Tag: travelling

Tuesday Tip: How to be a CHAMP in booking low-fare tickets – PART 2!

A few months ago, I gave you 5 CHAMP tips on how you can book your super duper low fare tickets. Let’s try to remember what these 5 pointers are. First, you must check & subscribe to airline newsletters. You should also book your tickets during holidays & special occasions because these airlines usually have promo fares during these days. Third, make sure to download the airline’s mobile applications. Websites become busy during these seat sales. The best way to secure your low fare ticket is by booking using the mobile applications. Fourth, make sure to sign up for airline memberships & loyalty programs. These memberships allow you to save your personal & companion details plus your credit card information thus making bookings faster. You are also given access to priority seat sales & sometimes, free flights. Lastly, you must plan your travel dates as soon as possible.

Were you able to book affordable tickets after reading the previous blog post? If yes, feel free to share in the comments below where you’re going & how much did you pay for the ticket.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who read & shared the post to their families & friends. The CHAMP post is the most visited & most read content on my website to date.

Now back to business. For those who are yet to book your tickets, I thought of additional 5 CHAMP tips which can help you secure your cheapest airline ticket. I noticed that the previous tips I gave were all for planning your next trip, meaning prior to booking your tickets. I thought it would also be nice to share some tips on how to book these affordable tickets in the airlines’ websites.

Disclaimer: These tips mostly apply only to low-cost carriers like Cebu Pacific Air, Air Asia, Jetstar Asia et al. The tips below are purely based on actual observations & past personal experiences; they did not come from any airline insider or connection. I don’t intend to endorse any airline / carrier; I am not affiliated in any of the mentioned companies above.

C – CHOOSE red-eye flights

Red-eye flights are flights that leave late at night & arrive in the wee hours of the morning. These flights are inconvenient for most, thus lesser people taking it. Lesser demand means cheaper fare. There is always a higher chance of you getting a low fare seat going to Bangkok if you choose the 9:30 pm flight than the 6:00 am flight.

Chose a red-eye flight to Bangkok & got my ticket for only ₱1,800++ round-trip

H – HAVE all stuff in CARRY-ON baggage

Most low cost airlines now have prepaid baggage. It means that every ticket only includes 7 kilograms carry-on baggage. If you are travelling with heavy luggage, you need to pre-book or buy baggage allowance for a fee.

If you are traveling to a city, island or country for only 3 to 5 days, you only need to bring just the right number of clothes. You also don’t need to bring all those fancy stuff & accessories. People in your destination of choice won’t bother look at your clothes anyway.

If you think you need to bring a luggage last minute, you can always pre-book it 4 hours before your flight. It is available both via phone call to the airline customer service or via manage booking section of your account. Make sure to book baggage before you go to the airport as baggage fees during check-in are expensive.

Flew to Caticlan last July 2016 for only ₱684 pesos with only carry-on baggage

Traveling with carry-on baggage also saves time. You don’t need to wait for your luggage in the baggage claiming area; just go straight to wherever you’re going upon arrival.

A – A big NO to airplane food

Another cost cutting measure practiced by low cost carriers is the removal of free in-flight food. They now offer prepaid meals as early as booking your plane ticket. They also changed the game by selling food during the flight.  The bad news is these in-flight treats are priced twice or even thrice than their regular price in the stores. Airplane food is so expensive you should avoid it. Imagine paying ₱100 for a can of fruit juice; it’s overpriced.

You can always bring a sandwich or any snack with you to avoid paying for expensive airplane food.

M – MAKE sure to SKIP seat selector

Low cost airlines offer regular & premium seats for a fee. Yes, it’s another unnecessary add-on. I advise you to skip it. You can always request for a window seat, an aisle or exit seat upon check-in.

I requested window seats (at no additional cost) for both flights during check-in. I was given a window exit seat on my way to Nagoya. Good stuff!

P – PURCHASE travel insurance.. OR NOT?

I’ll be honest with you. I am on 50/50 on this last tip. You will definitely save some money if you do not buy travel insurance; but the thing is, we do not have control of what is going to happen during the flight.

Having travel insurance will keep your mind sane if something bad happens; but bear in mind that these occurrences only happen once in a blue moon. I suggest skipping travel insurance if you are leaving for only 3 to 5 days; but if it’s a 2 weeks to 1 month trip, it’s best to get one. Make sure to read the terms & conditions of the insurance offered by the airline; sometimes it’s a lot better to buy insurance for the whole trip than only for the flight.

You can also check with your banks if they offer travel insurance. The independent travel insurance companies I know are Pacific Cross Philippines (formerly Blus Cross) & the Lonely Planet-recommended World Nomads.

The tips above will save you thousands of pesos when booking a flight. Basically the technique is to SKIP ALL ADD-ONS offered by your carrier. Please take note of these options are pre-selected most of the time, so you really need to remove all of them.

BONUS TIP: You have higher chances of getting a low-fare seat if you choose flights that leave on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays.

