Any recommend good travel package to travel to Japan? Please share your experience in terms of cost, no of days and daily life over there and etc...
Thanks

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Japan Travel Info- Updated by moderators:

1. Transportations

- Japan Rail Network, maps & fare: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2019.html
- Train Schedule: http://world.jorudan.co.jp/norikae/cgi-bin...in.cgi#L_Kekka3
- Cheap 5 days unlimited ride via "Seishun Juhaici kippu" ticket (But no Express/Bullet train) http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2362.html
- JR Pass for those want to go major cities cheaply using Sinkansen http://www.japan-rail-pass.com/train-japon/?ap=j0095g
- Haneda Limousine Bus (Keihin Kyuko) for those reaching late night @Haneda - http://hnd-bus.com/route/nightmorningbus.html (Others pls google)


2.Learn Simple Japanese:
http://japanese-phrases.sakura.ne.jp/

3. General Sighseeing & Attractions:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e623a.html

-Tokyo Disneyland ticket price: http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/en/ticket/index.html

4. Hotel Booking Websites (Please compare 1st)

http://www.agoda.com/asia/japan/tokyo.html
http://www.asiarooms.com/en/japan/tokyo.html
http://ms.hotels.com/?dateless=true (Probably the cheapest to Japan?)
http://www.booking.com/index.html?aid=3096...CFUd66wodUklQNQ

VISA application:
http://www.my.emb-japan.go.jp/English/visit.html
5. More great info compiled from this thread:

- Nikk0 2 days pass from Asakusa Stn - Railway - Bus & entrance available here: http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/pass/w_heritage_pass.html

To Hakone (Best view of Mt Fuji)
Buy the free pass from Odakyu line @ Shinjuku stn - counter inside Odakyu Mall http://www.odakyu.jp/english/freepass/

More tips
https://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...post&p=51856595

6. Budget Cheap Food Guide

This post has been edited by stimix: Jun 2 2012, 10:38 PM

i Went there with my gf for 2 weeks. >_> . Both of us spend > 30 k. alltogether .

3 weeks with free accommodation (haha)

my brother is studying in japan, so i had it easier.

return tix: RM2200 (KL-Bangkok-Narita)

spending money: RM6000 (used mostly to eat, train rides, bus rides (Tokyo-Nagaoka, Niigata and Tokyo-Osaka), ONE bullet train ride (haha), festival tickets, live shows tickets, some souvenirs, g-shock watch)

Total: less than RM10k

RM10k is a good amount to prepare for this trip.

Accommodation is cheap if you know where to look. You can get accommodation as cheap as ￥3000 = RM90 (RM 45 each) a night. We got that rate when we were in Osaka for 4 nights. Try sleeping in their cyber cafes, cyber cafes like manboo have seasonal packages. when i was there in the summer, 5 hour = ￥1200 (RM36). Get in around 2am, out by 7am.

Basic Japanese is good to have though it's not a requirement. Bring a phrase book, it might help you.

well said for a budget trip

Btw, what flight you took? MAS, SIA, JAL???

WOW !!!
Kind to share how you sleep in the cyber cafe? on the chair or bed?

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Added on November 1, 2007, 11:47 pmYou go with travel agent?
Btw, you go with which airline?

And 30k is lots of $$$.. what did you do over there??

This post has been edited by arthurlwf: Nov 1 2007, 11:47 PM

Got my tickets through a travel agency. I took the Thai Airways offer, have to stop at bangkok. The original price for the ticket was RM5k++

Cyber cafes in Japan are really nice. Very clean. The one that I slept in was Manboo in Shibuya. They have open workstation for people who on the go and private rooms for those who want to stay more than 1-2hours. Private room is equivalent to an office cube with:

1. small recliner chair
2. a pc with internet connection (duh!)
3. tv
4. dvd player
5. ps2
6. headphone
7. one hanger
8. table light
9. small torchlight (if your stuffs get lost under the table or whatever)
10. toilet slippers (selipar jepun!)
11. small safe to keep your valuables

The room/cube is lockable. The recliner chair is ok, i have back problems and still able to sleep soundly for 3 hours on it. There's even hot shower available. You will be able to use the shower for 30 minutes during off peak hours. Towels are ￥100 rent, but someplace outside tokyo towels are free. There are comics, dvd, and ps2 games you can take off the rack and bring to cube. nice huh?

Beverages are free. As for food you have to buy them off the counter or through the vending machine.

http://www.manboo.co.jp (it's in japanese)

As for a cheaper/free option I suggest you try couchsurfing. http://www.couchsurfing.com I have yet to try it but think I'm going to try it when I go back to Tokyo this Feb. I'm trying to stay there with less than 5k this time. Think it's doable

member of couchsurfing? u're always welcome to my couch if u make your way to the lil village i'm staying here

hostels are another cheap way, tokyo prices would be around 90 a night, check out www.hostelworld.com

Yes, I'm on couchsurfing.com

You're staying in Gifu? I'll definately give you a heads up if I'm stopping by there!

Are you studying or working there?

There are even hostel/hotels that have rates starting from ￥1000!!! usually they're fully booked. Seek hard, you shall find. Hehe...

yep,studying in gifu.

haha, i've stayed in osaka business hotels for 1500, just hafta look hard my friend

anybody knows any good travel agency for Japan Trip?

