Goodbye Amazing Antarctica (for now.. Maybe I will be back)

Whaling Boat - Half Moon Island, Antarctica

This is the final instalment of my Antarctica Diaries. I hope you have enjoyed reading the other entries on my experience in the White Continent. Antarctica is a truly magical place, barely touched by humans, and exuding in raw beauty and pristine wonder. If you have not read my other entries about Antarctica, here they are:

Antarctica Diaries – Crossing The Drake Passage and South Shetlands

Antarctica Diaries – Cuverville Island and Paradise Bay

 Antarctica Diaries – Christmas in Antarctica

Antarctica Diaries – Hydrurga Rock and Trinity Island

If you’ve been inspired by my experience in Antarctica, you must really get yourself over there! These companies are what I’d recommend you consider when booking your journey to Antarctica:

G Adventures

Antarpply

Day 8 – Deception Island and Half Moon Island

Neptune's Bellows

In the morning, our ship negotiated the narrow passage on Deception Island called Neptune’s Bellows. Deception Island is a volcanic island, and the Neptune’s Bellows was formed from the breaking of the volcano crater, which then let the sea water into the crater and formed a bay. There is one bay that people could swim in Deception Island, as the volcanic ash warms up the water to 30 degrees when washed away from land into the sea by the tide. Unfortunately for us, the wind went up to 25 knots and it was deemed dangerous for the zodiacs to go into the water, so we only had a glimpse of the bay and the U-shaped island.

Half Moon Island, South Shetlands

Our ship then changed course and took us to Half Moon Island in the South Shetland Islands. It was our last zodiac landing for the entire trip, and quite a nostalgic moment for me. Last time to see those cute penguins, the chilled out seals, and the amazing scenery.. Half Moon Island was very beautiful! There was a Chinstrap penguin colony, a few Weddell seals, and some Arctic Terns. At one end of the island is the Argentine military base and research station, which opens only in the summer but has not opened this season yet while we were there. I really enjoyed the scenery though, with mountains and glaciers around the other side of the island. The place was absolutely serene, and I was savouring the last moments in one of earth’s last frontiers.

In the evening, our ship started sailing for the Drake’s Passage, as there was a forecasted storm that was crossing the Drake and we wanted to avoid of minimise the time getting past the storm. They showed David Attenborough’s Frozen Planet in the multimedia room on the ship.

Day 9 – Drake’s Passage

Rough Seas - Drake Passage

It’s a rough day out in the sea. There are 4m swells and the boat is really rocking! Some of the guys have started a competition for who can survive the Drake’s Passage without any seasickness tablets and without throwing up. I joined the competition, and so far so good (this is at 1:50pm).

There was a lecture in the morning about Antarctic Seals. It was interesting to learn about the different characteristics and behaviours of each type of seals, and where you can find them. Shame that this happened after the trip, but I guess going on land earlier is much better than having this lecture when we arrived in the South Shetlands (this was the schedule back then).

The Drake Passage became rougher and rougher.. The 4-meter waves became 10 meter waves, and it was seriously difficult to walk on the ship! Eating was already a challenge in itself, as the food would sometimes slide off the plate due to the sharp angle that the ship tilts while navigating through the massive waves! Many people have started throwing up and giving up on the challenge, but I managed to stand strong, and had completely no medication during that period. Admittedly, I was seriously uncomfortable, and I have never experienced such rough seas in my life! We got lucky on our way to Antarctica, but it was not the case on our way back. Welcome to the real Drake Passage (as the captain told us)!

Day 10 – Drake’s Passage – Cape Horn/Beagle Channel

Our final day at the rough Drake Passage, and I managed to hold up without throwing up! During breakfast, the whole ship was rocking too much that I had so much difficulty getting my breakfast from the buffet table! I so admire the waitresses Veronica and Tamara for their superb balancing skills and ended up getting the breakfast for me and took it to my table! And while eating, my breakfast even slid off my plate with the incessant rocking of the ship!

