On the first day of our Phuket trip, we stayed at The Tint at Phuket Town, which was conveniently located for exploring Phuket Town. After dropping off our luggage, we headed out to explore before check-in. In this article, we share our first local meal in Phuket, the drinks we tried, and some of the colorful streets and temples we found along the way. Trying Phuket's Famous Hokkien Noodles at Mee Ton Poe If you want to try local food in Phuket Town, one well-known place is Mee Ton Poe. The restaurant has been serving food in central Phuket Town for more than 60 years and is located near the clock tower. It has a casual, open-air atmosphere that feels almost like a local street-food restaurant. When we visited at lunchtime, the restaurant was busy. We wondered whether it would be full of tourists, but most of the people around us appeared to be locals. That made the experience feel even more authentic. Our main reason for visiting was to try Phuket-style Hokkien noodles, or Hokkien mee. We had read about this local specialty before our trip and wanted to try it as soon as we arrived in Phuket. Mee Ton Poe is also a well-known restaurant featured in travel guides. Thick, Chewy Hokkien Noodles Hokkien noodles are made with thick yellow noodles and can be served either stir-fried or in soup. The version we tried at Mee Ton Poe came in a light soy-based broth with ingredients such as pork and seafood. We also ...
After arriving at Phuket International Airport, we used Grab to travel to our first hotel, The Tint at Phuket Town. We were staying in Phuket for three nights, and chose this hotel for our first night because it was convenient for Phuket Town and for our Phi Phi Islands tour the following day. In this review, we share our experience using Grab from Phuket Airport, the hotel's location, our room with three beds, the bathroom, noise levels, pool and other facilities. Taking Grab from Phuket Airport to Phuket Town Grab is a ride-hailing app widely used in Southeast Asia. You enter your pickup point and destination in the app, then choose from the available vehicle options and displayed fares. For our trip, we had luggage for seven days and were traveling with three suitcases, so we selected a vehicle large enough to fit everything comfortably. Using Grab made the journey easy because we could see the fare in the app before confirming the ride. In our case, it was also less expensive than the taxi option we had considered. The vehicle was clean and spacious, and the ride to Phuket Town was comfortable. For travelers who prefer to arrange transportation through an app rather than negotiate a fare after arriving, Grab can be a convenient option. The Tint at Phuket Town: A Colorful Hotel in a Convenient Location We stayed in Phuket for three nights, and The Tint at Phuket Town was our hotel for the first night. We had booked a Phi Phi Islands ...
We visited Shinsekai in Osaka for the first time. During our walk, we went up Tsutenkaku Tower, explored the colorful streets of Shinsekai, and stopped at a popular retro-style Japanese cafe. It was a casual day of sightseeing, but Shinsekai has such a distinctive atmosphere that we wanted to share what we thought of the area and whether it is worth visiting. Our First Visit to Tsutenkaku Tower｜What Time Should You Go? Here it is: Tsutenkaku Tower. Tsutenkaku is approximately 103 meters tall. The current tower was rebuilt in 1956. The original Tsutenkaku was constructed in 1912, but was dismantled during World War II. The tower standing today was rebuilt after the war. For our visit, we purchased tickets online in advance. Tickets can also be purchased on site, but advance tickets may sometimes be available at a different price. At the time of our visit, we purchased a ticket that included the special open-air observation deck. Prices and ticket types may have changed since then, so check the current official information before visiting. Even though we already had our tickets, we visited on a weekend and waited around 30 minutes before reaching the observation deck. We arrived at around 10:00 a.m. Later in the day, the wait appeared to increase to around 50 minutes. Based on our experience, going earlier in the day can be a good idea. Views from Tsutenkaku｜The Open-Air Observation Deck Is Thrilling! Tsutenkaku has an indoor observation deck and a special open-air observation area. The regular observation deck is enclosed ...
