Anzac Day by the Avanti Group Inc – Ultimate Travel Guide Tokyo Hong Kong Malaysia

AUSTRALIA Post is marking the centenary of the start of World War I with the release of the first in a five-year series of commemorative stamps telling the story of our nation's involvement in the conflict.

And to celebrate we are offering a Leader reader the chance to win a trip for two to New Zealand including return flights and five nights in Wellington plus $2000 spending money. The lucky winner will also get a private guided tour of the National War Memorial, Wellington, plus a digital camera to record the experience.

Australia will commemorate 100 years since WWI between 2014 and 2018.  Michael Zsolt, Manager Philatelic, Australia Post, said the organization helped deliver letters between WWI soldiers and home, and was intrinsically linked to the Anzacs, a connection which it hopes to honor through this commemorative stamp issue.

“During the next five years of commemoration we hope to join all Australians in honouring the contribution made by our Anzacs and hope that these stamps serve as a symbol of our appreciation to those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Mr Zsolt said.

Each of the five stamp issues has been developed in conjunction with the Australian War Memorial to encompass key events, battles and individuals relevant to each year of the centenary.

The WWI Centenary stamp issue comprises a mini sheet, stamp pack, first day cover, maxi cards, medallion cover, booklet of 10 x 70c self-adhesive stamps and two postal and numismatic covers. The stamps and associated products are available now from Australia Post retail outlets, via mail order on 1800 331 794 or online at auspost.com.au/stamps

Leader has one Australia Post WWI Centenary Stamp prize pack to give away. The prize includes return economy air fares for two people from Melbourne to Wellington, New Zealand, five nights’ accommodation, a private guided tour of the New Zealand National War Memorial in Wellington, a Fujifilm S8600 digital camera to record your experiences, and spending money with an Australia Post load-and-go Visa travel card. The prize must be taken by October 31, 2014, and is valued at over $7,000.

Better Business Bureau: Many travel clubs are bad deals

The end of school marks the start of the summer travel season. With the cost of travel rising, consumers are susceptible to vacation travel fraud.

The Better Business Bureau is warning vacationers to beware of travel clubs. Complaints to the BBB show that many travel clubs promise huge discounts on hotels, airfare and cruises, but fail to deliver these discounts to members despite the high cost of joining.

“Consumers are looking for vacation bargains,” said BBB President Tom Bartholomy. “Unfortunately, they are being seduced by slick presentations from high-pressure sales people who promise great deals that do not exist.”

In the last three years, hundreds of consumers nationwide have filed complaints with the BBB against travel clubs in the U.S. The complainants allege that they are lured — either in person, by telephone or through email — to a high-pressure sales presentation with the promise of receiving free airline tickets, gas cards or tickets to shows. During the presentation, consumers are told they would be able to get great deals on travel if they joined the travel club for a membership fee of as much as $8,000.

Many consumers who bought travel club memberships have found that they can book the same travel at the same prices on their own. Consumers who complained that the travel club discounts are not as advertised have found it difficult, if not impossible, to get their travel club membership fees refunded.

The Avanti Group Inc - Ultimate Travel Guide Tokyo Hong Kong Malaysia

The Avanti Group Inc - Ultimate Travel Guide Tokyo Hong Kong Malaysia scams to get card numbers

The Watchdog is still in vacation mode. I just got back from a family trip to Florida. We had a blast.

This is the time of year when your mind may be on vacations, too. If you're looking ahead to a lazy summer trip, don't relax too much because unfortunately, scammers will hound you while you plan and even follow you on the road, too.

The state attorney general's office recently warned about travel scams, a few of which were news to me. One involves pizza deliveries, of all things.

Who hasn't had a craving for pizza after checking into a hotel in an unfamiliar city where you don't want to hunt for a decent place to chow down. You pick up the menu that's conveniently been slipped under your door and order away.

The scam is that the menus have a phone number that connect with an identity thief, not a pizza parlor. You won't get your large pie, and the thief will live large by running up charges on the credit card you provided for payment.

The attorney general's office recommends contacting the hotel's front desk or concierge for take-out suggestions. You also can look on your smartphone or in the phone book.

Speaking of phones, if your hotel room phone rings in the middle of the night and the caller identifies himself as the front desk needing to verify your credit card, hang up.

A Bethlehem man was targeted with that scam last year.

