Pass if you are staying in Paris for more than 3days (hopefully I can write another post on this one). Yay!

In our experience, we got the 1-day Lisboa Card and 2-day Paris Museum Pass. The 1-day Lisboa card was very useful because it includes a 24-hr unlimited ride in the city so it was worth it for us because we can maximize the 24-hr unlimited ride and at the same time we visited quite a lot of attractions. Our Paris Museum Pass has both the good side and the bad side. For the bad side: it cost us 42Euros (Php 2,394) but we only spent around 31Euros (Php 1,767) had we bought the tickets in every attraction that we visited. But the good side was that we didn’t line up to attractions and monuments that we visited because we there was a special pass for the Museum pass holders. Hence, we still saved time! Also, in our itinerary, we planned to go to more museums but decided to go to another place that was not part of the pass.

4. Eat away from Tourist Spots

Obviously, restaurants near the tourist spots are pricey! Take a stroll further and you might find a cheaper restaurant. Sometimes, its even more delicious and bigger servings! Yay!

A very good experience was our dinner near the St. Peter’s Square. The Italian owner whose has a Filipina wife convinced us to eat in their restaurant and forget this very important tip not to eat near tourist spots. We ended up paying 36Euros (Php 2,052) for pasta and fries. Had we walked further, we could have found cheaper restaurants. Don’t forget! This is very important!

5. Shop in the Supermarket

Like in the Philippine, it is way cheaper to buy snacks, water and even your food pasalubong in the supermarket. I suggest to go to a supermarket or mini mart – buy your snacks, chips, water, cola or eenergy drink because you can save a lot by doing this. Don’t forget your goodies! It’s a perfect place to shop! Live like a local J

Case in point, the 1.5L water in Paris costs around 0.55Euros if you buy it in the supermarket. However, if you buy water in some tourist area, it may go as much as 2.5Euros for 500ml water. Cola, on the other hand costs 1.30Euros for 1.5L in the supermarket while 4Euros for 500ml outside. Ripped off! I suggest buy both big and small water bottles and just bring a small bottle enough for your entire day’s trip.

One of the supermarkets in Paris

These tips are very simple based on my experience from my recent trip. It may or may not work for you. But for me, it was very useful. I didn’t regret doing these things to save up not just money, but also time exploring the city!

Tell me your saving styles as well :)

European Backpacking: The Summary

2014-10-25T19:13:00.000+08:00

WOW! I made it and my mom survived! We're finally back after our 16-day European pilgrimage-backpacking trip. We visited 11 cities in 4 countries with 5 airplane rides, 2-overnight trains, 2-high speed trains and 2-regional trains.

My partner. Haha!

Our main purpose was to attend the beatification ceremony of Don Alvaro Del Portillo in Madrid, Spain. But since we were already in Europe, might as well visit other sites. It was already our chance!

So we visited famous pilgrimage sites such as Fatima and Avila, prayed in major Basilica like the Sacre-croix (Sacred Heart) in Paris, Milano Cathedral and St. Peter's Square in Rome, attended Papal Audience in Rome and of course other must-visit side trips -- Disneyland Paris, Eiffel Tower, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Coloseo to name a few.

To summarize our trip:

Spain: Avila. Madrid. Segovia.

Portugal: Fatima. Lisbon.

France: Paris. Versailles.

Italy: Milan. Florence. Pisa. Rome.

Just to give you a run down of what we did:

Manila - Doha - Madrid: Qatar Airways. We had a 9hrs layover in Doha for and so they provided a free hotel for us to rest. But obviously, we didn't actually rest but met with my mom's cousin and spent time roaming around the State of Qatar. We weren't able to see much due to limited time in the city. Nevertheless, it was fun to go around by car and visit one of the biggest mall in town.

Villagio Mall, Doha, Qatar

Spain: We arrived in Madrid early morning Friday and went directly to my mom’s cousin’s house. After leaving our luggage, we went around the capital city immediately. We visited the famous Plaza del Sol, Almudena Cathedral, the Grand Palace, Parque del Retiro, etc. The following day, we attended the Beatification Ceremony of Don Alvaro Del Portillo. Our last day in Spain was a side trip to Segovia and Avila, a neighboring city of Madrid.

Grand Palace, Madrid, Spain

Portugal: A 2-day stay in Portugal was like forever when we visited Fatima, Portugal. We went to Our Lady of Fatima Basilica, attended mass at the Chapel of Apparition, where our Lady showed up to the 3 kids of Fatima – Blessed Jacinta, Blessed Francisco and Lucia who just died in 2005. Of course we went around Lisboa too! We visited Jeronimos Monastery, Belem Tower, Commercio Square, Rossio Square and more. Also took the famous Tram 12, 18, and 28. Oh, and I got the chance to watch a Champions League game between Sporting Club de Portugal and Chelsea FC. Unfortunately, the home team loss.

Commercio Square, Lisbon, Portugal

Chapel of Apparition, Fatima, Portugal

Champions League: Sporting Club de Portugal vs Chelsea FC

France: A very quick trip in the city of love. Visited the famous Chateau de Versailles on our first day after a short lunch with Jean-Eudes, my French friend who also visited Davao city before. He also gave us free ticket to the Eiffel Tower since he works there. Yay! The following day, we visited the happiest place on earth, Disneyland Paris! In the next 2 days, we explored the city! Of course, the must sees! Louvre Museum – Monalisa. Attended Mass in Notredame. Visited St Chapelle, Arc d’ Triomphe and Champs Elysees. Gare d’ Lyon. The food was also amazing! Very delicious but quite expensive. Argh!

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

Disneyland Paris

Louvre Museum, Paris, France

Italy: We visited 4 cities in a couple of days. First stop was Milan via overnight train from Paris. We attended Sunday Mass in Milan Cathedral. It was a very laidback stroll in the city just waiting for the night train to Firenze. The next day, we had a half-day trip to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In the afternoon, we walked around Firenze to see the Statue of David, Ponte Vecchio and other must sees there. Not to mention the gelatos!

Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

Last stop was Roma and the Vatican City. Priceless. On the day that we arrived, we got our tickets for the Papal Audience the following day. And at the same time went inside St. Peter’s Square and attended mass there. The most important of the trip was the Papal Audience. I saw Pope Francis face-to-face and he was very close to us as the Pope Mobil stopped in front of us because the Pope kissed one of the kids on the audience. Amazing once in a lifetime experience! In the afternoon, we went to the Vatican Museum to see the Sistine Chapel, the School of Athens and other famous paintings. Afterwards, we stroll around the eternal city visiting the famous Basilicas – St. John Lateran and Mary Major. Visited the Coloseo, Scala Santa, Spanish Steps and more!

St. Peter's Square, Vatican

Viva Il Papa!

Coloseo, Rome, Italy

Overall, it was fulfilling but really tiring. Imagine walking everyday. Yes, literally walking to reach point A to point B. Just think about it, there are sites that are just a station or two away from our current location, we might as well walk to see other things along the way than take the metro and won't see anything. Others may argue that you are already tired when you arrive at your destination but for me, the walk itself is a tour. It's good to get lost in Europe. But of course, it still depends on you.

Hopefully, I can write about my experience in Europe! Yay!

Fuji-Q Highlands: Home of Roller Coasters

2014-08-17T12:38:00.003+08:00

April 29, 2013

Another once-in-a-lifetime experience I had in 2013 was to visit the thrilling, breath taking, and home of roller coasters in Japan, Fuji-Q Highland. From the entrance, you can already see up close the famous Fuji-san or Mt. Fuji, where the name of the theme park came from.

Fuji-Q Highlands Entrance

Before going to the park, I was really excited to try all the rides and I’m up for all the challenges. But seeing the rides up close and personal, it seemed like I can’t make it especially if I take up the challenge alone. But if someone was willing to ride with me, will have definitely ridden all the coasters! In the end, I tried the King of All Coasters, Fujiyama and Dodonpa.

Not to mention the breathtaking view!

Fuji-Q Grounds

Its famous roller coasters include the following:

Fujiyama: 79m high, top speed of 130km/hr and a total length of 2045m. It was once the 8^th tallest, 5^th longest and 10^th fastest roller coaster in 2007.

Crazy. This is one of the best roller coasters I’ve ridden. And I’m looking forward to try other coasters in the future. The lines were very long but it was all worth it to experience this one-of-a-kind roller coaster. The warm-up move was to climb the 71m and getting ready for the 1^st drop. While we were slowly moving up, my bones were shaking whether I could make it or not but there was no backing out! The thought of it was really crazy!

After my first ride, I want more! And we took it for another ride at night to save the best ride for last! It was really a great experience!

Dodonpa: 52m high, top speed of 172km/hr. It was once the world’s fastest roller coaster. Currently, it's the 4^th world fastest roller coaster behind the Top Thrill Dragster in Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio (193km/hr), Kingda Ka in Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey (206km/hr) and of course, Formula Rossa in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi with a whopping speed of 240km/hr.

