Wintery Japan Travel Itinerary

Sharing my recent Japan #pwinsesCariSalji trip.
As requested by some in my instagram.
Everything done by my travel expert buddy Nadiah, who got our tickets and planned for our itinerary.


Monday 3rd Feb 2020
Arrived in Tokyo Narita airport - morning.
Went to Tokyo Haneda airport to catch the flight to Odate-Noshiro located in Akita province.

Then, we took the Odate airport shuttle bus to Takanosu train station & then hop onto the local JR train to Hirosaki.
Stayed 2nights at Hotel Toyoko-Inn Hirosaki - will write more about hirosaki, in another post.

Wednesday 5th Feb 2020
Started using our 7-day JR pass to Hakodate.
Via Tohoku-Hokkaido Shinkansen, passing through the world's longest undersea railway tunnel, the Seikan Tunnel, with a 23.3 km (14.5 miles) long portion under the seabed crossing the Tsugaru Strait.
Spent 1night at Smile Hotel Hakodate.

Thursday 6th Feb 2020
Moved from Hakodate to Chitose.
Stayed 3nights at the Wing International Hotel Chitose, and explored Sapporo Winter Festival on Friday 7th Feb, and Asahikawa Winter Festival & Asihayama Zoo on Saturday 8th Feb.

Sunday 9th Feb 2020
Moved back down from Chitose to Hakodate.
Stayed 1night at the Smile Hotel Hakodate to attend closing event on sunday for Hakodate Winter Festival.

Monday 10th Feb 2020
5hrs journey straight from Hakodate to Tokyo.
Stayed 4nights at Smile Hotel Tokyoayaseekimae, and explored the Izu Kawazu Sakura Festival on Tuesday 11th Feb, trip to DisneySea on Wednesday 12th Feb, and explored Kawasaki on Thursday 13th Feb.

Friday 14th Feb 2020
Stayed 1night at the Narita U-City Hotel.
This is due to our early flight back home the next morning, hence we wanted to make sure we arrived on time at the Tokyo Narita airport. This is crucial information because if you stayed in the Tokyo town, you need to be aware that the trains operates earliest at 6am and it took an hour to reach Narita Airport from Tokyo station via train, and an hour an a half, via bus.  Thus we stayed here in Narita, about 10mins via train - only 1stop away.

Saturday 15th Feb 2020
Depart to KUL Malaysia on 9.30am flight, arrived KLIA2 4.30pm Malaysian time.

May this helps those interested to explore the winter in Japan.
Let me just remind you that this was tiresome for us to keep repacking our luggage, and moving out of the hotel every 2days, and dragging ourselves up and down the trains and buses.  But this was our plan and we made the decision to do as such in order for us to utilize the most of our trip.

Some things to highlight to all:

• If you are traveling during winter, do ready yourself for flight turbulence for it happened to us as we were arriving at Narita Airport.  And while we were at the airport, we noticed that the flights to Sapporo were forced to turned back to Tokyo airports due to massive snow storm in Sapporo causing them not able to land. We were lucky that our flight to Odate were as scheduled, although it was not a smooth flight. #jelita78traveltips make sure you bought a flight ticket that covers you in situations of flight delays.
• I bought my JR pass via Klook and it was so worth it especially when the offer included a free 8day-data simcard. Take note that when you are filling the online form, your information during sign-upmust clearly state your correct delivery address because the JR voucher will then be posted to your mailing address. Yes, FREE postage! Be reminded that when purchasing online must click to input more details and put name as same as spelling and read exactly as your passport. you will get the JR voucher form, posted to your home address by the express courier. DO NOT loose this JR voucher! You need to bring this to Japan and exchange it for the real JR pass to be used later, at the JR ticket office located on the ground floor of the main building Narita airport ( if u landed at Narita that is) date selection on the website doesn't reflect the date of the JR pass. You will have to confirm the exact date of when you want to start using the JR pass at the JR ticket counter when u exchange it to the real JR pass to use later.  Free simcard offered in this package can be picked up at Narita Airport, 2nd Floor arrival terminal klook/easyGo counter.
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• I bought another extra simcard access (because our adventure total up to almost 2 weeks) via tuneTalk, picked up at KLIA2 terminal airport and i have no doubt that the tuneTalk data simcard works well and mine was still able to be used on the 9th day, even though it was said to be active only for 7days.
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• I bought my Tokyo Metro passcard train for 1day and 3days passes, via Travel Recommends. Cheapest deal ever encountered, it was a buy 1 free 1 offer. Used the 1day pass on 3rd Feb and used the 3day pass starting 11th Feb. Also picked up at Narita Airport, 2nd floor klook/ easygo counter next to Drug Shop.
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• I bought my DisneySea tickets via traveloka. The cheapest deal I have seen online. Make sure when purchasing you have to enter the date to enter the park. It is not an open ticket. Picked up at the Maihama Station, the only train station to Disneyland Tokyo Resort. Super easy.
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Langkawi Island Hopping

