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

Share:

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.

Share:

Recap of My 9D8N Australia Sydney, Brisbane & Gold Coast Travelogues

SUMMARY OF MY TRAVELOGUES

Day 1: 11th October 2014
Touched down Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport and explored around Sydney Town.
- Chinatown
- Paddy's Market
- Darling Harbour
- Harbour Bridge
- Sydney Opera House
(Post here)
Stay: Malaysia Hall Sydney  

Day 2: 12th October 2014
Sydney - Bondi Beach, Fish Market and Queen Victoria Building (Post here)

Day 3: 13th October 2014
Blue Mountain (Echo Point, Three Sisters & Scenic World) - Post here 

Day 4: 14th October 2014
From Sydney To Brisbane And Its Attractions In CBD & South Bank (Post here)
- Queen Street Mall
- Brisbane City Hall & King George Square
- Albert Street Uniting Church
- Wheel of Brisbane
- South Bank Grand Arbour
Stay: Riverside Hotel South Bank

Day 5: 15th October 2014
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary of Brisbane

Day 6: 16th October 2014
From Brisbane To Gold Coast And Harbour Town
Stay: Zenith Ocean Front Apartment

Day 7: 17th October 2014
Warner Bros. Movie World of Gold Coast

Day 8: 18th October 2014
Sea World of Gold Coast

Day 9: 19th October 2014
Surfers Paradise And Leaving Gold Coast Airport

Extra Posts:

• G'Day Sydney
• From Sydney, We Head To Brisbane
• Gold Coast, The Sunshine State

MY SHOPPING HAUL FROM AUSTRALIA

#1: All these I bought from Paddy's Market in Sydney. 

#2: Top and dresses for my mom, brothers and myself.

#3: A collection of magnets, keychain, coaster, card holder. 

#4: Baggage tags, keychains, magnets and mousepad got these from Warner Bros. Movie World. 

#5: Can't leave Australia without buying their local snacks. Bought from Coles Supermarket in Gold Coast.

TOTAL DAMAGES OF MY TRIP

PARTICULARS	AMOUNT
	AU$	RM
Airfare KL - Sydney via AirAsia X Gold Coast – KL via AirAsia X Sydney – Brisbane via JetStar Accommodations Malaysia Hall Sydney – 3 nights Add: Cleaning fee Riverside Hotel South Bank – 2nights Zenith Ocean Front Apartment – 3 nights Transportation Sydney - My Multi 3 Airport Rail Link to Sydney From Sydney to Airport AirRail Train Brisbane to Gold Coast Go Card – Refundable deposit Reload Go Card Entrance Fee Sydney – Scenic World Brisbane – Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Add: Koala cuddling Wheel of Brisbane VIP Pass for Movie World & Sea World Food and drinks In Sydney In Brisbane In Gold Coast Others Visa Souvenirs & shopping haul Wiyo Pocket WiFi	- - 74.50 60.00 15.00 - - 63.00 12.60 16.40 21.70 10.00 32.00 35.00 29.70 16.00 8.50 99.99 71.35 44.80 97.70 - 402.50 -	343 625 229 181 45 269 463 190 38 49 65 30 97 106 92 48 26 307 215 135 295 20 1,214 77
TOTAL (RM)		5,159

Exchange Rate: AU$1 = RM3.02 as at October 2014



Thanks to my best travel buddies for the fun, joy and happiness throughout the trip. 

Share:

Surfers Paradise & Leaving To Gold Coast Airport

Throughout our three days in Gold Coast, we spent most of our times in Surfers Paradise. One of the main reasons is because we were staying nearby too - so it's quite convenient and easy to reach for us. Each time after we came back from theme parks like Warner Bros. Movie World and Sea World, we will definitely go and hang around Surfers Paradise first before heading back to our apartment. 

#1: Peace to Surfers Paradise

The thing you should do in Surfers Paradise is none other than hitting its golden beaches. Although you don't know how to swim or even surfing, you still can go there relax, laid-back and do people-watching. And if you happen to be in Gold Coast on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, there will be more than 100 beachfront market stalls you can visit to. 

