How to spend 3 days in Osaka, Japan

If you’ve got 3 days to tour the second largest city in Japan, what should you see first? You’ll likely arrive in the city at either Osaka Station or Shin-Osaka Station, especially if you are enjoying the ease and affordability of the Japan Rail Pass. Choose a hotel in a central location, with easy access to a train station – for example, one of the hotels in or around Osaka Station City. Once you are comfortably settled into your home away from home, your adventure is ready to begin.

Day 1: Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Fifteen tanks occupy eight floors, some stretching across multiple floors. As you descend, you will spiral around the large central tank, which is home to a full-grown whale shark – an impressive animal the size of a city bus.

The aquarium opens at 10 a.m., so you can sleep in a little (if you want) and still get a relatively early start. Admission is ¥2,300. Most visitors spend at least 3 hours in the aquarium.

How to get there: From Osaka Station, take the Osaka Loop Line to Bentencho Station. Then, take the Chuo line to Osakako Station. The Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is about a 10-minute walk from the station.

Day 1: Dotonbori Area

Before heading back to your hotel for the night, you may wish to stop by Osaka’s famous entertainment district, the Dotonbori, where travellers can experience the local nightlife with restaurants, amusement facilities and shopping centers open 24 hours.

Here’s where you will be able to walk by the promenades on both sides of the Dotonbori-gawa Canal and see its amazing advertisements and neon signs, including the famous Glico Man. Last but not least, the Hozen-ji Temple on the first street to the south offers a gate out of the modern world and into the past of Osaka.

How to get there: From Osakako Station, take the Chuo Line to Kujo Station. Then, take the Hanshin-Namba Line to Namba Station. The Dotonbori is about a 5-minute walk from the station.

Day 2: Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle is one of the most striking castle structures in Japan. The enormous white edifice is a 1930s reconstruction of a historic castle from 1583. The building houses a modern museum, an elevator for ease of access, and the Nishinomaru Garden. It is one of the most popular cherry blossom viewing spots in the city.

How to get there: From Osaka Station, take the JR Loop Line to Osakajokoen Station. The castle is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is ¥600. Admission to the garden is ¥200.

Day 2: Shitennoji Temple

After a walk around the castle, consider a visit to Osaka’s numerous shrines and temples. Nearest the station are the Isshin-ji, a classic twelfth-century Buddhist temple, and Shitennoji, a Buddhist temple dating to the year 593 A.D.

A further walk will take you to the Sumiyoshi Taisha Grand Shrine is one of the oldest in Japan, built in the third century. You can view four main halls, as well as the picturesque Sorihashi Bridge.

How to get there: From Osakajokoen Station, take the Osaka Loop Line to Tennoji Station. The Shrines and temples are within walking distance of the station.

Day 3: Universal Studios Japan

After the educational nature of castles and temples, the young and young at heart may desire to delve into the fictional world of Universal Studios Japan.

This amusement park, the second largest in Japan, features eight theatrically themed sections – the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Wonderland, Amity Village, Waterworld, Jurassic Park, San Francisco, New York, and Hollywood. If any in your travel group isn’t into rollercoaster thrills, they may enjoy the Universal Citywalk Osaka, a movie-themed shopping mall located just outside the park.

Universal Studios Japan is typically open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admissions range in price from ¥5,100 to ¥7,600.

How to get there: From Osaka Station, take the JR Sakurajima Line, also called the JR Yumesaki Line, to Universal City Station. The park is less than a five-minute walk from the station.

Day 3: HEP Five Ferris Wheel

If you have always wanted to ride a massive red Ferris wheel on the top of a skyscraper in Japan – this is the place for you.

Apart from an adventurous experience, Hep Five is a 10-story high shopping mall and entertainment center. You will find restaurants, European and Japanese fashion stores, including game centers (7th floor) where many of the local visitors love to gather and play.

To top it all after a long and tiring walk, go to the last floor and take a ride on the big red Ferris wheel – a romantic experience, preferred by many couples after sundown.

See more: The best places to enjoy Osaka foods

Source: Internet

Taste the unique cuisine in Ha Giang, Vietnam

Photo DulichVietnam

Traveling to Ha Giang will offer visitors many exciting experiences because Ha Giang owns not only majestic natural landscapes, endless winding roads but also the beauty of flowers, the hospitality of local people and a lot of culinary specialties.

Thang Co

Referred to as the must-try food in Ha Giang, Thang Co, carrying an unforgettable flavor will be an interesting experience for your Vietnam package tour. It is believed that Thang Co is derived from China, and later it was spread towards the mountainous areas of northern Vietnam.

Looking at the pot of the food, you probably find it difficult to recognize ingredients used to cook it, but simply, there are just pork (beef or horsemeat is an alternative), its organs, some herbs, and seeds. It is very stimulating sit around the pot and savor a hot bowl of thang co while talking to the locals about their culture.

Tam Giac Mach Cake

The cake is made from Tam Giac Mach grains dried and ground into flour. Many people have not ever thought about the use of this grain kind, but the cake from it is actually amazing to try. You will see the cake is shaped in rounds and grilled on the light fire. Its smell will attract anyone around. It is quite cheap to savor one when you are traveling to Ha Giang; it just costs about VND 10,000.

