Since I have no idea what to make of it, I decided to just dump everything here, and say a thing or two before I finally close the Fukuoka travel chapter of this blog-for 2018, that is *wink*

Shiroi Koibito!

I just dumped everything here, because the next 2 days in Japan went by like a whirlwind! It was such a fun vacation, and I actually regret not taking much photos... but then again, I felt like I really savored the moments I was there that I did not bother snapping away photos.

To add some substance to this post, let me give you some tips about travelling in Fukuoka:
1. Google Map is your bestfriend.
2. Don't go to Fukuoka in August! It's scorching hot! If you're like me who's from a tropical country who grabs every chance she could to wear coat and boots, August is a no go! But if you're from a cold one, well, go there in August!
3. Canal City is a popular mall, but not necessarily the best place to get the best deals. If you want to get big discounts or you want to go shopping for stuff, go to YouMe Town Hakata instead.
4. Though Don Quijote is a paradise, it doesn't necessarily have the lowest price! Also, if you were able to compare it, some Don Quijote branches has cheaper price for things compared to other branches. I was able to notice this when we went to the Donki at Hakozaki, where they sell these Kracie soaps for 50 yen for packs of 3! When I got back to the one in Nakasu, I was disappointed to see that they sell them at 50 yen per piece.
5. Always check the schedule of buses and trains. Japanese peeps are crazy precise with everything, and that includes time! If the bus stop says that N19 bus stops at 12:45, IT WILL STOP AT 12:45!
6. Google Translate is also your bestfriend.
7. Banks give better conversion rates for money changing! But of course, they take more time than the usual money changers.
8. EVERY THING TASTES DELICIOUS! With that, if you are on a budget- LIKE US, 7Eleven and Family Mart is the way to go! But you know what's cheaper? Food in supermarkets, especially when it's closing time already, that yummy 300 yen tonkatsu meal goes down to a 150 by the end of the night.
9. Be polite, courteous, and respectful. I think this applies not only when you're in Japan, this should be an innate thing within you.
10. Explore the temples! Though there are many in Hakata, they are very different from each other. Ultimate Suggestion: Go book that AirBnb Temple tour!
11. Royce chocolates are only available at the Airport- and they are less expensive in Japan!
12. The best food places are from those establishments that doesn't give a hint that they are actually a restaurant! HAHAHAHA! Seriously, I had the best Tempura of my life in a place that looks like an old clinic!
13. Resist yourself from going HAM on those 'claw' arcade games!
14. Make new friends!

There are still soooo much more I could talk about Fukuoka! WAAAAAH! I really wanna go back!

Until then, I shall see Fukuoka again soon- with snow.


Love Always,

Nicole

P.S.

Super mega thank you to Tita Bot and Seichi for showing us around!

Since I have no idea how else I'm going to blog about my previous trip to Japan, let me just dump it all here! HAHAHA! Though, I'll try my hardest to still feed you on what happened hehe.

So let's start with what happened on the 2nd day! Initially as per our itinerary (which I carefully made), we were supposed to be off to Dazaifu Tenmangu temple, then go to the Kyushu Museum which is nearby, but due to the heat (oh Lerd) we decided to just go somewhere else- A Mall.




So we headed to Marinoa Outlet Center, which is about 30 minutes away from our place in Hakata. Due to poor research, we hopped into the subway, then got off Meinohama station, and walked around 1km going to the outlet itself- yes, we walked under the scorching hot sun without an umbrella! Skin cancer, here we go!




I had high hopes and expectations towards Marinoa Outlet, and unfortunately it wasn't met. The stores weren't as impressive, and I've noticed that the prices aren't mind-boggling low! Also, should you ever intend on shopping for American brands like Coach, or even Converse, you might just get disappointed, because they are not less expensive! Might as well just buy in Manila, and save the luggage allowance for Don Quijote goodies!

To be fair tho, Marinoa Outlet has a lot of gems in it. One would be the Godiva store, which sells these oh-so-good frappucinos! Due to the expensive price (one grande-sized drink costs 520 yen or around Php 260!), me and Imman decided to just buy one and share tapos bawi nalang sa Mini Stop. Another gem would be the Asics store, where at the time they have a big selection of footwear that are on sale as big as 70% off. I bought a pair for my mom, then Imman bought one for himself and his dad. I think I saved as much as Php 3000+ for the pair I bought, which is an obvious good deal! Lastly, Marinoa Outlet has their Sports outlet store on the 'annex' part near the Taito arcade center and their food center. Imman was able to score a lot of Adidas apparel ranging from Php 800- Php 1,200 only, where in the Philippines the average price of a shirt range from Php 2,000 to Php 4,000!


By around 2:00 P.M., we decided to go back to our AirBnb and freshen up a bit, before we meet up with an old neighbour of ours who's living in Fukuoka nowadays.

Shopaholic spotted!

