Travels with Matt 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.

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.

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.

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.

Tips for a long road trip

After a long road trip to Miami two weeks ago, I wanted to share a few things that you should do before heading out on a long road trip.

Hotel review: The B Roppongi (now Comfort Inn)

In 2019, I stayed at multiple hotels on my trip to Japan with my friends. This is a quick review of the first hotel we stayed in when we first arrived in Roppongi, the B Roppongi.

Note: Per their website, the B Roppongi is no longer a hotel in Roppongi. Instead, it is now named Comfort Inn. It has a new name but is still the same hotel (same location, etc.) so the review should be able to give you some kind of insight about this hotel.

5 tourist spots to watch out for in Kyoto

Kyoto is home to some of the most incredible temples and shrines in all of Japan. While it is home to many amazing sites, some of them should come with a little bit of a warning for tourists before they venture out to explore them. Here are some to watch out for as you explore Kyoto and what to expect.

Happy New Year!

Wish you and yours a Happy New Year! 2022 was an interesting year, but that is the past. 2023 is here so it is time to focus in and make those resolutions and dreams become reality to get the new year started out right.

To start the new year I am going to start getting content posted on the site that I have been working on over the past few weeks. It is going to be fun to get back to a more normal blogging schedule to begin the year. I still have a ton of work to do, but it’s a new year challenge that I am eager to take head on.

It’s time to get back to writing, creating content, and getting back on the road and traveling more.

Here’s to a great year so make sure to celebrate (responsibly of course) and ring in the 2023 year!