Travel: Japan - General
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I have finally booked a Central Japan package tour and the extended my stay on Free & Easy for another 4D3N - - suits fickle-minded people like me
Need advice plsss for route sequence & hotel recommendation. Here’s my draft want-to-visit places (my starting & departure point will be Tokyo).
1. Nikko (Edo Wonderland Nikko Edo Mura) & Kegon Waterfall - - 1 or 2 nites hotel accomdation required?
2. Dianeyland/Disneysea - - already had 1D in packae tour earlier so planning additional 1D
3. Glibli Museum
4. Optional Gotemba?
For 2, 3 & 4 - makes sense to stay put in same hotel? Schellen, saw your Sakura hotel link - looks cheap and good, any advice? -
radiantmum:
1. For Nikko, I've never been there before but my impression is that it's main attraction is an historic theme park so if you have young kids, they may get bored.I have finally booked a Central Japan package tour and the extended my stay on Free & Easy for another 4D3N - - suits fickle-minded people like me
Need advice plsss for route sequence & hotel recommendation. Here's my draft want-to-visit places (my starting & departure point will be Tokyo).
1. Nikko (Edo Wonderland Nikko Edo Mura) & Kegon Waterfall - - 1 or 2 nites hotel accomdation required?
2. Dianeyland/Disneysea - - already had 1D in packae tour earlier so planning additional 1D
3. Glibli Museum
4. Optional Gotemba?
For 2, 3 & 4 - makes sense to stay put in same hotel? Schellen, saw your Sakura hotel link - looks cheap and good, any advice?
2. For Disney, you can read up on the previous posts on advice/suggestions given by other members. I always go only one day and only Disneyland so I can't say much.
3. Ghibli Museum requires you to buy tickets in advance. You cannot buy at the Museum itself. This is because the Museum is in a park and they do not want crowds \"destroying\" the peace and tranquility, not to mention the flora and fauna. Entry is by certain times only; you miss your time, you have to buy another set of tickets for another day/time. No negotiations allowed. Once you exit the actual Museum (not just exiting the building to go to the outdoors-part), you cannot enter again so please do not forget to eat/visit the restrooms/anything that you brought along before you leave for good. No photography and video-taping allowed indoors. No phone usage allowed indoors. They only have a small restaurant and a tiny outdoor-seating food stand and the restaurant is always full at mealtimes. If you still wish to go, I can show you how. Be prepared to accept the possibility of not being able to get tickets since it is a popular destination and the Japanese will book tickets well in advance. Even with so many obstacles, I still managed to get tickets, find our way there and we enjoyed ourselves tremendously.
4. Have never been to Gotemba so can't help you there. Sorry.
Sakura Hotel is a budget hotel but is run very much like a hostel/dorm. It is not suitable for families with very young children. They do have family rooms with attached toilets and bathrooms but expect everything to be of the bare minimum (including size). You can't cook or even boil water in your room. You have to go to certain floors to access ice dispensers, vending machines and the kitchen that are shared by all. The one at Ikebukuro has hostel-like facilities at the top few levels so you will encounter tourists from many countries but they are young and usually backpackers. The hotel has 2 buildings so the bigger rooms are in the main building where the reception counter is but the smaller rooms are across the street (a small quiet lane) in the annex building. You cannot call across buildings using your room phone, only within the same building. There are no laundry facilities within the hotel; the staff will provide you with a map to show you where the nearest 24h self-service laundromat is. Breakfast is not included in the package but you can get it at the 24h restaurant/cafe in the annex building.
My PILs and sashimi's aunt did complain a bit but since it was sashimi who was footing the bill for us and my PILs, they didn't say anything to us directly. His aunt has 2 grown daughters and they are well-travelled so I guess they adapted. We just bought big bottles of water from the convenience store nearby and kept them in our room to refill our smaller bottles that we brought out with us. My DD was already 7 and on her third trip to Japan, plus she has stayed in an inn and a business hotel before, she adapted the fastest. After all, we are out most of the time so the basic facilities did not bother us much.