This trip wouldn't have been this amazing if it weren't for my old neighbour, and my late childhood friend's mom, tita Bot, who showed us around Fukuoka and treated us to the most delicious tonkatsu we have ever had! We had the tonkatsu at the YouMe shopping mall in Higashima, which is a stone throw away from their quaint but lovely home. Also, in YouMe I was able to score the comfiest and most affordable pair of heels from GU as seen on the photos above hahahah! But on a semi-serious note, finding a pair of good shoes, especially if you have large feet like me, is muy deficil! Most Japanese peeps are smaller in size, so I suppose the demand for larger sizes of footwear is not as much as for the size 5s and 6s, which made it difficult for me to score good shoes. Luckily I was able to see a couple of good designs in GU, and guess what these babies retail for around 560 yen, or roughly Php 270 only! Such a bargain, right?🤗😍😂





After stuffing ourselves full with Tonkatsu, and the best bowl of brown rice I've ever had, we decided to head over this quaint Izakaya for some beer and yakitori. I'm no beer connosieur, so I've got to take Imman's word that this is where he had the best beer ever! But if you're going to ask me, well they all taste the same- except for San Miguel Pale Pilsen #TomadorisBigornia

Aside from good beer, we've had amazing people for company that night! We even first-hand experienced Japanese people's hospitality! So here's what went down: due to an amazing time getting inebriated, we did not notice how time flew by, and before we know it it's already 11 pm! At first it was only me, Imman, and tita Botsky who were talking about different transportation options we could take. Our first option is via bus, since we were able to go there by hopping on a bus, however we also realized that they have a very strict time of arrival, and since we do not have the complete schedule it would be a waste of time if we go to the nearest bus stop without an assurance. Our next option is through train, however the nearest train station is half a km away! Taking a cab is not an option, because cabs are so expensive! We are poor, so no to that!

I suppose the whole of the Izakaya noticed how stressed we were on how we will go home, that one elderly Japanese man offered to give us money to take a cab already! Hahahahahaha! I was so surprised that this man, whom not even my tita knows, out of nowhere decided to offer us his generosity! It was one of the moments that left me awestruck at how nice the Japanese are! In the end, of course we politely declined, end up having a jolly chat over another pint, and dashed to the nearest train station.

We were able to go to the station in one piece... but a little tipsy🍺🍻

Love Always,
Nicoco ❤

Ok, maybe the title is a bit of an exaggeration, but yeah we almost had been homeless during our Fukuoka trip due to an AirBnB mishap!



Me and Imman were able to book for a tiny apartment near Hakata Station for around Php 9,000+ or around $ 200+ good for almost 6 days (we arrived in the evening of August 9 and left Fukuoka in the evening of August 15), and that was back in April. Our main objective when we chose a place to stay is the location. We looked for places near Hakata Station, since Hakata Station is the central train station in Fukuoka so it's easier to go to different places coming from that location. We purposefully booked it early, in order to ensure the prices aren't that high yet, because the average price for a place near Hakata Station would cost you around Php 15,000++ plus already! After 2 months, we decided to message our host, for us to know the particular address, and in this way we can finalize our itinerary. But after multiple messages sent to our host, we did not receive not even one reply. That's when things got fishy.


So, we messaged AirBnB's customer service for this. We explained that our host is non-responsive, and we are worried sick that we may not have an accomodation once we arrive there. AirBnB's customer representative checked with our host, then found out that the host is not yet registered in Japan's local government! The first solution given to us by their customer service is to refund what we have paid, but after pointing out that since we were 2 months away from our trip, the listings' prices have already sky-rocketed, and with that it will be hard for us to get a place for only Php 9k.



The next solution our AirBnB customer representative gave is to help us find a place with the same price, and at least the same location as the one we have booked before. However, they have also realized that there are no more available listings with similar price point. With that, they gave us the best offer a traveller could have...

... AirBnB gave us the refund which costs Php 9,000+ and they also gave us another Php 9,000+ credits, or the price of the place we have originally booked, in this case we can conveniently find a newer place that will meet our needs. But the fun doesn't end there, because AirBnB also gave us a $100 coupon that we can use for AirBnB experience!!!!

You get a coupon! You get a coupon!

With that, we were able to, not only book for a place conveniently located near Hakata station, but also book for a Temple walk around Hakata! For those who are curious what place in Hakata we booked, unfortunately I can no longer locate the listing, but this one is almost identical to the place we booked. Check out the link HERE

For those who are about to embark on a holiday, and is currently deliberating whether they should go for a hotel accomodation or go for AirBnB, I definitely full-heartedly recommend going with AirBnB. Sure, hotels have amazing ammenities, like pools, gyms, and swanky lobbies, but come to think of it, you won't be spending much time in the hotel when you travel, right? You'll be spending about 80% of your holiday outside, wandering around, looking for amazing experiences that has nothing to do with being in a bathrobe. Another thing to consider is, most foreign hotels are probably readily available in your country, and most likely they are similar to whatever place you'll have your holiday. With that, if you want the luxe feel of a hotel, go do it for a staycation instead 👌😋

There you have it, folks! If ever you are a newbie with AirBnB let me introduce you to it by clicking on this LINK, then you'll get Php 1,600 or around $ 30 in AirBnB credits, which you can use when you book a listing. Cheers!