Make sure to remember these 5 tips (plus the first 5 pointers I shared last January) in booking your next airplane ticket. You might just get your cheapest plane ticket to your dream destination / country! 😉

Do you have any questions in booking air tickets? Is there topic / content you want to see in this blog in the future? Feel free to comment below or send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also send me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Thank you for reading & have a nice day! 😎

PORT BARTON: Palawan’s Secret Paradise

A few weeks ago, I went on a weekend trip to Port Barton, Palawan. This remote place is still unknown to the local tourism scene, but is starting to gain attention from foreign travelers & backpackers. Let me share with you how my 3 days & 3 nights in Port Barton went.

Disclaimer: My goal when I went to Port Barton was to relax from the busy city life. I got lazy most of the time & I didn’t go around much to explore.

In case you missed it, I went back to Port Barton in June 2018. Check out the latest Port Barton blog post here. Enjoy!

Where is Port Barton?

When I first mentioned Port Barton to my friends, they were like, “In what country is that?” They don’t believe me when I told them it is located here in the Philippines. Well, yes it is.

Port Barton is a small coastal village in San Vicente, Province of Palawan. It is 23 kilometers away from the town of Roxas, about 3 hours land trip from Puerto Princesa City & about 4.5 to 5 land trip hours from El Nido. The peaceful village is characterized by simple lives of the locals, beautiful beaches & unspoiled nature.

Crystal clear waters between Maxima Island & Exotic Island 😍

How to go to Port Barton

The nearest airport to Port Barton is Puerto Princesa International Airport. From Puerto Princesa City, one needs to take a van to Port Barton. There are several van companies operating between the 2 places, with a few scheduled trips leaving every day. The first trip from PPC leaves at 7:00 in the morning & the last trip is at 5:00 in the afternoon. A cheaper option is to take the local bus from San Jose Terminal.

I did not make it to the last van trip because my flight arrived a little past 5:00. I decided to stay in the city for a night & got a bed in Sheebang Hostel. The hostel is located a little bit far from the center, but it has everything you need. There is an on site restaurant & a 24 hour bar. Yes, the bar operates 24/7. I spent hours of eating & drinking in the bar with new-found friends from some parts of the world.

The following day, the van picked me up at the hostel at 8:30 in the morning. We dropped by for a while in San Jose Terminal to pick up more passengers then headed straight to Port Barton. The first 2 hours of the trip were normal, but the last hour was through rough unpaved roads.

Sheebang Hostel’s Bar

Environmental Fee

Upon arrival in Port Barton, the van dropped us off at the tourism center. All guests are required to register & pay the ₱50 environmental fee. The local staff gave me an environmental card which is needed every island hopping or boat trip. The card is valid for 10 days.

Accommodation

Port Barton has a limited number of accommodation choices. Most of these hostels, inns & homestays are not available online & can only be secured via text message, phone call or most of the time upon arrival.

I’ve read some online reviews & blogs about possible accommodations & found out that Princesa Michaella Guesthouse is the best place to stay. The hostel is 2-minutes walk from the beach, but is centrally located. A private room with toilet costs ₱600 – ₱800 while a bed in a 4-bed dormitory room costs ₱300. Since I was on a “vacation mode,” I got myself a private room for 3 nights.

The guesthouse has a spacious communal area where you can meet & talk with the other guests. What’s nice is almost all guests know each other. People also drink almost every night (or literally every night) in the common area. I’ve met a lot of amazing people during my stay. I definitely had good times with awesome people.

My private room for 3 nights in Port Barton

The guesthouse also has free Wi-Fi, but don’t expect it to be that fast. They only rely on a broadband & the area’s mobile data network isn’t as fast as Puerto Princesa’s or El Nido’s. The staff were super nice & accommodating. I also met Mama Lucy, the super duper nice owner of Princesa Michaella Guesthouse. She makes sure that all guests have a great stay in Port Barton. She greets everyone in the morning & even shares food to everyone. I personally met her during my first day. The planned brief encounter became 3 hours of non-stop storytelling.

I definitely loved my stay in Princesa Michaella played a big part in it. I recommend everyone going to Port Barton to stay in this amazing guesthouse. Make sure to send my regards to Mama Lucy for me!

Contact details: Princesa Michaella Guesthouse – 0948 236 1099 (Mama Lucy)

What to do / where to go in Port Barton

Port Barton may be a small village, but it still offers a lot of things to do & places to visit. Here are a few things you can do or places where you can go while in Port Barton:

Village Beach

The village is located by the beach. If you are into just relaxing & sunbathing, this area is perfect for you. The beachfront isn’t that busy with very few establishments & people around.

Port Barton’s beach 😍

Island Hopping

Just like El Nido, Port Barton also offers island hopping day tours but with a cheaper rate. The boatmen offer Tours A to D visiting various beaches, islands & reefs. Mama Lucy from Princesa Michaella helped me book my island tour. It costed me ₱700; the rate includes picnic lunch & all other fees. The tour started at 9:00 am & ended at 5:00 pm. We went to the following islands & reefs:

Twin Reef

Exotic Island

Maxima Island

Forgot-the-name-of-this-island-&-reef

German Island

Luli Island

I really enjoyed the island hopping tour. The islands & reefs were beautiful! It was also my first time to swim with a turtle!~ 🐢

Sunset Watching

Port Barton sunset is something one should not miss whilst there. It is one of the most dramatic sunsets I’ve ever seen. The combination of the sky colors makes it so beautiful to watch. Make sure to stay for a few minutes after the ‘official’ sunset time to witness its full glory.

