Soral

Hindi lahat ng culture ng Japan ay maganda. I know some of the OFWs and people living there will agree, but yung pinakagusto kong ugali nila is yung pag-ako ng responsibility if sh*t happens.

Bawat train station na madaanan ng bus namin, lahat sila nagbo-bow kasi they know na-inconvenience nila kami, kahit hindi naman nila kasalanan.

For context, yung train papuntang Asahikawa to Wakkanai ay na-cancel due to intense rain. Di naman nila kasalanan na umulan ng sobra, pero bow ng bow sila.

Part of them, alam nila may pagkukulang sila. Like di nila siguro naayos agad or di matibay yung railings. I don't know. But they take responsibility for what happened.

Hindi nila cinancel yung route and left us on our own. Nilipat kami sa bus na umi-stop pa din sa bawat train station.

Medyo hassle kasi we missed the bus going to Cape Soya that time, pero the action counts. Hindi yun thought lang. Action na ginawan ng paraan and accept the responsibility.

If we can do this more in our country, maybe we'd be a 1st world country, sa dami ng magagaling sa atin.

Yun lang. 😅

AGODA discount SORALAGODA
GetYourGuide discount SORALTRADING5

#JapanTravel #JapanCulture #JapanTravelTips #JapanExperience #Wakkanai

1 day ago | [YT] | 0

Soral

If you arrive in Tokyo during autumn and the foliage hasn't peaked yet, a night illumination at Shinjuku Gyoen Garden might be your consolation prize.

This is usually scheduled around late November to early December, but the dates may change depending on the autumn foliage forecast.

The last time we experienced this was on November 21, 2023. Check the latest schedule before your trip since the dates can change every year.

GetYourGuide discount SORALTRADING5
Agoda discount SORALAGODA

#ShinjukuGyoen #TokyoAutumn #AutumnInJapan #TokyoTravel #JapanTravelTips

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2 days ago | [YT] | 0

Soral

Mag-adjust din kaya si AirAsia to 10kg for hand carry? 😅 Wishful thinking lang!

Pero 7kg man yan o 10kg, please lang, timbangin muna natin yung mga hand carry natin bago pumunta sa check-in counter. Or better yet, bumili kayo ng portable weighing scale para sa hotel pa lang o sa bahay niyo, confident na kayo na hindi makakaistorbo sa kung sino man ang nasa likod niyo dahil overweight pala yung hand carry mo. 😂

Lately, nag-adjust din kami to backpack para kahit papaano, additional 2kg sa hand carry, kasi usually yung mga luggage ay may 2kg na agad na bigat.

Ayun, tuloy sobra-sobra sa weight. Dagdag pasalubong tuloy! 😂

GetYourGuide discount SORALTRADING5
AGODA discount SORALAGODA

#AirAsia #AirAsiaPhilippines #HandCarry #TravelTips #TravelPH

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3 days ago | [YT] | 0

Soral

Pinakamagandang castle na napuntahan namin sa Japan so far? Matsumoto Castle.

From Tokyo, mag-Shinkansen kayo papuntang Nagano. Around 1 hour and 30 mins ang byahe, tapos from Nagano Station, ride kayo ng train going to Matsumoto Station.

Kung masaktuhan niyo na Limited Express yung masakyan niyo, around 50 mins lang yung Nagano to Matsumoto.

Medyo matagal din ang byahe, hindi pa natin binibilang yung waiting time. Kaya maganda mag-stay kayo ng 1 to 2 nights sa Nagano, kasi around the area marami din magandang puntahan, like Narai Juku.

From Matsumoto Station, pwede niyo lakarin papuntang Matsumoto Castle. Around 15 to 20 mins yung walk. Pwede din kayong sumakay ng bus, around 10 mins lang ang byahe. Kami, nilakad namin eh, as a mahilig mag-walking tour sa mga city ng Japan. 😅

Maganda pumunta during peak autumn dito. Pati around the area, may magagandang maple trees.

Yun lang. 😅

Agoda discount SORALAGODA
GetYourGuide discount SORALTRADING5

#MatsumotoCastle #Matsumoto #VisitJapan #JapanTravel #JapanTravelTips

3 days ago | [YT] | 2

Soral

Akala namin isang Shinkansen lang from Hakata to Nagasaki. Hindi pala! 😅

2 trains ang sasakyan papunta from Hakata to Nagasaki. Kasi alam niyo ba na hindi pa connected ang Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen all the way from Hakata to Nagasaki?

From Hakata Station, sasakay kayo ng Limited Express train hanggang Takeo-Onsen Station. Then from Takeo-Onsen Station, lilipat kayo ng Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen hanggang Nagasaki Station.

Around 1 hour and 30 mins yung buong byahe.

Around 6,000 Yen or around Php 2,300 ang one-way trip going to Nagasaki from Hakata Station.

Kaya mas okay if kukuha kayo ng JR regional pass like the JR Kyushu Northern Kyushu Pass 3-day, na around Php 5,400+ via Agoda. So kung mag 2 nights kayo sa Nagasaki, I think mas sulit yung pass na ito kaysa gumastos ng around Php 4,600 roundtrip.

Pero if mag-stay kayo nang matagal sa Nagasaki, may mas murang way going there.

Pwede din mag-bus from Hakata Station to Nagasaki Station, around 2,900 Yen one way or around Php 1,100+. Dagdag isang oras lang ang byahe, na magiging around 2 hours and 30 mins.

Kasi for me, kulang yung 1 day for Nagasaki. Nabitin kami, but we left Nagasaki with a lot of lessons.

You'll know lalo if you visit the Atomic Bomb Museum and the area around it.