The crew decided to postpone the lecture til the late afternoon when the sea was much calmer, so that people can attend. I went to the bridge and saw more waves crashing into the ship. When we reached Cape Horn, the sea was so much calmer, but with the tough conditions earlier, the kitchen crew were only able to make sandwiches for lunch. At that point, I was ready to celebrate my victory of not having taken medication and not having thrown up during the rough Drake Passage crossing! J

In the afternoon, we had a brief debrief, and then a presentation of videos that the crew and Levend (one of the passengers – the cool Turkish guy who has a travel agency and travels around the world extensively) have prepared for us.. All in the DVD! J

Then, it was time for our final dinner at the ship, and then an after party with the crew in the bottom part of the ship! So much latin music dancing, and some of the crew were just amazing at dancing!

Day 11 – Final day

Great friends - saying goodbye after an amazing trip!

Final breakfast on the ship, and it was time to say goodbye to the crew and to the new found friends on the ship. It’s been a fantastic journey, a trip of a lifetime, and very fortunate to be in the company of wonderful crew and wonderful passengers! This is absolutely one trip that I will never, ever forget!

I hope you have enjoyed my Antarctic diaries series, and I hope I have inspired you to visit Antarctica and marvel at the jaw-dropping scenery and very cool wildlife.

To more Fabulous Journeys ahead!

The Antarctica Journey Continues

Chinstrap Penguins - Hydrurga Rocks

This is the fourth instalment to my Antarctica Diaries series, where I’m sharing the accounts of my recent trip to Antarctica onboard the M/V Ushuaia. In case you haven’t seen my previous post, check out the links below for my first 3 posts of the diaries:

Antarctica Diaries – Crossing The Drake Passage And South Shetlands

Antarctica Diaries – Cuverville Island And Paradise Bay

Antarctica Diaries – Christmas In Antarctica!

Day 7 – Boxing Day – Hydrurga Rocks and Trinity Island

Hydrurga Rocks

Breakfast was early again today, and our first trip on the zodiac was to Hydrurga Rocks. We were told that Hydrurga Rocks isn’t really on most Antarctic maps, and hence, not many ships would go and do a zodiac landing there, so we’re so fortunate to be able to visit it. On this place, we found more Gentoo and Chinstrap penguin colonies, and some Weddell seals lying in the snow. There were a good number of Weddell seals around, so it must be a popular place for them to hang around.

Adelie Penguin

The best part was seeing 2 Adelie penguins that went astray and stayed on the island for a while! It was the first time I saw Adelie penguins on the trip, as we were not able to reach their colonies on Petermann Island just past the Lemaire Channel. I got excited that I finally got to see this specie of penguin, which is becoming rare to find on the top part of the Peninsula!

Trinity Island - Mikkelsen Harbour

In the afternoon, we went to Mikkelsen Harbour to an island called Trinity Island with an abandoned Argentinean emergency shed, with a Gentoo penguin colony underneath and more Gentoo colonies. There was an abandoned whaling boat and whale remains around on one side of the island, and a few Weddell seals were hanging out by the beach. There was a lone chinstrap penguin by the beach. There is a small hill where a Gentoo colony can be found, and offers a good view of the harbour and its surrounds.

In the evening, during dinner, we set sail for the Neumeyer Channel, where the sea started to become rough, and I didn’t get as much sleep. Though it wasn’t as bad as what we were gonna experience next!

Watch this space for the fifth instalment of my adventures in Antarctica!

Finally Landing on the Antarctic Continent!

Antarctica Peninsula - Seal on Iceberg

Continuing from my previous post on Antarctica, where we made our journey from Ushuaia, crossed the Drake Passage and then made our first landing. The first landing on our journey was on the South Shetland islands, which are considered sub-Antarctic islands. In theory, we haven’t really set foot on the Antarctic continent itself at that point yet.

Here’s the next couple of days’ events that happened during our journey in Antarctica:

Day 4 – Cuverville Island and Paradise Bay

Cuverville Island

Our boat cruised overnight along the Gerlache strait and docked near Cuverville island, where after breakfast, we boarded the zodiacs again and landed on Cuverville Island itself. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we all dressed up warm. In fact, we prepared for the cold too much that most of us felt hot when we got to the island! When we landed, our guides told us to either choose between staying just on the shore area, or hike up this hill, which is supposedly medium in difficulty level. Most of us passengers then decided to hike up this hill, which ended up feeling like a steep hill for me! The top of the hill is supposed to have amazing views of the bay and the other side of the island. And it was! But man was the climb tough for me, as the path was very narrow, slippery and steep! There was a Gentoo penguin colony halfway up the hill. It was a difficult climb for me and I somehow had to hold the expedition biologist Julieta’s hand to get down the hill!!

