aces go places: pi's japan travel intelligence

Japan is expensive but when the powers of LYu, XY and Pi combine, the costs look quite manageable now :)

I must say that I'm really pleased with the little 'truimphs' we score at keeping our essential expenses on air tix ($697) and accomodation to a total of under $1,300for our 10-day Japan Fantasy trip. Resourceful heh?

Let me share a few tips to help you budding Japan-Fantasy tripsters do your sums and planning.

Accommodation in Tokyo

Room rates - the room rates usually go by per head count, instead of per room per night. For those on budget, it's good to look out for guesthouses or even apartments. The guesthouses look really decent, clean and cosy I tell ya. And some are very near to the subway, which makes travelling around easy.

The Yamanote line - the train and subway lines in Tokyo are so plentiful that mere looking at the map gives me severe giddiness. BUT ~~~ there's one line you need to know for convenient getting around in the city and its name is YAMANOTE. Narita Express (the train from airport to town) stops along the circular line and staying near one of the stops on the Yamanote guarantees you easy access in and out of Tokyo.

Budget - It's good to be prepared to pay an average cost of $80.00 (per person per nite) in Tokyo's budget-style lodging. We got ours at a rate of about $55/person/nite. Yoohoo!

The Traditional Japanese Inn

Ryokan - what's a Japan trip without a taste of the traditional Japanese style of lodging? Try a night at the Ryokan though it's more expensive than your budget hotels. Prices range from $100/person/nite to $600/person/nite (or even more)! But a lot of the ryokans are really nice and some rooms come with private hotspring bath. This is luxurious living. And that's why we're 'doing' it only for a nite, at a price of under $150/person, amid the beautiful Hakone with Lake Ashi and the magnificent Mount Fuji as our backdrop.

Links to Japan Research

There are tonnes and tonnes of information available on Japan travel. The challenge is sieving through them, making the connections between pieces of inputs on the same thing and then deciding what's applicable for you.

I like using a country's official travel/tourism bureau websites (especially tourist-friendly nations like Taiwan, Thailand and Japan) to jumpstart my research. For Japan, you can visit: