[8D 7N Japan] Part I Tokyo & Mt. Fuji - Itinerary & Budget

Visiting Japan has been on my bucket list ever since high school. Once I knew Air Asia was having a travel fair in Gurney Paragon Mall, Penang, we were determined to find cheap flight tickets to Japan. We, my better half & I, queued for 3 hours at the travel fair & scored half priced return flights. We traveled to Tokyo (Haneda Airport) on 10 Oct and flew back to KL from Osaka on 17 Oct. 

This is how we traveled by trains in Japan:
1. Around Tokyo - SUICA card
2. Tokyo to Kyoto - Nozomi Shinkansen/bullet train (tickets not included in Rail Pass)
3. Around Kyoto/Osaka/Nara - JR West Rail Pass (Kansai Area Pass)

We purchased JR West Rail Pass (Kansai Area Pass) & SUICA cards earlier at Matta Travel Fair in KL. Rail passes has to be bought outside of Japan because the passes are only for foreigners & they come at cheaper prices. They are also sold at JTB Isetan KLCC. SUICA cards can be purchased in Japan at JR train stations. We also rented pocket Wi-Fi with unlimited data in KLIA for MYR 25 per day.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Sat 10 Oct
We touched down at Haneda Airport around 10.30 pm local time. Since the trains stop operating at 12 am, we decided to stay in the airport for the night. The airport was brightly lit & noisy on the ground floor. I would recommend you to find a bench on the 5th floor, which has the observation deck (pic below), for more privacy & comfort. You can see planes taking off & landing from this deck. We didn't find any Halal restaurants there & most shops were closed, so we only had croissants & soup for dinner. 

Day 2 - Sun 11 Oct
We used our SUICA cards (which works like Touch N Go) to travel on trains around Tokyo. Breakfast was bought in 7-Eleven - tuna/salmon onigiri. The adventure started after we dropped our backpacks at Sotetsu Fresa Inn, Tamachi where they have free luggage storage. This hotel is highly recommended since they have excellent customer service. Hotel rooms in Tokyo are generally smaller in size, but we were happy to have a comfortable bed to sleep in & hot shower. 

We took the train to Higashi Ginza station & walked to Tsukiji Fish Market. On the way there, we passed by the gorgeous Kabuki-za Theater. I wished we had more time to attend a Japanese theater session at that time. We were also disappointed to find that the main market was closed on that day. We walked around the outer market & still had a fascinating time looking at fresh giant lobsters, tuna & other fresh seafood. There were lots of sushi restaurants there as well.

Kabuki-za Theater

Tsukiji Outer Market Area

Tsukiji Outer Market Restaurant

Later, we wanted to have the bird's eye view of the city. We went up to the 45th floor (202 meters high) Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Unfortunately for us, it was a cloudy day. On a clear day, Mt. Fuji can be seen from this observation deck. We dropped by Shinjuku Highway Bus Terminal, near Shinjuku Station, to buy bus tickets to Kawaguchiko, which is located at the base of Mt. Fuji.

We boarded the train again, this time to Harajuku station. Meiji Shrine is located behind this train station. We recommend to visit the shrine on Sunday to witness traditional Shinto wedding processions in the shrine courtyard. We were lucky to see brides & grooms dressed in traditional kimono under red umbrellas, followed by their family & friends.

Wedding procession in Meiji Shrine

One of the famous pedestrian streets in Harajuku is Takeshita Dori where you can see cute boutiques & cafes. There are well-known cafes selling crepes & takoyaki here. You can see long lines of customers queuing outside these stores. The clothing stores reminded me of Sungei Wang Plaza in KL. Another famous street here is Omotesando which is lined with high end boutiques & restaurants. 

Takeshita Dori

Harajuku Street

Then, we traveled to Shibuya station where you can find the Hachiko statue. We were there to do the customary walk across the Shibuya crossing towards Starbucks. From Starbucks, you are able to see hundreds of pedestrians crossing once the traffic lights turned red. We were amazed at the size of the crowds. Shibuya has boutiques/shops/restaurants/karaoke centres with neon signage, just like New York Times Square.