If you're still keen, just go ahead and book online. The staff can speak and write English and they are very approachable, young and helpful. They also provide a mini bus service to the airport if you have at least a no. of people (can't remember how many but there were 8 of us, so that was more than enough). You have to pay in cash for this service but you can pay by card for the hotel accommodation. Keep in mind that MANY places in Japan ONLY ACCEPT CASH. -
we did consider edo wonderland at nikko but also came to the conclusion that the kids would be bored.
nikko from what we’ve researched so far seems to be more like a Hakone type of area. Lots of nature, rivers, bridges, waterfalls and great scenary. I might enjoy it when i’m 60yrs old or so if you catch my drift.
The only thing appealing there for us is Tobu world…
A day trip there is already gonna stretch the yen… Have to balance it out with packed bento boxes or sandwiches… (no onigiri for me thankyouverymuch)… -
Yes, like mckenzy, travelling from Ikebukuro to Nikko is already tiring and expensive; I did not want to go there just to see nature’s beauty (and see what I have already learned about Japanese history) when I had already seen it in Kyoto (within a short trip from the inn I stayed at). I don’t know if my PILs went since we went touring/shopping separately in Tokyo but considering that they are my PILs, the attractions there probably suited them better.
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radiantmum:
Ghibli museum is just a short trip. It does not make sense to stay elsewhere for Gotemba.1. Nikko (Edo Wonderland Nikko Edo Mura) & Kegon Waterfall - - 1 or 2 nites hotel accomdation required?
2. Dianeyland/Disneysea - - already had 1D in packae tour earlier so planning additional 1D
3. Glibli Museum
4. Optional Gotemba?
For 2, 3 & 4 - makes sense to stay put in same hotel? Schellen, saw your Sakura hotel link - looks cheap and good, any advice?
For Disney, if you plan it to be second last day of your trip, then it is possible to stay at one of the hotels nearby by visiting Disney early in the morning, and leave for the airport from the hotel near Disney on the last day. See previous posts. -
Thanks folks for being so helpful!
Yes indeed, much cheaper to book 3 nites consecutive in the same hotel. Just booked mine via Agoda link below - easy to navigate, prompt booking confirmation & allows payment in S$!
http://www.agoda.com/asia/japan/tokyo.html
(From their FAQ, apparently Agoda is operated by Agoda Company Pte Ltd, a Singaporean company that is managed by a multi-national team.)
A hotel voucher upon online payment for the special rates was sent to my email address within minutes. Interestingly I had tried to book my accommodation prior to Agoda via the official hotel weblink but it tells me all rooms were fully booked.
& thx schellen, for the sakura review - decided to pay more so that I know what to expect ... wants convenience with a kid
Working on my detailed itinerary and will post once completed ;-> -
radiantmum:
& thx schellen, for the sakura review - decided to pay more so that I know what to expect ... wants convenience with a kid
You're welcome!
Yes, I understand the convenience part. I had actually wanted to return to the business hotel I stayed at the first 2 trips in Tokyo but DD was already 7 on the third trip, and it being a business hotel, additional cots were not available. Maybe next time, we'll just book two rooms, one single and one twin, so that I can enjoy that hotel's facilities and convenience again. (By the way, thanks for the Agoda link. It's another option for us next time.)
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HELLO ALL
Just wanna anyone try taking bullet train to mt fuji from tokyo?
I have been to tokyo a few times but have never tried the above?
Can check with ks members here what is the best way to do it as in where to buy tickets and how to go about?
rgds
Joy -
Joy:
Bullet train does not go Mt Fuji. You usually take bus to go there. Just google and you can find information.HELLO ALL
Just wanna anyone try taking bullet train to mt fuji from tokyo?
I have been to tokyo a few times but have never tried the above?
Can check with ks members here what is the best way to do it as in where to buy tickets and how to go about?
rgds
Joy -
Joy:
Checked the below link for ticketing info on bullet train (shinkasen)
Just wanna anyone try taking bullet train to mt fuji from tokyo
http://www.japanrail.com/index.php?page=JR-tickets
Found this on web as well ... \"The easiest way to view Mount Fuji is from the train on a trip along the Tokaido Line between Tokyo and Osaka. If you take the shinkansen from Tokyo in direction of Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, the best view of Mount Fuji can be enjoyed from around Shin-Fuji Station on the right hand side of the train, about 40 to 45 minutes after leaving Tokyo.\"
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