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View of Umeda Sky Building (double building on the very right)
Umeda Sky Building—Floating Garden Observatory: Things to Do in Osaka

Umeda Sky Building—Floating Garden Observatory: Things to Do in Osaka

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Floating Garden Observatory (Kuchu Teien) at Umeda Sky Building Contact Information: 〒531-0076 1-1-88 Oyodo-naka,Kita-ku,OsakaCity Phone: 06-6440-3899 http://www.kuchu-teien.com/index.php http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/facilities/cat10/post_294.html   Hours*: 9:30 AM–10:30 PM daily (last admission at 10:00 PM) *Please check the website for holiday hours. Admission Rates**: Adults ¥1000 Middle–High School Students ¥700 Elementary School Students ¥500 Children (4 Years and older) ¥200 Seniors ¥800 People with Disability ¥500 **Please check the website for group rates for each category. Umeda Sky Building is supposed to offer an unobstructed, spectacular…

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Nakazakicho: A Charming Neighborhood in Osaka

Nakazakicho: A Charming Neighborhood in Osaka

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Nakazakicho: A Charming Neighborhood in Osaka While searching for things to do in Osaka, rather than the main attractions, I wanted to check out smaller, cute neighborhoods with character. Nakazakicho was one of the neighborhoods that was mentioned multiple times due to its bohemian charm with old structures and narrow alleyways. It is supposed to be home to many artists and interesting cafes and shops. We visited the Nakazakicho area on a Wednesday afternoon after eating udon at Sanuki Udon….

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Lodging in Osaka: Review of Hotel Hankyu International

Lodging in Osaka: Review of Hotel Hankyu International

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Lodging in Osaka: Review of Hotel Hankyu International 19-19 Chayamachi, Kita, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 530-0013, Japan Phone: +81 6-6377-2100 http://www-a.global.hankyu-hotel.com/hankyu-international/accommodation.html As this trip was a family reunion trip for the in-laws, I had to stay at the same hotel as the rest of the group. The family from Korea had already booked the Hankyu International Hotel (4.5 star hotel according to TripAdvisor), so my husband and I followed suit. Even though we could have looked for lodging that might have…

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Paris: The Plan (How I Planned for a 10-Day Trip to Paris)

Paris: The Plan (How I Planned for a 10-Day Trip to Paris)

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Paris—The Plan: Due to the last minute nature of the trip, I didn’t get to plan as thoroughly as I would have liked to for the Paris trip. My husband was going to London area for work (Richmond Hills to be exact), so we decided for me to tag along so that we can take a mini-vacation in Paris for 9.5 days. The trip wasn’t finalized until about a week or two before departure due to my husband’s work schedule,…

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Transportation from London to Paris–Riding the Eurostar

Transportation from London to Paris–Riding the Eurostar

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From Richmond to St. Pancras International Station: Our journey to Paris started with an Uber ride from Richmond Hills to St. Pancras International Station in London. We had allotted plenty of time to get to the station, but we made it just in time to catch the train. Due to extremely heightened security after the Manchester terror attack, the traffic in city center was horrendous. We were told that this was the first time that the militia were brought into…

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Weather in Paris–End of May to Beginning of June 2017

Weather in Paris–End of May to Beginning of June 2017

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Weather: The forecast changed multiple times leading up to the trip, but it promised a heatwave, sunny skies, cloudy skies, thunderstorms, and showers for our 10 day stay in Paris. The first 4 days in Paris were unbearably hot and humid, with temperatures hovering in upper 80’s to low 90’s (in Fahrenheit). Coming from dry Southern California, my husband and I had a difficult time getting used to heat + humidity + lack of A/C throughout Paris. It also didn’t…

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Transportation in Paris–How to Get Around Paris on Your Trip!

Transportation in Paris–How to Get Around Paris on Your Trip!

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Transportation in Paris–How to Get Around Paris on Your Trip! Paris is known for being a walking city with impressive architecture, gardens, and views all throughout. To experience its fame and to get the most out of being in the city, I convinced my husband to walk to most places. The Health App on my husband’s iPhone attested to how much we walked during our trip, as we averaged 8-9 miles per day. If you’d rather take it easy or…

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Using the Metro to Get Around Paris–Transportation in Paris

Using the Metro to Get Around Paris–Transportation in Paris

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Using the Metro to Get Around Paris: A very easy and affordable way to get around the city, there are many metro lines and stations throughout the city. In central Paris, there are 16 lines, numbered 1-14, with two secondary lines 3b and 7b. You can pick up a map from any of the customer service counters at any of the stations, or you can always do a quick internet search. We relied heavily on Google maps for planning our routes,…

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Using Uber to Get Around Paris–Transportation in Paris

Using Uber to Get Around Paris–Transportation in Paris

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Using Uber to Get Around Paris: Although we walked and took the metro most of the time, we utilized Uber whenever we had to travel with our luggage and once due to my husband’s allergies acting up. While the fares were not as cheap as in Cape Town, they were not exorbitantly high either. For example, the ride from Gare du Nord to our Airbnb in Les Marais cost $12.04 and the 35 minute ride from Renaissance Paris République to…

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Vélib/Bike Rentals–Transportation in Paris

Vélib/Bike Rentals–Transportation in Paris

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Vélib is a bike sharing system that is very popular among tourists and locals alike. It’s available 24-hours a day, as long as there is a bike available in the station near you. You can purchase a 1-day ticket online or at any Vélib station for €1.70 or a 7-day ticket for €8.00. This system is self-serviced and all you need to do is just follow the instructions on the screen at the terminal. After payment, you choose a bike…

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