3 Days in Tokyo for less than 7,000 PHP

Tokyo, or should I say Japan in general, is a destination I didn't want to rush seeing. But unfortunately, I had to get back to attend graduate school, to catch up with work, and also because I didn't have much money with me. The costs are one of the factors that would make us hesitate to experience this beautiful place. Tokyo, for a couple of times, has been hailed as the most expensive place to live in according to some websites I've read a while back (I've read some news say now it's Singapore).

There might be no way to cut through expenses, but it doesn't mean that travelers won't be able to enjoy Tokyo on a budget. Here's how I did it.

Tip #1. Take the advantage of buying a Tokyo Metro Subway Pass.

Transportation in Tokyo can dig a deep hole out of your pockets. Normal fares don't go lesser than 100 yen per way. This pass is available for tourists only and they're surely a great help. These unlimited passes can be used to ride all Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway Lines and comes in 1 day, 2, or 3 consecutive days. I got the 3-day pass for 1500 yen at BIC Camera Yurakucho.

You can get guides like this from subway stations. :)

Was it worth it? Totally. I used the subway for innumerable times because there are a lot of connecting lines around to get you to where you want to go. Plus, if you get lost in between stations, you wouldn't need to worry because it lets you ride all you can. ;)

Tip #2. Water is gold.

You'll be doing a lot of walking and having water with you goes a long way. I didn't want to bother my host so I got my supply from trusty vending machines. The cheapest I found was at 110 yen for 550ml.

Tip #3. Eat Cheaply.

By cheap of course, I mean go local as you possibly can. While Japan is certainly a food haven, most good restaurants are over my budget. A single lunch meal in a mid-range restaurant can cost around 980-1400 yen. Dinners are far more costly.

Food Ticket Vending Machine

I have no idea what this is, but I think they call it Udon Soba

 So I tried this food stall outside Yurakucho Station and spent only 390 yen (153 php) for my breakfast. The picture looks small but the servings are actually good, like maybe, one and a half serving of batchoy. And coming from a big eater like me, they actually go a long way that I didn't even bother buying snacks.

Lunch at Asakusa: Soba (?)+ Rice Toppings for 560 yen!

Tip #4. Share a space.

If you don't really care much about where to stay in Tokyo, you'd actually save a lot more. Hotel costs are high, especially in the tourist areas so staying in a hostel dorm, or with an Airbnb host is practically great. Most hostels charge around 2000 yen at least and most likely it will be a mixed dormitory.

My bed for the first night~

As you might have known, the city is also home to a lot of the famed capsule hotels. You're most likely to find these near train stations. I believe they almost charge the same as hostels do.

On my last night, I chose to stay at Manboo Manga Cafe in Shibuya because I needed to use a computer to work on my literature assignment (lol!). I'll write about the experience on a separate post. :)

Here's a breakdown for how much I spent in Tokyo for three days:

This doesn't include shopping/pasalubong, although I didn't buy that much either. Note: 1 JPY = 0.39 PHP

But you know, if I had a wad of cash with me, I'd probably have spent more than this, LOL.

Applying for a Japan Tourist Visa without an Income Tax Return through courier

Sorry for the crappy photo D:

After I got my tickets, I started to read more about how to apply for a Japan Tourist Visa. Japan! Who wouldn't be excited? It's been a childhood dream of mine and I'm finally a step closer to it.

Most of the blogs I've visited were helpful, but none of them were in the same boat as me -  An online worker with neither a Certificate of Employment nor an Income Tax Return. This was my first time to apply for a sticker visa that's why I was quite nervous.

Luckily, at a later date, I managed to chat with Ate Rox of  I Travel Rox and she was able to give me some tips on how she got her visa, even without an ITR. So here, I'm also sharing with you the experience.

The Japanese Embassy doesn't accept applications done in person. All procedures will be handled by authorized travel agencies. Since these agencies don't have a local office in our city, I decided to send my application to Friendship Travel and Tours in Manila through courier.

Requirements:

• Fully accomplished application form (You can download from the embassy page, link below)
• 2x2 Photo, white background (to be pasted on your application form)
• Passport (valid for at least 6 months)
• A copy of my confirmed flight tickets
• Daily schedule in Japan (You can download from the embassy page, link below)
• Bank Certificate
• Certificate of Enrollment
• Photocopy of my Student ID
• Certificate of Employment from my previous company (2012, three years ago!)
• Letter of Explanation (as to why I'm unable to produce an ITR)

I sent all of these to Friendship Tours via LBC. A Japan Tourist Visa is actually gratis, but agencies would charge us for the handling fee. I paid 1200, plus 200 courier fee via BDO bank deposit and also sent the deposit slip along with my application.

