Being July 4th, many things were closed, so we didn’t stick around in Walla Walla and started our way towards Boise earlier than planned. For live updates, follow us on Instagram, we’re posting stories as we go there.
View from our Walla Walla hotel, someone setting off shortly after sunrise.
Technical Details
258 Miles Driven
83.9 kWh used
325 Wh/mi
Paid Charging: $17.85
So far, the total cost of paid charging for this trip is $31.85, which equates to approximately 5.8 cents per mile. For comparison, a typical gas SUV equivalent to the Model X, averages about 14-20 cents per mile. Ideally I’d like to get closer to 3-4 cents per mile, which should be achievable as we’ll have free charging at hotels later in the trip.
The Drive
After a quick breakfast at McDonald’s, because our planned breakfast spot in Walla Walla was closed for the 4th, we drove down to Athena, OR to see if we could get some free electricity at a 120kW CCS charger. This turned out to be a bust as the station was faulty and would cut out after a couple minutes, and refuse to start again.
Hope no one truly needs to charge when rolling up to this charger.
Shortly after Pendleton there’s an overlook, which has panoramic views of the valley.
We decided to continue on the drive towards Baker City, OR, which is the cheapest Tesla Supercharger on our route to Boise. We skipped the Pendleton, and Ontario chargers in Oregon.
Tesla Superchargers just work, every time. 0.21/kWh is cheap too!
After getting to Boise, the front of the car was peppered in bug guts. There were a lot of flying insects when driving through farmland, and they just get splattered all over the front and the windshield.
Boise is known for great beef and potatoes, so of course we had to try it. Bittercreek Alehouse in the downtown area was the right choice. They had an excellent selection of beer with great food.
And here’s some more photos to before calling it a night. Boise lets you get surprisingly close to the fireworks at their show. Must be a red state thing.
Today is the first day of the trip. An easy 292 miles from Home to Walla Walla. For live updates, follow us on Instagram, we’re posting stories as we go there.
Day 1 on TeslaFi
Technical Details
292 Miles Driven
94.65 kWh used
324 Wh/mi
Paid charging: $13.33
Route and Stops
After I-90 we turned off to the Yakima Canyon Highway or WA-821. It’s very scenic, and a road that FSD handles well. I highly recommend the route. It runs along the Yakima River, and is a National Recreation Area.
A quick lunch was had at the Canyon River Grill, which is also next to Red’s fly shop. Seems to be a hotspot for fly fishing here.
We saw a wildfire on the side of highway after Prosser, WA:
Planned charging on this route is a necessity, as Walla Walla is a DCFC desert (23kW is the fastest, and it’s CCS). So either charge up, bring a CCS adapter, or choose a destination with access to charging.
We stopped for a 15 minute break at the Kennewick Supercharger, and did the rest of the charging at Amavi Winery, and Walla Walla High School.
48A (80A capable) Destination Charger at Amavi WineryThe slowest DCFC I’ve ever seen. ABB 23kw units (CSS and ChaDeMo)
That’s all for today. Time to hit the gym, get some rest, and head to Boise, ID tomorrow.
I’m kicking off a 27 day, 3000 mile road trip through the Western US. I’ll be writing short summaries day to day, and posting photos hopefully nightly. This includes needing to break out the Starlink while in Zion and Bryce Canyon.
Over the last couple weeks, I’ve created an adventure for myself seeking out Mahjong shops in Hong Kong. The last of their kind, these shops exist to keep the memories alive of generations past.
Mahjong: The Craft That Dies with a Generation
Like many other traditional crafts in Hong Kong, Mahjong will be memory of the past. Mobile phones and games are taking over the young population. Even whole families are glued to their devices during dinner. This social game is something only the aunties and uncles will play.
Hand-engraving tiles hasn’t received the recognition it deserves. Perfected over creating hundreds of thousands of tiles, the best handmade examples look like their machine made counterparts. It’s a negative-sum game. It takes months to create a set of tiles. With how much labor that goes into each set, it’s under-appreciated. And with no reason to pass the baton, the art dies with this generation.
