Land of the Rising Sun: Osaka (Day 2)

For our second day in Osaka, we visited the Instant Ramen Museum and Minoo Park. Both areas can be reached by Hankyu Line (not part of the Osaka subway) and we purchased the Hankyu Tourist Pass and the Osaka Enjoy! Eco Card to cover the trips for the day.

The main highlight of the museum is that you get to create your own instant ramen! First you purchase a cup, then choose your seasoning followed by the toppings and they will sealed it up for you. You also get to decorate the cups with your own design. The end product is really delicious, especially since the staff there are very generous with the toppings.After the ramen museum, we stopped by Ippudo Ramen for a quick lunch before we headed to Minoo Park, famous for the autumn foliage at that time of the year. It was unfortunate that we were there on a holiday because it was jam packed with locals! We didn’t manage to try any of the fried autumn leaves because the queue was way too long.The waterfall is a bit of a walk from the station but you get to enjoy the view as you go. There are small shops along the way if you get hungry.
After Minoo Park we headed back to Dotonburi for dinner at Botejyu, famous for their Okonomiyaki! We strolled around a little more and did some grocery shopping before heading back to the apartment.

Osaka Airbnb Review: Tom and Meli’s Apartment

We chose to stay at Tom and Meli’s because of the good location, close to subway and it was quite affordable as well! It is a medium size one bedroom apartment although for us (four adults and one infant), it was quite tight. Tom met us at the apartment and went through on how to use the amenities, the safety evacuation route, the nearest hospital and the checkout procedure. They also provided a 3G wifi device what makes navigating around Osaka much easier. There are several eateries around the place and also a large supermarket just a few minutes walk.

Strong wifi is available in the apartment. The kitchen is well equipped with pots and utensils. The bathroom comes with an automatic bathtub filler and a washer AND dryer! It is a miracle how the Japanese makes clever use of space in their apartments. My wife and I slept on the sofa bed in the living room while my sister-in-law’s family were in the bedroom.

Sky Report: CX714/CX594 Singapore to Osaka via Hong Kong

With the yen dropping to all time low in 2014, we decided to make a trip to Japan in November. Planning a F&E trip in Japan is not easy due to language barrier. Fortunately, with the help of google translate and google maps, the missus was able to piece together a nine-day trip in Osaka,Kyoto and Tokyo. The first step will be to land in Osaka airport. Due to limited premium cabin redemption options, I convinced the wife to fly on Cathay instead and experience their new first class cabin as well as their much lauded lounges in Hong Kong International Airport(HKIA).

We first flew a red-eye flight on CX714 from Singapore to HKIA. Flying Cathay business class out from Changi Airport Terminal 1 gave us the chance to experience the newly refurbished Qantas Lounge. It was a really nice lounge with ample seating. There was a separate dining area where we could order food off the menu and also a small buffet spread. The plane was a regional type with non-flat 2-3-2 seating which was not too comfortable(still better than economy though). We arrived at HKIA at 5.30am with my wife feeling pretty exhausted(sorry dear!). Our outgoing flight to Osaka was in Cathay first class. That gave us the opportunity to visit the cabana at the Pier. After a invigorating shower, we had breakfast at the restaurant, tried the noodles at the noodle bar and bread from the bakery before boarding the plane that will take us to Osaka.

The plane features Cathay new herringbone seats with 1-2-1 arrangement in business class and 1-1-1 arrangement in first class. It was refreshing trying out a product other than SQ(not that I am complaining). We had lunch together in the cabin sitting opposite each other. Before long we were approaching Osaka airport(KIX) and I found the landing gear camera extremely fascinating. Overall, it was a good lounge and flight on Cathay airlines although the red eye experience is not favored by the missus.

WA Road Trip: Rottnest Island & Penguin Island

A long trip to Perth will not be completed without a visit to these two off-shore island; Rottnest Island and Penguin Island!

