u/Splend1dGamer

I spent 7 nights in Japan, and here is my detailed itinerary and experience.

I spent almost all of my time in Tokyo, with 1 night in Kawaguchiko to see Mt. Fuji and visit Fuji-Q Highland (this visit was mostly for the Naruto village in the amusement park).

Day 1: Arrival and roaming around Shinjuku.

After checking into my hostel, I spent the evening just walking around.

Day 2: Shinjuku and Shibuya.

Shibuya Crossing is so amazing. I completed the entire crossing two times when I first reached because I loved it so much. I ate at an Ichiraku Ramen that I found nearby, and also at a lot of Ichiraku Ramen places during the rest of the trip. Also, before I forget, iced matcha lattes- had 1 every day of my trip.

Day 3: Odaiba

This was a surprise. I wasn't sure if I would visit this area, but my mind was blown. The Gundam statue, the amazing anime stores, and the food places in the mall were all great. The park near the water behind DiverCity Mall was beautiful. I sat there for 3 to 4 hours watching the water, the Rainbow Bridge, and Japan's Statue of Liberty. Please come here if you are in Tokyo and have a day spare.

Day 4: Asakusa.

Senso-ji Temple is amazing. I loved the traditional atmosphere around the temple, especially the walk through Nakamise Street with all the small shops and food stalls. It felt completely different from the modern parts of Tokyo, also get your fortune here (I got one of the best fortunes, i don't believe in it but a good souvenir).

Day 5: Akihabara.

I am a big Pokémon GO player. I met a lot of players here whom I already knew online. Amazing place. If you are an anime fan and are in Tokyo for 1 day, go to Akihabara.

Day 6:

Bus to Kawaguchiko. I saw Mt. Fuji, and honestly, all the hype about Mt. Fuji is worth it. It feels amazing in person. It's like 100 mountains in one. Also, Fuji-Q Highland is amazing. Entry to Fuji-Q Highland is free, so you can actually see the Naruto village for free. The rides are paid. I took one simple ride, rest just roamed around the park.

Day 7:

Back in Tokyo. Visited a lot of the remaining places, like Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree from nearby. Totally worth it. Visit them on your trip, I would say, even if you don't go up.

Day 8: Flight back home.

Pricing:

Due to the Iran war and some other uncertainties, ticket prices were high. I booked Air China for ₹31,000, which had a 2-hour layover in China, and VietJet Air for the return for around ₹30,000, which had an 8-hour layover in Vietnam. Fortunately, there was a great plane-spotting area at the airport where I spent most of my time in Ho Chi Minh City.

I stayed in hostels, which were expensive compared to other countries, costing ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 per night.

Food was expensive too. My hostels had bread, butter, jam, etc. for free in the morning, so I'd eat a lot to save on daytime meals. I did almost no shopping. My total budget came out to around ₹100,000. I think it's difficult to do Japan for much cheaper than that. Maybe an Osaka trip can be less costly, but Tokyo is expensive.

My favorite part was the people. Always smiling and bowing, offering their seats on the train, letting you enter a lift before them, holding the lift open until you reached it, and always giving you the right of way on roads. It made Japan feel incredibly welcoming.

The toilets deserve a special mention too. Heated seats and lots of controls for water pressure, angle, and temperature something I never got tired of using and miss everyday.

I also went in June, and the weather was so pleasant. I wore a jacket in Kawaguchiko and even on some nights in Tokyo. The temperature stayed between 18°C and 25°C with cool winds and it was never hot. I was lucky that I didn't encounter much rain either.

If you have any questions about any images, let me know. This is my second country after Malaysia also done in June last year.

I made some YouTube videos too if you want to check them out. Here is one about visiting Japan in June and also covers the Odaiba region: https://youtu.be/0CWx36V99I4?si=\_RblFtP35rdxJ\_qS

I traveled via the Vande Bharat to Delhi. To my surprise it was almost 1 hour when it reached New Delhi.

My dad, at the age of 66, completed the first solo trip of his life, riding nearly 1,000 km on a motorcycle to Hemkunt Sahib.