Nestled in a small space in the stairs of a walk-up in Jordan, I found Biu Kee Mahjong. The current owner, Cheung Shun King, took over the craft and business of creating handmade Mahjong tiles from his father, who inherited from his father. It’s a generations old family business that will end with him.
Hong Kong is changing, and its changing fast. Like the neon signs that defined it during its golden age, the sounds of shuffling tiles will be gone in another decade or two. As more and more Mahjong parlors are switching to automatic tables, it won’t be long before the heritage and cultural activities are replaced by something digital.
Biu Kee Mahjong sells a large assortment of parlor games and supplies. If you’d like to support the craft, they sell custom engraved tiles with whatever you’d like for $100 HKD / each.
Another hand-engraved Mahjong shop is be found in Hung Hom, Kam Fat Mahjong: 2 Bulkeley St.
Running out of battery when you’re in a foreign country where you don’t exactly speak the language is one thing you definitely want to avoid when you travel. It’s something that’s also easily avoidable. We use power banks when traveling, and never leave home without one. Here are our favorites.
Hong Kong Central MTR
5 Power Banks you don’t want to be caught without in 2017
We’ve tried and cried, testing the best power banks that have become a part of our travel kits. These are tested and abused in the real world, and most importantly, they won’t suddenly burst into flames.
We picked the Anker PowerCore+ 20100 as our do-it-all when we travel. It powers our USB-C MacBooks and MacBook Pros, charges our iPhones and iPads multiple times, and has served as a hammer.
Recommended by our road warriors – in a single charge, this will fully charge 1 MacBook, 1 iPad, and 1 iPhone before throwing in the towel. It is truly the Swiss Army knife of power banks.
When we’re doing an urban hike through the city, we want to pack light. But capturing so many photos and videos can be draining on our iPhones. We tried a few different small and light power banks before settling on the Anker PowerCore Slim 5000 – It holds 2 full charges, and you won’t notice it in your backpack when trekking through the streets of Tokyo.
This is the one that we keep in every bag. The Anker PowerCore 5000 – It’s small, light, and robust. We’ve dropped it multiple times – it’s a tough one. We give these out as gifts to friends and family and haven’t heard a single bad thing. It just works, and it’s cheap.
Okay, we admit that we don’t own this, but we’ve had a chance to try it and it’s impressive. You can charge anything. Everything! It has an AC outlet that will take any wall charger – even an 85W MacBook charger. It’s not cheap, it’s not small and light, but if you need something that will charge everything – this is it.
If you have an Android phone that supports QuickCharge technology – this is the best power to support it. The Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 supports Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0.
You may have noticed that all but one of our recommended power banks are from Anker – we’re not affiliated with them in any way, it’s just that we’ve tried a lot, and have found a consistent, high quality experience using Anker Products. They consistently perform, are high quality, and have never let us down. Other brands of power banks can be poorly designed and are outright dangerous.
We stand by our recommendations – we have traveled with them, and would recommended it to our non tech-savvy moms.
Check out the Fukuoka Travel Guide! Go to Japan once, and you’ll always think of returning. If you’ve already explored Tokyo and Osaka and want a new Japanese city to explore, Fukuoka is the perfect weekend destination. A flight from HKG to FUK takes only 3 hours; 1 hour quicker than flying to Tokyo.
Fukuoka is getting increasingly popular as more low cost carriers launch routes there. Roundtrip fares from Hong Kong can be as low as $150 USD. Cheap, low cost flights to Fukuoka can be found year-round. In order to find these flights, you’ll need to head over to SkyScanner, Expedia, or Ctrip if you’re in Hong Kong.
Ideally, low cost carriers will be in the following range of cost for a roundtrip ticket:
Normal: $180
On Sale: $140
Deep Discount: $50
For your first visit to Fukuoka, staying in Hakata or Tenjin area is ideal.
