[Travel] Traveling to Tokyo with a budget? Here's how you can travel to Tokyo for just $660 per pax (inclusive of air tickets and accomodation)

Dear readers,

Always have plans to visit Japan but low budget so you decide to forgo the trip?

Fret not, because that was my initial thought too, but turns out, Japan isn't as expensive as how everyone thinks it is.

So here are some tips I have for anyone traveling on a budget (like I always do).

Flight:
To work around a budget for flight, you should try not to exceed $500 for a trip to Japan. You'll be able to spend slightly below $400 if you manage to catch a good deal (and if you book earlier in advanced) Scoot constantly offers amazing offers, so be sure to catch them! (Reminder, this is not a paid/ sponsored post, I am just sharing my experience to you guys)

For my recent trip to Tokyo in June, I booked my flights really last minute, about 2 weeks in advanced so I did not manage to get such an attractive flight price. My flight with Scoot was about $515 per pax, which wasn't so bad, but if you cannot survive without entertainment and food on flight, then Scoot will not be the flight you'll want to take for a trip to Japan. Perhaps, consider Japan Airlines, which was about $650 per pax. Plus they fly direct and provides meals on board. But being such a budget person, I wanted to save that $145 per pax (so I could do more shopping and eating) so I flew with Scoot in the end although Japan Airlines' price was pretty attractive.

Price Damage: $515 per pax

Accomodation
For accomodation, when I was sourcing around, Tokyo accomodations were rather expensive as compared to the prices in Korea.

While definitely you'll want to stay at somewhere convenient, eg. Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, etc. do note that the prices are much much steeper there (About $90 to over $100)

Before I went, I asked my friends on locations they recommended to stay in Tokyo. The common response were Ueno, Tokyo station, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Harajuku. But since I was traveling on a budget, I stayed at a Flexstay accomodation which provided me everything I needed. While it might be near a small (and rather unknown) station, plus tourists hardly stay near this station, it provided me decent convenience to travel to all areas. Plus, Flexstay Inn Higashi-Jujo was just a 2 minutes walk/ 1 minute brisk-walk to the Higashi-Jujo Station, and a 5-7 minutes walk to Jujo Station. From Jujo station, there were direct trains to Shinjuku and Shibuya, which made it very convenient since it was close to 2 different train stations of different lines. To add on, the environment made it a wonderful to experience their local neighbourhood atmosphere.

In the room, amenities were more than sufficient. Ensuite bathroom, double bed with quilt, bedroom slippers, bathrobe, shampoo, shower gel, razor blades all inclusive.

I really loved the comfy feel of the room (it wasn't spacious nor was it too cramped) and the amazing price paid for the room makes it even more worth it.

Price Damage: Max $60 per night (extremely affordable for ensuite bathroom and everything you need is available in the room)

Food
Expensive food in Japan? No, not at all. It's decently priced, really!

As a pretty giam siap (aka thrifty) person, I felt that Japan was a perfect paradise for food. Quality food with amazing prices.

They have many underground shopping areas which offers affordable and a decent variety of good (some were really cheap: about SGD5)

My personal list of must-eats in Tokyo (in no specific order):
1. Tako-yaki
There's this brand, Gindako that you'll come across almost anywhere in Tokyo. It tastes yummy because it's serve when its just done so it's warm and there's generous amount of fillings. There's also a popular stall in Ueno (Ameyoko Street) with affordable and yummy tako-yaki. There's usually a queue at this stall I think because people like the idea of choosing how much bonito flakes, seaweed powder and mayo you'd like with your tako-yaki.
Price Damage: $

2. Red bean filled fish-shaped pancake
This can be found anywhere, even in the shopping malls. Some are in the shape of a fish, while some are not. All tastes about the same, but I loved this snack in general because the filling is extremely generous. Every bite of pastry always has sufficient red bean filling.
Price Damage: $

3. BBQ squid with Japanese mayo
(THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING THING I ATE IN TOKYO)
I have no idea where else can you eat this, but I had it at one of the seafood stalls in Ueno (it was a small quiet lane) but served amazing food like Chirashi Don. I paid only about 300 plus yen for this squid which I got a chance to BBQ myself. Wonderful experience, wonderful price, wonderful taste.
Price Damage: $$

4. Green tea/ Matcha ice cream cone
Everywhere and anywhere serves this. But the cheapest one I came across was in Ueno along Ameyoko Street (about 200/250 yen). The usual price for this is about 300-400 yen. Really love how the ice-cream is so smooth and milky.
Price Damage: $$

5. Ichiran Ramen
The famous Ichiran Ramen is a must-try. If you're in Tokyo for more than a day, I guarantee you'll want to go back the next day after you've first tried it. The texture of the noodle is something that any Singapore ramen store will never be able to replicate. The broth is so rich and fragrant that I wished the soup was free-flow. Their onsen egg was also really yummy and cooked just right (it tastes different from those in Singapore's ramen stores). Ichiran can be found in tourist areas like Shibuya, Asakusa, Shinjuku, etc.