We visited Rottnest Island in 2011 and explored the island on bicycles, it can also be explored by bus or on foot. The island is serviced by 45-minute ferry rides from Perth and Fremantle; the Fremantle port is located at B Shed, Victoria Quay (near E Shed Markets). We rented bicycles and helmets (compulsory) from the rental shop and spent the entire day exploring the island.

It is best to prepare some food to snack along the way and for pit-stops to rest and enjoy the scenery. Some parts of the ride are pretty challenging so do be prepared for sore bums and burning legs.

Along the way, remember to keep a lookout for the quokka, the happiest animal in the world!

We visited Penguin Island which was located close to our Rockingham base in 2011. The more adventurous and young-at-heart can take a walk on the sandbar from the shore to the island during low tides. It can be quite nerve-wrecking as you can’t really see the path that you are taking through the water. One can always opt for ferry services that are available.

As the name suggests, the island is a penguin sanctuary. There is a penguin conservation center which holds penguin shows and education talks. We attended the show and then proceeded to walk around the island to do some penguin spotting.

They can be found huddling in caves or hiding beneath the staircases, please refrain from touching them! You would also see many different types of birds on the island, try not to approach their nests as they are really territorial and will attack you.

WA Road Trip: Caversham Wildlife Park and Lancelin Dunes

A must-visit location in Perth for animal lovers and families with small children is Caversham Wildlife Park. The park has enough activities to keep the family occupied for an entire day, it offers lots of chances to get up-close and personal with kangeroos, koala bears, wombats, etc. Just make sure you check the time for the meet-up sessions so that you won’t miss it.

After the park, we drove to Lancelin dunes which is known for its sandsurfing. This spot is north of Perth and quite out of the way, we actually got lost and had to ask a local for help. The boards have to be rented BEFORE getting to the dunes from any of the local shops (look out for the signs). Once there, climb the dunes and try your hand at sandsurfing! This is not an easy activity and it would be good to have a change of clothes; the sand is extremely fine and it gets into everything!

WA Road Trip: Perth City

Perth is the largest city in Western Australia. Accommodation is expensive here so our previous stays had us staying in towns outside of Perth, such as Fremantle and Rockingham and then driving into Perth for a day trip. Be prepared to spend loads just on parking fees.

We visited the Perth Mint and attended their interesting tour on the mining history of Australia. Photos are not allowed during the making of the gold bar but overall we liked the tour as it was informative and the guide was entertaining.

Kings Park is a large park overlooking Perth City with lots of trees with open spaces and playgrounds for kids to just run about. There are trails to walk through and restaurants to sit down and have a meal. There are even free BBQ pits with electric grills to have a family BBQ picnic!

The back of the Kings Park also leads to Blue Boat House, famous place for wedding photos and scenic shots; although you need to cross a rather busy road to reach the house. Sadly it seems that we are no longer allowed to walk on the platform.

 

 

WA Road Trip: Fremantle

Fremantle is a popular coastal city that is just a thirty minutes drive away from Perth City. Dropping by Fremantle or “Freo” for short, is a must-do for almost anyone visiting Western Australia. Attractions include the Fremantle Prison, Fremantle Market, E-Shed Market and the famous fish and chips at the harbour. We visited Kailis in 2011 and Cicerello later in 2015; we preferred Cicerello!

Fremantle Market is a weekend market that is comprised of two halls. The first hall is made up of a number of stores selling souvenirs, toys and other touristy stuff. The second hall is made up of food stalls and fresh fruits and vegetables stalls. It is a lively place to walk around in but do take note that parking is limited and expensive.

E-Shed Market, a short drive away from the Fremantle Market, is open on weekends as well. This whole place is almost entirely made up of stalls selling souvenir which are much cheaper than those found in Fremantle Market.

We stumbled on this lighthouse on our 2015 trip, lovely place with scenic views but very very windy!We also visited Fremantle Prison and did two tours, each lasting about an hour. The tour guide made the content entertaining and fun to listen to.

