Holy Land Travel Tips

I noticed that there is a lack of travel tips for Holy Land travels, hence this short list of tips that hopefully will be helpful to those planning to take on this extraordinary experience:

1. First and foremost, remember that you are a pilgrim; You are a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place of special significance to your religious belief.  
2. Prepare yourself mentally and spiritually; Read the bible, learn about the places and individuals in the bible ~ go online, watch Youtube or download a mobile application; I found wonderful bible map (Bible Maps 1.3.0).  It was quite helpful in making me understand the significance of the different places we've visited.
3. Don't wait until you are too old to travel to the Holy Land. The pilgrimage involves plenty of uphill/downhill walks; Some of the people in our group had to bail out on most of the walking tours.  
4. Travel light; Your luggage should just be enough for you to tag along, especially if you are crossing borders; Note: Travel to the Holy Land involves transferring hotels. In our 14 days Holy Land Tour (Egypt-Israel-Jordan), we stayed in a total of seven (7) hotels.
5. Be conscious of your luggage allowance. Certain airlines are quite strict on luggage weight and sizes.     
6. Always keep a day bag with you for valuables (passport and wallet), mobile phone, sunscreen, sun hat, shades, foldable fan, for women a shawl will come in very useful.
7. Get a WIFI to stay connected; The one we had though does not have very good signal. There are public WIFI is the airports, tour bus and most hotels and restaurants.
8. You don't need to buy Jordanian Dinar (JDN), Egyptian Pound (EGP) or New Israeli Shekel (NIS).  You can use US Dollars (USD) to buy almost anything in Jordan, Egypt and Israel, however change might be using local currencies. It would be wise to have your big USD bills changed to smaller bills of 1s, 5, 10s and 20s.  We got most of our loose bills at Dubai airport duty free shop.  We bought small items and specifically requested change in loose bills,     
9. Bring lots of 1 USDs, for paying for restrooms (they call Water Closet), tipping and gratuities.  
10. On souvenir and "pasalubong" remember that you can always bargain;  Prices vary greatly (though you have to be mindful of the quality).  Our best buys: 
• Rosaries - the cheapest we got at Cana (3 sets of 12 for USD20); while the most expensive we got at Mt Sinai (6pcs for USD60, the Mt Sinai rosaries though were made of metal with Holy Land sand and very sturdy); 
• Holy Land Book - we got ours from a souvenir shop at USD16, however we were offered the same book (with CD) at Gethsemane for USD15;
• Wine at Cana should not be missed!  My husband bought two (2) age 21 wine at USD40; Cost of regular wine is at USD15. 
• Dates - your guide will tell you, theirs is the best dates.  I have tried them in Egypt, Israel and Jordan, but got ours at a souvenir shop at the Israel-Jordan Allenby border.  They were bigger than most we've tasted and not very sweet, but also more expensive at USD10 (big box). Some of our tour group though were able to get cheap dates at a supermarket in Jordan for about JDN 3 (USD 1.4/JDN).
• We also bought Essence Oil in Egpyt, they were quite costly at USD100 per 250ml bottle. 
  
11. If you are going to the Dead Sea, bring aqua shoes.  It is very slippery, I have seen people tumble and loose their balance alot.  I was just so happy I have my water shoes on!
12. Bring toothbrush and tootpaste; They don't have these in hotels. 
13. Expect cumin spice in your food; If you are not into this taste, I suggest you bring noodles, biscuits or canned/bottled food with you (or die of hunger).
14. Bring lots of small and medium size ziplock, useful for pack snacks from your breakfast plate (please do discretely, you may find some hotel staff may frown on this activity) to keep you full during long walks or when your next meal is not up to your palate.   
15. DIY or  Organized tour ~ We went for an Organized tour as this is our first time to visit the Holy Land, but I think a DIY is possible especially in Israel. To get the most out your Holy Land travel ensure to get experience guides. Our Israeli tour guides, Alex and Abud were extraordinary and very helpful.  Highly commendable.
• Alex Radiev (fb: Alex Radiev)
• Abood Safar (email: safar.abood@gmail.com; fb: Abdo Safar)

Remember to follow my blog, for more details of our Holy Land Travel. 

Will post more tips by attractions, which hopefully help make your Holy Land Travel preparation easier. 

