I just came back from our 5 day, 4 nights Tokyo trip with my family. It was the first time we traveled with Toots, Russ and Wowa all together so I was really excited for this trip. I was so praning na hindi na naman matuloy like our Korea trip kaya I was very maingat. Anika was coughing with phlegm and had colds for a week na so I took her to a pedia. Buti binigyan na siya ng antibiotics. I wasn’t worried that she’ll have fever pa right before the trip. Alvin was having severe cough and colds too. Sabi ko magantibiotics na, ayaw naman. I nagged him instead to stop smoking and drink a lot of water. I was so happy that everyone was well the night before our flight.
Yun lang when I woke up the day of our flight to Tokyo, I had severe cough, colds and was feverish.
Anak ng teteng talaga yan. It’s just coincidence. I will no longer believe in that travel curse because God is more powerful than anything, right?
Sadly, my cough and colds worsen as the days went by.
Namamasyal ako sa Tokyo ng trinatrangkaso.
Bad trip. My nose was so congested and the cold weather didn’t help. Masakit sa sinus, ilong and head. My muscles ached. I was only able to get by because I was drinking this bottle of medicine that Tito Ken recommended to me. Para siyang super powers. Thanks to Google Translate, I was able to read the ingredients on the bottle. Puros natural eklaver and madaming ginseng kaya I agreed on drinking it.
That tiny bottle costs around Php 650. It’s like an energy drink. You drink everything in one go, once a day. Pero lintek na yan sa mahal. I bought 4 bottles because after drinking my first bottle, I felt instantly better. Sabi ko naman sa inyo magic eh. That kept me going. Despite the flu, I have enough energy for the day to move (still with a congested nose and phlegm-able cough) but for a limited time only. Around late afternoon, I can feel the fatigue and sickness na so I would prefer going home instead.
Hindi ako naka-ariba sa pasyal. I wasn’t able to go shopping. Seriously. I wasn’t able to buy anything for myself.
I bought Anika an extra 20kg check in baggage for the Tokyo-Manila flight. I thought kasi baka kulangin ako sa luggage space sa dami ng bibilhin ko. You know what? We went home with a 20kg luggage space that we didn’t use plus our hand carry suitcases were only 3kgs each. Ang dami kong nasayang na kilos. Kung anong dala namin papuntang Tokyo, hindi nadagdagan pauwi. I told Alvin nga that this is one of the most tipid vacations that I took.
I was busy taking care of everyone and minding all the stuff we needed for this travel that I forgot to take care of myself.
Typical mother story, don’t you think? Hehe.
Do you know where I bought na lang the konting pasalubongs that I was able to get my hands on? I got them from Family Mart and at the vendo machine at the train station. I had 15 minutes to shop at Duty Free at the airport before boarding. Akalain niyo ba naman humilab yung stomach ko while getting items. I turned over my shopping basket to Toots and ran to the toilet. Pagbalik ko, I wasn’t able to continue shopping because boarding na. Wala. Olats talaga. Ito na yata ang pinaka-tipid ko na international trip.
Anyways, I promised you the itinerary. I also included some tips if you want to go to Tokyo for a vacation.
OBTAINING A VISA
Getting a visa to Japan was quite easy for us. We just completed the requirements and submitted them to Universal Holidays Inc. You can click that link and you will find the list of requirements you need. Just follow it. Very basic naman lang yung hinihingi nila. You can no longer submit the requirements directly to the Japan embassy. Everyone should course it through an accredited visa service provider of Japan. I picked Universal Holidays Inc because they hold office at the ground floor of Dusit Hotel. It was very convenient for me to go there and apply and go back to get the visas. The visa fee was Php 1,200 each. It’s non refundable even though you get denied for a visa. Don’t buy your airline tickets yet until you get your visa. One of the requirements is an itinerary. Wag niyong gawing complicated. They just want to see the basics. Ours look like this:
No need to book your flights and hotels yet. They just need the details of the flight (which you can see online) and your hotel and hotel address.
We got our visas 3 days after we have submitted it. Mabilis.
AIRLINE TICKETS
Mahal the tickets that Wowa bought for us. Lumalabas Php 30,000 each. Nakakaloka. We bought it kasi a little more than a month before we left. Suggestion is that you buy your tickets in advance as much as possible. You can apply for the Japan visa up to 3 months before your scheduled trip.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
This one I should have learned and did na a long time ago pa. I would have saved me all the stress especially when I booked everything for our Korea trip. For this trip, I got Alvin, Anika and I a family travel insurance package from Pacific Cross. It’s not expensive. I only paid around Php 1,200 for our travel insurance for 5 days. It includes compensation/refund in case of trip cancellation, medical coverage, coverage for baggage loss, loss of travel documents, flight delay, etc. I got it from Pacific Cross because this is where I get my travel insurance whenever I go to Papa in Amsterdam. Requirement kasi yun if you’re getting a visa. It’s very easy to get. I just called them and through email exchange na kami nagcorrespond.
