Welcome Back!
Hello to all my fellow travellers! I hope you enjoyed the previous page in learning how this website operates and who I am. If you have any questions please leave a comment at the end of any page. This section of the website is to see what is to help you prepare for your travel. This page will go through the following
- Administration
- When and How to Travel
- Managing Funds
- What and How to Pack
- Safety
All references and external links can be found at the bottom of the page in the full citation
(harvard) . On the top of each section of writing all sources used are also mentioned. All other sources used, are hyper-linked to the source directly. Image sources are listed at the bottom.
Administration
Digital organisation:
Sources for this section have been hyperlinked to the direct source. Full citation can be found at the bottom of the page.
I would recommend by starting a Google Docs or Excel Spread sheet to commence the organisation of your trip. By keeping everything digitally saved online means you can share your plans with loved ones back home to ensure your safety, as well as not losing valuable information and plans. Below are free online examples you can download and start filling out.
- https://hello.travefy.com/travel-itinerary-template-free-download-excel-word/
- https://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/travel-itinerary-template.html
- https://www.smartsheet.com/free-itinerary-templates
Visa:
Sources for this section have been hyperlinked to the direct source. Full citation can be found at the bottom of the page.
If this is your first time travelling internationally you will need to obtain a valid passport. All Australian citizens do not have to have any visa if visiting Japan for 90 days or less according to the Japanese-Australian Embassy. If you do plan on overstaying you will need to apply for a visa and if declined you will need to make the journey back home to Australia.
Insurance:
Sources for this section have been hyperlinked to the direct source. Full citation can be found at the bottom of the page.
Having travel insurance is a huge part of travel many people forget. Luckily if you are a student or when purchasing a bundle ticket you can usually save quite a bit of money and strike a deal. But, this is something I would not leave without. For example should your bags go missing, you get into a medical emergency or miss your flight from having too much fun on your trip, you could find your self liable for all these costs. Below are some examples of websites of travel insurance companies I would recommend. Some insurance companies only charge $15-$45.
Vaccines and Medications:
Sources for this section have been hyperlinked to the direct source. Full citation can be found at the bottom of the page.
As I am sure many of you Australians would know how important it is never to take any diseases in and out of the country, You should visit your family doctor to ensure you are up to date on any vaccines you may need to leave the country and protect yourself if any outbreaks of infectious diseases occur during your trip. Sometimes if you don’t have your vaccines up to date the Australian government can keep you till you are quarantined to ensure you are not bringing home any possible viruses. Secondly, if you have any medications you are taking during your trip, you must ensure it is legal to take with you when entering the country. The below link can provide information on required vaccines and legal medications.
When and How To Travel
Sources for this section have been hyperlinked to the direct source. Full citation can be found at the bottom of the page.
Weather:
Weather conditions are an important thing to factor in when travelling to Japan. You need to consider if you are wanting to go for the Ski season or the Cherry Blossom Season. My recommendation would be to travel during the months of March to May or September to November. For example if you are wanting to visit Japan for architecture and temples, winter would not be an ideal time. There would be nothing worse than going to an area that is flooded with rain when the Cherry Blossom season would be the ideal scenery for such a site. As a travel guide expert I would recommend March 18th- May 7th for 2020 according to the website liveJapan which is a great tool to forecast when to travel. Unless you are a Winter Wonderland lover I would not recommend travelling in this time. There can be many delays, cancelled flights and limited transport you can take due to weather conditions.
Below are a depiction of the Cherry Blossom Season, Autumn Season and Winter Season.
Booking a Flight:
Sources for this section have been hyperlinked to the direct source. Full citation can be found at the bottom of the page.
Booking a flight can be one of the most expensive things to do when thinking of travelling to Japan. This can increase, especially in peak season. Since this is only a 14 day trip I would recommend following tips to minimise these costs:
- Keep your email alerts on for cheap flights. Ever heard of happy hour? flight companies and websites do the same thing! You can get flights as little at $800 return should you be in luck. A great example of this is Jetstar .
- If you are a student, I would highly recommend Student Universe or Universal Traveller to get a student discount. Your university may have a branch on campus. I found some deals for the 2020 Cherry blossom season for flights below $700! What a steal!
- Book in advance! booking something as early as possible ensures cheaper flights and flexibility to change your tickets.
- Check multiple websites.
- If travelling on a Japanese airline, visit the Japanese version. If you have a friend who can help you guide and navigate the Japanese webpage to see if you can get a cheaper flight.