Port Barton’s amazing sunset 🌅

Jungle Bar

All roads to the Jungle Bar every Wednesday & Saturday night. It is a bar situated in a top of a hill, about 30 minutes away from the village center. Around 8:00 in the evening, you will hear van drivers looking for tourists / visitors who want to go to Jungle Bar. All you have to do is pay ₱150 (round-trip fare). What’s also good is the van driver will wait for you, up to what time you want to go back. The bar has reasonably-priced food & drinks. The live music is a plus!

I went to the Jungle Bar with a friend from the guesthouse. We met 4 French people in the van & decided to spend good times in the bar. Initial plan was to go home at 11:00 or 12:00 but we ended up going home at 3:00 am.

Long Beach Day Tour

The Long Beach is a 14.1 km undeveloped white beach in San Vicente. A day trip to Long Beach costs ₱2,500 for 3-4 people (doesn’t include food.) The trip takes about 2 hours per way. I was not able to go to this place because I couldn’t find anyone to share the boat with. I will probably go back to Palawan soon & will stay near the Long Beach before this becomes a busy tourist destination.

White Beach & Pamuayan Falls

This is the famous land trip taken by almost every visitor in Port Barton. The white beach is about 30 minutes walk from the village beach. There is an entrance fee of ₱25 when going to the White Beach. On the other hand, the falls is about 4 kilometer walk from the center. An easier way to visit these 2 places is by motorbike. Ask the people from your hostel / guesthouse for motorbike rentals.

Unfortunately, I missed our visiting these 2 places. I planned to visit this during my last day in Port Barton but the rain started to fall & I also got lazy to go there.

There are still few more beaches, falls & islands to visit if you have the luxury of time. I believe 3 or 4 full days in Port Barton would be enough.

Found Nemo somewhere near German Island 🐟

Facts about Port Barton

There are a few things about Port Barton that you need to know before going there.

⦁ Daily power supply only runs from little past 5:00 in the afternoon to around 1:00 in the morning. That is the only time where you can charge your phones, laptops & cameras. Make sure to bring power banks to help extend your gadgets’ lives during the day. Extension cords would also help charge many gadgets at the same time.

⦁ There are no ATMs or banks in the area. Make sure to withdraw enough cash in Puerto Princesa, San Vicente, Roxas or El Nido before going to Port Barton. Also, do not have high hopes of using your credit card. I haven’t heard of any establishment accepting card payments. It may be also hard to exchange foreign currency to Philippine peso so make sure to do that before going there.

⦁ There are no doctors or hospitals in the village. The nearest can be found in Roxas which is about an hour away. Be very careful in everything that you do. Bringing a small pouch of medicines would be good.

⦁ The village has access to limited internet speed. Yes, both Smart Communications & Globe Telecoms have networks, but the mobile data coverage is not that fast. For Globe subscribers, you can have fast (not like the metro speed though but bearable) internet if you are by the beach.

⦁ Restaurant choices are also limited. If you are heading out for dinner, make sure to go to Gacayan Restaurant early as it is always full. The price of a meal is really affordable but note that food orders take a while to be served. You can also check out the famous Jambalaya Cafe & the other restaurants nearby.

Couldn’t believe I was this close to the turtle! 🐢

I fell in love with Port Barton up to the point I want to go back there as soon as possible. It has one of the most relaxing beach fronts I’ve been to, one of the clearest waters I’ve seen & one of the most quiet islands I’ve visited. I suggest that you go to this place as soon as you can. I have a strong feeling this will be developed in 2-3 years time.

Do you have any questions about Port Barton? Is there anything you want to know about the place? Feel free to comment below or send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also send me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter. Suggestions for future topics are also welcome.

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC Re.

Throwback Thursday Treat: KOH LIPE – The Maldives of Thailand

Aaaand it’s Thursday! It only means one thing; it’s time for another Throwback Thursday Treat! For the past posts, I took you to known places like Ho Chi Minh City, Taipei & El Nido, Palawan. Today, I am taking you to a place you might not have heard before – to the Maldives of Thailand, Koh Lipe.

I bet most of you would ask where in Thailand is Koh Lipe or if that place even exists. Fair enough, my friends & I had the same reactions when Carl, the English guy we met at Slumber Party Hostel, Ao Nang in August 2015, told us about this very beautiful island. He advised us not to miss it because it is truly a paradise. I immediately added the island to my place-to-go list.

GoogleMaps screenshot of Koh Lipe – click here to locate the island in the map!

