Tokyo Airports; Narita & Haneda And Best Option To Get To Downtown Tokyo

Apparently Tokyo has two main international airports; Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND). Almost all international flights will arrive at Narita, except AirAsia and ANA (All Nippon Airways) which are currently flying to both Narita and Haneda. So which airport is better? 

Many visitors mistakenly thought that Narita is within Tokyo city but the truth is, Narita is actually nearly 70km away northeast of Tokyo whereas the closest to the city is literally Haneda. So far, I only been to Haneda Airport once cause most of the times, I arrived at Narita International Airport since I flew with Malaysia Airlines.    

NARITA AIRPORT TO DOWNTOWN TOKYO

Now, let's us start with Narita first since I more familiar with this airport rather than Haneda. Before deciding which is the best option to get to Tokyo from Narita, you should take these three factors into consideration; easiest, fastest and cheapest. 

1) Easiest and Convenient Options

Airport Limousine Bus is the easiest and hassle-free way to reach almost all major destinations within Tokyo and surprisingly, Yokohama too. For a single trip costs ¥3,200 (adult) and ¥1,600 (child), the buses drop-off at train stations and major hotels in each area, making this a very fine-tuned and breeze service. Depending on your destinations, it takes roughly around 75-125 minutes to travel from Narita Airport. You can reserve your ticket for Airport Limousine Bus from the official website (here). Alternatively, you get from Klook, my most favourite travel platform.

Airport Limousine Bus Check-In Baggage Rules:
Each passenger can only check-in baggage for up to 2 pieces in the baggage compartment.

2) Fastest Transfer (Two Options)

• Skyliner under Kensei Electric Railway - 36 minutes to Nippori Station and 41 minutes to Ueno Station. One way ticket costs ¥2,470; or
• Narita Express under JR East Company - Reach Tokyo Station under 55 minutes and also stops at other major stations such as Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Yokohama. A single trip costs ¥3,190 but if you bought the N'EX Tokyo Round Trip, the fare would be ¥4,000 for both return trip. Even more worth the value. 
• Both of these two train stations situated on the basement floor of Terminal 1 and 2. As for Terminal 3, you need to walk to Airport Terminal 2 (the closest one) on foot for about 15 minutes, or catch the free shuttle bus which takes about 5 minutes. 

3) Cheapest and Economical Transfer

• Airport Shuttle Bus - One way costs ¥1,000 (¥900 for advance booking from Tokyo Station and ¥2,000 for late night departure) heading to Tokyo Station and Ginza area. 
• The Access Narita Bus - A single bus ride to Tokyo Station costs ¥1,000 (¥2,000 for late night fares).  
• Kensei Limited Express/Access Tokkyu - The Access Express train will bring you to Oshiage Station under 47 minutes for the costs of ¥1,170 or to Nihombashi Station within an hour for a fare of ¥1,330. Another one, express train will can get you to Nippori Station (66 minutes for ¥1,030) or Ueno Station (70 minutes, ¥1,300) from Narita Airport. 

If you want further info and details about Narita Airport to Tokyo, you can refer to this post. I summarise my post from there.

HANEDA AIRPORT TO DOWNTOWN TOKYO


Like I mentioned earlier, I have been to Haneda Airport only once. And what comes to my horror is that my flight was delayed and thus, I landed at Haneda almost reaching to midnight. So if you are planning to fly with AirAsia to Haneda, always make sure to come out with backup plan - what if the flight is delayed?

If your flight arrive Haneda Airport on time, you can easily take the Tokyo Monorail running to Hamamatsucho Station for ¥470, and from there you can connect to almost anywhere in Tokyo under the JR Yamanote Line. The ride is about 20 minutes from the airport and the last train is around 11.30pm. Although the monorail is not under JR line, but it is fully covered with either Japan Rail Pass, JR Tokyo Wide Pass and JR East Rail Pass.

The other option is by catching the private Keikyu train line which runs to northeast of Shinagawa Station (15 minutes for ¥410). Some Keikyu trains from the Haneda Airport continue on to the Toei Asakusa Line to Nihonbashi and Asakusa Station. However, JR Passes are not valid for Keikyu trains.

Last option in the case where your flight is delayed and didn't manage to catch any of the trains above, Airport Limousine Bus is your final resort. Thankfully, it's not that expensive and time-consuming comparing taking from Narita Airport as Haneda is considerably closer to central Tokyo. The bus fares are vary according to your destinations, from ¥620 to ¥2,000. The first bus starts around 4.30am and the last bus will be around 2am.



TRANSFER BETWEEN NARITA & HANEDA AIRPORT
Only two options are available at this moment:
1) Airport Rapid Express trains on the Keikyu Line. The cheapest way to travel between Narita and Haneda Airport for the fare of ¥1,760 within 90 minutes.
2) Limousine Bus. Although it is quite pricey for the costs of ¥3,200 one-way, but it operates more frequently than the train.

Wondering why I never talk about taking the taxi? Cause it's only cater for the crazy rich people. Taking taxi in Japan will cost you rather a lot of yen. For a ride less than 10-minutes, the fare is roughly around ¥1,000 (approx. to RM40). Imagine the distance from Narita Airport to Tokyo is about 70km away whereas for Haneda Airport is about 30km ride, I bet that even hasn't start your trip yet, you have already burned such a big hole in your wallet.


Other Posts Of Tokyo:

• List of Accommodations I Stayed Before In Tokyo
• Tokyo Disneysea
• Tsuta - World's First Michelin Starred Ramen Restaurant
• Nakiryu - Tokyo's Second Michelin Starred Ramen Restaurant

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Tokyo - 1 Japanese Inn, 1 Capsules, 1 Hostel, 1 AirBnB & 5 Hotels I Stayed Before

What a long title. Plan to simplify it but it seems like plain boring. 

Searching for accommodations can be pretty tedious, especially when Tokyo has been labelled to be one of the most expensive cities and to keep within budget it's not an easy task. For this scenario, I always set a price range between RM200-300 per night for a hotel room of two. Before one proceed to book any sleeping accommodations, here are few tips I would like to share:

• Get to know the area you plan to stay cause Tokyo's main attractions are scattered around. Much of the Tokyo's budget stay including hostels can be found in the Taito area, especially Asakusa and Ueno. Taito area is not a bad idea to save your cost but bear in mind, in order to get to more popular areas like Shinjuku, Shibuya and Harajuku might takes 40 minutes to an hour by train. 
• The most cheapest option of course would be the capsule hotels but do take note, majority of them cater for male guest only. There are few can accommodate for female guests but quite limited. 
• Search for more affordable local chain hotels like APA, Sunroute, Smile, Tokyu Stay, Toyoko Inn and more. The rooms are usually tiny and cramped, but most of them are conveniently situated near to stations. 

That's all for my sharing. Now it's time to check out the kind of sleeping accommodations I stayed before. To date, I've stayed and experienced 9 different type of sleeping accommodations throughout my 6 trips to Tokyo. And normally I don't book the same accommodation when going back to the same country/city, unless that particular stay creates the best, a pleasant and unforgettable one.

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Summary of My 9D8N Taipei, Kahsiung, Kenting & Taichung (2015) Travelogues & Travel Expenses

Here is the compilation for all the posts relating to my trip to Taiwan for the third time where I managed to cover few popular cities like Taipei, Kaohsiung, Kenting and Taichung within 9 days and 8 nights I went back in 2015. By end of this post, I also share how much I spent throughout my trip. Did I spend more or less compare to my previous two trips? Read until the end to find out. 

Day 1: 7th March 2015

Arrived Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and took Kuo-Kang bus #1819 to Taipei Main Station. From there, we took taxi to Sato Castle Motel where we stayed for a night.

Hotel Review: Sato Castle Motel, Taipei


Day 2: 8th March 2015

On the next day, we travel on Taiwan High Speed Rail (HSR) for getting to Kaohsiung from Taipei. 

Although the cost of travelling via HSR is higher than taking the bus, but the journey takes just 90 minutes than 4 to 5 hours under the bus ride. Through the online booking, you can get an early bird discount up to 35% from the normal ticket fare. Normally this online booking is available up to 28 days from the departure date. Please take note the HSR station for Kaohsiung is Zuoying (左營).

Stay: Jia's Inn Liuhe

Direction: 6-minute walk from MRT City Council Station or 10-minute walk from MRT Formosa Boulevard Station. 

Dome of Light

Direction: Take the red line of Kaohsiung MRT and alight at Kaohsiung Arena Station. Proceed to B1 level and you will instantly see this beautiful art glass installation.

Ruifeng Night Market

Direction: Take the red line of Kaohsiung MRT and alight at Kaohsiung Arena Station. Get off from Exit 1 and walk for about 5 minutes.

Opening Hours: 6 pm to 12 am daily

Liuhe Night Market

Direction: Take either the red line or orange line of Kaohsiung MRT and alight at Formosa Boulevard Station. Get out from Exit 11.

Opening Hours: 6 pm to 11 pm daily

Day 3: 9th March 2015

Cijin Island

From Sizihwan Station under the orange line of Kaohsiung MRT, head over to Gushan Ferry Terminal. Get out from Exit 1, then turn left and walk to the end of the street. After that, turn right and you will see the ferry pier. One way ferry ride cost NT$15 and it's free seating. Once we reach Cijin Island, we decided to rent electric bike to explore the island itself cause it is unexpectedly consider to be huge in size. We're totally underestimated this island.

So, what to discover in Cijin Island?

1. Cihou Fort
2. Cihou Lighthouse - Opens 9 am to 5pm. Closed on every Monday 
3. Cijin Star Tunnel
4. Cijin Windmill Park 
5. Sea Shell Museum - Opens 9 am to 5pm. Closed on every Monday

Love River

Direction: Take the orange line of Kaohsiung MRT and alight at Yanchengpu Station. Take the exit for Wufu road and walk east up Wufu Road toward Love River.

READ HERE: 3D2N Itinerary in Kaohsiung

Day 4: 10th March 2015

A Relaxed and Laid-Back Trip In Kenting
In order to get to Kenting, take a ride on Taiwan High Speed Rail (HSR) to Zuoying Station first if you are travelling from Taoyuan or Taipei. From there, take Kuo Kang or Kenting Express bus heading to Kenting. The journey takes approximately of 2 hours for the price of NT$407 for a single trip and NT$600 for roundtrip.

Another second option is by sharing cab, like what we did. If you are traveling in a group of 4, probably this option is cheaper than taking the bus. 

It is possible to do day trip to Kenting from Kaohsiung but for me, I prefer to stay for a night just to experience the night market there. 

Stay: Sunhow Inn
Things To Do: Visit night market and Kenting Beach

Day 5: 11th March 2015
A Quick One In Taichung & Garden Stay Fengjia

From Kenting, my friend and I shared a cab to Kaohsiung and we requested to stop at HSR Zouying Station. From there, we took the High Speed Rail straight to Taichung. 

Alternatively, you can opt for bus from Kaohsiung to Taichung but being me, train is always my ultimate choice if the price is not hurting my bank account badly. 

Stay: Garden Stay, Fengjia
Things To Do: Visit Fengjia Night Market

Day 6: 12th March 2015

Right after our trip to Taichung, we travel back to Taipei again before leaving the nation. As usual, we took High Speed Rail from Taichung to Taipei instead of the long distance bus. For this round, I didn't book my ticket in advanced, we just went to the counter and bought on the spot. Because the HSR journey between Taichung and Taipei is relatively short, like approximately less than 40 minutes, therefore the trains are quite frequent. Well of course if you book through online earlier, you can get an early bird discount up to 35% from the normal fare. 

