Tag: seat sales

Outside Popular Japan Cities: FUJIKAWAGUCHIKO – Mount Fuji In Its Glory

In 2015 & 2016, I went to Japan for 3 weeks in total. I explored major cities such as Tokyo, Kyoto (twice), Osaka (twice), Nagoya & Fukuoka. I also went to not-so-busy cities like Hiroshima, Nara & Kobe. Japan easily became one of the favorite countries I’ve been to. Since I got my 5-year multiple entry visa (Want to know how to apply for a tourist visa? Click here.) in 2016, I told myself I will try to go back to Japan at least once a year until my visa runs out.

Mount Fuji from the other side of Lake Kawaguchi

Keeping up to my sort-of promise, I went on a 7-day Japan trip last November 2017. Since I already went to some major cities, I decided to go to peaceful & laid back places outside the popular cities. I spent 2 full days in Fujikawaguchiko & 3 full days in Takayama. In this post, I will talk about my short stay in Fujikawaguchiko. I missed visiting Mount Fuji during my stay in Tokyo in 2015 so I made sure I stay in one of the towns near the five lakes.

Fujikawaguchiko is small peaceful resort town about 100 km (or 1 hour 45 minutes by land) away from Tokyo. This town surrounds one of the scenic Fuji Five Lakes at the base of Mount Fuji – Lake Kawaguchiko. This town also has a number of museums & hot spring resorts & onsens.

One of the many shots I took at 6:30 am

sole reason I went to this town is to see Mount Fuji in its full glory – which I did a number of times (wait for the photos!). I didn’t really go around the museums, resorts & onsens in town. I felt like seeing Fuji made this leg of the trip super worth it. Anyway, let us still go into the details of my Fujikawaguchiko visit.

Plane Ticket

Flying over Chiba Prefecture before landing in Narita International Airport

It all started with a super duper cheap round-trip ticket to Japan. Last March 2017, GetGo (Cebu Pacific Air‘s loyalty program) had an anniversary promotion. Base fare for all domestic & international routes were priced at 10 GetGo points per way. Counting all airport fees & taxes, I got a Manila-Osaka-Nagoya-Manila ticket for ₱2,175.86. It’s like a ₱1 fare ticket, but with GetGo points. YES, THAT CHEAP. Imagine flying to & from Japan for that small amount. I immediately bought the ticket when I saw it. This was the same promotion I took advantage when I booked my return flight when I went to Komodo, Indonesia last October / November 2017.

I had plans of flying to Sapporo for this trip but everything changed when I was able to book another ₱1 fare ticket to Tokyo last June. I looked for other nice places to visit in Japan & found Fujikawaguchiko & Takayama. Fujikawaguchiko is near in Tokyo so I decided to book a new ticket to Japan. Believe me, the cost of taking an overnight bus or a flight to Tokyo is the same with the cost of buying a new one-way ticket. I took advantage of Traveloka‘s 10% off promotion. I got the Manila to Tokyo ticket via Cebu Pacific Air for only ₱3,509.10. By the way, I didn’t use my Manila-Osaka flight.

Adding both tickets, my air ticket for this trip cost me ₱5,684.96. It’s still super cheap compared to the regular tickets on other airlines ranging from ₱10,000 to ₱15,000 return. These are the perks of a being a GetGo member & a Traveloka user.

Tokyo Stopover (Including Accommodation)

Back in Tokyo for a few hours before heading to Fujikawaguchiko

There is no airport in Fujikawaguchiko; the nearest airport is found in Tokyo. I took advantage of my Tokyo stopover to meet my HTC friends who were living in & visiting Japan. Upon arrival at Narita International Airport in Tokyo, I took the train to the city & to my hostel. I stayed in Oak Hostel Zen, an affordable & cozy hostel located in Taito neighborhood. It was my 2nd time staying in this hostel; I stayed here during my 2015 Tokyo visit. Guess what? I was assigned in the same room where I stayed 2 years ago. I settled down & took a nap.