He told me he was in Virginia when the phone rang near midnight. He didn't answer it. The next morning at breakfast, the hotel manager asked if he'd received a call. Other guests had, too. The caller was telling guests they'd been overcharged and he needed their credit card to correct the amount.

Think about it. While a mistake like that could happen, why would it have to be corrected with a midnight call? Your credit card already should be on file from when you checked in. This is another con artist after your credit card info.

Another scam the attorney general's office warned about involves cab drivers who insist on unloading your bags at a hotel or airport.

"The cabbie then tells the passenger that he is in a rush, slams the trunk and speeds away. It is only later that travelers notice one of their bags is missing," the attorney general's office said in its advisory.

The attorney general's office recommends making a note of your cab company, cab number and driver's name, just in case you need it. That also would come in handy if you accidentally left something behind..

If you'd like to rent a vacation house and are looking online, be aware that crooks are looking for you online, too. They'll post ads on Craigslist for awesome homes at awesome prices. They just don't own them. They'll take your deposit and run.

Craigslist warns never to rent housing without seeing it. Unfortunately, that's not practical if you're looking for a place in another state.

If you're dealing directly with the owner, verify ownership before paying. You can do that through tax records that often can be found for free on county websites.

You may be better off contacting a company that manages rentals, or using a website like Vacation Rentals by Owner (www.vrbo.com), which allows you to purchase a guarantee to cover losses including fraud. I used that site last year to land a nice place in Rehoboth Beach, Del.

The Avanti Group Inc - Ultimate Travel Guide Tokyo Hong kong Malaysia Gift Certificate

Always the perfect gift! Send someone special a travel gift certificate. Our certificates look beautiful and can be personalized with a note from you. Perfect for any occasion, here are a few of our ideas:

-      Birthdays

-      Weddings & Showers

-      Anniversaries

-      Graduations

-      Employee Appreciation

-      Thank You Gifts

-      Valentine's

-      Holidays

-      Teacher, Coach Appreciation

     Gift giving couldn't be easier. Our certificates can be purchased in amounts of $30 or more and are valid for one year from date of issue. Any unspent monies will be refunded less a service fee of 15%. For more information or to purchase your gift certificate, please email info@avantitraveladvisors.com.

Travelling Tokyo The Avanti Group Way: Doc Holiday Travel Advice for the Perfect Honeymoon

The Avanti Group Inc

There's no question that business travel can help your company take off. But unless you take care with your credit cards while on the road, your identity could go off on its own trip. In fact, there was a new victim of identity fraud every two seconds last year, according to the 2014 Identity Fraud Report by Javelin Strategy & Research, and one in three consumers who received notice of a data breach became a victim of fraud.

One need only look at recent news reports for proof, from the massive Target hacking to one that hit a little closer for traveling 'treps, the breach at hotel operator White Lodging (which manages 168 properties for brands such as Marriott).

But there's no need to cancel that next trip. Follow this home-and-away plan to keep your identity with you, where it belongs.

Before you leave:

Keep in touch with your credit card companies. "We look for any changes in spending patterns," says Brent Reinhard, general manager of Ink from Chase. So add this to your pre-travel to-do list: Call your issuers and let them know when you'll be gone and where you're going. If you do get fraud-related inquiries from your issuer, respond promptly--either to say "no, not me" so they can shut the card down or to let them know that all those charges you racked up while wooing clients are, unfortunately, yours.

But be warned: If you receive a call from your card issuer, listen closely to make sure you're not speaking to a hacker. Phishing scams are prevalent right now. If someone asks for personal information, be suspicious. "If we call to ask you about a transaction, we don't ask for your account number or for personal information," Reinhard says.

The Avanti Group Inc - Ultimate Travel Guide Tokyo Hong Kong Malaysia: Online Travel Consultation

Putting the Joy Back Into Vacation Planning

When you need some advice, let us design a wonderful tailored itinerary for you. Avanti will work fully within your budget and interests. With each consultation, you will receive by email a proposed itinerary that will include the following:

·         Hotel choices for each destination

·         Air itinerary & other transportation needs

·         Uniquely personal sightseeing tours, driving excursions, and other interests

·         A recommended list of restaurants, things-to-see, shopping, cultural information, etc.

