Katipuneros Goes To Tokyo (Overview)

This is a vacation that my college friends and I were saving for the last 3 years... And yet, our budget was only PhP 30,000 each for 1 week in Tokyo, Japan. How is that possible?

Well, breakdown of our expenses are as follows:

1. Air transportation
• Airfare - PhP 8,500 via Jetstar (bought in the February travel fare)
• Visa Processing Fee - PhP 500 (pre-paid also in the February travel fare. Original price PhP 1,200)
• Airport Tax - PhP 1,620 (paid upon departure at NAIA)
2. Accommodations
• Tokyo Airbnb - PhP 4,380.83 (we got a weekly discount and 2 wifi routers are included)
• Fuji Airbnb cancellation fee - PhP 123 (we preferred to sleep at an onsen instead)
• Fujinoyado Ohashi - PhP 2339.33 (we had 2 rooms with matching yukatas, access to an onsen, and had an authentic Japanese breakfast)
3. Land Transportation and Tour = PhP 7378.80
• Round-trip airport shuttle bus - 1800 JPY (originally priced at 2000 JPY)
• 2 pcs of 48-hour Tokyo subway pass - 2400 JPY (we travelled worth 4330 JPY)
• Fujigoko Enjoy Ticket - 4350 JPY (originally 2050 + 1200 + 1750 JPY)
• Tobu Edo Wonderland Tickets - 6180 JPY (originally 1550x2-way + 4700 JPY)
• Miscellaneous Fuji and Tokyo Transportation - 800 JPY + 490 JPY
• Entrance to Seiko Healing Village and Kimono Rental - 750 JPY
4. Food - 11,737 JPY = PhP 5164.06
5. Shopping - excluded

TOTAL: PhP 30,006.02 (we computed JPY to PhP by 0.44, though the actual rate is 0.42 to 0.43)

For our basic itinerary:

1. Day 1 (Sunday) - Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Yoyogi Park then transfer to Akihabara
2. Day 2 (Monday) - JNTO Tokyo Information Center, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo Metropolitan Bldg (night view of Tokyo)
3. Day 3 (Tuesday) - Edo Wonderland, Asakusa Temple
4. Day 4 (Wednesday) - Fuji: Lake Yamanakako, Hanano-miyako park, Oshini Village, Lake Kawaguchiko
5. Day 5 (Thursday) - Sai-ko Healing Village, Lake Saiko, Muse Museum, Herb Hall
6. Day 6 (Friday) - became a shopping day because it was dark and rainy (we went back to Asakusa, Harajuku, Shinjuku, and Akihabara) 
7. Day 7 (Saturday) - Nezu shrine, East Garden of Imperial Palace, Ameyoko Shopping

Things to note

• I really read a loooooot of information, so that must have really helped. 
• Most parks and attractions doesn't have entrance fees, but you have to take note of their locations (closest subway stations), closed days and times. 
• Meguro Parasitological Museum - closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
• Imperial Palace - closed on Mondays and Fridays
• Tsukiji Market - closed on Wednesdays
• Tokyo Metropolitan Bldg - different observatories may open until evening on 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month
• Edo Wonderland and Disney - probably best visited during the weekdays
• A lot don't understand or speak English either, so you better have a translator, the internet, or very very good in charades.
• Useful applications for me were Google Translate, Google Maps, and Hyperdia (shows the schedule of the subways)
• For food, we just bought food (they were on sale at night) before we go home for breakfast. For lunch, we usually get lunch sets (which were big to share for two). Lunch is usually cheaper than dinner too. We tried the ramen houses, street food, vending meal machines which were all part of our eating experience in Tokyo :)
• For shopping, they have tax-free promotion for tourists once they reached 5,000 JPY so we also made note of that.
• For money, well I have left over yen from my Osaka trip and my friend paid me in yen.
• When I was in Osaka, I just withdrew money using my Metrobank ATM card. It was soooo convenient, and exchange rate wasn't that different. There was just a service charge of 3.50 USD (around 170 PhP), but the exchange rate charged to me was 0.4167 while the actual exchange rate was 0.4125
• I personally used my credit card in shopping since their rates is not that different from the exchange rate (and still local bank promos still apply, like BDO Amex Rebate Card and BPI Starbucks)
• My friends had USD with them (exchanged while we were in the Philippines), which they exchanged to JPY.

