Japan trip - where to go

[littlegirl]

PPgroom:
actually if u wanna incl USJ, can tell them one, cos if u realise their itinerary, they hv 2 codes. I will luv to try out USJ cos the other one is in USA so far.

16 jan - after the New Yr liao, tats y nt so exp. Bt then again price diff is betwn $50 ~ 100.

hi blur blur......... welcome

U can use the abv links I've posted to get more info.

 

[littlegirl]

ahblur,

they said b4 if during the fair the price drops, they will honour their word to lower it down PROVIDED everything is the same regardless of hotel, dep date, itinerary.

 

[mapleleaves]

hi ah ger...

really? ok.. maybe i should call and check.. but they may say it didn't... hmm.. cos i didn't went to the natas fair....

 

[littlegirl]

Ahblur,

it's true cos i seen it on the papers........ they ever said tat.

So u can go & ask them. bt like I said EVERYTHING must b THE SAME.

 

[ppgroom]

yeah, the price for Dec may not have dropped as compared to Jan's pricing....

by the way, how much tipping we expect to pay the guide huh?

 

[chaoahbeng]

blur blur, how many days u visiting japan. Now is autumn...great time to go.

 

[hazel_t]

the last time i visited in mid oct, already can see autumn leaves but i think nov is when u can see them all around.

 

[ppgroom]

anyone knows usually how much we need to tip the tour guide/ coach?

 

[littlegirl]

PPgroom:

Tat time I asked SA staff, they told me is approx $6 - 7 per day incl for tour guide, tour leader & driver liao. So u multiply lor.

Bt best is to ask ur agt again.

 

[ppgroom]

huh??? so it's $6 x 3 = $18 per person per day???

 

[littlegirl]

aiyoh, PPgroom wat u read leh?

I said $6 - 7 per day incl the 3 of them liao. U pay $6 - 7 per day x 2 (u & hb) = $12 - 14.

Liao bu liao?

My msg very confusing meh?

 

[ppgroom]

oh!!! hahaha!!! cos u put 'So u multiply lor' thus i tot multiply by the guide, leader and driver!!! hahahahaha!!!!

so it's much better that way!!!! $6 for all 3... WHEW!!!!!

 

[chaoahbeng]

actaully hor, why dun u consider taking free and easy trip to japan? it's relatively easy to navigate your way in japan. I did that b4 and best thing is...i dun have to adhere to any schedule. wat time i wanna wake up, wat time i wanna makan, when i wanna pangsai...all i control. sometimes u go on package tour, the tour bus travel so long with no toilet breaks also sibei sian leh..rite?

oh yah..and u dun have to tip anybody. SGD18 a day can buy u a pretty average meal in japan. why waste money?

 

[ppgroom]

cos i'm on honeymoon, thus wanna save the hassle of planning leh... just wanna let them schedule everything, then me and my wife just enjoy the trip, hassle-free....

 

[ublur]

thanks for the warm welcome..

ah beng, i will be going for 8 days.. going on the 6 Nov..haven plan my itenery yet...

seems like many pple here are in the package tour group..

 

[littlegirl]

PPgroom:

I was told tat it's nt really tat exp anyway............ bt well, nvm lah, if u already pay to go hols - wats another $50 right?

Chaoahbeng:
Free & easy to Jpn - bt ur tpt spent may nt b cheap afterall, + if we r gng on atour pkg right nw, so many things r included.

For me, if I m nt familiar w/ the plc & esp w/ language barrier, I prefwer to go w/ tour the 1st time, then subsequent repeated visits will then do a F&E.

+ we r all planning to go as HM trip, if still wanna drill our brains to tis extent, then I think we will b very exhausted, might as well save the trip & stay in Sin better? I do agree w/ PPgroom tat just stay relax & let them plan for us. Where they drv us to, we just go. We can sit & slp on the coach.

 

[ppgroom]

hi blur blur,

which airline you travelling with? how much is the ticket? just curious...

anyone travelled on ANA b4? service and flight ok?

 

[chaoahbeng]

ppgroom, actually planning for japan trip not much of a hassle lah, it's quite enjoyable too...cos the expectation of goin there is wonderful and....aiyah, maybe u prefer package tour lah, so ok lor. but it's a good time to go now anyway.

ah ger, the tpt cost is not cheap in japan i agreed, but if u r gonna stay in tokyo all the time, it shouldn't cost very much. but if you r going to other places like kyoto, osaka, den buying the jr pass is good for saving money. somemore can try taking bullet trains. really fast and clean. it's an experience in itself.

 

[littlegirl]

PPGroom
ANA shld b ok........... u wanna know the airfare? U try gng to their website lor, shl be ard $1.3k. Tis is the abt the price I got frm Corporate agt.