WIFI
The last time I went to Tokyo, I got a portable wifi at the Narita airport which was prepaid while I was still in Manila. For this trip, Toots and Russ got one at the airport. Pick up at the airport and drop off also before we left for Manila. Me, I got my portable wifi from Flytpack. I paid through the website and the gadget was delivered to my office a day before my flight. Somebody picked it up again at my office the day after we arrived in Manila. The Flytpack was super sulit for me. It only cost me Php 280 per day. It can connect up to 5 gadgets so ang Alvin and Anika naka-internet also the whole time. The data was unlimited and the internet was really fast. I never had a problem with signal the whole time I was in Tokyo.
AIRBNB
We decided to stay at an Airbnb instead of a hotel because madami kami. I couldn’t find a hotel room that can accommodate 3-4pax na hindi expensive. It’s almost the same price sa Airbnb so Airbnb na lang. At least sama sama kami. Hindi ko masyado like our room because it was a little cramped for 6 persons. Kasya pero masikip. We should have gotten a bigger room instead. There are a few stores lang around our airbnb so we weren’t able to buy that much at 7-11. Family Mart lang ang nearby, ang liit pa. There was a tax free grocery pero it closes early so hindi namin naaabutan. Sayang nga eh because I should have shopped na there when I bought sanitary pads (Oo nagkaron pa ako nung nandun kami, kaloka talaga). Akala ko I will have a chance pa to shop kaso hindi na talaga umayos pakiramdam ko. Although enjoy naman si Alvin because there was a hotel bar nearby. Tumatambay siya dun every night. It’s a 6 minute walk to the nearest station so keribelles naman. If madami kayo, I suggest an airbnb kasi lumalabas the same lang with hotel and then sama sama pa kayo. The only downside is that there’s no breakfast.
SKYLINER TRAIN FROM NARITA AIRPORT TO TOKYO
When you arrive in Narita airport and you’re going to Tokyo, I suggest riding a Skyliner train. It’s the fastest way to go to Tokyo. DO NOT TAKE A TAXI. Php 15,000 yung magiging fare niyo. The Skyliner train costs around Php 1,200 per person. We rode the Skyliner train and went down the Nippori station. That was where we rode a taxi to the Airbnb. Nagtaxi muna kami because we had a senior citizen with us and a child. Ang daming luggage also. Mahirap. It costs us around Php 800 ata yun to the Airbnb. Sulit na compared to carrying all the heavy suitcases eh ang tataas pa naman ng mga stairs inside the train stations.
APPS YOU NEED IN TOKYO
Apart from Google Maps, I used the following apps in navigating ourselves around Tokyo:
These apps were very useful including Google translate. Yung Rome2rio, I use it in any country I’m in when I want to know where to go from one point to the next. It includes time and the fare.
SUICA CARD
I suggest you get a Welcome Suica card at the airport. This is the best one for tourists because no need na ata for a deposit and the card expires after 28 days. For the normal Suica card, there’s a certain amount you need as deposit which is refundable when you return the Suica card.
You will use your Suica card for paying for the train fare. Halos lahat ng lines naman is Suica card ang gamit. You just tap it whenever you will enter the train station. If you weren’t able to buy one at the airport like us, they have it in major train stations. Anika has a different Suica card because she’s a kid. Discounted ang train fare niya. Best if you load the card ng 2,000 yen first. I didn’t want to load a lot because baka masayang at hindi namin maubos for the whole trip. If you need to reload, they have machines naman at the train stations. They’re easy to use and merong English button so you can understand the instructions. You can also use the Suica card for buying things at 7-11.
ITINERARY
Here is our itinerary. When making one in Tokyo, it’s best to plan it one day at an area. Para lakad lakad na lang. Also the next time we visit Tokyo siguro, we will forego na the temples. Being my second time there, hindi na ako natuwa sa temples. Si Anika din deadma sa temples hahaha. Sana nagikot ikot na lang kami. Especially at Meiji Shrine ha? Kilo-kilometro ang need lakarin from the entrance to the shrine. Kapagod.
Day 1: Asakusa area
- Nakamise Dori for some souvenir shopping, food and picture taking
- Sensoji Temple which for me is one of the nicest temples in Tokyo
Day 2: Harajuku, Shibuya area
- Yoyogi Park
- Meiji Shrine
- Takeshita Dori
- Shibuya crossing, Hachiko and Shibuya 101
Day 3: Tokyo Disney Sea
Day 4: Mt. Fuji and Gotembo outlet stores tour
That was our itinerary. Toots, Russ and Wowa didn’t go with us to Disney Sea so they went around by themselves that day.
WHERE TO GO SHOPPING
Ameyoko market in Ueno – Ito yung parang Divisoria nila
Don Quijote – This is a 24 hour department store which sells nice things that you don’t need but want to buy
Daiso – We have Daiso here also in Manila. The difference is that the Daiso in Tokyo sells nicer things for only 100 yen each.
Shibuya – So many stores here pero hindi ko alam if makakamura ka naman
Akihabara – This is where you can buy all the electronic gadgets you can imagine.
Like I said, they have Tax Free stores na pakalat kalat around Tokyo.
Basta when in Tokyo, Wowa and my advice is if you see something, bilhin mo na agad. Most probably baka hindi mo na siya mababalikan at magsisisi ka pa.
Hahahaha!
Stay tuned for my Tokyo 2019 photo blog!