Japan 2017 -(i) the prepping stages

T-minus less than 2 months and my bf and I will be off to Japan for 2 weeks! Before dear readers read on thinking this post will be full of wonderful tales of Japan and their beautiful scenery and people...this won't be that post. Is it as the title says, my ramblings on our preparations for the trip towards the lead up to the actual day of our departure.

So maybe it would be useful for those who are looking for ideas on how to prepare for a trip to Japan, because believes me, you will get so much out of it when you have things organized. Sure, you'll still have fun if you just pop over and see what the city throws at you without an itinerary in hand...but being an organizational freak that I am, these prepping stages are massive fun >=)

I first started using the excel pages in Drive to create my itineraries and lists so that I can open them anywhere anytime. I did this for the Korea trip few years back so that was very handy. Having booked our flight tickets and knowing the dates, we started jotting down the places we wanted to go to. We were going to visit the major attraction sites, so no brainer, Tokyo would be our major stop, followed by Osaka, Kyoto, and a stop in Hakone for the hot springs.

Main Initial goal: Cherry Blossoms

We knew roughly how long we were going to stay in each city, based on the attractions we were visiting. Our main goal for the trip was to catch the blossoming of the cherry blossoms, and since we will be arriving near the middle/ end of the season, it feels like a race to catch the flowering in at least Tokyo and in Osaka/Kyoto before they disappear. There's a blossom forecast online  - https://www.kyuhoshi.com/japan-cherry-blossom-forecast/ - that I recommend when planning a trip during this season. They estimate the average blooms based on the forecast from previous years, and it's different in each city. Blooming starts from the south end in Kyushu and goes up towards Hokkaido.

If you want to check out the best places for cherry blossom viewing, simply just do some google work. I personally found this site useful - http://www.seejapan.co.uk/jnto_consumer/experience/outdoor/enjoying-japans-seasons/where-to-see-cherry-blossoms

Accomodation 

OK, next step was the accommodation. Roughly we knew we wanted to stay in Osaka/Kyoto for about a week. Plus we needed to figure out the transport between there and Tokyo and within the cities, but that's a whole entire section in the next phase.

Obviously accommodation is personal preference, so we wanted a place to fit the following criteria:
1. Good location - safe, close to public transport
2. Decently priced - not 5 star 'Hilton' price, but we weren't interested in hostels 24/7
3. Clean
4. Good reviews
5. One place where we can experience the traditional Japanese feel - places like Ryokans or simply just a room with tatami mats and futons.

We used a range of sites until we could find the ones we wanted, such as Agoda, Expedia, Booking.com...and the great thing about these sites is that most of them allow a 0 cancellation fee up until a week or 2 before your stay. So my tip is, especially if you're going during peak season (in this case Cherry Blossom season), just book a place early but still keep searching for hotels. If you find a better one, cancel the previous hotel you booked then make a new booking before the cancellation period.

Airbnb is also another great place to find cheap accommodation. Particularly for Kyoto or Osaka, I was able to find cheaper places with nice 'traditional-style' homes compared to Tokyo. Prices in Tokyo are slightly cheaper, or roughly the same as the hostels or sometimes hotels. The rooms are also smaller, and gets more expensive the further they were towards the city.   
Cheaptickets.com was the only place where we couldn't get the free cancellation fee, but we knew the hotel was good based on location and reviews. If you're lucky you can find a cheaper price there.

Other sources I looked at were Lonely Planet guides and the Japanese Tourist Organization Site.
 

Transport
Transport...is a bitch to research for. Once you get the hang of it it's not so bad, but there's so much to read about in order to get the most out of it. When you first look at the subway map for Tokyo, its like looking in a bowel of Allen's Snakes...or a deformed squashed rainbow - Colorful lines. Everywhere. If you're used to catching subways in Asia, then it's not much of a hit. 