Reu Nuong

As a unique dish of Tay ethnic people in Ha Giang Province, reu nuong has its own taste. For a delicious grilled moss, Tay ethnic people often choose the youngest moss patches, skillfully separate the slime on the outside then mix them with some spices as salt, season, eryngo leaves, etc. All are wrapped in leaves then grilled. This dish is good for health, so it is loved by many people.

Banh Cuon Trung

As a type of rice wrapper rolls, but rice wrapper rolls with egg in Ha Giang is not eaten with sauce as usual. Instead, rice flour paste pouring in the stove is added to egg, and then using the paste layer to wrap the egg. After preparation, eaters will use it with a bow of bouillon added lean pork paste. This dish can be eaten when hot or cold, but the delicious taste is always kept thanks to the fat taste of egg and the bold flavor of bouillon.

Com Lam

Com Lam is a special gift of Ha Giang, and also a food that tourists often choose to buy. Like other types of rice across the country, this one is cooked with bamboo and neohouzeaua on rose fire. It is both delicious and flexible and hard to break. So many people here often bring it to work on the farm.

It is not too difficult to cook, or expensive. People use delicious sticky rice soaked, washed and sprinkle with a little salt. After the preliminary processing, they put glutinous rice into bamboo tubes and bamboo then pour water just right, cover it and burn it on charcoal. When burning, the cook must rotate it to radiate heat around the bamboo. If you split bamboo pipes, you can enjoy the wonderful rice balls inside.

Thang Den

Do not hesitate to try a bowl of thang den when you make a Vietnam package tour to Ha Giang. It will surely give you a great experience. It is easy to realize some ingredients inside the food as it includes balls made from sticky rice flour and ground peas as the filling and is boiled in water. This is a sweet soup, so you will see some related items, such as coconut milk, peanuts, and sesame. To those who love sweet soups in Vietnam, trying thang den is definitely a must.

See more: What to do in Ha Giang, Vietnam

Source Internet

5 best multiple-country trips in Asia

Asia is without doubt one of the best regions of the world for an exciting multi-country holiday. With so many countries relatively close together, it seems almost like a wasted opportunity to see only one.

Cultural tour of Southeast Asian capitals

A tour that traverses the capitals of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia is a great way to delve into local history and culture. There are many similarities between these three countries at surface level, but a multi-country trip like this can expose the nuances of each culture to reveal three proudly distinct nations. Compare modern capitals with ancient kingdoms, see how Buddhist temples differ, cruise the countries’ rivers, see their museums and learn about their local handicrafts.

This 12-day, 11-night tour begins in Bangkok, giving you time to take in the capital’s most famous sights – the Grand Palace and the home of the reclining Buddha, Wat Pho – getting you around the city via river ferry, canal boat and tuk tuk. Next it’s off to Luang Prabang, where you swap bustling streets with serene mountainscapes, before heading to Vientiane, the smallest capital city in the world. In Cambodia, you’ll be charmed by the capital, Phnom Penh, before heading to Siem Reap to see an ancient capital on the grandest scale at Angkor Wat.

Mekong River journey

This epic journey begins in picturesque Kengtung in the mountains of Shan State, in the far eastern reaches of Myanmar. From here, you’ll make your way down through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, traveling on the Mekong, overland and by taking short flights. You’ll stop in myriad little towns and some big cities along the way, meeting local communities, enjoying cultural activities and even taking part in sustainability projects. Temples, markets, ancient ruins, palaces, museums, serene countryside and idyllic shores are all part of this amazing multi-country trip.

An Indochine foodie trip

This tour from Vientiane, Laos through Cambodia to Halong Bay in Vietnam, combines must-see sights with must-eat dishes. Certain Vietnamese dishes have already won worldwide acclaim but on this trip you’ll also learn about Laos food. For instance, did you know that many of your favorite Thai dishes originated in Laos? Add in the influence of French gastronomy and you have a foodie tour with true breadth – and good wine. Eat through seven cities and three nations on this multi-country Asia holiday, peppered with iconic experiences: a meal at Angkor Wat, dinner about a private boat on Halong Bay, a Hanoi city tour by Vespa, a cooking class in Luang Prabang.

A short trip from Bangkok to Angkor Wat

For many travelers to Southeast Asia, Thailand is at the top of the list of must-see places. Bangkok itself is worthy of indepth exploration, and this tour gives you a couple of days in ‘the Big Mango’ to see the main sights such as the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. You’ll also have some time for choice of different urban expeditions, from cruising the canals of Thonburi to exploring vibrant Chinatown.

Next, it’s off to Siem Reap, where you’ll waste no time getting to the most famed of ancient temple complexes, Angkor Wat. You’ll explore the site with a guide, who can explain the building’s intricate architecture and countless bas-reliefs. The next morning, you’ll rise early to see another famous local landmark, Ta Prohm, wreathed in vines and roots and tinted green with moss. The smaller Banteay Srey and the famous Angkor Thom are also part of the day’s travels. In the evening, you’ll enjoy a unique performance by local troupe, Phare Circus, whose lithe acrobatics tell a deeper story about Cambodian society.

On the final day of your trip, you’ll enjoy a boat cruise on the Tonle Sap lake. You’ll cruise to an local village where the school, temple, houses and even an ice factory are all over water. You’ll have lunch in traditional stilt house over the river then return to Siem Reap in time to do some souvenir shopping before your onward transfer.

See more: 7 perfect day trip in Thailand

Source: Internet