Walk!

Tokyo on the cheap

As per the previous post, Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities to be a tourist or traveller. My friend Alice lived there for about 4 years. Here are her tips on cheap or free fun times.


This half day plan for Tokyo is especially good for Sundays & a good remedy to museums. Apart from train tickets, food & drink, it is all free. It is worth a mention that these are based on my time there in 2006.

Take the train to Shibuya station & get out at the Hachiko exit. Have a look at the loyal dog statue and check out the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. There is a Starbucks with a great view over the crossing - a great spot for people watching.

Next up, walk to Harajuku station (or train it) - there is an elevated walkway towards the park. On Sundays this is where you'll find heaps of dressed up teenagers looking all Gothic or manga - like & loving the attention. Keep going and you'll find Meiji jinga (shrine) in Yoyogi Park. The shrine has a lovely long entrance that includes walking under the torii gates - it is a nice shady place to be in summer. The shrine is great to look at and you'll often see a traditional wedding.   

Head back out and spend some time in Yoyogi park - on the weekend there's some awesome people watching, pet watching (dressed up dogs, rabbits … crazy stuff) plus people doing kendo, singing or dancing.

Hungry?  If you are happy at the park, grab an ice-cream from one of the vending machines (Y100) or head back to Harajuku station and grab something from the convenience store (beer, rice ball, sushi, spaghetti ... there's a high turnover so there's a fair range and fresh Y300+).  If you are happy to leave the park, walk into Harajuku, on to the main drag - Omotesando dori/street. Opposite Zara, there is a cheap but good sushi train place on the first floor - plates from Y100, plus all the wasabi, ginger & tea you can eat & drink.  

There you go - a nice chilled out day so you will be all rested up for karaoke or dancing! 

Other places I'd suggest: Kichijoji Park during cherry blossom time, pizza delivered to your picnic blanket- need I say more?

Catholic themed bar/restaurant
Day/weekend trip to Hakone
Rail & Train tickets
Guest house with hot spring
Great Izakaya pub food nearby and just down the road from the Petit Prince museum.

Free things in the world’s most expensive cities

Another great tip list from Lonely Planet. Sign up for their email newsletter to get more great tips in your inbox.

Top 10 most surprising things about travelling

Check out Ben Groundwater's - Top 10 most surprising things about travelling.

Ben is Fairfax's resident globetrotter on a shoe-string.

http://bengroundwater.com/

Email yourself!

As you may have guessed dear reader, I'm not a 21 year old backpacker. I can remember the days when you would send postcards home from your travels. Some folks still do it, and it is nice getting a postcard that someone has spent time out from their holiday buying, writing & posting just to you. But in these days of the Internet, Email, Skype, Facebook, Blogs, Twitter and smartphones, postcards seem to be from a bygone era.

Now, I'm not pining for those far off times when travel was slower or less connected; although I would like to do some long train journeys in the future. As long as the train has Wi-Fi access!

For safety reasons we've been told to make copies of our vital documents: Passport, Visas, insurance documents, etc.; and stick 'em in the bottom of our backpacks. Better still, swap copies with your travelling companions. While both of these are good ideas, we now have the technology to improve on this. You can scan your documents & email them to your Internet email account, Gmail in my case. You can also email them to a friend at home, and / or your travelling companions. On my last trip OS, I used the iPhone app Evernote to store documents, take notes and write my blog.

So instead of carrying physical copies of the important documents, which you would also lose if your luggage was stolen, why not store them in Cyberspace. Then all you have to do is get thee to an Internet Cafe or Wi-Fi hotspot to retrieve your precious documents.

Tune Hotels are coming to Oz

When in Asia, Tight Arse Travel chooses to stay in Tune Hotels. I've mentioned these fine establishments in a previous post, and am glad to see them bringing their no frills business model down under. I for one will be glad to see them shake up the budget end of the industry. They are opening the first hotel in Melbourne on 1 November 2013.


http://www.tunehotels.com/my/en/our-hotels/melbourne/

http://www.tunehotels.com/my/en/concept/

The Odyssey

Graham David Hughes has a penchant for tight arse travel. He has to; he was trying to travel to every country on earth in one journey without flying. Now if anyone knows about travelling on a shoestring it's this guy. check out his website and his 20 tips to travelling on the cheap. His initial plan was to do it all in one calendar year. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond his control, this time frame has blown out a little.

The world's best free stuff from Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet recently sent me an email about free stuff around the world, and that's my favourite price!

We Can Remember It for You Wholesale

Here is one of the cheapest holidays you can ever take: no passport, visa, vaccinations or insurance needed. You don't have to worry about the weather, language, customs or currency.

Why not try a holiday in your mind?

WWOOFing

No it’s not an amateur werewolf club; much more mundane than that.

WWOOF is a worldwide network of organisations that link volunteers with organic farmers, and help people share more sustainable ways of living. In return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles. WWOOF organisations link people who want to volunteer on organic farms or smallholdings with people who are looking for volunteer help.

If you have the time when travelling, it's a great way to slow down, find out about the area and get absorbed into the local culture. You won't get paid, but you can live for free, and if you are lucky the folks you are staying with will take you on merry jaunts.

Comments & Contributions

Feel free to post comments & contributions. If the editorial committee deem them worthy, they'll be posted with attribution.