The annoying bit about the subway lines is that they're owned by more than one company. So if you happen to have a pass that gives you free unlimited use of one particular train line, once you hop onto another line you'll have to pay. Sometimes you can avoid it, but you might end up wasting time trying to switch at multiple stations in order to get to your destination.

In between cities
 
Many tourists would know about the JR Pass.  It comes in either 7 days, 14 days, or 21 days passes. They give you unlimited rides to anywhere on trains, bullets trains, local buses, ferries and the monorail across Japan provided they are:

1. JR line


2.  Shinkansen bullet trains (except Nozomi and Mizuho service, limited express trains, express trains and rapid or local trains)


3. JR bus company local lines (JR Hokkaido Bus, JR Bus Tohoku, JR Bus Kanto, JR Tokal Bus, West Japan JR Bus, Chugoku JR Bus, JR Kyushu Bus)


4. JR Miyajima ferry 
 

5. Tokyo Monorail
 

Usually you can purchase this beforehand online, and exchange the coupon with the pass once you're in Japan. 

But do we really need one? Well it depends. The price isn't cheap, so we had to calculate ourselves if the trips between Tokyo, Kyoto/Osaka, and Hakone warrant the JR pass. Say if you're only going to use the bullet train to and from Tokyo and Kyoto once, and nothing else on the list above, then no you definitely don't need the JR pass. There is a good site where you can put in your trips and it will calculate for you whether it's worth it to get the pass or not - http://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/

Because of our itinerary, we found that it was better to get the JR Pass. So not only can we use this when we travel between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka, we can use this locally within the cities provided that the transportation is owned by JR (eg JR subway line). 

Tokyo
The best way to navigate through Tokyo is by their famous complicated looking BUT efficient subway system. Those trains arrive at the station ON THE DOT (compared to our railway system in Melbourne...).
There are a number of passes we can buy, but again it depends on how many stations we will stop at and whether it's worth all the trips. Or if we just want to hop on and not have to deal with the ticket machines, then the passes would be the good way to go.

Go grab a Tokyo subway map online and you'll see the different subway lines on the lower right hand corner. The main ones we'll be using will be the Tokyo Metro Line, Toei Line, and maybe the JR Line if our pass is still valid. Otherwise the first 2 will suffice for most of our stops. The information outlined below are based on the Tokyo Metro Guide brochure my dad brought back from Tokyo, so its a simplified basic version. Otherwise you can visit this site for more info and includes more discounts and combo passes - http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ 

Tokyo Subway Ticket




 They come in 24 hour (Y800/Y400), 48 hour(Y1200/Y600), and 72 hour (Y1500/Y750) tickets (adult/kid price). You can hop on either the Tokyo Metro Lines AND the Toei Subway Lines.We will purchase these tickets likely at the airport when we arrive, but apparently they can be found in stores like Major Bic Camera, Laox and some H.I.S Tourist Centers.

Keisei Airport and all day Metro Pass combo


This pass was great for us based on our schedule and hotel location. There's another train that runs from the airport straight to Tokyo station, but the Keisei Skyliner goes straight to Nippon and Ueno which was better for us. They say its takes 41 minutes to get to Ueno station. Also as a bonus, there's a package they offer where we can purchase a return ticket and add on a Tokyo Metro Ticket, the same ones as mentioned above, so we don't need to worry about purchasing a subway ticket when we arrive in Tokyo. And it's cost effective. Win! They can also be purchased online prior to the trip.
Check it out here: http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/value_ticket/subway.php

Ordinary Fares
There may be an off chance where we will have to purchase individual tickets at the stations. The fares depend on the station we're traveling to, so I assume it increases by distance of travel. It's slightly cheaper if we use an IC card, otherwise they range from Y170 upwards.

Other passes that we're not using but can be useful
-IC cards (Pasmo or Suica) : reloadable cards, convenient, especially if you go back to Japan constantly
-One Day Open Tickets: Comes in either Tokyo Metro & Toei subway pass, Tokyo Metro only, or Combination with Tokyo Metro, Toei, Toden Arakawa lines, Toei buses, Nippori-Toneri Liner lines and JR lines within metropolitan district.