Ah Beng
I know we can buy the jr pass, bt then if there's someone to fetch u here & tare, y nt? Save the trouble. Anyway we will also experience a 15min bullet train ride I think.

For me - I go pkg then after tat I do extn myself. I find it better tis way cos after tat I dun co & explore other areas myself.

PPGroom:
Know wat? During my extn in Jpn, those local tour grps are closed leh...........

I haben bn doing much research abt jpn lately cos dunno wat to do when I haben recv any confirmation yet.

 

[chaoahbeng]

ah ger...got someone to fetch u around here and there ah? so good leh....

next time i wanna go there to do some biz..den got this sort of lobang. I really like goin to japan ah. hehehe

 

[ppgroom]

Hi ah ger and ah beng,

yeah, package tour of cos got coach to fetch us around wat... this is one of the hassle which i do not wish to have lor...

I just checked SIA one... WA KAU!!! cost $3k plus for return ticket!!!

the tour groups are closed??? then those free and easy one gotta rent car and go on their own liao?

 

[ppgroom]

how about winter clothings? anyone got any lobangs for nice yet reasonable priced winter clothes for ladies? (cos i already have mine)

I know there's one at Northpoint and Suntec... just wanna find out more options

 

[ublur]

ah ger, i agree with u, the total if i predict would be more ex then package one.. however, eversince i started doing free n easy few years back in australia, i personally feel free n easy was really fun... but har, jus like wat u say, tour package is all planned by them.. so not too much hassle..

PPgroom, I am taking JAL.. air tic is abt 550.. direct flight. actually malaysia airline only 488 but need to transit.. but JAL got pretty jap gals n jap food to eat mah... my FH likes JAL.. hahaha

ah beng, ya.. i bought the JR pass, i will be travelling down to osaka from toyko, will be going kyoto and other small cities as well... so lately have been doing a lot of reading up on japan, where to go, study the railway lines etc.. though tiring but fun...

 

[odae]

Hi PPgroom,
U may wan to check the air tkt rates directly with the agents cos wat's listed on the net r usually more pricey!

Blur blur,
the rate u quoted is exclusive of the the taxes rite?

Ah ger,
Ur trip yet to be confirmed? Mine too, that's y now sit & do nothing...so sian

 

[odae]

PPgroom,
Btw, personally found ANA not bad..svc is good, food is nice though the seat might be a little bit small...(cater for Asian size??)

 

[chaoahbeng]

blur blur, go osaka..it's quite near kyoto. and the okonomiyaki (japanese pancake) is very good. the one at takashimaya....cannot fight lah.

 

[ppgroom]

Hi odae, thanks for the info!!

 

[littlegirl]

wah, I MIA awhile only, suddenly so many posts. After lunch jin sleepy, so c things also 1/2 nia.

Ah Beng:
Coach drive us ard lah, u think wat? I got pte chauffeur meh?

PPGroom:
Wat SIA $3k+? U mean the air-ticket? Can't b. U c frm website is their full published fare. If u go thru agts the fare could be $1k+ only.

Winter clothes - John Little Specialist Centre - there'a s shop tat sells winter clothes. IMM lor - same branch as Suntec COLD WEAR. For ur wife? Ask her go c Mango lah, when they hv winter sale - quite reasonable price.

Odae:
Who u bk frm? When dep? I called tis morning, arh buey cfm lor........ *sob sob* the one b4 mine already cfm liao, so if bo bian I hv to dep 1 day earlier, bt then I dun want cos jin tired one. My AD on 19 Dec leh, dep 20 Dec. Ware got time to rest?

Hmm........... okonomiyai - Oishi!

 

[odae]

Hi Ah ger,
Hmmm...did I chat with u b4??

I booked w SA Tours to Hokkaido & Tokyo one leh. Ya...think departing the very next day to AD will be very 'xiong' one leh! I think if mine kena cancelled den die liao..gota fly the day after AD too...very tiring one leh plus like that will waste 1 of the 2 nites stay at my hotel leh.

 

[littlegirl]

Odae:
Think we hv spoken b4, think in the Wine thread?

Oh, so u booked w/ SA. I tot of asking Ananda's Hokkaido/ Tokyo then maybe wun go to waste lor, bt think tat one I can't meet the last dep date.

 

[ppgroom]

hi ah ger,

the one at IMM very small and limited only. MANGO got sell winter clothes? ex?

 

[littlegirl]

MANGO - yes they sell winter clothes. Quite nice also. I dun think the season is in yet.....