We stayed at Moxy Osaka Honmachi for the first time. Because we use theMarriott Bonvoy Premium Card, we often stay at Marriott hotels, but this was our first experience with the Moxy brand. Moxy is one of Marriott’s more casual and playful hotel brands. So what was it actually like for a traveler in her 60s? Here is our firsthand review. What Is Moxy Osaka Honmachi Like? Moxy Osaka Honmachi is a Marriott hotel located in the Honmachi area of central Osaka. The neighborhood is known as one of Osaka’s major business districts. Nearby attractions include Midosuji and Semba Center Building. With a short subway ride, you can also reach popular areas such as Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori, making the hotel convenient for both sightseeing and shopping. Access from the nearest station Moxy Osaka Honmachi is about a 5-minute walk from Honmachi Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line. The route from the station to the hotel was straightforward, and we had no trouble finding it. The Chuo Line and Yotsubashi Line also serve the area, making it easy to travel to other parts of Osaka by subway. Colorful Entrance and Playful Design As soon as we entered the hotel, we found colorful artwork everywhere. For a hotel, the interior felt unusually playful and very photogenic. There was even a giant bear. Another huge bear was sitting by the sofa. Very cute! There is also a billiards table that guests can use. This is what the lobby looks like from the second floor. The hotel itself ...
Travelling to Cairns, Australia in our 60s♪ In our previous article,we shared the things we were glad to bring with us. What to Pack for Cairns: What We Were Glad to Bring in Our 60s This time,I’m sharing the things we brought to Cairns but did not really need. I hope this helps you pack a little lighter☆ Cash (Australian Dollars) A few days before leaving Japan, I exchanged just ¥5,000 worth of Japanese yen into Australian dollars. Since credit cards are accepted in many places, I thought ¥5,000 would be enough to start with, and if we needed more cash, we could exchange more in Cairns. But during our trip, we never actually had a situation where we needed to use cash. In the end, we spent the remaining Australian dollars at the duty-free shop at Cairns International Airport. Depending on the transport you use or the shops you visit, cash may still be useful, but on our trip, we barely needed it. I exchanged my money at C-Market at Ikebukuro Tobu Hope Centerin Tokyo. There were several currency exchange options in Ikebukuro, but at the time,this shop offered a better ratethan the other places I checked. These areAustralian dollar banknotes. They are made from polymer, so they can handle getting wet much better than ordinary paper notes. They are colourful, and some even have birds on them — very cute! You could even keep one as a souvenir. But if we're talking purely about what we actually needed for the trip, we did ...
Shopping was one of the fun parts of our trip to Cairns, Australia. This time, I’m sharing the souvenirs we actually bought in Cairns, where we found them, and a few things we learned along the way. Myer: Floral Mugs and Plates We bought a mug and plate at Myer at Cairns Central. Australia has so many colourful, decorative tableware designs. If you love pretty things, it is a very dangerous country for your wallet!! There were especially lots of floral designs, so if you love flowers, Myer is definitely worth looking around. If your timing is good, you may also find sale items at much lower prices. I bought this mug too♪ Compared with the mugs we normally use in Japan, it is quite large. It almost feels like a tumbler, so you can pour in a generous amount of tea or coffee. Maybe Australians simply like their mugs bigger too. Read our Myer Cairns shopping guide: Shopping at Cairns Central & Myer: Fashion, Homewares and Sale Finds This galah mug was too cute to leave behind, so we bought that too♪ We found it at the duty-free shop at Cairns International Airport before flying home. There are lots of bird-themed designs in Australia, so bird lovers may have a difficult time resisting them. We Used the Plate for Christmas Dinner When we used the plate for Christmas dinner, it looked so pretty. I was really glad we bought it. In fact, I wished we had bought more. These kinds of designs are harder ...
It was our first trip to Cairns, Australia, and with the weak Japanese yen, we were a little worried about costs too, so we brought quite a few things with us. This time, I’m sharing the things we were glad to bring to Cairns in our 60s. I hope this helps if you're planning your own trip. Budget-Friendly Items That Helped Us Save on Food If you want to keep costs down in Cairns, even replacing just one restaurant meal with food from a supermarket can help. Eating out can add up quickly, so having a simple meal in your hotel room worked well for us. This was the salad we bought♪ It felt much larger than the salads we normally see in Japan. This was half a roast chicken. At the time of our visit, it was around ¥1,500. Compared with the prepared chicken we often buy at supermarkets in Japan, the flavour felt simple and natural, and the meat was really juicy. We thought it was delicious! We have also tried roast chicken from a certain large warehouse-style supermarket in Japan, but personally, I preferred the Coles chicken by quite a long way. This amount was just right for two people. We were not especially hungry that evening, so it made a nice light dinner. When we visited, drinks were also cheaper at the supermarket than at convenience stores. Buying several drinks at once and keeping them in the hotel refrigerator was useful. A hotel with a kitchen is ideal, but if your ...
