Hokkaido 5-Day Itinerary: Day One

Read Day 1 here - Sapporo Snow Festival, Ramen Theme Park
Read Day 2 here - Sapporo TV Tower, Otaru Lantern Festival
Read Day 3 here - Mount Teine, Jingisukan
Read Day 4 here - Odori Park, Susukino Ice Festival
Read Day 5 here - Ishiya Chocolate Factory

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

Flying into Shin-Chitose Airport (?????), we were met with heavy tourist traffic in the building presumably for the Sapporo Snow Festival (????????). We arrived the Saturday of the famous snow festival and had to book our accommodation back in November to secure a spot. The main festival took place February 5-11 this year. The direct train from Shin-Chitose Airport to JR Sapporo Station (??) took about 40 mins (1380 yen).

It was about -4C that day in the late afternoon and snow covered patches of the sidewalk but most of it was shovelled off or kept at bay with the heated sidewalks of Sapporo. I packed a camping backpack as my baggage because I didn�t know what the snow situation would be like and I didn�t want to drag my wheeled luggage through the snow. Turns out that it would have been completely fine in the city of Sapporo but maybe not as convenient elsewhere in Hokkaido (???) where the snow does pile up on the sidewalks.

Macau's Ruins of St Paul's in snow form

After dropping our things off at the hostel, we went to explore Odori Park (????) where the main snow festival sculptures were. Since it was cold out, I split up exploring the long 1.5 km park over a few days in the day and night. Mostly it is your hands and feet that will feel cold. The sculptures look different by day and night and at night there are superb light shows projected onto the largest snow structures running about once every 15 minutes.

Ruin's of St Paul's by night

There are food stalls sprinkled throughout the park and a main eating area with famous foods from around Hokkaido. There is a heated tent area to shield visitors from the wind while they indulge.

Ramen kyowakoku (republic)

Hokkaido miso ramen

For dinner that night, we went to the ramen kyowakoku (?????????) in a building called ESTA right next to JR Sapporo Station. On the 10^th floor, many famous ramen restaurants were situated and I tried the signature Hokkaido Miso Ramen with butter. The seasoned broth had a smokey flavour and paired great with butter that made the bowl of noodles so smooth. It definitely was on the greasier side with the fatty pork and butter but it was fantastic comfort food before walking out into the cold night back to the hostel.

Read Day 1 here - Sapporo Snow Festival, Ramen Theme Park
Read Day 2 here - Sapporo TV Tower, Otaru Lantern Festival
Read Day 3 here - Mount Teine, Jingisukan
Read Day 4 here - Odori Park, Susukino Ice Festival
Read Day 5 here - Ishiya Chocolate Factory

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

A Farm-to-Table Dining Experience at Sisterfields Tagaytay

Tagaytay is a well known place for weekend vacationers for so many reasons. One, is because it is accessible to Manilenos. Second, it's much colder there and the view is undeniably spectacular. Lastly, because of great food! In fact, Tagaytay has evolved and become a food haven due to vastly growing restaurants rising in this town. And as for this blog post, let me highlight a restaurant which happens to be in Tagaytay making astonishing and unique dishes. It is called the Sisterfields, one of the newest concept restaurants by The Cravings Group.

How to get there?
Sisterfields is within the vicinity of Summit Ridge Hotel and just one bus ride away if you'll be taking the bus terminal at Coastal Mall in Para�aque. Just take the route going to Tagaytay or Batangas and just ask the bus conductor to drop you off at Summit Ridge Hotel. The hotel is a distinct spot in Tagaytay so bus conductors surely know the place.

As you alight at Summit Ridge Hotel, you'll find Sisterfields near the main entrance. If you'll look at it from the outside, you may persuade that the restaurant is just a small one. But once you get inside of Sisterfields, you'll be surprise how spacious it is and surely delight its decors and overall design. It has this homey vibe which will not make you feel intimidated while dining in. Most of the materials used were woods painted in white which screams simplicity yet elegance. The lighting of Sisterfields is grand. They used woven chandeliers all over the place which adds to a cozier feel.

Welcome to Sisterfields

The paintings on the wall accentuate well to the restaurant's overall vibe

In terms of food options, Sisterfields anchors its concept on three important tenets. First is the farm-to-fork (organic selection of fruits and vegetables from Tagaytay); Second is the pasture-to-plate (from Batangas beef to Tagaytay tawilis) and lastly, the crop-to-cup (featuring ethically produced Di Bella coffee). Diners who come all the way from Manila or near provinces will definitely appreciate that there is no fanciful gimmick in Sisterfields. As a farm-to-table restaurant concept, the ingredients are the main star. You will appreciate the goodness of home-cooked comfort food but elevated up in a way that it will the dishes distinctly unique.