Tip: Request to sit at the private counter. No one will ever see how unglam you slurp your noodles and gives you all the privacy you need to eat your noodles. Experience the local culture! (which you'll never experience in SG) (plus there's a water dispenser in each of these private counters)
Price Damage: $$$

6. Curry Rice
Their curry rice is worth a try while in Tokyo. The curry is usually really fragrant and tasty because the meat is cooked with the curry till really tender and soft .Japan's beef curry is supposedly really popular, but I didnt try due to religious beliefs. Do try and let me know how's it!
Price Damage: $$

7. Pablo Cheese Tart
Try their special items that are available only to that certain branch. I'll recommend to visit the branch at Harajuku as I love the atmosphere there and they have some branch special menu (where certain items are not available at their other outlets). There's always a queue, even on weekdays, but definitely worth the queue. I ordered the big Pablo tart, small cheese tarts and matcha cheese tarts. Those were really good, and are must-try. Even if you don't dine in, do tabao back to your hotel room!!

They serve shaved ice too but really, don't waste your money getting that. It was just coarse shaved ice with choco syrup and choco flakes drizzled and sprinkled over. (I find our Ice Kachang tastes much better)
Price Damage: $$$

8. Unagi 
(OMG THIS IS A MUST-EAT IN TOKYO, THEIR UNAGI IS A 1000 TIMES NICER THAN ANY UNAGI YOU'VE EATEN (in SG) THE PAST IDK HOW MANY YEARS IN YOUR LIFE, I GUARANTEE, SUMPA)
I tried Unagi don at Tsukiji Fish Market. It was really cheap and good. The unagi was so soft and almost melted in my mouth. Words cannot describe how amazing it tasted, you should go and try it for yourself. Total price damage should not exceed 1000yen if you choose the regular sized one.
Price Damage: $$$$ (but super worth it for the portion size and for its amazing texture and taste)

9. Chirashi Don
I had this at Ueno with the BBQ squid. The amount of fish in there is really really generous for the price I paid. I had mine for about SGD10, and the amount of fish was really overflowing I couldn't even see the rice in the bowl. Worth a try, and you should probably try it at one of the stalls at Tsukiji (I didn't as the queues were crazily long)
Price Damage: $$$

10. Sashimi
I tried the sashimi from Sushi Zanmai. Request for a counter seat, it will be great experience seeing the chefs prepare the sashimi and serve it to you directly. The seafood were really fresh and it was really yummy. What's a trip to Japan without trying their Sushi? I know there are other more popular places for sashimi in Tokyo, but I'm not a fan of sashimi so I did not do any relevant research.
Price Damage: $$$


Shopping

Fashion:
I did most of my shopping in Ginza and Takeshita Street. Most of my clothing were from GU, Uniqlo or F21. The stores there have really amazing offers that you would NEVER find in Singapore even during the GSS period. I bought several culottes at about 500yen, that's about SGD6 only. I also manage to get several dress and bottoms from F21 for below 12SGD too. It was amazing shopping in Tokyo, and totally beyond my expectations. I left for the trip thinking I'd go back with minimal shopping, but I came back to SG with more shopping than expected.

Takeshita street has this really cheap clothing store on the left side of the street (2nd level). Majority of the clothing are below SGD12 and I managed to get really good value clothing like denim vests and off-shoulder blouse from there.

Tidbits/ Souvenirs:
You must be thinking, what to get for friends/ family as souvenirs. I would personally recommend getting tidbits unique to Japan. In fact, you can get really interesting stuff in Daiso.

Do note that in Japan's Daiso, majority of the stuff are priced at 100yen (which is about SGD1.20) Though keep a lookout on the price tag as there are other items priced at 150, 200, 250 ... 550yen too.

What I got back as souvenirs from Japan were matcha flavoured Oreos, green tea, sushi-design mini erasers, matcha flavoured kit kats, matcha-flavoured everything basically... I had one whole handcarry bag filled with tidbits (cos they were really cheap and good!!)


Overview
As you guys can see from the post, Tokyo isn't really an expensive city to visit for a budget holiday. I had a wonderful time in Tokyo, and my expenditure per pax was really decent. If you guys have any budget tips to share, comment below. I'd want to learn too!

Hope you guys enjoy the blog post. Stay tuned for pictures of the Tokyo trip soon!!

Love,
Rachel

[Travel] Bangkok Scoot Flight 2014 Review and Tips

Hey readers!!

Decided to do some travel reviews. Will start with the most recent one, and if there are actually significant viewers and readers, I'll continue posting!(:

For this blog post, it will be purely for FLIGHT reviews and tips. Follow up on more blog posts regarding itineraries during my 5-day Bangkok Trip June 2014!

