T R A V E L - Hanoi Airport VATC Sleep Pod!

Hey everyone!


We've just finished our 13 day trip around Japan, and we've recently landed in Hanoi! We'll be travelling from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh over the next 30 days and of course, I will keep you up to date with what to do and what to see in this beautiful country.

We've landed shortly after midnight from our flight out of Osaka, bad news is there are no buses running to our Air Bnb for a few hours... Good news is there are places to rest our head in Hanoi airport itself and I've been lucky enough to collaborate with VATC Sleep Pods for this post!



We've just spent the night in the Sleep Pods located at Terminal 2, and I want to tell you all about it!

To start with, it's really easy to find which is great when you're super tired after a long day. Walk out of luggage collection towards the main exit, go up the escalators on the right hand side for one floor and then walk straight down. It's so convenient!



Once we arrived we met the welcoming members of staff at the reception desk, had to fill out a quick form to confirm our booking and then were shown to our room. The rooms are pretty small, but more than space for what you need them for (to sleep of course)


The rooms have bunk beds, one for me, one for Michael. There's a desk next to the bottom bunk which is big enough to squeeze one bag in. We had to leave Michael's bag next to it on the floor as it wouldn't fit.

The room includes a wifi, a flat screen television, free water and chocolate cakes, mugs, flip flops, tooth brush/paste and a hair comb for your use. In addition the room had a fan with three different speed settings installed in the wall. The beds were comfortable, I slept like a baby after my long day of travelling without any distractions!



I loved how easy it all went, I didn't have to wait around for anything and could just rest before heading to my next place to stay. Being able to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for another busy day made a big difference to my mood!
I can't believe how convenient it was and I would happily stay again if I had a early/late flight in Hanoi.



If you're heading to Hanoi soon and need a place to stay I can 100% recommend it. You can use hotel booking websites such as Trip Advisor, and Bookings.com to look at other reviews and book a nights sleep, but the best price guarenteed comes from the Hanoi Airport Hotel offical website!

https://hanoiairporthotels.vn/ << Use this website for the best price!

Thanks so much for accommodating for us!

** Disclaimer - This post was written in return for a complimentary stay, but all opinions are my own.


What do you think of VATV Sleep Pods? Would you stay in one to?

Stephanie xoxo

T R A V E L - 48 Hours in Kyoto!





Hello again!

As previously stated, I'm currently making my ways through Japan and loving every second of it! I'm just getting to my last few hours in Kyoto and thought I would share just some of the highlights of our last 48 hours in this truly magical city! With Kyoto being the ancient capitol of Japan it's no surprise just how much tradition and cultural attractions are on offer.

Here are just a small number of things to see and do in Kyoto that won't break the bank! Happy planning!



1  | Fushimi - Inari Shrine



The shrine has over a thousand orange tori gates snaking around the Inari Mountain. Each tori gate has a different donator's name engraved into it's wood.  It's honestly a must see attraction. If you don't visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine have you even been to Kyoto?
If you would like to just visit the screen and see the tori path way it's a simple walk and easy to reach by bus or train. If you're feeling ambitious and you'd like to follow the path up the Inari mountain feel free too! It'll take around 2-3 hours for the round trip so make sure you'be packed your walking shoes.

2 | Golden Pavillion, Kinkaku-Ji Temple



This is the place you see in all the travel guides and posters for Kyoto, and we can see why. This stunning temple really is as good in real life as it looks in the photographs. It's perfectly clean and really stands out. I felt like I was watching a movie when I arrived at Kinkaku-ji Temple. The top two floors of the Zen Temple are covered in gold leaf that make the temple a must see in Kyoto. Set within the Mirror Pond and a lushes green garden it's heaven! #homegoals




3 | Kiyomizu - Dera Temple



The Kiyomizu-Dera Temple is an immense Buddist temple in kyoto. The Temple is location on a small hill with a huge terrace with offers a breathtaking view. If you walk on further through the temple you will reach the view point. Which gives an incredible view of much of Kyoto. 


4 | Ryozen Kannon 


The Ryozen Kannon is a war memorial for those who died in the Pacific War in Eastern Kyoto. Not just to the Japanese but all the unknown soliders who lost their lives during this horrible time. The Kannon statue is 80 ft high! (hard to miss) and is made of steel and concrete. The site has a number of small shrines, you can go into Kannon from the back and you might even see a monkey or two hanging around.