Now let me tour you to some of the dishes we tasted during our visit at Sisterfields. [Bon appetit!]

Tinapa Spring Rolls

Marinated Corn and Tomato Salad with Field Greens and Green Goddess Dressing

My girlfriend's personal favorite -- Roasted Squash Soup with Spinach

Forgot the name of this dish... sorry.

Penne Pasta with Longganisa and Mushroom

Linguini Pasta with Herbed Shrimps and Fennel

Chicken Quesadilla with Avocado Crema and Pico de Gallo

Sisterfields Burger with Fried Egg Maple Glaze Bacon

Sticky Baby Back Ribs with Coleslaw and Mashed Potato

The stand out dishes for me were the Tinapa Spring Rolls and the Sticky Baby Back Ribs. That was the first time I taste a spring roll where tinapa is used as the main ingredient. I find the dish brilliant and the taste was unexpected. It has this balance saltiness that is just right in the bud. Plus, the sauce served with it will give you an extra kick of sweetness and sourness combined. All the flavors I mentioned fooled my mind and tongue in a right kind of way.

As per the Sticky Baby Back Ribs, what I like to highlight is the tenderness of the meat. You can easily slice a portion of it without even using your knife. Also, I am not a fan of mashed potato but I have to give credits to Sisterfields because I became one and that is due to their own version of this side dish. The mashed potato was mixed on egg which I find flavorful and delightful. Having a slice of the rib's meat and a scoop of mashed potato made me feels like I am already in heaven! Flavors explode in the mouth with this combination!

Sisterfields Ice Cream -- Pineapple Tarragon

I had a fun dining experience at Sisterfields. My tongue went wild in a positive way on the unique dishes this restaurant offered to us. The creativity put on each meal really blends well and serves us well. We left the place with a smile on our faces.

Enjoy the goodness of comfort food elevated with new flavors right in Sisterfields, located at Summit Ridge Hotel, Km. 58 Gen. Aguinaldo Highway, Maharlika West, Tagaytay City, Philippines.  For more info, call 240-6888 or visit www.facebook.com/Sisterfields and www.summithotels.ph.

What to Do and Where to Eat, Go and Stay when in Panglao, Bohol

Panglao is a beautiful island in the Philippines which is found in the southwest region of Bohol. It gains its popularity because of the long and lovely beaches it possess, rich biodiversity which makes it a perfect site for diving and snorkeling activities, interesting geological feature and not to mention the stunning hotels and restaurants that are rising in the island.

With the many qualities of the island I mentioned, you already know that there are bunch of places this province is proud of.

[Where to Eat] Bohol Bee Farm

We visited Bohol Bee Farm right after our Country-Side Tour in Tagbilaran and before we went to our hotel in Panglao. So basically, we were there for our dinner. My first impression of the place is that it has this relaxing vibe. It has this not so bright yellow lighting and aside from the small talk you hear from the people who are dining there, you can also hear waves coming from the sea.

I didn't also expect that the place is that big. Aside from the dining area, it offers rooms for accommodation, souvenir shop, a spa and a pool. It also has an ice cream parlor with unique flavors such as peanut kisses, dragon fruit, malunggay, etc. Those are a must try!

[Where to Go] Hinagdanan Cave

What I like about Hinagdanan Cave is that it has an underground lake inside it. Among all the caves I've been to, this is the first time I saw a big tub water inside a cave. Although it was inviting, I restrained myself to jump on it.

By the way, there is a 25 pesos entrance fee to Hinagdanan Cave. The entrance of the cave is about 1 meter wide in diameter and the way to it is slippery so one must take extra caution. The whole cave isn't that long. It only measures 100 metres but it is surrounded by rock formations and lime stones. The cave's interior is beautiful and has holes on the ceiling where sunlight infiltrates and somehow lighted the cave that added beauy to the cave. Hinagdanan Cave is a great side trip when you're in Panglao so make sure that you visit it.

[Where to Go] Alona Beach

Alona beach is also a nice beach to for you to relax. Alona beach has this long shore which is characterized by creamy white sand. The water here is pretty clear which is perfect for swimming! There are also a lot of hotels along the shore as well as restaurants just in case you decided to stay a couple of days in Panglao.

[What to Do] Island Hopping at Balicasag Island and Virgin Island

Panglao is an island which is famous for island hopping activity. The island hopping covers a visit to Alona Beach, Balicasag Island and the Virgin Island. Along side, some of the activities you can do during island hopping are: dolphin-watching, fish feeding, snorkeling and of course swimming. I published a separate blog post of my island hopping adventure at Panglao. Click the link to read my whole my adventure -- [click here].

