december-2011

JAPAN
OSAKA
COUNTRY CODE +81 (6)
CURRENCY JPY100 = PHP54.98/US$1.28
TOUCHDOWN Take the Nankai Express Rapit
from Kansai International Airport to Osaka (38
minutes to Namba station) and the JR Haruka
limited express (33 minutes to Tenno-ji, 51 minutes
to Shin-Osaka). www.kansai-airport.or.jp/en/access
BY DAY Shop for trendy brands at the Mitsukoshi
Isetan department store in Umeda. The enormous
Osaka Station City (osakastationcity.com/en/)
has also just opened, with lots of new shops and
restaurants to choose from.
BY NIGHT Try takoyaki (octopus balls), one of
Osaka’s most iconic dishes, at Takoyaki Doraku
Wanaka in Namba, which is open till almost
midnight. Another option is to have dinner in the
basement of the Sky Building.
SLEEP Swissotel Nankai Osaka is at the heart
of the Namba district, which is the center of
shopping, nightlife and entertainment in the city.
www.swissotel.com/EN/
Yoshiaki
Tamamura
translator
BEST BUYS Anything related to
the best baseball team in Japan –
the Hanshin Tigers.
INSIDER TIP When in Osaka,
do as the locals do — always smile
and drink a lot!
LOCAL SPEAK Say “Maji-de?”
when someone says something
surprising. It means “Really?” Osaka
people will love it.
trip journal
VIETNAM
HO CHI MINH CITY
COUNTRY CODE +84
CURRENCY VND10,000 = PHP20.62/US$0.48
TOUCHDOWN Tan Son Nhat International
Airport is a 30-minute drive away from District 1.
A taxi ride costs about VND80,000 (PHP165).
You can also hire a motorbike and driver for
VND20,000 (PHP41.25).
BY DAY The city has a vibrant café culture, with
coffe shops ranging from upside-down houses to
art-deco colonial buildings. A good place to start is
La Fenetre Soleil (44 Ly Tu Trong). Also check out
the HCMC Fine Arts Museum for US$1 (PHP43).
BY NIGHT Sign up for “Saigon After Dark,”
a four-hour evening tour that takes you on a
culinary excursion of the city’s street culture, food
and nightlife on the back of a vintage Vespa. www.
vietnamvespaadventures.com
SLEEP For those on a budget, The Spring Hotel
(44–46 Le Thanh Ton St, District 1) offers clean and
comfortable rooms starting from US$33 (PHP1,417)
per night in a good area downtown.
INSIDER TIP For safe meter
prices, only take Mai Linh, Vinasun
or Saigon Tourist taxis.
BEST DINNER Hai Lua or Wrap
and Roll for Vietnamese food, and
Elbow Room for Western cuisine.
MUST-TRY The foot massage
in Qing Spa above Qing Bar at 110
Pasteur St. For US$13 (PHP558), you
get hot tea and a one-hour massage.
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Esther de
la Cruz
PR specialist,
Mandarin
Media