Japan – Page 4 – The Wknd Travel

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 923 – Fukuoka to Manila – Strict But Well-Organized Free Base Fare Flight Back To Manila

Hey, I hope you’re coping well. I know most of us miss flying & going on vacations. The Covid-19 pandemic stopped leisure travel & has forced us to stay in our homes indefinitely. While most of the countries all over the world are restarting leisure travel, we, Filipinos, are still not allowed to do so – even domestic travels are not allowed. All we can do now is to look back & relive the great memories we made in our previous trips.

One of the trips I keep on revisiting is our Fukuoka 2019 surprise trip. My friend & I surprised another friend in her supposed-to-be first solo international trip. I already shared with you details about this trip in the following posts – 48 Hours in Fukuoka for less than ₱12,500 all in, Nekokura Hostel of the Day feature & 5J 922 Cebu Pacific Air Flight Report. Today, I will share with you details of our Cebu Pacific Air 5j 923 flight from Fukuoka, Japan back to Manila, Philippines. Know how organized Japanese people & airports are & generally how the flight went in this new flight report.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Singapore Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Cebu Pacific Air

As mentioned in my previous 5J flight report, Cebu Pacific Air is the Philippines largest low-cost carrier. It flies to more than 60 domestic & international destinations across the country, Asia-Pacific & the Middle East. It is wholly owned by JG Summit Holdings, led by the Gokongweis. Including its subsidiary Cebgo, the airline operates a fleet of 70+ Airbus & ATR commercial & cargo aircraft with a number of new generation aircraft orders in place.

The airline has opened the opportunity for every Filipino to fly domestic & international at extremely low prices compared to its industry rivals. It is known for its ₱1-base fare promotions offered a few times a year. It has its own loyalty program called GetGo & is a founding member of Value Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of low-cost carriers.

Airfare & Inclusions

My friend & I got the return ticket to & from Fukuoka, Japan for only ₱2,873.74. We booked it through the airline’s loyalty program, GetGo, ‘5,000 points off’ promotion. At the time of booking, one-way base fare to Fukuoka were valued at 2,400 points. The return ticket cost us 4,800 points plus airline (minus 5,000 points – yay, so basically free base fare) & airport taxes. My friend & I only paid for the taxes & charges imposed by the airline – a decent deal, eh? It definitely was a steal considering the tickets were bought 3 weeks before the flight schedule.

Cebu Pacific Air is a low-cost carrier – meaning tickets only include the passenger’s base fare & taxes. The airline offers baggage allowance, seat selection, meals & refreshments & all over flight services for a fee. The airline’s fleet don’t have personal or communal entertainment screens. The fare my friend & I bought only includes a 7-kilogram carry-on luggage which was enough for our 48-hour Fukuoka trip. The full list of the airline’s add-on charges is found in their website.

Flight & Aircraft Information

This Fukuoka to Manila Cebu Pacific Air flight was operated by a 5.5-year-old (that time) Airbus A320-214 aircraft with registration RP-C3277. The airplane has an all-economy configuration (just like all other Cebu Pacific Air aircraft) with 180 seats on a 3-3 layout. The flight left Fukuoka station at 7:48 pm JST & arrived Ninoy Aquino International Airport (in Manila) at 11:10 pm PHT. The flight took 4 hours & 22 minutes from one airport gate to the other.

Ground & Airport Experience

International flights arrive & depart from Fukuoka Airport’s international terminal. The terminal is 10-minute (free) bus ride from the Fukuoka Airport Subway Station / Domestic Terminal. Upon arrival at the terminal, my friend & I went to Row C check-in counters. The counters opened 3 hours before the flight.

Check-in process was quick & efficient. Heavy bags & boxes undergo security checks before they can be accepted by the ground staff for check-in. There were 3 normal check-in & 1 online check-in counters that day. All ground staff strictly check & weigh each passenger’s carry-on items. They only allow 7-kilograms of carry-on baggage & up to 2 items only. My friend & I already checked-in online & queued in the online check-in counter. We requested for exit row seats; the lovely check-in counter crew granted our request. Our whole check-in process took 20-minutes & that included 15 minutes in queue for the luggage security check.

In case you missed it, we almost missed our Manila to Fukuoka flight because of lengthy check-in process & slow immigration lines in NAIA 3. Know more about this almost-missed flight in this flight report.

Immigration & final security took less than 10 minutes. There were no long lines or whatsoever. The flight boarding process commenced 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. Passengers with children & those needing special assistance boarded the aircraft first. The regular passengers boarded next. We boarded from Gate 56 & finished after 15-20 minutes. Boarding has quick & smooth.

In-Flight Product

Cebu Pacific Air is known as a no-frills airline. The airline keeps their fares low by providing the most basic product on air – a guaranteed seat on the flight & a 7-kilogram carry-on baggage allowance. Additional flight features such as baggage allowance, in-flight meal, insurance, seat selection & the likes are available at an extra cost.

My friend & I were assigned at exit seats 12B & 12C. These exit row seats have enormous legroom but do not recline. Regular seats on Cebu Pacific Air’s Airbus A320 aircraft feature 28 inches of seat pitch & generous reclines. These seats were made & designed by Recaro, a world-renown seat manufacturing company known for their light & ergonomically-designed seat products. Each seat features a decently sized tray table & a small seat pocket with the aircraft safety card. The seats don’t feature personal entertainment screens. The only available form of entertainment is the monthly in-flight magazine found in every seat pocket.