[Where to Stay] Panglao Regents Park

I'm the kind of traveler who is not fond of stay-cation when I'm out and travelling. I would choose to spend my money on discovering islands and islets, trying out new stuff and activities or eat on a fancy restaurant rather than staying on a class hotels with soft beds, great service and lots of amenities. The reason why is because my trips are always jam-packed with activities and I only need a hotel just to get through the night for a sleep. So why would I spend a lot if all I need is a bed? But as for a change, I broke that perception and tried to check-in at Panglao Regents Park during our Bohol trip. And I never regret even a single penny I spent because it was worth the stay. Read my full story here -- [click here].

[Where to Stay] Henann Resort Alona Beach

I revisited Bohol for the second time to celebrate my girl's birthday. Since our initial plan is to have a staycation at Bohol, we decided to book an accommodation to the largest resort found at Panglao, Bohol. None other than the Henann Resort Alona Beach. To know more about my stay at Henann, just refer to this link -- [click here].

I have been to Panglao twice already and yet it never fails to amazed me. This place is a gem that our country should be proud of and take care of for future generations. Jetsetters will surely enjoy the province as it offers a lot of things, from foods, to fancy hotels and restaurants, to adventures. If given a chance to visit Bohol again for the third time, I would definitely and still include Panglao on my itinerary.

Fujisan and Tokyo 4-Day Itinerary: Day Four

Read Day 1 here � Satsuki and Mei�s House, Osu Kannon

Read Day 2 here � Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko

Read Day 3 here � Tokyo Tower, Shibuya

Read Day 4 here � Tsukiji Market, Yokohama Chinatown

Last day of the trip. We went to Tsukiji Market (????) in the late morning and it was filled with many tourists. The market was bigger than I thought and the number of restaurant choices was incredible. We waited in line for an hour at a small restaurant with only 12 seats nearer to the tuna auction area. At the end of our wait we were able to enjoy a fresh bowl of kaisen don (???). I chose a bowl with tuna, salmon and uni. This cost about 2400 yen and all the rice kept me full till late evening.

Tsukiji Market

Kaisen don

After the market we took a train to Yokohama�s Chinatown at Ishikawacho Station (??). It was clean and there were a good number of people roaming around but it was quite laid back compared to Tokyo. We tried an egg tart from a place that had signs hinting that their tarts were number one but it wasn�t quite right. Though I am probably biased towards Hong Kong and Macau egg tarts.

Yokohama Chinatown

We took the JR train to Shinagawa Station (??) then switched to the Keikyu Line to Haneda Airport (????). We bought a one-way flight from Haneda Airport to Kobe Airport (????) which was almost half the cost of taking the Shinkansen back. Our flight with Skymark went smoothly and there was a 15 minute delay but it wasn�t a big deal. From Kobe Airport, we took the Portliner train to Sannomiya (??) then JR Rapid Service Train to Himeji (??).

That is the end of our four day, three night trip. We packed a decent amount into our itinerary with enough breaks to rest. Only the first day was very tiring with the long train ride to Nagoya.

Read Day 1 here � Satsuki and Mei�s House, Osu Kannon

Read Day 2 here � Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko

Read Day 3 here � Tokyo Tower, Shibuya

Read Day 4 here � Tsukiji Market, Yokohama Chinatown

Fujisan and Tokyo 4-Day Itinerary: Day Three

Read Day 1 here � Satsuki and Mei�s House, Osu Kannon

Read Day 2 here � Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko

Read Day 3 here � Tokyo Tower, Shibuya

Read Day 4 here � Tsukiji Market, Yokohama Chinatown

We had a full day in Tokyo (??) and started off by heading to Tokyo Tower. There was a poster that promoted City Light Fantasia in the observatory deck in the evening so we decided to come back at night to see it.

Tokyo Tower by day

Next we intended to go to Shibuya (??) but overslept on the subway so we ended up at Futakotamagawa station (????) and RISE shopping centre so we browsed around there. There were many shopping buildings next to the residential towers. We decided to shop here instead and went to Shibuya after because I have not seen the famous Shibuya crossing yet.

Shibuya

After a quick ramen dinner in Shibuya, we went back to Tokyo Tower which was now lit up orange and white. It cost 900 yen to go up to the main observatory. Upon exiting the elevator we could hear dramatic music which fitted the fantasy themed projections on the upper window panels while the lower panels allowed a 360 degrees view of the city. City lights dotted the horizon as far as the eye could see. I enjoyed the projection show and was glad we came in the evening.