I can't rem hw much cos my sis buy one......... bt I nv borrow frm her, I borrowed frm my gf then when I went to Korea, I bought 1 myself. Thereafter I nv travel liao wor.........

 

[ublur]

odea, ya ya.. haven include tax of 70 bucks each...

ah beng, ya ya.. i will be going to osaka.. think will spent quite a number of days in osaka n kyoto.. actually i really looking forward to this trip!!

ppgroom, then u should go zara.. zara got winter clothing also.. n pretty pretty...

 

[ppgroom]

blur blur,

where's zara?

 

[littlegirl]

Zara - 2 outlets I know - 1 @ the old Espirit store in Taka, next to Guess @ B1. U ring any bell?

The other outlet is @ Liat Towers, the old Planet Hollywood.

 

[ppgroom]

hahaha... think i'll check with my FW... she shd know

 

[ublur]

ger, ya ya.. u r right.. my friend bought winter clothing before she go japan. very nice

 

[littlegirl]

If u go Korea, can always pick some cheap winter clothings @ their streetmkts, if u go Jpn - I dun think their streetmkt jackets are cheap.

Bt I think I will still go & try get 1 more if it's cheap.

Bt provided my trip is cfm lor.

 

[ppgroom]

how come your trip still not confirm? u paid deposit liao right?

 

[chaoahbeng]

blurblur, how many days are u going and where else u planning to go?

u r taking package rite? Enjoy urself and show us some photos when u come back ok?

 

[littlegirl]

PPgroom:
Paid deposit liao, bt the grp size arh buey cfm. So subject to cancellation lor. Then I asked them, they said if 2wks b4 dep still nt cfm then will either full refund, or I hv a choice to join other dep grps or join another tour pkg for a discounted price - the Fair price cos I booked mine during a fair, so unfair if I switch & they hv to charge me a more exp pkg price mah.

So nw just sit & wait lor.

Bt they told me, they hv yet to input everything inside, ask me nt to worry 1st.

 

[ppgroom]

which agency is yours?

 

[ublur]

ah beng, no lah.. i m not taking package. mine is free n easy.. jus bought JAL tick.. the rest have to settle myself.. got any reccomodation on cheap Inns in tokyo, osaka and kyoto????
i will be going for 8-9 days..

 

[odae]

Hi Ah girl,
Hmmm...think it's the Hokkaido/Tokyo thread leh

I oso very anxious & lookin forward to the agency to confirm my pkg leh! Cos now stuck, dunno wan to go chg currency not..

Blur blur,
Even addin the taxes in the tkts r still consider very cheap hor?? Btw u intend to chg hotels b it that u r in tokyo, osaka or kyoto??
Osaka & kyoto r very near to ea other & u may wan to settle @ oni 1 hotel bet these 2 places? Can trvl by their shinkansen - very convenient (abt 45min ride oni)

 

[littlegirl]

PPgroom:
Ananda Travel lor.........

Odae:
Is it? Think so lah.......... We both wish both of us zao ri pkg cfm, then we can go HM liao.

 

[ppgroom]

how come travel agency like that one??? tot they shd have confirm with us at least one month ahead of departure date??? how they expect us to change currency etc in last min???

 

[chaoahbeng]

blurblur, is this the first time u going japan? if u want, u can go to this website. www.jnto.com

check out the hotel there. do more planning, it will make the tour more exjoyable. the room in japan are generally smaller than other country, even the bathtup also smaller than normal.

 

[ublur]

odea, well, malaysia airline is cheaper but need to transit.. in the end we still decided on JAL.. ya, i wan to find some place which is convenient and most impt cheap...

ppgroom, i agree wif u.. too last min confirm oso not good..

ah beng, thanks. will check it out.. it's ok if the room is small, as long got shelter than i happy liao.. cos har, daytime sure outside sightseeing mah.. btw har, can i jus book one single room inn and both me n my FH stay inside?? will the inn allow? or do i have to book double room??

 

[littlegirl]

PPgroom:
Yeah lor, I also tot so, tats y nw dun dare to change currency. The as days cme closer to sch holidays/ peak period - sure currency become lesser liao. Bt wat to do? Bo bian.

Btw, I walked past MANGO tat day, then I saw 1 of their winter wear - trench style - like those Eskimo ones - very niceleh - got a pink one - jin sweet only $125. Bt whether can tahan until hw cold I hv no idea lah, can ask them lor. Their jkt length are abt $70+ or $99. bt of cos wear trench is nicer lah.

 

[ppgroom]

okie... i also saw one at Winter Time at Northpoint, not bad. got a bit of furry furry around the collar, $129. can withstand 0C... but of course mine still quite some time to go... so still can wait to see if got any sales or not hee hee