READ HERE: Taipei's Itinerary for Three Days

Taipei Zoo
Direction: Take MRT Brown Line to the southern terminus Taipei Zoo
Opening Hours: 9 am to 5pm
Admission Fee: NT$60 for adult and NT$30 for children (You can pay using Easy Card too)


Ximending Hot Pot
Address: 108, Wanhua District, Xining Rd, 157 號, Taipei City, Taiwan.
Opening Hours: 11.30 am to 2 am
Price: NT$498 for lunch; NT$598 for dinner


Day 7: 13th March 2015
Yangmingshan National Park

Direction: From MRT Jiantan Station, take Exit 1. And walk to the left-side bus station, buses heading to the north. Take either city bus R5 or small bus S15 or S17 to Yangmingshan station. 

You can also take bus 260 from Taipei Main Station.


Wufenpu Fashion Area

Direction: Take MRT Green Line 3 to the Songshan Station - Exit 3. Once get out from the exit, walk straight and continue walking until cross Songlong Road. The shopping district is located within the maze of alleys and lanes to your front and left. 

Opening Hours: Hours of operation for various shops are usually vary, generally opening after noon and staying open until there are no customers left, most commonly around 10pm to midnight.


Raohe Night Market

Direction: Take MRT Green Line 3 to the Songshan Station - Exit 5

Opening Hours: 5pm to 12am daily

Day 8: 14th March 2015
Yehliu Geopark

Direction: Take Kuo Kang 1815 bus from Taipei West Bus Station Terminal A - Exit Z3 (located at Taipei Main Station). Remember to purchase the bus ticket at Kuo Kang counter before boarding. The journey takes approximately 90 minutes, and the bus will drop you on the main road just outside the park entrance. Walk down the lane on the left side to enter. A single ride costs NT$96. 

Opening Hours: 8am to 5pm

Admission Fee: NT$80 for adult and NT$40 for children

Pingxi Station

Direction: Upon reaching Taipei station, make way to Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) to purchase northbound train ticket to Ruifang Station (瑞芳) for NT$49 each. Then from Ruifang Station, purchase One Day Pass at NT$54 for unlimited rides along the Pingxi Branch Line or a single trip at NT$20.

Day 9: 15th March 2015
Good9 Stay Inn Ximending & Last Day in Taiwan

Stay: Good9 Stay Inn Ximending

Travel Expenses

And the following are the details of travel expenses breakdown which I spent throughout 9 days and 8 nights in Taiwan: 

PARTICULARS	AMOUNT
	NT$	RM
Air Fares Malaysia Airlines KK – Taipei - KK Add: Upgraded to Business Class Accommodations Taipei – Sato Castle Motel (1 night) Kaohsiung – Jia’s Inn Liuhe ( 2 nights) Kenting – Sunhow Inn (1 night) Taichung – Garden Stay Fengjia (1 night) Taipei – Good9 Stay Inn (3 nights) Transportation Admission Fee Taipei Zoo Yehliu Geopark Food and drinks Others 8 Days Travel Prepaid Sim Card Movie & Popcorn Souvenirs, snacks, postcards, stamps, etc.	- - - - - 980 5,100 3,098 60 80 2,239 450 245 4,392	650 300 51 193 100 58 301 366 7 9 264 53 29 518
	TOTAL	2,899

(The exchange rate by the time I changed NT$100 = RM11.30)

Like I mentioned earlier cause this is my third visit to Taiwan, hence I tend to spend lesser on my personal spending especially for souvenirs. For my previous two trips, I spent roughly RM1,000 for each trip just to buy souvenirs and snacks. Plus, I already know what I want to buy and spend and this prevent myself from buying those unnecessary items and products.


Switchboard wall stickers and handphone cover bought in Kaohsiung.


Masking tapes


Top and handphone covers bought in Fengjia Night Market


Creative postcards designed and printed on woods, fabrics and even metal license plate.

And that's the end of my 2015 Taiwan travelogue. Hip hip hurray! *Jumping of happiness mode*
I know it's way too late for me to update about this, maybe some of the info might be outdated but don't worry, I did my research earlier while blogging by sharing the latest update information at least.

So now here comes another question - what's next? Which one should I blog first - New Zealand, Sri Lanka or Northern Light Hunting in Sweden and Norway? Find out soon on the next upcoming post. 

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Taiwan (2015): Good9 Stay Ximending & Last Day in Taiwan

My 2015 Taiwan travelogues almost coming to an end, and before I officially finalise everything - let me share with you of where I stayed on my final nights in Taipei. 