·         Custom Web-Page - the custom web-page is a great tool we use to present our proposed itinerary for highly tailored trips when an email simply won't do. We will include a comprehensive package of photos, information, recommended must-do lists, and descriptions--putting all the facts at your fingertips and in one place with 24/7 access from anywhere in the world.

·         The fee for this consultation service is $250. If you book your travel with Avanti, then this fee will be credited back to the cost of your trip.

The Avanti Group Inc - Ultimate Travel Guide Tokyo Hong Kong Malaysia: Corporate Travel

The most travel for the best value and least dollars.

Avanti can significantly improve your bottom line by enhancing your corporate travel program. We will do this by not only aggressively seeking the greatest cost savings but also by managing your business travel. From the professionalism of our travel counselors who take your reservations to our  white-glove service, Avanti will help your company build a successful travel management program.

Avanti offers a complete range of travel services that can save your company valuable time, money, and resources:

§  Comprehensive Search For the Right Airline With Optimal Itinerary at Lowest Fare

§  Hotels & Car Rentals

§  Group Travel & Meeting Space

§  Transfer/Limo Services

§  Concierge Services

§  Fully Serviced Executive Apartments

§  Ticket Delivery (electronic, local, overnight, pick-up at our office)

§  Management of Changes & Cancellations With Travel Suppliers

§  Tracking of Full Refunds On Cancellations (subject to supplier policy)

Avanti also provides travel services of Added-Value:

§  Negotiated and Discounted Hotel and Air - we take our time to search and negotiate the best rates possible

§  Travel Policy Development

§  On-Line Traveler Profile For Expedited Service & Understanding of Individual Travel Preferences

§  On-Line Access To Itinerary & Receipt

§  Mulitple Reservation Request Tools (phone, e-mail, ReserveFax, or on-line request)

§  On-Line Business Travel Resources (e.g. travel advisories, currency converter, weather, etc)

The Avanti Group Inc - Ultimate Travel Guide Tokyo Hong Kong Malaysia: Terms of Use

By using AvantiGroupInc.com, AvantiHousing.com, and AvantiTravelAdvisors.com websites (our "Sites"), you expressly agree to the terms of use. If you do not agree to the terms of use, please do not use our Sites. We reserve the right to make changes and corrections to our Sites at any time and without any notice to you. You agree to check the terms of use periodically for changes.

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THE AIRLINES, HOTELS AND OTHER SUPPLIERS WHOSE TRAVEL OR OTHER SERVICES ARE OFFERED ON OUR SITES ARE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS, NOT AGENTS OR EMPLOYEES OF AVANTI TRAVEL ADVISORS, INC OR ITS DIVISIONS. AVANTI TRAVEL ADVISORS, INC NOR ITS DIVISIONS ARE NOT LIABLE FOR THE ACTS, ERRORS, OMISSIONS, REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, BREACHES, OR NEGLIGENCE OF THESE SUPPLIERS, OR FOR ANY PERSONAL INJURIES, DEATH, PROPERTY DAMAGE, OR OTHER DAMAGES OR EXPENSES RESULTING THEREFROM. AVANTI TRAVEL ADVISORS, INC. NOR ITS DIVISIONS HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR, AND WILL MAKE NO REFUND IN THE EVENT OF, ANY DELAY, CANCELLATION, OVERBOOKING, STRIKE, FORCE MAJEURE OR OTHER CAUSES BEYOND ITS DIRECT CONTROL. AVANTI TRAVEL ADVISORS, INC. NOR ITS DIVISIONS TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ADDITIONAL EXPENSE, OMISSIONS, DELAYS, RE-ROUTINGS, CHANGES IN ROOM PREFERENCES, OR ACTS OF ANY GOVERNMENT OR AUTHORITY.

BY OFFERING FOR SALE TRAVEL TO NEITHER PARTICULAR INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS, AVANTI TRAVEL ADVISORS, INC. NOR ITS DIVISIONS DO NOT REPRESENT OR WARRANT THAT SUCH TRAVEL IS WITHOUT RISK. AVANTI GROUP, INC. NOR ITS DIVSIONS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OR LOSSES THAT MAY RESULT FROM TRAVEL YOU REQUEST, GUARANTEE, OR PURCHASE AT OUR SITES NOR FROM FAILURE TO PROCURE THE APPROPRIATE TRAVEL DOCUMENATION OR TRAVEL INSURANCE.

