Category Archives: Travel

Travel : Planning a trip to Japan

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Summer has arrived, and this year my wife and I have decided on Japan as our travel destination. Of course I’ll have my array of posts on my experiences in Japan when I return, so be expecting some great travel reviews covering the city of Tokyo during the months of July and August. Since I was basically tasked with the entire itinerary for the trip, I actually spent time preparing for our vacation since early March.

Booking Hotels and Airline Tickets

The first thing I did was book and confirm our flights and hotels. I bought tickets from Expedia once again since they were the most convenient for me, but I found competitive rates at both Priceline and Travelocity. In my experience with booking, its best that you have all the information you need available (credit cards, passports, etc..) before getting started. It just makes things much easier this way. The prices changed so quickly that I probably could have gotten a better deal if I had been prepared a bit more.

My original plan had been to book a decent three star hotel somewhere in the Shinjuku area, but even with all the discounts Expedia offered us, we would have easily paid $120.00 USD per night for something decent. Fortunately, the couple traveling with us are in the active military so they were able to sponsor my wife and I at The New Sanno located in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Therates are amazing, and if you are in the active military or have a friend who can sponsor you, its definitely worth a look. Its located less than ten minutes from the Hiroo Subway Line and they provide all the amenities you would need for a very comfortable stay. (money exchange, bank, BX, gym, etc…)

We did run into some problems however and it was primarily because we waited so long to book. We discovered that during the July 4th weekend its extremely hard to get rooms at the Sanno, so we’ll actually be staying at Azabu Court Apartments, which is about a ten minute walk from Sanno for a couple nights and return once the weekend is over. My advice : book very early.

Transportation and Costs

The next thing I wanted to learn a bit more about was getting from place to place in Japan. I knew that renting a car was not an option at all so I tried to learn as much about Japans public transportation as I could. The first option I looked at was a taxi. I quickly crossed that out after discovering they are about as expensive as riding the taxi’s here at home. $250.00 USD to get from the airport to hotel? Forget about it!

Apparently, the best way to get around Tokyo is by train or subway. I experienced Washington DC’s Metro System last year so I was familiar with how everything worked. The fact that everything is in Japanese may pose a bit of a challenge, but because everything is color coordinated and numbered, I’m pretty sure we’ll figure things out in a day or two. If your really concerned about getting around, I suggest you visit this site here. I took down a few notes and we already know which trains/subway stations to get on and off of for the first couple days. I’m sure if I had more time, I would probably have mapped out more of the trip. You may also want to look at this well done video about how to actually use the Metro if you have never used the subway station before.

Finally, be sure to purchase either a Pasmo or Suica smart card to use on your daily travels. It basically is a chargeable card that can be swiped at all major bus and train stations to make travel alot smoother and faster. It definitely beats buying a ticket at every stop. I plan to get a couple $50.00 USD cards upon arriving at Narita Airport, and simply recharging them as needed. I believe you can also refund any remaining balances when its your time to leave Japan by returning the card to a ticket sales office.

Our Itinerary (10 Days)

This was actually the toughest part of the vacation planning for me. There is just so much to see in Tokyo and I doubt we’ll cover even a fourth of everything in the ten days we’ll be visiting. I’ll post the basics here for everyone to guide themselves with, and start my reviews on each day as soon as I return.

Day 1

Enjoy the Hotel.
Walk around the area.
Possible Evening Trip to Roppongi Hills

Day 2

Tokyo Disneyland or Disney Sea(Chiba)

Day 3

Shinjuku & Shibuya, Japan Sword Museum, Isetan
Top of the Metropolitan Gov’t Office (South Tower) (Shinjuku),
Hachiko Statue, Shinjuku Station for Lunch , Stroll Shibuya in the Evening
(Check out the LOVE HOTELS!)