Me wearing the Hawaiian shorts

When we got back to the ship, I was feeling so hot from the thick clothing (and also my fear of heights/vertigo setting in made me sweat profusely) that I just dressed up in t-shirt and hawaiian shorts. I went to the dining hall for lunch just wearing this outfit, and nearly every passenger was just staring at me! I had no idea why they were looking at me strangely until one of the guys pointed to my hawaiian shorts! Wearing hawaiian shorts in Antarctica! Now that’s really odd! Everyone had a laugh!

Antarctica - Paradise Bay

In the afternoon, our ship cruised along and reached the area of Paradise Bay. We went on a zodiac cruise first around Paradise Bay, and saw some crabeater seals, and Weddell seals. There were also penguins on some of the seal colonies. We also saw some Cormorants nesting on the side of a cliff. After the zodiac cruise, we went to the old abandoned Argentine station called Brown Station, and this was our very first time to set foot on the Antarctic continent! It was one of the very few places in the continent where you can make a landing from sea straight to land without having to use an ice axe! We then climbed up this hill and saw an amazing view of the harbour. Truly a paradise! On our way down, we slid down the hill on our bums, which was really great fun!

In the evening, we had a parillada (Argentinean BBQ) snack and dinner. We had chori-pan for snack (yum!) and asado for dinner. It’s one of the best dinners so far on this trip!

Day 5 – Xmas eve – Lemaire Channel, Port Lockroy, Danco Island

Antarctica - Lemaire Channel

Our ship attempted to go into the Lemaire Channel, which is a very narrow passage between towering peaks and glaciers. This passage was only discovered less than 100 years ago, as it was very narrow, and few ships can get through it. We were told that this passage was blocked with lots of ice in the last couple of days, and some cruise ships who had been in the area the day before were not able to get through due to so much pack ice. But still, our captain wanted to give it a go. We were all looking forward to this, as we would be able to see the only Adelie penguin colony that is still accessible on Antarctic cruises, plus the spectacular scenery of going through the Lemaire Channel. Unfortunately for us, it was still blocked with so much ice, so we had to do Plan B.

Antarctica - Port Lockroy

Plan B was to visit to Port Lockroy and Wiencke Island. It was snowing, and weather was not that great. Wiencke Island was our first stop, with more Gentoos penguin colonies, and remains/bones of a whale being left on the island. First time I saw a penguin’s egg still being incubated by the mother penguin, and I also saw some broken eggs that the Antarctic skuas managed to steal and eat from the mother penguins. Next we moved over to Port Lockroy, just on the other side. Port Lockroy is a British-run museum and semi-research station, and had a gift shop and post office in it. It was our only chance to buy a souvenir that is really from Antarctica and send our postcards from the frozen continent!

Antarctica - Danco Island (penguins by the shore)

In the afternoon, we went to Danco island, and hiked up to a small hill which had a Gentoo penguin colony. There were penguins along the beach as well, and it was very funny to see them walk along and swim into the water. I learned a new term – raft of penguins – which means a group of penguins swimming together! Then we went on a brief zodiac cruise through the icebergs floating around.

Silly folks in Antarctica

In the evening, we had the traditional Xmas eve dinner in the ship with duck as the main meal. Afterwards, the party started in the bar! We had some music, dancing, people playing with the balloon decorations, someone creating a snowman on the deck, and the funny part – a group of guys taking their shirts off outside in the snow at the front of the ship! Crazy lads! Someone made a snowman on deck, as we had enough snow on board to make one! X’mas eve is traditionally when most Argentineans and South Americans celebrate X’mas, and since most of the crew were Argentineans, we did it their way. It was a shock to most Westerners who are used to celebrating on the 25th (Xmas day itself)!