#2: Must pose with the iconic Surfers Paradise sign 

Share:

Australia Day 8: Gold Coast - Sea World

<< Previous Post: Australia Day 7 - Warner Bros. Movie World

So yesterday we had a day filled with fun and excitement at Warner Bros. Movie World and as for our third day in Gold Coast, our agenda is to get up close and personal with an amazing array of marine life at Sea World.

Share:

Australia Day 7: Gold Coast - Warner Bros. Movie World

<< Previous Post: Australia Day 6 - From Brisbane To Gold Coast & Harbour Town

Gold Coast has always been a favourite holiday destination for those looking for relaxed and laid-back beachside escape. So, no surprise to see quite number of people hitting the beach and some even went for surfing. However if beach is not your thing, fret not cause Gold Coast offers more than you can ever expected. One of them is the thrilling theme parks. 

Being the theme park capital of Australia, Gold Coast is a home to the biggest collection thrill rides and amusement parks that cater for all age groups. But due to time constraints, we can only pick two of theme parks for visit; Warner Bros. Movie World and Sea World. 

So on our second day in Gold Coast, we head on to Warner Bros. Movie World first, whereas for Sea World we save for the second day.

Share:

Australia Day 6: From Brisbane To Gold Coast & Harbour Town

I don't know what got into me. I blogged about my 2014 trip to Australia previously but then, I stop halfway. And when I browse through my last post regarding this travelogue, it was on 3rd July 2017 - gosh, that's like more than 2 years ago. It's funny how I able to complete my 2017 Australia travelogue but not this one. 

Honestly speaking, I was pretty dilemma whether should I continue with my super long backdated travelogues especially those between 2014 to 2016, or just proceed to blog with trip I went recently like Bangkok and Taiwan? But to think of it, this is the platform or space for me to share my own experiences and adventures. It serves like a diary for me, and that's the reason why I named my blog "Journal". In addition, I can browse through all my travel photos at anytime and anywhere I want. So after the long consideration, I decided to clear all my backlog travelogues as soon as possible before my memories for all these trips slowly fade away from my brain which unable to store plenty of things. 

Continue from here.

Heading To Gold Coast From Brisbane

After Sydney and Brisbane, we moved on to the last leg of this trip, Gold Coast. From Brisbane, we took train which took approximately 70 minutes from South Brisbane Station (cause we stayed nearby) to Nerang Station of Gold Coast. The trains run half hourly from 6am to midnight, 7 days per week. Upon arriving at the station, we then continued by taking bus #740 heading to Surfers Paradise, the most commercialised tourist suburb with the highest concentration of accommodations and attractions. 

#1: Train from South Brisbane Station to Nerang Station of Gold Coast. Then continue by taking bus no.740 to Surfers Paradise. 

Share:

4D3N Kuching Itinerary For The First-Timer

Kuching is one of the cities in Malaysia that I went pretty often. Mainly because part of my family members are staying there and that's explain why I always go back Kuching like every 1-2 months. Another reason is because I'm a Sarawakian too, though I wasn't born there. Since I've been there many times, hence I thought why not create a post for those who are interested to go Kuching for the very first time? Plus, quite number of my friends actually asked me - what to do and see in Kuching, so here's the post as your reference to plan your trip there. 

Besides being the capital city of Sarawak state, Kuching is the largest city of East Malaysia as well as the largest city on the island of Borneo. The name of the city, Kuching is thought to derive from the Malay word "kucing" indicates cat. To date, cities like Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kota Bahru of West Malaysia do have direct flight to Kuching without any stop.

Sarawak need passport? The most common question I always came across. Oh well, it's up to you; either just bring along your identification card (IC) and you will receive a temporary visitor slip which need to return when exiting the state (do not lose it or else, you need to lodge police report) OR you can even show your passport and you will get a stamp. Yes, a stamp on your passport even you are a Malaysian. This applies to a Sabahan too when visiting Sarawak. However for Sarawakian who is going to Sabah, there will be no temporary visitor slip given or even stamp on the passport. That's shows how powerful Sarawak status is.