Shibuya crossing

Shibuya

We weren't done yet! Next on the list is Tokyo Tower, which looks like Eiffel Tower from afar. The view of the city at night is magical from main observation deck & the tower glows gorgeously red from below. 

Tokyo Tower

Day 3 - Mon 12 Oct
We woke up early to catch our 7 am bus to Kawaguchiko. The highway bus was really comfortable & clean. We arrived at Kawaguchiko Station less than 2 hours later. Our jaw dropped when we had an unobstructed view of the snow-capped Mt. Fuji in front of us. We were lucky to have amazing weather. The station has an Information Counter where tourists can ask for recommendations on what to do around Kawaguchiko. 

Kawaguchiko Station

Red Line Sightseeing Bus

We decided to board the sightseeing bus (Red Line) to the Mt. Kachi Kachi Ropeway located by Lake Kawaguchiko. The cable car ascends 400 meters high to an observation deck on Mt. Tenjo. This is one of the best spots to take a photo with Mt. Fuji. Later, walking around Lake Kawaguchiko, we found a halal Indian restaurant in front of Lawson & also an ice cream shop selling delicious lavender ice cream. Souvenir shops can also be found here.

Mt. Kachi Kachi Ropeway

View of Mt. Fuji from Mt. Tenjo

View of Mt. Fuji from Mt. Tenjo

After we were done gaping at the panoramic views, we boarded the red line bus again back to Kawaguchiko station & changed to another bus to the famous theme park, Fuji-Q Highland. You can also take a sightseeing train to reach the theme park. We paid the park entrance fee & only had enough time to try one roller coaster, after queuing for 2 hours. We went on Fujiyama - King of Coasters, which has a 70 meters straight drop. At the highest point of the roller coaster, Mt. Fuji was standing proudly in front of us. Then, we took the highway bus back to Shinjuku bus station from Fuji-Q. We checked into MyStays, Kanda to rest our tired feet.

Day 4 - Tues 13 Oct
We traveled by train to Asakusa station on Ginza Line & walked to Sensoji Temple through Nakamise Dori/Street & Hozomon Gate. Sensoji Temple is Tokyo's oldest temple. Nakamise Street has lots of souvenirs shops which sells kimonos, chopsticks, replicas of samurai swords etc. 

Senso-ji Temple

Nakamise Dori

Kaminarimon Gate

We exit the street through Kaminarimon Gate to get to the beautifully designed Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center. Recommended to take the lift up to Level 8 to catch the gorgeous view of Asakusa, especially Tokyo Skytree & Nakamise Dori. In front of the Info Center, there are rickshaw pullers; a glimpse of how the Japanese traveled by rickshaw back when there were no motorized vehicles.

View of Tokyo Skytree from Asakusa Tourist Info Center

View of Nakamise Dori

Rickshaw

We then walked (very far) to Ryogoku Kokugikan - Tokyo National Sumo Hall. There is a small sumo museum here. Later, we wanted to visit Edo Tokyo Museum but the museum was closed due to a national holiday. We had lunch at a nearby restaurant serving tempura fried using vegetable oil - Tempura Tendon Tenya. 

Edo Tokyo Museum

Akihabara was next on the list. Most people come to Akihabara for the electronics shops. We were impressed with the neatly organized Yodobashi-Akiba mall, selling gadgets & everything to do with gadgets. There is also a Gundam Cafe at the Akihabara station. Later we dropped by Ginza to find Nakagin Capsule Tower. This tower has studio "apartments" or capsules but they are mostly abandoned or used as storage. The tower looks haunted from afar. We spent our last night in Tokyo in Mystays Kanda.

Nakagin Capsule Tower

The next morning we purchased the shinkansen tickets at Tokyo Station to begin our journey to Kyoto.

