Now rate was RM293 = 10000Yen
Seremban can get RM300 = 10000Yen

That kind of surcharge is almost 2.5%...some local changers even taking 3%. All these are higher than credit card fees and without points or cashback. So try to divide your expenses accordingly.

Went to a money changer opposite KFC at PJ State, got my Japanese yen at the rate RM30.10 for JPY 10000

hi all...i'm still choosing between these two hotels in Kyoto :

1. Mystays Shijo
2. Kyoto Tower

Which one would be more convenient in terms of going sightseeing?

kl central and mv also all 30.10 for 1k yen..

i just back from japan.
a lot of leaves started to turn red in some areas in kyoto, nara and especially around nagoya castle.

i just want to inform that some info i got from here; maybe wrong or maybe there's special case on the day i went.

Almost all the shops and restaurants in Kuromon Ichiba only open after 9am JST. only shop open before that is the grocery mart.
at first, i went there at 7.30am but all close. so i thought maybe i went there too late. then the next day, i went there at 6am but all still close except the grocery mart. then only a kind old man told me that the shops only open after 9am.

in the end, i did not manage to have breakfast at there when im in osaka. kinda disappointed since i read a lot of good reviews about the food there.

The best way for sightseeing around kyoto would be bus with their one day pass, so kyoto tower would be the choice cuz is just opposite kyoto station. As for mystays shijo is nearby nishiki market, which is nice for food hunting.

Thanks, JooSeng!

just a suggestion, for sightseeing at kyoto:

~ day 1: start from kiyomizu n walk until ginkaku. u'll pass thru nanzen temple, philosopher path n etc. then take bus n finish of at kinkaku

~ day 2: arashiyama n take the train to fushimi inari

should cover all main place in kyoto within ample time unless u have better idea

This post has been edited by JooSeng: Nov 5 2014, 02:11 PM

i stay nearby shijo last week. theres a few train stations and many bus stops around the area. if you can quickly get used to the train and bus map there, you will almost never need to go to kyoto station for bus or trains. the bus there very efficient with announcement at every stop informing any tourist attractions or train lines nearby.

i took buses and trains from shijo when i visit north, east and west area of kyoto. only time i go to kyoto station is to visit bic camera or going in/out of kyoto. that also just less than 5 minutes train ride from shijo station. mystay shijo is nearby the main junction between 2 shopping districts, walking distance in a straight road to gion area passing by the shopping area and nishiki market

but then i agree with others, kyoto tower is very very nearby kyoto station, a starting/ending point for many bus routes.

Here is what I have planned. Is the sequence ok?

Day 7 ~ 14th Jan (Wed)
i) Kiyomizu-dera Temple
ii) Sannen-Zaka & Ninen-zaka
iii) Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine
iv) Gion
v) Pontocho Alley


Day 8 ~ 15th Jan (Thurs)
i) Arashiyama
ii) Kinkaku-ji Temple
iii) Nishiko Market

FYI, here is the hotel cost :

Mystays Shijo : RM395.00 for 3nights
Kyoto Tower : RM660.00 for 3nights


Initially i wanted Mystays cos its cheap then Kyoto Tower looks very convenient pula..how?

The bus announcement in english?

for those bus stop without any tourist attraction or train lines, the bus stop name announcement would be in japanese.
for others, there's english announcement for both tourist information and bus stop name.
inside the bus, there's a monitor above the driver, the monitor will write the next bus stop in english only.

This post has been edited by lastlovesong: Nov 5 2014, 02:36 PM

ahhhh....that helps alot. Thanks!

you are welcome.

if you spend 4 or more days in kyoto, you can assign north, south, east and west for each day. that way, you spend less time travelling between tourist spot and spend more time eating delicious foods, sightseeing, taking pictures and eat more delicious foods.

another thing, kiyomizudera currently undergoing renovation. so the famous spot to take picture of the temple in evening... the picture from that spot will look kinda "cacated" due to the scaffholding beside the main building.

got any photo to share of the cacat thingy?

let me try see if i still remember how to post image.


the scaffolding from same spot by further up


This post has been edited by lastlovesong: Nov 5 2014, 03:21 PM

phew...so the main balcony is not the one under construction..okla, still can accept...saw some shades of red leaves too...thanks

you can get nicer red leaves in nara and nagoya now.
overall im so happy cos at first i thought im too early to see any leave turn colours.

Nara ParK


Outside Nagoya Castle