It was the same dormitory room I stayed with last October 2015

Finally met Laura & Leon, two of the many great people I met in Elevate

A few hours later, I took the train to Harajuku / Shibuya & met with Laura, Leon (both previously from HTC) & Kristin (Leon’s colleague). It felt nice to finally meet them in person (after x years of being friends online) & to spend the night with them.

Inside Craftheads – a known small pub in Shibuya

Had yakitori for dinner – it was an expensive but super good dinner

We walked around Omotesando Hills then went to Craftheads, a nice pub in Shibuya area, to have some beer. We then went to the famous Shibuya intersection & finally settled for dinner in Nogigochi, a highly-rated yakitori restaurant. This restaurant served the best yakitoris I’ve had in my life so far. The ambiance was cool & the service was superb. The price of food may not be affordable but it’s all worth it. I look forward to having dinner again in this restaurant.

Ueno Park during autumn

My bus to Fujikawaguchiko is not until 12:20 on day 2 so I decided to take a morning stroll around Taito & Ueno Park. Autumn was at its peak during my visit. The leaves were all in yellow, orange & red color. The streets & park were really pleasing to the eyes.

En Route To Fujikawaguchiko

There are numerous ways of going to Fujikawaguchiko from Tokyo. The fastest (also the most expensive) way is via bullet train using a JR Pass. You can go by normal trains (with a few transfers) but it takes around 2 hours per way. The cheapest way is via bus. The land trip takes more or less 1 hour & 45 minutes from Tokyo Station. These buses use a 2-2 seat configuration, have free Wi-Fi (& toilet) on board. The seats are very comfortable. Tickets can be booked online via Willer Express (departing Tokyo Station ) & Highway Buses (departing Shinjuku Station). Tickets cost ¥1,800 per way. There are many trips per day so seat availability won’t be a problem.

This is how the bus seats to Kawaguchiko look like

As mentioned earlier, I took the 12:20 bus from Tokyo Station Tekko Building. The bus left on time, made a few stops along the way & finally made it to Kawaguchiko Station at 14:22. One thing I love about buses in Japan is they arrive in destinations on time, or most of the time ahead of schedule (regardless of road congestion & multiple stops).

Beautiful landscapes just above Tokyo

Accommodation

Fujikawaguchiko has very limited affordable accommodation options. The best choice according to online opinions & reviews is K’s House Mount Fuji. I loved my stay in K’s House Kyoto so I thought of trying their branch in Fujikawaguchiko.

I got the my dormitory bed for around ₱1,088 per night; around ₱2,076 for 2 nights. Traveloka had a special promotion when I booked my stay so I got a ₱1,206 discount. I ended up paying only ₱970 for a 2-night stay in K’s House Mount Fuji.

Inside my dormitory room in K’s House Mount Fuji

The hostel is approximately 800 meters by foot from Kawaguchiko Station – quite far by foot but too near if you take a taxi. Since I am on budget & I don’t mind walking in cold weather, I walked from the station up to the hostel. The hostel people were accommodating & helpful, just like the ones in K’s House Kyoto. The hostel has a spacious reception area, a large food preparation & storage area & a cozy dining & lounge area. This common areas are the best places to meet other travelers & exchange stories. I met a set of nice & fun people from The Netherlands, Australia, Germany & Thailand.

The spacious dining & lounge area of K’s House Mount Fuji

I stayed in a 9-bed dormitory in the 2nd floor. The room had 4 bunk beds & 1 single bed. The room was clean & spacious. Beds were comfortable. The bunk beds didn’t have curtains; each guest was given a locker for their things & valuables. Communal shower & toilet areas are located on each floor. Unlike their Kyoto counterpart, this hostel doesn’t have a cafe / restaurant. Almost all guests go out, buy food & cook / eat them at the hostel. There are convenience stores & a supermarket nearby. It is also a few minutes walk from Lake Kawaguchi.

Big kitchen & food storage area – most guests prepare their meals here

I made the right choice in staying in this hostel. Location & price-wise, this hostel is the best in Fujikawaguchiko. This hostel deserves a 12 out of 10!