For my first night in Taipei, I stayed in one-of-a-kind Sato Castle Motel which I already blogged and shared it previously. 

As for final three nights in Taipei, I settled down in Good9 Stay Inn for to its excellent location which tucked in the heart of the hustle and bustle Ximending area. There are many popular attractions, shopping outlets and numerous eatery options within the inn. And the best of everything, Ximen MRT Station is just a minute's walk away. 

#1: Good9 Stay Inn Ximending

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Taiwan (2015): Taipei For The Third Time

My trip to Taichung might seem short but it's more than enough for me since I've been there three times. So our next destination is back to Taipei again. Oh hi there Taipei once again! As usual, we took High Speed Rail from Taichung to Taipei instead of the long distance bus. For this round, I didn't book my ticket in advanced, we just went to the counter and bought on the spot. Because the HSR journey between Taichung and Taipei is relatively short, like approximately less than 40 minutes, therefore the trains are quite frequent. Well of course if you book through online earlier, you can get an early bird discount up to 35% from the normal fare. 

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Taiwan (2015): A Quick One in Taichung & Garden Stay

From Kenting, we travelled to Taichung. Taichung is no longer a strange land for me cause for my record, I've been there three times. Why I keep going back Taichung? All because of Fengjia Night Market - one of my most favourite night markets in Taiwan. 

Like I shared before on my Kenting post, my friend and I shared a cab to Kaohsiung and we requested to stop at HSR Zouying Station. From there, we took the High Speed Rail straight to Taichung. Just when we're about to have a nap, little did we realise we had finally arrived Taichung as the ride took less than an hour only. Alternatively, you can opt for bus from Kaohsiung to Taichung but being me, train is always my ultimate choice if the price is not hurting my bank account badly. 

#1: High Speed Rail from Zouying Station (Kaohsiung) to Taichung.

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Relax & Laid-Back Trip in Kenting, Taiwan

After spending two nights in Kaohsiung, we then moved on to Kenting, the southern point of Taiwan. Since Kenting is conveniently accessible under HSR Zuoying, hence we decided to kill two birds with one stone by covering both Kaohsiung and Kenting. 

#1

HOW TO GET TO KENTING FROM KAOHSIUNG

If you are travelling from Taoyuan or Taipei, take a ride on Taiwan High Speed Rail (HSR) to Zuoying Station first. From there, take Kuo Kang or Kenting Express bus heading to Kenting. The journey takes approximately of 2 hours for the price of NT$407 for a single trip and NT$600 for roundtrip.

Another second option is by sharing cab, like what we did. If you are traveling in a group of 4, probably this option is cheaper than taking the bus. 

It is possible to do day trip to Kenting from Kaohsiung but for me, I prefer to stay for a night just to experience the night market there. 

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3D2N Itinerary in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Located in the southern island of Taiwan, Kaohsiung is the second largest city of the nation after Taipei. Despite being less popular and always overlook by most of the visitors, but its all year-round fine weather and the low cost of living making you no excuse to visit Kaohsiung. To date, I've been to Kaohsiung twice and hence, I would like to share information based on my personal experience and my handpicked list of Kaohsiung's attractions to see and do.

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Hotel Review: Sato Castle Motel, Taipei

The most typical things to do when comes to Taiwan are generally hitting the bustling and hustling night markets and stuffed with yummylicious street food. But then do you know Taiwan is also well-known for "minshu" - a type of accommodation equivalent to homestay, guesthouse, bed & breakfast and sometimes known as farmstay if there are animals within the property. The experiences of staying in minshu are completely different and unique comparing staying in a conventional hotel. So whenever I visit Taiwan, I will choose to book minshu instead of normal hotel. Mainly because I love the way how majority of these minshu are beautifully-decorated in interesting and fascinating layout. 

One of the unforgettable experiences for my Taiwan trip is staying in Sato Castle Motel of Taipei. By just looking the photos from the net, it immediately caught my attention and I booked without second thought. 