Heard Apple Holidays Sdn Bhd is the No. 1 tour operator for Japan tour. Since on shoestring budget, went on free n easy to save money

Used Apple Holidays travel agent last April for a trip to Japan. It is a 7D6N tour that cost around RM5000++ per pax. Nice itinerary, nice hotel and moderate food. We went to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Hotel range from 3 stars to 4 stars. For sure you can't afford to stay at those hotel on free and easy with that budget. Average 1 room per night will costs around RM1,000.. So, tour package usually can cater some simple luxury at moderate price.

The tour guide is a nice and funny guy who is a Malaysian but stay in Japan for his studies and work there afterward. So, after the nomal sight seeing tour in the morning and afternoon, we have some private tour with the guide around places eating nice jap foods and drink beer. . Really a wonderful experience.

Other than the tour package, i had spend extra RM5000 pocket money for the trip that include foods, train ticket, entrance fees, hotel (i extend my trip for 3 days. Around RM500 per night for a room of equivalent 2 stars hotel ) Damn expensive.

Cheers!

Walau.. in total you spend about RM11k for 10D9N trip...

Very expensive but I believe its an enjoyable trip. Can share some of your daily experience over there?

If per pax, i only spend RM7500 for 10D9N trip.
RM5000 for the tour package and RM2500 for pocket money.
As i mentioned RM5000 pocket money if for 2 pax. Me and my gf. So, as for 1 person, it would be RM2500. Basically mostly the pocket money is spend during the 3 days extension for my trip.

Just to make it clear for you. The RM5000 tour package is only for 7D6N. I myself had extend for 3Days that make it 10D9N.

As for the daily expereince, can't really explain in details. If you want a complete itinerary, you better contact the rtavel agency for it. Follow are some brief description on where i go and what i did for my Japan trip.

Since i went there during April that is the spring season for Japan, so basically hanami (Sakura Viewing) will be the main highlight of the trip. We went quite a few spot for this and the most fasinating one will be the Shinjuku Gyoen at Tokyo. It is a very big park full with sakura. Family and friends are all there enjoying themselves there. Having picnic, having thier lunch or lying on the grass sleeping. Very wonder epxereince. Different type of sakura can be seen there. That can differ from number of petals and color. Nrmal one will be of white, yellow and pink in color. (Mostly is white though) We visit some other park somewhere (can't remember the place, maybe peace park?? ) but too bad the sakura had not bloom yet. Since the blooming of sakura actaully varies from place to place. So, it kindna depend on you luck though. However, do visit some website where they do provide forecast on the full bloom of sakura at places in Japan.

Basically spend around 2 days each at Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Then i further extend a 3 days stay in Kyoto. During one of the day, we staied at an onsen (japanese style hotel) where you can enjoy the hot spring bath. (indoor only). Where you need to take off all your cloth. Not the first time i'm doing that, so nothing really special for me but still enjoyable. The room is of tatami and you sleep on a futon (japanese matress). The onsen that we stay is very near Mt Fuji and in the morning with clear sky, we can see the mt. Fuji right from our window. (We did to realise it until we accidently saw it when i tried to take photo out of the window).

As for amusement park. We went to Tokyo Disneyland of couse and Universal Studio at Osaka. Both the entrance tcket is covered in the tour package. Btw, each ticket cost around RM150. Make sure you plan beforehand what ride you want to go for since 1-2 hours queue will be a norm. Make sure you prioritize!! If you follow tour, basically you will only have around 6 hours time at Disneyland. To be honest, it not even close to enough!!! Try to get fast ticket (where you can skip the queue when it is your turn where the time is indicate on the ticket), on some of the ride to fully utilize your time. You can only take one fast ticket at a time.

.......... kindna write a lot already. Continue next time! It would be better if you specify some specific things that you would like to know. Then i can skip all the crap that you already know....

Cheers!!

This post has been edited by claran: Nov 6 2007, 07:00 PM

wah...how i wish i got the chanve to travel to japan...
but the cost of living there veri high...
need to save a lot of money first before i go there....

Awesome experience !!! How is the food over there?

I would like to know more infor from lyns that ever travel there, as I might travel to Japan next year.

well, what would you like to know?

food are great especially in the Kansai area (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe...). i could only eat the seafood when i was there if you have no halal restrictions i bet you'll enjoy more of the food in Japan.

i did eat a lot of sushi (those 100 yen per plate ones) and takoyaki. most of the time i ate fast foods (mcd and saizeria for free flow drinks) and bento i bought from convenient stores.

Food is great as i am big fan for japanese food.
Sashimi (raw fish) might be familair to you but how about Raw Chicken???
Ever tried that before???
We had went to one restaurant in Osaka where it is famous for the raw chicken.
Actually the outter layer is cooked (10%) but the rest is still raw.
Woundn't say it taste superb but it is one great experience.
We ordered some other dish that is of cheicken as well.
Fried chicken, Chiken bone (soft bone that is fried and with some herb), chicken with raw egg and few other dishes.
With some beer and share with 6 other peoples. It cost around RM70 per pax.

Another not to be missed in Japan is Ramen. No local ramen (Local Japanese Restaurant selling ramen) can compared with their. Generally it cost around RM21 for the most basic cha siu ramen. As for other, it cost more, than goes up to RM40 per bowl. Try to eat at the stall along the street that where you have to eat standing. Like those we usaully see in Japanese drama. Real wonderful experience!!

That all for now. Gtg!

Cheers!

WHAT... raw chicken... i got the fear factor feeling on the Raw Chicken..

Btw, thats for the info...
Kinda to share about the people over there? And do you speak Nihon-go?