Insane. If you are not fond of roller coaster or half-hearted to try one, brace yourself up for this ride. Like I said earlier, it was once the faster roller coaster and it held the record for 17months. Now, it's the world’s 4^th fastest roller coaster but still holds the fastest in acceleration reaching its top speed in 1.8seconds. Before you know it, you are already cruising at 172km/hr. It seemed like I was in an open airplane at its take off speed!

At the start of the ride, you are inside a tunnel while the coaster cars seemed to be refueling as it absorbs compressed air to power the thrill ride. Really insane!

I haven’t tried these next two rides but seeing it is crazy!

Eejanaika: 76m high, 126km/hr. It features a 4-dimension roller coaster ride that aside from the regular height, fast speed and twist and turns, the seats also revolves all together making it crazier than any other ride.

Takabisha: It boasts a 121 degree free fall to start the ride with 7 major twists in a kilometer ride. There’s also a 43m drop and a vertical climb, yes literally vertical, while sitting down.

Of course, it’s not all about coasters. There were also rides for kids such as Ferris Wheel, Bump Cars, Boat Rides and the like. The view was also picture perfect!

I don’t know if I could visit this theme park again. But if I get the chance, will make sure to experience Eejanaika and Takabisha rides on top of the previously conquered Fujiyama and Dodonpa!

Universal Studios Japan: Experience the Movies

2014-05-11T22:06:00.001+08:00

April 24, 2013

Touched down Osaka, Japan. Where to go? Universal Studios Japan ex- the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Unfortunately, I went there a year before the scheduled opening of the Harry Potter themed attractions.

Universal Globe

Seriously, we went directly to Universal Studios (USJ). Upon arrival at Kansai International Airport, we immediately purchased bus tickets to USJ bringing with us my big luggage. I didn’t care what other people might think. Haha! Travel Tip: There is luggage storage at the entrance of the park. You may leave your things there for a fee (I forgot how much though).

Too bad the weather didn’t cooperate during my trip because it was raining. But it didn’t stop me to enjoy and maximize my day trip to the park. After all, I didn’t know when can I visit this park again? Not until they announced the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opening soon! I’m not a die-hard harry potter fan but will surely be back there to see the attraction! HAHA!

Like my suggestion in all other theme parks, get a copy of the park map immediately and plan on how you maximize the place. Make sure to include in your schedule the park shows and performance.

Universal Studios Japan:

Mandatory photo!

Universal Studios Japan Grounds: Luckily, relatively few people compared to regular days. It's just that it rained. We explored the place using umbrellas and raincoats.

Waterworld: My top pick in Universal Studios Singapore is Waterworld. It’s indeed a world -class performance. But Waterworld here, in my opinion is better. The downside, however, is that they are speaking in Japanese. And I didn’t understand at all. HAHA! But the action is still superb! Must watch! Travel Tip: Make sure to stay in dry area if you don’t want to get wet. AHA!

Actual explosion

Some Attractions:

Amazing Spider-Man: Who could miss this attraction?

Park Vicinity: There are hotels, shops and restaurant outside the park that you can also explore after having fun inside. You can also stay in hotels nearby if you're planning a 2-day trip to the park. Yay!

Indeed, a tiring but very fulfilling experience! Everything was all worth it! See you again Universal Studios Japan to witness ‘The world’s most magical adventure, brought to life.’

Details on park hours, entrance fees and access, you can visit here.

For more info, you can visit their website.

Itinerary: Kyoto

2014-05-03T23:58:00.000+08:00

Before every trip, it is very important to research on the places you intend to visit. It is equally important to plot everything so that you can maximize the little time you have bearing in mind the expenses you will incur.

Let’s face it, sometimes researching for your trip can consume most of your time before your dream vacation. Of course, if you are on a tour group, they prepare everything for you.

Sharing to you my 2-day itinerary in Kyoto, Japan.

Golden Pavilion

Day 1: April 26, 2013

06:05AM – Arrival at Kyoto Station via Overnight bus from Nagano Prefecture

06:05AM – 07:00AM – Travel to Cathedral of St.Francis Xavier (We arrived on a Sunday so we decided to attend mass before going around)

07:00AM – 07:30AM – Quick tour in the church and prepare for mass

07:30AM – 08:15AM – Holy Mass

08:15AM – 09:45AM – Travel to Kyoto ShuhokakuHotel (leisure morning walk)

09:45 AM – 10:20AM – Early registration and left our luggage

10:20AM – 1!:15AM – Breakfast near hotel

11:15AM – 12:00NN – Walk from hotel to Kiyomizu-dera (including the 20min from the city streets to the main entrance)

12:00NN – 01:00PM – Explore Kiyomizu-dera

01:00PM – 01:30PM – Walk to Kodaji Temple

01:30PM – 02:15PM – Explore Kodaji Temple, Maruyama & Yasaka Park Shring

02:15PM – 03:00PM – Explore Kyoto downtown and Gion area

03:00PM – 03:30PM – Travel to Kyoto Shuhokaku Hotel

03:30PM – 05:00PM – Check in and Rest (Eat snacks from convenience store)

05:00PM – 06:00PM – Travel to Kyoto University (I visited a place near the university)

06:00PM – 06:30PM – Met with the Director of the place

06:30PM – 07:30PM – Travel back to the Hotel

07:30PM – 08:30PM – Rest

08:30PM – 09:30PM – Special Kaiseki dinner at the Hotel

09:30PM – 10:30PM – Wash up! Prepare for tomorrow

Day 2: April 27, 2013

06:00AM – 07:00AM – Wake up! Prepare ~

07:00AM – 07:40AM – Hearty breakfast at the Hotel

07:40AM – 08:15AM – Pack things (We leave the hotel at night so we need to check-out early)

08:15AM – 09:00AM – Travel to Kinkakuji

09:00AM – 10:15AM – Explore Kinkakuji (GoldenPavilion)

10:15AM – 11:00AM – Travel to Ryoanji

11:00AM – 11:45AM – Explore Ryoanji

11:45AM – 12:30PM – Travel to Nijo-jo

12:30PM – 01:45PM – Explore Nijo-jo (Nijo Castle)

01:45PM – 03:00PM – Lunch and Rest! (We walked a lot!)

03:00PM – 03:30PM – Continue to stroll to Imperial Palace

03:30PM – 04:15PM – Explore Imperial Palace

04:15PM – 04:30PM – Travel to Gion area

04:30PM – 06:00PM – Explore Gion at night and bought some souvenirs

06:00PM – 06:20PM – Go back to Hotel

06:20PM – 06:30PM – Just grab our luggage!

06:30PM – 07:00PM – Travel to Kyoto Station

07:00PM – 07:40PM – Explore Kyoto Station

07:40PM – 08:30PM – Dinner at McDonalds in Kyoto Station

08:30PM – 09:30PM – Rest

09:30PM – 10:30PM – Went to the bus, board and rest again!

10:30PM – Departure!

That’s it for my Kyoto trip. It was very short so I just visited the major destinations in town.

This is just a simple guide to help you plan your Kyoto escapade. Feel free to modify my itinerary according to your interest and schedule.

If you have more time in Kyoto, you can explore other places: (not a complete list)

Ginkaku-ji – Silver Pavilion. Arashiyama.. Shugakuin Imperial Villa. Tenryu-ji. Kamigamo & Shimogamo Shrines. Mount. Kurama. Kyoto National Museum.

Enjoy your Kyoto trip!

Kyoto | Imperial Palace: The Emperor's Residence

2014-05-03T18:11:00.001+08:00

April 27, 2013

To conclude our Kyoto trip, we went to Kyoto Imperial Palace, ‘just walking distance from Nijo-jo,’ according to many Japanese. But this doesn't mean 5min walk. Aha. Just like in other developed countries, a 20-30min walk is a norm for them. Just to make things clear, its around 2.8km from Nijo Castle. Now, it’s for you to decide if you want to walk.

In our case, we walked from the castle to the palace. I’m good with the walk given the cool weather and pleasant view, including traces of Cherry Blossoms. I also enjoyed observing Japanese lifestyle and culture.

Kyoto Imperial Palace was the home of the country’s Emperor until 1868, when they transferred to Tokyo Imperial Palace (been there in 2009).

Imperial Palace Main Gate

Anyway, the palace gate is very far from the main streets. We walked along the Imperial Park that looks like a pebble runway. I thought a commercial plane A320 or even B747 can land in the area. HAHA. It’s really a vast ground for families, couples, children and even pets to enjoy.

Like what I said earlier, pets would also enjoy! Well, I saw some Japanese bringing their dogs for a stroll. Take note, the parents of the dogs brought their own sanitary kit in case their dogs poop on the road.

