Osaka & Kyoto, Japan

[gorgeous_me]

ako bumili dati sa Czarinas, then used credit card sometimes, para may extra cash pa din ako, hehe

[mrs. sweet]

On all our trips, we always bring these:

Local currency = for food, transpo and some extras for small items shopping
USD = just an extra cash, in case, our local currency runs out and needs some cash
Credit card = for shopping and resto meals

[Scubadoobidoo]

Lugi ka to use your credit card when abroad. Talo sa exchange rate. I always bring excess USD when we travel abroad. Yung credit cards are only to be used in emergency cases while abroad lang. 

[foruiz]

thanks for all your replies! so far bpi credit card has fair rates, i might buy from Czarinas but will bring dollars too and use the card for hotel and shopping.

[naughtybrat]

Hi mga sis! We recently had our visas approved and we plan to go to Japan this August or September. We plan to stay maximum of 2 weeks. can you please share the best itinerary for us, we are traveling with our parents kasi si dapat medyo relaxed. Or is it ok to get a packaged tour instead, problema ko lang fast paced yung mga ganon e. Help mga sis. Will start back reading na din po =)
SALAMAT 

[yapeegurl]

naughtybrat, wow 2 weeks! Ang sarap! Ang dami niyo puwede puntahan. Since  you're travelling with your parents, personally I'd suggest DIY ang tour ninyo. Ako kasi napapagod sa guided tour. And mas control mo ang time kapag DIY. Where do you want to go?

- Hiroshima
- Tokyo
- Kyoto
- Mt. Fuji
- Osaka
- Sapporo
- Hokkaido
- Yokohama

Usually iyan ang mga places to visit. Magkakalayo ang mga iyan sis. And then each city meron mga places to go.

Example sa Hiroshima eto ang mga puwede puntahan:
- Peace Memorial Park
- Atomic Dome
- Mazda Museum
- Hiroshima Castle
- Shukkeien Garden
- Hiroshima downtown

Lahat ng iyan napuntahan namin in 1 day. But it took us 6hrs average going to Hiroshima from Narita Airport and another 6-7hours to Tokyo.

Start with the cities/areas you want to go to muna siguro. Then from there, we can help you with your itinerary Hope this helps!

[Scubadoobidoo]

For 2 weeks it would really depend on your budget kasi. One week namin in Tokyo alone 200k gastos and hindi kasama ang airfare dyan. You have to decide kasi what you really want to do in Japan other wise sobrang gastos. The hotel is very important since subway nila medjo expensive. From the airport going to tokyo would already cost you 1,800 pax one way. Tokyo is the only city that when we travel to sobrang planned ang itinerary.

[naughtybrat]

My mom said 10 days na lang daw since madami kami ongoing projects, ok na ba yun for first timers like me & my brother? The best airline that fits our sched is Delta since they have direct flights leaving manila in the morning and then coming back arriving in the evening. For me to go see the usual places, take pictures experience food there since I super love Japanese foooood!! =) of course, di mawawala ang shopping, yun talaga 

Siguro we can go to places that are near each other muna, tapos yun iba pwede naman balikan na lang siguro next year.

Sis yapeegurl what do you think?

Sis Scubadoobidoo, Can you share your usual iti? and the hotel na rin so i can look it up.

Thank you!! =)

[yapeegurl]

naughtybrat, ok na ok na ang 10 days We were first timers din when we went to Japan last June pero 6 days lang. You can consider Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo for your 10-Day trip.

Osaka
Kyoto
Tokyo

We spent 4 days in Tokyo. Bitin. Marami kami hindi pa napuntahan. Osaka and Kyoto hindi din kami nakarating. Babalikan na lang namin pag naka recharge na ng travel budget

[naughtybrat]

^thanks sis! 

[molybdenumstudios]

Nabitin din kami doon sa Osaka, because of Japan's cost of living. Sayang we didn't visit Universal Studios and Osaka Castle hehe.

[cream_puff11]

^ hmm its okay sis. i went to uss osaka and osaka castle last spring. i didnt appreciate both. for uss, everything's in japanese (because it was build for them hehe) hello kitty there doesnt look like hello kitty. i like him/her pa naman kasi pink siya pero dun hindi siya pink ang dami niyang kulay na sinusuot. hindi rin known ang mga characters na nandun pero okay na rin for photo ops. osaka castle naman, pagod lang for me kasi napagod lang ako haha. anyway, ayun photo op na lang din kasi mahilig naman ako magpicture. but i love osaka, kyoto, nara and kobe. osaka is food haven haha nonstop eating. kobe dinayo ko for steak. nara for the deers. kyoto for authentic japanese experience

[vhanya]

I didnt enjoy USS too. mas na-appreciate ko food trip namin sa Osaka and nearby places like kyoto, kobe and nara too =)

[yapeegurl]

Hindi kami naka try ng Kobe Beef. What our Japanese friend ordered was Matsusaka beef and grabe ang sarap!!! Melts in your mouth! Now I'm curious sa Kobe Beef lalo. Hindi ako kasi mahilig sa beef and pork pero ito talaga ang dami kong nakain!

Sarap din ng Okonomiyaki (sa Hiroshima namin first na try) and Sake!

[cream_puff11]

same here sis vhanya hahahaha grabe ang osaka lakas maka gluttony





sis yapeegurl, saan yung matsunaka beef? we'll be back next year spring uli hehe para ituro ko kay fiance. naaddict kasi siya sa kushi sa may shinsaibashi ayaw na umalis dun haha kailangan ko ng tatalo sa kushi niya para hindi kami lagi dun kakain pag nasa osaka. hahaha

[foruiz]

from KIX to Kyoto, is it best to ride the bus para less hassle or train pa din?

[vhanya]

Oh i've tried both. Kobe vs. Matsusaka. Ito lang masasabi ko. Kobe is best for steaks. Matsusaka naman best for shabu-shabu and thinner cuts. Pero both have melts-in-your-mouth quality esp the higher grabe beef =)

I've tried also the Omakase resto inside the Osaka wet market. It's their version of Tsukiji market in Tokyo and OMG! You cannot believe how GOOD their sashimis are! As in nakalimutan ko how yummy the kobe and matsusaka beefs were the day before dahil sa sarap and fresh ng sashimis nila!

Some things you need to try out in Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe:

Ichiran Ramen (Best ramen house for me, Ippudo/Kinryuu cannot even compare)
Chibo Okonomiyaki
Takoyaki
Osaka wet market for fresh sashimi (do not forget to order the seafood miso soup)
Steakland Kobe (Kobe)
Kaiseki set meal

[vhanya]

Of course, you have to also try the yakiniku and shabu-shabu but any good restos naman are OK. Japanese are really particular with the quality of their raw ingredients so you are safe kahit saan =)
Of course the rule is, you get what you pay for =)

[vhanya]

from KIX to Kyoto, is it best to ride the bus para less hassle or train pa din?

Id go for train =)

[foruiz]

^even with my luggage sis. hindi naman kaya puro stairs  sa transfers  hence  luggage unfriendly?