Thur 12122019 : Must do for all visitors.

And why is that?

It's because that's the only way for you to visit the famous pulau beras basah and tasik dayang bunting, of course. Just took the boat from Kuah jetty, nothing confusing here because it's the only place operating the island hopping activity. Pretty much standard package really. 

#jelita78traveltips : Please wear your swimming gear terus sebab confirm the speedboat will get you wet, hahaha.

Swimming attire

Water shoes

Sunglasses

Sunblock

Topi prata neelopak utk bergaya hahah.

.

First stop was the Pulau Beras Basah whereby all the tourist will mandi manda because the beach is beautiful and the water is clean i tell ya.

Beware! There are tons of monkeys here so please do not bring your stuffs in a plastic bag because the monkeys will be attracted to snatch any colour kind of plastic bags. Please use propper normal picnic totes satchels or backpack, preferably any ordinary bags with zipper closure so they can't see your water bottle of food containers.

Best to bring own beach mat because there might not be enough chairs and tables to accommodate the crowd.

Frisbees and kites are welcome!

You will have a blast here.

Your boat ride will leave you here for an hour and pick you up later for the next destination which is the Pulau Singa Besar.

But you will not spend time on the island, only from boatview to witness the eagle feeding session.  Your boat tour guide will drop chicken skin onto the water and flock of eagles will sweep down to the water level to grab it.

It was such a NatGeo moment for us.. haha. Seriau je tetiba burung tu terbang dekat ngan boat. Dah laa laju swosshh swisshh ke air.

Last stop is at the Tasik Dayang Bunting.

A freshwater lake in the middle of an island.

This, my friend, is one very challenging vacation i tell ya. For my parents, I mean.

Because they need to climb up and down the stairs to reach the lakeside. There's no ramp for disable people on wheelchairs nor to wheel the kids strollers.

What do we have here? Besides the lake?

Well there's the kayaking activity, paddle boats and kiddies pond.

Babang was super excited for this but suddenly Bangcheeky got scared and we had to go back to the dock and into the kiddies pool. Hahaha babang la paling besar dalam kiddies pool tu!

And for my dear parents yang sakit kaki tu, tadahal, kat sini ada tempat urut kaki. RM20 for 30mins massage. With free shoulder and head 10mins massage.

At least there's something for them to sooth their legs for the journey back to the jetty.

Oh there's also an area for you to just dangle your feet to experience the free fish pedicures. But this no ordinary small fishes like they have in spas. These are big healthy fish! Another natGeo moment!

i am ticklish so just let Babang braved himself.

Tapi kejap je laa Babang nya letak kaki tu sebab dia pon penggeli orangnya. hahaha.. oh well.
Oklah, up next, let's go visit the dead.

Part 8 UKtrip : Playing Princess

Leeds Castle, Kent
Sat 26112016 : All hail the british monarchy.
Another must do as tourist, is taking the time to visit the castle.
Macam bosan kan? Tapi bila lagi nak visit.

Memang laa ko takleh masuk Buckingham Palace tu, so, kita layan Leeds Castle ni pon dah hazab ok.
The place is extremely large. Sakit kaki nak berjalan ni wehh.

