Oct 14th, 2010 at 1:00PM: There's nothing worse than being in a hotel room that's filled with the sounds of your neighbors. It has to get pretty bad outside your door for some out-of-control moron to be loud on your side of it, but let's face the reality: some hotel neighbors are awful. You can solve this problem easily, as long as you have close to three quarters of a million dollars on hand per single night of bliss.
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tokyo posts
Get 178 Mandarin Oriental Tokyo rooms, keep the neighbors away
Oct 14th, 2010 at 1:00PM: There's nothing worse than being in a hotel room that's filled with the sounds of your neighbors. It has to get pretty bad outside your door for some out-of-control moron to be loud on your side of it, but let's face the reality: some hotel neighbors are awful. You can solve this problem easily, as long as you have close to three quarters of a million dollars on hand per single night of bliss.
...Photo of the day (10.7.10)
Oct 7th, 2010 at 5:00PM:
I'm one of those weird adults who doesn't know how to ride a bike. No great excuse, just never bothered to learn as a kid, preferring indoor pursuits and walking on nice solid ground, and it's become harder to learn as an adult. My husband has attempted several times over the years and now I'm sort of like Toonces the driving cat - I can ride, just not very well. Maybe this fellow in Tokyo is ...Eating Japanese Culinary Time Warp Cuisine
Sep 27th, 2010 at 11:00AM: I just flew 7,000 miles to eat a Salisbury steak with a side of ketchup-laced spaghetti. Well, okay, that's not the only reason I'm in Tokyo, but have to admit when I first learned about yoshoku cuisine my anticipation to try it trumped all the tiny ramen restaurants I'd go to and even the Tsukiji fish market for just-pulled-from-the-sea fresh sushi.
Yoshoku cuisine is, after all, like eating in a ...Adventures in Eating: The Other Kind of Sushi in Tokyo
Sep 23rd, 2010 at 10:30AM: "I serve raw meat," said the chef, as I approached an empty seat at the counter.
"Did you hear me?," he said. "Raw. Meat."
He said it as if he were trying to scare me away, a verbal tone akin to "inadvertently" lifting up his shirt above his waste to reveal a handgun tucked into his pants. I nodded and sat down. After all, I didn't just happen upon this restaurant by accident. I was in Tokyo and ...Paris Hilton denied entry to Japan
Sep 22nd, 2010 at 10:00PM: Celebrity heiress Paris Hilton has returned to the United States afar a whirlwind trip to Japan this week, which included an overnight stay in an airport hotel and extensive questioning by officials at the country's Narita Airport.
Reports suggest that HIlton was denied entry to the country because of her past history with drugs, including her recent arrest for cocaine possession.
"About to ...Ten wild cab rides that you'll never forget
Sep 20th, 2010 at 3:00PM: Everyone has their own way of immersing in a culture. Some jump in knees-deep into the food scene, massacring the local food blogs and munching their ways through every gastic adventure that they can find. Others enjoy the philosophical and soft-edged days of lounging in street side cafes, watching passers-by and drinking coffee in the early afternoon sun. Here at Gadling though, we prefer the ...Tokyo hotel builds hotel rooms for train lovers
Sep 1st, 2010 at 2:30PM: Whoever said hotels aren't creative enough clearly hasn't stayed in a Tokyo hotel.
While some hotels focus on zen environments or Michelin-starred chefs, other hotels look for the unique and quirky to attract guests. Enter: The Washington Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, the first hotel to build a large train set inside one of its rooms.
The hotel took a twin room from its 13th floor and remodeled it ...Daily Pampering: $18,000 diamond martini at The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo
Aug 26th, 2010 at 4:00PM: There are some things in life you simply never think you'll see: Planes with back porches, hologram hotel rooms, gold-wrapped sushi, just to name of few. Yet, these things do exist. So, you set your expectations higher and expect that nothing will quite live up to the dreams you've conjured in your land of luxury lifestyle. And then, the Ritz-Carlton hands you a diamond martini, and you think you ...Top five cities for taxi drivers (and the bottom end, too)
Aug 7th, 2010 at 5:00PM: When you step into a cab, you never know what you're going to find. The driver could be knowledgeable, helpful, pleasant and safe. Or, he could lead you into a fender-bender in minutes. It's a real roll of the dice, of course, though some cities' cabbies are certainly better than others – at least that's what hotels.com found.
