Travel Tokyo on a Budget!

A Budget Traveler’s Guide to Surviving One of the World’s Most Expensive Cities

(As published in the December 2015 issue of Hardware Zone PH Magazine)

Oftentimes, fist timers and budget travelers get intimidated about traveling to Japan, particularly it’s capital city, Tokyo. It has been consistently listed in the top 10 most expensive cities for the past few years, which shies away budget travelers.

On my recent trip to Japan, I have realized that traveling to Tokyo can be cheaper than traveling to Hong Kong, which is the usual destination of Filipino travelers. But now, you have to know that Tokyo has fallen off from the top 10 most expensive cities due to the weakness of the Japanese Yen against the US Dollar. While this is bad news to Japan, this is good news for tourists as this would be the best time to travel there. Their government is very considerate to tourists now. I got my 5-year multiple entry visa in just 2-3 business days.

Let me share 10 tips to help you enjoy Tokyo without spending so much:

1.     Plan ahead! Make an itinerary, have a budget, make a shopping list, know what you want. This would help you save time and money as you go around the city. In Japan, everything is on time. I’m glad I brought my Veloci watch that got me constantly updated with the time.

Veloci Time

2.     Watch out for a seat sale! You would be surprised that my roundtrip airfare only costs around Php 4,000 (roundtrip Manila-Cebu-Narita), which I purchased during on April 2015. I took advantage of the seat sale and bought another ticket from Nagoya to Manila at Php 2,000, just so I wouldn’t have to pass through Cebu anymore.

a photo with Hachiko as soon as I arrived

3.     If you’re a solo traveler, CouchSurf! Not only you would meet new friends, you get a free accommodation too. Visit www.couchsurfing.org for more info.

4.     If you travel as a couple or a group, go AirBnB. This is way cheaper than getting a hotel room. You get to have your own place at the city’s top locations at just around Php 800 to Php 1,500 per person.

5.     Try a capsule hotel or a manga kissa for a unique experience. I don’t recommend this if you intend to sleep long hours. Most capsule hotels have a spa and you can stay there comfortably at a rate of Php 1,200/night. A manga kissa is a 24-hr internet café, where you can read manga books, surf the internet, use the shower, etc. for 30 minutes up to 12 hours. I have tried Manboo, near the Shibuya crossing. I paid around Php 580 for 5 hours, inclusive of unlimited drinks. Since the lights are out, I was able to use my Euroo LEDlit while I was searching through my stuff inside my assigned cubicle.

checking in at Manboo! Manga Kissa in Shibuya

6.     Get a Suica or PassMo IC card. It costs 2,000 yen but 1,500 yen is all consumable and it’s for a lifetime use. It is a reloadable card, which you can use for payments in the subway, convenience stores, restaurants, etc.

7.  Don’t miss shopping in Don Quixote, Daiso, and in shopping districts: Ueno and Akihabara. Don Quixote is a cool shop where you can buy a lot of interesting stuff. You can find one in Shinjuku and Ginza. Daiso, of course, is a famous 100-yen shop. Ueno is an area where you can buy clothes, perfumes, bags, chocolates, and everything Japanese at a cheaper price. For consumer electronics, Akihabara is the place to be. But after all the shopping, use a Euroo digital luggage scale to ensure you won’t exceed your baggage allowance.

Shibuya shopping district is the home of local designer brands

crossing the famous Shibuya crossing

You can buy these KitKat flavors from the stalls in Ueno

Found a lot of Totoro items at a Game Center in Ueno

fresh flowers at the Ueno shopping district

8.     Dine at hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Authentic Japanese food is not as expensive as you think. An average set meal would range from Php 200-Php400.

thanks to my friend Dra. Anika for the treat

we spent around 2000+ yen for these yakitori goodness

9.  You need not spend for good photos. You would spend a few hundreds for multiple subway rides but you don’t need to spend for admission fees all the time. You can visit the Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, and the Tokyo Imperial Palace for free. You would only have to pay entrance fee if you would like to go up the Tokyo SkyTree and the Tokyo Tower.

this was probably my third time in Asakusa temple

Speaking of good photos, don't miss having a Purikura sesh! You may find them inside Game Centers

10.  Enjoy Tokyo! Go to Disney Sea, cross the Shibuya crossing, visit the giant Gundam robot in DiverCity, take a selfie with Hachiko at Shibuya station, eat at Tsukiji Fish Market, and more!

huge Gundam Robot at Diver City, Odaiba

Better come super early (like 5am) at Tsukiji Fresh Market to witness the fish auction but in case you miss it, you can still eat fresh sashimi anytime at the restaurants there

I survived with just 30,000 yen pocket money for 4 days and 3 nights in Tokyo and I challenge you to do the same. Game?

