How to do Japan in 8 days!

I thought I'd start off the blog on Japan, one of my favourite destinations. The trip was in August 2010, before disaster struck Japan (my heart went out to Japan :( ).

Japan is a must-see destinations for the following reason:
- It is not expensive for Australians to travel to Japan. Our flights were with Jetstar and were $600+ return Sydney-Tokyo (you could get better deals with the right sales). Internal travel is easy, and so incredibly efficient!
- For those interested in culinary travels - it is filled with amazing food! Nowhere else like it. The standard of food is high everywhere, you do not need to pick names from a travel guide.
- Though a first world country, and filled with electronics and technological advances, it manages to remain completely rich in culture, and so different to other major first world countries (which at times can seem so similar to each other). You could be walking between sky-scrapers and the next turn you take, you are at a moss-covered old temple.
- It is independent traveller friendly - you can mange with little or no Japanese. The Japanese are so friendly and incredibly polite, and always went out of their way to help you.
- For those who are nature-inclined: you have it all. There's sea, mountain, volcano, and mount Fuji!

We did Japan in 8 days - and wanted a taste of the busy crazy streets of Tokyo, culture and traditional stay in Kyoto, nature on Mijayama island, food from Osaka, and the ultimate: climb mount Fuji in 1 day! We managed to fit it all in 8 days, and spend less than $2000 each, staying at decent hotels, and eating at decent restaurants (including Iron Chef's Chen Kenichi's restaurant).

My subsequent post will dissect internal travels in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Miyajama and Mount Fiji!

Stay tuned!

Background

2nd post for brand-spanking new journal!

Just to give everyone some context, I am a poor student (not so in 100+ days! but for now, still poor), and based in Canberra (little known capital of Australia - 3.5hr drive from Sydney). Most of my travels are budget-to-medium. I have travelled through most states of Australia, and luckily touched major cities in Europe, United States and Asia. My journal will focus mainly on budget travel tips, and tips to travel through places through the most time-efficient means!

Please shoot me a PM if you have any questions!

Get itchy!

B

Hello world!

I've decided to move my blog from LJ to Blogspot, a new home for my thoughts, signifying with the new era of 'me' I suppose.

Hopefully this blog would be a good resource for those who have the same passion, and the same amount of fungal infection in their feet causing them to want to flee from where they stand (I'm just kidding, I dont really have fungal infection - I just might have a mild degree of mania which causes me to obsessively make travel plans). Might include a few, or a lot of personal blogs (let's face it, I can't travel all year round).

Please leave me poetry. Life can always do with more poetry.

Thank you, and here goes!