Koh Lipe is a small island in the Andaman Sea. It is one of the southernmost islands of Thailand, already near the Malaysian borders. The island is characterized by crystal clear waters, hard & soft corals & abundant seawater creatures. It was one of the islands that were heavily destructed during the December 2004 tsunami. The island has already recovered from the tragic incident & is now catering to all types of travelers.

Why Koh Lipe?

Let me tell you the story of how I decided (after weeks & months of planning) to visit Koh Lipe. It all started with a cheap round-trip ticket to Kuala Lumpur. Yes, it was so cheap I only used 20 Air Asia Big Points & paid ₱1,345.80. Super duper good deal, right? It’s by far the cheapest international round-trip ticket I’ve booked in my entire life.

The plane ticket that started it all. Hi, Air Asia! 😉

Having a ticket to Kuala Lumpur opened up to a lot of possible onward travel destinations. Initial plans included a trip to the beaches in the Gilis, to the forests of Luang Prabang, to the peaceful beaches of Langkawi, to the beautiful temples & terraces of Bali, to the scenic landscapes of Colombo & to the historic temples of Kathmandu. I immediately added the pristine beaches of Koh Lipe when Carl showed pictures to us. I kept all options open & tracked all possible onward flights up until 3 weeks before the trip.

Prices of onward airfare for all destinations became more expensive except for that of Langkawi. I booked the tickets to Langkawi before prices surge. That narrowed down the options to two – a trip to the peaceful beaches of Langkawi or another boat ride to the pristine beaches of Koh Lipe. I went for the latter option.

How I went to Koh Lipe

It took me 2 flights, 1 taxi ride, 1 short walk & 1 ferry to reach Koh Lipe. I left Manila 1:00 pm on the first day & arrived Kuala Lumpur a little past 4 in the afternoon. I went through the domestic transfer immigration counter & headed to the boarding date for my onward flight to Langkawi International Airport.

At KLIA 2 while waiting for my onward flight to Langkawi ✈️

I arrived the island of Langkawi at around 8:30 pm. I immediately went to the taxi booth to get a coupon taxi to the city. Hostels located in Langkawi city center were fully booked & the other hostels were far so I opted to stay in an affordable accommodation – GeoPark Inn Langkawi – just for the night.

Walked all the way from GeoPark Inn to Kuah Jetty

I woke up the following morning, checked out of the inn & walked my way to the Kuah Jetty Port. I took the morning ferry trip of Tropical Charters Langkawi to Koh Lipe. The ferry ride took 1.5 hours. After arriving on the floating deck near the island, we transferred to the small long tail boats that took us to the shores of the island.

I cleared immigration upon arriving at the island. Since I am a Filipino passport holder & I arrived via ferry, I got a 15-day visa-free stamp. It took me almost 24 hours from Manila to Koh Lipe but, I tell you, the long trip & transfers were super worth it.

View upon arrival in Koh Lipe.. Paradise! 🌴☀️🇹🇭

Accommodation

There aren’t many budget accommodations available in Koh Lipe when I went there last year. Most available places to stay are beach resorts, luxury inns & hotels. I was lucky that A Plus Hotel Lipe opened a few months before my trip.

I booked a bunk bed in a dormitory room for my whole stay in Koh Lipe. The curtained bunk beds included air conditioned room, spacious locker, common bathroom & toilet, towels, free shampoo & soap, free coffee & tea & access to the common lounge area on the ground floor. I paid ฿600 per night stay.

Just before the sun goes out | Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe

Given the limited choices & high prices in the island, the capsule accommodation I got was all worth it.

What I did in Koh Lipe

I was in Koh Lipe for 3 days & 2 nights; plenty of time in such a small island. I just made sure I enjoyed every minute of my stay. Here are the things that I did during my stay:

Walk, walk & walk

The island is really small, so the best way to explore it is by walking. The island has 3 beach frontages- Pattaya Beach, Sunrise Beach & Sunset Beach. I went to these 3 beaches in the afternoon of my 1st day. You can walk from one beach to the other in less than 30 minutes. You also pass by almost everything (houses, schools, halls, etc) along the way.

Koh Lipe’s one & only meeting point

Make sure to bring a bottle of water while walking around because it is really hot during the day.

Swim, swim & swim

The island has one of the clearest waters I’ve seen in my life so far. The best way to enjoy the place is to swim, basically the story of my stay in Koh Lipe. I had fun swimming with some random seawater creatures.

I only planned to walk along Sunrise beach but I ended up swimming 😂 

Pattaya Beach invites you to swim. Would you dare to say no? 😉

Sunrise & sunset watching

I witnessed amazing sunrises & sunsets on the island. I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Sunrise beach every morning 🌅

View from the sunset beach 🌇

Island Tour

On my 2nd day, I took a tour that went around the nearby islands. The tour left Koh Lipe at 9:00 am & first went snorkeling in Jabang. Then we went to Koh Hin Ngam, the island made of polished black stones.

Koh Hin Ngam – an island full of polished stones

We went snorkeling again in Koh Yang then headed to Koh Rawi for lunch. This island provided some spectacular views. The sands were very fine & the beach had the clearest waters. The photo header of my website was actually taken in Koh Rawi.

