Rosie

Must-try Halal Food in Tokyo

Halal food used to be difficult to find in Tokyo and other parts of Japan, but recently, there has been a growing number of halal food in Tokyo making it easier for Muslim visitors to find food. Here are the top picks: 1. Gyomon in Shibuya Gyumon is a small restaurant in Shibuya serving halal-certified Yakiniku. With flavourful and juicy beef, don’t plan on showing up there on weekends without a reservation. It can be reached in 5 minutes from the south exit of Shibuya JR station If you face the Hikarie shopping centre from the road, head to the right...

Kyoto in 3 days

Asia, Destinations, Japan

Kyoto is one of the most fascinating cities in Japan rich in history and tradition dating back centuries. It was once the capital city of Japan and home to the emperor. As a city that was spared from destruction during the world war, Kyoto is where you will find beautifully preserved traditional villages, imperial palace, and ancient buddhist temples. Kyoto is also where you will find geishas, traditional tea ceremonies, refined Japanese cuisine, and sublime gardens. We spent three full days exploring Kyoto by trains and buses, and were able to see most of the key attractions. ...

Yuzanso Ryokan – A traditional Japanese Inn experience

Asia, Destinations, Japan

A ryokan is a type of traditional Japanese inn featuring tatami-matted rooms. During our trip to Kyoto, we wanted to experience staying in a ryokan to experience the Japanese culture and hospitality. The ryokan that we selected was called Satoyumukashibanashi Yuzanso Ryokan, a hotel located in the Ogoto-Onsen area that is famous for its hot spring. It is about 20 minutes by train from Kyoto station. The room was intended for a maximum of 2 adults and 3 children, but it was actually big enough to accommodate 7 people with 5 on Japanese-style futon beds and 2 on normal single beds. Our hotel room had...

Must-try Halal Food in Kyoto

Asia, Destinations, Japan

Muslims around the world now have more reasons to visit Kyoto, Japan. Of late, there has been an increase in the number of halal food in Kyoto and in other parts of Japan, giving muslims an opportunity to savour a variety of authentic Japanese cuisine. One of the Japanese cuisines every visitor must try in Kyoto is the Kyo Kaiseki cuisine, the most refined cuisine in Kyoto dating back over over a thousand years ago. The cuisine places emphasis on the use of the freshest seasonal produce delicately presented over several courses. Minokichi Restaurant One of the places that serves muslim-friendly Kyo Kaiseki cuisine is Minokichi, a traditional restaurant located in...

Shirakawa-go and Takayama

Asia, Destinations, Japan

Shirakawa-go is one of the most scenic villages in the world. Located at the foot of a mountain in Gifu, Chubu, Japan, this UNESCO World Heritage site is famed for its traditional farmhouses with thatched-roof, called Gassho-Zukuri. Takayama Shirakawa-go can be reached by taking a Shinkansen (bullet train) from Kyoto to Nagoya, then a wide-view Hida train to Takayama, and finally a Nohi bus. While waiting for the next bus to Shirakawa-go, we took a walk along Takayama’s beautifully preserved old town. Takayama’s Old Town is lined with an art gallery, a museum, eateries and shops selling traditional Japanese arts and crafts and clothes. Visitors also...

Singapore’s Largest Display of Fireworks at NDP 2015

Events, Singapore

Singapore celebrated its 50th National Day on 9th August 2015 and despite not having tickets to the parade and celebrations, we were able to enjoy the largest display of fireworks at NDP 2015 from Gardens by the Bay East. While most people headed to the main Marina Bay area around The Float and the Marina Bay Sands to watch the fireworks, we decided to take a stroll from Gardens by the Bay South, passing by Satay by the Bay and crossing the Marina Barrage to Gardens by the Bay East. There were other picnickers and avid photographers there doning red and white, but...

Snow Wall Japan

Asia, Destinations, Japan

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a destination worth visiting while in Japan. The route passes through stunning landscapes of Mt Tateyama in the Japanese Alps. The main attraction on this route was the snow wall, an attraction only available in Spring. To reach to the peak, we first took a 1-hour train ride from Toyama to Tateyama on the Toyama Chiho Railroad, followed by a 7-min ride on the Tateyama Cable Car up to Bijodaira and lastly a 50-minute Highland Bus ride. The Highland bus ride up to the alp started with scenic green landscapes with cedar...

Mama Beach Residence on Phi Phi Island

Asia, Destinations, Phi Phi, Thailand

We found a fabulous place to stay on Phi Phi island that was about an hour’s ferry ride from Phuket or Krabi, Thailand. With a sweeping view of the Andaman Sea and a private beach right in front of our room, our stay at Mama Beach Residence was one of the highlights of our Thailand island-hopping vacation. We loved the fact that the beach was within a minute’s walk from our room. We also loved the fact that Phi Phi island (Phi Phi Don to be exact) had a laid back feel to it. The island had no roads, no public transportation,...