Taiwan Day 2 - Jiufen and Pinxi Tour

Our Day 2 is one of Taiwan's most popular day tours ~  Jiufen and Pinxi

Jiufen and Pinxi are relatively near Taipei.  Jiufen the nearer of the two is only about 40 minutes by private car.  A DIY is a viable option, but we want a worry free tour and so we opted to simply book a tour via My Taiwan Tours. Click on this link to their website ~ MY TAIWAN TOUR.

Our Jiufen and Pinxi Tour is an eight (8) hours day tour which includes: hotel pick up and drop off (via a 9 seater sedan), a local guide  and a sky lantern crash course :P

Our ride for today

Arrangement via My Taiwan Tour was fast and easy.  They contacted me 2-3 days before our schedule, which assured me everything will go as planned.  

Lucy our guide was at our hotel doorsteps early to pick us up.  She is energetic and bubbly. Her enthusiasm is contagious, enough to make us feel excited of our day's itinerary. It was clear that she loves Taiwan and she is proud to show-off its beauty!

Jinguashi

Our first stop ~ Jinguashi is a  mining village, which was famous for its vast gold mine exploited during the Japanese colonization of Taiwan.

Here is a view of an abandoned mining refinery called Thirteen Ruins

The Golden Waterfalls and Yin-Yang Sea

Next stop is the decommissioned mining  town of Jiufen.  It is now alleys and alleys of tea house and stores selling local  snacks and souvenirs. 

We tried their Peanut Ice Cream Roll and Taro Balls 

From Jiufen we travelled to SHIFEN, PINXI ~ 

the  Lantern Capital of Taiwan.  

Our HANDMADE Sky Lantern  with our Family Wishes:

GOOD HEALTH and LONGLIFE, HAPPINESS and PROSPERITY, PEACE ON EARTH, LOTS OF LOVE (and my youngest son's personal wish "MORE FOOD" ~ I think there is no need to explain)!

The highlight of our day ~ seeing our sky lantern FLY!

Our DIY Japan Vacation (Itinerary and Expenses) ~ TeamPetilla Conquers Tokyo Japan

As promised sharing here our family's 7 days Tokyo Japan itinerary and expenses.  If you are traveling with children, I think you would find this itinerary (hopefully) useful.  Cheers and happy Tokyo Trip planning :

We have always wanted to go to Japan and seeing friends and officemates conquer the big "J", we thought it was time to bring #TeamPetilla there.

Expenses depends on where in Japan you wanted to go, when and what activities you have planned. Here are some of the questions to help you in your planning:

QUESTION 1:  Where in Japan?

We initially planned a 2 cities trip (Osaka and Tokyo).  We thought Japan is just a small country and travel from Tokyo to Osaka and back would be easy. We were down hearted to learn that these 2 cities are 4 hours apart by train.  

I did an easy computation and figured we would be wasting a good 8 hours on board a train just to cover these 2 cities together.   Since we have been to the Universal Studio in Singapore a couple of times before, we thought Harry Potter could wait another year or so... (translated to more reasons to  come back to Japan) - we dropped Osaka and focused our trip on Tokyo.

QUESTION 2: When to go?

Point 1: This question was easy for us, though we wanted to see and feel snow, we were scared that it would be too cold to tour around and could end up stuck in a hotel. 


Point 2: Hubby wanted to see Sakura (Cherry Blossoms), but I have read tourist attractions would be too crowded and accommodation prices double during Sakura season.


Point 3:  School starts in June. 

So we've decided the best time to go was in April right after Sakura season, revelries would have died down by then and if we are lucky there would still be some Sakura trees in bloom.  It would  be spring then so, weather would be perfect (we were expecting 14-18 degrees).

QUESTION 3: What do we want to do?

As we were travelling with children ages 12 and 7, our activities were more of the things our kids would enjoy.  That means, less shopping and sight seeing  and more on theme parks and museums (my boys love museum hopping ~ check here of favorite museums: MUSEUMS WE LOVE). 

Here is a breakdown of our expenses. 

Note: Reflected cost is cost for 4 persons. I used Php0.40 per 1JPY conversion.

ROUNDTRIP AIRFARE: P20K/person depending on your choice of airlines.  We took Philippine Airlines.

POCKET WIFI: P5K for a 7 days rental of a 75Mbps Standard Wifi  (data usage 10Gbytes). A Pocket Wifi is really essential if you have plans of navigating Tokyo's intricate train system. We pre-ordered the unit online and picked it up in the airport.   