Managing your money
Sources for this section have been hyperlinked to the direct source. Full citation can be found at the bottom of the page.
Managing money is one of the key things to know when you are travelling whether this is to Japan or any other destination. Budgeting your funds and having backup money for any emergency is something you must keep in mind as you never know what could happened and your travel insurance may not cover you immediately. In Japan the local currency used is the YEN. To see the Australian Dollar is before or while travelling you can download the app xe.com . It is always adviseable to have digital cash (Google Pay), physical cash and multiple cards whilst travelling.
Cash
According to other websites such as World Nomads, it is a cash based society. So withdrawing funds or heading to your local bank to have cash on arrival is optimum. If you do go for this option, be sure to take a considerable amount of cash out to minimise the conversion and withdrawal fee the parties in between will charge. *insert picture of cash*.It is recommended when getting cash it is advisable to get it from the airport as ATM machines are generally hidden and located in convenience stores such as 7/11.
Cards
Credit cards, debit cards and Travel Money cards are also widely used and accepted throughout Japan. When these are used Australian companies often charge large transaction and withdrawal fees between the two currencies. I would advise the following tips when travelling with cards.
- Always ensure you are carrying two cards in two separate locations. Should you lose one you know you will have a spare backup. This has happened to me before within minutes of entering a new country.
- Contact your bank and see what low rates or cards they may have to benefit you for travelling. Commbank for examples have Travel Money Card specifically designed for travelling, with minimum exchange rates. Some banks such as Citibank offer travel credit cards. Infact you may get enough point to score yourself some free points.
- To avoid as many fees as possible I would reccomend downloading Google pay or XE. They do not charge any exchange fee and this would save alot of money for a cash withdrawal. It is also handy to have when you leave Japan and need to change your left over YEN to AUD.
- When going to an ATM always take out more than you need at once. This way you will only get charged one withdrawal fee. ATMs in Japan can usually be found at 7/11
- Lastly an extremely IMPORTANT step is to advise all your banks that you are travelling. From personal experience and travellers I know banks are known to freeze accounts thinking multiple international transactions are a sign on fraudulent activity.
If you want to educate yourself more on money and how it is used in Japan check out the below link
What and How to pack?
Sources for this section have been hyperlinked to the direct source. Full citation can be found at the bottom of the page.
There are multiple resources online that show how to pack and what to pack. The below videos on YouTube are some that I recommend end as very helpful as to what to pack. I have also made a checklist below on what you should pack for an ideal 14 day trip.
- Backpack or suitcase
- Three to five shirts
- two pants
- Two shorts
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Jacket or jumper
- Toiletries
- Camera for anyone who enjoys photography
- Chargers
- Plug adaptor
- undergarments and socks
- Towel
- Things
- Protective sun wear (hats or glasses)
- Map
- Two photocopy sets of passport, flight details and tickets, maps, emergency contact details, Australian Embassy Contact details (should there be national crisis or a lost passport), a check list and intenerary
- Additional locks and keys
Safety
Sources for this section have been hyperlinked to the direct source. Full citation can be found at the bottom of the page.
Important Safety Travel Guide and Tips- As a female solo Traveller and travel guide expert u have had a lot of experience in managing and learning safety precautions. The below has a list of tips and rules that I personally believe is essential to ensure your safety!
- As a female solo Traveller and travel guide expert u have had a lot of experience in managing and learning safety precautions. The below has a list of YouTube Videos that I personally believe have some of the best trips for travelling.
- The great thing about Japan is that it has one of the lowest levels of crime rates and is a very safe society to be in.
- Dress like a local! Try not to wear anything that stands out drastically or wear a-lot of expensive items. Often during backpacking in shared accommodation, there runs a risk of being robbed or taken advantage of by the locals.
- Always try and take a common mode of transport such as a bus or train or have a map. Not only is this cheaper but you are less likely to be taken to an incorrect place, longer route or charged an unusual price. Taxis are monitored on a screen for a fare price.
- Always have a map and ask for directions from your hotel or hostel manager. They can always provide the best advice and have better understanding of what to expect when going about your day
- Take a photo of the number plate before you get into any private car including a Taxi. Whilst travelling to Thailand and Peru I found this to be a good indicator to the driver that I was informing others my location. I always tell the driver I’m meeting a friend at the destination as an extra later of security.
- Go to busy areas at busy times when locals go out. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation not able to get transport back to your accommodation.