Getting from Fukuoka Airport to Hakata/ Tenjin Station
Because Fukuoka airport is located relatively close to the urban area, there are three ways of getting to and from the airport. All of them are around 20-30 minutes.
Traveling by bus might be the slowest way but if you catch the bus at the right time, it’ll save you from carrying your luggage up and down multiple flights of stairs. Once you’re out of the airport, you’ll see a series of bus stops, head for the one to Hakata Station (travel time: 18 minutes)/ Tenjin Station(travel time: 30 minutes). The buses run every 30mins, 8am – 9.30pm.
From Fukuoka Airport by Train
I prefer the train more than bus as they are more frequent – every 4-8mins, and they run from 5:30 am to 12:25 am. Since the train station is located under the domestic terminal, you’ll need to take the shuttle bus. It’s a free ride. There is only one line that runs to and from the airport. The K-line (Orange). Five minutes to Hakata Station and 11 minutes to Tenjin Station. Easy!
Getting around Fukuoka
Fukuoka is easily explored on foot. Most of the attractions, malls, restaurants, and museums are located in the main urban area. You’ll be taking the train often, with small connections via the bus system. You’ll need an IC card – if you’ve been to any other Japanese city, you most likely already have one. These cards work all over Japan. Not only it can get you on the trains and buses, it also works in various shops, restaurants, supermarkets, and vending machines. There’s no need to count coins!
Just like the rest of Japan, Fukuoka has amazing food
It may sound crazy to put this on the top of the list, but you need to visit the food section in a Japanese department store. You can find all kinds of amazing quality food, not to mention a huge maze of Japanese sweets and snacks brands. The department store I highly recommend is Mitsukoshi; simply because it has the best fruit selection that I’ve ever seen. Fukuoka is known for its produce, more specifically, citrus fruits and ‘Amaou’ strawberries, an acronym of amai (sweet), marui (round), ōkii (big) and umai (delicious).
Yanagibashi Market
If you want to seek out a local market, Yanagibashi Market in Hakata area gives you a different experience, and the food there is a bit cheaper. At night time, Yatai (small food tents) are spread around the city.
As for food that’s prepared for you, these are the foods that Fukuoka is known for:
Hakata-style ramen: thin ramen noodles served in milky, rich soup (the birthplace of Ganso Nagahama, Ichiran & Ippudo)
Mentaiko: Pollock Roe, usually served with rice (Mentaiko Mayo is something you can only find in Fukuoka)
Motsu Nabe: a hearty Fukuoka-style stew, the beef/ pork intestines, and garlic chives are slowly cooked in the soup which results as a rich, delicious broth
Ceremony in Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. Photo by Mitch Huang
Dazaifu Tenmangu is the must-go shrine in Fukuoka. For locals, it’s a place where you make a wish on your academic success. For the rest of us, it’s great to visit this heritage and its garden. The structure is beautifully preserved and the backdrop view is stunning all year round. This place is surrounded by 6,000 plum trees which make plum blossoms the symbol of this area. Daizaifu is a well-developed tourist area with plenty to eat and see for a day. It’s less than an hour away from the city by train and bus. If you have time, it’s highly recommended. If not, the Kushida Shrine in Hakata would be an alternative.
You will turn into a shopaholic in the city center
Like most other Japanese cities, you’ll never run out things to do in Fukuoka. Tenjin and Hakata are the places to be with plenty of department stores and underground shopping alleys with countless of boutiques. The Tenjin underground shopping street is connected to Tenjin Station and most of the surrounding department stores. You’ll likely only have time to visit one or two. I suggest you look up the stores on a map if you are looking to get certain items. This will save time in the long run.
Among those, Tokyu Hands is easily my favorite because of its creative lifestyle products. Besides that, Kitte Hakata impressed with its vast collection of upscale street food and snacks on the ground floor. It’s your destination when you need a break from non-stop shopping.
Nearby the Tenjin shopping area, Imazumi is a hipster neighborhood with a unique collection of small boutique shops, cafe, bars, and restaurants.