Unfortunately, we were not able to enter the palace because it is only accessible thru guided tours. You can book for the guided tour here or just go directly to the Imperial Household Agency at the northwestern park of the complex.

That’s it pansit! It’s our last destination before heading back to Nagano. We went back straight to the hotel, grab our things and off to Kyoto Station where we rode our bus back.

Sunset at Kyoto Imperial Park

A short but sweet and memorable trip indeed. If your visiting Japan, make sure to include Kyoto in your itinerary. And tell me your stories too!

Ticket Prices

Guided tour inside the palace: FREE! Though, advance booking is needed. You can visit there website for online bookings. It is also possible to just go to Imperial Household Agency Office on the day itself. Just hope there are still slots available to accommodate your party. Yay!

Business Hours:

Kyoto Imperial Palace: 10:00AM / 2:00PM

Kyoto Imperial Park: Open anytime

How to go to Kyoto Imperial Palace:

Subway: Imadegawa Station 5min walk

Bus: Imadegawa bus stop: 5min walk

For more information, you can visit their website.

Looking for a place to stay in Kyoto? Check out Shuhokaku Hotel.

Looking for a Catholic Church in Kyoto? Visit Kawaramachi Church.

Check out my other blog posts in Kyoto Series:

Kyoto Imperial Palace

3 Kyotogyoen, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 602-0881, Japan

Contact No: +81 75-211-1215

Kyoto | Kinkaku-ji: Golden Pavilion in Nature

2014-05-01T07:42:00.000+08:00

April 27, 2013

First thing on the list in our 2^nd and last day in Kyoto – my number 1 place to visit, Golden Pavilion – Kinkaku-ji. It’s arguably the most famous temple in Kyoto and even in the country. Make sure to visit the place to understand its magnificent beauty. A perfect place for reflection of what you have done with your life. HAHA!

After freshening up and a hearty breakfast, we immediately went to Kinkaku-ji. I was very excited to see the temple that I woke up early and researched some fun facts to appreciate the structure more. Travel Tip: It’s good to read prior before visiting a place to know its value. Reminder to self: Read, and not just pure photos!

The entrance to the temple was already very inviting because it was perfectly maintained. You can already feel a serene ambiance leading to the main temple. The locals and tourists were also very disciplined. Who would dare throwing rubbish here?

Obviously, we went straight to Kinkaku-ji. It’s very close to the entrance – we just followed the route instructions. Travel Tip: Take a lot of photos from the viewing area and secure your spots. Bring your monopod if you’re traveling alone. HAHA! Many people are busy taking their best shot. Even professional photographers!

Just like what I said, I also took hundreds of photos with different angle, LOL:

The place where I took photos from above as we continue to walk. Try to visualize the vicinity. The Golden Pagoda is on my right.

Then we continued further and just follow the route. Just like in Nijo-jo, you won’t be backtracking after finishing the tour so make sure to do whatever you want in a certain location. Slowly but surely!

The rearview of Kinkaku-ji is still amazing! Not just maintained in front, but also the back part of the temple. Kudos to the maintenance people!

A proof to what I said earlier – you can indeed reminisce here:

Don't forget to wish! *I hope I can visit here again in the future* -- Just like Fontana de Trevi in Rome, Italy? HAHA!

Despite the long walk, I am very much fulfilled to see another UNESCO World Heritage site. But my day didn’t stop there, but rather it was just the start of a fun and culture overload day. We visited Nijo-jo, Imperial Palace & Ryoan-ji and other small temples in the area.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to see Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion). But if your time permits, make sure to visit this place too!

Kinkaku-ji Deets:

Ticket Prices: It’s very reasonable

Adult: ¥400

Primary and Junior High School Students: ¥300

Business Hours: 9:00AM – 5:00PM Open all year round

How to go to Kinkaku-ji:

There are several options going to the place because one of the main attractions of the city. Click here to see you best option. They explained the directions very well.

For more information, you can visit their website.

Looking for a place to stay in Kyoto? Check out Shuhokaku Hotel.

Looking for a Catholic Church in Kyoto? Visit Kawaramachi Church.

Check out my other blog posts in Kyoto Series:

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

1 Kinkakujicho, Kita Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 603-8361, Japan

Contact No: +81 75-461-0013

Kyoto | Kiyomizu-dera: A Temple in Otowa Mountain

2014-04-26T15:48:00.000+08:00

April 26, 2013

Exactly a year ago, I visited Kiyomizu-dera or Clear Water Temple in English. It is one of my top 5 places to visit in Kyoto. A beautiful temple at the East side of Kyoto and just walking distance from our hotel, Kyoto Shuhokaku Hotel.

Kiyomizu-dera's main temple

Yes, striking distance but that doesn’t mean less than 10min of walk because the walk from city streets to the temple entrance is already 20min. Hence, from our hotel, it’s approximately a 35min stroll. Travel Tip: Consider wearing sneakers. The walking time might be easy for you! But how about the elevation and slopes! Take note, the temple is located in Otowa Mountain.

But it's a pleasant walk! Most people, including Japanese high school students in their school uniforms, heading to the temple would also walk to the entrance. There's a wide array of shops too along the way. Travel Tip: Grab the green tea or sakura ice cream. It’s amazing! Buy some refreshments too!

At the entrance area, we were quite tired but it didn’t stop us from exploring the place. After all, it was our first stop in this 2day very short trip to Kyoto. We took some photos at the entrance, proceeded immediately to the main temple following the route. Travel Tip: Make sure to take your best photo in every place. You might miss the chance if you follow the route! Unless, you intentionally go back to that place.

The main ground also has a lot of temple structures you can see. You can also purchase omikuji or paper fortunes. Unfortunately, its usually written in Japanese so you just have to ask some English-speaking Japanese to translate it for you.

The view of the city is also something you shouldn't miss!

Overlooking Kyoto City

In the main temple, there are hundreds of people, each one freely doing anything – praying, looking at the scenery, taking photos, reminiscing, resting, chitchatting whatever! There are even Japanese ladies wearing their kimonos. In our case, we just took some photos, few minutes of rest, then continue the route. Still a very long day for us. Yay!

We just made a small detour to see the 3-story pagoda to complete our sightseeing.

Oh. Kiyomizu-dera is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In fact, for 20years (since 1994) already and still counting.

After an hour of strolling around this famous temple, off to other small temples in the vicinity.

Ticket Prices: It’s very reasonable

Adult: ¥300

Primary and Junior High School Students: ¥200

Business hours: It varies from year to year. There are also days when they open at night, especially during festivals and special days. You may check out their website for updated schedule here.

How to go to Kiyomizu-dera:

There are several options going to the place because it’s in the heart of the city. Click here to see you best option.

For more information, you can visit their website.

Looking for a Catholic Church in Kyoto? Visit Kawaramachi Church.

Check out my other blog posts in Kyoto Series:

Kiyomizu-dera

294 Kiyomizu, 1-chome, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, 605-0862, Japan

Contact No: +81 75-551-1234

Kyoto | Nijo-jo: Home of the Tokugawa Shogunate

2014-04-22T19:30:00.001+08:00

April 27, 2013

"Not only did Nijo Castle witness the rise and fall of the Tokugawa, but the castle has also watched over changes in Japanese History."

The home of the 1^st Shogun of the Edo period (1603-1867), Nijo Castle is one of the 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites found in Kyoto that you should not miss out. From the entrance of the castle, you can already see the grandeur of the structure.

Ninomaru Palace

Near the gate, we paid for the castle tickets then went immediately to the castle. And we didn’t get the English voice guide system because its additional cost. By the way, I saw a Filipino family in the entrance who must have went here through a tour group. I should have followed them to have a free tour explanation of the castle. lol. Travel Tip: It's not allowed to snap photos inside. Make sure to take photos while you are still outside! And the Japanese religiously follow rules :)

Then, we walk further to the entrance of Ninomaru Palace (secondary circle of defense). As mentioned above, cameras are not allowed inside the palace so I already took a lot of photos. HAHA! The view is very pleasant to the eyes. How much more during Spring or Fall season? It must be awesome!

The person behind everything

The walk inside the palace is very organized because you just have to follow a route. There are several rooms depicting the real situation back when it was still used by the Tokugawa Shogunate. It has a wooden floor or known as the ‘nightingale floors’, because it squeaks when someone passes by as a security measure when intruders invade the palace. The palace rooms were also covered with tatami mats while the ceiling, doors and walls were decorated with beautiful paintings. Too bad, no photos! I didn't sneak in :)

After the Ninomaru Palace, we saw the garden (unfortunately, I was not able to take a decent photo) But this didn’t stop us in our tour around the palace. We walked further towards the Honmaru Palace (main circle of defense). However, the palace is not open to public and so we just walked around the structure. Travel Tip: There are days when its open to public. Check out the schedule. You might be lucky enough to see the interior of Honmaru Palace.

Then we went up to the stone foundation where the original Honmaru Palace was built since it was burned in 1788 in a city-wide fire. From here, we can see the view of the current structure of the Honmaru Palace.

View from the original Honmaru Palace

PS: the castle has so many different kinds of flowers that bloom all year round. It would be very nice visit the palace anytime of the year. But should be perfect Spring when Sakuras are on their full bloom or Fall when flowers changed to different colors. Travel Tip: Consider going on Spring or Fall!

Ticket Prices

Particulars	Rates
General Admission	¥600
Junior Highschool / Highschool	¥350
Primary School / Elementary School	¥200

*Children younger than elementary school are free of charge

Business Hours:

Castle Grounds: 8:45am -6:00pm

Ninomaru Palace: 9:00am – 4:00pm

Hence if you want to go inside the palace, make sure to be there before 4:00pm.

Take note: The castle is always closed on December 26 – January 4 every year. In addition its closed every Tuesday of January, July, August and December. However, if Tuesday falls on a public holiday, the castle will be closed the following day instead.

How to go to Nijo-jo:

There are several options going to the place because it's in the heart of the city. Click here to see your best option.

For more information, you can visit their website.

Looking for a place to stay in Kyoto? Check out Shuhokaku Hotel.

Looking for a Catholic Church in Kyoto? Visit Kawaramachi Church.

Check out my other blog posts in Kyoto Series:

Nijo-jo (Nijo Castle)

541, Nijojo-cho, Nijo-dori Horikawa Nishi iru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 604-8301

Contact No: 075-841-0096

Kyoto Shuhokaku Hotel: A Japanese traditional living

2014-04-20T17:59:00.001+08:00

Thousands of hotels, guesthouses, inns bed & breakfast to choose from in this must-visit city of Kyoto, but we opted to stay in a Japanese inn known as Ryokan. This type of room feature tatami-matted rooms where guests rest and sleep.

Kyoto Shuhokaku Hotel is a traditional inn that offers a perfect Japanese traditional experience from the rooms to the food they served, from the lounge to the common bath area.

Hotel Entrance

Once you enter the hotel, you will immediately find a small souvenir shop selling traditional products. Just go straight a little further to find the check-in desks and the staffs would gladly help you. They were very helpful and accommodating. In fact, they provided us with a map and suggested routes on how to go around Kyoto.

Japanese wearing Yukata

Even in the hallways, you would realize the traditional feel of the hotel. Travel Tip: You have private showers in the room you can go to a public bath for everyone (onsen). Likewise, if you want a public bath experience exclusive to your family (people you are with), you can ask a staff to reserve a public bath for you.

Our Room:

The rooms were, as expected, very traditional but welcoming. The cloth used for sleeping is very soft that you seem like you are not on the tatami-matted floors. For sure, you can rest a lot here after a day trip around the city.

The dining table and cabinet were not spared in this traditional experience. In fact, they offer a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner called kaiseki. Yes, we tried it following a very exhausting tour. Travel Tip: Kaiseki is a must-try for another the traditional experience! This may cost a little more but every bite and the experience is all worth it.

And to complete my experience, I didn't miss my chance and wore Yukata, a loosed cotton kimono in place of bath robes provided in hotels. HAHA!

Aha!

How to go there:
By Subway Train:

Kiyomizu Gojo Station (Keihan Main Line). Once you alight the station, just walk along Gojo Dori street towards the east for about 10min and you will see the entrance of the hotel as showed above.

By Bus:

There are several buses that you may take going to the hotel since it is close to the main street. Some of the bus numbers you can take are: 4, 17, 10, 93, 202, 204 and 205. You would also go down near Kiyomizu Gojo station (Keihan Main Line) and walk along Gojo Dori street.

My Japanese traditional living is complete in this Ryokan: Kyoto Shuhokaku Hotel. You should definitely try Japanese inn when visiting Kyoto.

Kyoto Shuhokaku Hotel
Address: 605-0846 Kyoto, Kyoto, Higashiyama-ku, Gojobashi-higashi 2-1
Japan, 〒605-0846 京都府京都市東山区五条橋東2-1
Contact No: +81 75-531-2233

Looking for a Catholic Church in Kyoto, you can go to Kawaramachi Church.

Kyoto Catholic Church: Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier

2014-04-15T21:41:00.001+08:00

Wherever I am, I always make sure to attend Mass on Sundays and other Holy Days of Obligation. I may just be in town without any plans, attend seminars abroad, backpack in SouthEastAsia, or whatever, mass on Holy Days of Obligation is always part of my schedule.

This time, I’m in Kyoto, Japan.

I attended mass in the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier (Kawaramachi Church). It is one of the oldest churches in Japan.

Kawaramachi Church

Mandatory photo. HAHA!

Mass Schedule:

Sunday	7:00 AM 10:30 AM 12:00 NN (English Mass)
Monday	6:30 AM
Tuesday	6:30 AM 6:30 PM
Wednesday	6:30 AM 6:30 PM
Thursday	6:30 AM
Friday	6:30 AM 6:30 PM
Saturday	6:30 AM 6:30 PM (Anticipated Mass)

In our case, we attended the 7:00 AM mass even though it was in Japanese so that we could have more time exploring Kyoto. The town was still very quiet since we arrived early morning. All shops were still close except for convenience stores. Travel Tip: Make sure to arrive on time. When I mean on time, its ON TIME. The priest entered the oratory when the clock ticked at 7:00:00AM.

Proof I attended mass. HAHA!

The mass was held at the small chapel located at the underground level. At first, I thought I won’t be able to attend mass because no one is inside the main church. In fact, it was still locked when we arrived. Travel Tip: Make sure to ask the people there before coming up with some conclusions (no mass, lock church, etc). The mass might be in one of their small oratories.

After the mass

The interior of the main church

How to go there:

From Kyoto Station, you can take Kyoto city bus no. 4, 5, 17 and 207 and get off at Kawaramachi Sanjo bus stop (河原町三条停留所). From the bus stop, you should immediately see the church. Travel Tip: Just tell the driver where you’re getting off. Show the Kanji characters in this blog.

Map to the church (from their website)

In the Philippines, the following are the Holy Days of Obligation:

Sundays
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1)
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (December 8)
Solemnity of the Birth of our Lord/Christmas (December 25)

I hope you can now hear mass in Kyoto. I understand that it’s really difficult to get information online. If you need additional information, just let me know and maybe we can work things out.

For more info, you can go to their website (Japanese): Kawaramachi Church. The website is actually very helpful for those who can read Japanese characters. If you have friends who can read, ask their assistance.

Looking for a place to stay in Kyoto? Check out Shuhokaku Hotel.

Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier (Kawaramachi Church)

Address: 京都府京都市中京区河原町三条上下丸屋４２３ (Kawaramachidori-sanjoagaru, Nakagyo-ku), 京都 (Kyoto), 京都府 (Kyoto), 関西地方 (Kansai), 604-8006, Japan

Telephone No: 075-231-4785

Kyoto Downtown: A Museum Itself

2014-04-12T23:59:00.000+08:00

April 26, 2013

When you talk about Japan, it’s about skyscrapers, technologically-advanced equipment, high-tech gadgets, heavy industries, famous cars and appliances, gaming consoles, etc., but outside the busy-streets and work-driven Tokyo city is a culturally-rich, laidback lifestyle, a museum itself in the central part of Honshu Island, KYOTO! It shouldn't be missed out.

Kyoto is the home of the country’s Emperor for more than 1000years (794-1868), UNESCO World Heritage Site, roughly 2000 temples and shrines, museums, castles and the famous Maiko (Geisha) entertainers in Gion Street.

It is located 458km from the capital Tokyo but the fastest Shinkansen bullet train (Nozomi train) can reach your destination in 2hrs and 20min. Needless to say, the speed and convenience of the train would equate to its price at around ¥14,000 for a one-way ride (Php6,000 or US$140). From Osaka, cultural city of Japan is just 55km, and its connected by several transport services – Shinkansen, Rapid trains, Subway lines, Buses, and taxes. There should be no problem connecting between these 2 cities because transportation is very convenient in Japan. Just be cautious in choosing your mode of transportation, it might just cost you few hundred bucks! For more information on transportation to Kyoto: Access to Kyoto

In our case, however, we came from Nagano prefecture and to save few bucks, we opted for the 7 hrs 16min overnight bus to Kyoto. But like what I said, its hassle-free! The bus left Nagano at 22:49H and arrived at Kyoto Station at exactly 06:05H. Travel Tip: Make sure to be in the station minutes before your scheduled trip since public transportation leaves on the dot. Consider the walking time to the platform/exact bus location. Not even a minute of late is tolerated there J

Kyoto Station Bus Stop

Since we arrive there on a Sunday, Holy Mass is definitely part of my itinerary. From Kyoto Station, we went straight to Cathedral of St.Francis Xavier (Kawaramachi Church).

Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier

After the mass, we took the city bus going to our hotel, a traditional Japanese inn (Ryokan) located in the heart of the city. But since it was our first time in the place, we still played hide and seek with the hotel.

A perfect sightseeing and morning walk while searching for our hotel. The weather is also very cool at around 15ºc. Take note: This is around 07:30H right after the Sunday mass.

Kamogawa (Kamo River)

Strip of Restaurants -- Look for Starbucks!

More Restaurants

We walked further towards the end of the bridge and another set of attraction that's good for the eyes. The street with traditional Japanese houses with some restaurants attached to it.

Traditional Japanese Houses

Can't help but take a photo!

Finally! It's Kyoto Shuhokaku Hotel -- after approximately 20min of walk. But no regrets, its like a walk in the park. We didn't even realize we walked that far!

Kyoto Shuhokaku Hotel

At night, the city has different ambiance seeing Japanese people going home from office, Gion area starting to life with Geishas and Geikos just walking around the vicinity. Travel Tip: Keep your cameras ready as these entertainers might be walking in front of you. I saw two of them but unfortunately was not able to take a photo of them.

Gion Area -- the home of Geishas and Geikos

Restaurants on both sides of the street

You shouldn't miss downtown Kyoto at night too!

Kyoto Marui Department Store

And the Kamogawa and Kyoto Tower at night:

Kamogawa at Night

Kyoto Tower

Kyoto Station:

It is the 2^nd biggest terminal station building in Japan (after Nagoya Station) with a shopping mall, department store, hotel, gov’t facilities and other commercial establishments in one huge building. It is one of the main stations in the island of Honshu, central Japan. Travel Tip: This can already be part of your itinerary as the station is already an attraction. You can also make your last minute shopping in Kyoto here before heading to somewhere else.

Kyoto Station

Interior of Kyoto Station

Platform Entrance

Don’t miss out Kyoto on your visit to Japan! If I get an opportunity, I will definitely visit this culturally rich city again!

Check out my other blog posts in Kyoto Series:

Tokyo Tower 東京タワ: Japan's Iconic Tower

2014-04-10T21:28:00.001+08:00

July 8, 2012

Since we were not able to go up the observation deck of Tokyo Sky Tree, we decided to go to Tokyo Tower instead and made sure to reach the skies. So, we went straight to Tokyo Tower without any second thoughts! Or honestly, it was part of our itinerary! HAHA.

Tokyo Tower was the main broadcasting and communication tower of Japan from 1958 to 2012 (yes, 54years!) when Tokyo Sky Tree was built. Despite its 333m height, it cannot provide clear signals to TV and radio network these days due to the skyscrapers around the area (before, absolutely yes!).

We went there around 4pm, just in time to see the city before dark and before the city lights and the tower itself was lit. While walking to the tower, I can’t help but take a lot of photos just to get the perfect angle of the picturesque tower in front of me. I don’t look at the streets while walking. LOL!

Walking to the tower

Mandatory photo!

At the foot of Tokyo Tower:

Since we were there late afternoon, the lines to the ticketing counter were manageable already with just a little less than 15min of waiting time. After getting our tickets, we went directly to the entrance, waited for our turn to board the high-powered elevator straight to the main observatory (150m high).

Replica, taller than ME!

Unfortunately, we didn't opt to go to the special observatory (250m high) anymore due to lack of time and we were already satisfied viewing Tokyo City from the main observatory (excuses, lol). Nonetheless, the view from the main observatory is still breathtaking! You can practically see most parts of Tokyo city already. In case you want to go up, you can purchase the tickets from the main observatory. Travel Tip: Make sure to read the observation guides to help you see the famous buildings and structures around the tower. Try to spot the other tower in town, Tokyo Sky Tree!

Tokyo City Landscape

Like what I said earlier, we were able to catch both the view of the tower before sunset and when the city lights were already lit. It surely has a different feel once the lights are up. Travel Tip: Consider going to the tower late afternoon to see the view in two perspectives: with and without city lights.

Night view

Observatory at night

From the 2F of the main observatory, we went down to the 1F (yes, there are levels even in the observatories. haha!) and there you can find souvenir shops and restaurants if you want to grab a snack or eat your meals 150m above the ground. Of course you have to pay for the price for that experience! You also take the elevator going back to the foot of the tower from the 1F of the main observatory. Travel Tip: Try to see the view at the foot of the tower through the glass floor or ‘Lookdown Window.’

Lookdown Window

Of course, it's not just the city that has magnificent light. Even the tower itself is very gorgeous at night. That's why it's pays to go there late afternoon, and not the conventional 1st thing in the morning itinerary.

Tokyo Tower at night

Despite not seeing the view from Tokyo Sky Tree, this trip is surely comparable. We definitely went home satisfied and fulfilled with our experience. YAY!

Ticket Prices:

	Main Observatory (150 m)	Special Observatory (250 m)	Both Observatories
Adult(Above 15yo)	820yen	600yen	1,420yen
Students (8yo-15yo)	460yen	400yen	860yen
Children (4yo-7yo)	310yen	350yen	660yen

Business Hours:

Main Observatory (150m): 09:00H – 22:00H (Last Admission: 21:45H)

Special Observatory (250m): 09:00H – 21:30H (Last Admission: 21:00H)

*Ticket counters may stop admission tickets early if it’s already overcrowded

How to go to Tokyo Tower:

There are several ways to go to Tokyo Tower but in my opinion, the best way would be through the subway/JR lines, unless you have car or you understand Nihonggo and can manage to take the bus.

The following train stations can be utilized to go to Tokyo Tower:

Route	Exit Station / Exit	Distance to Tokyo Tower
Oedo Line (Metropolitan Subway)	Akabanebashi Station (Akabanebashi Gate)	5min walk
Hibiya Line (Tokyo Metry)	Kamiyacho Station (Exit No 1)	7min walk
Mita Line (Metropolitan Subway)	Onarimon Station (Exit No A1)	6min walk
Asakusa Line (Metropolitan Subway)	Daimon Station (Exit No A6)	10min walk
JR Line	Hamamatsucho Station (North Exit)	15min walk

For more information about the Tokyo Tower, you can visit their website.

For more information on how to reach the tower, you can click here. It's well explained!

Tokyo Tower

4-2-8 Shiba-koen, Minato,

Tokyo 105-0011

Tokyo Sky Tree: World's Tallest Tower

2014-04-09T09:44:00.000+08:00

July 8, 2012

An itinerary to Tokyo Sky Tree is a must for a trip to Japan! However, we went to the world's tallest tower accepting the reality that we won’t be able to go up at least 350m (higher deck @ 450m) above the ground to the observation decks. We went there last July 8 and the tower opened in May 22, 2012 (less than 2months of operation). However, the observation decks were already reserved until July 11. Yes, just 3 days, we were just ahead for 3days..

Tokyo Sky Tree (634m):

It is the tallest broadcasting tower in the world and the 2^nd tallest structure after Burj Khalifa (828.9m) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Aside from its observation deck at the 350^th flr & 450^th flr., it is also a broadcasting and communication tower for TV and radio companies in Japan.

Tokyo Sky Tree from the shops

Mandatory photo! yay!

As mentioned, we weren't able to go up but, nonetheless, we still enjoyed our trip there:

THE Sky Tree

Another mandatory shot. HAHA!

The Sky Tree vicinity has more to offer than the tower that stands way higher than all the other buildings in the area and even in Japan. In fact, it's the highest tower in Japan. A mall and a train station were built together with the tower for tourists to conveniently go the attraction and enjoy. There are hundreds of restaurants and shops in the area too making it the Tokyo Sky Tree town from its former feel of laidback Tokyo.

At the Entrance

At the foot of the Tower

And since it was still the 1^st few weeks of operation, there are still a lot of activities at the foot of the tower. There were even street performances that were watched by hundreds of tourists in the area. Travel Tip: the mall has a dedicated souvenir shop: The Sky Tree Shop! In case you didn’t buy in the observation deck areas.

Dedicated Souvenir Shop inside the Mall

Ticket prices:

Category		Adult (18 above)	Teens (12-17 years old)	Child (6-11 years old)	Pre-school (4-5 yeas old)
Tokyo Sky Tree Tembo Deck (350m)	Day Ticket (No Time Assignment)	¥2,060	¥1,540	¥930	¥620
Tokyo Sky Tree Tembo Deck (350m)	Advance Purchase (Day/Time Assigned)	¥2,570	¥2,060	¥1,440	¥1,130
Tokyo Sky Tree Tembo Galleria (450m)	Ticket purchased on the day only	¥1,030	¥820	¥510	¥310

Day tickets can be purchased directly at the ticket counter on the 4F of the Tokyo Sky Tree. For advance purchase tickets, you may reserve online (TOKYO SKYTREE Web Ticket) but its only in Japanese. Travel Tip: Just buy on the day since its cheaper than reserving online with specified date and time.