He started near Chandigarh on our 15-year-old Hero Splendor. On Day 1, he rode to Nagrasu. On Day 2, he continued to Gobind Ghat.

On Day 3, he completed the trek to Hemkunt Sahib entirely on his own. This was his first time doing a solo trek and a solo bike journey. When he reached the Gurudwara, it was snowing. He experienced snowfall for the first time in his life and even took a dip in the holy Sarovar.

On Day 4, he started his journey back and stayed in Rishikesh. On Day 5, he visited Nada Sahib before reaching home around 6 PM.

Before the trip, I offered to arrange taxis, hotels, and other comforts for him. He refused all of it. He insisted on going alone. (I guess now we know where I got that attitude from.)

He spent almost no money during the trip, staying in Gurudwara halls and eating Langar throughout the journey.

The reason I'm sharing this is that at 66, he did something I'm not sure I could do right now. More importantly, I've never seen him this happy in my entire life. Every day he called, he sounded excited, fulfilled, and full of energy.

Sometimes adventure isn't about age, money, or fancy equipment. Sometimes it's just about deciding to go.

All ipl related subs are engaged in Kohli handshake controversy. Let's steer away from controversies and win 1 this time.

Please pardon me if it's not allowed in here. Just wanted to share pictures from last year. I did a 10 days solo trip to Malaysia and had the best time of my life. All the locals and foreign travelers were the nicest people I have met in my life. I did KL, Penang, Melaka and Langkawi. Looking forward to more Malaysian cities in future like Cameroon Highlands and Ipoh.

Thank you for everything.

(If the post isn't allowed, mods are welcome to take it down.)

I recently did a 3-day solo trip to Rishikesh starting from Chandigarh. Here's a breakdown of everything that happened along with expenses.

Journey to Rishikesh

I started from Chandigarh. There were no direct trains available, so I took a bus to Ambala (around 1.5 hours), and then a train to Rishikesh.

The train journey did not start well. My seat in 3AC was occupied by an elderly lady, and I had to argue to get it back. After that, I ended up sitting in a group of aunties who were talking and singing loudly all the way until Haridwar. So, not a great start.

Arrival and Day 1

At the station, auto fares were higher due to the weekend (₹50 instead of ₹20–30). I was dropped near Janki Setu.

My hostel was in Upper Tapovan, and I decided to walk there. It took about an hour, but the views of the Ganga made it worth it. It was actually a great way to get the first feel of the city.

I stayed at The Hosteller for the first night. The property itself was good, but the roommates were loud all night, so I could not sleep properly. I had dinner at the hostel (rajma chawal) and ended the day.

Day 2

I had breakfast at Moktan Cafe. It is a small place but serves good coffee.

After that, I crossed Bajrang Setu, which also has a glass bridge that is not yet inaugurated.

For my second night, I stayed at Madpackers Hostel, which was a much better experience. It had a larger common area, a big TV, and great views of the Ganga, the mountains, and the bridge.

In the evening, I attended the Ganga Aarti at Sai Ghat. It was peaceful and definitely worth visiting. I have heard that the aarti at Triveni Ghat is the biggest in the city, so that might be worth checking out as well.

Later, I had dinner at Little Buddha Cafe. It has a good vibe and is popular with solo travelers. The food is good but on the expensive side. Most cafes around the Ganga in the Laxman Jhula area felt similar in terms of vibe and pricing.

I spent the rest of the night reading, watching an IPL match in lobby of hostel.

Day 3

On the last day, I walked about 3 km from my hostel to Beatles Ashram.

The place has a unique vibe. The meditation caves are designed in a way that they remain cool even in the heat. Entry tickets are ₹200 for Indians and ₹1200 for foreigners, which feels quite high for non-Indians, but I still think it is worth visiting.

A small incident: I bought bananas for the train journey, and a monkey stole them at the entrance of the ashram :/

Return Journey

The return journey was much better. I took a train back to Ambala and then a bus to Chandigarh. This time, the coach was quiet, and people were either sleeping, using headphones, or just looking outside.