Shortly after take-off, the cabin crew rolled out their snack cart & offered snacks to all passengers. The list of items for sale is found in the Fun Café menu in the seat pockets. The crew also handed out the pre-ordered snacks & meals to those who availed them. The airline allows passengers to pre-book their meals & snacks from the time of booking up to 24 hours before the flight.

This night flight didn’t feature the usual in-flight fun game. The crew gave the passengers the time to rest & sleep. I didn’t have the chance to visit the lavatory during the flight; I was dead tired after a long day of walking around the city.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew welcomed us into the flight with their biggest smiles. One crew also went up to us & explained the additional protocols for passengers seated in the exit rows. I didn’t have much chance to interact with the crew on this flight but those small encounters made a big difference in the flight experience.

Overall Experience

It was another pleasant flight with Cebu Pacific Air. My friend & I definitely enjoyed this flight from Fukuoka to Manila. The pleasant experience started with getting return tickets for only ₱2,873.74 without baggage. I still can’t imagine how this is possible in the current times? The ticket is even cheaper than a domestic ticket to destinations like Coron & Siargao or even international destinations like Hong Kong & Singapore. Cebu Pacific Air changed the game by giving every Juan the chance to fly in the most affordable rate.

The airport & ground experience was superb! It was the total opposite of my experience on the flight from Manila to Fukuoka. The check-in lines were fast-moving bur organized. The check-in process was efficient. The ground staff were reasonably strict but were nice & very accommodation. Immigration, final security check & boarding process didn’t take long. It was my 3^rd time flying out of this airport & the experience hasn’t changed. I am amazed how the airport management maintained it even with the increasing number of passenger traffic. All my Fukuoka Airport experiences were very close to ideal.

The flight experience was alright as expected. The cabin crew greeted us with their best smiles upon boarding & disembarking from the plane. I didn’t have much to talk about the in-flight experience because I was asleep most of the flight. The only thing I didn’t like was our plane didn’t have an available airport gate when we landed in Manila station. We waited inside the plane for more than 15-20 minutes before we finally got our Terminal 3 gate assignment. I really hope the local airport authorities do something about this once everything does back to normal.

I cannot wait to fly out again with Cebu Pacific Air in the future. I have plans of trying their long-haul flights (again but this time feature it) to perhaps Sydney or Melbourne once Australia opens. I also want to just fly out to wherever possible & take some time off. I will surely fly with them on those trips. For those of you who want to know the flight & aircraft details, here are the information you want or need:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 20 October 2019
Flight Number: 5J 923
Route: Fukuoka (FUK) Japan to Manila (MNL) Philippines
Duration: 4:22 hours
Seat Number: 12C
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: RP-C3277
Aircraft Engine: 2 x CFM International Jet Engines
Age: 6 years old
Year Delivered: 2014

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. Do you have any questions about the flight or anything mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. You may also send these questions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

How I wish we can all soon go back to the times when flying & travelling is safe & places are virus-free. Those safe times are far from happening based on the current vaccine & treatment developments but I hope you are coping well with the effects of pandemic. Let’s us all hope for better times in the future. For the meantime, we can all connect & talk about our previous travel experiences. Follow me on my social media channels – Facebook & Instagram.

Don’t forget to check out my previous Cebu Pacific Air flight reports: Legazpi to Manila, Manila to Jakarta, Manila to Caticlan (Boracay), Caticlan (Boracay) to Manila on Cebgo & Manila to Fukuoka. Other flight reports can be found under the Flight Reports category. Until next time. Stay safe!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 922 – Manila to Fukuoka – ‘Almost-Missed’ Surprise & Free Base Fare International Flight

Hey ho & welcome to another flight report! Let’s take a break from all the Going Solo in Europe content & go back to something related to my 2^nd favorite country after the Philippines – Japan. A few months ago, my friend & I flew to Fukuoka, Japan for 48 hours to surprise our close friend in her 1^st international trip. Believe it or not, my friend & I spent less than ₱12,500 each for that whole trip – flights & hostel included. We flew with Cebu Pacific Air in a super affordable fare & stayed with Nekokura Hostel to save same some cash.

Today’s flight report will talk about that ‘almost-missed’ Manila to Fukuoka Cebu Pacific Air flight we took for that 48-hour Fukuoka trip. I will share with you how we booked the cheap ticket 3 weeks before the trip, how was our ground experience at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 & what can you expect in Cebu Pacific Air’s international in-flight product & cabin crew service.

I’ve covered a few Cebu Pacific Air & Cebgo flights in my previous flight reports – ₱600 Legazpi to Manila flight on 5J 328, $24 Manila to Jakarta flight on 5J 759, short & empty Boracay flight on 5J 905 & the Cebgo Turboprop flight from Boracay to Manila on DG 6244. Let’s add this ‘almost-missed’ & free base fare flight to Fukuoka on 5J 922.

Cebu Pacific Air

Cebu Pacific Air is not a new airline in this website. As mentioned in my previous flight reports, Cebu Pacific Air is the Philippines largest low-cost carrier. It flies to more than 60 domestic & international destinations across the country, Asia-Pacific & the Middle East. It is wholly owned by JG Summit Holdings, led by the Gokongweis. Including its subsidiary Cebgo, the airline operates a fleet of 70+ Airbus & ATR commercial & cargo aircraft with a number of new generation aircraft orders in place.