Kyoto
Not as complicated as Tokyo, but still has a couple of special passes for visitors that we needed to consider. They do have subway and bus passes - http://www.insidekyoto.com/special-kyoto-bus-train-subway-passes 
The pass we're planning to get is the 2 day pass which allows unlimited usage of buses and subways for Y2000. They can be purchased at a store near Kyoto Tower. Even though initially we calculated that it was slightly cheaper not to get a pass and pay upfront, however we reckon it's worth it out of convenience. There are change machines on buses up to Y1000 in case you don't have exact amount, but in case we get lost or if we wanted to go to another area on the day, at least we don't have to worry about transport cost.

The only transport that we have to pay for would be the Randen, a tram like system, which we need when we go hiking at the Bamboo forest at Arashiyama and towards the Kinkakuji Temple. It costs Y210 per trip.

Nara
Nara is already covered with our JR Pass. But there are many passes available that allows travel to and from Nara at a discounted rate, as mentioned in this site - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4107.html

Osaka
We discovered the Osaka Amazing Pass which indeed, sounded amazing. Not only does it provide unlimited usage of the subway line within Osaka, they provide free access to various big tourist attractions including the Osaka Palace, Umeda Sky Building, and HEP Five Ferris Wheel. They also have coupons for shops and restaurants across Osaka.  It's Y2300 for one day, Y3000 for 2 days.

Hakone
We're able to reach Hakone as we bullet train towards Tokyo. The town is quite small, so we just needed to hop onto the local subway and shuttle to reach our hotel.  

Pocket Wifi 



Very handy to have around, especially navigating. Google Maps will be our best friend.
The company I'm renting from is Global Advanced Comm, which was highly recommended by a friend. 
http://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/pocketwifi.html 

Disney Sea



Last time I went to Japan I went to the original Disneyland, which was very much similar to the one in LA. So I'm very much looking forward to visiting this one. Getting there is simple via the subway. Tickets can be purchased online or at the counter. There are cheaper tickets sold in small ticket stores where they offer roughly 5-10% off, but due to the language barrier and the time spent going there...I'll pass for another time. I was told to make a strategic plan when visiting DisneySea, thanks to the long lines and huge crowds. The period we're going in isn't going to be a public holiday, but it doesn't stop tourists or school excursions (yes, Japanese kids take excursions to Disneyland) from going. Fast Passes which are given to anybody will be a huge deal. So we shall see how that goes. 

Other things worth mentioning?
We're both trying to learn the language too, me being the slow beginner is only grasping the alphabet so by the time we get there, hopefully I can read the hiragana and katakana. I can at least guess some of the kanji. Yes there's a language barrier, but I hear that body language (and a bit of interpretive dancing) works well too. Unfortunately we missed out on the Ghibli museum because the tickets got sold out so quick. Oh well, another reason for me to make another visit back. Now it's just counting down the days until we hop on that plane and jet off!

Day 11 / 12 : Last days in Seoul

Day 11 was when my stomach failed me. I woke up to a nice sunny winter's day but my gut had a mind of its own this time and decided to relieve all the contents for the next 24 hours. Therefore I stayed in bed and only replenished myself with sport liquids. forever cursing the doughnut I had from Paris Baguette.

Obviously I had no photos, so here is a cartoon which represented the day (with some censoring).

The next day, or our final day in Seoul was more promising. Thankfully I didn't miss out on walking through the streets of the Ehwa Shopping district. This is a must-go place for young shoppers, with its affordable and stylish clothing boutiques, accessories, hair salons and small cafes to chill out (which I did in a 2 storey cafe surrounded by clothing boutiques (view captured below)).

I won't bore you with the shopping details, but one place that I've been meaning to visit was an animal cafe. They're pretty popular in Asian countries, and after some research I found a couple of dog cafes, cat cafes, and even one sheep cafe. I went for the dog one and chose Bau House which could be reached on foot from Hongdae. Due to the many positive reviews online, I couldn't wait to visit it as my last tourist destination in Seoul. Location wise, the cafe is very convenient since it's close to Hapjeong station. At Exit 3, we had to backtrack a bit to find the sign to the cafe leading to the back of a high rise building. Fortunately I recognized the picture of the dog silhouette representing the cafe.

Because the cafe is not directly visible it can be hard to find, particularly since the entrance is at the back. After coming down the small alleyway, the clear window panels revealing the warm interior can be seen with the business name printed at the bottom of the door.

 

Upon entering the cafe, we were greeted at the front reception and asked whether we wanted to be with the small dogs (front room) or big dogs (back room). Below is the front part of the cafe.

 

We chose to be with the big dogs in the back half of the cafe, and sat ourselves down as we ordered our drinks. At first I though the place would be smelling slightly of dog excrement, but instead the air was smelling of disinfectant. The reason for it was self explanatory as the workers clean the floors with a mop constantly, and heavily disinfect and clean the areas where the dogs have relieved themselves. So no not all dogs seemed to be potty trained but at least there were plenty of workers ready to clean their mess up. 

The price of the tea may seem higher than usual (and it wasn't super special tea either), but part of the money goes towards the upkeep of the animals. 

 

 Being a weekday, I was surprised at how many people visited the cafe still. It was a popular place for foreigners too, and many including myself couldn't help but purchase some dog snacks and treats from the counter so that the dogs can pay attention to us lol. Oh yeh, these dogs are spoilt rotten with many visitors every day, so they're pretty immune to all the attention given to them. If you want a group of dogs coming your way, just hold out some snacks in your hand, otherwise they won't give you the time of day!

Below is Bau, the beautiful dog who seems to be the leader of the pack and belongs to the owner. The cafe provides the list of dogs and their photos and names residing in the cafe so you can call them by their name (not that they respond so much unless you have food).

 Most of the dogs there were gentle and approachable, although it's always a good idea to not force yourself on them if they don't feel comfortable. They're allowed to freely roam around the entire area, jump on seats and onto the side ledges as if the building is their own.

 Time spent at the cafe is unlimited, but by lunchtime we needed to eat so we popped out and had pasta at Han's Deli. I found their pasta sauces to be quite light with less of the tomato pungent taste.

 By late afternoon, we headed back to our hotel to pack our luggage and took the taxi to the Best Western Airport Hotel so that we can catch the early morning flight to Taiwan the next day. Compared to all the accommodations we stayed at, the queen size beds and the enormous rooms were the most extravagant, and the price didn't lie either! However since it was our last night we just had to call room service for dinner, something I don't normally do so it was a little bit exciting.

 

Bimbimbap set and creamy mushroom soup.

Day 11 (final day) - Sight seeing in Saigon

Upon returning to Saigon, finally I had the opportunity to visit some of the tourist attractions in the city. Because they were all situated very close in the heart of the area, walking between each site saved spending money on taxi fares.

First we visited the Saigon Central Post Office (Buu Dien), which was built between 1886 and 1891. Locals and tourists flock here to either admire the architectural design, purchase souvenirs, make phone calls or send off postcards, letters and packages.

[Clockwise from top left: main hallway, map of telegraphic lines in South Vietnam and Cambodia (1892), letter box, map of Saigon (1892), telephone boxes, booths to send and collect letters/packages]

Just next to the post office is a Catholic Cathedral, Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, built earlier in the 1860s by French colonists.

Arriving in Saigon, no tourist can ever miss going to Cho Ben Thanh. a huge market where you can buy souvenirs, local produce, clothes, shoes and dried food. In one section there are several food stands where you can sit down and enjoy local street food.

