Vikingess Voyages: February 2018

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

The Ultimate Sakura - Cherry Blossom - Forecast for Japan 2018

It is finally time for the most popular season here in Japan; the Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Season! After the coldest winter in some 40 years, it is really nice that we're finally approaching warmer days. Due to the cold weather this winter the sakura flowers are projected to start blooming slightly later than usual. If you're traveling to Japan this cherry blossom season you can check out where to go below. The list begins in the north of Japan and goes down to the south of Kyushu.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

【Norwegianclass101】Valentines Day - "I love you" in Norwegian

It is time for yet another valentines day and for the occasion, I've prepared a video with Norwegianclass101.com with 3 phrases you can use to express your feelings in Norwegian.

Håper du får en fin valentinsdag!

Anette

Thanks for watching! Please feel free to leave any comments or questions below~
- Anette

Monday, February 12, 2018

Cherry Blossom Season in Japan: 6 Top Tokyo Hotels to Enjoy the Sakura

Time for Cherry blossom season!

The 2017 cherry blossom season is getting closer! It is fun to go out in the park and enjoy the sakura flowers, but while you're here why not stay at a hotel where you can enjoy the view of the beautiful flowers right outside your doorstep? As they say in Japan: Ichigo ichie (一期一会) - “Treasure every encounter, for it will never recur”! The short encounter with the Japanese sakura will indeed be a memory for life. So without further ado here is an introduction to 6 hotels that are perfect as a base to experience the Japanese cherry blossoms!

See also:
All Japan Hotel Reviews
Tokyo's 10 best-rated hotels 2017
Tokyo Hotel Special: 20 Grand Opening Hotels 2016 - 2017
Kyoto & Osaka Hotel Special: 20 Grand Opening Hotels 2016-2017
Japan's Top 10 Traditional Ryokan Hotels

Top 10 Fancy Tokyo Budget Hotels

Sakura Hotels: 1.Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa （Shinagawa）; 2.The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo（Shinagawa）; 3.Hotel New Otani Tokyo （Akasaka）; 4.Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo （Shinjuku）; 5. Hotel Gajoen Tokyo （Meguro）; 6.Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo （Takadanobaba）

1. Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa
（グランドプリンスホテル新高輪）

A garden with approximately 230 cherry trees

Above: From hotel's page

All of the 938 rooms at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa come with a private balcony for you to enjoy the view of the beautiful Japanese garden right outside your window. Encircled by the 3 Prince hotels Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa, Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa and The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo lies the 20,000 sqm Japanese garden exclusive for hotel guests, and here there are 19 types of Sakura, with a total number of around 230 trees. You can enjoy a stroll around the garden, and the view of the garden from the hotel lobby is also stunning. During the sakura season, you can admire the special evening atmosphere with light-up of the sakura trees.

Check out room availability here

Above: View of the garden from the hotel lounge. From hotel's page

2. The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo
（ザ・プリンスさくらタワー東京）

The cherry blossom tower

Above: From hotel's page

The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo is as mentioned one of the three Prince hotels surrounding a Japanese garden with more than 230 sakura trees. The hotel is a great choice if you want to see the cherry blossoms at its best, with the sakura trees outside The Prince Sakura Tower being particularly dense. From morning till night you can enjoy seeing the cherry blossoms in different shades of pink, and the road outside of the hotel also has an arch of sakura trees. With good timing, you're almost guaranteed a memorable cherry blossom season with a stay here.

Check out room availability here

3. Hotel New Otani Tokyo
（ホテルニューオータニ）

Get spellbound by the beauty of the Japanese garden

Above: From hotel's page

Inside the hotel area, there's a 40,000 sqm Japanese garden that has become known both as the symbol of Hotel New Otani and as one of the finest gardens in Tokyo. In this magnificent garden, you can view the blossoming cherry trees, some of them beautifully surrounding the hotel garden's waterfall just like an idyllic picture. In the middle of the Japanese garden there's a Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant, and here you can also try out the hotel's special sakura cocktail.
See also: Visit to a Luxury Outdoor Pool in Tokyo: The Hotel New Otani Garden Pool

Check out room availability here

4. Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo
（ホテル椿山荘東京）

120 Cherry Blossom trees in full bloom

Above: From hotel's page

The 20,000 sqm garden at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo has a more than 130 years long history, and with more than 20 types of cherry blossom flowers the sakura (河津桜 - Kawazu Sakura and 寒緋桜 - Kanhizakura / Taiwan Cherry) start to bloom from the middle of February and from then the different types of cherry trees will bloom one by one all the way up till April. In the evening there are light-ups of the garden, providing yet another wondrous spectacle for the lucky guests.

Check out room availability here

5. Hotel Gajoen Tokyo
（目黒雅叙園）

~~Right by Tokyo's most popular Sakura Spot Meguro River!

Above: From hotel's page

Hotel Gajoen Tokyo has only 23 rooms, all of them with a size of more than 80㎡, but it is still one of the most highly rated hotels in Tokyo. Parts of their rooms underwent a renovation in 2017 and this year they're celebrating their 90th anniversary. Hotel Gajoen Tokyo is also a part of the wonderous Meguro Gajoen wedding complex that inspired locations in the Gibli movie "Spirited Away". Guests visiting during the sakura season will find the location of the hotel impeccable, as it lies right by Tokyo's number one hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spot the Meguro River. The riverside of the Meguro River is home to around 830 Someyoshi cherry trees and provides a breathtaking scene when the flowers are in bloom.

Check out room availability here

Above: Sakura by the Meguro River

6. Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo
（リーガロイヤルホテル東京）

A hotel surrounded by famous cherry blossom spots

Above: From hotel's page

Winner of the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2016 this classical European style luxury hotel is guaranteed to give you a good base for experiencing the sakura season. There are numerous famous cherry blossom spots in the area surrounding the hotel including the Ōkuma Garden (大隈庭園), the Kandagawa River (神田川) and Asukayama Park (飛鳥山公園). At the hotel restaurant, you can enjoy the taste of spring with various seasonal dishes, and they also serve a seasonal special sakura cocktail for the occasion.

Check out room availability here

Final comment

How about a luxurious Ohanami?

Above: Norwegian bunda and sakura by Joe Photography

The sakura season is one of the most beloved times of the year in Japan, and if you're lucky enough to find yourself in Tokyo during this special season a stay at a hotel with good access - or even better; a view of a sakura garden - would be the perfect way to spoil yourself during your visit. For more information about sakura spots in Japan, you can check out some of the blog posts below.

Sunday, February 11, 2018

An Awesome Ramen Tour in Tokyo - 5 AM Ramen

Are you a fan of ramen? Want to eat fantastic ramen in Tokyo but don’t know where to go? Join my friend Frank on his Insider Tokyo Ramen Tour to dive into delicious bowls of ramen, ones you won’t find in most guidebooks!

Born in Tokyo and raised on ramen, Frank will help you experience ramen like never before, and like a true local. You can inquire about his ramen tours here: http://5amramen.com/ramen-tours

Or have a look at his blog 5 AM Ramen, for tasty food in Tokyo and beyond: www.5amramen.com

Thursday, February 8, 2018

9 Historical Japanese Hotels - The Japan Classical Hotel Association

With a large number of new hotels being built in Japan in advance of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, it is getting harder for Japan’s older hotels to stand out from the crowd. To reach out to travelers who prefer the charm of historical hotels, nine of Japan’s pre-World War II hotels have formed an association in order to show their appeal as Japan’s most Classical Hotels. The hotels included in this association have been carefully picked based on various criteria, one of them being that the exterior of the hotel must have kept its original look.

Below is the full list of the 9 hotels included in the Japan Classical Hotel Association:

See also:
All my Japanese Hotel Reviews
Tokyo's 10 best-rated hotels 2017
Tokyo Hotel Special: 20 Grand Opening Hotels 2016 - 2017
Kyoto & Osaka Hotel Special: 20 Grand Opening Hotels 2016-2017
Japan's Top 10 Traditional Ryokan Hotels

Top 10 Fancy Tokyo Budget Hotels