#1: Overview of Sato Castle Motel

Sato Castle is popular for offering different type of themed room and to date, there are more than 50 rooms with diversified style and unique theme. There are four categories of room to choose from; King, Queen, Castle and Knight. What distinguish four of them are obviously the size of the room and the room rate. The King is the largest one in term of size and so for its price too. 

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Asiatique The Riverfront, Bangkok

After spending three days and two nights in the stylish seaside town resort of Hua Hin, we then proceed back to the hustle and bustle capital city of Bangkok. Not once, not twice but this is my third time visiting "City of Angels". Cheap shopping, scrumptious street food, friendly local, vibrant night markets and colourful sighting which causing me to be back over and over again.

However for my first two visit here, I never make it to visit Asiatique The Riverfront. This waterfront open air night market was opened in May 2012 and I'm wondering, how could I ever miss out this place in the first place. Probably there are too many places to see and to do in Bangkok apparently. Anyway I glad that I finally make it here along with my friends. 

The best time to visit Asiatique is in the evening - start your journey around 4pm at least cause that's the opening hour. Besides that, you might also enjoy the spectacular sunset view overlooking the Chao Phraya River.

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Tokyo Disneyland & Its Themed Area Attractions

No matter how many times I've been to Disneyland, yet still it never enough for me.

In Tokyo, there are two different Disney theme parks; namely Disneyland and Disneysea. So which is better? In case you are going Tokyo for the very first time, I would recommend to pick Disneysea as it is one and only kind in the world, which you couldn't find in elsewhere. But since I've been Disneysea dating back in year 2010 with my friend, therefore I chosen Disneyland this time around. Plus none of my family members been to any Disneyland yet (even the nearest one in Hong Kong) so this is their first ever Disneyland trip. 

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Hotel Review: My Place @ Hua Hin

Finding a place to stay in Hua Hin is pretty simple for me - as long the location is nearby to the night market so that we can easily roaming around without have to worry about the transportation. After scouting around for the ideal hotel in Hua Hin, I came across My Place @ Hua Hin Hotel and my friends agreed to choose to stay in this hotel. 

After three hours ride from Bangkok, the driver dropped us somewhere close to the night market. And from there, we walked towards this hotel which just few minutes walk away. It's not really that far - like less than 5 minutes walk. 

#1: Overview of My Place @ Hua Hin Hotel

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3D2N in Hua Hin, Thailand

Why Bangkok again? 

Cause there will always be more of new things and places to discover and explore in this City of Angels. But when I went Bangkok for the third times with my friends, I suggested that we should include Hua Hin for our 5D4N Bangkok trip. And so we did. 

Hua Hin is a beach resort city that offer number of attractions and a variety of entertainments to the local as well with foreigners. From sunworshipping at the beach, fun thrilling at the themed parks or to shop till you drop at their outlet malls and even night markets. So many things to do, so many things to see, hence it's impossible for you to opt a day trip from Bangkok to Hua Hin. I would advise to spend at least 2 or 3 nights in Hua Hin to discover all these excitement. 

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Hotel Review: Meritz Hotel, Miri

Early of last year, my Boyfie and I decided to do long road trip all the way from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei and Miri. The last time I on this road trip was back in 2012 with my family for my cousin's wedding (My Old Post: 7 Hours From Kota Kinabalu to Brunei). Both Boyfie and I have been through this long and winding road trip quite number of times, just that we're not the who drove all these while. So surprisingly when I told Boyfie about my plan to do road trip across states and international borders, he agreed instantly to be the one who handling the steering wheel - guess, he doesn't trust my driving skills. 

As this road trip takes almost 20 hours to go and back, the choice is either overnight in Brunei or Miri. However taking into consideration that a Brunei Dollar is almost equivalent to RM3, hence I opted to stay in Miri for a night. Thanks to my BFF who is living in Miri, she recommended me to stay in this hotel, Meritz Hotel. 

#1: Meritz Hotel of Miri

Meritz Hotel is the latest four-star business hotel smacked right in the center of Miri city center. The two main reasons why I chosen this hotel are because first, it adjacent to shopping mall, the Bintang Megamall - that's pretty cool! Secondly, complimentary parking space provided as we're driving our car. I rarely take into account for parking space but this time, I have to.