Airfare & Inclusions

My friend & I got our return Manila to Fukuoka ticket for only ₱2,873.74. At the time of booking, Cebu Pacific Air’s loyalty program GetGo offered their Fukuoka route for 2,400 points per way plus taxes. At the same time, they had a ‘5,000 points off’ promotional code for selected East Asia routes including Fukuoka. The return ticket to Fukuoka costs 4,800 points plus taxes. Upon check out & using the promotional code, we ended up having our base fare free & paying only the airfare taxes. Note that we booked our tickets 3 weeks before the flight. Flights to Fukuoka take more than 3 hours per way. Having this affordable return ticket was definitely a good deal!

Cebu Pacific Air is a no-frills airline – meaning fares only include 7-kilogram carry on allowance & a guaranteed seat in the flight. Baggage allowance, food, reserved seats & insurance are all available at an extra cost. Fees & charges differ for each flight. You can click this link to more about the add-ons cost for each Cebu Pacific Air route. This trip only last for 48 hours & it wasn’t even cold yet in Japan so I only brought a small backpack me – no add-ons needed.

Want to know how I get these cheap tickets? I revealed my secrets in these blog posts – How to be a champ in booking low fare tickets part 1 & part 2.

Flight & Aircraft Information

This Manila to Fukuoka Flight on Cebu Pacific Air left Manila station a few minutes late because of us (you’ll know why) but arrived Fukuoka International Airport 11 minutes early. We left Manila at 3:27 pm PHT & arrived Japan at 7:49 pm JST. The total flight time was 3 hours & 22 minutes. The flight used a 7-year old (that time) Airbus A320-214 aircraft in an all-economy class configuration. The plane has a total of 180 seats on a 3-3 layout.

Airport Experience

My friend & I arrived at the airport 3 hours before the flight. We had quick lunch & went straight to the travel tax counter. After paying the required travel tax, we went to Cebu Pacific Air’s check in counters. There were 3 lines for check in – one for regular check in, one for mobile & internet check in & the last one for group bookings & senior citizens. My friend & I already checked in online so we headed to the mobile & internet check in line. All 3 check in lines were long, slow & chaotic.

Pamela, one of Cebu Pacific Air’s supervisors, heard & approached me. She apologized for the chaotic check in process & said that particular afternoon was busier than expected. She escorted us to the next available counter for check in. The woman in the check in desk was nice & accommodating. She granted our request of having emergency exit seats for no additional cost. The whole check in process took us about 1 hour & 15 minutes; it used to be less than 10-15 minutes.

After check in, my friend & I went to clear immigration. All immigration counters also had long & slow-moving lines. We asked favors from people in front of us if we can go first since our flight leaves in 35 minutes; thankfully, they agreed. It still took us 25 minutes to clear immigration. We went straight to final security check & cleared the process in less than 5 minutes. While falling in line, I already saw the Cebu Pacific Air ground staff calling Fukuoka-bound passengers. They are about to close the aircraft doors in 5 minutes. After clearing final security, my friend & I literally ran to the boarding gate & went straight to the plane. The cabin crew closed the plane doors after we boarded. Thank God we made it!

In-Flight Product

As a low-cost carrier, Cebu Pacific Air doesn’t offer on-board entertainment screens & complimentary food. All seats have a decently sized tray table & a small pocket with in-flight magazines & safety card. It has 28 inches of seat pitch & a generous recline. My friends & I were seated in the emergency exit seats so we had bigger leg room than the usual but no seat recline. The seats on this airplane were already old & needs a refit.

In-flight meals & snacks are available for purchase from the time of booking the ticket up to 24 hours before the flight. Guests who failed to pre-book snacks or meals can still buy from the items being offered on-board by the cabin crew. Items for sale are found in the Fun Café menu in the seat pockets of every passenger. I purchased a bottle of Gatorade for ₱80 & a bottle of water for ₱40 during this flight.

One unique feature of Cebu Pacific Air flights is the in-flight fun games. Cabin crew members ask 3 questions under a specified category. The first passenger to get the correct answer receives a complimentary airline merchandise. My friends & I joined the game on this flight & we won a Cebu Pacific Air pouch.

I didn’t have the chance to visit the lavatory on this 3.5-hour flight. From past experiences, there’s nothing spectacular about Cebu Pacific Air lavatories – they’re clean, plain & basic like a usual low-cost carrier lavatory.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew on this Cebu Pacific Air flight to Fukuoka was nice & friendly. They greeted the passenger with their best smiles & served the food right after take-off. The crew assigned to our area even asked me questions how I was before she served my drinks. She even offered a glass of ice which they don’t usually do. I have nothing against the crew on this flight. I was a happy & satisfied customer.

Verdict

Overall, it was another pleasant flight with Cebu Pacific Air. We even got more than what we paid for. Imagine paying only ₱2,873.74 for a return ticket to Fukuoka, Japan & booking it 3 weeks before the flight? You rarely get that kind of airfare deal. It was definitely a steal!

The airport & ground experience was the worst part of this flight. Long & slow check in & immigration queues & last-minute boarding process didn’t make the experience enjoyable. My friend & I were thankful for Pamela, the woman at the check in counter & the people who allowed us to cut the immigration line. We won’t make it to our flight if not for them. All parties (including us) are at fault on what happened. We didn’t imagine that those airport scenes we see in movies would also happen to us. It was our first time running from security check to the boarding gate; it was also our first time being called for boarding. Don’t worry, we already learned our lesson.