Eat the local food

Surplus Society posts - "Western style food in Asia is generally terrible and relatively expensive. Get into the local food. Head to where the locals are eating - it's usually a sign that the food is cheap, safe and good. Where the host speaks English, ask questions about the food. Often the food has a link back to tradition or family and you'll pick up a lot of knowledge while demonstrating a modicum of respect. Don't avoid market food for worry about getting a stomach bug - other than washing your hands before and after food you have no assurances about any food - even in restaurants."

I'd add - To make your eating experience safer and more enjoyable, choose an establishment which is busy. This usually means a quick turnover of ingredients and the food is cooked fresh. Night markets and street food are often the best way to experience the local culture. Not only do you get up close and personal with the chef, but you get to see the ingredients and cooking method.

Couch surfing

I remembered this morning a conversation I had with Mr. Grace; tour guide, logistics expert and ex-marathon runner. Couch surfing has turned pro. The term was used by poor Uni. students and hippies to describe their tight arsed way of scrimping on accommodation costs by sleeping on couches of friends, or unsuspecting friends of friends when travelling or looking for cheap digs of their own. Now there is an organisation with which you can register your needs or resources - Couch surfing.

As they state on their website "Couch Surfing is an international non-profit network that connects travellers with locals in over 230 countries and territories around the world. Since 2004, members have been using our system to come together for cultural exchange, friendship, and learning experiences. Today, over a million people who might otherwise never meet are able to share hospitality and cultural understanding."

Car Pooling

There is a community in Australia called Carpool One who operate a web based service to connect people travelling from & to the same destinations. 
They state on their website - 'If you're tired of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on your everyday commute, looking for a travel buddy for the next great road trip, concerned about our environment or just need a lift, then check out how Carpool One can help!'

http://www.carpoolone.com.au/

Tightarse Tune Towels

When on the road in Asia, TightArseTravel choose to stay in Tune Hotels. We love them because you only pay for what you use; this includes towels. You could choose to use your own towel, but then you may have a wet towel when you leave. You could choose to rent a towel from the hotel, but that's hardly part of the TightArseTravel philosophy. We choose to use the bath mat supplied; best of both worlds.

Dumping at the duty free shop

We all love picking up duty free booze when we get home from an OS trip, and it can be a balancing act to run down your foreign currency to the last cent before heading home. Why not use up all those left over Ringgit, Baht, and Rupees by offloading them in the duty free shop? Most checkout registers used in duty free shops, can do all the currency conversions on the fly. I usually start with the currency I am least likely to use again, and work my way down to the $US. If there is still a shortfall, you can pay with A$ or your credit card.

Airport pickups

If someone is picking you up from the airport, why not arrange to do it from the departures area. You won’t have to pay for parking, and you'll get away from the airport quicker.

 

SmartGate Australian Immigration

If you are lucky enough to have an Australian ePassport, you can avoid the usual long immigration queue by utilising the SmartGate self processing system at certain Australian airports. Even if the system does not match your ePassport to your face, you still get through immigration quicker.

Fast-track Immigration Queues

On arrival at an immigration point with multiple queues, use the queue next to the first closed queue. If immigration officials decide to open new gates, you'll be the first to notice, change to a shorter queue and get through immigration quicker.

Air Fresheners #2

Carry a few toiletries on your flight/bus/train. You'll feel so much better if you take a few minutes to freshen up just before arrival at your destination.

Get a shave & a haircut ya bum...

If you are leaving the 3rd world on your way home, why not get a shave and a haircut on the day you leave. Not only are they cheaper than at home, you will look and feel fresher before you commence your journey. It may also help you get that illusive flight upgrade if you look smarter.

Keep your room cool and dry your clothes

If you have a hotel room where all the electrics are controlled by the key fob inserted in a slot, remove the key from the fob and leave the fob in the slot. Now you can leave the A/C running while you go out and get sweaty. Also, if you have washed your smalls they will dry quicker in the dry air produced by the A/C. You can also leave any fans on to help circulate the dry air. I put the key on a string around my neck, so I can't lose it.

Tight arse cutlery

Keep the plastic cutlery from your flight; it can come in really handy in the third world, especially in places where eating with your hands is de rigueur.

Free accomodation, sort of...

If you have a really tight arse, or are on a very strict budget, book a night flight/bus/train to avoid a night in a hotel. This is OK if you can sleep while travelling, not so good if you can't.

Air(port) Fresheners

While waiting for your flight and perusing the duty-free shop, why not 'freshen up' by using the perfume or cologne testers.

Upgrade your flight

When checking in for your flight, ask nicely for an upgrade. Unfortunately, most of the time you will be refused, but you might as well ask. Who knows, you may get upgraded on that long haul flight you were dreading. It also helps if you are dressed smartly and well presented. Airlines are hardly going to give you a free upgrade if you look like a slob.

Guide Books - on the cheap

If your trip is less than a month, borrow the relevant guide book from your local library, it's free! Even if you incur a late fee, it will be far less than buying the book. Guide books for popular destinations are published regularly, so if you are lucky, you'll get a reasonably recent issue. You can now download chapters of Lonely Planet Guide books instead of buying the whole book. LP also have  apps for the iPhone & iPad.

Taxis - How to get one quicker at an airport

At some airports, it is quicker to get a taxi from the departure area as they have usually just dropped off a fare. They are keen to backfill immediately instead of trawling or joining the back of the queue at the taxi rank. (Thanks Mr. Grace!)