I sent my application on August 28 and got my passport back on September 3. Considering the holiday and weekends, it was a pretty swift process! I highly recommend the agency. Miss Camille and her team were super accommodating. <3

So yes, Japan is truly within reach! :)

Helpful links:

Japan Embassy in the Philippines: http://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/visiting/new%20visa/tourism.htm
Friendship Travels and Tours: http://www.visa.friendshipmanila.com/

Suggested Itinerary: 7 days in Kota Kinabalu and Bandar Seri Begawan

Note: This is an itinerary I drafted for my Borneo + Brunei trip . I had to cut my trip short and only visited Kota Kinabalu because I had to go to India again.

Alia’s One Week Travel Itinerary

Borneo 2014

Kota Kinabalu-Brunei

June 18-24, 2014

June 18 – Board Cebu Pacific flight from Manila to Kota Kinabalu at 11:40 PM

June 19 – Will arrive in Kota Kinabalu at around 1:30 AM local time.

Airport pick-up via Borneo Backpacker’s Hostel arranged through e-mail. Booking was done via agoda.com. Rest till morning, breakfast is included.

-          After breakfast proceed to Jesselton point for Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park tours. Prices will range from RM 90-165.

Tri Island tour includes:

·         Manukan Island

·         Mamutik Island

·         Sapi Island

-          Enjoy the beach, and sight proboscis monkeys.

-          Seafood lunch in any of the islands, check tours if it’s included.

-          Finish the island tour, go back to the hostel and rest.

-          By 2 pm, visit Sabah Museum and Heritage Village.

-          Dinner at El Centrino restaurant.

June 20 – Mount Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Springs Tour.

-          After breakfast, proceed to bus station going to Ranau. Fare is RM 15. Get off at Ranau and exchange bus  for Poring, fare is RM 6.

-          Conservation fee is RM 15.

-          Canopy Walk Fee is RM 5. Camera for picture taking is RM 5 per device.

-          Deluxe Hot Spring tub is RM 20.

-          Camera, please. Also find films and stores that develop film.

By 3:00 PM local time, Catch but outside the Mt. Kinabalu Park heading for Ranau. Fare is RM 6. From Ranau, take bus to KK City Center, fare is RM 15.

-          Snacks at Crepe Center

-          Dinner at Little Italy

-          Visit Filipino Market after dinner.

-          Must be back at the hotel by 8:00 PM local time

June 21 – Must wake up at 6:00 AM local time to catch ferry to Labuan-Brunei at Jesselton Point. The Ferry leaves around 7:00-7:30 AM. Blogs say we’ll arrive in Brunei by 3:00 PM.

-          Take bus to from Muara to Bandar Seri Begawan City Center. Fare is B$ 2.00.

-          Take bus and get off at Pusat Belia Youth Hostel. (I’ve read it’s the cheapest in the city and it’s always available. Costs B$ 10.00/night)

-          Night Stroll

-          Sultan Omar Ali Saiffuden Mosque night sighting

-          Dinner at Jollibee (It’s Jollibee!!)

June 22 –  Visit in random order within the day:

-          Jubillee Park

-          Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque

-          Royal Regalia Museum

-          Sultan Omar Ali Saiffuden Mosque day sighting

-          Tumu Markets

-          Yayasan Shopping Complex

June 23 – Going back to Kota Kinabalu.

-          Take early ferry to Kota Kinabalu.

-          Take Lunch while stopping over at Labuan.

-          Will arrive by 4:00 PM, enough time for a KK city tour.

·         Atkinson Clock Tower

·         Signal Hill Observatory

·         Floating Mosque (City Mosque)

·         Central Market

·         KK Plaza

-          Dinner at Party Play Café

-          Take Taxi to KK Airport at around 10.00 PM

June 24 – Board flight to Manila at 2:15 AM

Sources:

-          http://www.lonelyplanet.com/brunei-darussalam/bandar-seri-begawan/transport/getting-around

-          http://www.thepinaysolobackpacker.com/travel-guide-brunei-to-kota-kinabalu-via-ferry/

-          http://ruzhiwashere.com/2013/04/01/brunei-travel-guide/

-          Tripadvisor.com

Two weeks in Indochina: Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand for less than 17k PHP

Note: This is a proposed budget summary of what my 2013 Indochina trip should have been. I had to cut my trip short from two weeks to ten days instead so I could go India! :) Hotel costs not included.