Cost Breakdown (Approx.)

Buses (2): ₹200

Trains (2): ₹1080

Autos: ₹100

Hostel (The Hosteller): ₹600

Hostel (Madpackers): ₹620

Beatles Ashram ticket: ₹200

Food Day 1: ₹300

Food Day 2: ₹700

Food Day 3: ₹300

Total: ~₹4000 (around $40–45)

Final Thoughts

The trip started with chaos but ended peacefully. Rishikesh has a mix of energy and calm that makes it easy to enjoy even simple things like walking along the Ganga or sitting in a cafe. Overall, I would definitely visit again.

I also documented everything in a video if anyone's interested: https://youtu.be/SC1PbLX8Zjc?si=JWDbLcDihA-GQIoR

Many people in my life have asked why I didn't do rafting in Rishikesh, there's no answer. I just didn't want to. Not my style I guess. But if anyone's interested it will cost somewhere between 500 - 1000 per person based on how much distance you do.

Last year, I did my first international solo trip and spent 10 days traveling across Malaysia. Sharing my itinerary, approximate costs, and personal experience in case it helps anyone planning a similar trip.

Flights I flew from New Delhi to Kuala Lumpur on AirAsia for around ₹10,000. I did not carry any check-in luggage, which helped keep the cost low. On the same day, I took another AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi Island, which cost approximately ₹1,800.

Langkawi (2 nights) I stayed at The Bed Attitude hostel for two nights, which cost around ₹2,000 in total. I visited the Langkawi Sky Bridge and met a fellow traveler, Lucas from England, at my hostel. We decided to stick together, made a short about our visit to Skybridge: https://youtube.com/shorts/yPaDNzGVNok?si=lvJ4b7RxAJ2RsjIW

Langkawi to Penang I flew from Langkawi to Penang on AirAsia for around ₹1,500.

Penang (2 nights) In Penang, I stayed at House of Journey hostel, which cost about ₹800 per night and included a very basic breakfast like bread, butter, jam, tea, coffee, etc. I explored most of the city on foot, covering the street wall murals, Little India, and the port area.

I met a mom son photographer duo from Sweden at the hostel, and with them visited Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si Temple. I met a lot of chinese tourist here and they were some of the nicest people I have met in my life. A short about my experience with the mom son duo from Sweden: https://youtube.com/shorts/DWYdQ3bMeFE?si=EjiXfFQCx3zghzi1

Penang to Kuala Lumpur From Penang, I took a ferry to the mainland and then a train to Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur (5 nights) I stayed four nights at Sunshine Beds Hostel, which cost around ₹750 per night and included a simple breakfast. I had also booked another hostel with a rooftop pool for one last night at around ₹1,400, but that booking was cancelled due to overbooking. I then stayed at Chinatown by Mingle for about ₹750, again with breakfast included. Intersting story on the last day in Kuala Lumpur: https://youtube.com/shorts/v0IcAeFamW8?si=FA3A7yh28skeeGk2

While in Kuala Lumpur, I went for pub crawls almost every night. I do not drink, but it was still fun to socialize and meet new people. I visited several places including the Petronas Towers, Menara KL, Chinatown, Little India, and Independence Square. I also watched the light and sound show at the Petronas Towers multiple times and visited several masjids, temples, and gurudwaras during my stay.

Looking back, I may have stayed one or two days longer than necessary in Kuala Lumpur, but I still enjoyed the experience.

Return journey For my return, I booked a Batik Air flight from Kuala Lumpur to Amritsar for around ₹7,000, including all taxes. Since I live in Chandigarh, Amritsar and Delhi are almost the same distance for me. I reached Amritsar late at night, stayed at a gurudwara, and took a train to Chandigarh the next morning.

Final thoughts This was my first international trip and without a doubt the best 10 days of my life. Visa on arrival was smooth and I faced no issues. I spend only 38,000 on the entire trip because of people I met who won't let me pay, cheap flights and hostels.

If anyone has questions about costs, routes, hostels, or solo travel in Malaysia, feel free to ask.