Another question I got is, what's the currency for Sarawak? Dude, Sarawak is part of Malaysia and therefore, Sarawakian is also using Ringgit Malaysia (RM/MYR).

Now here is my recommended 4D3N Kuching itinerary if you are visiting for the very first time:

DAY 1

Begin your Kuching trip by going to Padungan Street Area for photo opportunity with various cat statues and savouring local food at Song Kheng Hai Food Court. Do try local food and snacks such as Belacan bihun, kompia, fruit rojak and cococane juice there.

Song Kheng Hai Food Court
Opening Hours: 11am to 5pm. Closed on every Monday. 

A handful of cat statues along the Pandungan Street

Continue by heading to Padang Merdeka as this is where abundant of attractions situated; ranging from historical museums such as Sarawak Museum, Sarawak Art Museum and Islamic Heritage Museum to creative and colourful murals depicting Kuching's rich history and culture stretching along the street nearby Electra House, Open Air Market to Indian Street Pedestrian Mall. 

DAY 2

Kicking-off your day by having Sarawak Laksa for breakfast at Choon Hui Cafe. Even the late Anthony Bourdain, the world-renowned travelling & celebrity chef came here twice just for the laksa. Don't forget to saviour the popiah and kaya toast too.

Visit the Sarawak Cultural Village. Since it is situated 45 minutes away from the Kuching city center, hence you might either need to rent a car or take a Grab for a single-trip between RM30 or more. Also known as the "Living Museum", Sarawak Cultural Village is an ideal place for those who want to discover and learn more about the local culture, heritage and lifestyles of the various ethnic groups and tribes. Here, you get to see different kind of traditional houses, cultural dance and performances.  

Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm daily
Entrance Fee: RM54 for adult and RM27 for children if you purchase online here. 

Take a stroll at Damai Beach, which located opposite of Sarawak Cultural Village. It's a nice beach with a stunning view over Santubong mountain. However, the beach is not suitable for those who intend to go for swimming. You can grab some snacks and drinks before heading back to the city center. 

Dropby at Cats Museum while on the way back to the city center. Housed on the ground level on the Kuching North City Hall Building, this cat-themed museum contains more than 4,000 artifacts including paintings, photos, art, souvenirs and memoriable related to the feline family. 

Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm daily

Entrance Fee: RM3 for adult and RM2 for children.

If you happen to be in Kuching during the weekend, why not end your night by going to Siniawan Night Market. This night market only opens on weekend - Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Approaching to 30 minutes drive away from the city, this small and charming heritage town is an amazing place to spend the evening by hunting for local delicacies on the street lined with two rows of wooden shophouses, and Chinese lanterns light the street below.

Opening Hours: 6pm to 11pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only.

DAY 3

A trip to Kuching is absolutely incomplete without having kolo mee. So far the best kolo mee I ever had is Sin Lian Shin at Green Road. You can either opt for plain or seasoned with red sauce (basically it's the char siew sauce which makes the noodle taste slightly sweeter).

If you are looking forward for something close to the nature and also wildlife, probably you can consider either going to the Bako National Park or Semenggoh Wildlife Centre. However, you can only pick one as it impossible to cover both in a day. Glad that I have finally managed to visit both of these places this year but in two separate Kuching trips.

During my recent trip to Kuching May this year, we drove to Bako National Park which is about 30 minutes drive from the city. We reach there as early as 8am in order to catch the boat from the terminal to the jetty of the national park. I personally think it's best one need to be physically fit and tough to get through the trekking trail cause there are few trails were pretty tough and steep. We're grateful we managed to sight few Proboscis monkeys (the main star of the national park), silver-leaf monkeys, long-tailed macaque monkeys as well as wild board running free around the park during our visit.

