Asian News on Travel and Hotels

It’s 12am in Tokyo. You’re itching for the nightlife but all the bars you go to are now closed. Where do you go then? Where else but Roppongi. Roppongi is exactly where you want to be when you want to go out at night, with its many establishments open until the first trains start their first trips.

Roppongi is filled with restaurants, clubs, discos and bars to satisfy even the wildest party animal, with restaurant prices ranging from Â¥150 to Â¥30000($1.50 to $290) and bar prices from Â¥400 to Â¥5000($4 to $50). Among the numerous bars in the area, one of note is the Lexington Queen. This bar which features a wide variety of music, is usually dominated by a young crowd. If you’re looking for something more upscale and mature, try going to Heartland. Located at the bottom of Mori Tower, this bar’s patrons are usually attired in business suits. There is also no entrance fee for this bar. And if you’re checking out bars, you might as well go to Absolut Icebar Tokyo. With walls, bars, tables and even your own glass made out of crystal clear ice, if you’ve ever dreamed of being in an ice palace this is the next best thing.

Everything is ice!!

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Posted in Japan, Things to do |

The first opportunity that you get to spend some time in Australia is going to be a magnificent experience. You are probably already dreaming about the pictures of wildlife and plant life that you’re going to be able to bring home. Indeed, the Australian Outback and the Great Barrier Reef are two of the most stunning areas of Australia (and throughout the rest of the world) for those types of experiences. Additionally, each of the major cities in Australia has wonderful parks and gardens that bring nature to its urban areas and provide the traveler with a pleasant retreat from city life. Make sure that you pack a good camera because there’s going to be a lot that you see in this country that you just can’t see anywhere else!

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Posted in Australia |

If you are an anime lover, then you must know the works of Hayao Miyazaki. For decades, the legendary animator and visionary behind Studio Ghibli has produced many animated classics known throughout the world. Who can forget the post-apocalyptic eco-princess named Nausicaa? Or the perservering teenage witch in Kiki’s Delivery Service? Far different from the mainstream anime aesthetics of ninjas, beguiling vixens and space robots, Miyazaki’s vision is clean and simple, celebrating an imaginary 19th century Europe in all its architecture and mechanisms, and the joy of flight.

Ghibli fans, rejoice! For there is a place which brings to life the visual marvels that Miyazaki brings to the screen. The Ghibli Museum is a compound in the Mitaka suburbs, just 20 minutes away from the Shinjuku Station through the JR Chuo Main Line. Lovingly designed by the people behind Ghibli, the museum is a delightful attraction, part animation exhibit, part recreation center, and part Miyazaki tribute.

Approaching the entrance, visitors will be greeted by a stuffed Totoro and his smaller companions from the film of the same name. Ticket holders will immediately receive a prized item: clippings of film stock from various Ghibli animes. From there on, visitors are left to themselves: there are no set paths to follow, just interconnecting rooms which lead from one surprise to the next. Doubling back is inevitable, just to be certain that no section is left uninspected.

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Posted in Attractions, Japan |

Cravin’ for some cool livin’? Drop by at the beautiful mountains of the Philippines – Baguio City!

Located at 5,000 feet above sea level and with mild temperatures ranging from 9 ^o – 28^o C (48^o – 82^o F) , this city is called the ‘summer capital’ of the Philippines because people climb to the city to escape the summer heat.

Imagine this: the cool breeze ruffling your hair as you drive by the roads of the mountainside. You gaze at the blue skies with low fluffy clouds above you. All around are fragrant pine trees and flowers of all the colors of a rainbow.

Nice isn’t it?

Well then, take it all in as you visit the many parks and places that abound this little paradise. (No need to fret too much; hail a taxi, tell the name of the place and they’ll take you there.)

But First: How to Get to Baguio

The trip to get to your destination matters. You could choose to go by bus, by air, or by car, depending on your taste and temperament.

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Posted in Philippines, Things to do |

For a foodie like me, where better to buy and eat food than in the streets? Littered in the streets of Japan are stalls that sell udon, soba, ramen, takoyaki, nikuman, castella, taiyaki, imagawayaki and yakitori, just to name some.

Can you name these Japanese street foods?

For those who are unfamiliar with the food that was mentioned; udon, soba and ramen are all noodles served in soup or broth. Ramen noodles are relatively thin compared to udon and soba noodles. Ramen is usually served in hot pork or chicken broth. Udon noodles are thick noodles also served in broth, although the broth is usually made from shoyu or soy sauce. Soba is served either in hot broth or chilled with a dipping sauce, much like udon. Also, yakisoba has actually more in common with ramen than soba.

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Posted in Food, Japan |

It’s been a while since our last Filipino Language for Dummies. By this time, you should have memorized most of the words from the previous three lessons. Now moving on to our fourth lesson, it’s about asking questions in Filipino. When you visit the Philippines, it is inevitable that a visitor would ask questions to know more about the place. Simple questions of what, when, where, how and why.

So here is Ingrid again with her fourth video on how to ask questions in Filipino.

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Posted in Language, Philippines |