Budget (JPY 1,000 is approximately MYR 36)

Transport
Flight KL to Haneda - MYR 314.16
Flight Osaka to KL - MYR 343.24
JR West Rail Pass (Kansai Area Pass) - MYR 227
SUICA card - MYR 83
Highway bus from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko - JPY 1,750 
Highway bus from Fuji Q to Shinjuku - JPY 1,750
Return trip Mt. Kachi Kachi Ropeway - JPY 650 after voucher discount from Kawaguchiko Station Info Counter
One way train ticket from Station A to Station B (SUICA card charge) - JPY140 ~ 220

Hotels
1 night in Sotetsu Fresa Inn Tokyo Tamachi - JPY 8,400
2 nights in Mystays Kanda - JPY 13,080

Entrance Fees
Tokyo Tower - JPY 1,600
Fuji Q entrance - JPY 1,400
Fujiyama King of Coasters - JPY 1,000

Free entrance to Tokyo Metropolitan Building observation deck, Meiji Shrine, Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa Cultural Tourist Center & National Sumo Hall


Meals
Tempura set with rice & soup - JPY 1,000
Onigiri in 7 Eleven or Lawson - JPY 120 ~ 140

Bento boxes in Lawson - less than JPY 1,000

*Please check with staff on the ingredients of the bento. Proceed with caution.

Onigiri from 7-Eleven

The end of Part I. Stay tuned for Part II - Kyoto/Osaka/Nara. We traveled south by the fastest Nozomi bullet train/shinkansen, which can travel up to 300km/h.

>> Read about Kyoto Day 5 here

[4D 3N Lombok, Indonesia] Itinerary & Budget

A long mid-January weekend called for a short & sweet getaway to a neighboring country. This time we picked Lombok, Indonesia as our destination after seeing gorgeous Instagram photos of perfect sunsets & turquoise clear waters. We traveled in a group of 6: 4 girls & 2 guys. 

Itinerary:

Day 1
We arrived in Lombok International Airport around 12.00 pm & we queued for an hour to pass the immigration counters. Our drivers were waiting at the terminal exit with a sign with my name on it. We booked the airport transfers via our hotel in Gili Trawangan.

In the car, we insisted that the drivers take us straight to Teluk Nare jetty where our speedboat was waiting for us. However, since we were picked up in two cars, we were tricked into thinking that our friends in the other car wanted to stop for lunch. The drivers took us to Yessy Restaurant in Senggigi. The food was less than satisfactory and meals were pricey, especially with the additional taxes. We were annoyed with the drivers, but we decided to let it go and continue our journey on a positive note. The journey from the airport to Teluk Nare took us almost 2 hours. Teluk Nare is the jetty for speedboats only, while public boats stop at Bangsal jetty.

The speedboat dropped us on Gili Trawangan beach & we walked to Cotton Tree Cottages. It is highly recommended to hire a cidomo to get there if you have heavy luggage with you. The hotel is far (~500 meters) from the hustle & bustle of the main street which has clubs & restaurants. Our cottage has a large king size bed & open air shower. The hotel staff were very friendly & made all of us felt welcomed. It was almost sunset when we checked in, so we dropped our bags & decided to walk around the island. 

Cotton Tree Cottages Standard Room

Cotton Tree Cottages Standard Room

We explored the main street & walked until we reached The Exile near the south part of the island. The main street has lots of clothing stores, restaurants, bars, clubs, diving schools & hotels. There is also a night market for tourists to try the local dishes. We also went for a foot massage at Abdi Spa on the main street, facing the beach. 

Cidomo at The Exile

Abdi Spa

Day 2:
After breakfast, the hotel staff took us to the snorkeling meeting point (Lucky Trips counter) on the main street. We were provided with life jackets & masks for the trip. Our boat was full, with more than 30 pax on the glass bottom boat. The first snorkeling spot is near Gili T, where we were excited to see a turtle swimming in the wild. We were also taken to two other areas near Gili Meno & Gili Air to see a shipwreck & corals. We didn't see the shipwreck when we went into the water. The corals were also not as colorful as I imagined them to be. Lunch was provided at a restaurant on Gili Air after we were done at the first two snorkeling spots.

Glass bottom boat

Snorkeling in Gili Islands

Later that day, we hired a cidomo to take us to the famous swing sets on the beach at Ombak Sunset Hotel. A cidomo is horse-drawn carriage; it is the only way to travel around the island other than riding a bicycle. There are no motorized vehicles allowed on the island. The sunset was breath-taking. We could see Mount Agong in Bali from the beach. Be sure to arrive early because there will be a long queue to take photos on the swing sets.