Suggested Itinerary: 15 days in Indochina: Ho Chi Minh, Siem Reap, Bangkok, and Phnom Penh

Note: This is an itinerary I drafted for my Indochina trip . I had to cut my trip short to ten days and excluded Phnom Pehn because I went to India.

Alia’s Two-week Travel Itinerary

Southeast Asia 2013

Ho Chi Minh – Siem Reap – Bangkok – Phnom Penh

August 21 – Board Cebu Pacific flight from Manila to Ho Chi Minh at 10:50 PM

August 22 – Will arrive in Ho Chi Minh at around 1:20 AM local time (Remember, Vietnam is GMT +7, One hour late compared to Philippine Standard time).

·         Airport pick-up via MiMi Backpacker’s Hostel arranged through e-mail. Booking was done via agoda.com. Rest till morning, breakfast is included.

·         By noon, visit The Superbowl  and have lunch at Jollibee (I’m curious about it!)

·         Stroll along Ben Than Market and the streets of Pham Ngu Lao for souvenirs, street food, and landmarks.

·         Remember to take a notebook and dramatically place yourself along the outside tables of Starbucks or any other café. Go flaneuring and write.

·         Breathe in the feel of the French influence along with the local mixtures Ho Chi Minh offers.

·         Take pictures, of course.

·         Nearing twilight, might fancy a relaxing massage. (I’ve read good feedbacks about the Spas in this place. Let’s see if it fits the budget.)

·         Dinner at Tricolore restaurant. (I’ve read their chicken is the best. Let’s go try!)

·         Don’t forget to ask the hotel staff for tickets to Siem Reap via Mekong Express

August 23 – Continue the tour and visit these places staring 10:00 AM local time:

·         Notre Dame Cathedral

·         Reunification Palace

·         Opera House

·         Town Hall

·         War Remnants

·         Fancy a cozy park to write the half-a-day’s reflection

·         Camera, please. Also find films and stores that develop film.

By 2:00 PM local time, I should be visiting these pagodas and temples:

·         Jade Emperor Pagoda, 73 Mai Thị Lựu, Đa Kao, District 1

·         Mariamman Hindu Temple, 45 Truong Dinh St, District 1

·         Giac Lam Pagoda (oldest), 118 Lac Long Quan Street, District 5

·         Must be back at the hotel by 8:00 PM local time

August 24 – Must wake up at 5:00 AM local time to catch Mekong Express bus to Siem Reap. This is               approximately a 12-hour trip. Get ready for butt sores and will probably arrive by 7:00 or 8:00 PM local time.

·         Check in at the Yellow Guest House.

·         Get plenty of sleep.

August 25 –  Visit in random order within the day:

·         Lunch out at a Random Restaurant

·         Stroll down Pub Street for souvenir items, food, and etc.

·         Go see Phare, the Cambodia Circus

·         Dinner out at a Random Restaurant

·         Confirm with Sam Tuktuk for Angkor Temple tour for the next day.

August 26 –Whole Day Angkor Wat Temple Tour with Sam Tuktuk

August 27 – Take early morning (around 7:30 or 8:30 AM) bus to Poipet and ride tuk-tuk to Aranyaprathet station.

·         Take a train from Aranyaprathet to Bangkok

·         Two reliable trains a day run from Aranyaprathet to Bangkok, 255 km or 159 miles. I should be able to make the 1:55 PM departure from Aranyaprathet, arriving Bangkok at 7:55 PM. 

·         Check in at The Overstay Hotel or other budget hostels at Khao San Road

·         Get lots of sleep!

August 28 – Should be able to visit these places and at most:

• ·         2 hrs. Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun)
• ·         2 hrs. Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho)
• ·         2 hrs. Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaeo)
• ·         2 hrs. The Grand Palace

August 29 – 2 hrs. Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit)

·         2 hrs. The Golden Mount (Wat Saket)

·         Lumphini Park

·         Siam Square

August 30- Klongs – longboat tour down waterway

·         Wat Suthrat

·         Chinatown

·         Amphawa Floating Market

·         ELEPHANT RIDES!!