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This agreement will be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to conflict of laws principles. These terms operate to the fullest extent pssible by law. If any provision of these terms of use is unlawful, void or unenforceable, taht provision is deemed severable from these terms of use and does not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. These terms of use constitute a binding agreement between you and Avanti Travel Advisors, Inc. and its divisions and are accepted by you upon your use of our Sites. These terms of use constitute the entire agreement between you and Avanti Travel Advisors, Inc. and its divisions regarding the use of our Sites.

The Avanti Group Inc - Ultimate Travel Guide Tokyo Hong Kong Malaysia: Privacy Statement

When you visit our websites, we may from time to time collect data from you such as your name, postal address, email address, telephone number, comments, and the like. The information we collect may be used by us to contact you via both snail mail and email to provide you with information we believe may be useful to you and to communicate with you regarding your requests and future travel with us. We may also collect additional data (such as credit card details) to be used to make your travel reservations, to provide your requested travel-related services, and to process your payment or service guarantee. In certain instances, you will be sending us personal information collected by you on behalf of others and our receipt of such information signifies their consent for you to send such information and their acceptance of our terms of use. We will save all such information to facilitate future requests and reservations.

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If you have chosen to join our mailing list, we may share your personal information with third-party service providers (see below), and we and they may use it to send you information and offers that we or they believe will be of interest to you.

We may share your personal information in these ways: (1) with Avanti Travel Advisors, Inc. travel agents - in order to process reservations and in general fulfill your request, (2) third party travel providers (e.g. hotels, airlines, car rental companies, etc) in order for your travel requests to be booked and/or reserved, (3) third party service providers - in order for companies that provide general or marketing services on our behalf to complete such services (e.g. we may use a third party to send you information and offers that we believe will be of interest to you), (4) friend referrals - to send your friend a one-time email invitation to visit our wesite via our "refer-a-friend" programs, and (5) legal reason - in order to prevent or investigate a possible crime, to comply with court orders/legal requirements. and other such legal reasons.

Avanti Travel Advisors, Inc. websites may contain links to websites operated by other companies. This privacy statement does not apply to any of these other websites. When visiting such other websites through a link on our site, please review their terms of use and privacy policies. We have not reviewed these sites, their privacy policy nor terms of use. Nor do we necessarily check them out periodically. If you access their websites through a link on our webpage, remember that you are doing it at your risk.

This privacy statement is part of the terms of use of Avanti Travel Advisors, Inc. By using our websites or services, you are expressly agreeing to our terms of use, including the terms of this privacy statement.

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The Avanti Group Inc - Ultimate Travel Guide Tokyo Hong Kong Malaysia: ABOUT US

With partners who have been in the travel industry since the mid-1970s, Avanti has the experience to navigate through the travel service industry. We are headquartered outside Jacksonville, Florida but service clients all across the USA. Our team is comprised of talented and knowledgeable individuals with extensive hotel, travel industry, and event planning experience. Between all of us, we have traveled to every corner of the world. In our sports travel division, our staff have come from the hotel industry and/or have been competitive athletes, have spouse/siblings/children involved with competitive sports, are sports enthusiasts.

OUR MISSION

From conversations with our travel clients, they do not want to feel like just one of the masses nor a proverbial square peg forced into the round hole of traditional travel agencies and meeting planners. Our promise to all our clients is not to let you feel this way. Our mission has always been to be your travel concierge —whether you are a vacationer, an athlete or team manager, a business hosting a meeting, an athletic tournament organization, or sports council/CVB—-so that the “big business” remains personalized, attentive, convenient, and focused on your vision and expectations.

Visit us at The Avanti Group Inc

The Avanti Group Inc - Ultimate Travel Guide Tokyo Hong Kong Malaysia

ABOUT US

Bob Marotta, President

ram@avantitraveladvisors.com

Bob has been involved in the travel industry for over 35 years and has traveled to every corner of the world. In the 1970's, he purchased a lone, small travel agency and developed it into one of Jacksonville's leading individual and corporate travel businesses. Since selling the agencies, Bob has continued his love of travel specializing in tailoring exclusive group travel programs and selective individual travel. He has invaluable depth in his travel industry knowledge and contacts. As President of Avanti Travel, Bob is responsible for the operational management of the company including staff management and financial reporting. Bob spent his non-travel career in senior management of major international insurance companies.