This umbrella store unexpectedly is one of the highlights of a Fukuoka trip. It has redefined my concept of umbrella stores. I was first attracted by their variety and selection of patterns; then blown away by the high quality, handmade umbrella frames. You will be amazed at how attentive the Japanese are while making and taking care of umbrellas. In this store, you can find abundance in selection. They teach the customers from start to finish. What to look for, how to choose, and the best way to care for an umbrella. Shibata even offers free engraving by hand. They’ve been in business since 1906.
Fukuoka is very accessible from other parts of Asia and is much more affordable than the big Japanese cities. I highly recommend this place for anyone that is looking for a quick weekend trip in Japan. If you can stay longer, Fukuoka Prefecture has more places to explore besides its capital city, Oita, Beppu, Saga, and Kumamoto are the most popular.
Let’s face it. Sooner or later all of us will be stranded at an airport at least once. So why not prepare for it? Especially when the airport travel accessories can be used during your trip, and don’t add anything extra to what you’re carrying. It’s a win-win.
EVA Flight Attendants at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)
The Best Airport Travel Accessories You Should Always Have With You in 2017
Whether you get trapped in a snowstorm, get bumped, miss the last flight out, or your flight gets cancelled… There are thousands of reasons of why you’re going to have to spend more than just a few hours at the airport. We’ve tested all of our recommendations in the real world, including spending a night at the airport when we really didn’t want to.
A solution for “great, the charger I brought doesn’t fit into the outlet”.
Nothing sucks more than bringing your charger to a different country, only to find out it doesn’t fit into the outlets. With this World Wide Travel Plug Adapter, you don’t have to carry anything else. It has two USB ports to charge your phone and iPad, and even passes through so you can plug in your laptop charger. Charge 3 devices at the same time, anywhere in the world. You need one now, get it on Amazon!
Ever tried to search for an outlet at the airport? That’s right, good luck.
Sometimes where you can charge your gear and where you can sit or lay down to relax aren’t in the same place. This is why we always carry a Power Bank with us wherever we go. One of our favorite choice is the Anker 20100. You’d be surprised at how many charges you can get from this before it dries up. We recommend the following three options, available on Amazon.
A travel pillow that will never get soft, run away, and also works when you’re laying on the floor.
Let’s face it, a lot of travel pillows don’t see a lot of use outside of the plane. We’ve found that this one that uses microbeads stays firm and supportive, regardless of how many hours you use it for. When you’re stranded at the airport and want to lay down, this is the best one to have with you. Get yours now on Amazon!
The quick way to fix “oh no, there’s no shower in this airport and I don’t have lounge access”.
We think that this might be the best airport travel accessory for when you are stranded. It’s for those scenarios when there’s no showers in the airport you’re at and you really need one. Go to the restroom, open one of these, and wipe yourself clean. It’s refreshing, just start from your face and work your way down, not the other way around. Get your shower in a pouch over at Amazon.
Oh, actually this airport does have a shower. Great, where’s my towel?
So actually, there is a shower in your airport, and you don’t have a towel. Well, carry one of these – it can double as a blanket on the plane, a way to wash your face in the restroom, and can also roll into a neck support. It’s small, doesn’t take a lot of space, and dries fast. That’s why we like waffle weave towels. It’s a multi purpose thing that deserve to be in everyone’s travel kit. Grab one on Amazon.
So you’re thirsty and don’t want to buy water. You need a travel water bottle.
This has been essential for all of us. It’s a way to carry a bottle through security and not take up a lot of space because it has to be empty. As soon as you get across, fill it up with water and keep yourself hydrated. That’s why the Vapur Bottle really earns our recommendation. You need one, or three. Get yours on Amazon.
Do you have Amazon Prime?
You can get all of the items above shipped to you for free using Amazon Prime. Try it free for 30 days when you sign up through our website. Try out Amazon Prime.
Amazon Prime has huge benefits – I’ve shipped stuff to myself when I travel to Hong Kong. When you need something and you can only find it on Amazon, prime helps. A lot.