the colors of autumn

BONUS post:

While we were there, we were able to visit the Tokyo Big Sight for the 44th Tokyo Motor Show. The exhibit was too big that we weren't able to explore all exhibit halls, but everything we've seen was just amazing! :)

a futuristic car from Benz

While we were also there, we got to visit Maria Ozawa in her bar in Shinjuku. On my last night in Tokyo, I came back as Maria offered to send me off before heading to Nagano to visit my relatives.

with my friend Ly and Maria

Watch out as I'll be posting my Nagano-Osaka-Kyoto-Nara-Kobe adventure soon :)

Classic Savory: A rich tradition of serving timeless dishes, lasting memories

Filipinos from all walks of life love to gather around sumptuous meals with family and friends. This has been the raison d'être why a postwar restaurant serving timeless dishes would live on to become a favorite place for diners, who wish to bond and create special memories over hearty meals and great conversations.

Established by the Ting Brothers in the 1950s post-World War II era as a single establishment serving chicken and lomi in Escolta, Manila, Classic Savory is now one of the country’s most loved restaurant chains with 80 branches nationwide.

   Classic Savory is the perfect place to treat your family and friends to timeless gustatory treasures.

Wanting to introduce the eatery to young foodies, the second generation of Tings, co-founder Antonio Ting’s son Ramon, relaunched the restaurant six decades later, in 2007, and situated more contemporary looking outlets in major malls (SM, Ayala Malls and Robinsons). The third generation of Tings, Ramon’s nephews and nieces, would help run the business as well.

Since then, Classic Savory has become a popular hangout of families and barkadas who wish to satisfy their cravings for reasonably priced, feast-worthy meals.

Classic Savory Marketing Manager Dennis Ting said, “Classic Savory has a long and rife tradition of serving Filipino-Chinese gustatory treasures that have stood the test of time. We shall continue to provide excellent dishes that would serve as perfect backdrops for cooking up tasty memories created among family and friends, and all groups of diners for that matter.”

Not only for dine in or take out, Classic Savory also brings their delectable dishes to your home parties and office events via caterings and deliveries. It has in fact become the preferred takeout food in some offices and catered meals in several home gatherings.

A mix of classic and contemporary dishes

Each of Classic Savory’s time-honored signature dishes, which include the Savory fried chicken, lomi and pancit canton, has truly become a must-try among the restaurants’ new and longtime patrons. 

Tender, juicy and tasty, Savory Chicken is the quintessential centerpiece of many feasts where families and friends create special memories.

Lomi was the main dish that the first-ever Savory would serve way back in the 50s. Its hearty thick soup and tasty noodles aptly made it the standard for delicious lomi, then and now. Another noodle dish that is to die for in the eatery is its delectable pancit canton, which combines saucy noodles with a generous serving of freshly cooked veggies, seafood and meat.

The Savory Chicken, meanwhile, has been a favorite of generations of diners, with its mouth-watering goodness making it the ultimate comfort food. Just like what its tagline says, it’s tender, juicy and tasty! Made even more heavenly with its delicious gravy.

No wonder balikbayans make Savory Chicken a coming-home treat as they miss its unique flavors while abroad. It has also become a perfect centerpiece of several celebrations like birthdays, christenings, and even weddings.  

Aside from these time-honored classics, the restaurant also came up with new dishes that have been equally well-received by its patrons.

Relish appetizing courses like Lechon Macau, Crispy Patatim, Imperial Beef Tenderloin, Beef Ampalaya, Veggie Lumpia Fried, Chopsuey Con Lechon, Beer Battered Crispy Fish Fillet, Steamed Fish in Garlic, Shrimps Relleno and Crab Foo Yong, among other dishes. Not to mention delightful desserts like Almond Fruit Float, Black Iced Jewels, Pandan Fiesta Salad and refreshing drinks like Tropical Cooler and Blended Iced Tea.

Classic Savory seafood dishes

With its superb menu selections and welcoming store ambience, diners will surely find Classic Savory the perfect place to bond and share great dining experiences. Truly a classic that create long-lasting gustatory traditions and memories!

Achievement Unlocked!

Finally, after 2 and a half years (5 semesters) in the postgraduate program, I finally got a master's degree! I have already completed all the requirements in graduate school last October 2013, but it was only on April 26 that we had the graduation ceremonies.