View while having lunch in Koh Rawi 😍

Someone had so much fun exploring the pristine beaches of Koh Rawi 😍

We went snorkeling again on the other side of Koh Rawi then went back to Koh Lipe. The island tour was a fun experience! I had too much of snorkeling & sun exposure that day.

The clearest waters of Koh Lipe 😍

Thai Food Indulgence

I ate a lot of Thai food during my stay – pad thai, chicken & pork fried rice, satay, curry, tom yum, etc. I didn’t even bother looking for any other cuisine. Most restaurants can be found along the Walking Street. Ahhhhh, it’s definitely one of my favorite cuisines.

Koh Lipe Walking Street – it’s where you will find everything you need!

Drink Chang.. Lots of Chang!

A trip will never be complete without drinking. Yes, I had drinks with the people I met at the hostel. We had some good times over bottles of Chang beer. At midnight, we transferred from the bar to the shores of Pattaya Beach. We even saw some bio-luminescent plankton in the waters. Good times! Too bad I wasn’t able to take photos because I left both my phone & camera at the hostel.

As mentioned in my 2016 Recap Blog, this was my first solo international trip last year. I’m glad I pushed through with this Koh Lipe trip. I had the most relaxing 3 days of my life there. I enjoyed some quiet time in paradise & got sun-kissed in the scenic beaches.

Koh Lipe is indeed a paradise, it’s a place I will definitely go back to in the future!

Oh Koh Lipe, you are so beautiful. I will be back soon.. I promise!

Kuala Lumpur Stopover

On the same week of my trip, my sister flew to Kuala Lumpur for work. She was assigned there to work for a project for 5 weeks. I had to cut my Koh Lipe trip by 1 day to visit her. I spent the last night of the trip at her place, heard mass the next day & had lunch together in Suria KLCC. We also made a quick visit to the grounds of the Petronas Twin Towers.

Obligatory Petronas Twin Towers photo with my sister

Do you have any questions about Koh Lipe? Is there anything you want to know about the island? Feel free to comment below or send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also send me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter. Suggestions for future topics are also welcome.

Thank you very much! (ขอบคุณมาก) 🇹🇭 😃

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC Re & HTC One M8.

Going Solo in Japan Series: NARA & KOBE

A week ago, I posted a blog about my stay in Kyoto & Osaka. I mentioned in my post that I went to Nara & Kobe for 2 separate day trips. These 2 cities, plus Himeji, are usually visited by tourists taking day tours from Osaka.

I was with my friend, Rona when I went to Nara while I was all by myself when I walked around Kobe. Let me discuss below how both day trips went.

With Rona on the way to Nara

NARA

The last time I went to Osaka, I didn’t have enough time to visit Nara. I felt bad I haven’t interacted with the roaming deer in Nara Park. I promised to myself that when I go back to Osaka, Nara will be number 1 in my list. And so it happened…

1, 2, 3, say Nara! 📷

Disclaimer: We did not spend the entire day in Nara. We had to go back to Osaka because Rona needs to get her bags for Tokyo plus we already have tickets for the Umeda Sky Building Floating Observatory.

How we went to Nara

Using our IC cards, Rona & I took the Midōsuji Line from Shinsaibashi Station (nearest station to our hostel) to Tennoji Station. From the red subway line, we transferred to the JR Yamatoji Line to Nara. This line to Nara starts in JR Tennoji Station so you can choose your seats inside the train.

One random walkway somewhere in Nara Park 😍 🍂

Journey takes around an hour & you pay ¥790 per way (¥230 from Shinsaibashi Station to Tennoji Station & ¥560 from Tennoji Station to JR Nara Station). An alternative route to Nara would be through the Kintetsu Nara Line from Osaka Namba Station. IC cards can also be used in this train line.

What to see in Nara

Upon arrival at Nara Station, Rona & I immediately went to the tourist information center to get maps & coffee. The walking adventure begins…

Tip: The best way to explore Nara is by foot. Yes, most sites are walkable from the main train stations.

Sanjo-Dori Street

Sanjo-Dori Street is the long, busy street that you take going to the temples & the deer park (if you are coming from JR Nara Station). It is full of restaurants, cafes, hotels & local souvenir shops. You will find almost everything you need on this street. The street has a very wide sidewalk which makes it very safe for everyone to walk.

Jokyoji Temple

Jokyoji Temple – too bad it was closed when we passed by

Jokyoji Temple – we saw this small Buddhist Temple while on our way to Kōfuku-ji. The temple had beautiful flower displays near its gate. Too bad it was closed when we dropped by.

Kōfuku-ji

Kōfuku-ji is one of the ‘Big 3’ must see temples of Nara. It was once part of the powerful 7 Great Temples in Nara. There are a number of buildings & structures around the temple grounds, but the notable ones are the following: the 5-level pagoda (one of the tallest pagodas in Japan), the National Treasure Museum & the Eastern & Central Golden Halls.