Around Fujikawaguchiko

The most convenient & economical way to go around Fujikawaguchiko is via the tourist buses. These buses go around the town with stops at almost every tourist destination. Bus passes are available for those who want to go around for a day or two.

View upon ariving Kawaguchiko Station

Another way of going around the town is by walking. The town is really small. You can basically go around the area in just a day. This is perfect for those who have the luxury of time. My recommended way of getting around the place is via bicycle. K’s House Mount Fuji offers bicycle rental for ¥150 per hour or ¥1,000 per day. Just make sure to reserve your bicycles as early as possible.

Kawaguchiko Station

Kawaguchiko Station is the main entry & exit point for people who want to visit Fujikawaguchiko. All trains & buses make a stop in this station. The station also offers a very nice view of Mount Fuji.

Yagizaki Park

Yagizaki Park is the place where the herbs & flowers are cultivated. It was autumn when I visited the place so there was not much to see in the park.

Lake Kawaguchiko

View of Mount Fuji from the not-so-visited part of the lake

Lake Kawaguciko is the second main attraction (next to Mount Fuji) when visiting Fujikawaguchiko. This lake is the most accessible & the nearest to Tokyo among the five lakes. The lake offers outstanding views of Mount Fuji.

Autumn views around Lake Kawaguchi

Mount Fuji 4th Station

View of the Japanese Alps from Mount Fuji 4th Station

My Dutch mate & I took the bus from Kawaguchiko Station to Fuji 4th Station. The highest base, Fuji 5th Station, was closed for the public during our visit. We saw the crater of Mount Fuji from the 4th station. We saw some remains of the snowfall the night before plus amazing views of the Japanese Alps. A round-trip bus ticket from Kawaguchiko Station costs ¥2,100. Kindly refer to this link for the bus schedule.

We were 2,020 m above sea level! | Sorry no photo of Mount Fuji’s crater – it was full of clouds when we were there.

Oishi Park

Oishi Park is the public park located in the northern park of Lake Kawaguciko. This park offers beautiful views of Mount Fuji with the Lake Kawaguchiko. The park is usually flooded with tourists so make sure to go there early.

Biking Around Fujikawaguchiko

Cycled around Lake Kawaguchi with the guys I met in the hostel

The best way to explore this laid-back town is by renting a bicycle. Our hostel offered the best rates for bicycle rental (¥1,000 yen for 8 hours or ¥150 yen per hour). We decided to rent out bikes for our last day. It took us 3.5 hours to go around Lake Kawaguchiko & enjoy the view of Mount Fuji.

Other Places To Visit

There are other nice places to visit in Fujikawaguchiko. Those who are fond of theme parks can spend a day in Fuji Q Highland – an amusement park located at the base of Mount Fuji. Those who love to ride cable cars / rope ways can spend an hour or two in Mount Kachi Kachi Ropeway. The topmost area offers a panoramic view of the town & Mount Fuji. The photo of Mount Fuji with a pagoda on the side was taken from the Arakurayama Sengen Shrine. This shrine is a few kilometers away from Kawaguchiko Station but a must-visit you want to take photos of Fuji with the pagoda & crimson leaves.

One can also visit Kitaguchi Hongu Sengen Shrine, a shrine located near Fujisan Station. If you are up for some adventure, you can go for a walk in Aokigahara Forest. This forest is located at the foot of Fuji & is famous because of the number of suicides committed in the area. If you’re keen on exploring a traditional village, you must take a trip to Saiko Iyashi No Sato Nemba. The town also has different local museums & tea shops which you can walk into. Make sure to go to at least one onsen in town & have some relaxing time before ending a long day outside.

I missed some good ones, eh? Nah, I’m good. As mentioned above, my only reason of visiting this town is to see Mount Fuji in its full glory (which I did!). I had no regrets of just relaxing in this leg of the trip.

Want to know when is the best time to see Mount Fuji?

