5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE VISITING JAPAN IN 2024
Tuesday 7 November 2023
There's not many countries that I've visited in the last few years that I'm in a rush to go back to, but I'd love to see Japan again (mostly for the food). We spent just over a week travelling between Tokyo and Kyoto and I think we managed to see all the cities have to offer. On my next trip I'd love to also visit Osaka and try all of their famous street food. If any of these cities are on your bucket list, keep reading to find out 5 tips for travelling to Japan in 2024.
1. Research the best time to go for what you want to see.
We visited in February because it's when we kicked off our Asia trip, and it was definitely cold! We did manage to see Mount Fuji which as told by our guide, is very dependent on what the weather is like that day. You can take a day trip to Mount Fuji from Tokyo. We paid £45 which included pick up from Ueno station and drop-off (1.5 hour journey), and we visited 3 locations. We couldn't actually go to the 5th Station (entrance to the mountain) as it had been snowing and so the roads were too slippery, but we did get great views of Fuji from Kawaguchiko lake and Oshino Hakkai. To increase your chances, the best time to visit Mt Fuji is between November and February.
If you're more interested in cherry blossom season, then the best time to visit is in the spring (late March/early April). There's no shortage of cherry blossoms in Tokyo, one of the more popular places to see them is at Ueno Park. If you want to find somewhere a little less crowded, head to the English Garden in Shinjuku Gyoen. If you're in Kyoto, you'll want to see the 'weeping cherry tree' at Marayama Park.
2. Purchase a SIM or eSIM for Japan.
3. Get an IC card at the train station.
To avoid this I suggest you firstly get an IC card from the ticket machine, which is essentially like an Oyster card. You can tap this at any of the stations and means you don't have to keep buying single journey tickets. Secondly, use Google Maps! This will make getting to your destination 100 times easier as it will give you the correct platform and everything too.
4. Stay in a traditional ryokan
You could choose to stay in a chain hotel that you're familiar and comfortable with, or you could properly immerse yourself in the Japanese culture and stay in a ryokan. A ryokan differs from a hotel in that you'll usually sleep on a futon bed and the rooms will be quite minimal and the floors are usually made of 'tatami' matting. Not exclusive to ryokans as you'll see these everywhere, that Japanese toilets have a lot more functions than your regular toilets back home!
5. Be mindful of cultural differences
I hope you've found this post useful. If you have any other questions about Japan, feel free to message me on my socials or check out my travel guides below!
HOW TO SPEND 2 DAYS IN GIBRALTAR (FROM A LOCAL).
Sunday 5 November 2023
I've done a fair bit of Gibraltar based content in the past, but realised I haven't done an itinerary of what the perfect 2 day trip to Gibraltar would look like. There are a lot of tourists who come to Gibraltar for a day or on a cruise stop, so I wanted to show that Gibraltar is worth spending more than just 1 night in.
For those who have just heard of the place, Gibraltar is an overseas British Territory on the Southern tip of Europe. We border Spain, which means that because of Brexit tourists do need to have their passport stamped when crossing in and out. Whilst exploring Gibraltar, you'll notice the contrast between red telephone boxes and fish & chips, with tapas and hearing people speaking a mix of both English and Spanish. If you're looking to spend a weekend or 2 days in Gibraltar, this is the perfect itinerary.
Day 1
Breakfast
Explore the Rock of Gibraltar
Mediterranean Steps
The Skywalk
St Michael's Cave
Suspension bridge
Apes Den
If you don't feel like walking much further after exploring the rock, you can catch the Cable Car back down for a fee.
Lunch
- Vault 13 for their asian prawns, octopus and bao buns;
- My Wines for their duck nachos and lemon chicken fingers;
- Tapas by Gauchos for their steak tartare and truffled mash.
Gin Distillery tour
Main Street
Dinner
Nightlife
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Photo by @viceroygib on Instagram |
Day 2
Breakfast
Escape Room
Lunch
Beach day
Lighthouse & Europa Point
Dinner
- Monique's Bistro for their duck salad and mushroom pilpil;
- The Lounge for their crispy pork belly with potato terrine;
- and Rendezvous for their steaks!
Quiz, Karaoke?
USEFUL INFO
- Our first language is English, but you'll find a lot of us also speak Spanish and there are also a lot of spanish nationals working in Gibraltar.
- We use pounds in Gibraltar, but you might find some of the notes and coins look slightly different. That's because we also circulate the Gibraltar Pound (GIP) which won't work in the UK, so make sure you get them changed. Euros also work in any shop.
- If you're feeling lazy or you've arrived late and want to order food, download the Hungry Monkey app. You can actually claim 10% off your order using my code TEAWITHGI when you checkout.
- Please don't refer to Gibraltarians as Spanish, we've fought hard to stay British! ;)
- Most hotels are quite central, Sunborn Gibraltar is on the higher price range but in the heart of Ocean Village, but the Holiday Inn is just 10 minutes away from it. If you'd rather stay in town, then Elliot's Hotel is your best bet. There are also a lot of Gibraltar AirBnBs popping up, so make sure to look their too!