The in-flight experience made up for all the mishaps that happened in the ground. The cabin crew assigned to our flight were friendly. The emergency exit seats were relatively comfortable to seat in on this 3.5-hour flight. My friends & I won in the in-flight game. More importantly, we arrived Fukuoka ahead of schedule despite leaving Manila a few minutes late. Sure, the airplane seats, tray tables & pockets needs a refit but these didn’t affect our fun flight to Fukuoka.

I will definitely fly again with Cebu Pacific Air in the future. They are always the best option for flying cheap to destinations here in the Philippines, in Asia Pacific & in the Middle East. I’m gutted my flights with them to Shanghai, China & Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. I am still looking forward to booking future trips with them! I also want to try (again) & this time cover their long-haul economy routes to Dubai, Sydney & Melbourne. For those who want to know the specifics of this flight & the airplane used, check out the details below:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 18 October 2019
Flight Number: 5J 922
Route: Manila (MNL) Philippines to Fukuoka (FUK) Japan
Duration: 3:22 hours
Seat Number: 12A
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: RP-C3237
Aircraft Engine: 2 x CFM International Jet Engines
Age: 8 years old
Year Delivered: 2012

That’s it for today. Have you ever missed (or almost-missed) a flight because of a mishap in check in, immigration & final security check? What happened & what did you do when that happened? You may share your experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any question about the things mentioned above or about Cebu Pacific Air in general? You may also send them to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll get to them soon.

Thanks for joining me in today’s flight report! My next flight report will be about Czech Airlines on my flight from Prague, Czech Republic to Copenhagen, Denmark. Watch out for that! In the meantime, you may follow me on my social media pages – Facebook & Instagram.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

P’s List: 6 Budget-Friendly & Personal Favorite To-Do’s in Japan

It’s week 4 of our enhanced community quarantine in the Philippines. We’re stuck in our homes, working remotely in our desks & distancing from the outside world aiming to contain the spread of the corona virus. I do not want to talk about how the world is at how but I hope you, your families & your friends are healthy & safe. I also hope you’ve done your part in helping out our front liners & extending your help to those in need.

After 4 weeks of staying at home, I realized I have more time to catch-up on my Going Solo in Europe Series content. I’ve finished my posts about The Netherlands & Belgium & I still have tons to share about Czech Republic & Denmark. Now that my 4 trips (China, Vietnam, Davao & Australia) were cancelled / rescheduled due to the virus, I might run out of stuff to post while waiting for my next trip. I brainstormed with my friends the other night (thanks Majo & Junelle!) & I thought of having a new wave of content to share to my dear readers.

In the last few years, I shared with you travel-related contents through my Tuesday Tips, Throwback Thursday Trips, Friday Thoughts, Hostels of the Day & Flight Reports. Today, I will add a new part in this website called P’s List! It is a list-type of travel content purely based on my personal experiences. It will feature lists of things I need to do in a certain place, restaurants I recommended visiting in a city, food which one must & so on. I hope these lists can help people plan out their itineraries & look for places to visit in their upcoming trips.

The first P’s List will be about Japan – my favorite country next to home. I’ve been thinking about my past Japan trips & I can’t help but miss everything about this beautiful country. I’ve been to Japan 6 times in the last 5 years & I still look forward to going back to the same places over & over again. I browsed through my photos & saw my favorites. Let me share my favorite & affordable to-do’s in my past Japan trips in today’s P’s List.

Stay in Hostels

You guys know that I am a fan of hostels over other forms of accommodation. Hostels are cheaper than hotels & serviced apartments allowing you save some cash for other needs like food, transportation, etc. I’ve stayed with hostels around Asia, Europe & Australia & I can 100% say that Japanese hostels have a unique character. These hostel facilities are clean, well-maintained & quiet. The showers & toilet are unique – you know those electric toilets & small shower rooms. The rooms are spotless & the beds are easy to sleep with. Staffs are nice, accommodating & helpful. Everything feels safe if you’re in Japanese hostels.

In fact, I’ve featured several hostels under my Hostel of the Day posts – The Stay Sapporo, Oak Hostel Zen Tokyo, Khaosan World Asakusa Ryokan & Hostel, Dot Hostel Nagano, New World Inn Osaka, Fukuoka Hana Hostel & Nekokura Hostel Fukuoka. I also wrote about the 4 Trusted Hostel Groups in Japan which one should stay with. Check out these individual reviews & features & you’ll know why I love staying in Japanese hostels.

Enjoy Eating Gyudon

Matsuya’s gyumeshi – my favorite gyudon in Japan. It’s budget-friendly & very tasty!! YUMYUM~

I love eating gyudon; I love having this meal in local restaurants. Gyudon is a Japanese rice bowl topped with flavored beef strips & simmered onions. I love eating this gyudon in my favorite Japanese fast food restaurant – Matsuya Foods. I usually order their extra-large gyumeshi with miso soup for a little over ¥500 yen & enjoy the meal with the variety of Japanese sauces available & finish the meal with a glass or cold tea. I also love Sukiya’s (another fast food restaurant) gyudon with melted cheese perfect with tabasco sauce.

Another favorite – Sukiya’s gyudon with cheese. It’s perfect with Tabasco sauce – cheesy & spicy!

I have this gyudon meal almost every day, if not every other day & I enjoy it every single time. It’s cheap, it’s tasty & it makes me super full. I cannot wait for my next gyudon fix!