One of the liveliest places we visited in central Cairns was Cairns Night Markets. We bought souvenirs, had dinner in the food court and spent an easy evening looking around. When you hear “night market,” you might wonder: “Will it be tiring if it gets too late?” or “Will I feel comfortable walking around at night?” We only stayed for a relatively short time from late afternoon into the evening, and we found it easy to enjoy even in our 60s. In this article, I'll share what the Cairns Night Markets were really like when we visited, including food court options, souvenirs, nearby convenience stores and practical tips for older travellers. Cairns Night Markets: Basic Information Here is the basic information for Cairns Night Markets. Opening hours: Daily, 4:30 PM–11:00 PM Address: 54–60 Abbott St, Cairns City QLD, near the Esplanade Indoor market: Convenient even on rainy days Credit cards: Accepted at many shops, although this may vary Restrooms: Available Opening hours may change, so check the latest information before visiting. Prices shown in this article include prices from our own visit and may have changed. How Long Do You Need at Cairns Night Markets? One nice thing about the food court is that you do not usually have to wait as long as you might at a sit-down restaurant. So even if you do not have much time, you can still enjoy the market. If you want to browse souvenirs properly, I would allow a little longer. General visit: Around 1–2 hours Food court ...
During our trip to Cairns, Australia in our 60s, we also visited Green Island! Cairns is famous for the Great Barrier Reef, and Green Island is one of the most popular places to visit because it is easy to reach by ferry. We stayed at Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns, which is right beside the Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal. That meant we could enjoy breakfast and then walk to the ferry terminal in just a few minutes. If you're visiting Green Island by ferry for the first time, here is our very real experience. Great Adventures Gets to Green Island in About 45 Minutes When planning our trip, we compared two ferry operators: Great Adventures and Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises. Great Adventures currently departs Cairns at 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM, with the trip taking about 45 minutes depending on weather conditions. Big Cat also offers multiple departure options. Its larger 9 AM vessel takes around 1 hour 15 minutes, while some services using the faster Reef Rocket take around 45 minutes. For us, Great Adventures worked best because of the departure time and the short ferry journey. We booked a package that included a choice of snorkelling equipment or a glass-bottom boat tour. Great Adventures still includes this choice in its Green Island Eco Adventure. Our Ferry Was VERY Rough — Motion Sickness Medication Helped Passengers who boarded early were offered coffee, tea and biscuits. But on this particular day, I was very glad I didn't drink coffee. Why? Because the weather was ...
During our trip to Cairns, Australia in our 60s, we ate steak at two different restaurants. Both were relatively affordable by Cairns standards! So in this article, I'll compare the two and share what we liked about each one. The first was a time-limited $10 steak special at the pub on the ground floor of the Grand Hotel when we visited in 2024. The second was HOG'S BREATH CAFE, famous for its slow-cooked Prime Rib. We had read reviews saying people wanted to come back for the steak, so we decided to try it too! If you're looking for an affordable steak in Cairns or want to save a little on food while travelling, I hope our experience helps. We stayed at Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns during this trip. Read our Shangri-La Cairns review here. Grand Hotel Cairns｜We Tried the Time-Limited $10 Steak Special in 2024 We went to the pub on the ground floor of the Grand Hotel on our first day in Cairns. We didn't make a reservation. When we visited in 2024, there was a time-limited $10 steak special. The current regular menu lists a 300g rump steak at AUD 32, but the Grand Hotel still runs Daily Specials. There have also been reviews in 2025 and 2026 mentioning AUD 12 steak specials. The price, menu and available times can change, so I recommend checking the latest specials before visiting. When we visited, we had to order in English. But these days, even if you don't speak much English, translation apps ...
