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Tokyo City Is On The Constant Move

Tokyo City Is On The Constant Move

Tokyo, capital city of Japan since 1869, is one of the most populated metropolitan cities in the world. Believe it or not, Tokyo City is complex, big and always on the move. Be warned, if you are in Tokyo City for the first time, you will be greeted with the city’s saturated big concrete high rise building, very wide roads, raised concrete expressways crossing one another.

This remarkable city is also where the old meets the young. You can be in the most modern place such as Roppongi in one minute and you can wonder down the street to experience a traditional old shrine or town the next moment. This is the beauty of exploring the City of Tokyo.

Greater Tokyo has 23 wards (ku), 26 smaller cities, 7 towns and 8 villages. To have an appreciation of its size, the distance from the east to west is 88 km (55 mil) while it is 24km (15 mil) from north to south. The way Tokyo City is organized seems to be a bit complicated in terms of finding a place even with address. You are not alone as the local themselves find it difficult as well. The best way to go about it is to ask for direction. In Tokyo city, there are numerous koban (local police box) where you can approach for help. Believe it or not, the policemen spent most of their time helping people finding their destination. The lesson here is to always bring along the location map of your accommodation. You can get it from your hotel.

The City of Tokyo is really a big place and the best way to know this city is to have an introductory city tour. You can start your day by visiting the Meiji Shrine at Shibuya ku. The Meiji Shrine sits in Yoyoji Park. This is one of the must-see religious sites in Tokyo which was dedicated to Emperor Meiji, the first emperor of modern Japan. During New Year, it draws a million-plus of crowds. This gives you enough good reasons to pay a visit.

The next place to visit is the Imperial Palace East Garden. Along the way, you will travel past the National Diet Building recognized by its pyramid-shaped dome. This building houses the Japanese parliament. There is a free 60-minute tour of the Sangi-in or House of Councillors or Lower House when the Diet is not in session. If you are interested and have sufficient time, do come back here again.

The Imperial Palace East Garden (Higashi-Gyoen) is open to public but not everyday. It is close on Monday and Friday. If you happen to be there on these two days, can visit the Imperial Palace Plaza instead. In the garden, you can have a closed up view on the massive stones that built the castle walls, visit the Museum of Imperial Collections and enjoy a stroll on the typical Japanese garden. There are three gates to the garden and the most commonly used gate is the Ote-mon on the east. The Ote-mon is closed to the Tokyo Station and this was the principal entrance to Edo Castle for more than 200 years.

After visiting the Imperial Place East Garden, it will be almost half a day gone and is a good time take a rest and have lunch. If you are with a tour group, your lunch will mostly be included. However, if you are on you own, do not worry. There are plenty of eateries in the city of Tokyo, ranging from restaurant to fast food outlet. One of the best bet is to get into the basement of a department stores where you can find food in the basement food hall. You can visit the nearby Mitsukoshi Department Store in Tokyo’s Gina district where you can eat to your hearts content. Finding suitable choices of food to suit you appetite is never a problem in Tokyo because there are simply too many to chose from. If you are not in for Japanese food, then go for a simple burger.

The next stop will probable be the most celebrated district of Asakusa. Do you know what, I visited this place twice when I was in the City of Tokyo. This place is famous for the Sensoji Temple (Asakusa Kannon Temple) and the colorful Nakamise walkway leading to the temple. The Nakamise walkway is lined with many colorful stores leading up to Sensoji Temple, Tokyo’s oldest and most famous Buddhist temple. This is where you can get all your souvenirs.

The last visit on your agenda might be the futuristic Odaiba which has become one of Tokyo’s most popular areas. You can cross over to this island via the Rainbow Bridge and enjoy the view of Tokyo bay. At Odiba you can visit places like the Palette Town, the Aqua City and the unusual shopping mall of Venus Fort. It is rather a big place with some wonderful parks to stroll.

That is about all for an introductory day tour for Tokyo City. To fully enjoy the beauty of this city, you should pick one or more places to explore. For more informationon, please visit City of Tokyo.