Tokyo Tower by night

Light displays outside of Tokyo Tower

Main observatory deck of Tokyo Tower

On floor one of the observatory deck was a cafe and fairy lights decked the ceiling. Two DJs were playing songs that you could request from a set list. We enjoyed some cake and tea while overlooking the cityscape. I didn�t expect it to be so but Tokyo Tower was a good place to enjoy a nice evening.

View from observatory deck

Read Day 1 here � Satsuki and Mei�s House, Osu Kannon

Read Day 2 here � Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko

Read Day 3 here � Tokyo Tower, Shibuya

Read Day 4 here � Tsukiji Market, Yokohama Chinatown

Fujisan and Tokyo 4-Day Itinerary: Day Two

Read Day 1 here � Satsuki and Mei�s House, Osu Kannon

Read Day 2 here � Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko

Read Day 3 here � Tokyo Tower, Shibuya

Read Day 4 here � Tsukiji Market, Yokohama Chinatown

We arrived at Fuji-Q Highland (????????) at about 7:15am in the morning and stumbled off the bus half asleep. Everyone alighted the bus so we assumed it was the last stop but I believe there is actually a stop afterward called Kawaguchiko (???) that is a better location if you�re not going to the theme park. Fujisan (???) was there to greet us when we alighted the bus and I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful it is.

Fujisan and Fuji Q Highland behind me

Anywho, we rested for a while at the bus centre to plan our day and then set off. We walked around the theme park to reach the Fujikyu-Highland Station which took about 15 minutes. From there we took the train for one stop to Kawaguchiko Station and locked our bags in the coin locker there.

Local area train

Following clear signs that pointed to Kawaguchi Lake, we walked for a short distance from the station when I noticed a bike rental shop to the left. We rented bikes for 1500 yen each for the day and used the local area map supplied by the shopkeeper. It was very convenient with a bike and enjoyable on this sunny winter day. I had the impression that the Fujisan area would be cold in early January but it was surprisingly warm and I felt fine in a knit sweater without a coat in the afternoon.

Our rental bikes

Our first stop was to the Mount Kachi Kachi Ropeway (????????????????). The ride up offered a great view of the lake and at the top you could see Fujisan in its entirety at the observatory deck. It was really beautiful and I simply leaned on the wooden railing for a while to take in the scenery as best as I could.

Mt Kachi Kachi Ropeway

View from observation deck

Descending from the mountain, we biked around to find lunch and a local shopkeeper recommended that we visit Fuji Tempura Idaten (????? ???) which is supposedly the second best restaurant in the area. It was easy to find as it was nearby the Kawaguchiko Station. We were seated around a U-shaped bar where the chef�s frying station was in the centre. We watched him fry each piece, pass the pan full of goodies to the server and the server walk over to place and explain each item to us.

Tempura station at Idaten

Tempura set

This was definitely the freshest tempura I have ever had and he was even able to fry the egg to half-boiled. It was very delicious and we ordered extras of individual pieces in addition to our set meal such as fugu and ebi.

Post-lunch we biked back down to the lake to the Kawaguchi Ohashi (?????) aka bridge. We parked our bikes and took the stairs up to the bridge which offered a superb view of Fujisan (???) with the lake as its foreground when you stand at the arch of the bridge.

Walking up to Kawaguchi Bridge

View of Fujisan from the bridge

We read that someone recommended lavender soft serve ice cream on their blog when we searched up Idaten so we biked to the herb garden to try some. I was a bit sceptical that it would taste synthetic but it was actually creamy with a fragrant lavender taste.

Lavender soft serve

We returned our bikes and went back to Kawaguchiko Station to get our bags. There is an easy to use machine at the station with an English option where we bought our bus tickets for Tokyo Station (??). It cost 1750 yen for one-way. The journey was supposed to be 3 hours but ended up being 4 hours long due to traffic.

Bus from Kawaguchiko to Tokyo

Tokyo Station

Once in Tokyo, we dropped off our bags at the accommodation then took the subway to the Din Tai Fung (???) in the Chuo area for dinner. Our ICOCA cards could be used on all the subway lines we used on this trip which was convenient. The Din Tai Fung is located on the basement level of a Takashimaya Department Store. I have been to Din Tai Fung in Taipei, Sydney, Bellevue and Singapore and the one in Taipei is still the best (naturally since the chain began there.)