Traveling out of the country and seeing the world can be more than just a dream. Like most, I used to think that travel outside of the US was extremely expensive and it prohibited me from traveling. However, the truth is the opposite. You can have amazing experiences on a budget. You just need to know how and where to look.
Cruise through the streets in Bangkok, in style.
Travel involves sacrifices…
…But it doesn’t have to feel like it. Just like any other project, travel has goals. Ask yourself “what I do I want to get out of this trip?”. If you cannot understand what you want out of travel, it will never be fulfilling.
Interesting new street foods in Bangkok, Thailand
Whether you want to experience new cultures, try amazing new foods, or get away from the office with a beach holiday, it starts with understanding what you want and need.
So, before deciding on any destination, before booking any hotel or flight, understand what you want out of your next trip. Without this, you’ll never feel satisfaction or fulfillment.
Understand the bulk of travel costs
Everyone talks about airfare deals. However, deal or not, airfare is not the majority of your travel expenses. Hotels and lodging are. Hotel prices and deals are less visible, less frequent, and more predictable than airfare. Read on to learn how to find the best deals.
View from the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku in Tokyo
Most people are deterred from travel because of airfare costs. Since it’s often the first purchase in a trip, it’s also the first cliff to climb. Unless you find a sale on airfare that is 50% of the normal prices, work backwards to plan your trip.
Some places are cheaper than others
Jiufen – a mountainous-coastal city east of Taipei in Taiwan. It’s amazingly beautiful, and affordable.
Developed destinations such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai cost more than those that are not. There’s amazing experiences to be had in Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Because these places are still considered to be developing, it simply costs less.
How to travel to Asia (and beyond) on a budget and still have amazing experiences.
Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1
You understand your goals, you understand your budget, and your understand the source of travel costs. Now you’ll learn how to find and plan a trip full of amazing experiences.
First: Find your destination
I love to use TripAdvisor to find interesting things to do in any city. Although there are other, more city specific websites out there, TripAdvisor aggregates the best info from millions of travelers for a first search.
Based on that, here are links to the most popular destinations in Asia:
When you do this, you can get an idea of the relative expense of a particular city or country. Another handy thing that I use to estimate the cost of a trip to somewhere is the Big Mac Index. It’s a great baseline comparison for the overall food/lodging for two different countries.
Second: Find your hotel on multiple booking sites
Different booking sites will have different prices on the same hotels. It’s highly recommended to check a couple different sites before you book.
Generally, I start my research on Hotels.com. From experience, they have the best website, and best options in finding hotels. After finding a couple hotels I like, I will then check Expedia and Travelocity.
One of the most commonly known secrets is member-only pricing. If you create an account on any of those websites, you’ll be able to access secret prices to different hotels. They are generally 10-20% cheaper than the normal price, and are limited time. And, almost always, the secret prices are the cheapest of anywhere on the internet, if there are not a lot of rooms remaining, it’s safe to book right then and there, without needing to compare prices.
This is always a rule. The only exception is if I have loyalty to a particular hotel chain.
Third: Airfare is its own game
Because airfare is a huge barrier, it’s easy to change your perspective. Understand where the hubs are, and how flying to a different country first can open up possibilities.
If you’re locked into vacation days and traveling certain days, flight deals won’t help. But there are two ways to help find a great deal.
The other thing is to purchase packages on Expedia. Package deals have built in savings. You also have the flexibility to choose flights, and choose the hotel. These have led to some extraordinary deals that seemed almost too good to be true. But because you’re booking from a reliable site, it was true.
Credit cards can help you towards a free trip
These are just some of my favorite cards I’ve used to earn free travel.
Credit cards with rewards for travel are commonplace. But it may seem like it would take forever to earn enough miles for a free trip.
This is where bonuses come in. Put all of your everyday expenses on a credit card, meet the bonus minimum spending, and earn bonuses up to 50,000 miles – enough for a whole trip!
With this card, I’ve flown business class on ANA, absolutely free.