Indulge in Authentic Ramen

Japan is the land of authentic ramen. This dish made of pulled noodles with tasty broth & toppings is one thing I don’t miss when in Japan. I always have ramen in Ichiran, the world-famous tonkotsu ramen that originated in Fukuoka. I also love to try local & authentic ramen like that of Takayama Ramen from Takayama, Hakata Ramen also from Fukuoka & miso ramen from Hokkaido. These ramen dishes, except for Ichiran Ramen, costs a less than ¥1,000 & are big enough to fill my stomach. It’s been a while since I had ramen & I am now craving for one.

Hoard Convenience Store Snacks

My friends & I love to get our snacks from convenience stores in Japan. Convenience stores in Japan are everywhere & open 24/7. These one-stop stores have different breads, chips, desserts & drinks. The stores also have rice meals, coffee, magazines & basically anything a human being needs.

Here’s an example of the variety of drinks you’ll find in a Japanese convenience store.. Yaaaaaay!!

My ultimate favorite convenience store haul is tuna mayo onigiri, egg sandwich & a pack or bottle of drink (milk tea, juice or any drink available). It doesn’t even cost me ¥500 to have all of these as snack! And oh, pro-tip! Please choose Family Mart over any other convenience store in Japan. Family mart has better & tastier products.

Breakfast Grocery Shopping

My hobby of getting food from the grocery started when I was in Fujikawaguchiko last November 2017. All restaurants were closed; the nearest place in my hostel to get food was a local supermarket. There I found out that groceries in Japan offer cheaper packed meals prepared daily & even give you the option to prepare your ‘own meal.’

From that time on, I always get my breakfast meals from the supermarket the night before going back to the hostel & reheat them the following day before I eat. These prepackaged meals usually cost ¥300 – ¥400 & already includes rice, a viand & a salad. Sometimes I add a small salad pack & custard for dessert making my meal cost only ¥500.

Food in groceries & supermarkets are cheaper than those from the convenience stores. Some are even on sale around 7:30 pm to make sure the groceries sell all food before closing time. Getting food from the grocery is way of saving money & a way of helping local businesses. Based on the images shown here – I really like going to the groceries for food. 😋

Drown in Milk Tea

We’re down to my ultimate favorite thing to do in Japan. Okay – I’ve been talking about food in the last 4 items & I am very sorry the last one is still something related to that. But this time it’s a drink; a drink I love to have after every meal outside or in the hostel or even every snack from a convenience store. I know this is something famous in Taiwan but guess what? I love drowning myself with Lipton’s milk tea every time I am in Japan. This 900 ml carton of Lipton milk tea is so addicting & it only costs ¥100 – ¥150 per pack in the supermarket. I always drink one every breakfast & another one probably in the afternoon after snack. I know it might be too much but don’t worry, I also drink lots of water after that.

I miss having this milk tea. To be honest, it’s one of the reasons why I want to go back to Japan really soon. This milk tea actually triggered this post so there you go.

More of Lipton Milk Tea! Seriously guys, this is my favorite drink in Japan. I can drink this all day!!

One of my favorite to do’s in Japan is to go grocery shopping. You see a mix variety + it’s cheaper!!

I’m so sorry for letting you drool. I just miss everything in Japan & I want to go back there really soon. Thanks for reading my favorite to-do’s in Japan! Do you have some of your favorites in my list? Which ones do you also do? What else do you do when in Japan? Feel free to share your own list in the comments section below & let’s engage into a conversation. Do you have any questions about the matters mentioned above? If you’re shy enough to post below, you may send your questions to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

By the way, please help me promote my social media platforms – Facebook & Instagram. Thanks for joining me today! Until the next P’s List! Ciao.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Last-Minute Japan Weekend: 48 Hours in FUKUOKA For Less Than ₱12,500 – Flights & Hostel Included

You’re an avid follower of my posts if you know that I love Japan so much. I’ve been to Japan several times & I always want to go back, even in the same places I’ve been to in the past. I posted crazy cheap Japan itineraries over the last few years – 9 days in Japan for less than ₱40,000 (my first ever Japan trip in 2015), 13 days solo trip around 8 Japanese cities for less than ₱50,000 (2016 trip), 7 days around Kawaguchiko & Takayama for less than ₱35,000 (2017 trip) & that 7-day Hokkaido winter trip for ₱45,000 (2018 trip). I also featured all cities & towns I’ve been to & even posted tips on what to do & not to do in Japan & where to find the best hostels. Japan content comprises a big chunk of my blog posts. I’m happy with the amount of views & visits these posts get.

I went to Japan twice in 2019. My first trip happened in early in the year where I started off in Tokyo, went down to Nagano, dropped by Matsumoto, then met up with my sisters to go around Osaka, Kyoto & Nara before flying to Fukuoka to catch my flight back to Manila. My second trip happened in the last quarter, right before I flew to Europe. My friend & I flew to Fukuoka to surprise our other friend & ruin her first solo international trip. We’re still good friends, don’t worry!