Til the next part of Antarctica Diaries – hope you have enjoyed it so far! Please leave some comments if you wish

Happy New Year! Back From Antarctica!

Hola from Cuverville Island!

I know January is already about over, but I have just returned from an amazing trip to Antarctica and South America. Antarctica was just an amazing place! Totally wild, totally pristine, and totally magical! It’s the earth’s last frontier in every sense of the word! No one lives in Antarctica, no country owns it, and the continent was not properly explored until only 100 years ago, when nearly all the world was already discovered. Its harsh climate and the very rough high seas and oceans surrounding it have isolated it from human civilisation, and thus preserving all the wildlife in its purest state.

I would like to share with you some of my diary entries about my trip to Antarctica. While each crossing/sailing is always different (due to the unpredictable and very fickle weather), I still hope that this gives you an insight as to what I went through during the 11 days out in the open sea and in Antarctica.

How I went to Antarctica

Antarctica - Paradise Bay

I was scouting around for great deals to Antarctica, and found really good specials with G Adventures to start with. I heard of a lot of fantastic things about them. I looked at the dates they were sailing and availability, but unfortunately for me, there was no availability. After much searching, I found a voyage with Antarpply, which worked pretty well for me. I’m glad I did, coz the crew were great, and the ship was just the right size, with only 84 passengers on board and is within the limits of the international law on landings in Antarctica. (NOTE: there is an international law that restricts the maximum number of people per landing in Antarctica to 100 people, so 84 passengers, plus around 12 crew of zodiac drivers and guides is just within the limits, and you don’t need to take turns or be in batches when doing landings!).

Most cruise ships to Antarctica depart from Ushuaia in Argentina, though there are some that leave from Punta Arenas in Chile, and also some very few expeditions start from Australia and New Zealand (though they can be longer, as they’re further from Antarctica itself). In my case, I booked a flight to Ushuaia from Sydney, Australia via Buenos Aires, the Argentinean capital.

Day 1 – Boarding the ship

M/V Ushuaia

We boarded the ship M/V Ushuaia from the port of Ushuaia, Argentina at 4pm, meet and greet the staff of M/V Ushuaia over champagne and some snacks. Safety briefing and emergency drills were conducted. This was interesting, as we were all told to wear all our cold and wet weather gear, plus the life jacket that goes around the neck and feels very uncomfortable! Lucky this was only in case of emergencies! After the drill, dinner was served, and we all had a chance to meet the people on the boat, who we will be spending the next 11 days with. There were only 84 passengers, so you pretty much will get to know everyone at the end of the trip. At this stage, our ship was still navigating through the Beagle Channel, and will only start crossing the Drake Passage by midnight. Everyone on the ship was gearing up for what is known to be a notorious part of the journey to Antarctica.

Day 2 – Drake’s Passage Day 1

First day in the infamous Drake’s Passage. The sea is remarkably calm, which is unusual for this body of water. Our captain told us that we are very lucky to witness the rare occasion where we have calm seas and sunny days here at the Drake Passage. I was fine the whole time, but my friend Don was totally not feeling well. During the day, there were lectures on board, from the biology of Antarctic sea birds, to penguins and the different types of penguins, to the geography of Antarctica. After the lectures, since the weather was great, the biologists on board would organise bird watching sessions at the very top deck and point out the different types of birds that somehow trailed our ship.

There were Antarctic birds flying behind our boat, particularly the giant petrels, Cape or Pintado petrel, Snow petrel, Albatross, and so much more!

Day 3 – Drake’s Passage and South Shetlands

Barrientos Island, South Shetlands

Second day in the Drake’s Passage and the sea was starting to be rougher. However, we were getting closer to the South Shetland Islands. Our boat managed to travel at a good speed and we arrived at the South Shetlands earlier than expected. We had the afternoon to cruise around the South Shetlands and made our very first zodiac landing on the island of Barrientos, in the Aitcho group of islands.  The island had Gentoo and Chinstrap penguin colonies and an elephant seal colony on the other side. Our first encounter of land in 2 days of sailing! And our first encounter with penguins in this trip! There were a good number of Gentoo Penguin colonies and they were just so curious of our presence on the island! If you stand still for a while, the penguins will actually come and approach you! Here are some shots of penguins on the island:

A lone Gentoo Penguin

Chinstrap Penguin

Gentoo colony

Til the next post…

- Kelvin

Czech Republic’s Next Tourist Hot Spot

Cesky Krumlov Castle

Mention Czech Republic and the one and only thing that most people have in mind is Prague. Prague is indeed a very beautiful and romantic city, but there is more to see in the Czech Republic than just Prague. Several medieval towns dot the entire country, and if you search well enough, you’ll be amazed by all the quaint-looking towns and villages that is steeped in history. One place that many people have now discovered is the small town in southern Bohemia called Cesky Krumlov.

What is in Cesky Krumlov?

View of Cesky Krumlov Town

Cesky Krumlov is a good 3 hour drive south of Prague. This tiny town situated on the banks of the Vltava River, and is one of the most important cultural and art centres in the Czech Republic. The Cesky Krumlov Castle nestles atop a rocky hill, and stands majestically overlooking the entire town. The town can trace its roots back to the construction of the castle in the 13th Century. The buildings around the town have been built between the 14th and 17th century, and have since been restored and preserved. The whole of Cesky Krumlov has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, an honour which it truly deserves.

Cobblestone streets of Cesky Krumlov

Wandering around Cesky Krumlov really takes you back to the medieval times, with its cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways, those quaint shop windows and the typical town square that forms part of any medival town. I visited the town in winter, and as many people would agree, it is the best time to see this town. The snow-covered rooftops of the houses, the castle, and the river banks look very picturesque. The best part of visiting during winter is that the town has less tourists, and you can feel that real laid-back atmosphere that the town is normally, sans the tourists.

Cesky Krumlov town - view from the castle

There isn’t much in the way of must-see attractions in the town, apart from the imposing Cesky Krumlov Castle, which offers a spectacular view of the town and its surroundings. There are some museums around, and definitely those quaint shops are worth visiting, but just having a stroll around its cobblestoned streets and admiring the architecture that the ancient buildings have to offer is worth the visit to this bohemian town of Cesky Krumlov.

How To Get There

View of Cesky Krumlov with castle tower

Shuttle buses run everyday between Prague and Cesky Krumlov, and from Vienna or Linz in Austria. Companies like Shuttle Lobo or Private Prague Guide offer these shuttle buses which doesn’t cost a lot more than the train, and is more convenient. The train station in Cesky Krumlov is a bit further from the Old Town itself, and hence, doesn’t provide quite the same convenience to tourists.

If you’re coming from a country other than Austria, Germany or Czech Republic, the easiest way is to arrive in Prague, as this is the nearest city with a major international airport. Check out some great deals to Prague or Vienna on Expedia or Zuji, two of the best travel websites around who offer great deals quite regularly.

Australia’s Most Celebrated Icon – Uluru (Ayers Rock)

Uluru Ayers Rock

One of the images that many people associate Australia with is this huge red monolith that looks like a plateau in the middle of the dead flat outback. It’s what most people know as Ayers Rock, but the traditional Aboriginal name of this natural rock formation is Uluru. Since I moved to Australia, I’ve always wanted to visit this great natural wonder, and just over the Easter period, I went to the middle of Australia (known as “The Red Centre”) to see it.

Getting to Ayers Rock

Virgin Australia plane

While many people think they have to fly to Alice Springs to get to Ayers Rock (Uluru), this isn’t necessarily the case anymore. Ayers Rock has its own airport, and flights have become more reasonable in the past few years, with the introduction of flights by Virgin Australia.

The airport is 18 kms from Ayers Rock itself, and is much closer than the extra 6-hour drive from Alice Springs to Ayers Rock itself. Both Qantas and Virgin Australia fly direct from Sydney to Ayers Rock. Qantas also has flights into Ayers Rock airport from Alice Springs, Cairns, and Perth. Landing into the Ayers Rock airport is also quite scenic, as you get to take in the view of the Rock and the Olgas as you land.

Transport – Do We Ride On Camels?