Final tip: Make it a group trip
Since lodging is the most expensive part of the trip, bring friends or stay in a hostel. When you take part in ‘group’ activities, you divide the costs, and you’ll get more experiences for your money. Maybe you’ll meet new friends in the process too, if that’s your type of thing.
Here at The Boarding Call, we travel. We travel a lot. Much of that time is spent flying inter-Asia routes, which means choosing a Low Cost Carrier (LCC), for flights under 5 hours. It just simply isn’t worth it to burn miles on these short flights sometimes. What that means for us, is flights outfitted for a Spartan, lack of creature comforts, and a more bring-your-own mindset. We love our travel accessories.
So, starting off with the easiest to buy, no brainers – to the more well thought out items. These are our must have items in the travel accessories checklist.
Battle tested… in both business and economy class.
The Absolute Must Have Travel Accessories and Equipment Checklist as recommended by the folks at The Boarding Call who have flown way too many LCC flights for their own good, list.
A space saving, collapsible, rollable, water bottle.
First on our list is hydration. If you’ve read our guide on How to Survive Economy on International Flights, hydration is a top priority. Since the security restrictions were put in place after 2001, you can no longer easily bring liquids through security. Now, it’s also been adopted in Japan, and other countries as well. Our favorite, and we have three of them, is the Vapur Eclipse Water Bottle.
Surprisingly durable, easy to clean, and easy to stow away. This bottle earns our recommendation. Buy it on Amazon. Scroll on for more travel accessories.
A head cushion that’s also an eye mask, a scarf, and a makeshift neck pillow.
We don’t like neck pillows. They’re awkward to use, push your head away from the seat back, and really don’t offer that much support. The good ones are bulky and a pain to carry around, the easy ones to carry around never satisfy. Our solution is to just not use one. Use the bendable wings on the head rest, use the cabin of the plane if you’re in the window seat, and use one of these.
Since we’ve purchased our Studio Banana Things Ostrich Pillow Light, our neck pillows have been collecting dust. We’ve even started using these on our commute on the train. They’re not terribly ugly, not weird like the original one, and definitely does all the things we want. Oh yeah, and it’s definitely comfy.
Because of how versatile it is, and how small and light and easy to carry, this saves our weight and space. It earns our recommendation for creature comforts when the airline didn’t give you any. Buy it on Amazon.
If you really need a traditional neck pillow, we recommend this one, it’s tried and true. We just think the Ostrich is better. Interested in more travel accessories, scroll on!
The “oh no, I need all this stuff but don’t want to purchase checked baggage” magic bag.
If you’ve flown LCC’s before, you know exactly what I am talking about. Purchasing checked baggage defeats the purpose of flying an LCC. Once you’ve added two ways of checked baggage, you might as well have flown on a flag carrier or full service airline. Fortunately, the Japanese have invented vacuum pack storage bags that don’t need a vacuum cleaner to use. It’s quite ingenious, and we love ours. We have more than we can count.
Medium is the perfect size for your carry on, Large is great when you need to tackle bulkier items, like winter jackets and fluffy, bulky gear you take with you when you travel to Inner Mongolia in the middle of winter. This kit comes with 4 Large and 4 Medium. Buy it on Amazon. Scroll down for our favorite travel accessories for power.
My phone is dead and I can’t find the USB ports on this plane, oh wait! There are none because it’s an LCC!
Yes, we’ve been there and we’re used to it. Fortunately, power banks exist. Although there are many, we recommend two. A big one for when you need power for the whole flight, and a small one for when you don’t.
There are many brands that you can buy, but we trust our devices and our sanity to Anker. They are hands-down, the best, most reliable, and durable power banks we’ve ever used. They have all the right markings on them, so when the security agents in Bangkok thoroughly inspect yours, they won’t chuck it in the rubbish bin.
First, the big one:
This 20100 mAh Anker Power Bank has been with me for two years now. It’s powered my phone, my seat-mate’s iPad, and my MacBook for long-haul flights. All at the same time. It’s taken falls onto concrete, and even served as a makeshift hammer when I needed to pound a hinge pin back in place. You would not catch me without this on a trip, ever. Only available on Amazon.