Headed to Bangkok (my favourite travel location ... for shopping) on the 14th June 2014. (SIN --> BKK)

It was a very last minute decision to fly as I was viewing through online that Scoot was having a promo fare to Bangkok. 

I paid $370-ish for the tickets for both my mother and I. That was the best flight deal I've ever gotten! The best part was that I booked the tickets about 3-4 days before I actually flew. (I loved that feeling. It was like a pack-and-go, YOLO decision- Makes me feel more enthusiastic about life. HAHA)

Forgot to mention earlier, the flight deal was the FlyBag option, which means checked-in luggage was included. This was so much cheaper than AirAsia which fares doesnt include checked baggage, Also, I was worried that my mother and I would not be able to get adjacent seats (plus I love window seats), so I opted to pay extra to choose my own seat. Can't really remember how much I paid for the seat selection. I think it was SGD8 per pax? (Yup, so actually my tickets were much much cheaper if I hadn't opted for such options). HOWEVER, do note that Scoot doesnt serve in-flight meals, nor do they have entertainment onboard. 

In-flight meals were available at additional costs while on the flight, and you can actually choose your preferred meal while purchasing your tickets. I felt it wasn't worth it to pay around SGD10 for an inflight meal, and especially since it was just a 2.5 hour flight. 

Although I was slightly worried when I read online reviews that the Scoot staff were very unfriendly and that the seats were not of acceptable comfort, I felt that it was totally worth it for the price I paid for it!

Look at the seats! They look great right? The plane looked quite new (although Scoot planes are supposedly refurbished SIA planes). The seats comfort level were the usual Economy class seats. 

As the saying goes "You get what you pay for", so definitely I wasn't expecting a soft cushiony type of seat nor a first class service from cabin crews,

The flight went rather smoothly with occasional turbulences which can't be avoided as it depends on weather conditions(: 

The picture below shows my in-flight meal. (Yes, I smuggled Burger King 6pcs nuggets- although it was against their rules but I didnt get caught)

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I took the 5.35pm flight, so I reached there only at about 8pm (Singapore Time). 

Look at the pretty clouds in the sky which I managed to capture while the plane was during a right turn!

This was taken about 5 minutes before we landed in Bangkok.

 Yay! A safe landing in Bangkok! The flight left Singapore slightly late as they made the announcement that there was a long queue for the runway, however, we still arrived earlier than the expected arrival timing (applause for the pilot for choosing a shortcut route- Maybe?). After clearing customs, we went to collect our baggage which took forever to come.

I think it was because we landed earlier, therefore when we arrived at our baggage claim conveyor, it still had remains of some luggages from another flight. Everyone waited for about 10 minutes before the luggages appeared on the conveyor.

I'm too lazy to type for the return flight, but it was about the same experience and not that I noticed too much about the plane as I was dead tired after the 5 days worth of shopping. (aka I slept through the flight back to Singapore)

Rating for Flight Experience:

Cabin Crew: 8/10
Remarks: They were slightly late in response when I needed assistance to purchase their souvenirs from their on-air shopping catalogue. Other than that, I couldn't comment on as I didn't order in-flight meals or called them for any other purposes. Oh, I have to mention that they were not too polite when asking me to adjust my seat back to it's upright position.

Ambience on flight: 9/10
Remarks: The 1 point deducted was not because the flight wasn't very enjoyable, but rather due to occasional children screaming and shouting (which can't be prevented either way). They dimmed the light to allow some short power nap

Seat Comfort level: 9/10
Remarks: As mentioned above, but the seat recliners were not functioning at its best. Some seats were loose (and caused occasional squeaks as the passengers shuffled in their seats)


Tips for Scoot Flights:
- Always bring an empty water bottle as there are water coolers at the back of the plane for you to quench your thirst during the flight (and if you're as cheapo as me who doesn't want to pay for food or drinks). Not too sure if they provide plastic cups (as no one around me did so)

- Do not expect too much for Scoot flights as it is meant to be a budget carrier.

-If you and your travel partners are sharing one luggage (eg. 2 person 1 luggage), get the FlyBag option for 1 pax, and the Fly option for the other pax), it should be sufficient, unless you're worried your baggage weight might exceed (which shouldnt be the case as my average-sized luggage weighed only 18.3kg when I came back.

- Try to sneak small snacks on board especially if you have a long flight (and don't get caught, obviously)

- Bring your own source of entertainment (no inflight entertainment, games, movies, shows, music etc.) They do have a personal TV, but ... it doesnt work (duh, it's a budget carrier)

- Bring  a portable charger, especially if you plan to read ebooks or play games on your electronic devices.

OH AND YES,

I forgot to mention that Scoot no longer fly to the Survanabhumi Airport. They now fly to Don Mueang only. Don Mueang is quite close to Chaktuchak so if you intend to stay near Chaktuchak Weekend Market, it will be great!

I might try flying with NokScoot if I am flying to BKK this June.
Will post a review then!

Cheers,
Rachel