Day 4

Wake up Late. Gym/Pool
Shinjuku in the evening or Tokyo Dome

Day 5

Ueno Park (Tokyo National Museum and Zoo)
Edo-Tokyo Museum

Day 6

The Tsukiji Market (5:00), Imperial Palace Gardens,
Asakusa (Asakusa Shrine and Sensoji Temple)
Ginza, Sony Building Kabuki-za Theater (1 Act)

Day 7

Wake up Late.
Harajuku – Yoyogi Park and Meiji Jingu Shrine
Akibahara at Night

Day 8

Odaiba Pallette Town and Venus Fort shopping center,
Miraikan Museum Ride the Daikanransha (FERRIS WHEEL) Joypolis by Sega

Day 9

Kamakura (We need to leave early!)(5:00)
Inquire about Enoshima Kamakura Free Pass
Kamakura , Great Buddha of Kamakura ,Kotokuin Temple ,Tsurugaoka Shrine

Day 10

Not sure what we can do. Check out at Noon. Get Limo Bus to Narita. Check in Baggage. Hang out! What a VACATION! Where are we going next? SAYONARA! UNTIL NEXT TIME!!!!

Additional Information

I found a ton of useful sites to help me with the trip. I’ll list some of the most useful ones here.

Japan-Guide
Japanese Lifestyle
Japan Travel Info
Japan Zone
Virtual Tourist Tokyo
Wiki Travel Tokyo

Travel: Boracay, Philippines

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White Sandy Beaches? Check. Reasonable room prices? Check. Breathtaking sunsets? Check. Welcome to Boracay, Philippines. Located in the Western Visayas region about 200 miles south of Manila, Boracay is a small tropical island quickly becoming a premier tourist destination. Add the fact it was voted among the top ten beaches in the world in 2007 on Yahoo, where else can you go wrong?

How to get there:

There are a number of ways to reach this paradise island. The most ideal way is taking a charter plane from Manila to Caticlan. From Caticlan, you will need to take a boat to Boracay itself which is about a 10-15 min ride. Be sure to have more than enough pesos on hand because there are a number of fees you will need to pay before boarding the boat. Don’t get too tight, it’ll only cost you less than 5 USD for all the fees per person.

Where to stay:

Boracay has everything from expensive resorts and condos, to dirt cheap bungalows and cottages. Depending on the type of budget you have, you’re sure to find a place to suit your needs. Depending who you’re travelling with and the reason you’re visiting, I recommend finding a place with A/C, hot water and a clean facility. Do you really need a flat screen TV with 100 different channels? You’re on vacation! Why spend time indoors?

What to do:

There are more than enough things to do in Boracay. While majority of the visitors are content with working on their tan all day, Boracay also offers sightseeing, diving, para sailing, kite surfing and a number of different water sports. Be very careful when choosing your water activities though, as many “tourism representatives” will charge you a number of unnecessary fees. An acquaintance of mine was unfortunate enough to experience this when opting for a diving expedition. Before getting in the water in full scuba gear, a boat approached them and demanded an environmental and diving fee which they were unaware of. This caused them to stop and go back to shore to pay for the fees. I, and some friends of mine were also on the unfortunate end when we decided to check out the Bat Caves.

A tourism rep advised us that there will be a parking and entrance fee before entering the Bat Cave, which we didn’t mind at all. What caught us by surprise was the fact HE himself was charging us for using one of his cousins as a guide (a guide is needed to navigate the caves) after we toured the area. It made us wonder why he didn’t notify us of the charges while we spoke to him in the beginning. Be weary that locals will take advantage of you, just like any other foreign country. So be sure to ask a lot of questions before deciding what you would like to do, especially if it involves you paying for it.

Shopping:

While you won’t find any Gucci or Louis Vuitton shops, Boracay’s d’Mall (the only mall on island) offers many shops suitable for your souvenir needs. You can also find a number of restaurants and coffee shops in the mall in case you get hungry. For those on a budget, check out the flea market d’Talipapa. They also have a number of souvenir items that are cheaper and can be bargained down to an even cheaper price if you throw them a wink (just kidding).