- Ensure to check with your local provider any charges regarding roaming chargers for your phone. Perhaps finding a local Japanese sim upon arrival will be a better option so you don’t need to compromise using data or your phone when needed. If you want to be extra savy here is a guide of free wifi you can get around Tokyo – http://www.ntt-bp.net/jcfw/en.html and https://www.wifi-tokyo.jp/. The following link shows the best sim card to use for Australians in Japan https://www.simcorner.com/shop/asia/japan.html or https://pretraveller.com/best-prepaid-data-sim-card-in-japan-for-tourists/
- Always have some cash on you and not too much at a time.
- check in with your friend or family every day or two, even if it is on your online sharing docs. This will generally give them ease of mind and yourself that you are on the right track.
- On your phone if you can share your location and have your lost tracker enabled on your phone so others know where you are at all times.
Phone: 1300 JAPAUS Email:JapanAustraliaTravel@TravelGuides.com.au
By: Parul Chatterjee
source of websites and sources used:
1. Travefy. (2020). Travel Itinerary Template – Itinerary Planner | Travefy. [online] Available at: https://hello.travefy.com/travel-itinerary-template-free-download-excel-word/ [Accessed 25 Jan. 2020].
2. Wittwer, J. (2020). Travel Itinerary Template. [online] Vertex42.com. Available at: https://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/travel-itinerary-template.html [Accessed 25 Jan. 2020].
3. Smartsheet. (2020). Free Itinerary Templates | Smartsheet. [online] Available at: https://www.smartshee
t.com/free-itinerary-templates [Accessed 25 Jan. 2020].
4.Au.emb-japan.go.jp. (2020). VISA and Travel Information : Embassy of Japan in Australia. [online] Available at: https://www.au.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/visa.html [Accessed 25 Jan. 2020].
5.Allianz.com.au. (2020). Travel Insurance – Get Quotes Online in 30 Seconds – Allianz Australia. [online] Available at: https://www.allianz.com.au/ [Accessed 25 Jan. 2020].
6.Travel.worldcare.com.au. (2020). Home – Worldcare Travel Insurance. [online] Available at: https://travel.worldcare.com.au/ [Accessed 25 Jan. 2020].
7.Smartraveller.gov.au. (2020). Japan Travel Advice & Safety | Smartraveller. [online] Available at: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/japan [Accessed 25 Jan. 2020].
8.LIVE JAPAN. (2020). Japan Cherry Blossom 2020 Forecast: When & Where To See Sakura in Japan – LIVE JAPAN. [online] Available at: https://livejapan.com/en/article-a0001033/ [Accessed 25 Jan. 2020].
9. Jetstar.com. (2020). Cheap Flights | Jetstar. [online] Available at: https://www.jetstar.com/us/en/home [Accessed 25 Jan. 2020].
10.Studentuniverse.com. (2020). StudentUniverse: Cheap Student Flights, Hotels & Travel Deals. [online] Available at: https://www.studentuniverse.com/ [Accessed 25 Jan. 2020].
11.Xe.com. (2020). XE – The World’s Trusted Currency Authority: Money Transfers & Free Exchange Rate Tools. [online] Available at: https://www.xe.com/ [Accessed 25 Jan. 2020].
12.Nomads, W. (2020). Explore your boundaries with World Nomads. [online] Worldnomads.com. Available at: https://www.worldnomads.com/ [Accessed 25 Jan. 2020].
13.non, (2020). [online] Available at: http://www.ntt-bp.net/jcfw/en.html [Accessed 25 Jan. 2020].
source of images and sources used:
1. https://www.smartcitiesworld.net/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/019/TokyoMtFuji_Adobe.jpg
2.https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0007/1496/5052/files/Kiyomizudera-Temple-Kyoto-Japan_large.jpg?v=1541674847
3.https://hips.hearstapps.com/hbu.h-cdn.co/assets/15/50/2048×1364/gallery-1449605520-meguro-river-tokyo-getty.png?resize=980:*
4.https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/japan-mountain-and-snow-with-local-train-in-winter-season-picture-id609095708?s=2048×2048
5.https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR64BVYZXhNqJmOnlyzUjhn2mIjwWBan5X2G4EnRC7eoY6kpIXa&s
Phone: 1300 JAPAUS Email:JapanAustraliaTravel@TravelGuides.com.au
Website by Travel Guide Parul Chatterjee 