In a study of world's taxi drivers, hotels.com found that ...No guidebook required: the joys of ditching an itinerary
Jul 8th, 2010 at 2:30PM: Itineraries and guidebooks can be both a blessing and a curse, when it comes to travel. If you're the free-spirited, adventurous sort, it sucks to lug a book around, but it's a good idea-especially if you're a woman-so you don't have to leave accommodations to chance should you arrive late at night in a strange town.
I once ended up sleeping in a spider-infested trailer, after spontaneously ...Finding the expat community and what travelers can learn from them
Jul 6th, 2010 at 1:30PM: No matter how well-traveled you are, moving to a foreign country and living as an expat is a whole new ballgame. Your priorities and standards change, and hours that you may have spent as a traveler in a museum or wandering a beach are now spent in as an expat search of an alarm clock or trying to distinguish between eight types of yogurt. You become like a child again: unable to speak in complete ...An unforgettable ride on Japan's bullet train
Jun 24th, 2010 at 12:00PM:
I don't know who's behind the recent glut of Japan-centric videos that's been floating around web. Then again, it doesn't matter, does it? All that matters is the creators behind these short movies are some seriously creative individuals. The video above comes to us courtesy of daihei shibata, a Tokyo resident who decided to film his recent train ride on Japan's Shinkansen (bullet train) ...
A time lapse video journey through Japan
Jun 14th, 2010 at 9:30AM:
I have fond memories of my visit to Japan two years ago. From the mind-boggling delights of Tokyo to the placid preserves of Kyoto and the no-holds-barred fun fest of Osaka, it's a country that provided some of my greatest travel moments. That's why the video above, created by Vimeo user Brad Kremer, is bringing back strong memories for me today. Brad has made use a photographic technique ...
Best destinations for gadget geeks
Jun 4th, 2010 at 11:39AM:
Chances are, the laptop you're reading this article on was not made here in the U.S. It's a well-known fact that most of the world's consumer gadgetry, from mobile phones to laptops to gaming consoles, is created abroad, in places ranging from Japan to Europe and beyond. A visit to one of these tech-centric destinations is a great chance to pick up a one-of-a-kind tech product or grab a great ...Photo of the Day (4.20.10)
Apr 20th, 2010 at 6:00PM:
Welcome to Asakusa in Tokyo, Japan - home of the Crying Sumo Baby Festival. Yes, you read that right. Crying sumo babies. The rules are simple: two sumo wrestlers face off in a ring and each is handed a baby. The babies are raised and whichever baby cries the loudest, wins. Brilliant!
This photo was taken by Flickr user Vyxle at the 2008 Crying Sumo Baby Festival. If you're headed to Tokyo, ...20 great destinations for shopping
Apr 2nd, 2010 at 3:00PM:
Shoppers of all kinds will fall in love with the places that made this list of the top 20 cities for shopping. Whether you live nearby or are planning a trip, this list offers places ideal for anyone in need of some retail therapy.
New Orleans, Louisiana
The French Quarter and Bourbon Street are only the starting point in the unique shopping destinations you'll find in New Orleans. Stroll ...The 20 greatest cities in the world for foodies
Mar 11th, 2010 at 8:29AM: Once upon a time, the world's food capitals were a mere few well-known locales like Paris, New York, and Bangkok. All the action (and the eyes, and the forks) were focused there.
Recently, though, many areas of the world have expanded and improved both their menus and their talents in the kitchen, resulting in far more places staking their claims in the classy world of quality dining. ...Photo of the Day (2.14.2010)
Feb 14th, 2010 at 6:00PM: Travel photos are typically taken once we arrive at our destination. But did you ever consider the airport as a great setting for travel photography? The rhythm of the passengers hustling about, brightly colored airplane tail fins and the ever changing sky all make for great subjects as you begin to document your trip. Flickr user jameskadamson shared this uniquely framed airport snap with us ...Ten Great Cities for Photography
Jan 22nd, 2010 at 4:21PM: Some cities just draw you in, beckoning you to capture their souls on camera. There are billions of places in the world where photo ops abound -- The Pyramids, Rome, London, and The Great Wall of China are a few of the most famous examples.
Here are ten less common places where magnificent scenery, people, and everyday life are like no other -- and can lead to some terrific travel photography. ...Shop local dollar stores - Souvenir tip
Jan 19th, 2010 at 12:29PM: My favorite places to check out for souvenirs are equivalent to dollar stores, flea markets, and book shops.
When in Tokyo, for example, I stumbled upon a 100 yen store called "Daiso Harajuku," and I found a trove of Japanese pottery, ornate chopsticks, and beautiful stationary papers.
In Paris, "Shakespeare and Company Bookstore" offers an array of books, new and used, and each book ...