ACCOMMODATIONS: P68K 
4nights in an Asakusa condominium booked via AIRBNB - P30K

2 nights in Tokyo Disneyland Hotel: P38K (I know it was really expensive staying inside the Tokyo Disneyland Resort, but the experience was real worth it).

DISNEY THEMEPARK ENTRANCE: P23K

Multi-Pass 3 days Disney Sea and Disney Resort passport (Adult Y16600 / Junior Y14400 / Child Y10700) - I bought this online together with our hotel booking.

Day 1 - Asakusa

What	In Yen	In Php
Transfers (Haneda Airport to Asakusa Station via Keikyu Line)	3120	1248
Senso Ji Temple	Free	Free
Nakamise Dori	Free	Free
Kapabashi Dori	Free	Free
Don Quiote - shopping (Jabra Stealth bluetooth earpiece)	8000	3200
Dinner at home (bought packed meals from 711)	1400	560
Lunch at Okonomiyaki Sometaro	2000	800

Day 2 - Odaiba

What	In Yen	In Php
Transfers (Asakusa Station to Odaiba via Ginza Line, then transfer to Yurikamome Line) - two way	4320	1728
Breakfast at McDonalds	1200	480
Miraikan Entrance (Adult Y620 / Child Y210)	1660	664
Gundam Front	Free	Free
Lunch at Diver's City Foodcourt	2000	800
Hello Kitty Café
- ice cream	1280	512
-"pasalubong backpack"	3400	1360
Daiso - various items (cost per item is Yen100, roughly P40)	600	240
History of Car Garage	Free	Free
Toyota Mega Web	Free	Free
Statue of Liberty, Aqua City	Free	Free
Joypolis Amusement Park, Decks (Night Passport Adult Y 2900 / Child Y1900) - foreign passport holders gets additional Y300 off (applicable for adults admission only).  Hubby does not want to ride and opted for an admission only tickets worth Y800)	7200	2880
Odaiba Chrome Shopping Center (good place for souvenir shopping). I bought rice crackers and a cap.	1200	480
Dinner at Takoyaki Museum	1000	400

Day 3-  Nikko

What	In Yen	In Php
Nikko Kinugawa Themepark Pass (Adult Y6180 / Child 3250)	18860	7544
Lunch at Edo Wonderland	3900	1560
Dinner at home (bought packed meals from 711)	1400	560

Day 4 - Ueno

What	In Yen	In Php
Transfers (Asakusa Station to Ueno via Ginza Line) - two way	1360	544
Breakfast at HardRock	4000	1600
Ueno Park	Free	Free
National Museum of Nature and Science (Adult Y620 / Child - free)	1240	496
Rental of English Guide (Y310 each we rented two)	620	248
Lunch at the National Museum	2440	976
Ameyoko Market (best to do your pasalubong shopping here - cheaper and with plenty of choices)
- bought "pasalubong"	4000	1600
- bought travel bag (too much pasalubong so little space :P)	6000	2400
Dinner at Fridays	5000	2000

Day 5 and 7 - Tokyo Disney Land / Day 6 - Tokyo Disney Sea
Only noteworthy expenses we had at TKDL and TKDS are out meals :P

What	In Yen	In Php
Transfers (Asakusa Station to Tokyo Disneyland Resort via Ginza Line, then transfer to Keiyo Line) Y420  / Transfer (TDR to Haneda Airport via Keikyu bus)  Adults Y830 / Child 420	1680 / 2500	672 / 1000
Day 1 (breakfast) TKL Plaza Resturant	3000	1200
Day 2 (lunch) Sailing Day Buffet	10000	4000
Day 2 (dinner) Teddy Roosevelt Lounge	3500	1400
Day 3 (breakfast) Sherwood Forest	10000	4000
Day 3 (late lunch) - Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall	6000	2400
Popcorn Bucket	1600	640
Popcorn Refill (lost track of how many times we had a refill, but it was a lot and enough to keep my youngest busy queing in line)	510	204

*Excluded from above are our many mini-snacks here and there :P 

For more tips, check out my Tokyo Day 1 blog post.

See also helpful FREE mobile applications we used in our Tokyo trip: FREE MOBILE APPLICATIONS TO HELP YOUR PLAN YOUR PERFECT TOKYO VACATION 

DAY 1 - TOKYO JAPAN (Hello Japan)

After six months of careful (and near obsessive) planning, Team Petilla finally reached Tokyo, Japan. 