August 31

·         Coffee houses for writing ambiance (I really love the feel of coffee houses!)

·         Day or Night Market strolls for souvenirs and etc.

September 1 – Leave for Hualamphong station and ride to Aranyaprathet  at 05:55 AM

·         Take a tuk tuk from Aranyaprathet station to Poipet.

·         Then bus to Phnom Penh

·         Check in at Kha Vi Guesthouse

September 2 – Whole day Phnom Penh stroll, take candid shots, etc.

·         Sisowath Quay

·         Royal Palace

September 3

·         Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

·         Naga World Hotel and Casino

September 4 – Take 2:00 PM bus from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh. Will arrive around 8:00 or 9:00 PM then take taxi to airport.

September 5 – Flight to Manila is 1:00 AM local time will arrive by 4:30 AM.

Sources:

-          http://www.seat61.com/Cambodia.htm#Saigon to Phnom Penh

-          http://leaveyourdailyhell.com/2011/05/30/the-scam-free-way-from-thailand-to-cambodia/

-          http://catmekongexpress.com/schedule.html

-          Tripadvisor.com

My NAIA Terminal 3 Immigration Experience: Part Two

This is part two of my NAIA Terminal 3 Immigration Experience. You can view part 1 here.

After I handed out the form I filled in, here’s what happened:

IO: San ka pupunta?
Me: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam po. Then Siem Reap, Bangkok, balik ng Phnom Penh, then Ho Chi Minh, tapos uwi dito.
IO: Ba’t mag-isa ka lang? Wala ka bang kasama?
Me: Busy po kasi eh. My siblings are in school and my parents have work.
IO: Patingin ng mga documents mo.

I gave her all. She looked at it one by one.

IO: Bakit Vietnam? Di Hong Kong or Singapore?
Me: Actually, naubos po kasi yung promo seats. But it’s okay naman po kasi makakatravel naman ako buy buses sa Cambodia and train for Thailand.
IO: Freelance writer ka? Pano yun? Paki explain nga. Pano yung sweldo?
Me: Yes po. I write for several online companies. Yung sweldo po via Paypal.
IO: Talaga?

I showed her my publishing contracts, Paypal statements, and bank statements.

IO: Anong gagawin mo sa Vietnam?
Me: Magtu-tour lang po.
IO: Baka maghahanap ng trabaho dun.
Me: Hindi po.
IO: Eh ano to?

She showed me the form where I filled up “Employment available in your country of destination (or something like this)”.

IO: Bakit “teacher”? Magtutro ka dun?
Me: No, hindi po talaga…
IO: So bakit nilagay mo to?
Me: I just follwed instructions… Sabi niyo ho kasi sagutan lahat.
IO: Oo nga, eh bakit “teacher”?
Me: Naisip ko lang po…
IO: Maghahanap ka talaga ng trabaho dun eh, noh?
Me: Hindi nga po. Sumusunod lang ako sa instructions…
IO: Miss, hindi ko kasalan kung yan ang sagot mo. Pwede kitang ioffload dahil diyan.
Me: No po, I’m not blaming you. Sinabi ko lang na I’m just following instructions. Eh yan yng naisip kong ilagay.
IO: Eh di sana N/A yung nilagay mo.
Me: Pero mag tu-tour lang po talaga ako…

I gave her my complete itinerary, hotel bookings, and budget proposal.

IO: San yung hotel booking mo for thailand?
Me: Ah, dun na po sana sako maghahanap kasi mas mura in person. Sa Khao San road.
IO: Parehas lang naman yun. Asan yung bag mo?
Me: Ayun po.
IO: Hindi ba pwedeng back pack?
Me: Mas convenient po saken yung trolley eh.
IO: Patingin nga ticket.

I gave her my ticket.

IO: 2012 mo pa pala to nabook?
Me: Opo, one year ko po tong pinagplanuhan.

She took some of my documents and went to the other room. I couldn’t explain how I felt. But somehow I believed I was going to be offloaded. Grabe yung gisa saken and
I told myself na okay lang… But no. I can’t afford to be offloaded. I had a trip to India to look forward to after a week!

The IO came back with photocopied docs of my original ones stapled on the form.

