こんにちは， Japan!

 When ever I hear the word JAPAN, what comes to my mind are anime, hello kitty, “kawaii” stuffs, cosplay, etc. and it is one of the MOST expensive place to travel, that’s why I really never imagined myself that I will be able to step on this lovely place.

It was last January that I went here with my parents for the first time. Luckily, I have met some Japanese friend during my study in Taiwan and they are all very accommodating and generous enough to tour us around Kansai area. We stayed there for 5 days and I am very grateful that with all their help, we were able to see and travel around Kansai area.

Tip: If you will be travelling around Kansai Area ( Osaka, Nara, Kyot, Kobe, etc.) I suggest that you buy the Kansai Thru Pass that is available for 2-days or 3-days pass. This card can be used on nonconsecutive days. It may rather cost more than just buying ticket every time you ride the train, but I think this is more convenient. Which weighs more, will it be the convenience or the price, it is for you to decide.

Accommodation

We stayed in Hotel Naniwa which is located near Nipponbashi station. The location of the hotel is nearby Dotonburi and Shinsaibashi which has a wide variety of food stalls and is a shopping haven. Apart from the location, the staff can also speak good English and very accommodating as well. The room is a triple bed that has a private bathroom with complete basic necessities needed. TIP: Before booking a place to stay, unless using a public bath (they call it Ryokan)  won’t be an issue for you, then always see and check if the hotel or place that you intended to stay has a private bathroom. Some hotel may be cheaper but they don’t have private bathroom, but they have public bath house instead.

Day 1 – Nara  and Osaka

We went to Nara via their Kintetsu Nara Line which is 30-45 minutes away from Osaka area. First stop, Nara Park to see their well-known silka deer which can be seen all over the place walking freely. You can buy biscuit to feed them. They look so cute and nice, but they would tend to ask for more biscuit or any food that they can see. It was really a great experience!

Nara Park and Nara Deer

Todaiji Temple (東大寺)

Kofukuji Temple (興福寺)

Kasuga Grand Shrine (春日大社)

Shinseikai District (新世界)

Tsutenkaku Tower (通天閣)

Osaka Castle (大坂城)

Dotonburi (道頓堀)

Day 2: Universal Studio Japan （ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン）

 

Day 3: Kyoto (京都)

Kyoto Tower

Kiyomizu-dera Temple (清水寺)

This is my favorite temple that I had visited in Kyoto. The view is really great, and I can see lots of cherry blossom tree surrounding the temple. I can only imagine how lovely the view will be during cherry blossom season. My friend let us experience going into alley-like place inside a temple that is very very dark that you really need to hold on to the bead-like handle to guide you towards the exit. At first, I really felt scared, but as I continue to walk through the dark alley, I felt getting braver and trusting the bead-like handle that would lead me through the light. It was a very spiritual experience for me. 

This is a place to wish for if you want to have someone special in you life. I got to experience wherein you need to walk with your eyes closed from one end to the other end. They say if you were able to walk through it without being get bumped on or opening your eyes while walking, your wish will be granted. :)

 

Sannen-zaka & Ninen-zaka Preserved Lanes

I also love walking through this lane full of well-preserved traditional Japanese houses. It makes me feels like I was able to travel through time just by simple admiring and appreciating it's beauty.

Gion District

Kinkakuji Temple (金閣寺)

In this temple, I got to experience getting a very first written oracle. You just need to pay 100 yen and tadaa~ you will get you oracle. 

Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社)

Day 4: Kobe （神戶）

Motomachi (元町)

Kobe Port Tower (神戸ポートタワ) & 
Harborland (神戸ハーバーランド )

I really felt that our 5-day stay really flies by quickly. But this trip is really one of the memorable trip that I had. I was able to experience, witness and discover new things. I really admire how discipline Japanese people are when it comes to time, cleanliness and even to simple traffic rules. I also observed how polite and nice they are; English is really not well spoken in Japan, but whenever I asked for directions, they never fail to try to accommodate and help us. I even remembered that there was a lady that we asked for directions early in the morning on how to reach our hotel, she used her phone to search and though she just spoke Japanese, she still tries her very best to help us and I can really feel her sincerity. We were already walking for quite a while and we got surprised when we saw her again behind us telling us on which corner we should turn left. That was really something that I can’t forget.

Though it had been a week since I got back, I still have some hang over feeling and because of that, I am more determined to go back and hoping to witness Japan’s cherry blossom season or autumn season next year, I hope. :)

Boracay Island, Philippines: Home of the famous white sand beach and more

Last October 29, me, my aunt and my niece went to Boracay to spend our semester break. It was my aunt's second visit after nearly 10 years, and for me and my niece, it is our first. I am really looking forward for this trip because it is our famous Boracay Island that I have been always hearing of.

Boracay Island is located in the municipal of Aklan. It has 2 airports; one is Caticlan Airport (which is 15 minutes tricycle ride away from the port) and the other one is the Kalibo International Airport (which is about 2 hours bus ride away from the port). Luckily, our arrival is in Caticlan Airport. It is a small domestic airport, you can see the reception area immediately and you need to sign in in their flight manifest upon arrival. Afterwards, payment for tricycle fee and environmental fee will be collected, and at the port, terminal fee and boat fee must be settled before boarding the boat. And in few more minutes,I will be able to step on the famous white sand beach.

And weeeeee~ here I am! The sand is very fine and very white. The waves are calm which is ideal for swimming for both adults and children. There are also various water activities that you can choose from like parasailing, banana boat ride, flying fish,island hoping and more.