[The iconic Ben Thanh statue on a round-about island]

The Reunification palace is full of history about the Vietnam War. Once accommodated by the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, it is now used as a museum, for events, meeting, receptions and even accommodation at the Guest House. Just outside are 2 replica tanks of the first 2 tanks that drove down the gates of the palace in 1975 where the resistors captured the President. You can access 4 levels where preserved rooms such as the banquet hall, President's office, guest rooms and stage hall are all open for view. Located on the roof of the building is a helicopter replica of what the President used to tour the city before 1975. Finally there's an underground basement of old war rooms and a kitchen. I'm not a history buff, but those that are interested in the Vietnam War would love to visit this place, for a fee of 30 000.

Day 10 - Another Zen monastery and some food galour

On our way back to Saigon, we visited a temple that has a similar name to the well known Truc Lam monastery in Dalat, however this one was outside the city and I've given up trying to find it on the net. Situated in the mountains, this Zen monastery covered a wide area of beautiful forestry and lakes that makes it ideal for meditation. It also acts as a peaceful and tranquil resort for visitors to stay in, and at the center of the monastery is a temple that sits behind a huge lake full of huge koi fish. It's actually quite a spectacle when the fish sense people coming towards the water and they go CRAZY as if they're expecting to be fed. You can buy a small packet of pellets to feed the fish for 5000 don, which can also be used to feed the white pigeons kept around the park. They also won't hesitate to fly up onto your arm to feed from your hands! 

Ok so the trip back to Saigon wasn't really exciting, so I'll just mention some of the dishes we tried in the city. 

One evening we went to Quan Nyon, which was highly recommended by travel books like Lonely Planet. The restaurant was quite a big building, however because it gets busy later in the evening from tourists, it pays to go earlier to get a free table. There were hundreds of different types of Viet cuisines to choose from, not just the typical Pho and rice. We ordered rice with pork chops, viet vermecilli and soup, and club sodas which were given with a small lime and spoons of sugar in a glass (viet people love adding sugar to almost anything). As usual we were given fish sauce to pour over the rice, but personally I find the flavour surprisingly not as strong as the ones from home. I remember being told by a local friend that major restaurants (aka those found in tourist areas) have been making fish sauce with less of the pungent smell to avoid drawing foreigners (and perhaps some locals) who didn't like or weren't used to it away, and hence the flavour has been lost somewhat. The pork chops were otherwise well cooked, and the noodles I was told were "ok".
 For dessert we had 3 bowls of Che Dau Trang (Coconut, sticky rice and bean pudding).

 [First 3 photos from Nyon Restaurant, last 3 from Viet Chay Vegetarian Restaurant]

Viet Chay is a chain and highly recommended vegan restaurant, and the one we went to was located in Cholon. It gets really busy during certain festivals and special days, otherwise on normal days it's actually quite easy to find a table. As a small complimentary drink we were given a cup of cocoa mixed with a dash of tea upon arrival – on a 38 degrees day this was definitely very nice and refreshing.

Because we arrived at the beginning of the Christmas season, we were able to enjoy some of the festive season night lights set up by large and fancy shopping malls.

Day 9 - Church of Mary, a flower paradise, and Dalat's train station

Like many of the attractions here, Domaine de Marie is situated in the hills surrounded by nature and beautiful gardens grown by the nuns. The church was built during the French rule and is now also an orphanage.

[shops across the church]

The Flower Park is the best place to see Dalat's collection of their beautiful home-grown flowers. The area spans across a very wide area (7000 m²) with a nice lake at the back. Other than a popular tourist area and a great attraction for photographers both professional and amateur alike, it also seems to be an enjoyable and peaceful place for families and young couples to visit.

Dalat's old train station designed by 2 French architects in the 1930's may look unused but it actually does run from time to time as seen in the time table (bottom photo). On display was a steam train and 2 diesel locomotives.

[Interior]