View of Mount Fuji from the Lake Kawaguchi bridge – taken 6:00 am

Mount Fuji is quite hard to spot on a normal day. It is usually covered with clouds when most tours / people are visiting. I had an observation during my 48-hour stay in Fujikawaguchiko. Mount Fuji shows up without clouds in the early morning during sunrise & in the afternoon during sunset. Mount Fuji is usually clear during these times. I recommend that you stay in the town for at least one night but if your itinerary doesn’t permit, you can go there with the first bus / train trip or the late afternoon trips.

I made the right decision of staying 48 hours in Fujikawaguchiko. I saw Mount Fuji in its full glory. Japan’s most famous & beautiful landscape is something that needs to be added in everyone’s itinerary. The next part of the trip was spent in Takayama, a small & relatively unknown city in the middle of the Hida Mountains in Gifu Prefecture. Watch out for my next post!

Have you been to Fujikawaguchiko? Were you able to see Mount Fuji without the clouds? Are you planning to visit the town in your next trip? Let me know in the comments if you have questions. You can also send an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Let’s connect! Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Arigatou gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) 🇯🇵 😃

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC Re & HTC U11.

Tuesday Tip: How to be a CHAMP in booking low-fare tickets – PART 2!

A few months ago, I gave you 5 CHAMP tips on how you can book your super duper low fare tickets. Let’s try to remember what these 5 pointers are. First, you must check & subscribe to airline newsletters. You should also book your tickets during holidays & special occasions because these airlines usually have promo fares during these days. Third, make sure to download the airline’s mobile applications. Websites become busy during these seat sales. The best way to secure your low fare ticket is by booking using the mobile applications. Fourth, make sure to sign up for airline memberships & loyalty programs. These memberships allow you to save your personal & companion details plus your credit card information thus making bookings faster. You are also given access to priority seat sales & sometimes, free flights. Lastly, you must plan your travel dates as soon as possible.

Were you able to book affordable tickets after reading the previous blog post? If yes, feel free to share in the comments below where you’re going & how much did you pay for the ticket.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who read & shared the post to their families & friends. The CHAMP post is the most visited & most read content on my website to date.

Now back to business. For those who are yet to book your tickets, I thought of additional 5 CHAMP tips which can help you secure your cheapest airline ticket. I noticed that the previous tips I gave were all for planning your next trip, meaning prior to booking your tickets. I thought it would also be nice to share some tips on how to book these affordable tickets in the airlines’ websites.

Disclaimer: These tips mostly apply only to low-cost carriers like Cebu Pacific Air, Air Asia, Jetstar Asia et al. The tips below are purely based on actual observations & past personal experiences; they did not come from any airline insider or connection. I don’t intend to endorse any airline / carrier; I am not affiliated in any of the mentioned companies above.

C – CHOOSE red-eye flights

Red-eye flights are flights that leave late at night & arrive in the wee hours of the morning. These flights are inconvenient for most, thus lesser people taking it. Lesser demand means cheaper fare. There is always a higher chance of you getting a low fare seat going to Bangkok if you choose the 9:30 pm flight than the 6:00 am flight.

Chose a red-eye flight to Bangkok & got my ticket for only ₱1,800++ round-trip

H – HAVE all stuff in CARRY-ON baggage

Most low cost airlines now have prepaid baggage. It means that every ticket only includes 7 kilograms carry-on baggage. If you are travelling with heavy luggage, you need to pre-book or buy baggage allowance for a fee.

If you are traveling to a city, island or country for only 3 to 5 days, you only need to bring just the right number of clothes. You also don’t need to bring all those fancy stuff & accessories. People in your destination of choice won’t bother look at your clothes anyway.

If you think you need to bring a luggage last minute, you can always pre-book it 4 hours before your flight. It is available both via phone call to the airline customer service or via manage booking section of your account. Make sure to book baggage before you go to the airport as baggage fees during check-in are expensive.

Flew to Caticlan last July 2016 for only ₱684 pesos with only carry-on baggage

Traveling with carry-on baggage also saves time. You don’t need to wait for your luggage in the baggage claiming area; just go straight to wherever you’re going upon arrival.