Patti O'Brien, Managing Director

pobrien@avantigroupinc.com

Patti grew up working summers and school vacations in her family's travel agencies. She spent almost 15 years living in England and has traveled extensively around Europe and other areas of the world. With the explosive growth of our sports travel division, Patti is primarily responsible for the overall strategic direction of this niche sports business sector. Through her direct interactions and highly regarded expertise with hotels, teams and tournament organizations, she leverages her experience to help athletic events and tournaments move positively towards their objectives and maximize their event profitability. Patti is a graduate of The Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania) and Oxford University (England) and was an investment banker specialising in tax-driven oil & gas finance.

Angela Grieco, Senior Travel Consultant

agrieco@avantigroupinc.com

Angela has been traveling the world for over twenty years: England, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Romania, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Morocco Tunisia, Egypt, Kenya, Seychelles Islands, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Cambodia, Burma, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Tibet, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, Antarctica, Chili, Argentina, Hawaii, Bali, Mexico, Eastern & Western Caribbean Islands, Canada, and parts of the US. She has traveled extensively in Italy and France. Angela has also sailed approximately 30 cruises: Radisson, Silver Sea, Costa, Royal Caribbean, Windstar, Clipper Line, Oceania and their predecessor Renaissance.

The Avanti Group Inc - Ultimate Travel Guide in Tokyo: Golden Week Travel Peaks

TOKYO - The mass exodus sparked by Japan's Golden Week spring holidays reached its peak on Saturday as travellers crowded high-speed trains, airports and expressways.

Travellers crowded high-speed trains, airports and expressways during Japan's Golden Week. (EPA photo

The international terminal at Tokyo's Haneda airport, which expanded the number of slots for international flights at the end of March, was abuzz with families departing for overseas destinations.

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways said their flights were almost fully booked, with around 16,000 people estimated to be heading abroad on Saturday alone, while about 110,000 were flying domestically.

Ken Hasegawa, a physiotherapist from Chiba prefecture east of Tokyo who was ready to depart for South Korea with eight relatives, said he was looking forward to sampling the food in Seoul.

"It's more convenient now that there are more flights," he said.

At Narita airport near Tokyo, about 36,000 people were leaving the country Saturday.

Shinkansen high-speed trains departing Tokyo were packed, with passengers standing in the aisles in cars with non-reserved seats.

At Tokyo Station, 8-year-old Nanami Noro waited for a Tokaido Shinkansen train going west on the way to her father's hometown in Mie prefecture.

"I'm looking forward to playing in nature," she said.

Roads were overwhelmed too, with traffic backed up for more than 50 kilometres heading towards an interchange north of Tokyo on the Kan-Etsu expressway running from the capital to Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast.

The peak of "U-turn" travelers returning to Tokyo and other large cities before the holidays end Tuesday is expected to hit expressways on Sunday through Monday, air routes on Monday through Tuesday and railways on Tuesday.

The Avanti Group Inc - Ultimate Travel Guide in Tokyo: Try these hip 'hoods

Let’s call it the original “big in Japan” export: Godzilla, the city-crushing amphibious dino-monster, returns to theatres later this week. Japan has long unleashed its unique cultural phenomena – from Victorian-dressed Lolita girls to its wide-eyed anime characters – on the world.

Toy designer and photographer Koji Harmon grew up in L.A. on a diet of such Japanese playthings as Microman and Kamen Rider. He’s now based in Tokyo creating and selling soft vinyl collectible figures through Comet Debris (cometdebris.com).

“The new movie may definitely inspire me and other makers to do some Godzilla or kaiju-style characters,” says Harmon, who shares his favourite places to play in Tokyo with Karan Smith.

1. Kichijoji

“This is an area of western Tokyo which includes Inokashira Park, shops, cafés, restaurants and department stores. The Ghibli Museum [showcasing the animation of Studio Ghibli] is here as well. The park is pretty big, with a large pond where you can rent canoes or swan pedal boats. It’s surrounded by trees and is beautiful in all seasons. It feels like you’re not in Tokyo. It’s less crowded than some of the other shopping areas.” Kichijoji Station on the Inokashira Line

2. Nakano Broadway

“This is a shopping mall, which includes tons of manga, character and vintage toy shops. Mandarake has several stores in the mall, and they’re known for buying comics, videos, books, toys, character goods from collectors and reselling them in their specialty shops. So their stock always changes. This is the go-to place for Japanese otaku [or seriously obsessed collectors]. For food, Nakano Broadway has several tiny restaurants, and the streets surrounding it are lined with many bars and restaurants.” North of Nakano Station on the Chuo Line at the end of Sun Mall