Two type of fees:
1) National Park Entrance Fee: RM10 for adult and RM3 for children.
2) Boat Ride Fee (Return): RM30 for adult and RM20 for chiclren. The last boat ride back to the terminal is 3pm

As for Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, I went and dropby when I was in Kuching on November this year. The drive from city center to there took about 45 minutes. Unlike Bako National Park, Semenggoh is an easily walking trail and it's suitable for the young children and elderly. Just that from the ticket counter to the feeding trail, it's about 2-3km walk but don't worry, you can take a ride on a van for RM1 per person for a single ride. Semenggoh is an ideal half-day trip to encounter orang-utan, one of Borneo's endangered species. But be sure to get there before 9am or 3pm cause that's the only time for the feeding trail open to visitor.

Feeding Time: 9am-10am and 3pm-4pm daily

Entrance Fee: RM5 for adult, RM3 for senior citizen and disabled person and RM2 for children (For local only)

After a full-day of jungle trekking or a half-day trip to watch orang-utan being fed, quench your thirst by having Kuching's best ice-kacang (shaved ice) at Swee Kang Ice Kacang. Besides a bowl of standard ice kacang, don't leave the shop without trying the "White Lady" drink which is pretty popular and only can be found in Kuching.

Opening Hours: 12pm to 6.30pm. Closed on every Thursday. 

On your last night in Kuching, take a walk and enjoy sunset at Darul Hanal Bridge, the latest additional of Kuching's attraction. Built with "S-shaped", it is a pedestrian bridge that connects both north and south side of Kuching river. 

DAY 4

Before bidding goodbye to Kuching, why not bringing back some kek lapis (traditional layer cake) as souvenirs for your friends and family? It's best to go on your last day of your trip in order to maintain the freshness of the cake. There are two shops highly recommended for selling the best kek lapis; Kek Lapis Dayang Salhah and Mira Cake House. Generally, each cost RM10 and if you bought 10, you will get 1 for free.  

How To Get These Two Kek Lapis Shops:

Take a boat across from the Waterfront 7-Eleven and turn right until spot a green mosque. Kek Lapis Dayang Salhah is just behind the mosque while Mira on the left side. There are signboards for both. 

And in the case you are searching for tourist memento and tribal handicrafts, venture and wander a very long row of shophouses along Waterfront Main Bazaar Street. Besides getting some typical knick-knack stuff, you might find local items such as the famous Sarawak black pepper, Sarawak laksa paste, instant kolo mee and more. 

Last but not least, enjoy a hot cup of coffee pairing with cake at a cafe of Kuching Old Courthouse before depart to Kuching International Airport.

Where To Stay In Kuching

The best area I would suggest when comes to picking accommodation in Kuching are those in between Padungan Street Area to Kuching Riverfront for its ideal and convenient location. Most of the hostels and budget hotels are located along Padungan Street Area whereas for 5-stars international hotels such as Pullman and Hilton are situated in the heart of Kuching.

For a long-list of food you should try and have when in Kuching, do read my post here.


Extra Info
To make your trip to Kuching more interesting and fun-filling one, schedule your trip to visit during Rainforest World Musical Festival or Kuching Food Festival Fair that held annually, most probably in the month of July every year.


Rainforest World Musical Festival, a three-day music festival celebrating the diversity of world music that held annually at Sarawak Cultural Village. Next year will held on 10-12 July. So save the date!

Kuching Festival Fair, a month-long food fair houses hundreds of mouth-watering local and international cuisines. 

Share:

Things We Do, See & Eat For 3D2N Sandakan Trip

Sandakan is one of the cities in Sabah state that I always looking back for more. For your information, Sandakan is the former capital of British North Borneo (now known as Sabah) before it moved to Jesselton, currently well-known as Kota Kinabalu. It's the second largest town in Sabah after Kota Kinabalu. Normally for us who live in Kota Kinabalu, we either do self-drive road trip which takes about 6 hours, or probably by taking the long distance bus from Inanam Bus Terminal but in the case you run out of time and want to get there in the faster way, of course you can opt by taking plane as the flight duration only takes 45 minutes. 

Share:

AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur To Tokyo Narita for RM446

Few years back AirAsia X did commence direct flight to Tokyo-Narita  before they suspended. And guess what, now they are back again with this route and look at their fare, it's incredibly cheap considering November and December are school holiday period. 

So, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and check out from AirAsia website.

Share: