Difference between revisions of "Travel Dec 2015 South-Korea, Japan"

Latest revision as of 12:00, 21 January 2016

Twin Rabbit Guesthouse - located in Hongdae district, great base to explore the city, super clean, kitchen and free tea on the ground level, washer and dryer free to use on each level, small but cozy
Oasis Guesthouse - another guesthouse in Hongdae, two private rooms and a shared room, more of a home or bnb style over this place, Oazzang has some big dreams and will take care of you

Instant-noodles - go to the nearest 7-Eleven, GS25 or CU and taste any of the numerous instant-noodles, prepare them in-store
Taiyaki - dessert snack, fish-shaped waffles filled with red bean paste, try them fresh from the street stalls
Eggmuffin - get the stand between the Namdaemun gate and Namdaemun market, there is a lady serving fresh eggmuffins
Korean BBQ - try one of the charchole fired BBQs along/side-steet of the main street in Hongdae
Dukbokki - dish made of soft rice cake, fish cake and sweet red chili sauce

Seoul Tower and surrounding park - Huge radio tower in central, take the trails from the west up to the top
Cheonggyecheon creek in central Seoul - 5km long canal with walkways on both sides
Namdaemun/Sungnyemun Gate and market - one of five city gates, visit the near-by Namdaemun market
Esports live game - if there is any StarCraft or Dota tournaments going on, make sure to get to one

First Cabin Tsukiji - modern or next generation capsule hotel, you get an entire cabin with suite you wear and toiletries, and access to showers, spa, pool, washer on the upper floors
Tokyu Stay Shinjuku - super business style hotel, single rooms, kettle in the room and free tea in the hallways, just perfect!

Matcha tea and chocolate - must try and everyday mission, e.g. MeltyKiss, Pocky,
Galbo sweets - suuper good round pieces of candy, try all the different kinds - in Family Mart
Denny's Japan - you go there mostly to see the menu and the amazing attention to detail on the dishes
Family Mart onigiri - rice balls wrapped in seaweed, with different fillings and flavorings, great value and delicious snack
Hi-end Sushi - if you get the chance, visit one of the Michelin-star sushi restaurant - we went to Kyubey Sushi in Ginza
Harajuku Crepe - the district is known for its crepe
Ramen - delicious noodles in a variety different broths/soups

Tokyo Metro - chaotic but efficient, this metro system is truly the heart and veins of Tokyo, make sure to get a PASMO card
Ginza - high street and business district, walk the main street crossing the Ginza station
Tsukiji Fish Market - world's largest fish market, get there in the morning between 5AM and 9AM, closes/moves Nov. 2016
Shinjuku district - the second city centre, known for its entertaiment and red/nightlife
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden - beautiful garden/park just outside Shinjuku centre
Robot Resturant - not what you would expect, but great fun - very Japanese to say the least
Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi park - beautiful temple and park
Shibuya crossing - maybe one of the most famous crossings in the wild, go to the second level on the Starbucks and relax people watching
Pachinkos - ridiculously loud gambling parlors, make sure you only stay there for a few minutes
Akihabara Electric Town - entire district of manga, anime, figurines, maid cafes, electronics markets, arcades, and cafes
Tokyo SkyTree - newly built and finished in 2012, tallest tower (not structure) in the world - there is two stages you can visit, lower and upper

Odon - thick noodles in broth with vegetables and thin slices of meat on top
Takoyaki - round flavored batter with a tiny piece of octopus inside, try any of the street stalls

Osaka Castle - Beautiful castle protected by two levels of moats, museum inside the castle, walk around in the park and enjoy the view from the castle
Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium - large tank in the middle of the building with dozens of fish and whale sharks, and separate tanks on the other side, you walk down a shallow spiral and end at the ground level
Tenjinbashi-suji shopping street - another amazing 1.6 km street entirely covered by roof
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - just outside of Osaka there is a cool museum dedicated for the instant noodle, a wall is decked out displayiny all the incarnations from 1958 up to today
Spa World - seems like a relic from the 80's, but it is quite good, somewhat convoluted process, perfect before an 8 hour flight

Okonomiyaki Hiroshima style - a kind of pancake, but layered with noodles, vegetables and toppings, with a fried egg on top

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 === Eat ===
+* Matcha tea and chocolate - must try and everyday mission, e.g. MeltyKiss, Pocky,
+* Galbo sweets - suuper good round pieces of candy, try all the different kinds - in Family Mart
 * Denny's Japan - you go there mostly to see the menu and the amazing attention to detail on the dishes
 * Family Mart onigiri - rice balls wrapped in seaweed, with different fillings and flavorings, great value and delicious snack
@@ Line 36: / Line 38: @@
 * Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden - beautiful garden/park just outside Shinjuku centre
 * Robot Resturant - not what you would expect, but great fun - very Japanese to say the least
+* Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi park - beautiful temple and park
 * Shibuya crossing - maybe one of the most famous crossings in the wild, go to the second level on the Starbucks and relax people watching
 * Pachinkos - ridiculously loud gambling parlors, make sure you only stay there for a few minutes
@@ Line 59: / Line 62: @@
 === Visit ===
 * Hiroshima peace memorial park and museum
+* Mazda Museum - take a tour of the automaker, JP and EN tours