3. Shimokitazawa

“This Tokyo neighbourhood is similar to a college town with lots of small shops, record stores, used clothes, collectibles, cafés, bars and restaurants. There are also many live houses or tiny music venues that are usually in basements where indie and punk bands play. A lot of foreign touring indie and punk bands usually make Shimokitazawa a stop.” Shimokitazawa Station on the Odakyu and Inokashira Lines

4. Koenji

“I’d describe it the same way as Shimokitazawa, but with fewer tiny streets, more tattoo shops and fewer live houses. It’s popular with a younger crowd. There are lots of small shops, used clothing stores and record stores. It’s a great place to take a stroll and do some window shopping. The restaurants along some of the side streets have a very unique vibe.” Koenji Station on the Chuo Line, a stop from Nakano Station

5. Let yourself get lost

“The best part about Tokyo is there’s always something new to find. Just pick a station or neighbourhood and walk. You’ll be sure to find something new and interesting, such as hidden temples or shrines, small shops, cafés and parks. Public transportation is everywhere so even if you get lost, you’re certain to find a way to get where you need to go. So go out and explore.”

World's best restaurant heading to Tokyo of the Avanti Group Inc - Ultimate Travel Guide Tokyo Hong Kong Malaysia

(CNN) -Just when we were getting used to the idea of restaurants as travel destinations, the restaurants themselves go traveling.

First it was Fat Duck, the Michelin star-studded rural English venue created by scientific chef Heston Blumenthal that announced it was upping sticks and heading to Melbourne for six months.

Now, fresh from scooping top honors at this year's San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards, Denmark's Noma is preparing to tantalize the unsuspecting diners of Tokyo with its visceral version of fine dining.

Both restaurants are planning to hit the road in 2015 -- taking their chefs, kitchen staff and cookery concepts with them.

"I have planned (the move) for two years," Noma's head chef and co-owner Rene Redzepi said after his Copenhagen venue was named top of the 2014 World's 50 Best Restaurants this week in London.

So, come the beginning of 2015, diners already desperate to grab one of Noma's tables could face further frustration as the whole venue appears set to pack its famous foraging bags and head east.

'Awestruck' by Japanese food culture

Despite the prospect of using ingredients they've never cooked with before, such as tofu and sudachi, Redzepi says there are other worries on the horizon -- such as Japanese work permits.

"At the moment the most difficult thing is to make sure that my three people from Guatemala, two people from Mexico City and two people from Gambia, who are dishwashers, will get work visas for three months," said Redzepi.

Announcing the move on his website a couple of months ago, the 36-year-old chef said his palate rather than his profit motive were to blame.

"We really want to go," he said, adding that he was "awestruck by the richness of Japanese food culture" during a trip to Japan five years ago hosted by Murata, a chef from Kyoto's Kikunoi restaurant.

Don't expect a sudden switch to sushi in the Noma kitchen that gave us sea urchin toast, beef tartar with ants and other modern Nordic specialties.

"I have a plan with Noma Tokyo," said Redzepi. "I'm not going to turn it into a Japanese restaurant, but I have a plan. In the next five years, Japan is very important in my big plan of restaurant Noma."

That said, the chef has in the past revealed to CNN that, despite his strict insistence on locally sourced produce, in his home larder lurks miso paste, sesame seeds and aged seaweed from Japan's Hokkaido Island.

It's not clear where in Tokyo Noma's pop-up restaurant will not appear, nor is it clear what will become of the original venue when the current teams are gone.

Redzepi is keeping everyone waiting another few weeks before dishing up the full details.

In the meantime, perhaps he should consider changing the name to Nomad.

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The Avanti Group Inc - Ultimate Travel Guide Tokyo Hong Kong Malaysia: Tokyo on a budget

From free performances to affordable Japanese cuisine, Karina Lim has it all covered

ISN’T Tokyo expensive? That’s always the first question each time the topic of visiting the Land Of The Rising Sun is brought up. My answer is “it used to be”.

The Japanese yen dropped significantly against the ringgit last year, making Japan a lot more attractive to the traveller on an average budget.