Maka, sila jangan nak over pakai kasut cinderella tu sebab nanti ko sendiri akan menyumpah seranah sakit kaki melecit nak habihkan round the whole castle lot. We did not managed to cover all grounds sebab serious besar tempat ni.

Memang tak sesuai lah kalau nak bawak orang tua jalan kat sini, unless depa naik wheelchair.
No worries, ramp and area for wheelchair memang dibuat khas kat sini.

And this place memang best giller untuk orang jogging sebab sangat cantik the surroundings.
Again, if you wish to visit, let me stress to you on the timing.. come during spring/ summer.
Konpem lawa giller all the flowers blooming around the courtyard and garden scenery.

Time kitorang datang ni sejuk so nak jalan kat luar tu agak berkira la tang angin lintang gigil tu.

Yes, kena bayar nak masuk castle ni.
£26 one ticket, but can enter the whole year round.

Meaning that the ticket grants you free entree into the castle, multiple times from the date of issue.
In my case, I guna ticket Puan Huda yg dah mai visit bulan sebelum nya.
Alhamdulillah.

And then kita tinggalkan je ticket ni kat Hesly untuk dia bawak orang lain plak yg nak pergi melawat.
So, dengan kata lain, if you plan to come here, please ask around kengkawan yg dah pegi, supaya share ticket.. boleh la jimat. insyaAllah.

Part 7 UKtrip : Shakespeare Town

Stratford-upon-Avon
Mon 21112016 : Birthplace of Shakespeare

No, I dont like literature.
But, dah alang-alang sampai sini, harus lah cuba untuk mempelajari culture keagungan British ni kan. Itulah erti sebenar travelling. Kalau ko main ketegaq ikut apa yg ko minat jer, baik takyah travel.
Anyway, sounds boring. Yes. Ini pengakuan ikhlas. This town is boring.
So, please be prepared.

It's all about timing.
Kitorang sampai, wrong timing.
Satu - wrong weather. Time ni hujan. Sangat tak syiok nak jalan jalan.
Dua - wrong season. Winter. Tak cantik. Korang kena mai time summer. Sebab kat sini banyak garden. So konpem laa berbunga bunga hati jantung mata peparu korang nanti bila mai sini.
Tiga - wrong day. Kena tengok kat website, ada hari yg ada show hence that's when you should plan to come here so that you will be able to sneak a peak at any of the famous Shakespeare rendition.
So there you have it. You're welcome.
#jelita78traveltips untuk korang.
Ingat, ok.

Part 6 UKtrip : They called it Brum

Birmingham
Mon 21112016 : £4 Hi-tea
Yes, just 4 pounds. 

With bottomless hot chocolate drink.
The assorted sandwiches tu boleh mintak to not have any meat nor chicken. #jelita78traveltips learned from Hesly was not to be shy and voice out your needs.
Since kat online takde bagi option to pick the food type, and because kat sini memang depa sangat peka pasal vegetarian needs, so memang boleh je cakap kat staff cadbury tu.
Nanti depa akan letak tuna , salmon , cheese and cucumber fillings sahaja.

Ada scones and macaroons and fruits tarts and muffins and brownies.
Pendek kata, sugar overdose lah kome kalau mari sini.
Pastu bila tak habis, simply ask them to pack them all to-go and include a cup of hot chocolate to-go as well. Boleh juga mintak tea or coffee. Both also available. Tapi nama tempat pon cadbury world kann.. maka the chocolate laaa pelakon utama nya. FYI 😉
#jelita78goes2uk #CadburyWorld

Anywayyy.. if u plan to visit Cadbury World, and nak borong cokelat sini, well, kat tempat souvenier ni ada satu bahagian kat belakanggg sket, macam ada shelves besi.. and coklat dalam kotak- kotak bertindih tak bersusun semak..
Hah, go here!
Coz all are sold in boxes of big quantity.
Sesuai untuk borong bawak balik ke sahabat handal. They packed the chocolates worth 25pence sebatang into boxes of 60 pax with harga kilang.
Bagi souvenier kat kengkawan mmg sangat berbaloi ok. (And utk top up supply coklat bagi diri sendiri..#sayahantucokelat hahaha)
Sorry if this labels me as cheapskate kerr, well hellooo i earned my salary in ringgit malaysia ok, so, pepaham laa.
Ikut kemampuan memasing.. this is merely MY own personal #jelita78traveltips for budget conscious traveller. Layannnnn..

