Osaka & Kyoto, Japan

[mitch2526]

It all depends on you kung gusto niyong mga 8 hours kayo sa bus. May 4yr old ka pang kasama... Shinkansen takes just some hours, kasama pa yung mid speed shinkansen sa jr rail pass. 13 days matagal din kayo so masusulit niyo. Pwede niyo libutin buong japan!

With 13 days kumpleto tokyo, kyoto, osaka, nara, mt fuji, even sa kyushu o hokkaido area kung gusto niyo

[lheimatte]

Sis mitch, would you know or any idea kung magkano ipad sa japan... Comparing it against sa HK... Thanks!

[vhanya]

^mas mahal sa japan. walang tax sa HK eh. besides, malakas peso against HK dollar forex now

[mrs. sweet]

re japan visa naman....

been to japan 2x na (2 or 3 years ago), will this guarantee na maga-grant kami again this time? gusto ko na kasi sana magbook online ng flights and hotel namin.

[vhanya]

^higher probability =) as long as you have complete docs submitted

[mrs. sweet]

^sis, ilang minutes walk from namba station to Fraser? may underpass or overpass ba? saw from the map kasi na expressway pala yung pagitan. d ba hassle ito if with kids and luggages in tow?

[vhanya]

^walang under or overpass. and the expressway is just 2-3 lanes per side sa pagkaka-alala ko. use google maps streetview. when you exit the train station, you cross the street lang, there's another mini street and then its there na. 5min walk. and may stop light sa intersection so safe for kids.

[mrs. sweet]

^thank you for patiently replying to my queries vhanya! i emailed Fraser about it too, and they gave me a very precise instructions from Kansai airport to their hotel. as in, pati kung san mag turn right sa train station sinabi pa. kaaliw! hahahaha

they won't even charge your credit card agad if you book with them. unless, you cancelled it within 3 days before the booking period. it still safe, in case we won't be granted visa hehe

[melodymedley]

Totally lovin' Kyoto! The city is clean and so tourist friendly, without being too touristy. Kyoto bumped down some European cities in my personal ranking.

I stayed in a tatami-style guesthouse-dorm room in Gion street: Gojo Guest house - 2,500 yen/night for the girls dorm room. Around 15 minutes away from Kiyomiduzera temple. I decided to try out a traditional Japanese house naman. The experience is working out okay, it is a break from the usual bunk bed dorm.

For food, breakfast is still the rice triangles from convenience stores and coffee. For lunch, iba iba because I usually have that momentum of going to the places kaya minsan, yung streetfood na lang. I make it a point to have a nice dinner. And my nice dinners include including at Japanese fastfood restos like Mos Burger (so-so), Sukiya (yummy cheese beed gyudon) and Yoshinoya (cheap and yummy). I had a bento box in one resto at a mall, okay naman. Hindi naman sablay ang food sa Japan. I haven't experienced any bad food - at the least, yung tipong so-so lang.

As advised here by our sissies, I got the 500 yen bus pass na super sulit. I changed my mind (and itinerary)  in some of the places and I decided to just pick some other destinations (some of the temples) and added Arashimaya in the list. Arashimaya is not covered by the bus pass and I had to pay extra traveling there but I loved that place! Medyo malayo sya from city center kaya hindi masyadong crowded. Plus, the leaves were changing colors kaya I really enjoyed it.

Add Kyoto to your Japan itinerary! Sad that I'm leaving soon.

[vhanya]

yup kyoto is one of the best cities in the world. my fave as well =)

[melodymedley]

^^Definitely now one of my faves. Not so many touts here. Those who offer tours outside some tourist areas speak Japanese lahat kaya they are not so pushy. The vendors are also not pushy here kaya mas relax mamili ng souvenirs. Most tour groups here are also Japanese tours. Iilan lang yung mga English/Chinese/Caucasian na mga tours yung nakita ko.

Although I think they offer too many temples for my taste.  Nasobrahan ata ako. Kaya I skipped some na lang and I just enjoyed hopping on and off the bus and exploring the city. The leaves are changing colors so I enjoyed that very much. Malamiiiiig. I had to buy some Heattech stuff from Uniqlo (nataon na sale ) to help me in this weather. Yung 990 yen na stockings, 790 na lang.

Twice, I was looking for a bus stop so I asked a local. Aba, hintatid ako mismo sa bus stop. I tried to politely decline but they insisted. On the dot talaga ang mga buses and trains.

When I was riding a bus going to the the Golden Pavilion, may nakatabi ako na lolo and he started a conversation blah and he said he was also getting off at my stop. Hinatid ako sa entrance ng gate hanggang dun sa bibilihan ng ticket. People volunteer to take my pics. They may not speak or understand English a lot, but they do make an effort to help you out. 

I think Japan is the most "first world" country that I've visited, in all aspects.  Disciplined people, transportation like clockwork, and andaming unique quirks that I really really enjoy.

[vhanya]

^they are the friendliest talaga. ewan ko ba. mas hospitable sila compared to pinoys hahaha! and elderly will really try to talk to tourists.

yang bus stop na yan, hinahabol talaga namin kasi we know its always on time lols! angsaya rin mag bike dun. =) we always try to go back every year. this year, we visited kyoto during their sakura season, grabe ang ganda! as in i can't imagine that it can be THAT beautiful!

we try to go back every year. next visit naman, we will try during their fall season hihi! so around late november

[mrs. sweet]

Closed ba talaga ang establishments sa Japan ng first week of January? Shops, restos and sites??

[j_in_tokyo]

Closed ba talaga ang establishments sa Japan ng first week of January? Shops, restos and sites??

sis most of the establishments are closed pag january 1..pero bukas na pag january 2

[mrs. sweet]

^thanks! ok na din, jan. 1 7pm pa naman dating namin dun.

[gorgeous_me]

planning to buy sa Surutto Kansai Three-Day Pass, pwede ko n ba tong gamitin pauntang Nara at kyoto from Osaka, at sa mga buses ng kyoto? gusto ko lang i-confirm kung tama ako, hehe

then sa tokyo naman, plan kong bumili nung Toei and Tokyo Metro One-Day Economy Pass, sulit naman yung surutto at one-day pass?

[indigo.tulle]

Closed ba talaga ang establishments sa Japan ng first week of January? Shops, restos and sites??

@mrs. sweet:  i remember hotel monterey grasmere osaka has a supermarket (freshest and sweetest scallop we've had!  sinasadya pa namin ito ni hubby everytime we're on our way back to our hotel), access to
namba walk (http://kamlau.com/japan/namba-walk/), and namba walk also being the gateway to other subways. 

why not hotels at shinsaibashi, sis?  everything is literally downstairs, at the heart of the shopping district, convenience stores, train stations and restos?....



@gorgeous_me:  sis, we're buying the keisei skyliner combo with metro pass (if you're arriving at narita) ...
http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/value/travel/index.html

[mitch2526]

Just got back from Kyoto! Amazingnp autumn foliage! Haha kailangan mag update ng blog.

Stayed at Khaosan Backpacker's Hostel. Definitely the best hostel I stayed at, including Europe!

Fushimi Inari is the best. I will be back, sulat lang ako ng diary haha.

4th or 5th time ko na, so this time prioritized the autumn foliage aka nature tripping

[gorgeous_me]

ang ganda sa kyoto kitang kita ang autumn, hehe...sa osaka,ciempre binista ko si biliken...sa nara,ang napakaraming deer,hehe

[vhanya]

^naku sis, yan na lang di ko pa napuntahan na season sa japan, autumn. i've been there during the peak of sakura season and it was sooo beautiful!! sana maka-visit din ako during autumn =) hopefully soon after europe. =)