This trip to Fukuoka will be the topic of this post! My friend & I flew to Fukuoka last-minute (everything booked 3 weeks before the trip) & explored the city in 48 hours for less than ₱12,500 each. This will be my 2019 entry to my yearly crazy cheap Japan itineraries! Want to know how I did it? Check out below.

airfare

Believe it or not, I booked my return tickets to Fukuoka 3 weeks before the flight. Crazy, right? GetGo, Cebu Pacific Air‘s loyalty program, had a promo code that offered 5,000 points less. For some strange reasons, flights to & from Fukuoka were at 2,400 points per way. I ended up only paying for taxes & booking fees amounting to just ₱2,873.74. Such a steal! It may not be my cheapest ticket to Japan (it’s still that ₱850 ticket to Tokyo & ₱600+ ticket from Fukuoka to Manila last year), but it surely is still super cheap.

Want to know how I get these cheap tickets? I revealed my secrets in these blog posts – How to be a champ in booking low fare tickets part 1 & part 2.

accommodation

I planned & booked everything 3 weeks into the trip. Unlike Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka, Fukuoka doesn’t have many affordable accommodation options. Luckily, I found Nekokura Hostel in Hakata area. I stayed in a mixed dormitory room for 2 nights for ₱2,623 – that’s a little over ₱1,300 per night. The hostel is small but decent; it is also a cat rescue shelter. I wrote a comprehensive feature & review about my stay in Nekokura Hostel. Check out the hostel of the day feature here.

tourist visa

I got a 5-year multiple entry visa from Japan Embassy when I applied in 2016. The visa is still valid for this trip so I didn’t have to go through the application process. I posted a Tuesday Tip blog on how you can get a Japan visa in 4 easy steps. Check out the visa post here.

day-to-day budget

Travelling around Japan isn’t new to me. In fact, I already know how much train rides cost, how much a normal meal is & what else one pays for when going around the city. I gave myself ¥10,000 budget for this 48-hour trip around Fukuoka. This budget covered all transportation & food costs. Good thing I didn’t pay for any entrance fee during this trip. Spoiler alert: I managed to fit in everything in this budget!

2-Day Itinerary Around Fukuoka

DAY 0 – ARRIVAL

Upon arrival at Fukuoka Airport, my friends & I got off the plane, cleared immigration & got our Wi-Fi rental in the arrival hall. My friend’s Wi-Fi device booking can’t be found in their list. We ended up getting a new one. My share for this 48-hour trip cost ₱370. After getting our wi-fi router, we took the free bus to Fukuoka Airport’s domestic terminal / subway station. We took the train from the airport to Chiyo-Kenchōguchi Subway Station (¥260) & went straight to our hostel. A woman welcomed us for check in & accompanied us to the 2^nd floor to our rooms.

After a few minutes of rest, we walked to Nakasu area to grab some dinner. We had our meal at Matsuya – one of our favorite local food chains. I ordered a large gyūdon which came with a bowl of miso soup for ¥520. After the meal, we strolled around the area & checked out some of the nearby local food carts called yatai. We just had our dinner so we skipped eating in these food carts. We then dropped by a convenience store, got my favorite Lipton milk tea & a bottle of water (for ¥190) & walked back to our hostel.

Expenses: ¥970 + ₱1,990 (including travel tax)

DAY 1 – AROUND FUKUOKA

Our only full day in Fukuoka started with a breakfast at Family Mart. I got a tuna mayo onigiri, a bread & a bottle of milk tea for ¥560. Our first plan was to go to Nokonoshima Island Park but the weather wasn’t the best. We decided to skip the park & took the train to Dazaifu Station (¥620) to see Dazaifu Tenman-gū. This is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, an important figure during the Heian Period. The shrine was built over Michizane’s grave. We got lost along the way, boarded the wrong train & ended up paying for another ¥260 train ride.

After spending an hour around the shrine, we took 3 trains (¥820) to Fukuoka’s giant reclining Buddha found in Nanzoin Temple. We got off Kido Nanzoin-mae Station on the JR Sasaguri Line & walked up the hill for about 15 minutes to see the statue. This giant reclining Buddha, known as Nehanzo, was built in 1995 & is the world’s largest bronze statue.

We took the train back to Nakasu-Kawabata Station (¥590) & went to Ichiran’s main store in Nakasu for late lunch. I got the regular tonkotsu ramen bowl & an extra order of firm noodles for ¥1,190. It was an expensive lunch but was super worth it. Ichiran Ramen is so good – I keep coming back every time I go to Japan. After lunch, we strolled along Kawabata Shopping Center & headed to Kushida Shrine. This is the home shrine of the famous Fukuoka festival called Hakata Gion Yamakasa. We further walked to Tōchō-ji, a Buddhist temple that houses the great wooden statue called Fukuoka Daibutsu. Unfortunately, the statue area was already closed. We just walked around the temple complex & took some photos near the 5-storey wooden pagoda.

After temple & shrine hopping, we walked back to Canal City Hakata – Fukuoka’s largest & most unique shopping complex. This 5-storey commercial complex has about 200 shops & restaurants & 2 hotels with canals running through the building. My friends had coffee while I ordered a cone of special vanilla ice cream (¥450). We walked around the shopping mall, watched the fountain & lights show & had omurice (¥858) for dinner at Pomme’s. We dropped by Don Quixote to buy treats (I didn’t) & the nearby supermarket to get some food for the next day’s breakfast (¥471). We walked back to our hostel & called it a day.

Expenses: ¥5,819 (includes all food & transportation)

DAY 2 – LAST DAY IN FUKUOKA

Missed this kind of breakfast – 1 box of Lipton milk tea & a rice meal from the supermarket. Yum!