Kōfuku-ji’s Eastern Golden Hall & the 5-level pagoda 

Note: The Central Golden Hall is undergoing a major renovation. It is expected to be completed sometime in 2018.

Tōdai-ji

Tōdai-ji is Nara’s iconic & most famous Buddhist temple. The temple is also part of the 7 Great Temples of Nara. Its main hall houses the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue.

Entrance to Tōdai-ji Temple via the Nandaimon Gate

You know you are already inside the Tōdai-ji Temple grounds when you pass by the large wooden gate structure called Nandaimon Gate. Don’t forget to make friends with the tame deer roaming around the temple grounds.

Nara Park

Nara Park is the end point of the Sanjo-Dori Street if you are coming from the JR Nara Station. This park is home of the hundreds of freely roaming deer. This animal is considered sacred in Shinto religion.

The deer sittin’ like a boss 🦌

One funny thing you’ll notice is each deer knows how to bow. That also means they’re asking for food (you can buy deer crackers for ¥150 in the nearby shops). The interaction with the deer was the highlight of that day. I was also impressed that these deer know how to pose for a photo.

The autumn colors of Nara Park 😍 🍂

Aside from the deer, the park also offered beautiful autumn views. I wonder how it looks like during spring; could also be lovely. There were other halls & places to visit around the park like the Kasuga-Taisha & the Nara National Museum, but we had to rush back to Osaka. We also missed visiting Hōryū-ji (the temple to complete Nara’s Big 3 Temples) in Ikaruga. This gives me a reason to go back in the future & explore more.

What a view from Nara Park! 😍 🍂

KOBE

It was my last day in Osaka. At 9:30 pm on that same day, I will board a night bus to my last destination in Japan, Fukuoka. It was around 7:30 in the morning, I was contemplating on whether I should just stay & walk around Osaka for the last time or I go for another day trip to either Kobe or Himeji.

I didn’t want to waste another day lying in my bed or walking around Shinsaibashi, Dōtonbori & Osaka (this happened the day before – I was really lazy that day!) so I decided to go for a day trip. Himeji was a bit far from Kobe so I went for the latter.

How I went to Kobe

Random beautiful park in Kobe 🍂

Since I only have an IC card (and not the JR Pass), the only station I can arrive in Kobe is Kobe-sannomiya Station. JR Pass holders usually get off at Shin-Kōbe station. The 2 stations are about 2 kilometers away from each other. Later I found out, getting off at Kobe-sannomiya Station was actually a better idea because everything was near the area.

From Shinsaibashi Station, I took the Midōsuji Line to Umeda Station (¥230) then transferred to Hankyu-Kobe Line to Hankyu Kobe-sannomiya Station (¥320). You can also board the Hanshin Line to Hansin Kobe-sannomiya Station for the same price of ¥320. Journey from Umeda to Kobe is roughly 40 minutes.

What to see & do in Kobe

I went to Kobe with no itinerary or anything. I only have my phone & pocket Wi-Fi with me. I also had the mindset that I need to be back in Osaka by 4:00 pm to prepare for my night bus to Fukuoka. What I did was just to walk from one street to another & visit the places along the way. Luckily, I came across the following places:

Ikuta Jinja

Ikuta Jinja’s main shrine

Ikuta Jinja is a Shinto shrine located in the middle of the very busy Sannomiya area. This shrine is believed to be one of the oldest shrines in Japan. The shrine has torii gates in all entrance & exit points & even has a small garden at the back of the main temple.

View from the outside of the shrine grounds

I just accidentally saw this shrine in Google Maps while I was looking for a place to go from the train station. Beautiful shrine!

Kobe Motomachi Centre Gai Shopping Street

In my previous posts about Nagoya & Osaka, I said something about Japanese cities having a shopping street / arcade. If Nagoya has Osu Shopping Street & Osaka has Shinsaibashi Shopping Street, Kobe has its own – it’s called Kobe Motomachi Center Gai Shopping Street.

Inside Kobe Motomachi Shopping Street~

You will find all sorts of goods in this place – from clothing, to shoes, bags & even food. I found the cheapest dark chocolate & strawberry Kit Kats in one of the tax free shops here.

Meriken Park

Meriken Park is Kobe’s most famous waterfront park. It is the home of the Kobe Port Tower, Kobe Maritime Museum & the Earthquake Memorial Park. It also features a big public open space where events & special functions are held. On an ordinary day, visitors & locals normally walk or run around the park.

Meriken Park from the other side of the port

Note: There were significant improvement works being done with the Meriken Park when I visited last November. These works are in preparation for Port of Kobe’s 150th Anniversary this year.

Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park

In 1995, Kobe was devastated by the Hanshin Awaji Great Earthquake. It made significant damages to both public & private infrastructure & even to houses of the locals. The pier was also severely damaged.

The government has decided to preserve a part of the pier’s damage to remind the people (both locals & visitors) of the damages caused by the strong earthquake.

Note: This earthquake memorial park is different from the Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum. The museum is near the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.

