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Showing posts with label Theme Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Theme Park. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Japan's Ramen-themed 'Amusement Park' lets you Travel Back to 1958!

A street-scape replication of 1958 Tokyo.

If anyone were to ask me if there is one Japanese food I could eat every day without fail, I'd probably struggle to respond. After all, Japanese is one of my favourite cuisines in the world and there's no way anyone could favour just one among the likes of pork katsu curry, oyakodon, okonomiyaki, sushi, and karaage. My closest answer, however, would have to be ramen. I will forever be grateful to instant noodles for being a part of my childhood and for saving my life during my college years. While they are still a staple in my pantry to this day, actually tasting the genuine article made me realize that there is more to ramen beyond a cup or a pouch.

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Visiting Dream World: Bangkok's Low-Key Version of Disneyland!

Dream World's cute and colorful facade is manned by an antlike mascot. I didn't know why, but somehow a wave of déjà vu then hit me while I stood in front of the gates waiting for them to open. I actually half-expected to see a giant revolving globe or a hovering surfboard (ridden by a mouse mascot and his loyal pooch) inside the gates.

Friday, July 17, 2020

This Floating Restaurant Lets You Walk with Hundreds of Fish on a Sunken Bridge!

Isdaan Floating Resto-fun Park is chock full of wonderfully-made statues of famous figures and animals. In the above image, a gigantic representation of Buddha overlooks a swimming school of Koi.

Friday, June 12, 2020

The Friendly Mechanical Giants of the Isle of Nantes

This blog post is dedicated to the pregnant Indian elephant who died a very pointless death in Kerala on May 27, 2020. You are beautiful and majestic; you deserved better.

Five years ago, a "suggested" video in my Facebook news feed caught my interest. It was of a steampunk wonderland that, to a travel-eager younger me, looked like Disneyland designed by an alternate Walt who was high on steroids and stanned Verne and Lovecraft with a passion. I remember gazing at the clip of what is probably the most unconventional merry-go-round in the world, replaying over and over again the part where sea dragons and giant angler fish made out of repurposed machinery screeched while they ran endlessly in a circle, like the competitors of a fierce yet never-ending race.

Friday, September 8, 2017

The 7 Things That I Miss the Most About Japan

Delicious takoyaki (octopus balls) from a food stall in Ueno Park.

As of the time of writing, it's been five months since my family and I concluded our twelve-day vacation in Tokyo, Japan, but the euphoria from having explored our ultimate dream destination did not decrease the slightest. It's all we ever talk about at home. We made a slideshow out of the 3, 600+ pictures and 10+ videos that we shot in Japan which my mom fondly plays everyday; and sometimes, we find ourselves daydreaming about the most surreal twelve days of our lives so far.

With my heart continuing to yearn for the Land of the Rising Sun, I've listed the top seven things from that country that I miss the most.

Optional: Jump to:
Page 2: Japanese food and street fare, Japanese food markets called depachikas, and the extensive and exceptionally-efficient railway transportation system.

(Related post: Acquiring a visitor's visa to Japan is as easy as pie with this guide!)

Friday, August 11, 2017

Naked and Proud! Soaking in the Hot Springs of Oedo Onsen Monogatari

The facade of Oedo Onsen Monogatari-- a spa lover's paradise! Image from GaijinPot.

As the days of our 12-day pleasure trip to Tokyo slowly dwindled to a close, I found myself ticking off items in my "Must-Do in Tokyo" list just to make sure that I didn't miss anything significant. 
  • Theme parks: Check, check, check, and double-check.
  • Shop for anime figurines in Akihabara: Check (and bill, please).
  • Witness the tuna auction at a local fish market: No check, since we were informed too late that we needed an advanced reservation for that. This item goes into another itinerary for another time.
  • Taste staple Japanese street food which include but are not limited to: takoyaki, ramen, okonomiyaki, karaage, yakisoba, and yakiniku: Checkity-check check.
(Related post: These Tokyo Metropolitan Gardens offer relaxation amidst beauty!)
(Related post: Acquisition of your very own Japanese Tourist Visa made easy! Find out how!)

I have more activities in mind that I wanted to accomplish that I've organized in tiers. From the second tier and above, the items in my dream itinerary are mainly comprised of more localized, non-touristy experiences that will give me a more intimate feel of Japan which I swear I WILL accomplish some other time in the near future. My heart welled up with an overwhelming sense of fulfillment as I realized that-- except for the tuna auction-- I've gone and done all of my Tier One "Must-Do" activities. As I reread my list, however, I saw to my horror that there was one un-ticked item in the one-foot long sheet of paper.
  • Bathe proud and naked in a Japanese onsen (hot spring) house: No check mark here yet.
I immediately grabbed my best spa-buddy, food-buddy, and travel-buddy to explain the horrendous situation and just as I expected, she was all up for it even at 7:30 in the evening! That's my mom for you!

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Dining with the Posh Monsters of Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku, Tokyo

The Mushroom Disco area of Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku, Tokyo. Image from Spoon and Tamago.

When the word "MONSTER" is mentioned, my three-year old princess' immediate response is a somewhat unique and isolated process of its own kind. She instantly freezes with her mouth agape for three seconds, drops whatever she is holding, hesitates for a few nanoseconds before her flight response activates. She runs screaming to the nearest caregiver (usually me) for comfort or to the nearest blanket where she hides like a cute little kitten threatened with a bath. I point out that Mike and Sully from one of her favorite Pixar film are monsters. She points at the empty wall behind me and quietly whispers "A monster. Wearing white."

Either she's learned the art of trolling people back or she has an active third eye. I pray to God it's the former. 

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Spending the Day as a Strawhat Pirate at the ONE PIECE Tokyo Tower Theme Park

A part of the Mugiwara Crew Banquet at the Landing Port, Tokyo Tower One Piece. Image from this link.

Imagine living in a world where the ultimate dream for most people is to be able to sail under the vast blue sky with bits of swashbuckling adventure on the side. Think of the proposition that there exists a world where the ocean so greatly divides the lands that much of the world is left unexplored. Imagine a world not run by any technological advances but is instead driven by the people's magnanimous love for the need to satisfy their natural curiosity about the world and its unsolved mysteries. Wouldn't it be nice to set sail in an alternate universe where the romantic call of the ocean is all the fad? While this kind of dream is far from becoming reality, the experience is within reach via boob tube.

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Be A Dragon Warrior At Dreamplay By Dreamworks (After Eating Like a Viking)!

The facade of Dreamplay, a one-of-a-kind theme park produced by Dreamworks Animated Studios in the City of Dreams, Manila.

I'm featuring two attractions in this post: the first being Vikings Luxury Buffet at SM Mall of Asia followed by Dreamplay by Dreamworks in the City of Dreams, Manila. We went to these establishments to prematurely celebrate my brother's 12th birthday one day before the actual date.
Copyright © 2015 Travel Hard, Hannah!