Part 5 UKtrip : Taking a Bath

Sat 19112016 : Stoned
Apa ada pada stonehenge?
Hahh hamik nak.
Verangan je laa kalau nak amik shot dekat ngn batu tu, becoz you can no longer go near it.
Bayar pon ada level distance boleh pegi, sebab memang tak leh pegi dekat dah yer, harap maklum.
Depa dah preserved the place and semua tourists hanya boleh tengok dari jauh sahaja.
Yeah. Seriously. This sucks!
Ripped off to the money.

Tapi you still boleh laaa amik gambar yg considerably dekat lah jugak sebenarnya.
Except that ada pagar sorroundings the stones, preventing tourists from going too close to it.

Hence #jelita78traveltips kali ni #jelita78goes2uk is that korang takyah beli tiket untuk masuk pon.. tapi just berenti tepi jalan je sebelah stonehenge tu mcm ni, becoz the distance to the stone is oklah jugakkk nak snap pics pon.
Tapi kena jaga jaga sket sbb kereta drive sini laju and amik pic tepi jalan tu, jangan laaa sampai terbunuh diri sendiri plak.

They built fences around it. About 30 meters distance from the batu. U takleh pi dekat dah. Katanya nak preserve the batu and the grounds around it. Tapi like i said before, still cun laaa if u want to take pic purposes. Thats all.
£18.20 per ticket entry to the area.
If tak beli tiket, u takkan nampak the batu from the visitor centre sbb dari situ dah ada pagar tak bagi masuk to even jalan atas padang towards the stonehenge fences. And nope, the stone can't be seen at all from there, becoz the location of visitor centre tu mcm kat slope and kena jalan ke luar by foot hike naik bukit sikit and then baru nampak the stones. But if u beli tiket, ada shuttle bus akan bawak u from the visitor centre, up to the stonehenge area.

Yashh.. so i berenti kereta tepi jalan and snap from far ajer laa.. tapi still pegi ke visitor centre sbb nak beli fridge magnet £3 .. sorry for I have to be cheapskate.. my money.

And.it's up to you really if u want to spend your money dont let me stop you, please go ahead. Boleh laa nampak upclose jugak the stones colours shading and lekuk lekuk nya itu

Budak busuk in Bath!
Rainy. Gloomy. Wet.
That's best described it.

And like any other travel packages, if you plan to visit the Roman Bath, best to combine it with Stonehenge because they are located nearby in the same route actually.
#jelita78traveltips honestly telling u also not to invest buying that Roman Baths ticket because it is seriously not worth it. Just stepping into the building to see the indoor pool.
Sebijik like the pictures on the Internet.
Nothing much.
Unless if you are the type who loves and appreciate architecture and roman ruins, by all means, you may enjoy it. Haha #jangankecamsis for being so negative .. like i said before, these are purely my personal preference and i was on a budget travel.

Nevertheless, when you get here, go discover the town. Because Bath town on the other hand is very compact. Sejam pon cukup nak cover lah. They have it all in one place, with plenty of small local cafes worth visiting.
Two things you MUST look for when in Bath are the ice cream, and bun makcik sally buat.
Hahh serious ok. Namanya Sally Lunn Bun. Siap ada museum roti bun turun temurun keluarga Kak Sally ni. This is FREE entrance for all. Hence, make your way here.

Side note to all; kat sini ada kedai jual makanan halal but not that many kerana komuniti muslim very little. Even Sainsbury pon takde jual seketul pon daging halal. Student muslim kat Bath Uni kat sini mostly combine their orders for daging halal from Bristol to be delivered to them. Begitulah paparan berita #jelita78goes2uk dari sumber yg boleh dipercayai berNama @nuramieras hahahha..
*Additional info- Halal meat available at Oldfield Park butcher - makluman dari sumber kenalan user iG