Nightlife:

While you won’t find any “clubs”, Boracay has it’s fair share of bars where you can dance the night away. If you’re looking to avoid the crowds, you can walk along the beach and wait for the fireworks to start. While they don’t shoot fireworks every night, you can purchase some which the locals will fire off the beach for you.

Recommendations:

Depending how long you’ll be staying, travel as light as possible. Because you’ll have to board a boat on the way to Boracay, it’s more convenient if you replace the suitcase with a gym bag or even a backpack. Try to bring cash only, while it sounds a bit risky there is only one ATM on island and the cost of credit card charges are extremely high. Be sure to get a fruit shake at Jonah’s Fruit Shake & Snack Bar in Boat Station 1. They have the best fruit shakes you will ever try, trust me. Eat at CYMA located in d’Mall. While they don’t serve Filipino cuisine, where do you go wrong with a $10 rack of lamb? If lamb isn’t your thing, their spinach artichoke dip is the best I have ever tried. CYMA is a must eat, hands down. If you think you’re a hard drinker, take on the “Still Standing After 15″ challenge at Cocomanga’s Shooter Bar. That is 15 different shots that you will have to drink (or not) before you leave.

If you are successful, your name and country will be displayed on the wall of fame throughout the bar itself, and you get a free t-shirt. If you can’t hang or pass out before finishing, don’t fret, it’ll only set you back 20 USD. 15 shots for $20? Where do you go wrong? Visit Puka Shell Beach, a place you can find puka shells that you can use as souvenirs. If you’re gutsy enough, check out the Bat Cave. Ever wonder what Bruce Wayne has to put up with in his Batcave? This is the closest experience you’ll get. Just be ready to climb down slippery boulders (a result of guano, bat feces) and face coral snakes. Yes, there are snakes lying around minding their own business, but they aren’t poisonous. Lastly, take plenty of pictures. Boracay boasts one of the best sunsets I have ever seen. An awesome spot is located at Willy’s Rock off of Boat Station 1.

Travel : Pikes Place (Seattle)

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After eating at the Agua Verde Mexican Restaurant and enjoying their excellent fish tacos, my wife and I decided it was time to pay a visit to Seattle’s world renown farmers market called Pike’s Place. We were told by friends to visit the market during a weekday to avoid the huge crowds, and we were very glad we did. We found it much easier to navigate through the narrow passageways near the Fish Market, and although it was late in the afternoon when we arrived, were able to visit many of the small vendors with relative ease.

Although we arrived in Seattle in early June, it was surprisingly quite cold for the beginning of the summer. Being a islander from Guam, it was essential that I wore a warm sweater and pair of jeans. My wife and I actually found it quite amusing to see so many of the local population wearing shorts and flip flops, but I guess that’s why we were the tourists and they are the locals right? haha.

Immediately upon entering the market, you will instantly understand why its such a great place to visit as a tourist. The sights, smells, and sounds of the place are pretty amazing for a first timer, and you will definitely find something you have to buy. The market boasts some of the very best produce Seattle has to offer, beautiful freshly cut flowers, a huge variety of seafood, and three or four floors of mini shops which seemed to have an endless supply of little nick knacks and gadgets which you probably wouldn’t find anywhere else.

If your not a huge fan of window shopping, you must at the very least visit the very first Starbucks and grab a cup of Joe, then hang out along the streets to listen to a few of the entertaining street performers which litter the streets. We heard a great rendition of The Still of the Night, and there was this saxophone player whom I swore sounded exactly like Kenny G.

My final word of advice. If you’ve never been to Seattle you must experience the sights, smells, and sounds of Pike’s Place at least once. Visit during the early hours of the morning if you decide to go on a weekend, or casually stop by on a weekday. I also recommend visiting the Starbucks for a cup of coffee, and buy at least a few small bags of fresh fruits, flavored chips and almonds, or chocolate covered cherries! They were simply wonderful!

How to get there:

Websites: pikesplace.org
Pikesplacefish.com
Pikes Place Market
(206) 624-4029
1508 Pike Pl
Seattle, WA 98101