Yes, there are camels around, but you won’t get very far with them! Kidding aside, there are 2 options for you to go about going around Ayers Rock: by tour bus or by self-drive. Tour packages tend to come out cheaper as a whole, but when it comes to flexibility of where to go and what time, tour groups always don’t have that choice. Hence, my friends and I decided to hire a car between 5 of us, and it ended up costing us around $80 each person for the 4 days we were there (this already includes petrol and insurance). If you can get discounts on the car rental companies, it can come out cheaper than this.

Ayers Rock (Uluru) – The Magnificent Rock

Uluru at sunrise

Ayers Rock is in every way a very fascinating natural wonder. It looks like a plateau or a small mountain from afar, and prior to seeing it, I thought that people just called it “Rock” as a carry-on from a misnomer when it was first discovered. BUT, it IS truly a big piece of rock that just sits in the midst of the vast flat Australian outback!

Ayers Rock itself is enormous, and doing the Base Walk around the entire Rock can take between 3 to 4 hours! And if you’re a keen photographer, it might take you even longer, as there are some really cool rock formations and wildlife around! One thing to note though, there are some spots that are sacred to the local Aboriginal people, and they would not allow for people to take photos of them.

Ayers Rock radiates with various colours and shades throughout the day. Check out Uluru at different times of the day, particularly sunrise, midday and sunset, as you will find that the colours are vastly different. Below are some more photos of Ayers Rock (Uluru) at various times of the day.

When in Uluru, you have the option to climb the Rock itself. However, if you want to respect the locals, you would not do it. It is a sacred ground for them, and climbing it is offensive for them. You will still see people climbing it and choosing to ignore the local customs, but I would highly suggest that you follow the local customs and NOT climb the rock.

Apart from Ayers Rock (Uluru), What Else is there?

The Red Centre is more than a barren piece of land. It has so many interesting sights and natural rock formations to marvel at. So apart from Ayers Rock (Uluru), here are some of the other places you need to check out while you’re there:

The Olgas (Kata Tjuta):

The Olgas Kata Tjuta at sunset

The Olgas are rock formations located roughly a 45-minute drive from Uluru, and like Uluru, changes its colour at different times of the day. However, unlike Uluru, The Olgas have interesting shapes or mounds, and walking around the rock formations can be more challenging than the Uluru base walk.

There are about 3 different walks you can do around the area. The most famous (and longest one) is the Valley of the Winds. It’s a 3-hour walk that goes through the valley between the big rock formations, and has really fascinating wildlife and rock formations around. Towards the end of the walk, you can get a good view of the rest of the rock formations. It’s well worth seeing, and with the hilly terrain, the walk can be more interesting than at the base of Uluru.

Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon is part of the Watarrka National Park,  a 4 hour drive from Ayers Rock (Uluru). Being a 4-hour drive means it’s not that close to Uluru, but close enough considering the vast distances between towns and stations around the Outback.

Kings Canyon has 2 walks that you can do, one at the bottom of the Canyon called Kings Creek Walk (and this takes roughly 45 minutes return) and the longer but more spectacular 6-km walk above the canyon called Kings Canyon Rim Walk. The Kings Canyon Rim Walk is a must for those who are reasonably fit and walk for 3-4 hours. The vwalk takes you to the top of the canyon and offers some spectacular views. About half way through the walk, you will get to a place called the Garden of Eden, where you will find something like an oasis in the middle of the dry landscape. Native palm trees thrive in that area and a series of rock pools can be found as well, where people can go for a swim on a nice warm day.

Kings Canyon has 2 resorts you can choose to stay from, but the closest one to the Kings Canyon walks is the Kings Canyon Resort. It offers almost everything you need in that resort, and has a bar, a restaurant, pool and good standard accommodation. But, be warned that there are no shops or village in this area, unlike in Uluru.

The Bustling Metropolis of Tokyo In 24 Hours

Tokyo - Shinjuku at night

With the recent tsunami and disasters that have hit in areas near Tokyo in the recent weeks, I thought it was time that I relive my experience exploring Tokyo, the bustling metropolis full of neon lights and vibrant energy. While the horrifying images of the tsunami and the nuclear disaster at Fukushima has been on everyone’s lips lately, I’d like to remember the great time I had in this fascinating city. I went to Japan thanks to having discovered an awesome cheap deal from Expedia. I just couldn’t resist the temptation and went ahead to see what people have been raving about.