WA Road Trip: Albany Day 1

Albany is a much larger town compared to Pemberton or Bunbury but also felt more isolated, perhaps due to the fact that it’s all the way down south. Our accommodation is the local Albany Bay View YHA where we stayed in a spacious room for six; the kitchen and bathrooms were shared.

We visited the Albany Wind Farm, a impressive renewable energy project that powers the town. Visitors can walk right up to the base of the turbines and get a good look at all eighteen turbines from the lookout points near the carpark. Personally, the man was very impressed by the wind farm and thought that this is the perfect place to stay in the event of an energy crisis or a zombie attack.

We also visited two coastal attractions called the Gap and the Bridge which are rock formations created by water erosion on rocks of differing hardness. We didn’t manage to visit the Blowhole due to time constraints but the Gap and Bridge are pretty impressive by themselves already!

W.A. Road Trip: Busselton Stopover, Yallingup

In 2011, we made a quick stopover at Busselton as we head down south; Busselton Jetty is the longest timber built jetty in the world, the 1.8 km long walk offers fantastic views off Australia’s southwestern coast.

After Busselton, we drove to Yallingup Caravan Park, set up our tents for the night and took a short walk to Yallingup beach. The park had a kitchen and toilets which were quite clean but kitchen utensils are limited so be sure to bring your own. We were able to have a quick simple dinner that night and a hearty breakfast the next morning before moving out.

We visited the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park which was famous for Canal Rocks and Ngligi Caves, both which were a short drive from the caravan park. Canal Rocks is a patchwork of rocky islands sculpted by the waves of Indian Ocean, the water penetrates the rocks resulting in an unusual pattern of coastal erosion that resemble canals. We were able to climb on to the rock formation to view the waves crashing onto the rocks but perhaps the most significant thing we could remember were the flies. Flies everywhere – in your nostrils, eyelids, mouth; we had to wrap ourselves up to prevent involuntary snacking.

The Ngligi Caves is an underground limestone cave, it maintains a constant temperature of 20°C, a welcome escape from the heat and flies.

W.A. Road Trip: Bunbury

Bunbury is a large town situated about 1.5 hours drive away from Perth, since the flight in from Singapore lands around afternoon, this town is a ideal place to stop for the night before continuing the drive down south.

Back in 2011, we crashed at the YHA Dolphin Retreat for the night. This youth hostel had a range of private rooms and bunk beds with a communal living room; we had a total of six adults so our family took a triple room. The place was clean and relatively quiet but being a youth hostel, it depends largely on your neighbours. Most of which are pretty understanding and will lower their voices after some kind reminders.

We stayed with Airbnb in 2014 since we had to cater to different needs and you can find the review here. Generally, accommodation options are aplenty in Bunbury but watch our for an annual concert called Groovin’ the Moo where the minimum stay is two nights and the prices go up.

Bunbury is a pretty small town but food is still readily available. We had our dinner at Nandos in 2011, the portion size and quality of food put the Singaporean outlets to shame.
Dolphin Discovery Center is the go-to place when you visit Bunbury. Dolphins are frequent visitors to the lagoon and it is recommended that you should visit the center as early as possible to catch the dolphins visiting. Each entry ticket allows three visits to the lagoon, we haven’t managed to see any dolphins after two trips. Nevertheless, the center does have a indoor area where they have small exhibits on some information about dolphins and marine conservation in general. The lagoon is a great place for families to relax, enjoy the breeze and kids generally enjoy the playground and the small exhibits.

We visited Bunbury Farmers Market on our way out to Pemberton. We initially thought that the farmers market would have about a dozen stalls in ‘pop-up’ style in a field or carpark. This market however is located in a building much like a supermarket and have a large variety of food from around the area. Fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, bread, meat and even homemade sauces and soup, we took the opportunity to stock up for our following meals. This is a must visit if you come to Bunbury!