You can only buy the Sky Tree Tembo Galleria (450^th flr) in the Sky Tree Tembo Deck (350^th flr) so you can decide from there whether you want to go further. As I’ve mentioned earlier I haven’t been to any of the two observation decks but surely go to the observation decks once I get a chance to visit Japan again.

Operating Hours: 08:00H - 22:00H Everyday

How to go to Tokyo Sky Tree from Tokyo Station:

Tokyo Station – Oshiage Sky Tree Station (approx. 22min; 220yen/person) Travel Tip: You won’t miss out Oshiage Sky Tree Station since it's the last station in that line.

Tokyo Station – Otemachi Station (Marunouchi Line towards Ikebukuro Station)
Otemachi Station – Oshiage Sky Tree Station (Hanzomon Line towards Oshiage Sky Tree)

You may also click here for more ways to go to Tokyo Sky Tree.

Have fun in Tokyo Sky Tree! Tell me your experience as I have yet to experience the observation deck of the tower too!

Tokyo Sky Tree
Address: 1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku Tokyo
Tel No: 0570-55-0634 (Tokyo Sky Tree Call Center)

Want to know where we went next? Tokyo Tower to conquer the skies!

Tokyo DisneySea: Where Imagination and Adventure Set Sail

2014-04-06T16:10:00.002+08:00

July 15, 2012.

Disney changed people’s lives. And age doesn’t matter when you’re heading to a Disney Resort. This time, it’s Tokyo Disney Sea.

Like our 22hr trip back in January 2012, we again travelled all the way from Nagano to Tokyo to visit this one-of-a-kind resort. But this time, we are staying overnight to visit both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Yay! Brace up for another adventure! This is bigger than Tokyo Disneyland!

We arrived at the resort before the park opened so we went straight to Hilton Tokyo Bay to park our things (we can’t check-in yet). My host family also decided to park the car there and take the Disney Monorail from the hotel to the resort for another experience.

At Hilton Tokyo Bay Hotel

Tokyo Disney Resort Monorail:
It’s the same with the HongKong Disneyland Rail – with Mickey windows, Mickey handles, and all the other Disney designs -- but this one is way more expensive.

Look at the ticket prices!

Tokyo Disney Sea Map:

Familiarize yourself with the entire DisneySea resort. It has 7 main themes: Mediterranean Harbor. Mysterious Island. Mermaid Lagoon. Arabian Coast. Lost River Delta. Port Discovery. American Waterfront. Travel Tip: Make sure to get your map at hand and plan your route inside the park. You may want to take an unconventional route by starting in the 3^rd or 4^th theme. Normally, when people arrived in the park, they just do clockwise or counter-clock wise route. Start in the middle when there are still less people. Make sure to consider live performances as well!

Familiarizing myself with the park

Entrance:

Once you entered the park, you will be welcomed by the DisneySea SquaSphere , showing the model of the earth, helping you realize the body of water that surrounds us. From this place onwards, seems like everything is a fantasy.

Welcome to Tokyo Disney Sea!

Where's the Philippines?

Mediterranean Harbor:

It’s the center of DisneySea, just like the Cinderella Castle for Disneyland, where you will be caught in awe. Surrounded by an Italian-themed (re-creation of Venice) hotel overlooking the man-made lake where main performances of the park happens. Travel Tip: Make sure to catch the live performances here. Check out the schedule once you arrived in the park.

Mount Prometheus, Mediterranean Harbor, Disney Sea

Hotel Miracosta surrounding the park

Picturesque view of the park

View from the mysterious Island

DisneySea Grounds:

You’ll enjoy strolling around the American Waterfront seeing a real-size ship docked at the port with live performance from Disney characters. Take note: you are inside Disneysea, and not a real port.

SS Columbia in town

Tower of Terror & The Port

Captain Mickey ~

Port Discovery

Smaller Port

Walk further and you’ll see more of what DisneySea has to offer you. You might bump to some Disney characters like Princess Jasmin walking around Arabian Coast while waiting for Alladin. Travel Tip: Be Brave! Call her attention to get a snapshot with Princess Jasmin or any Disney character. She won’t just stand there and pose for a photo with you.

With Princess Jasmin of Alladin

Arabian Coast

Pirates Ship

Speedboat around the island

Attractions:

There can be so many people wanting to take the rides and can obviously be time-consuming waiting for an average of 45min just to experience a 3-min attraction. HAHA. In my case, I just pick the most thrilling rides in the park since I’ve conquered several rides like the Dodonpa (once the fastest roller coaster) in FujiQ Highlands, Japan, and T Express (World’s steepest wooden roller coaster) in Everland, South Korea, and the Abyss Turbo Drop (20-storey free fall) in Ocean Park, Hongkong.

One of the attractions

Mysterious Island

Look at the lines to the attractions

Travel Tip: Try to get the FastPass in some of the rides available. Check out the map or ask any of the park staffs around for more details. It’s free! In our case, we got fastpasses so we just roam around the place in the morning and took the rides in the afternoon on our scheduled time.

Performances:

It is what I really look forward to see in every Disney Resort I visit. The world-class performances never bore me even if I saw the shows a couple of times already. Travel Tip: Try to be early to get a good spot for your eyes and of course, your cameras. Don’t rush or overtake people. It might cause an accident. Show schedule varies so make sure to check it out once you arrived.

Counterpart of Disney Parade of Stars for Disneyland

It's all in the water show!

Look for Mickey ~

Night Performances

Souvenir Shops:

You don’t have to worry where to buy your Disney keychains or Mickey Mouse tees and stuff toys because they all over the corner just like the food available. You can go to a small kiosk or carts themed in your current location or big stores near the entrance. Travel Tip: Grab your souvenirs at night after all your rounds and right before you go home so you don’t have to bring your shopped items around the park. And even if the park is close, they’ll wait for you to finish shopping! Beware, the souvenir items are quite expensive K well, for a shoe-string traveler like me.

DisneySea Souvenir Shop

DisneySea at Night:

The lights at night can still make you wonder? How did they design this park? The lights are perfectly in place.

SS Columbia at Night

DisneySea Symbol

Certainly, it is worthwhile to visit the only DisneySea in the world. A must-visit when you go to Japan. Though you need at least the entire day to explore the park, it's worth your money, time and effort. Plus another day to see Tokyo Disney Land: Where Dreams Come True.

To know more about Tokyo Disneyland's ticket prices, park maps, park hours, transportation and other useful information, you can check out my post: Tokyo Disneyland: In Detail

For Disney Performances and Shows: Tokyo Disneyland: A Whole New World

Spring Season: It's Sakura ~

2014-04-05T08:33:00.000+08:00

Hello to my BLOG! HAHA! After more than a year of hiatus ;]

 Last May 2013, I was in Japan for a short but a very memorable trip. One of the many experiences I had that made it memorable was the 'Sakuras' or Cherry Blossoms in english and 벚곷 in Korean sightseeing.

 Once a sakura blossoms, it takes a week or even less until it withers. And since my trip was on the latter part of Spring, I didn't expect to see a parade of sakura anymore. Good thing we made a trip to Southern Nagano and saw a strip of Sakuras while plying the expressway. However, it was not our real destination..

Superhighway to Southern Nagano

And soo.. the following day, Sunday, we decided to get up early and purposely visit this parade of Sakura before heading to the 11AM Sunday Mass (Yes, wherever I go, I try my best to attend Holy Days of Obligation -- I just skip once, I think?).

Here's the awesome place:

Sakura Heaven I

Sakura Heaven II

Sakura Tree

Sakura Flower

And of course, the mandatory photos with Cherry Blossoms:

Arm's reach awesome flowers

A very quick but fun-filled memorable trip indeed. Unplanned yet perfectly executed.

'til next time, Cherry Blossoms! 'til next time, Japan!

Cheers,
Arvin

Backpacking: By the Numbers

2012-11-17T21:57:00.000+08:00

34 DAYS. 7 COUNTRIES. 14 CITIES. 4.8KG BACKPACK. 6 BORDER CROSSING. 16 IMMIGRATION STAMPS. 2 AIRPLANES. 5 OVERNIGHT TRAINS. 3 BORDER BUSES. 109 TRANSIT HOURS. 13 GUESTHOUSES/FRIEND's PAD. 8 CURRENCIES.

BACKPACKING. For many Filipinos, backpacking is not in their vocabulary. It seems like this 'thing' is not within their reach. They think that people doing it are crazy or stupid or rich. But I would say, not all.

It was once not in my vocabulary as well to do a backpacking trip. Not after one of my lady friends (yes, you read it right, a lady) have done it in SouthEastAsia. She traveled for 27days in 5countries. As an adventurer, I was inspired by her trip and thought of doing it myself too. Since I have 2months break from school, might as well do it during that time, while I'm still a student. Take note: It's a VERY shoe-string budget.