A – A big NO to airplane food

Another cost cutting measure practiced by low cost carriers is the removal of free in-flight food. They now offer prepaid meals as early as booking your plane ticket. They also changed the game by selling food during the flight.  The bad news is these in-flight treats are priced twice or even thrice than their regular price in the stores. Airplane food is so expensive you should avoid it. Imagine paying ₱100 for a can of fruit juice; it’s overpriced.

You can always bring a sandwich or any snack with you to avoid paying for expensive airplane food.

M – MAKE sure to SKIP seat selector

Low cost airlines offer regular & premium seats for a fee. Yes, it’s another unnecessary add-on. I advise you to skip it. You can always request for a window seat, an aisle or exit seat upon check-in.

I requested window seats (at no additional cost) for both flights during check-in. I was given a window exit seat on my way to Nagoya. Good stuff!

P – PURCHASE travel insurance.. OR NOT?

I’ll be honest with you. I am on 50/50 on this last tip. You will definitely save some money if you do not buy travel insurance; but the thing is, we do not have control of what is going to happen during the flight.

Having travel insurance will keep your mind sane if something bad happens; but bear in mind that these occurrences only happen once in a blue moon. I suggest skipping travel insurance if you are leaving for only 3 to 5 days; but if it’s a 2 weeks to 1 month trip, it’s best to get one. Make sure to read the terms & conditions of the insurance offered by the airline; sometimes it’s a lot better to buy insurance for the whole trip than only for the flight.

You can also check with your banks if they offer travel insurance. The independent travel insurance companies I know are Pacific Cross Philippines (formerly Blus Cross) & the Lonely Planet-recommended World Nomads.

The tips above will save you thousands of pesos when booking a flight. Basically the technique is to SKIP ALL ADD-ONS offered by your carrier. Please take note of these options are pre-selected most of the time, so you really need to remove all of them.

BONUS TIP: You have higher chances of getting a low-fare seat if you choose flights that leave on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays.

Make sure to remember these 5 tips (plus the first 5 pointers I shared last January) in booking your next airplane ticket. You might just get your cheapest plane ticket to your dream destination / country! 😉

Do you have any questions in booking air tickets? Is there topic / content you want to see in this blog in the future? Feel free to comment below or send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also send me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Thank you for reading & have a nice day! 😎

Tuesday Tip: How to be a CHAMP in booking low-fare tickets

Who would say no to a ₱200+ round-trip ticket to Cebu, a ₱1,300+ round-trip ticket to Kuala Lumpur, a ₱1,800+ ticket to & from Bangkok & a ₱4,900+ round-trip ticket to Tokyo & from Osaka? No one. Many friends ask me how do I book affordable tickets for all of my past travels. Some think I’ve done it with luck; I say I’ve done it with a few strategic measures.

You want to know my secret? Let me teach you how you can become a CHAMP in booking cheap domestic & international tickets from Manila, Cebu or any Philippine airport.

Note: These tips mostly apply only to low-cost carriers like Cebu Pacific Air, Air Asia, Jetstar Asia et al. The tips below are purely based on actual observations & past personal experiences; they did not come from any airline insider or connection. Also, these tips don’t include baggage allowance, seat selection & other flight add-ons. I don’t intend to endorse any airline / carrier; I am not affiliated in any of the mentioned companies below. 

UPDATE (9 May 2017) – This post has a PART 2! Click HERE to know more about the additional 5 CHAMP tips! 😎

C – CHECK & subscribe to mailing lists

Airlines regularly send out emails about their upcoming & current fare offers. Air Asia announces their low-fare sale 3-5 days before & announce the travel period a day before the priority sale. Cebu Pacific Air sends out regular announcements to there subscribers while Jetstar alerts their subscribers 2-3 days before a low-fare sale or minutes before the regular 10 AM Friday Frenzy Sale.

H – HOLIDAYS & special occasions

Seat sales usually happen 1 day before or sometimes on the day of the holiday / special occasion. Cebu Pacific Air usually starts their offers 12:01 am of a day before a Philippine Holiday – true to the recent New Year sale (started 31 December 2016), Christmas Day sale (started 24 December 2016) & Bonifacio Day sale (started 29 November 2016). From memory, the only seat sale that starts 12:01 am of the same day is the Easter Sunday sale. This was the holiday where my friend & I booked our Japan tickets for less than ₱5,000 each.

