villa4europe Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 16th september Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVTuco Posted February 24, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted February 24, 2014 Ok, I'm going in a month's time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 you'll have to let me know what not to do the gf is shitting bricks already, im going to have to organise the trip to an inch of its life rather than my usual make it up as i go along 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVTuco Posted February 24, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted February 24, 2014 I'll be going alone. Japan is a place to go together with someone, I think. So you're lucky mate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Taking this back in the other direction - any tips on Singapore? I'm only there for a couple of nights, so i'm basically planning on taking it very easy and going on a hunt for some Chilli Crab, perhaps we'll go to Raffles for tea and cake, perhaps we won't. I got a free Singapore sling with my room at Raffles .. Then paid around £27 for my next one !!! It's not the cheapest place for a beer regardless 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Jeeebus... perhaps not then. Cheers for the heads up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 talking of drinking has reminded me, i got it recommended that whilst in japan i go to a nomihodai, a pay on the door all you can drink bar, apparently a japanese custom and there are a fair few of them dotted about found one in tokyo called captain bacchus that does all you can drink wine for £5.70... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 flights booked, £510, going for 12 days think its going to be tokyo, kyoto and hiroshima, might try and squeeze osaka in too, the gf wants to do disney which im not convinced by but that was the compromise, going to try for ghibli museum tickets but i think its like getting in to fort knox Can definitely recommend the Ghibli museum if you're a Miyazaki fan. Really unique building and some lovely exhibits. No photography allowed inside though. Tourists need to get tickets from somewhere like JTB before you leave. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 Taking this back in the other direction - any tips on Singapore? I'm only there for a couple of nights, so i'm basically planning on taking it very easy and going on a hunt for some Chilli Crab, perhaps we'll go to Raffles for tea and cake, perhaps we won't. If you're there for a couple of days, I'd recommend catching a hop-on-hop-off tour bus to see the main sights of the city. If you go to the top of Marina Bay Sands, you get a pretty good view as well. The Chinese district is interesting and Clarke Quay has some nice places to eat. If you're a theme park buff, I'd also recommend Universal Studios. The Transformers ride there is insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legov Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 (edited) Taking this back in the other direction - any tips on Singapore? I'm only there for a couple of nights, so i'm basically planning on taking it very easy and going on a hunt for some Chilli Crab, perhaps we'll go to Raffles for tea and cake, perhaps we won't. If you're there for a couple of days, I'd recommend catching a hop-on-hop-off tour bus to see the main sights of the city. If you go to the top of Marina Bay Sands, you get a pretty good view as well. The Chinese district is interesting and Clarke Quay has some nice places to eat. If you're a theme park buff, I'd also recommend Universal Studios. The Transformers ride there is insane. I haven't even been to Universal Studios before! Anyway, yes, a big thumb up for Chinatown, as well as all the other little cultural enclaves that dot the city area - the civic district is really interesting if you're a history/culture buff. Good eats there as well - by the way, the roadside eateries and hawker centres tend to have more character than the haute poseur "fusionorwhatevershit" restaurants that are now really commonplace in the civic district. I would also go out into the suburbs if I were you, to see how most of us live. Clarke Quay is a fairly generic-looking bar/pub area and while it would no doubt be fun, it's probably no different from visiting any other bar in the world tbh. Walking along the quay is a fairly pleasant experience though, provided the weather is amenable (it often isn't) I'd skip the Merlions if I were you, stupid tacky Tourism Board gimmick. Edited February 26, 2014 by legov Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 flights booked, £510, going for 12 days think its going to be tokyo, kyoto and hiroshima, might try and squeeze osaka in too, the gf wants to do disney which im not convinced by but that was the compromise, going to try for ghibli museum tickets but i think its like getting in to fort knox Can definitely recommend the Ghibli museum if you're a Miyazaki fan. Really unique building and some lovely exhibits. No photography allowed inside though. Tourists need to get tickets from somewhere like JTB before you leave. how much of the museum is in english? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 flights booked, £510, going for 12 days think its going to be tokyo, kyoto and hiroshima, might try and squeeze osaka in too, the gf wants to do disney which im not convinced by but that was the compromise, going to try for ghibli museum tickets but i think its like getting in to fort knox Can definitely recommend the Ghibli museum if you're a Miyazaki fan. Really unique building and some lovely exhibits. No photography allowed inside though. Tourists need to get tickets from somewhere like JTB before you leave. how much of the museum is in english? Not that much to be honest. The tickets and brochures have English sections, but most of the displays have mainly Japanese descriptions. It didn't matter though, because many of the exhibits don't require you to understand Japanese. The Saturn Theater there shows museum exclusive short films, which are also in Japanese, but but they're very charming and you can understand what's going on even if you don't speak Japanese. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Why is the Ghibli so hard to get into? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 im sure id seen somewhere they only let 200 people a day in, i think tickets are available on machines in japan but its more than likely to be sold out if you want them for 3/4 days after you've landed, so for foreigners there's an application process, or you can book it through an agent, the tickets are about £6, saw one last night wanting £35 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVTuco Posted April 6, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted April 6, 2014 I'm back from my week long Japan trip. I was in Kyoto for the second time, and then one day in Osaka before flying back. Compared to my last visit seven years ago I felt locals had become somewhat more used to western people, which makes things easier, but also reduces some of the attractiveness of the place in my opinion. However, the nature, temples and world heritage sites are still amazing, like the Nijo Castle. I'd still recommend going there if you want to travel some place that has all amenities that we have and some more, and yet is very different and unique. In Osaka, I found nothing special, granted I was there only for one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 I'm back from my week long Japan trip. I was in Kyoto for the second time, and then one day in Osaka before flying back. Compared to my last visit seven years ago I felt locals had become somewhat more used to western people, which makes things easier, but also reduces some of the attractiveness of the place in my opinion. However, the nature, temples and world heritage sites are still amazing, like the Nijo Castle. I'd still recommend going there if you want to travel some place that has all amenities that we have and some more, and yet is very different and unique. In Osaka, I found nothing special, granted I was there only for one day. That's Interesting ......one of Kyoto's charms for me was exactly as you say ....the lack of English and westerners.... Spending 10 mins trying to work out how to buy a metro ticket until someone finally took pity on us , walking outside a restaurant with the waitress and pointing at the plastic bowl in the window etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVTuco Posted April 6, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted April 6, 2014 (edited) I'm back from my week long Japan trip. I was in Kyoto for the second time, and then one day in Osaka before flying back. Compared to my last visit seven years ago I felt locals had become somewhat more used to western people, which makes things easier, but also reduces some of the attractiveness of the place in my opinion. However, the nature, temples and world heritage sites are still amazing, like the Nijo Castle. I'd still recommend going there if you want to travel some place that has all amenities that we have and some more, and yet is very different and unique. In Osaka, I found nothing special, granted I was there only for one day.That's Interesting ......one of Kyoto's charms for me was exactly as you say ....the lack of English and westerners.... Spending 10 mins trying to work out how to buy a metro ticket until someone finally took pity on us , walking outside a restaurant with the waitress and pointing at the plastic bowl in the window etcHaha... I took a local train from Kyoto to Osaka, and JTB people held my hand until I went down to the right track and kept thinking: track 5 at 5.14 pm get off on third stop. Then when the train was about to arrive, I had to go on a queue, and I wasn't sure which one, brown or blue? On my own God knows where I'd gone. That was exciting, I was the only westerner in the whole packed train. It is possible that this time my trip was too well organized, and therefore I didn't encounter that many locals, but more people working with tourism. For example I did not go to the center at all on my own, except one night when they had a cherry blossom party in the park. That was amazing, park was full of people of all ages at 11 pm on a Wednesday night. All in all Kyoto is still different in a wonderful way. Edited April 6, 2014 by AVTuco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Thinking of flying from Seoul into Osaka in order to visit Kyoto. I assume that's the best place to fly into? Then going to train it up to Tokyo and fly out of there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVTuco Posted April 8, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted April 8, 2014 Thinking of flying from Seoul into Osaka in order to visit Kyoto. I assume that's the best place to fly into? Then going to train it up to Tokyo and fly out of there. Yes, Kansai International Airport outside Osaka. Easy to get to Kyoto directly from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 1st bit of tokyo is booked staying in a hotel next to shinjuku station, there for 4 days, will try and do shinjuku, shibuya, probably travel to nikko for the day im then there for 3 days at the end of my trip, not sure where to stay, thinking of a really nice hotel near the sky tree and doing the temple and palace one day and then disney and odaiba for something relaxing on my last day also found the bar that kill bill was based on and a capcom restaurant that serves food based on the games, including a resident evil cheesecake... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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