Kobe Port Tower

Kobe Port Tower

Located within Meriken Park, the Kobe Port Tower is considered as one of Kobe’s iconic landmarks. This 108-meter uniquely shaped structure is made of red-painted steel structure. Just like any tower, it has an observation deck which I didn’t go into. It also has souvenir shops & restaurants / cafes in some of the levels.

Kobe Beef

Kobe Beef is the most famous regional specialty food in Japan. The branding came from where the cattle are bred & raised – in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. The Wagyu beef is known for its tenderness & unique flavor.

The oh-so-good Kobe Beef for lunch!~ 😋

Kobe beef is expensive. Yes, expensive. I had second thoughts of not trying it because of the price. A few minutes after, I decided to make the most out of my visit & have Kobe beef for late lunch. Who cares about the price, eh? Kidding.

The chef prepared preparing our food~

I went to Steak Land & ordered their Kobegyu Steak Lunch Set. I forgot how many ounces of Kobe beef were in the meal, but the set also included salad, miso soup, a cup of rice, grilled vegetables & a glass of juice (can be changed to coffee or tea). The chef cooked the beef in the hibachi table in front of me. I tell you, the beef was so good it melts in your mouth. It was so tender & the flavor was something I haven’t tasted in my life.

Steak Land’s Kobegyu Lunch Set 😋

I paid around ¥3,000 (₱1,300++) for whole Kobegyu Steak Lunch Set. I believe the price was reasonable. Honestly, I don’t mind spending that amount for such a good meal. This was definitely the highlight of my Kobe day trip. It’s definitely something one should try when visiting the city.

This pretty much sums up my quick day trip to Kobe. There were still a lot of nice places to visit but I had to go back to Osaka to prepare for my night bus to Fukuoka.

To be fair, I actually had really memorable times in Nara & Kobe. The day trips were definitely worth-taking. Going around these 2 cities, even just in the centers, gave me basically the idea of how beautiful these places are. I wish I had more time, but I won’t mind going back to explore more.

Before going to Nara & Kobe, I went to Nagoya, Hiroshima, Kyoto & Osaka. Make sure to check out the individual posts linked above. The final installment of this blog series will be about my last 3 days in Fukuoka. Watch out for it!

This lovely deer knows how to pose for a photo 🦌 😍

Did you know that I only spent less than ₱50,000 for this 13-day trip in 7 Japan cities? Click here to know more. If you are planning to apply for a Japan tourist visa soon, I also posted a blog about the 4 easy steps in applying for it.

Do you have any questions or suggestions? Feel free to comment below or send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also send me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Arigatou gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) 🇯🇵 😃

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC Re & HTC One M8.

Tuesday Tips for Filipinos / Philippine Passport Holders: 4 Easy Steps On How To Get Your Japan Visa (Tips Included!!)

Getting a Japan tourist visa is probably the most nerve-wrecking part of planning your trip. The fate of your trip will depend on the outcome of your application. Some say applying for a Japan tourist visa is a difficult process. I say it’s not – coming from someone who has already applied for tourist visas twice. It’s just like any other visa application process.

In 2015, I applied for a tourist visa with 2 friends for our 9-day Japan trip. All 3 of us were granted a single entry visa valid for a 15-day stay. Last year, I applied again for another tourist visa for my 13-day solo trip. Few days after, my passport came back with a 5-year multiple entry visa up to 2021. Good stuff, right?

My first ever Japan tourist visa!~ Of course I had to cover the visa details 😏

Let me show you how you can easily get your own Japan tourist visa. It’s simple as downloading & filling in the application form, preparing the necessary documents, applying through an accredited travel agency & getting back your passport after a few days. I will discuss these 4 easy steps in detail below (will also include some tips based on my personal experience). Allow me to also share some snaps I took in my past 2 trips to Japan.

Note: Some details below were obtained from the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines website. The tips below apply to people who are employed in a private company. Business owners can also use the steps below but they might need to submit a few more papers related to their businesses. 

Step 1: Download & fill in the application form

The first step is to visit the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines website & check on the visa application requirements. Kick start your application by downloading the application form from the website. Make sure to print this form in an A4-size paper with proper margins. Alternatively, you can ask for application forms in the embassy entrance or in the accredited travel agencies.

Write down your details neat & clear using a black or blue pen only. The accomplished application form should not have any erasure.

Tokyo DisneySea is a must-see in Tokyo; allot 1 day for this theme park~

Step 2: Gather the necessary documents

The embassy requires certain documents to be presented in order for them to decide on your application. Why is this so? It’s because they need to see that you are a registered Filipino citizen, you are qualified to go out of the country, you are capable of supporting your trip & that you will come back to the Philippines after your trip.

So what are the documents the Embassy of Japan require? Please see the not-so-long list below:

Valid Passport – Your passport must be valid for more than 6 months during your trip. The laminated part should be in perfect condition. It must have your signature & have at least 2 blank pages.

Birth Certificate & (if married) Marriage Contract – Both documents should be obtained from the National Statistics Office & must be issued within the past 12 months. You can check lower left portion of your document (near the bar code) to see the date your document was issued. If you do not have time to go to the NSO to get these documents, you can always request from the E-Census & NSO Helpline websites & they’ll have them delivered to your doorsteps.