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2015 Tokyo Trip With Family (8D7N Itinerary)

DAY 1: Kota Kinabalu to Tokyo 

• Flying with Malaysia Airlines to Tokyo, Japan. 
• Touchdown at Narita International Airport from Kota Kinabalu International Airport. 
• Taking N'EX (Narita Express) from the airport heading to Tokyo city center.
• Exploring around Akihabara district, known as the Electric Town of of Tokyo.

Malaysia Airlines - Our breakfast before reaching Tokyo

Taking N'EX (Narita Express) from the Narita Tokyo airport to the city center.

Our first dinner in Tokyo before start to explore around.

Akihabara, the Electric Town of of Tokyo.

DAY 2: Tokyo 

• Start our day by visiting Shibuya - taking photos with the iconic Hachiko statue, buying our Tokyo Disney tickets at the Disney store
• Lunch for Tonkotsu Ramen at Ichiran Shibuya  
• Continue to Harajuku where it's famous with vintage clothing stores and cosplay shops along the Takeshita Street. Plenty of dessert shops to try especially the sweet crepes.
• Leisurely stroll at Ikebukuro and dinner Coco Ichiban

Our breakfast nearby our hotel

Bought 1 Day Tokunai Pass

Shibuya - a-go-to spot for entertainment, shopping, fashion and restaurants. 

We got our Tokyo Disneyland tickets on third floor of Disney Store in Shibuya 

My first time of having Ichiran Ramen and what can I say, it's indeed oishi! 

When in Harajuku, must try their sweet crepes.

Had Coco Ichiban for dinner in Ikebukuro. 

DAY 3: Tokyo 

• Spending half day in Odaiba for a life-size Gundam statue in front of DiverCity Tokyo Plaza
• End our night at Tokyo Tower

DAY 4: Yokohama  

• Day trip to Yokohama from Tokyo (less than an hour train ride) 
• Visited Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse and Yokohama Chinatown 
• Went Nakano Broadway because my brothers want to go to this place but then I found 8 layers of ice-cream there. 

DAY 5: Tokyo Disneyland  

• Fun and enjoyable day at Tokyo Disneyland. We spent whole day here, from morning to evening just to witness the firework. 
• We got our tickets from Disney Store in Shibuya so that we don't have to be in the long queue when arriving Tokyo Disney Resort. 

DAY 6: Hakone 

• Day trip to Hakone for Mount Fuji but unfortunately, it wasn't fruitful one due to the adverse weather. 
• We bought 2-Day Hakone Free Pass at Shinjuku Station. You can purchase this pass at Odakyu station.  

DAY 7: Tokyo 

• Final shopping and strolling day at Asakusa.
• Must visit in Asakusa is Sensoji Temple and Nakamise Shopping Street. 

DAY 8: Tokyo to Kota Kinabalu 

• It's time to say sayonara to Tokyo.
• We took N'EX (Narita Express) heading to Narita International Airport. 

OUR HOTEL IN TOKYO 

Throughout our 8 days and 7 nights trip in Tokyo, my family and I stayed at the same hotel - Smile Hotel Asagaya. 

Smile Hotel Asagaya is conveniently sits adjoining to JR Asagaya Station. This is my family's favourite hotel in Tokyo because not just that there's a Starbucks, McD and plenty of eateries nearby but there is a 24 hours department store within the walking distance from the hotel. 

The only downside of this hotel is that the nearest metro station (Minami-Asagaya) takes approximately 10 minutes walk from the hotel, which my family members consider it's slightly far for them. 

Date Stayed: 4th July - 11th July 2015 (7 nights)
Room Rate Per Night: RM280 per night for a twin bedroom.
Nearest Station: JR Asagaya Station

MY SHOPPING HAUL 

It's really hard to leave Japan with empty handed. Everything is so cute and fascinating. Japan makes me want to buy everything I see but I need to behave myself, or else my wallet will be bleeding badly. 

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