- T R A V E L O G -: March 2013

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Sleeping in Haneda airport

My flight touch down Japan at about 10:30pm, by the time after custom checks, it was already close to mid night. I'm glad that I already expect to sleep in airport. Sleeping in Haneda airport was pleasant, not awkward at all, safe and comfortable, the only irritating thing was the noise that's coming from their escalator. The repeated announcement can be quite annoying.

had my supper on arrival at a cafe near to check out point

Everyone gets a stretch of these cushion chair, nice! These stretch of benches are locate at the checkout point after custom, they are available either at the left or right side after checkout point. Or one can also go a floor above from the escalator at the left side after checkout point. As it seems quieter and lesser people passing by.

early the next morning, I was on the floor getting my tab charged

On departure day only I realize I should have gone up 1st floor to their departure hall as there not only seems quieter but also there's my favourite convenient store 7-eleven! But oh well, is still a very good experience :) Maybe next time I'll try again.

Japan budget accommodation

City #1 - Tokyo:

4 nights accommodation @ JGH, Nishi-Kawaguchi - ￥5990

(compliment with drinking hot water and tea)

Location - Very Good, I personally find the location suits me because Nishi-Kawaguchi is far away from the hust and bustle of Tokyo city and with Japan's fantastic train system, there's no place that we can really categorized as 'inconvenient'.

Cleanliness - Good

Toilet/showers - Fair, shared. Toilet has smell cos is shared by all (male and female). Showers is shared as well, it has good hot water, but there's no place to hang your dry clothes so prepare your own plastic bags.

Bed quality - Good enough, pathway in the hostel can only fit one person at a time, but well this is Tokyo! space is really limited...

Friendliness - Very good, Ayumi's very helpful!

JGH's outlook

the road in front of JGH, the 3 shops across the road is a great landmark

City #2 - Kyoto:
2 nights accommodation @ A-yado, Gion - ￥3220
(compliment bread for breakfast and coffee/tea available anytime at their living area in 5th ploor)
Location - Good, 5 minutes from Gion bus station, transfer by bus from Kyoto main train station is required (this takkes about 30mins).
Cleanliness - Good
Toilet/showers - Good, toilets and showers are separated in 2 different location, male and female differentiated as well, showers are in the dorm.
Bed quality - Good, can have privacy if you zip on the curtain.
Friendliness - Good, always see them smiling.

outlook of A-yado

Their female bunk bed, lots of space to move around

Kyoto main train station

City #3 - Osaka:

1 night accommodation @ Hotel Toyo - ￥1500
Location - Good, only 5 minutes walk from JR Shin-Imamiya station. Transfer within JR line is required from Osaka main train station.
Cleanliness - fair, the toilet smells and rooms bed sheets has stain.

Toilets/showers - every floor has toilet and washing station, however there's no hot water here. Hot water only in the shower on ground level.

Bed quality - fair, although scored excellent with privacy however linen has stain on them.

Friendliness - fair, not all are friendly.

outlook of Hotel Toyo

Tatami room for one person

City#4 - Takayama:
2 nights accomodation @ Hidatakayama Tomaru - ￥5400

(include ￥200/night heating fee during cold season, compliments coffee/tea, hot drinking water available anytime)

Location - Excellent, 5 minutes from the main JR Takayama station, no transfer required!

Cleanliness - Excellent, spotlessly clean

Toilet/showers - Good, shared on the ground floor, there's heater in the shower room!

Bed quality - Excellent, best quality sleeps

Friendliness - Excellent, Shingo and his wife is very hospitable, their son baby Haru is so adorable.

Tomaru's living area

Tomaru's outlook

Bunk bed on tatami, beds on the top are warmer, I stayed on the lower bunk and it is warm enough cos the room has heater on.

In my opinion, accommodation in Japan is affordable and from my recent trip, the most expensive night I stayed in was approximately RM90 per night. Affordable!
Total of 9 nights in 4 different cities - ￥19,150 = approximately RM650 (which is less than approximately RM72/nights)
*please note estimation and conversion are approximate, base on current exchange rate in March 2013.

I will be sharing my other expenses later on, if you are interested, do stay tune and come visit my blog again soon :)

Friday, March 29, 2013

Hanami experience

Before flying out, I was already not expecting to see cherry blossom because according to forecast, it has been reported that these flowers are expected to bloom only at the end of March. I therefore did not expect this, to see the cherry blossom! Thank God for to the rapid weather changes, I have been blessed with this priceless experience. It bloom 2 weeks earlier of schedule! I rejoice when I read and confirm about this news through the local as well as I read about it from a few Japan tourism website, it surprisingly fit to my spontaneous plan perfectly. I arrive Japan with only 2 nights advance hostel booking, leaving the rest of the 9 days free with no bookings and expectations at all.

Since this hanami experience is a bonus and somehow the highlight to my recent trip to Japan, I shall now dedicated it as my first entry to this series.

I arrive Tokyo on 15 March, there were already some early bloomed pink cherry tree, these pink blossom are very popular.

These pink cherry blossom reminds me of those plastic flowers that I decorate on dry tree branches during Chinese New Year when I was a child.

view that morning at a shrine

Beside cherry blossom, the plum and peach trees also bloom some beautiful flowers, here some I witness during my brief visit to Osaka. These park are from nearby Osaka castle.

Plum trees garden from a far

white plum tree flowers

Peach garden Osaka

majority of the visitors that afternoon were elderly folks, everyone were strolling down these garden quietly, if not for the super high living standard, I think Japan can be a nice country to retire in.

white peach flowers

red peach flower

When I return to Tokyo on 23 March, cherry trees in this city has already fully bloomed, I was shocked to see the huge crowd that turn up to hanami. The Ueno train station were packed with people lining up to exit the station to go to the park!

Check out the crowd that's swamp in/out Ueno park in these 2 pictures:

Tokyo being the capital city and it's current population of more than 13 million, it is no wonder Tokyo is struggling big time with space constrains. Shopping options here are a great deal, be it fashion, household, food/restaurant, electronic and so on. But what's amazing with this country is how they maintain such safe, clean and calm city even with such a great population.

Let's check out how Japanese hanami:

the tremendous crowd that turn up to hanami below those pretty white clouds of cherry blossom

As a general rules of thumb when you walk in a crowd in Japan, always keep to the left

while strolling down these stunning trees like white clouds, there were also some interesting sights. Everyone seems to have their own way of hanami, for some it is about drinking and food fun, for others is hanami with their pets, there are also some that comes in super hero character! As for me, I'm a typical jakun tourist from Malaysia that watches these flowers for the first time!

saw this uncle who one hand holding his little puppy and the other hand cycling his bike around Ueno park watches cherry blossom, he was at that time hunting for the best spot to photograph a good portrait shot for his pet.

This cat has the luxury to hanami on it's pram, the owner would stop and show him/her every single flower spots, this is my first time seeing this!

Another pet hanami in it's owner's arm

On 24 March, at Yoyogi Park, somehow a less popular spot for hanami, it's however a park that I prefer.

a huge dog being walk to the park

it's owner was nice enough to let me photograph them, their owner was an elderly couple whom were walking their pair of pet. They don't speak English, all I could say is the dogs are 'kawaii' and we send each other off by saying to each other 'arigato' with a bow ;-)