Osaka Archives - Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Oct312016 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

How to pay your Philippine travel taxes online

America, Announcements, Flights, Hongkong, Internet, Japan, Kyoto, Leisure, Macau, Mindanaoan Update, News, Osaka, Seoul, Society, Taiwan, Technology, Tokyo, Tourism, Travel, United States of America

Here in the Philippines, individuals who leave the country need to pay travel taxes. The Philippine travel tax is actually a levy imposed by the government. Filipino citizens, foreign passport holders and non-immigrant foreign passport holders who have stayed in the country for more than one year are usually required to pay full travel taxes when they go abroad. Currently, the Philippine travel tax rates are Php 1,620 for economy passage and Php 2,700 for first class passage. I'm sure frequent travelers like myself will agree that the queues at the travel tax payment booths can be time consuming. To address this, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has launched a system for travelers to pay their Philippine travel tax online. Here's how you do it. ...

Dec192015 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Kamukura Ramen in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan for yummy, cheap eats

Food, Japan, Kyoto, Leisure, Osaka, Reviews, Tokyo, Tourism, Travel

My brothers and I spent our first evening in Japan in Shibuya, one of Tokyo's special wards. I was really looking forward to spending time in Shibuya especially since it's one of Tokyo's busiest districts. You can read more about our fun Shibuya escapades. Anyway, while my brothers and I roamed around Shibuya, we realized we haven't eaten anything yet after we checked in at Oak Hostel Cabin. As fate would have it, we stumbled upon this ramen restaurant that had an English menu - Kamukura Soup With Noodles. Entering that restaurant was one of the great impromptu decisions we made while in Tokyo :) Because, as it turned out, Kamukura is one of the popular ramen places in Japan that served really good, filling and affordable food! Kamukura Ramen actually has a controversial c...

Dec92015 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Where To Stay In Tokyo #Japan : Oak Hostel Cabin #travel

Hotels, Japan, Kyoto, Mindanaoan Update, Osaka, Tokyo, Travel

For many travelers like myself, Japan can be quite an expensive place to visit. However, this does not mean that there aren't any ways for us to save especially on accommodations. There are actually many cheap hotels in Japan that you can choose from. You can stay in a stylish place that has a comfortable lounge, a popular budget hotel just 3 minutes away from Shinjuku or if you're feeling a little bit adventurous just like me and my brothers, you may want to stay in a capsule room in Tokyo! Located just 7 minutes away from Suitengumae Subway Station (Hanzomon Line) and in the Chuo-ku area, Oak Hostel Cabin is a good choice if you're looking for a place to stay in Tokyo, Japan. Fairly new, Oak Hostel Cabin Tokyo offers dormitories (male, female, mixed) that have capsule style rooms. Oak...

Dec62015 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Cheap Way To Travel From Narita To Tokyo

Japan, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Tourism, Travel

Yes, it's true. Japan is truly an expensive city BUT if you know where to look and how to follow instructions and, more especially, if you have cool travel aficionado friends who generously share tips, then you can certainly still travel to Japan on the cheap. I got this very helpful Japan travel tip from Paula Peralejo! This is for those who want to save on transportation from Narita Airport to Tokyo (and vice versa). A little backgrounder first. While Narita Airport isn't the only airport near Tokyo (there's also Haneda Airport), it's usually where most international flights are serviced. Narita is about an hour away from Tokyo proper so unless you want to stay near the airport for some reason, DO NOT book hotels near Narita. I just had to say that since I've noticed that the hotel...

Dec42015 by Mindanaoan Irene6 Comments

How to apply for Japan visa in the Philippines

Japan, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Travel

When I started preparing documents for my Japan tourist visa, I somehow knew what to expect. In fact, the process was pretty similar to getting my tourist visa to Korea except for one major difference, which you'll find out later :) Anyway, here's how to apply for a Japan tourist visa in the Philippines: A Japanese visa is technically FREE of charge. However, the Japanese embassy ONLY entertains visa applications coursed through accredited travel agencies. Since my brothers and I flew from Cebu to Narita, we applied through one of the Japanese embassy's accredited agencies in Cebu. Do note that while there is a Japanese embassy in Cebu, it's only for diplomats. All visa applications will still be processed in Manila. For our agency, we chose Friendship Tours Cebu. My brother, ...

Dec32015 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Back from Japan!

Japan, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Travel

I'm back home from a much-needed vacation to Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun. I'm still on a natural high, after having spent one glorious week there! I visited three major places in Japan - Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. It was an all DIY, budget trip. And, yes, I'll share budget Japan travel tips for y'all! I had a really nice experience in Japan. It was the peak of the Koyo Season (when the colors of the leaves change). Technically, the weather was supposed to be autumn but let me tell you - my brothers and I froze our a**es off! Admittedly, we were underdressed and totally unprepared for WINTER! Yikes OMG. Climate change, hello, is that you? Thankfully, I managed to bring my trusty Gap scarf (a gift from Divine Lee), two H&M sweaters, a knitted wool hat (which I wore in the US)...