Next, the small one:
Just like the big one, this has all the right markings to make it past security. It’s durable, too. However, this is the one I carry with me in my pocket, and every day. It carries multiple charges for my phone, enough to last me two days without needing a power outlet. About the size of a large lipstick for ladies. Once again, only available on Amazon.
Now that we’ve gotten the must haves out of the way, there are a few things that we find are less disposable, and more researched purchases. Although we try to use all of our items until their end-of-life, the ones below are the ones we have sentimental value with.
A wallet that holds everything, including the kitchen sink, but small enough to fit in a jacket pocket.
Our search for the perfect wallet ended with this. Paired with a slim card holder to quickly tap at train station gates, this is our recommendation for the do-it-all, and look doing doing it, wallet. The Bellroy Carry Out.
This thing does it all. It holds your cards, your cash, another country’s cash, your passport, and coins. It even holds your phone, and has a place for a sim ejector and an extra SIM card. It has a magnetic smaller wallet that you can detach and take with you on lighter days.
We can recommend no other wallet. This is the one. Get one for yourself, or two. Keep scrolling for more travel accessories.
Have you ever tried sleeping with those big Bose Headphones? Yeah, doesn’t really work well, so try these.
I’m just not sure how people do it. Especially when you need to lean your head on anything. Sleeping with any big headphones just doesn’t work. We prefer earphones here at TBC, but sometimes you just need some isolation from the cabin noise. We recommend the Shure In-Ear-Monitors for flying. Everything, else – the AirPods I just got are mighty nice.
When it comes to Shure, any one in their range of models is fine. Just get the one that fits your budget. They all have replaceable cables, great noise isolation, and a plethora of tips for you to find your perfect fit. Not to mention a great warranty and excellent service. Our happy medium is the SE425.
My favorite is dual driver, great sound staging, excellent bass, clear and non-fatigueing highs. Yeah I’m a bit of an audiophile. Find the best deal on Amazon.
The iPad doesn’t fit into my workflow, but the MacBook Pros are too big and heavy to carry around.
Honestly, this is the best laptop I’ve ever used. Even though my workhorse is a 15″ MacBook Pro, I don’t feel like I miss out on anything when I travel only with my 12″ Retina MacBook.
It’s light, it’s powerful enough, has a great battery, and most importantly, runs all of my MacOS apps. It comes in many different colors. But my favorite feature is that I can use my big Anker power bank to keep this thing running for days when I’m away from an outlet, or on a plane. That’s the power of USB-C.
All I need is this and a few dongles. I’m set for being on the move. You can get it on Amazon, but you really should buy it from Apple directly.
What credit card should I use to make these purchases?
It’s also no secret that we travel a lot with miles here. Luxury, BusinessFirst cabins on ANA, United, and more. We’re trying to get on Singapore suites next.
Our highest recommended card is the Chase Sapphire Preferred – Earn 50,000 bonus miles (good enough for international business one way, or domestic first round trip!). When you meet the minimum spending requirement in the first 3 months.
These are almost all of my travel necessities, minus for photography gear, luggage, and some odds and ends. Those are all personal preference and should be felt and touched before purchasing. Just email me if I missed anything.
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Tokyo is a magical place to visit. If you’re not already from a big city like New York, Hong Kong, London, or Paris, etc.. The feeling you get as soon as you step foot out of the station is unlike any other. There’s a buzz in the air, something for every sense, it’s sensory overload in the best way possible.
And even if you’ve traveled to a big city, Tokyo is still on another level.
The Travel Bits
If you already bought your ticket, the hardest part is done. Japan has visa-free travel for most major countries: US, UK, Canada, EU, Hong Kong, Australia, etc. There’s nothing else else you need to do for getting to Japan.
If you’re still searching for flights – Expedia often has package deals to Tokyo – bringing your overall cost down. Haneda is the recommended airport as it’s in the heart of Tokyo City. Search for flights and hotels on Priceline and Travelocity.