We have always preferred DIY travels and the language barrier was not enough excuse to discourage our love for DIY customized travels.  DIY works for us ~ we get to tailor fit our itinerary to our interests, and at a much leisurely pace.  There are also not much tour packages offering itineraries for families with young children.  I don’t want to waste half a day or more, touring attractions that would likely bore my (so theme park active and science museum addicted) kiddos.

If you are planning a Tokyo trip with school age children, this itinerary could help you.

Sharing here our 7days-7nights Tokyo Japan. I will try to add tips every now and then, to help make your planning easier.

TIP 1: YOU NEED A VALID JAPAN VISA TO GO TO JAPAN.  Will write about our Japan Visa application experience in a separate blog.

TIP 2: Tokyo has two main airports, HANEDA and NARITA.  I opted for Haneda International Airport, I figured it will be less busy than Narita, which is the principal gateway to Japan. Haneda is also closer to Tokyo, meaning less expensive and it would be easier to reach Central Tokyo.

TIP 3: Tokyo hotels are pretty expensive. Not to mention small. I   have recently been introduced to AIRBNB. I was a bit skeptical at first, and had sleepless nights thinking about if I have done right booking accommodations via AIRBNB.  It turned out to be one of the best decisions, we have made.  We booked an entire condo unit, about 50sqm in size. The place is clean and huge.  It comes complete with basic amenities, plus a working kitchen and a laundry area (though I was not able to do laundry, since we were all too tired after our days touring).   Location was great too.  It is right smacked in the heart of Asakusa.  The nearest train station is barely 100meters away.  AIRBNB is cool in our books!

Day 1 – Manila to Haneda

Haneda is about 4 hours by plane from Manila. We left Manila via PAL at 9am and arrived in Haneda at 2pm.

Step 1: Clear immigration (which was fast and easy) in 30+ minutes.

Step 2: Picked up our luggage.

Step 3: Buy Yen (I already bought some from Manila through BDO, but we have loose USD with us so we had this changed in the Airport). There are plenty of banks inside where you can do this.   We found one at the 2F Arrival Lobby.  Exchange rate was okay, although slightly lower than in Manila.

Step 4: Pick up pocket wifi we rented. Free internet connection is scarce in Japan. If you are using Japan's train system, Google map is your best friend. You can't risk travelling without a reliable internet connection or else get lost.  We settled a 75MBPS model from GAC COMM.  Connection was fast and reliable, serving 5 connected gadgets at a time.  Battery life was great too, lasted 9-10 hours.

Step 5: Head to  Keikyu Tourist Information Center to buy PASMO card (or a SUICA, they serve the same purpose).  A PASMO is your ticket to Tokyo's train system, minus the hassle of having to queue for one time ride train tickets.   You can also use PASMO at beverage/food dispensers and some convenience stores.  Keikyu Tourist center is located right outside the 2F Arrival Lobby.  From Haneda Airport, we have to take the Keikyu Line. Asakusa is about a 30 minutes train ride.   

TIP 4: Pack light, not all train systems in Tokyo has an elevator. Be prepared to carry your luggages.  For our 7 days - 7 nights trip, our family of four filled 2 medium trolley bags and 2 back packs.  I have a spare bag inside one of the luggages, which I figured I can use to pack my "pasalubongs" after.  As it turned out, my extra bag was a little to small and I ended buying another medium sized trolley bag.  It was a good thing though, I got a good deal for a heavy duty travel bag, which was nicer than the ones we have.

3pm - Arrived at Asakusa at 3pm. Our AIRBNB was a self -check in.  It was so cool. We settled a bit before wandering to where our feet led us ~ and they were telling us "food stop - food stop"...

430pm - With the help of google map, we sought out Asakusa Okonomiyaki Sometaro, which was TripAdisor's top places to eat in Asakusa Taito area.  Will write more about our first authentic Japanese cuisine experience in a separate blog.

 530pm - Stop over at Don Quijote, Asakusa. Don Quijote is a popular shopping store in Japan were you can find quirky stuffs and souvenirs.  They carry both cheap and expensive brands. Hubby got a Bluetooth headset  for fraction its price here in Manila.        

Check out these only in Japan merchandises.

6pm - We walked the streets of Nakamise.  It was running late and there were very few people.  I have seen pictures from blogs and reviews showing busy Nakamise Street and Senso Ji temple.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the place with very few tourist and so serene.

TIP 5: SENSO JI is so pretty at night, less the crowd. Unfortunately, only a handful of shops were open at the Nakamise Street. I had to postpone my shopping for a next time.