Our last day in Fukuoka started with a breakfast at the hostel. We bought the food on our way to the hostel the night before. We left the hostel at 9:30 in the morning & took the train to Tenjin Station (¥210). We left our bags in the lockers found in the train station (¥600) & then took the bus to Fukuoka TV Tower (¥240). We didn’t go up the tower & instead decided to walk around the Momochi Seaside Park. We also sat down for a bit in the wooden chairs & enjoyed the peaceful beach.

This is the view from Fukuoka Castle Ruins’ viewpoint. Beautiful Fukuoka on a cloudy afternoon.

After an hour around the beach & the TV tower complex, we took the bus (¥240) to Fukuoka Castle Ruins. We went up the castle ruins & enjoyed the beautiful view of the city from the viewpoint. Warning! The way up & down to the castle ruins isn’t normal. Some may find it difficult going up & down those staircases & pathways. We walked down & headed to the nearby Ōhori Park. Locally known as Ōhori-koen, this park features a large pond with a walking path around it & in the middle. We bought snacks (¥569) in Boathouse Ōhori & enjoyed the view of the park from the café. We went to Ōhori’s famous pagoda in the middle & took photos before we left.

We took the train back to Tenjin Station (¥210), went around the shopping malls & bought cheese tarts from BAKE (¥216). We had our late lunch at Gyushin in Tenjin Underground Shopping Mall. I got a big bowl of gyūdon (again!!) for ¥630. After lunch, we parted ways with our friend, got our bags from the lockers & took the train (¥260) to Fukuoka Airport. Our flight to Manila left Fukuoka & arrived Manila on time.

Last meal before leaving Fukuoka. Had gyudon (agaaaain 😍) & this time with Bake Cheese Tart!

Expenses: ¥3,175 (includes all food & transportation)

summary of expenses

We knew 48 hours around Fukuoka isn’t enough but we managed to go the main sights found in & around the city. Let us look at the breakdown of our expenses for this quick trip to Fukuoka.

There you go – ₱ 12,369.10 for 48 hours in Fukuoka, Japan including return flights & hostel accommodation. I can’t believe I only spent ¥9,964 in Japan. I did it AGAIN – 5^th year in a row of going to Japan on budget. Travelling to Japan may be expensive for most people; but there will always be ways & means of making it affordable for everyone.

So Majo & I surprised Junelle in her supposed-to-be solo Japan trip. By the way, we’re still friends!

Have you been to Fukuoka, Japan before? What do you like about the city? How do you find it compared to the other cities? Share your thoughts & experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about Fukuoka? Feel free to send them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Random street somewhere in Fukuoka City. Don’t you just love everything about this photo? 😍

Thanks for joining me today! I haven’t planned or booked anything yet but I am planning to try this weekend trip to other Japan cities like Tokyo, Osaka or Nagoya. Stay tuned!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Hostel Of The Day: NEKOKURA HOSTEL FUKUOKA – Small But Decent Hostel & Cat Rescue Shelter In A Quiet Area

Hello & welcome to the very first Hostel of the Day feature for 2020. As mentioned in my 2019 year ender post, I plan to post details about more hostels & share my experiences to everyone. Hopefully these hostel features will help out readers in deciding to give it a go or not & also help out the hostels get more people to stay with them.

Before I start posting details about my solo European trip last year, let me first share some details about my quick Fukuoka. Late last year, Majo & I decided to surprise our friend, Junelle, in her first ever solo trip to Fukuoka. We booked & planned everything 3 weeks before the trip. Unlike Tokyo & Osaka, Fukuoka isn’t abundant with affordable accommodation options. My previous hostel, Fukuoka Hana Hostel, was already booked out for that weekend. Good thing today’s hostel of the day feature, Nekokura Hostel Fukuoka, still has available beds for our chosen dates. Thanks to Junelle’s hints about her chosen accommodation, we got to stay in the same hostel as hers.

Nekokura Hostel Fukuoka is small but decent hostel found in Fukuoka. What makes this hostel unique is it houses a cat rescue shelter called Fukuneko House. They rescue & care for stray cats. They also open these rescued cats for adoption to those interested.

Join me as I share with you details about this hostel & cat shelter. I will also give you some insights of how our stay went.

location & access

Nekokura Hostel is located in a quiet residential neighborhood in Hakata Ward. The nearest subway station is Chiyo Kenchoguchi Station of the Hakozaki Line. The hostel is about 3-minute walk from Exit 5 of the subway station. Fukuoka Airport Station is 15 minutes away from this station. Fukuoka’s Tenjin area is about 15-20 minutes away by foot & JR Hakata Station is 25 minutes away by foot.

The nearest convenience store is 5 minutes away by foot. There is also a nearby local supermarket about 8 minutes from the hostel’s doorstep. Nekokura Hostel is near another famous Fukuoka hostel, Tonagi Hostel & Café. The hostel’s location is great; it is quite far from the busy city scene but it is still accessible by public transportation.

room options

We were surprised this hostel has dormitory rooms & a private double room given its small size. These dorms are divided into mixed & female rooms. Each room has 4 beds enclosed in private curtains & features heating & air conditioning. Each dormitory bed is provided with a pillow & bedding covers. It features a reading light, personal security box, a power outlet & a small window. All guests have access to free Wi-Fi & communal facilities such as toilets & shower areas. A night stay in these dormitory rooms costs ¥2,900. Depending on season & dates, female dormitory rates may be a little expensive than that of mixed.

The hostel also has a private double room for people who want the room for themselves. This room has the same features as that of each dormitory bed. They also have access to the same amenities & facilities. The only difference this room has is privacy. The nightly rate of this double room is ¥6,000. Nekokura Hostel’s rates are the usual hostel rates in Japan – not cheap, not expensive but just right.

We booked our stay with Booking.com. We also opted for the pre-payment feature via PayPal because we were unsure of our arrival time.

hostel amenities

Like any other hostel, Nekokura Hostel Fukuoka has a long list of amenities & perks every guest can enjoy. All guests have access to the following:

Free WiFi

All hostel guests can connect to the hostel’s WiFi. The username & password is found in the information sheet provided during check-in.

Breakfast Upon Order

The hostel offers breakfast upon order for ¥300. My friends & I didn’t try this breakfast option during our stay. I’m sure it’s either a local breakfast or a continental one.

Clean Communal Shower & Toilet Facilities

Nekokura Hostel has 2 shower rooms & 1 toilet each for men & women. All 4 shower & toilet facilities are clean & well-maintained. These are just located near the rooms, just a few steps from the communal living area.

Complimentary Amenities

One thing I loved about this hostel is the long list of amenities they offer to the guests. All shower rooms have big bottles of shampoo, conditioner (particularly liked this one!!!) & liquid soap. They also have blow-dryer for girls to use. There are free cotton swabs, body lotion, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, make up wash & disposable earplugs which guests can use. Take note, these are not just ordinary amenities; all of them come from good consumer brands.

Complimentary Green Tea & Water

Guests have access to complimentary tea & water found in the communal lounge area. The hostel management also provides paper cups to use.

Small Communal Lounge Area with Terrace

As mentioned earlier, this hostel is very small. I appreciate the small communal area they have despite the lack of space. This communal area is where guests can have morning coffee or breakfast. The table can seat up to 3 people at a time while the terrace can accommodate up to 5-6 people. The communal area also has a communal fridge, microwave oven & water kettle which guests can use.

Free Luggage Storage

The hostel offers free luggage storage just outside the hostel doorstep. The luggage storage facility is quite unconventional –a solid wire with a number of padlocks & keys. Guests can store their luggage here before check-in & after check out, but only until 10:00 in the evening. Don’t leave your bags here during the rainy season – it’ll surely get wet.

Ground Floor Cafe & Sake Bar

The hostel has a ground floor café & sake bar which guests can try. According to the hostel website, this café & sake bar has local seafood dishes worth trying. The sake bar also serves an award-winning sake. Too bad we weren’t able to try that.

Standard Reception Hours

The hostel’s reception area is located inside the café & sake bar. It is open from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm daily for check in. The hostel observes a self-check out method where guests will only drop their keys in a box before leaving.

Free Use of Board Games & Magazines

There are board games in the communal lounge area which guests can play with free of charge. There are also magazines which one can have a look at.

Laundry Facilities

The hostel has a laundry machine near the wash area. Guests are welcome to use the machine for a fee. Make sure to ask the staff before using the machine.

Secured Door Entry & Facility

Only guests can enter the secured hostel door. The hostel staff will teach all guests upon check in how the door works. The building is equipped with security cameras to ensure everyone’s safety.

Cat Shelter Tour

A unique experience this hostel offers is the cat shelter tour open only for hostel guests. This shelter tour only operates on certain days & times. Make sure to reach out to hostel reception before your stay to schedule this tour during your stay. Unfortunately, my friends & I didn’t have enough time to try this shelter tour during our stay.

experience & verdict

My friends & I had a decent stay in Nekokura Hostel Fukuoka last year. The hostel was the perfect choice considering the limited options we had given everything was planned 3 weeks before the trip. The hostel is very small; space is limited. We liked how the hostel amenities made up for the limited space around the hostel. The dormitory rooms were small but the dormitory beds were great. The features of each bed were outstanding. I appreciate the personal window & small security box each bed has.

The hostel & its communal areas were clean & well-maintained. It has complete amenities in such a small area. We were surprised how they fit everything (rooms, communal area, facilities) in that floor. The only time we had interaction with the staff was during check in; not sure if they were hiding or they were on the floor while we were out & exploring. Too bad we didn’t have the time to try the café & sake bar on the ground floor & to spend time with the cats in the cat shelter.

Nekokura Hostel’s location is ideal for people who want to stay away from the busy city noise. It’s not too far from the city buzz but is located in a quiet neighborhood. This hostel is great; it’s the place to be for cat lovers. I will definitely give this property a try again next time I fly to Fukuoka.

To those who want to reach out to the hostel, here are their contact details:

Nekokura Hostel Fukuoka
Address: 7-86, 4cho-me, Chiyo, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Japan
Phone Number: +81 92 409 2242
E-mail Address: mail@nekokura.net
Website: www.nekokura.co.jp
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/nekokurahostel
Instagram: www.instagram.com/nekokurahostel
Twitter: www.twitter.com/nekokura5

Have you ever been to Fukuoka? Which hostel did you stay with before? I actually stayed with another hostel last February 2019 – Fukuoka Hana Hostel. Check out my hostel of the day feature about this hostel here. Fukuoka may not have many affordable accommodation options at the moment but at least it still has decent options to choose from.

I am in constant search for hostels to stay with & feature in this site. Do you know a nice hostel you’ve stayed with in the past? Share your suggestions below! You can also send your suggestions via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thanks for joining me in today’s hostel feature. Until the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.