Blog – Page 9 – Travels With Matt Blog

Japan trip booked!

The 2023 October trip to Japan has been officially booked! It took a while, a lot of money, and a lot of hard decisions, but the hotels and airfare are now officially booked.

Exploring Tampa: New Tampa Nature Park

Opened in 2012, the New Tampa Nature Park is a small, secluded nature trail that connects to the much longer Flatwoods Nature Trail in Tampa, Florida.

Japan in October

Here are the reasons I have decided to make October the perfect time to return to Japan.

Hotel Review: APA Kyoto Ekimae

Here is a hotel review from a 3-star hotel in Kyoto, the APA Hotel Kyoto-Ekimae, located right next to Kyoto Station. This is a nice, business hotel, but has some things about it you should know about before you book it.

5 must see wards in Tokyo

There are 23 wards that make up the greater Tokyo area. Each with its own unique charm and sites that make it unique to itself within Tokyo. Here are my top five wards to see while visiting Tokyo.

Things to remember while planning a trip

Planning a trip can be very stressful no matter how long it is. From a simple weekend get away to an international bucket-list destination, there are a lot of things to think about and plan for. Here are some helpful hints that I have learned that I want to share.

Overrated places in Tokyo

Have you ever gone to a place that you thought would be incredible but it ended up being a let down? It didn’t quite live up to all of the hype you read about and wonder how it got such great reviews on Trip Advisor?

Here are a few of those in Tokyo that you should rethink before planning an entire day around these sites.

Returning to Japan in 2023

It has been a long time coming (work, pandemic, and just life in general) but after several years I am excited to say I’m headed back to Japan in 2023 (and with company).

Vibes of Tokyo

I’m going to write a three part series, starting with this one, on the vibes I felt in the three cities we visited while in Japan in 2019: Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. While I didn’t have the luxury of spending weeks or months in each town, I was however able to pick up on the vibes of each city along the way and wanted to record my thoughts on each because each one was unique and could be a deciding factor about which one you may want to visit when you head to Japan.

Tips for Gasparilla

Gasparilla is a Tampa tradition that many enjoy and embrace. Downtown Tampa becomes a big, pirate theme party for thousands which can lead to issues if you are not prepared or have an idea of what to do. Here are some quick tips to help prepare you for this Tampa version of Mardi Gras.

Gasparilla

So what on earth is Gasparilla? As someone that has lived in Tampa for over a decade, allow me to fill you in real quick as the Tampa Bay area prepares for this yearly tradition.

Hotel Review: Fairfield Inn & Suites Homestead Florida City

The Fairfield Inn & Suites Homestead Florida is a new, 3-star hotel located near the heart of Miami and the bustling areas of Coral Gables, Homestead, and South Florida.