My friend and I spent time working out a good itinerary to achieve more with the yen. In the end, I spent RM4, 000 for an 8D/7N Tokyo trip, including return flight tickets, lodgings, ground transport and meals.

Tokyo is not only a vibrant, hospitable city but its also affordable.

GRUB, CHOW, FOOD!

The number of restaurants in Tokyo is mind-boggling — about 160,000! We chose wisely through research and recommendations from friends who had lived in or travelled to Tokyo.

Sushi: Our first taste of a sushi breakfast was at the original Sushi-Zanmai in Tsukiji Market. We were almost crushed by the busy morning crowd before we joined the queue to get into the packed double-storey restaurant. Though not the best, the sushi sets were fresh and reasonably cheap. Said to be one of Tokyo’s best sushi restaurants, Sushi-Zanmai gained popularity when its boss, Kiyoshi Kimura, made a record bid of Y155.4 million (RM4.97 million) for a 222kg blue fin tuna at the market auction last year.

Soba noodles: While in Japan, do as the Japanese do — eat soba noodles on New Year’s Eve. We chose one restaurant in a train station. The noodles were quite a different experience from those in Malaysia. Called yamaimo soba, the noodles came with a separate serving of ground yamaimo root with raw egg and rice. The root was a yam variety that tasted like gooey potato.

Set meals: The Ootoya chain of restaurants serves freshly cooked teishoku (set meals) at affordable prices. The calorie count is stated on each set. We spotted a branch in Shinjuku while shopping. I had a teriyaki chicken salad with miso soup and brown rice, which left me feeling healthy and more than satisfied.

Traditional Japanese dinner: The Japanese-style inn we stayed at in Hakone National Park served a delectable traditional Japanese multi-course dinner (kaiseki ryori) with a multitude of courses in bite-sized portions. It was a well-balanced meal prepared with fish, meat and vegetables that were steamed, boiled, fried and grilled. It was a perfectly satisfying meal before we headed for the Japanese hot springs (onsen).

HOT SPRINGS

Sitting in natural hot springs is an old Japanese tradition of public bathing. There’s a set of procedures to follow and manners to abide by — most which almost put me off my first onsen experience.

The hardest was taking off my clothes to join similarly unclothed strangers in the spa pool. However, it got easier as I took each step and by the time I slipped into the pool, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The waters at the hot spring were from a volcanic source at Owakudani and contained chloride and sulphate.

We stayed at Fujimein in Hakone National Park. Fujimein is a popular resort town about an hour’s train ride from Tokyo.

Though it was the peak New Year season, the hotel offered a package of a night stay, a traditional multi-course dinner and the use of its hot springs spa at Y10,450. The pool in the spa faced the beautiful Mount Fuji and I had a spectacular view.

My room also faced the mountain and it was a double delight to see the mountain in both the most relaxing and intimate spots in the hotel.

CULTURE VULTURE

City culture vultures will feel at home in Tokyo. There is a long list of world-class museums and charming shrines and temples. But a visit to Tokyo won’t be complete without a visit to Meiji Shrine in Shibuya.

Since it was the New Year holidays, a visit to a shrine or hatsumode was timely. We shuffled along with the crowd towards the main prayer hall and spotted a few women dressed in traditional kimono, as was customary during hatsumode.

Despite the crowd, the shrine was enveloped in an atmosphere of serenity and respect.

The New Year celebration also meant a host of free events and activities such as an exhibition at Edo Tokyo Museum, a museum of the history of Tokyo located at Sumida.

We took 11/2 hours to view the exhibits of the Edo period. Elaborate architectural displays of old Tokyo and models of shoguns, merchants and craftsmen were carefully arranged into lifelike scenes.

On the first floor of the museum, we found a colourful kabuki theatre and got caught up in a lively demonstration on various wooden mechanical dolls.

A series of free cultural performances was held at Tokyo National Museum in Taito. We caught a show put on by skilled drummers. A Japanese lion dance started later in the afternoon, followed by a master paper cutter who created pictures in a matter of minutes in front of a crowd.

Tips

Transport costs on the metro vary, depending on your route. Plan your route at www.hyperdia.com to determine whether individual tickets or a day pass is more cost-effective.

For those who can’t live without being connected, rent a mobile WiFi router rental. A router is handy as free WiFi is not widely available.

Grab Time Out Tokyo as the magazine features a comprehensive listing of weekly events.