And so I made the biggest move! Reserve a plane ticket. And the next steps are: Bahala na si Batman! And so I booked a Manila - Ho Chi Minh ticket last January 20, 2012 for a flight on July 25, 2012 and Singapore - Manila on August 27, 2012. Yes, the travel dates were still far but needless to say, it's a promo ticket. By the way, my parents knew about my idea after I booked the ticket. So they can't do anything anymore.

MY ROUTE? Philippines - Vietnam - Cambodia - Thailand - Laos - Thailand - Malaysia - Singapore - Philippines. You might wonder why I visited Laos and go back again. Well.. A very good Lao friends of mine invited me to visit their country, and so I went there. And I would say I made the right decision. I really enjoyed my trip there and they totally welcomed me with open arms.

My backpacking route

MY EXPENSES? Believe it or not, I only spent US$813 dollars or Php 35,000 for the entire trip (YES! it's not a typo error). And it includes my round trip ticket, the very expensive travel tax and terminal fee, border crossing fares, my accommodations and food, some souvenirs and some necessities during the trip (Yes, like I bought additional shirts for me in the middle). Although, it doesn't include some biscuits for my own consumption and dried mangoes as tokens to my friends, hosts or the people I met in the road (I bought it in the Philippines. haha). Indeed, it's a SHOE-STRING trip!

MY BACKPACK? You might be wondering how I fit all my things in a 4.8kg backpack. But I have clothes good for a week, long pants for my Sunday Masses (Yes, I still attend Mass every Sunday, it's a must), tokens to my friends as I've said earlier, some survival food, toiletries of course, and the most important travel things, my PASSPORT and money (I didn't have credit card, by the way).

My 4.8kg backpack

MY LIFESTYLE? I lived like a local, learned and understand their culture. I ate their food, took public transportation, walked for miles everyday. I didn't have any fancy meals (except when my friend treated me) and the souvenirs I bought was just for my dearest who allowed me to embark on this trip. HAHA!

MY COMPANION? I was alone. Not that I'm a loner, but I can be very flexible if I travel by myself. I can follow my own pace and I don't have to worry about the others. But I met my ASEAN friends in all the countries I visited. In fact, it was one of my purpose, to meet my old friends in their homelands. And I met new people in the middle of the road. Aside from the locals, I also met people from Australians to Europeans: Italian, Germans, French, Austrian, Polish, Americans to Latin Americans, and fellow Asians like Japanese, Koreans and Chinese, to name a few. And each of them has their own backpacking stories -- it ranges from a one week holiday to a real RTW (round the world) backpacking that lasts for months or even years (Hopefully, I can tell some of their stories next time).

Indeed, the trip was worthwhile! It definitely widened my horizon and not just think within the four corners of the classroom. It's a must try before you get your job (some even quit their job to do this; but I'm not saying you do it) or get married or with your partner, or at least before you kick the bucket. Yes, you should include it in your bucket list! As for me, a European backpacking trip. But might do Indo-China first, it's more attainable short term ;]

Now, what do you think? It's not a leisure trip at all.

Jeju Island: 'Seminar Workshop'

2012-07-09T12:11:00.000+08:00

New7Wonders of Nature
June 24 - 26, 2012.

HOW DID IT COME ABOUT

Back around March, we started planning for their last 3months in Korea and this includes the question to the international office if there is a free trip to Jeju Island, one of the New7Wonders of Nature (the 2011 batch of scholars had a trip there for a seminar). Because if not, we will plan for our own trip there while we are still in Korea. After 2months, the IO announced that we will have a 'seminar workshop' in Jeju for 3days and 2nights. 'Seminar Workshop' because out of the 3days, only 3hours, yes, you read it right, 3hours for the workshop and the rest are all tours. LOL.

FROM DAEJEON

We left Daejeon university at 5:45am. During that night, we didn't sleepy anymore because we watched the Euro cup 2012 quarterfinal match between the eventual champion Spain and France. And by the way, our Russian friend brought authentic Vodka to drink. The game finished at 5:32am just in time for our departure to Cheongju airport. We boarded Eastar Jet flight -- that departed 7:55am.

Euro Cup 2012 Quarterfinals: Spain vs France

Russian Vodka

Off to the bus around 5:40am

THE GANG

There are 4staffs who joined us in the 'seminar workshop'. The head of the international office, Dr. Woochan Sim, the new team leader of our program, Mr. Changwon Lee and the 2 sweet&lovely officers in charge of us for the entire program, Ms. Hyejin Kim and Ms. Bora Lee. Also, one of our favorite professors, Dr. Park, made time to join in Jeju. He was just in Jeju for less than 24hrs due to the mission in the ministry. Haha! By the way, he shell out his own money for his trip. And take note, it was last minute booking! I wonder how much was the ticket already. He is just so sweet.

From the airport, the fun and excitement already started. Most especially that we will be parting ways after a week. We literally took thousands of pictures for a 3day trip. That was a lot! HAHA! We didn't have enough time to stroll around the airport because we arrived just in time for check-in and boarding.

Eaststar Jet

ASEAN Passports

Cheongju International Airport

Group Photo

Pictures were just everywhere!

Entering the pre-departure area

When we arrived at Jeju, the energy kept on increasing! Our energy was totally different from our previous trips together. Also, the bond that we have was getting stronger. Maybe we realized that we will be parting ways soon. And this is our time to maximize our company with each other.

Jeju Song-ak Resort

PRESENTATION

Our presentations for the 'seminar workshop' in Jeju was our best in our entire study in Korea. Of course, aside from our graduation performance - a 40minute skit with singing and dancing. The 3hr presentation end up almost 4hrs without any dull moments. It was not boring at all!

The IO just asked us to present anything we want. And so we presented anything about the program. Some of our friends presented about the internship experiences, showed video presentation about our life in Daejeon university, friendship, memories, etc. The other friends gave their personal experiences in the program and touching messages.

And our team was task to talk about traveling in Korea and I impersonated Dr. Park in my presentation. It was really funny but at the same time shameful when you know that the person you are impersonating is watching you. My groupmate, Arie, gave a crash course on Korean dialects which can be totally different from the Korean language.

My presentation

The other presentations that were really funny were the Korean culture that we usually don't mind but it's a reality. Also, the revolution of the ASEAN students in a span of 10months where our friends made a video of our picture when we arrived in Korea and the present one. There are so many differences! Most people, especially the ladies, looks like Koreans already. Haha. Another presentation was the Guinness Book of ASEAN students. Some of the best categories are the top 5 most constant outfit (I'm one of the winners. Really?), top 5 handsome guys and top 5 beautiful ladies. Of course, we can't erase the fact that there will be biases in the winners according to the 3 presenters (Yes, because they won the most handsome ladies in ASEAN). But it was just all for fun! Lastly, some of our friends, as part of their daily life in Korea presentation, made a special music video of 'I'm sexy and I know it'. Since there was a video recorder during the entire presentation, they showed the video when the camcorder was already closed because it was somehow 'inappropriate'. The audience reception was very high even from the honorable staffs who are PhDs and well known in their respective fields.

Top 5 Most Handsome guys

This trip costs so much! From the plane ticket, lodging, food, tours, attraction entrances. And all in all we are 30 students plus 4 staffs. And also, Prof. Park, who spend on his own just to see our presentations. It's really a lot. Also, the seminar was just 3hrs out of the 3day trip in Jeju.

But what I can say, and I'm confident with it, it was all worth it for what we have done in the program. Our graduation presentation was really amazing! We exceeded their expectations and everyone was very happy and fulfilled. And aside from that, our finale presentations in Jeju were superb!

Jeju International Airport

Group Check-in

Parting message by Dr. Woochan Sim

Now, we've parted ways. But one thing for sure, we will forever treasure the memories we had together in our hearts. And we promised to be connected. Because.. WE ARE STRONGER WHEN WE ARE CONNECTED.

We are stronger, when we are connected

Gyeongju: Museum without Walls

2012-07-06T10:39:00.001+08:00

"Beautiful Gyeongju"
May 28, 2012.

I had a chance to visit Gyeongju for a day and went around the tourist spots in the city. It is one of the most visited cities of Korea outside Seoul because it is known as the "Museum without Walls" where much of Korea's history can be found. It is pretty much the same as Kyoto of Japan.

I arrived in Singyeongju station around 10am via KTX ride from Daejeon. Thanks to my KR Pass, an unlimited KTX ride for a certain number of days depending on your choice. By the way, it's only available for foreigners. It's a very good deal when you travel around different cities of Korea.

KTX at Singyeongju Station

When I entered the station, I was welcomed by these KTX mascots.