Love, Always,

Nicole ♡♡♡

Soooooo, I just got back from our trip to Fukuoka, Japan, and daaaaamn! I seriously want to go back to Japan as soon as possible! Like the moment our plane landed in NAIA 3, I swear I want to dash back to departure, and sneak into a plane going back to any place in Japan! Just like from my previous travel to Bangkok, I am definitely suffering from Post-Travel depression! But luckily, I still have some upcoming trips to look forward to, which means it's not yet time to store away my luggage ♥

Yes, you've read it right, I've been to Japan! It is pretty much a huge deal, because I have always dreamed of going there! What usually hinders me from trying to start planning for a Japan trip was the notion that Japan is an expensive country, and you have to have A LOT of money to be able to go there. Also there is another notion that the language barrier will be a big burden to go to places!

How I envisioned myself in Japan

But lo and behold, those notions aren't that spot-on! You don't have to have a lot to go there, you just have to learn how to budget, and research a lot in order to get deals and save money. As for the language problem? Not really, there are a lot of English translations in signs and instructions, and if there's none, you could converse with Japanese people using simple English words, and eventually they'll understand what you mean.

Anyway, let me show you how our first day in Fukuoka was like...


We arrived in NAIA 3 at around 9 am for our 2 pm flight. Why so early, you asked? The traffic going to the airport is usually horrendous, and with that we can't afford to go to the airport in a much later time. While waiting for our flight, we had our breakfast in the airport, and spent our time downloading videos from Netflix for our in-flight entertainment- because Cebu Pacific has none, and the flight going to Fukuoka from Manila is up to 3 hours!

Hisamitsuuuuuuu

We arrived in Fukuoka at around 7 pm Japan time. Oh, take note, Japan is 1 hour advance from the Philippines, so you better adjust your watch or your phone's time so you won't have any mishaps ☺ Upon arriving the Fukuoka international airport, there is a free shuttle transport going to the Fukuoka domestic airport, where you can take either a bus or subway going to Hakata Station.

Here's Imman trying to make sense of Japanese ads in the train.

From the domestic airport, you can easily spot the stairs going to the subway station. If ever you are lugging around a lot of luggage, don't fret because there are escalators, so you don't have to carry them all the time. The fare going from Fukuokakuko subway station (the airport) going to Hakata Station is 230 Yen per person, or approximately Php 115. In order to buy the ticket, you will have to use their ticketing 'vendo' machines that has english translation. Also, if you're kinda problematic about having full 10,000 yen bills with you, I think the subway is indeed the best choice for you, because if you take the bus you are expected to give the exact fare amount, but unlike in the subway, the ticketing machine can give you change for your big bills.

At a glance, you might think it is kind of expensive, however if you are going to compare it to other forms of transpo coming from airport to city in other countries, this is actually waaay cheaper. In Hongkong you get to spend as much as around 20-50 HKD when you take the bus going from their airport to Mongkok, while if you take the express train it will be around 100+ HKD.

Another positive thing about the airport transfer from Fukuoka airport to their main city is the fact that the city proper is very near. It only took us around 5-10 minutes to reach Hakata Station! So when we arrived, it's still quite early despite the fact that we landed in the evening already...


and with that, even after we have put our luggages in our Airbnb, we still got time for...


Yep, the best tonkotsu ramen in the world! Despite it being readily available all-over Japan, Ichiran Ramen actually started in Fukuoka. Since our Airbnb is somewhat near Hakata station, we head over to their branch in Sunplaza, which is conveniently across Hakata Station. If there's one thing I recommend people to bring with them in heading over to Ichiran, it has to be patience. Ichiran is usually packed with people, so you could expect that there's a loooong line of hungry people wanting to have their ramen in their bellies.

But you can't blame these people, because Ichiran ramen is the best ramen I've ever had in my whole life! No exaggerations, it is indeed the best.

So what can you expect upon entering this wonderland? Well, for you to order, you will first see a vendo machine where you get to choose what you would like to have. They of course have their ramen, which costs 890 yen, then you could also order some extras like extra Chashu, eggs, or even some gyoza. One thing to note is, their base ramen doesn't have an egg, so if you got used to the servings here in The Philippines, you better buy a 130 yen soft boiled salted egg to go along with your delicious ramen. Upon ordering, you then insert your money, then the machine will give you a stub indicating your orders.

Hungry face

After ordering, you will proceed to a room where they will serve you the ramen. Once seated, they will give you a 'questionnaire'-like paper where you have to choose how you would like your ramen- For example, do you like the broth to be extra rich, how firm you like your noodles to be, and etc. Then after filling it up, you tap a button in front of you, where they'll get the paper and the stub you get from the vendo machine earlier, and by then you anticipate having the best ramen of your life!

photo c/o Imman

Once they have already served you your order, the window in front of you will be closed, then you will proceed in enjoying the best ramen you will have in this lifetime.

Aaaaand there you have it, our first night in Fukuoka ☺ Will blog about the other days soon *Wink* *Hopefully within this month hahaha*

Love, Always

Nicole ♥

P.S.
Huhuhu Craving for Ichiran Ramen now :(