IO: Paki-explain nga ulit ng work mo.
Me: Eto po. [explained to her in details I forgot what about.]
IO: So makikita namin to sa website na to?
Me: Yes po.
IO: May camera ka?
Me: Eto po. [Took out my holga and trusted digicam]

She went back to the room for quite sometime. I was getting hopeless. It was nearly time for my flight but I was still sitting there, feeling oblivious. I was ready to text
my parents but the officer came back and gave me my form.

IO: Anong maganda sa vietnam?
Me: French Architecure. yun po talaga yung gusto kong makita.
IO: Maganda yung coffee sa vietnam. Export quality. Okay. Ibalik mo to dun sa kanya (referring to the male IO who interviewed me first). Okay ka na. Enjoy your flight.
Me: Wow! Thank you thank you po talaga!

I went back to the male IO checked, my form and then finally stamped my passport! I was super happy!They bade me a happy trip and I thanked them once again.

Green: PH Departure Stamp
Red: PH Arrival Stamp

In conclusion, I guess what saved me were the following:

• My detailed itinerary. Almost everyday I keep reading and revising it until I came up with something I’m confident to bring.
• Proof of Finances. It was tricky as I didn’t have a Certificate of Employment for my line of work. I also had a budget proposal with a one by one list of entrance fees, transportation,and food budget so it was very clear.
• Consistency and Composure. I guess, despite the big mistake, I didn’t really seemed to be pressured and tried to answer properly.
• Pure luck. This was on my side that night.

How was your Immigration experience?

My NAIA Terminal 3 Immigration Experience: Part One

It feels as if it was just yesterday.

I had everythig planned out for my first ever international travel. I had all hotel booking vouchers, return tickets, detailed itinerary, bank statements, and even a travel insurance. Months before, I didn’t really think it was hard. I thought that with my passport and tickets, I’d be able to go through smoothly.

Until I’ve read a series of news about Immigration Officers offloading passengers in doubt of their real purpose. This is done to prevent undocumented OFWs and lessen human trafficking. It’s a nice ideal, but the consequence is that  even legit tourists who only want to spend a holiday abroad can possibly be told to go home and get a bad record.

The thought of offloading made me nervous. Especially when I read their basis for doing so. I was a first timer with a clean passport and a solo traveler. Those alone are total red flags. To add up to that, I don’t have a stable employment. I’m an online freelancer.

So what I did was research. Research! Research! Research! I asked several big time Filipino travel bloggers and they responded
quite positively. I admit, their encouragement really eased me quite a lot.

And so, on August 21, my journey began.

****

It was within the hour of ten o’clock when I lined up on the immigration queue to get my passport stamped. I observed the others as I waited and remembered some tips I’ve read.

Stand confident.
Smile.
Be ready with your documents.
Line up infront of a male officer about your age.

Oh, I thought of the last one and found a time to switch lines. At some point there were foreigners being greatly questioned and there was shouting. I’m not really sure why. And when my turn came, I said hello and gave my passport and tickets. He was quite unresponsive. Okay…

IO: First time mo?
Me: Yes po.
IO: Sinong kasama mo?
Me: Ako lang po Sir.
IO: Bakit mag-isa ka lang?
Me: Busy po kasi yung family.
IO: Anong trabaho mo?
Me: Freelance writer po ako. Online.
IO: Ipakita mo saken lahat ng documents na meron ka.

I was shivering while giving my docs to him. Oh God… But I tried to stay calm as possible.

IO: Okay, so dalhin mong lahat ng to dun. Paki-fill up ng form tapos ibigay mo sa kanila.

He directed me to what I supposed was the holding area. I was subjected to secondary inspection. There were a number of people
sitting on the chairs. He gave me my documents and I thanked him.

As I was filling up the form, I could hear arguments, pleas, crying, and some desperately begging to let them go. I didn’t know I felt at that moment.
I just hoped for the best.

The form was an assessment I guess. It was very basic, asking the details of your travel. I could remember some:

Name:
Birthdate:
Purpose of travel:
Countries travelling to:
Occupation:
Budget (or something like this):
Countries travelled the past years:
Employment available in your country of destination (or something like this):

I tried my best to asnwer all, but I left a few details blank as they don’t apply to me. When it came my turn, I handed the form to a female IO.

IO: Paki-fill in lahat.

And I did as I was told. I filled in all of the blanks including “Employment available in your country of destination (or something like this)”

I wrote in “teacher”.

That was my BIGGEST MISTAKE. And you’ll see why in the next post.