KTX Mascots

Honestly, I was not at all ready with this trip. So when I arrived in Gyeongju, I immediately seek help from the tourist information office in the station. The lady gladly help me how to get around to the city and the places to visit given my limited time in the place. Thanks to her! I was able to work my way in the city. Travel Tip: When traveling, don't be shy to ask questions to the tourist information, it's their duty to help tourists. And that's their work, to give suggestions and advices in the place. I usually don't ask before but learned to ask after getting some advices from people. Trust me, it will make your life easier! The tourist staffs know more than you.

BULGUKSA TEMPLE.
The first thing I did was to visit the Bulguksa Temple (불국사) and Seokguram Grotto (석굴암). It was a 50minute bus ride the station but it was very convenient because no transfer needed. It will go directly to the place. However, the 50minute ride extended to almost 1hr 30minutes because it was Buddha's birthday already. It was holiday in Korea and Koreans visited the temples. I'm very lucky to be in this place on a very big day! Buddha's Birthday!

There are so many lanterns to celebrate Buddha's birthday! They prepared these lanterns for more than a month (I visited a smaller temple a month earlier and they started preparing the lanterns already). How much more this big temple and the main attraction in Gyeongju? :)

Bulguksa Entrance

Bulguksa's Main Temple

Statue

Bulguksa's Mini Temple

SEOKGURAM GROTTO.
Afterwards, I took the bus going up to the Seokguram Grotto. Actually, it was just a little less than 2kilometers but it was an upward slope. I waited for more than 30minutes for the bus as well mainly because of the big celebration and it was very crowded. But going down, instead of waiting for the bus, I decided to walk down. Anyway, it's downward already so it's not that tiring! It took me 25minutes going down back to Bulguksa Temple. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos inside the grotto. And since I'm very obedient, I didn't take any hiding shots. HAHA! Travel Tip: If you go to Bulguksa Temple, might as well hit the Seokguram Grotto. For most of the travel guides, these 2 sightseeing places usually go together. The bus ride is good when it a normal day. Better take the bus because once you go down the bus, you still need to walk further to reach the grotto.

Seokguram Grounds

WALKING TOUR.
I already walked a lot in Bulguksa and Seokguram but I continued walking when I head back to the city area. The city is pretty like the other Korean cities though the places have very rich historical background. You can even see tombs in the middle of the city and it is said to be the tomb of the former kings or leaders of the country.

Some of the walking areas. These places are just stones throw from each other.

Cheomseongdae Observatory is the oldest observatory in the Far East and in Korea build in 634AD.

Cheomseongdae Observatory

These "hill like" structure are called Oreung or 5 tombs. But it is not just any other tombs because it rests the former Kings and Queen of Korea. These five royal tombs has the buried bodies of King Park Hyeokgeose and his wife, Queen Alyeong; the second Silla king, Namhae; the third Silla king, Yuril and the fifth Silla king, Pasa. I actually don't know them as well. Just research it from: Gyeongju Tour guide.

Oreung (5 Tombs)

Walking Tour

BULGUKSA AT NIGHT.
I also went back to Bulguksa at night. My American couchsurfer host plans to visit the temple at night because one of his Korean co-teachers told him that the temple is very nice at night with well lighted lanterns. I went to the temple with my host and his 2 other friends. The temple usually closes at 6:00pm but then again, it was Buddha's birthday so the temple was open until late night and they had some Buddhist services available. And also, the lanterns were all lighted! It was so nice!

Lighted Lanterns

It's all white

During the services, people in the temple were given lanterns. We plan to bring one each back home but when we were about to exit, the temple guards blocked us and confiscated our lanterns. So we didn't have any souvenir from this place. We were even very proud to have those cool lanterns. LOL!

That's it with my experience in Gyeongju! It was a very short but memorable visit in Korea's Museum without Walls.

PS: Finally! I was able to write again! After weeks of traveling, and therefore more pending stories to tell. But it's good to be back!

Busan: Taejongdae's Lighthouse & Observatory

2012-06-16T09:22:00.000+08:00

"Dynamic Busan"

May 27, 2012.

Taejongdae natural park is one of the places you shouldn't miss when you visit Busan. If you look at the map, it can be very far - around 45minutes via private car on normal days. How much more if you are taking the public transportation going there. But, I really suggest to come here and visit here (I don't have any connection with them). I was just really fulfilled when we hit this place. You will miss the chance of you won't come here.

Breathtaking view from Taejongdae Lighthouse

As my friend told me when we went here, "This is, by far, the best place we visited in Busan." From her statement, it is even better than Haeundae or Gwangalli beach. But I think because of the scenery and nature. But take note, you cannot swim in this place. It's more on sightseeing than interactive activities like swimming or beach sports type.

TAEJONGDAE ENTRANCE

I said earlier that the travel time is around 45minutes by private car in ordinary days. But when we went here, we travelled for 2hrs 30min because it was holiday in Korea and at the same time it was Buddha's Birthday and there are two temples inside the Taejongdae natural park. But we didn't give up because we want to see the magnificent cliffs facing the open sea. At first, we were wondering whether it was worth it or not because we didn't have prior information the place aside from the picture we found when we went to the Busan Tower. In the end, it was all worth it. From the original 1hr 30min allotted time end up 3hrs 30min going around and just resting in the cliffs with the beautiful ocean.

The Entrance Stone

From the entrance, it might be around an hour up and down hill trek going to the lighthouse and observatory. And when you arrived in the place, you need to have another trek going to the cliff overviewing the sea (see photos below). Think twice before you decide walking. You might not have enough energy and time to go to other places anymore. Unless you have the luxury of time or you are inclined in walking. It's good for your health though. Travel Tip: I suggest take the 'mini-train' going to the lighthouse and observatory for just a dollar (P45.00). It's alright because you have to walk further to see the beautiful scenery. If you really want to walk, then better trek going back (but the $1 includes to and fro already). Just keep the ticket! :)

Outside Taejongdae National Park

LIGHTHOUSE

Lighthouse

The lighthouse is one of the must-visits in Busan. The scenery is simply breathtaking. And you can do a lot of things in this place. Just rest and reminiscing your memories overviewing the sea. Think about your past. Maximize your present. Plan for your future. Anything! It's really relaxing here. Travel Tip: It might be a long walk but make sure to hit this place because you can't say you've been to Taejongdae without stepping on those big rocks and cliff. And the lighthouse is better than the observatory. Go here first than the observatory if you are taking the 'mini-train' to and fro and just walk back to the observatory area (it's near!).

THE OVERVIEW OF THE CLIFF

This is the view from where you get off of the 'mini train' or the first view you would see from the top. You would feel like getting to the cliff as soon as possible!

First view of the cliff

Look at the people

THE WALK TO THE CLIFF

As I said, it's a long walk, so be patient. You will reach there!

Walking to the Cliff I

Getting closer!

UP CLOSE TO THE CLIFF

You just saw the cliff from afar but the closer you get the cliff, the landscape is getting better. Some of the shots within the cliff. Travel Tip: Make sure to take some time here. This can be the best place in Taejongdae.

The Cliff I

The Cliff II

The Cliff III

The Cliff IV

THE OTHER SIDE: FRESH FOODS & ROCK FORMATION

Aside from the cliff, the other side of the lighthouse is the beautiful rock formation with Koreans selling fresh from catch fishes or you can eat it there while they cook it in front of you. They have some tables and chairs made especially for people who want to eat there on the spot. Also, there is a cruising boat that would dock here. Though, I don't know the details about it.

The Docking area

The restaurants serving fresh from catch fishes

The Rock Formation I

The Rock Formation II

The Cruising Boat

THE LIGHTHOUSE ITSELF

You might be wondering I kept on talking about the beautiful scenery and the cliff without going into the lighthouse. Yes, the lighthouse might be the term we used but it was the cliff which is the main tourist attraction. It's just that you would pass by the lighthouse before reaching that place. But the lighthouse is just like any other lighthouses and it was very ordinary. Just check the photos below for yourself.

The Lighthouse Scenery I

The Lighthouse Scenery II

Where is it pointing at?

OBSERVATORY & JUWOO LOVE STORY

How about the observatory? I'm about to finish this post but I didn't talk anything about the observatory. Actually, when we went there, the view was not good because it was against the light. Also, you would only see the sea and a little view of the cliff. But, you can find 'Jiwoo Love Story in Busan' photo gallery there. Travel Tip: The best thing you can find in the observatory area is the photo gallery. You can have better view of the scenery in the lighthouse than the observatory. But it's good to take the mini-train back to the entrance in this place because most people would ride from the lighthouse area.

Jiwoo Love Story in Busan

By the way, there are also Buddhist temple within the Taejongdae Nature Park but we didn't go there anymore because we didn't have enough time and thousands of people went there. Remember, it was Buddha's birthday the following day when we visited this beautiful park.

This was our experience in Taejongdae. It was really worth it and we hope you would also have a great time in this place.