Blend In When Travelling

Blend In When Travelling

Whether you backpack in Europe or journey in royal style through India, blending in when travelling is key to make the most out of your experience, be it in terms of enjoyment or learning. Local people generally are highly appreciative of visitors who take a genuine interest in their culture. Make an effort to reach out to them. Take a few lessons from the locals and feel yourself at home!

– Do research on your destination (background info on the culture as well as what is currently going on)

– Read up on the history of your destination (understand where the things you will see are coming from and how they came about)

– Talk to anyone in your personal network who travelled there (learn about the best and worst experiences and develop a feel for your destination)

– Learn key phrases in the language of your destination (make yourself understood and connect to the people)

– Absorb the culture using all five senses (listen to the symphony of sounds, watch the kaleidoscope of colours, feel the fabrics, smell the spices, and taste the delicacies)

– Observe carefully how locals eat, talk, move, and work (copy their behaviour and experiment with gestures)

– Dress according to local standards (respect sensibilities and show your cultural sensitivity)

– Buy local products (handy tools as well as works of artisanship)

– Explore local delicacies (home grown produce and regional flavours)

– Choose local lodgings (be it an ashram in India, a traditional inn in China, or an old manor in Europe)

– Take local transportation (such as subways in modern cities or bullock carts in the ancient villages)

– Have the courage to get lost (follow your instincts and make a discovery behind every corner)

– Learn from insiders (eccentric taxi drivers or hipsters in stylish coffee houses, all can be great sources of information)

– Find the places popular with locals (might be a hole-in-the-wall food joint or a fancy lounge cafe)

– Make local friends (delve right into the local community and profit from expert tips)

– Stay away from what you know from home (multinational restaurant chains as well as big brands)

– Dare yourself to try things you have never done before (be prepared to embark on a journey to the unknown, immerse yourself, and broaden your horizons)

Diving in North Cyprus

Diving in North Cyprus

Diving in north Cyprus is one of north Cyprus big attraction and it is possible most of the year starting in April all the way till December. The ocean in north Cyprus is warm, the water is crystal clear. There is a massive population of life under the water such as turtles, octopus, grouper, numerous other fish and let us not forget the plant life and corals. Diving in north Cyprus is also a great opportunity to visit special underwater dive sites such as shipwreck in the world which artifacts and other remains are still visible when Diving in north Cyprus just off Girne (Kyrenia) seabed. Also there are plenty of wonderful diving sites for those Diving in north Cyprus: about twenty diving sites in east and west of Kyrenia alone, not counting other places along the coast.

There are no tides when diving in north Cyprus and so it is safe for beginners and they can have their first lessons among the fish and corals instead of in a swimming pool. In fact the clear unpolluted limited in depth warm waters provide the ideal conditions for beginners and diving in north Cyprus also provides many opportunities for them.

There are many courses ranging from a 2 hour Try Diving course and up to a 21 hours over 3 days One Star Diving course. All this makes diving in north Cyprus one of the best diving sites in the Mediterranean.

See London on a River Thames Boat Cruise

See London on a River Thames Boat Cruise

Many people associate the idea of a boat cruise with visions of the Caribbean, or cruising around New York Harbor to get a look at the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan. Now however, more and more people are becoming aware of the fact that a River Thames boat cruise is a great way to see all of the great sights that there are in the city of London.

If you are planning a trip to London then maybe you should give some consideration to booking a day trip on the River Thames as there are trips of this type of all sizes that are available for the curious traveler. They range in size from a small speed boat trip, to twelve person tour boats, up to larger passenger cruise boats that can accommodate as many as a hundred people.

The larger boats even come equipped with complete dining facilities and can easily host a complete wedding or corporate party. If you have never been on a day cruise on the River Thames then you may be missing out on an experience that will leave you with memories to last a life time.

They are surprisingly affordable and easy to book and the boarding accommodations are fantastic and these are just a few of the reasons that more and more people are choosing to make a day cruise on the River Thames part of their London travel itinerary.

Along with all of the wonderful sights along the river Thames you are treated to a history lesson that covers the hundreds of years of rich history that took place all long the River Thames by the experienced guides and river pilots that will lead your excursion. Because London was built up along the river Thames you will be amazed at all there is to see of the city by boat.