Agoda activity discount AGODASORAL
GetYourGuide discount SORALTRADING5
Klook discount SORALKLOOK

#Nagasaki #JapanTravelTips #JapanTravel #VisitJapan #JRPass

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5 days ago | [YT] | 0

Soral

Booked a non-smoking room pero amoy yosi pa din. 😅

Yan ang isa sa mga na-experience namin sa love hotel na napagstayan namin sa Japan na na-book namin sa AGODA. Okay naman yung room, di amoy yosi pag dating namin kaso eventually parang dumadaan sa vent yung amoy ng yosi galing sa ibang room. 🤷

Don't judge us for booking a love hotel. 😅 One night lang kasi kami sa Tokyo dahil pupunta kami sa Hokkaido kinabukasan. Pero yun nga, despite na 8.0 yung review niya sa AGODA, ganon pa din yung na-experience namin.

Since then, before booking a hotel, medyo mas naging mapanuri pa ako. Maliban sa fini-filter ko yung guest rating na dapat 8.0 and above, chine-check ko din yung mga written reviews.

Usually, chine-check ko yung pinakapangit na reviews and ask myself, "kaya ba namin itong tiisin if it happens to us?" If oo ang sagot then okay lang sakin yung hotel na yun.

Kasi di naman lagi ganon ang experience. Malay mo natiyempuhan lang yun nag review na pangit yung room or yung service, di ba? Pero kahit ganon, may mga non-negotiables din kami. Pag nakita namin yun sa reviews, ekis na. 😅

Anyway, yun nga. Daming consideration before booking a hotel. Di lang porket mura ay book agad, at di rin porket mahal ay expected mo na royalty treatment ka na.

So first and foremost, check the reviews. Hindi lang sa kung saan kayo nagbu-book, pati sa Google Maps reviews, check niyo din.

Kayo, ano pa cinoconsider niyo before booking that hotel? 👀

Agoda discount SORALAGODA
📷 Goryokaku, Hakodate

#JapanTravel #JapanTravelTips #HotelTips #HotelBookingTips #JapanHotel

5 days ago | [YT] | 0

Soral

Setting your expectations sa mag-New Year sa Japan.

Kwento ko lang yung last time nag-celebrate kami ng New Year sa Japan.

We took the train from Tokyo to Sapporo, at from Tokyo to Sendai, nakatayo kami sa Shinkansen kasi wala nang bakanteng upuan. Parang Golden Week din ang feels during New Year break nila. 😅

Sarado ang most ng kainan from Dec 30 to January 2 that time. Kaya daming pila sa McDo at konbini. At walang fireworks!

Ang nangyari lang ay nag-countdown lang yung Sapporo TV Tower. Na-witness namin na namatay ang ilaw, then nag-Happy New Year kaming mga di magkakakilala sa Odori Park. Then disperse agad kasi most went to temples, kasi ganon sila mag-celebrate ng New Year.

Surreal experience pa din at kakaiba sa nakasanayan natin. Still goosebumps. Iba sa nakasanayan natin, pero goosebumps. ☺️

Agoda discount SORALAGODA
GetYourGuide discount SORALTRADING5

P.S. I want to shout out Ms. Sonie, na nag-approach samin during Travel Tales event ng TPT. Thank you po for appreciating the Japan travel tips I share. Will continue to do so po, for first timers man or for frequent travelers. ☺️

#JapanNewYear #NewYearInJapan #JapanTravelTips #Sapporo #JapanTravel

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1 week ago | [YT] | 0

Soral

If Tokyo has a Big Flea Market, Osaka has a wide network of thrift shops that really sell cheap clothes.

Last time we visited Osaka, we shopped for lots of thrift clothes and pants. I love how easy it is to access 2nd Street shops, and based on our experience, they were much cheaper than the 2nd Street shops we visited in Tokyo. 🤷

Agoda discount SORALAGODA
GetYourGuide discount SORALTRADING5

#Osaka #OsakaShopping #ThriftShopping #JapanShopping #JapanTravel

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1 week ago | [YT] | 0

Soral

POV: Nag-outing ang mga tito at tita niyo sa Bacolod noong 90's.

P.S. Yung ibang pictures, kuha ng mga kids nila @herecomethetans and @eatsplorations using my toy camera keychain! 😂

GetYourGuide discount SORALTRADING5

#Bacolod #BacolodTrip #90sVibes #ToyCamera #TravelPH

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1 week ago | [YT] | 2

Soral

Halos Php 1,200+ per night (for 2 yun) lang pala ang binayaran namin sa hotel namin sa Bacolod last trip! 😮

Well, technically, Php 1,500+ siya. Nakatulong yung lagi akong nagbu-book sa AGODA at nakakatanggap ng cashback, kaya naging Php 1,200+ na lang yung binayaran ko. But still, Php 1,500+ mura pa din ah!

Yung location niya ay malapit sa SM Bacolod at few walks lang din sa Ayala Mall, Negros Museum, Bacolod Public Plaza at Capitol Park. Malapit din ang Manokan Country, Gina's and Aida's, kaya may makakainan ka na malapit.

Yung rooms, okay din. Mababait din ang staff. Ang na-raise lang namin na concern is yung aircon. Pero di ko alam paano nila nagawan ng paraan, kasi pagbalik namin galing sa The Ruins, ay sobrang ginaw na ng room. 😅

Downside lang ay walang elevator, pero carry lang kasi 3rd floor lang ang hotel. Tapos walang slippers, which is expected naman namin. At may bayad yun extra pillow (Php 75 for our whole stay).

Kaya if budget trip din kayo, not bad itong hotel na ito, guys. Partida, week before ng flight ko lang binook yan, tapos ganyan kamura!

Agoda discount code SORALAGODA
Hotel name Central Block Inn

#Bacolod #BacolodHotel #BacolodTravel #BudgetTravel #TravelPH

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1 week ago | [YT] | 1