Note: If you have a used Japan visa in your old or valid passport, you are exempted from submitting this requirement. The embassy already has a copy of your documents when you submitted them before.

Photo – The embassy website mentions that the photo should be 4.5 cm x 4.5 cm with white background. It’s best to wear something formal when having your photo taken. You only need 1 photo that you will attach in the application form.

Don’t miss the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto! 😍

Income Tax Return / BIR Form 2316 – You need to submit a copy of your latest income tax return. The form needs to have your signature. This will show the amount you earned for the past year as well as the amount of taxes you paid to the Philippine government.

Certificate of Employment – This is not listed in the embassy’s requirements but the agencies require this. You need to ask for this certificate from your HR officer. The certificate should contain your gross annual income, position & date when you started working for your employer. It’s best to get it on the same week of the application.

Bank Certificate – The embassy won’t tell you how much money you need to have in your account when you apply for the visa. However, the agencies require that you need to have at least ₱100,000.00 in your account. I know it’s quite a big amount of money. As of June 2023, the Embassy of Japan in the Phillippine added some requirements. First, the bank certificates should now include the account’s ADB or average daily balance. Second, if the bank certificate has no ADB and the applicant has no BIR Income Tax For, then the applicant should provide the account’s bank statement for the last 3 months.

Daily Schedule in Japan / Taizai Nitteihyo – Japan is one of the very few countries that ask for the detailed itinerary of your stay. The embassy needs to see what days are you arriving & leaving Japan, where will you stay (includes physical address, email address & phone number) & which places / areas are you going to explore. The embassy DOES NOT REQUIRE confirmed airline tickets & hotel / hostel reservations; you can just indicate your intended flights & hotel accommodations in the daily schedule. If you want a sample itinerary, I can send you the one we used 2 years ago. Feel free to send me an email to request for the said copy.

Osaka’s Dōtonbori canal at night + the famous Glico Man

TIP: It is always better to apply for a visa as a tourist rather than a visitor of a friend or a relative. The latter requires additional documents (invitation letter, photo, etc) that need to be submitted together with your application.

TIP 2.0: Some people previously ask me why did I book my airline tickets without having a Japan tourist visa. I told them that I would take a risk & spend less than ₱5,000 (before) for round-trip ticket rather than spend ₱15,000 – ₱20,000 pesos on a round-trip ticket last minute. I’ve saved more which I can add up to my daily expenses in Japan. Of course, you lose ₱5,000 if you get denied. If your documents are complete, I don’t see any reason why your application will rejected.

Step 3: Apply in a Japanese Embassy accredited travel agency

Now that you already have your application form & requirements, it’s time to submit them to the relevant agency. The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines does not directly accept visa applications. The office has authorized a handful of travel agencies that can accept these visa applications with, of course, a handling fee. These applications are compiled daily & are being sent to the embassy for processing.

I personally recommend Reli Tours & Travel Agency. They have one of the cheapest visa handling fees among the agencies (only ₱950) for tourist visa applications with no guarantors. They have different branches here in Metro Manila; my last 2 applications were handled by their Dusit Thani Hotel office.

All documents will be checked before your application will be accepted. After everything has been checked & accepted, they will ask for the visa handling fee. They will give you a receipt + a stub which you will present when claiming your passport. Applications usually take 3-7 working days.

TIP: If you want Reli Tours to submit your documents next day , make sure to hand over your applications before 5:00 pm in the Dusit Thani Hotel office. Any application submitted after 5:00 will still be accepted that same day; but will be submitted 2 days after. Note that other Reli branches have different cut-off times.

USJ’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter should be in everyone’s list!

Step 4: Go back to the agency & claim your passport

The agency will normally send you a text message once your passport is ready for claiming. Note that they will not inform you if you have been granted a visa or not. You will only know if you were granted a visa when you sign the passport release sheet with a check mark in the ‘Yes‘ box.

You can either be granted a single entry visa valid for 3 months from the date of issue & is valid for a 15-day stay in Japan or a multiple entry visa valid for x years (can be 1, 2 or up to 5 years) from the date of issue & is valid for a 30-day stay per entry.

TIP: Passports can only be claimed in the afternoon from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Make sure to go there on time.

The list of requirements might be a little intimidating; but I tell you, once you are done gathering all the necessary requirements, the visa application process will be as easy as these 4 steps! So what are you waiting for? Book your plane tickets, gather all the needed documents & apply for your Japan visa as soon as possible. A trip to Japan is something you won’t regret. 😉

My 5-year multiple entry Japan tourist visa issued last year 😏

Have you encountered any problem when you applied for your Japan visa? Did the agency require additional documents from you? Do you have any questions or clarifications with the things mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comments – it’s always nice to hear from you guys.

Alternatively, you can also send your questions & thoughts to contact@thewkndtravel.com or via Facebook, Instagram & Twitter. Thank you for reading & have a nice day!

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC Re & HTC One M8.