Cidomo

Swing set in front of Ombak Sunset

The famous Gili Trawangan sunset view

We decided to have dinner at a restaurant by the beach called Black Penny. They serve Halal Ayam Bakar Taliwang (baby chicken served with rice; must try in Lombok) & other dishes. The restaurant has colorful lights & candlelit table settings. 

Ayam bakar taliwang

Day 3:
After checking out of the hotel, we took another speedboat back to Lombok & our driver took us straight to Sendang Gile/Tiu Kelep waterfalls hiking start point. The journey from Teluk Nare jetty to the waterfalls took us almost 2 hours. It is compulsory to hire a local guide to take you to the waterfalls from the main entrance. The guide carried our bottled water & snacks. 

From the gate, we descended a few flights of stairs & reached the first waterfall after 10 minutes, Sendang Gile. The second waterfall was around 30 minutes away. We were hiking slowly to take extra precaution & enjoy the views. Tiu Kelep waterfall (photo below) is magnificent. The water is crystal clear & freezing! It was definitely worth the hike. On the way back to our car, we decided to go through a "water slide" & 500 meter tunnel. There were bats flying above our heads & the water was knee-deep. 

Tiu Kelep Waterfall

Later, the driver took us to have lunch in Lesehan Taliwang Nada Restaurant, Mataram. "Lesehan" means to be sitting cross-legged in the huts while having your meals. We had ayam bakar taliwang again. Then we went souvenir shopping in Sasaku. The T-shirts are very affordable & I was quite impressed with the designs that they had.

We checked into Lombok Senggigi Hotel around 8.30 pm. This hotel is highly recommended for short stays in Senggigi because, besides the very affordable price, it is located near the main street & the rooms are very comfortable. They also have a small pool & restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch & dinner.

Lombok Senggigi Hotel

Day 4:
We had breakfast at the hotel & the driver arrived at 9 am to take us to the airport. Our flight was at 12.15 pm & the drive to the airport was uneventful. We passed by scenic paddy fields & countless mosques, as Lombok is known as the island with a thousand mosques.


Budget:

Transportation:
Return Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Lombok - MYR 270 per pax
Airport transfer from Lombok International Airport to Teluk Nare Jetty (2 cars) & speedboat to Gili Trawangan - IDR 1,100,000 for 6 pax
Return Cidomo ride from Gili Trawangan Centre to Ombak Sunset Hotel - IDR 200,000 for 3 pax
Speedboat from Gili Trawangan to Teluk Nare Jetty - IDR 480,000 for 6 pax
1 day rental car (Toyota Innova) & driver to explore North Lombok & Mataram - IDR 700,000 for 6 pax
Airport transfer from Senggigi to Lombok Int'l Airport (1 Toyota Innova) - IDR 350,000 for 6 pax

Hotel:
Two nights in Cotton Tree Cottages, Gili Trawangan (breakfast included) - MYR 364.10 for 1 Standard Double Room & MYR 837.60 for 2 Family Rooms
One night in Lombok Senggigi Hotel, Senggigi  (breakfast included) - MYR 450 for 3 Double Rooms

Activities:
Foot Massage at Abdi Spa - IDR 95,000 for 1/2 hour per pax
Snorkeling/Island Hopping by glass bottom boat & lunch - IDR 120,000 per pax
Sendang Gile & Tiu Kelep compulsory entrance fee, local guide, bottled water & snacks - IDR 200,000 per pax
Senggigi Beach entrance fee - IDR 1,000 per pax

Meals:
Lunch at Yessy Restaurant, Senggigi - IDR132,000 for 2 pax
Dinner Pizza & Pasta in Ocean 2 Cafe, Gili Trawangan - IDR 88,000 for 2 pax
Dinner Ayam Bakar Taliwang/Lobster Penne & drinks in Black Penny Restaurant - IDR 250,000+ for 2 pax
Lunch Ayam Bakar Taliwang in Lesehan Taliwang Nada Restaurant, Mataram - around IDR 80,000 per pax

Souvenirs at Sasaku, Mataram:
T-shirts - range from IDR 55,000 to 85,000
Coin purse - IDR 10,000
Fridge magnet - IDR 10,000

>>Read about our October trip to Japan in the next post here :)