In the first 2 years of studying, I tried my best to balance full time work and school. However, I had to work part-time so I could focus on my review for our comprehensive exam and our final project (something like thesis).

since my family is abroad, I got my friend/classmate, Rona to go up the stage with me

Thank God, I survived! I'm now a Master of Technology Management from the University of the Philippines Technology Management Center (UP TMC), UP Diliman. I'm so thankful to my family for the support, and of course to my professors who have really taught me well. I can't imagine having paid for my own education. It felt so good! It's indeed one of my best investments.

my mentors: UP TMC Director Cruz, Dr. Posadas, Prof. Imbang

Dr. Roger Posadas - Philippine Father of Technology Management

My project adviser, Prof. Glen Imbang

I will surely miss graduate school, most especially my classmates who turned into good friends. Graduate school wouldn't have been the same without them.

batchmates :)

friends :)

my graduate school "barkada"

my closest girl friends in school, Mayette and Rona

Anyway, I really felt that this master's degree added value to me, most especially in the corporate world. It helped me land my current job as a full-time business consultant in one of the top technology companies in the world.

So if you guys are still deciding whether to take up masters (or MBA), don't think twice about it because besides the fact that it appraises your value, it's also very fulfilling personally. And if it's within the career that you wanna pursue, go for it because it is really applicable in the work environment, most especially when it comes to decision-making.

here comes the mandatory photo with the sunflowers

Jule, Leo, Me, and Mai (and I'm the youngest! haha #proud)

Just wanna share my post-graduation meal, which was treat to me by my friend, Irene from Iloilo City and her husband, Alex from London. It's my first time to try Todd English Food Hall at SM Aura, and I would say that it was a great experience! I love the food, the service, and the ambiance.

my fave: Crabonara

I forgot the name but it's a clam pasta and it's yummy!

S'mores :)

choco lava :)

me and Irene

It was really a celebratory weekend for me because my birthday and my graduation happened in two consecutive days!:)

xoxo,

city girl

FMFA 2014 Experience: Day 3 Cancelled

The trip could've been perfect, but FMFA Day 3 got cancelled and it kinda ruined everything. It was cancelled even after it has already started due to some deaths of attendees that occurred the previous night. Apparently, some people got overdosed on party pills at the ASOT650 night so the Malaysian police insisted on the cancellation of Day 3. They even promised to give us a refund of 1/3 of the ticket price. However, we didn't think Day 3 was worth 1/3 of the total ticket price because it was the day with the most loaded and the best line up supposedly. If I would assess, that's worth 60% of the ticket.

the commotion outside the event grounds

Anyway, we just decided to move on from what happened so we all headed to Bukit Bintang to have some food trip. From there, some of us headed back to the hotel while some of us checked out Zouk. Apparently, it's too crowded there so we just ended up at an Irish pub for a chill session. I was surprised to see how expensive the liquors and cigarettes there. I think it's because it's a Muslim country and that they discourage vices. We even became friends with the Filipina waitress there.

in the train on our way to Bukit Bintang

Bukit Bintang

streetfood dinner

group photo at Petronas

our first out of the country trip together

Petronas Twin Towers at night

third wheelin' this couple at an Irish pub

Ate Mylene, the Pinay waitress all dressed up for St. Patrick's

The next day, we transferred to the Arenaa Star Hotel, where Angelia and Mark checked in 'cause they're staying at KL longer. Then we had lunch at a nearby cafe called Lokl and they served us really good food. Anyway, a Chinese friend I met in Seoul who's based in Kuala Lumpur met up with me there. She took us in the hawker's place in Bukit Bintang at Hotung in the basement of Lot 10 Mall. She said, that food court houses the best food  choices from all over Malaysia. Since she wanted us to try the best ones, she took charge in ordering food and even paying for the bill. In fact, it's an advantage that we went there as a group because we got to try and share more dishes together.

Lunch at Lokl

my friend June from KL

the best dishes of Malaysia under one roof!

After our early dinner, we went shopping at H&M (one of my mandatory stops in every country I go to); then we headed back to the hotel, got our stuff, and went straight to the airport to catch our flight back to Manila.

off to the airport

It's not one of the best trips I had, but I realized, fun really comes from the people's you're with. Sometimes it's not about what you do and where you go that matters most, but who you're traveling with. I was just thankful that I went there with a fun-loving group of people so the cancellation of Day3 wasn't really that bad at all.

I couldn't present much in detail how much I've spent on this trip like how I used to do in my previous travel posts, but so far, I was actually able to survive with a really low budget. Here's a quick rundown of my expenses in peso:

Airfare - Php 7,000
Festival Tickets - Php 5,000
Hostel - Php 1,500
Food, Transpo, etc. - Php 5,000
Replacement Battery for my Camera - Php 2,000
Shopping - Php 1,500
Total: Php 22,000

And of course, thanks to my friends for some free food and booze.:)

I'm not sure if I would ever plan again a trip to KL, but probably my next trip to Malaysia will be just to visit Legoland and that might happen in one of my trips to Singapore soon.


xoxo,

city girl