My Wildheart

Osaka-Jo

Osaka-Jo or Osaka Castle is a must visit for locals or tourists.
(entrance fee: 600 yen)
This Castle is not only a popular symbol of Osaka but she is a witness of a never ending war before. She was destroyed, burnt down, struck by a lighting but she miraculously survived. Osaka Castle had a major repair on 1997.  The interior design of the castle tower is already modern and they installed an elevator for easy access. You can find a lot of historical items inside the museum.



If you are curious about the life of the Samurai, want to see their weapons and clothes then this is a must visit for you. A lot of Samurai information can be found inside, by the end of the tour you will learn a lot.

Best time to visit Osaka Castle is during the Spring season when Sakura trees blooms. You can have a hanami there and picnic at the park . There are few food shops, souvenir shop and some benches outside the castle. Autumn is also a great season to visit if you like to se red and yellow trees.
This place is great for photoshoots.
Osaka-Jo hall is near the place, so for concert goers you can visit Osaka Castle while waiting for the concert.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Illumination

(entrance fee: 2300 yen)
It is one of the largest and spectacular aquariums in Japan.
From the station to the aquarium is a little bit far but there will be signage that will lead you the way.
It is really big but what is surprised me was that the fishes/most of the marine animals there are huge. Inside is like a maze, you will start at the 8th floor and slowly spiral down to the ground floor while observing the aquarium.


I am not sure about this but for me Singapore's S.E.A Aquarium has a lot more marine animals.  But Kaiyukan is really big . You can purchase souvenirs inside.
It is possible to go to these 2 places in 1 day and you can go shopping later in Dotonbori or shinsaibashi. 😍

Old blog : Halloween at USJ 2015

Ticket + Timed ticket for Harry Potter

2.Snack/Lunch
Foods there are really expensive.
If you are planning to have lunch there, make sure to take your lunch by 10:00am-11:00am.
Or have a late lunch by 2:00pm because all restaurants will be packed and expect for long lines.
On a budget :
USJ is not really strict. You can bring snacks/lunch from the outside.
You can rent a locker near the entrance to put your stuffs.

3. Rides

Expect for long lines even if you visit during weekdays. USJ will always be packed with locals and tourists.  FASTPASS is a must for those who would like to try a lot of rides there.

4. Other attractions and shows.
Get a map and a list of schedule .
Check the schedule of the shows, USJ is really big so familiarize the place.

5. Outfit

Make sure your outfit is appropriate at the park.
Bring extra clothes if you think you need one.
Wear comfy shoes, there will be rides that heels are definitely a no-no.
Cosplay- during Halloween season, a lot of people will wear costumes.

If you want to wear Harry Potter costumes, you can purchase it there.





 6. Lockers
Lockers are kinda limited. They can be found near the entrance.

7.  Shopping for souvenirs .

Bring a lot of cash :)
Expect the items there will be very expensive but they are very tempting especially at Harry Potter.







8. Harry Potter

You can only enter once at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter . But once you are in you can stay there for a long time.
A. Timed Entry Ticket
You can only get 1 entry timed ticket so don't lose it and make sure to enter at the estimated time given.
C. Arrive there early and RUN go directly at the entrance of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter,if you got in without a timed ticket entry then you can enter there twice.


In my case I've been to Universal Studios Singapore before and the attractions are almost the same. And since USS doesn't have a Wizarding World, I make sure to spend a lot of time there.
The following are my routine every time I visit the place
9am- I must be at the entrance of USJ, fast pass is already sold by this time but it's okay.
I am not really into rides.
Once I got in, run to the entrance of Happy Potter to get a timed entry ticket.
After I got the ticket, I will just stay there and wait. Now the waiting time is really long.
Once I'm inside the Harry Potter place I will go directly to the three broomsticks to have an early lunch. After that line for the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, then again the waiting line is really long it took us almost an hour waiting.

Attractions :
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Just have fun and take a lot of good pictures 😍

Voyager 

Luggage brand that failed me miserably
These 2 luggage from the same brand~ *sighs*
Bought these two suitcases from SM Department store.

I've been travelling a lot, both domestic and international.
A good luggage is a must for a traveler no matter how much it will cost.
I have been an Urban brand user, my loyalty will always be theirs since my 1st travel.
Then last year I got the courage to buy a new luggage from a different brand called voyager.

1st luggage - bought this one for my Singapore trip
1st impression : I really love the metallic color of this one
Price : almost the same with urban luggage
Pros:
The lock is a clamp type. not zipper.
Main reason why I bought this one is to avoid the "laglag bala" or planting of bullets in luggage at NAIA.
The color is metalic
The luggage's case is sturdy.
Cons :
The clamp lock broke when we were in Manila, a day before my flight in Singapore.
And it was really a nuisance
I am from Davao City, and I need to go to Manila to visit the office before I go to Singapore.
Seriously not good,  but I have no choice because purchasing a new luggage was not really an option that time. I have a meeting therefore I have no time, luckily the hotel's staffs helped me to fixed the luggage but I cannot put much in it.



2nd luggage from the same brand
Got a "let's give it a 2nd chance" idea.
Bought this one for my South Korea and Japan trip.
Pros:
Sturdy bag
It is kinda big compare to a medium sized bag
The zippers is a double type, it is really safe from someone who wants to open it with a use of a pen.

cons: The zipper broke.
During my Japan trip the zipper broke, it cannot be closed from the other side.
Luckily the other one is okay.
But seriously this type of problems are really a nuisance in a trip
nope ! not gonna buy from this brand again.
[update] we went to a place to have this fixed, my mother used this luggage when we went to Japan last Feb 2017, the zipper broke while we are at Japan. it was such a hassle