Read Day 1 here � Satsuki and Mei�s House, Osu Kannon

Read Day 2 here � Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko

Read Day 3 here � Tokyo Tower, Shibuya

Read Day 4 here � Tsukiji Market, Yokohama Chinatown

Fujisan and Tokyo 4-Day Itinerary: Day One

Read Day 1 here � Satsuki and Mei�s House, Osu Kannon

Read Day 2 here � Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko

Read Day 3 here � Tokyo Tower, Shibuya

Read Day 4 here � Tsukiji Market, Yokohama Chinatown

First trip of 2016! ?

For our four day, three night trip we used a combination of the Seishun 18 kippu (??18???), bus and a flight. The Seishun 18 kippu is sold during the three holiday periods of the year and costs 11,850 yen for five full days of unlimited rides on JR local and rapid service trains.

Our first day was by far the most tedious in terms of commuting and it is not suitable for everyone but you are able to save money. Most importantly, I think you should travel only with a backpack (no rolling suitcases) if you choose this route.

I used HyperDia (http://www.hyperdia.com/en/) to plan our journey ahead of time. This is necessary because our shortest connection was only 4 minutes so we barely had time to read the signs and figure out which train to board. You can select for the results to only show the trains eligible for Seishun 18 kippu.

We departed from Himeji Station (??) at 8:55am. Two transfers and about 3.5 hours later we arrived in Nagoya (???) at 12:43pm. Fortunately we were able to get a seat on the full trains. Our first destination of the day was the Expo 2005 site in Aichi (? ?) so we boarded another train. There is a more direct way to the site but on this particular day we used the following route. We took the JR train from Nagoya to Kozoji (???) for 29 minutes, then the Aichi Loop Line from Kozoji to Yakusa (??) for 17 minutes. The latter was not JR so it cost 390 yen. Lastly we took the Linimo (???), an urban maglev train, for two stops to Aichikyuhaku kinen koen (?�???????Expo Memorial Park) for 170 yen.

Expo 2005 park in Aichi

We finally arrived at the Expo site at about 2:15pm and rushed to Satsuki and Mei�s house (????????) for our 2:30pm tour. There is a free shuttle bus on site but it is infrequent so despite being quite far from the Linimo station, it was faster for us to walk. I bought the tickets on the Lawson Loppi Machine (Lawson is a chain of convenience stores) beforehand and they were 510 yen each.

Satsuki and Mei's house

Satsuki and Mei's house

I thoroughly enjoyed viewing the house which is an exact replica of the one in My Neighbour Totoro. Water came out from the pump and each item in the house looked like it was from the era the movie was set. I especially liked how they set up the dad�s study room.

Peek into dad's study

The tour ended after 3pm and we went to the observatory deck to see the house from there. Then we walked to the shuttle bus station and took it to Koen-nishi station (???) of the Linimo. There was a lot of open space and many kids were playing jumping rope and walking on stilts. I�m not sure if these were provided by a facility in the park or if they brought their own.

We took the Linimo to Fujigaoka station (???) then switched to the local subway to Osu Kannon station (????). Unfortunately our ICOCA cards didn�t work here. There were many people lining up to go into the temple since it was the New Year�s holiday and many more in the adjacent shopping arcade.

By the time I was finished shopping it was dinner time so we went to the famous Misokatsu Yabaton for food. We went to the Honten location and there was about a 15-20 minute wait but it was worth it. It tastes sweet and savoury and the sauce goes great with rice.

After dinner we walked around the Don Quijote in Sakae which was impressively big and opened 24 hours. We were taking an overnight bus in the evening so we went to an onsen to bathe. We went to Tenpu no Yu (????????) which was a bit pricier than other onsens I have been to but was also one of the best. It costs 770 yen and another 100 yen for the shoe locker. The outdoor onsen area was the best part complete with a TV to watch local programming, individual bowls and an area with many rubber ducks if you go with kids.

We took the subway back to Nagoya Station and found the Meitetsu Bus Centre about 10 minutes before our bus for Fujisan departed at 11:10pm. We booked the ticket online and seating is assigned. The ticket cost 4110 yen per person and we arrived at about 7:15am. There were stops to extend the journey so that we arrive at a reasonable time in the morning. The bus did not have a USB outlet like other Japanese highway buses to charge your phone and it was a regular tour bus so the seats could be a bit cramped for sleeping long periods. However it did save us travel time in the day and a night of accommodation.

I was able to rest reasonably in the seats but it depends on your luck because we were accompanied by a group of chatty teenagers and very unhappy toddler who screamed starting at 2am. I was glad I brought earplugs with me to dampen some of the noise.

Read Day 1 here � Satsuki and Mei�s House, Osu Kannon

Read Day 2 here � Mount Fuji, Kawaguchiko

Read Day 3 here � Tokyo Tower, Shibuya

Read Day 4 here � Tsukiji Market, Yokohama Chinatown