5 | Gion neighborhood


Head down to the Gion neighbourhood for your chance to see one of the fifty remaining geisha's in the town. Located betweek Yasaka Shrine and the Kamo River, the geisha district is filled with shops, resturants and Ochaya (tea houses) 
Now it is amazing to see Geisha's, but they are super busy! If you are able to see one be happy and take it in. Please don't stop them and ask for pictures, they're on their way to work.


If you have some money to spend, head to Geisha Corner where you can watch a tradition show :) 

-----------------------------------------------

Are you heading to Japan soon? Have you recently come back? 
What's your favourite thing about Japan?


Lots of love,
Stephanie xo

T R A V E L - Nagoya Traveller's Hostel! - Review

Hey Guys!

Today we left our temple stay at the Eisho-Ji Temple, Nakatsugawa and headed to the next destination on our route through Japan.

Nagoya!

Nagoya is a colourful city situated around 150KM away from Kyoto, it's easy to reach by public transport, you can get a highway bus direct from Tokyo to Nagoya. The bus takes around 5 hours altogether but you can split it up by staying Magome to break the trip up. Nagoya is an up and coming city for travelers due to it's cultural background and vivid nightlife, but as it's less well known not many hostels are available for the increasing market.

I'm staying in Nagoya for 3 days, and plan on cramming as much into the stay as possible. I am staying in a twin room at the Nagoya Traveller's Hostel! The Nagoya Traveller's Hostel is every budget travelers best friend! With room options starting from 2500 JPY per person there's something for everyone.


Now, the hostel is best known for being the best known hostel in Nagoya for couples and solo travelers  - but don't let that put you off booking in groups too! There are mixed and female only dorms priced at 2500 JPY, Single rooms for 3600 JPY as well as double rooms and twin rooms for 2600 JPY per person. Additionally, if you're travelling in a large group and want to guarantee you're all in the same place, you can book a shared room for between 3- 8 people for just 2500 JPY per person. Told you there was something for everyone! If you're a bargain budget traveler like me too, you'd be happy to know that if you Tweet on Twitter or Share on Facebook about the hostel, they'll give you an extra 5% off your booking on arrival.


PS; It even includes free breakfast in all the packages, so don't forget to wake up early in the morning!

There are plenty of things to do and see in Nagoya. As the hostel is located pretty central, with Sakae station within a 10 minute walking distance from Nagoya Traveller's Hostel it's easy to visit attractions in no time.  Look out for a post including my favourite things to do and see in Nagoya coming soon!




On the other hand, if you'd prefer to stay within the hostel that is not a problem, it has plenty to offer too. The staff are very warm and welcoming, be sure to ask them any questions you may have about the areas as they're the experts! All the members of staff we have met are very good at speaking English so a language barrier hasn't been an issue yet which is reassuring as nervous travelers!




The hostel includes a communal lounge and kitchen area where it's guests tend to relax and make new friends! When we arrived today two ladies we're making traditional Malaysian food for other guests to try. It includes a micro save, plenty of table space and also plugs for when you need to do some work/charge your phone. The wifi is good on all floors of the hostel, not as fast on the top floor but still very usable. If the lounge area isn't enough, that's fine - you can head to the roof for some fresh air too. they have a roof terrace that is great in the sunshine!



Other useful aspects of the hostel include the a laundry room, bike rentals and organised events regularly! (This weeks event is Sushi making.. YUM!) Each floor also includes toilets and hair driers so you don't need to worry about packing your own for your trip. Showers are located on floors 1 and 3, they all come with shampoo and body wash ready for you too!


I would highly recommend the Nagoya Traveller's Hostel to all!
It's cheap, clean, can be loud in the day but guests tend to be respectful at night - there are signs advising visitors to be quiet in the later hours. Staff are friendly, rooms are nice and has everything you'd want from your hostel!

With a 4.4/5 rating on Trip Advisor, you can see others agree with me too!


Are you heading to Japan soon? Anything in particular you are looking on information about?
Just ask in the comments below :)

Stephanie xo


**Although my stay at Nagoya's Traveller's Hostel was complementary, all opinions are my own.