A Japan round-trip ticket for 2 booked during the 2015 Easter Sunday seat sale

There are also occasions where airline companies hold special seat sales. This can range from anniversary sales (i.e. Cebu Pacific’s 20th Anniversary Piso (₱1.00) base fare sale last 8 March 2016 & Philippine Airline’s 75th Anniversary (up to 75% off on fares) sale last 13 March 2016) to random calendar patterned offer fares (i.e. Cebu Pacific’s 12.12 sale last December 12, 2012 & 10 peso sale last October 10, 2010). On the other hand, Jetstar holds their annual Boxing Day sale every after Christmas & their Return-For-Free promo in some selected months per year.

A super duper mega affordable round-trip ticket to Bangkok booked during Cebu Pacific Air’s 20th Anniversary Sale last March 2016

A – Airlines’ Mobile APPS

Airline websites tend to get busy minutes after every low-fare sale starts. An alternative way of securing cheap tickets is booking via the airlines’ respective mobile applications. These applications show the same fares being offered in the websites.

The Bangkok ticket above was booked at 12:38 am via the mobile app

Some applications allow you to log in & key in personal details beforehand for faster check out. Always remember only credit card is the only mode of payment accepted in booking via these mobile applications.

M – MEMBERSHIPS, Miles & Loyalty Points

Airlines offer memberships to all its patrons. These memberships let you save your personal details, family members & companion details as well as credit card details in their system. Having all the details saved online makes bookings faster, thus securing your promo seat in no time.

Air Asia provides a 24-hour priority access to their Air Asia BIG Loyalty Programme members. The members can already book tickets ahead of time (usually every 12:01 am Sunday) before they start the network-wide sale (which starts 12:01 of the next day, Monday).

A round-trip ticket to Kuala Lumpur I got for 20 Air Asia BIG Points & ₱1,300+

Cebu Pacific’s GetGo also send emails for upcoming seat sales; these email alerts let their members plan their trips ahead of the sale.

Most airlines also allow you to earn loyalty miles / points every time you fly with them. Air Asia allows you to earn Big points, Cebu Pacific Air lets you earn GetGo Points, Philippine Airlines allows you to earn Mabuhay Miles & so on. Make sure to register in these platforms & earn miles / points every flight you take. Keep on earning miles / points with these airlines & you’ll get eventually get privileges such as free flights, exclusive seat sales, in-flight treats & lounge access.

Flew back to Manila for free last week; Used my GetGo points for my ticket

P – PLAN Dates

The last tip I can give to everyone is to plan the dates of your trip. You might ask me, how will one know the travel period of the upcoming sales of each airline? Easy. Given I’ve been booking tickets for years, I have already noticed some patterns on the travel dates offered in the seat sales.

Cebu Pacific Air makes changes in their website a few minutes before 12 midnight. Make sure to check the website 11:58 pm – 11:59 pm before the usual holiday sale to have an idea on the offer fares as well as their respective travel period (before everyone knows about it by 12:01 am). Usually, the travel period of the low fares can range from 4 months from the current month up to 12 months.

Air Asia on the other hand announces the travel period 12 hours before the priority sale for BigShot members. They send out an email to all members to announce the travel dates for the upcoming sale.

Jetstar’s Friday Frenzy sale usually offers discounted fares for immediate travel (within the next 3 months) while their special sale offer low fares for travels 4-6 months from the day / month of booking.

Tip: If you want to travel on dates during long weekends, make sure to choose the dates 2 days before or after the holiday / long weekend for higher changes of securing a low fare seat.

So what are you waiting for? Head over to the different airline websites & subscribe to their mailing list, download the available mobile apps, join the different membership & loyalty programs, plan your next trips & wait for the next low fare sale. You might just get the most affordable ticket to your dream destination! ✈️

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also send me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.