Tokyo is not like any other city in the world. The intricate fusion of deeply-rooted tradition, culture and modern society tightly woven into the fabric of everyday life makes this dynamic Asian city totally out of this world. From geishas, castles and centuries-old temples to tall modern office building, vending machines and the high-speed Shinkansen, Tokyo can entice your senses in so many ways.

Many people would opt to explore the city longer than 24 hours. After all, there is so much to see in this 24-hour city! A day is definitely not enough to see Tokyo. But, with the ever-changing, time-constrained situation that people these days are in, you can take in some of the best bits of Tokyo in 24 hours. Here’s a suggested itinerary:

1.) Fishmongering and Sushi Breakfast at Tsukiji Fish Markets

The Tsukiji Fish Market is the biggest wholesale fish market in the world, with hundreds of varieties of seafood for sale and auctioned each day. The exciting part is witnessing the fish auctions in the morning at 3AM, where local restaurants, as well as restaurants from different parts of Japan come to bid for 300kg slabs of frozen tuna and other fish varieties on offer. The sheer size and range of seafood on offer is astounding! Just outside the fish market, there are several sushi bars and small eateries that offer the freshest sushi and sashimi for breakfast. You simply can’t go wrong with having a fresh and truly authentic Japanese sushi to start your day!

2.) A Royal Visit to Tokyo Imperial Palace

The Imperial Palace of Tokyo is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan and sits right next to Tokyo’s financial district. The palace sits on a large park land surrounded by a moat, and further surrounded by tall skyscrapers. Some of the buildings date back to the 1800s, when the capital was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. Fires have destroyed some of the palace buildings, but some have survived through the centuries. The gardens inside the palace are very beautiful, and a must see when visiting Tokyo Imperial Palace.

3.) Visiting Asakusa Temple

Asakusa Temple is the oldest temple in Tokyo, and is one of the more significant temples in the city. It started out as a buddhist temple and later on, a Shinto shrine was setup beside it. At the entrance of the temple are 2 massive wooden statues that look to guard the temple from evil spirit. In front of the temple, you will also find a stretch of small shops selling street food, souvenir items and other things that it kind of resembles a small market. Apparently, the shops have been around for nearly a hundred years now.. It’s quite a beautiful temple, and the one most people recommend seeing when in Tokyo.

4.) Gadget shopping at Akihabara

Akihabara is Tokyo’s tech city. Anything and everything about electronic and technology will most likely be available in this district. With Japan being known the world over for its leading-edge technological innovation in many aspects, this place will definitely dazzle you with all the gadgets and gizmos you can think of. Be aware though, if you intend to shop for gadgets, you need to check if the particular item you want to buy is compatible overseas. Japan has developed some technology that is only available for local consumption and will not work in other countries. I was very keen on buying external hard drives and was told that they all only work with Japanese PCs and not for anything else. And warranties is another thing to think of, as some of them only offer local, Japan-only warranties. But, having said that, there are some tech gadgets you can buy that will work outside Japan.

5.) Ginza at night

Ginza Tokyo at night

The Ginza is considered to be one of the most expensive streets in the world (at one point, it was THE most expensive). Property prices in this area is astronomical, and as such, it attracts only the finest and best shops. Many great labels, hotels, restaurants setup shop in Ginza and make it a very vibrant street. It’s a must-see place when in Tokyo.

With 5 things to do in 24-hours, I’m sure it will be more than enough to keep you busy. Tokyo is a fast-paced metropolis with everything on the go, and you will never run out of excitement whilst in the Japanese capital.

And just to be prepared for your trip to a non-English speaking country, it is worth investing in a decent guidebook and perhaps a phrasebook to help you with your journey. It certainly helped me communicate with the bus driver and in asking for directions from the locals who aren’t necessarily English speakers. I would recommend Lonely Planet’s range of books as they’ve been excellent with its tips and depth of information on Japan.

Enjoy and have a Fabulous Journey ahead!