I got the chance to experience their helmet diving and snorkeling activities. With the helmet diving, video and picture taking are included in the payment and you can get your copy on that same day. I really had fun feeding bread to the fish. As for my snorkeling experience, I don't have any underwater camera to document it ,which is a lesson learned for me that it is a MUST as the under water scenery is really beautiful and how I really wish that I was able to capture them, but still I felt very happy that I was able to see the fishes and corals up close.

I love and enjoy water activities. The last memorable water activity that I had was during our Cebu trip wherein I got to see, swim and even take pictures together with the whale shark. You can check it out here for more details. 

After the entire day of water activities, we rested for a while and headed towards the beach shore to see and admire the sunset view.

The next day, we tried to wake up as early as we can to see the sun rise, but we failed to wake that early. And yet, the view from our hotel is still captivating, and I can't help but wonder how it feels like to wake up and see this kind of view everyday.

With our 3 days 2 nights stay in Boracay, it was all new and feel good experience for me. With the great food, captivating view and various activities that this island can offer, it is a breath of fresh air for me, being away from the city life and city problems for a few days. I just hope that since it is one of Philippines precious gems, we should take good care and protect it so that more and more people can still visit, enjoy and be mesmerized by it's hidden beauty.

South Korea Travel : 안녕하세요!

"Anyeonghaseyo!" ,"oppa”，“sarangheyo" -- these are the first few words that I learned after being hooked on watching korean dramas, listening to kpop music and mostly, seeing their very own hallyu stars. I had been a korean fanatic for years now -  but before I even became one, I always felt weird to those who were really into korean stuff during that time - mainly because of the the language. I thought that it would just be like other foreign dramas that will be a big hit for just sometime, like some Spanish and Taiwanese dramas that became a craze that it was even dubbed into Tagalog for the Filipino viewers. Secondly, apart from learning English, I had been learning Mandarin since I started schooling, so I thought that I would never be interested in learning another language. But I was wrong. It all started when a friend of mine during my college days suggested a korean drama, if I'm not mistaken, that was "Boys over Flowers", a korean version of "Metoer Garden" wherein Lee Min Ho was one of the lead actors. And the rest is history! That is why it had always been my dream to be able to tour and visit South Korea, and this August, my dream did come true!

It was December of last year that I was able to booked a promo fare through AirAsia, and it only cost us less than 20 thousand pesos for 3 person with checked-in baggage. I was really thrilled and excited just by merely thinking that I will be able to visit my dream country soon.

And like any travel adventure, I started to do some research for places to visit, estimated expenses and others. I did most of my researches through the official site of Korean tourism. This website has all the travel essentials and information that you will be needing during you tour such as sight-seeings, korean transport system, city tours and some directions. I suggest that you checked their website here.

After doing some research, it is almost time to apply for a visa. It is not hard to apply for Korea Visa. You just need to comply to all their requirements and go to the Korean Embassy which is located in 122 Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Town Center, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. The visa is free for less than 30 days. For more information, you can check their webiste here .

I don't want to be bias since I love Korean stuffs, Korea is my most favorite place that I had visited. Seoul has the traditional and modern look of Korea which really amazed me. Even though in it their summer time, but the weather for me is not that hot. During the morning, you can still feel a cool breeze when you walk along the streets, and even if it noon time, the sun is up, but you can still feel the breezy air.

TIP: 1. Airport Bus. At Incheon International Airport, they have airport buses that can drop you to the nearest bus stop of your choice, so you need to know where is the nearest bust stop for you hotel or place to stay in Seoul, which is very convenient especially if you have some baggage. You can also take the MRT going to Seoul, but if there will be transfer station, and you have your baggage with you, it would be not that convenient.

2. T-Money Card. For your transport, you can buy the T-Money card in GS25 convenience store for 1,000won. You can only top it up on MRT stations and you can also use this as payment for convenience store, and some shops. If you had been to Hongkong, its usage is like the octopus card. You can also refund the money left on your T-Money Card to any GS25 convenience store, but 500won will be deducted as service fee.



Here are some of the places that I had visited in South Korea:

1. Namsan Tower

This is where the well-known locks of love is located, wherein the concept is the same of Pont Des Arts bridge in Paris. This is also wherein you can see a 360 view of Seoul. How to get here: Just look for Namsan Shuttle Bus No.2,3 or 5 depending on you location and bus stop, the last stop is in Namsan tower.

2. Myeongdong, Seoul

This is the most well-known shopping place for the youths, especially when it comes to cosmetics. 

3. Gyeongbukgong Palace

Change of Royal Guards can be viewed every 10AM, 1PM and 3PM. 

4. Bukchon Village in Anguk

This is a middle-school located on the top of a hill on Anguk.

5. Hongdae (Hello Kitty Cafe )

6. Suwon Hwaseong Fortress

 Martial arts performance in Suwon Fortress.

7. Dongdaemun Design Plaza

This is where the well-known Korean drama "My Man from the Star" set is being exhibited until August 15,2014. I won't miss this chance and decided to give it a visit! :) 

Overall, I would definitely go back to Korea to visit more must-see places like Nami Island and Jeju Island. I really admire the historic preservation and culture of Korea. Though I can understand and speak a very little Korean language, but I saw how thoughtful Koreans are, especially their elders. I have met some elders wherein we were still able to communicate through actions and context clue and still are fun to talk with. I am really looking forward for my next visit, see you again soon, Korea!