I will try to detail the places we've been and add pictures next time.
For now, I'm just happy to share what I can. (I wasn't able to share our Osaka trip last March.)

Certification for Visa Requirements

I know I said I'm not going to travel this year. It's a year supposedly to rest. And yet, after attending the travel expo, I suddenly want to go out and visit my friends in different countries. That's why I want to go to US, Canada, and New Zealand. Then there's the family Japan trip next March. So, as early as now, I want to start my visa applications. I hope to go to Canada or US this year, maybe October or November and see falling leaves :)

Anyway, I applied for US interview, then plan to submit my documents online for Canadian visa. I don't know what to do with the hard copies of my requirements though. If I am going to apply for a Japan or New Zealand visa, as early as now, or maybe just use them for my reference hehe

So... there is the usual requirements like the application forms, certificate of employment, and ITR. What I want to disclose is the information I've gained with regards to certifications for investments and bank deposits.

Bank Products:

1. BPI Savings account - request it at your branch of choice, claim it on the same afternoon. Fee PhP 100.
2. BPI Direct Savings account - call BPI direct at 89-100, claim it at your branch of choice after one week. Fee PhP 100.
3. BDO Savings account - request it at your branch, claim at the next day (or get yesterday's balance if you want to claim on the same day). Fee PhP 100. Includes current available balance as of a certain date.
4. BDO IUTF - request it at branch where you opened it, claim it the next day. Fee PhP 100.

Investments

1. COL Financial - fill up form, and email to stockcerts@colfinancial.com. 2-3 days (you can choose by email, pick up or mail). Fee PhP 100. Includes date when we opened the account, Cash Position, Stock positions, and Total Equity Value as of date requested.
2. Metrosec - fill up form, email to metrosec. 2-3 days. Fee PhP 50.
3. ALFM - call ALFM, claim it at BPI branch of convenience after 2-3 days. (My ALFM account is tied up with my BPI RSP.)  Free. 
4. FAMI - email/call FAMI, mail to you within 2-3 days. Free. Includes number of shares and balance of account as of requested date.
5. Philequity - I emailed them, but no reply. (Anyway, service here is really slow for the last couple of weeks while I was doing my regular transactions, so I didn't even expect much.)
6. Sunlife Maxilink Prime - requested in via email, still don't know when it will arrive in the mail. (Apparently) Free.

So... because of these things, I am thinking if I should just really maintain most of my money in Mutual Funds. At least, I can request certification from them for free. Most convenient is ALFM, but I guess FAMI should be convenient if the mail gets to me in 2-3 days time.

I have also used BPI's ABF Bond fund, and transferring money from my Bond Fund to my Savings Account, while I was abroad was also easy. Though it took 2-3 working days, I think. Definitely needs some time allowance.

It's rather hard looking at several portfolios and investments. I am thinking after 5 years' time, I should just take my money out, and transfer it to my other stocks... But then, what would happen to my compound interests, right?

Travel Tips

I have traveled so many times since I was a kid. I thought that a summer wasn't complete when there's no vacation. And when I got older, and able to earn my own money, I didn't realize until later that I traveled every month for 1 year haha

So what did I learn from all these traveling? Let me share this with you:

1. Don't forget your valid documents and money
Tickets - double check the time, date and even the terminal number (I know someone who got lost because of the terminal number)

Passport - make sure that your passport is valid for 6 months from the date the trip ends. If renewing it takes too long (usually a month), ask for an extension instead from DFA, which is processed much faster (I learned this the hard way, and wasn't allowed to board! I was left while my family was in KL.) Also for security purposes, photocopy the first 2 pages of your passport (or in my case, I just take a picture and upload it to my Dropbox online), in case anything happens, you have a copy of your passport.