I always recommend staying in a hotel for your first trip to Tokyo. The basic level of service in Japan is steps above any other country. You’ll best experience Japanese hospitality in a hotel, rather than in an AirBNB.
The result of leaving a bag of trash nearby the garbage bin.
Once you land in Japan – there’s plenty of transportation options to get into town.
What to Do: The Basics
Let’s get it out of the way – it’s impossible to see and experience all of Tokyo in one trip, let alone your first trip.
1. Get a Suica, Pasmo, or other transit card
There are a few different ones, but every person has a least one in Japan. They are all more or less the same. Get one as soon as you land at the Airport, at the train ticket office. You can reload it at any 7-11, Family Mart, and other convenience stores. As well as in any station.
Just like the Hong Kong Octopus, Seoul T-Money, and Taipei EasyCard, you can use your Japanese card to pay for train rides, pay for food and purchases in stores, and buy things in any station.
2. Dedicate a day to at most 3 neighborhoods.
Tokyo is made up of 47 neighborhoods. Each one with it’s own unique feel and personality. The well known ones are massive, and you could spend a couple days there and never be bored of what you’ll find. Bring comfy shoes, and be prepared to walk.
47 Areas of Tokyo
Japan-Talk has a comprehensive guide on the 47 neighborhoods of Tokyo. It’s recommended that you explore the major ones; Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ginza, Roppongi, Asakusa, etc., and also pick a few smaller ones to check out.
3. Eat with an open mind
If there is one thing to be said about food in Japan, is that it is the perfection of the ingredient. Everything that is prepared has been done in a way that best allows the main ingredient to shine. Eating all of your food, and leaving nothing behind (yes, rice included), is a sign of respect to the food, and the chef.
Takashi Ono Preparing Ebi
I have been to Sukiyabashi Jiro, where a tourist elected to not try Tako (Octopus), because she had a bad experience with the texture previously. Not only was this a surprise to the staff there, she later tried it and was delighted to say the least. Don’t let your past experience of Japanese food in your home country affect your experience of Japanese food in Japan.
Come with an open mind, and empty stomach.
4. Try the Japanese toilet
Something that is inherently Japanese – the bidet seat. A lot of foreigners I know are put off by this invention, a toilet that sprays water at your rear-end.
Toilet controls on an ANA 787-8
These have gained so much popularity in Japan, that they’ve started to install them on Airplanes. If you do some reading on them, they’re much more hygienic than they seem. They self clean multiple times during your session and get you way cleaner than any tissue can.
5. Visit some tiny bars
Shibuya Drunkard’s Alley
There are things you won’t know about until you seek them out. Tiny 4-5 seat bars are no exception. There are two notable bar areas for these; Golden Gai in Shinjuku is larger, more popular, but also more high key. Drunkard’s Alley in Shibuya is smaller, but a lot quieter. Either way, you’ll want to check it out.
6. Visit at least one shrine
Shrines and temples are everywhere in Japan. Coming in all shapes and sizes, you’re bound to find at least one. Visit one, and buy an Omamori – a luck charm, as a token from your visit.
Where to see the Tokyo from above
Having researched sky decks, viewing platforms, and viewing towers, I’ve come to conclude that there are two that can be easily recommended. One for a nominal fee, and one free to the public.
Free: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
The view from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Located in Shinjuku, this is open to the public for free. Like most of the sky views in Tokyo, you’re behind glass, and you’ll have an almost 360 degree view of Tokyo City.
Paid: Mori Tower
The view from Mori Tower
In order to go to the sky deck of Mori Tower in Roppongi, you need to purchase a ticket to the museum. The outdoor sky deck is a small additional fee. But this is the only place where you can get an unadulterated view of Tokyo. You’re outside on the roof of a building, with no glass between you and the city.
Leaving Tokyo
You’re going to want to go back as soon as you get on the train to the airport. You’ll be back, guaranteed.