730pm - Went to 7 11 for supplies (mostly packed food, chips and chocolates, so afraid to go hungry). Will tell you about our 7 11 experience later.

TIP 6: If you are on a budget, you can never go wrong with packed foods at 7 11.  The ramen are fresh and so good. It was hard to believe we got it at a convenience store. Average meal cost Y300-Y400

We noted KitKat comes in 2 sizes, 8 and 12 pieces. The 12 pieces cost about Y500.  Same pack cost on Y300 when we went to Edo Wonderland in Nikko.  So as you can see, stuffs are a bit more expensive in the city.

9pm  - Sleeping time.

Please check also our  Day 2 in Tokyo as we visited Odaiba.

DAY 2 - TOKYO JAPAN (Welcome to Odaiba)
DAY 3 - NIKKO
DAY 4 - UENO
DAY 5 - TOKYO DISNEYLAND RESORT
DAY 5 - TOKYO DISNEYLAND REPORT II
DAY 6 - TOKYO DISNEY SEA

SINGAPORE DAY 7 (UNIVERSAL STUDIO SINGAPORE)

Day 7 is an entire day at the Universal Studio Singapore (USS).

We came on a busy holiday, so half of our time was spent lining up for queues. We have not much choice really as our entire vacation coincided with the Christmas Holiday. The crowd lightened up though, at about 6pm.  

As it was Christmas, the theme park time was extended to upto 930pm, so that was an additional 3 hours rides' time (Note that most of the shows last performances were at 7pm).

Our USS Itinerary:

• 930am - Breakfast at Slappy Cakes. Quite expensive, food wasn't that great either.  The boys did enjoy making their own hotcakes though. 

• 10am - USS
• Lights, Camera, Action (hosted by Steven Spielberg) was just awesome. You get to see a studio transform into a backdrop to a major hurricane in NYC.   

• Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase bring you to a space adventure with the Sesame Street gang in search for the missing spaghetti.  This one is for kids and I suggest you skip unless riding with children. 

 

 

 

• Transformers The Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle is a must, must try!  If the queue is long, do not hesitate to get a Universal Express pass.  Lining up can sometimes take forever and you wouldn't want to waste precious time.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 1pm Lunch at Goldilocks, Far Far Away.  Prices inside the park is triple compared to costs outside (Note: You can leave the park and request for (same day) re-admission, by presenting your USS tickets and hand stamped).   

• Revenge of the Mummy* is an indoor roller coaster thrill ride, not for the faint of heart.  You would be asked to deposit bags and loose belongings.  You would know why, once you begin the ride. 

 

• Treasure Hunters takes you into a dessert jeep ride in an abandoned Egyptian excavation site.  

• WaterWorld* show is one of our USS highlights.  The boys were awed by the breathtaking stunts and awesome explosions.  Note:  Don't seat on the blue colored seats less you want to get soaked. 

• Dino-Soarin. My boy won't leave the Lost World without a piloting his own dinosaur.  It is a ride we have here in Manila and I must say a 30 minute waiting was an absolute waste of time, but how can I say no to my dinosaur flyer kiddo?

• Shrek 4D* takes you up close to Fiona and Shrek's fairytale adventure.  Must try as well, very entertaining. 

• Enchanted Airways* is a roller coaster ride.  I initially thought it was a mini-roller coaster for kids, but was wrong.  It has the scary loops of full roller coaster and was ultra fast.  I was a bit scared for the kiddos and my husband (who hates roller coasters). 

• Madagascar: A Crate Adventure is a funny and amusing trip to Madagascar on a river boat.     

• King Julien's Beach Party-Go-Round is a carousel ride.  

Rides we missed, because the boys were already too tired:

• Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure* a river rapid ride similar to Enchanted Kingdom's Jungle Log Jump
• Canopy Flyer* an upside down roller coaster ride
• Magic Potion Spin a ferris wheel for children
• Donkey Live an interactive live show hosted by Shrek's sidekick Donkey.

Note: The attractions with "*" must not to be missed.

Check out the rest of our Singapore-Malaysia escapade here:

Day 1 - Singapore City
Day 2 and 3 - LEGOLAND Malaysia
Day 4 - Jurong Bird Park and Science Center
Day 5 - Singapore Zoo (with breakfast with the Orangutans)
Day 6 - Sentosa Island
Day 7 - Universal Studio Singapore 
Day 8 - SEA Aquarium and Vivo City