Visa - make sure that you give appropriate time for your visa application, a friend told me a month is usually enough. (Besides if the application took more than 1 month, then they'll probably deny you.) Ask around how fast the processing takes, because sometimes if you applied to early (usually if you brought the tickets 6 months in advance due to promo fares), the visa will already expire by the time your ticket is already valid (my friend learned this the hard way, when she was so excited and applied too early for a Korean visa)

Money - personally, I just bring a couple of hundred USD. This is because I just use my BPI and Metrobank ATM internationally. (Make sure to call ahead of time to tell them that you plan to use them abroad.) From experience, Metrobank charges a smaller fee (actually, they didn't charge me using this certain ATM in Bangkok) compared to BPI back here at home. The exchange rate is generally fair with banks, and this is more convenient and secure for me as well, because I don't want to carry too much cash. International ATM may or may not charge you (they usually ask before the transaction), as well as local fees apply (usually 1-2 USD), so make sure to make as few withdrawals as possible for the whole trip. (When we were in Europe for 3 weeks, I only withdrew 2x.)

Credit Cards - I usually have 1 or 2 international credit cards, for emergencies. When I was in Turkey for a stop-over, I just charged my meal to my credit card instead of withdrawing money. For me, my favorite is HSBC Platinum which accumulates more points when used internationally as compared to my Citibank Rewards.

2. Travel lite
A lot of people takes hours to pack. Okay, I was one of those people, but eventually I learned how to pack efficiently.

Clothes - the bulk of it usually contains clothes. Know the itinerary so you can plan ahead. Generally, number of days = number of underwear = number of shirts. I just repeat some of my pants or shorts especially when the trip is too long. Or if it's really long, like 3 weeks, generally number of days = 1/2 number of underwear = 1/2 number of shirts and I will just do laundry while traveling. I also have those flanella-like Towelite that dries quickly and not bulky, which can also double as a blanket if needed. I always bring a jacket because sometimes it's the airplane that's very cold. If you have versatile clothes, that has many styles or uses or with reversible designs, I usually bring those. (For example, rashguards can be used during water activities as well as climbing during rainy weather. Or this loose top would look great with my bathing suit as well as with my shorts. You get the idea.)

Also, while packing, read up on the temperature and the weather of the country you're visiting. Every country has a different season for summer, and pack appropriately.

Take note of the culture and practices of the country you're visiting, as countries in the Middle East and attending temples in India, Thailand, and Cambodia generally have a dress code that we should respect as travelers.

Shoes - generally, I wear my bulkiest shoes (usually rubber shoes but this depends on the itinerary; my sister wore her heels), then pack my rubber slippers. If you want to bring another shoe, that's fine if you're sure you're going to use it. (Remember, you're bringing it yourself.) I still try to bring my versatile footwear, like my waterproof sandals for walking, trekking, river-rafting, etc.

Toiletries - if you're staying at a hotel, then good for you, because you have the option of not bringing much. Otherwise, remember sachets! There's shampoo, conditioners, deodorant, toothpaste, lotions, foundations, etc. They are light and neat, and you can throw them away after use.
Okay, not so good for the environment; if you want a more environmental plan, just transfer them into travel-size toiletry bottles available in Watson's.
Also, make sure to put them in a plastic vacuum-sealed bag, so in case they spill, it won't go to your clothes and other items. While the clothes are the bulk, toiletries can also weight a lot if not packed right. (I know of someone who packed too heavy, because of the toiletries!)

Electronics - if you're not going to use your laptop, why are you going to bring it? For me, my smartphone already works as a phone, computer, camera, music player, etc. Generally, I just bring my charger, and that's about it. But if you're a photographer, make sure to just bring the necessities. (When I was in Korea for 10 days, I made sure to use all the lenses I brought.)

And yes, when you go to a different country, take note of the voltage. Or just bring a universal travel adaptor.

When you're sharing your room with others, it's also better to bring an octopus-like adaptor because sometimes a lot of you needs to charge something and the outlets are only few. There are adaptors that are very slim and lightweight, bring those. (Please, don't bring an actual octopus because they are bulky.)


To be continued...