Travel August 28, 2018

A Fun Family Trip to Niagara Falls with GO Transit

white water walk — White Water Walk – Niagara Parks Attraction

Niagara Falls has been a getaway from my routine Toronto life for years. I’ve gone countless times as a child, with friends, as a newlywed and now as a mother of 2. Every time I’ve been, there’s one thing we always do that is something new. Whether it is as simple as eating somewhere different or as fun as trying out an attraction. The last time my husband and I went to Niagara Falls with our little ones was a year ago, on Canada Day weekend; Canada’s 150th birthday. We had the pleasure of going with GO Transit this time, as opposed to driving and here are my top 3 reasons why you should take the GO Train to Niagara Falls before the season is over:

1. No Traffic. The GO Train will get you there without having to deal with car traffic, road closures or accidents. You’re also being greener by doing so, fewer emissions into our environment. It was super convenient to get to Niagara Falls in 2 hours! Could be less depending on where you get on from. We got on from Port Credit.

2. Children are happy. Sitting in a car seat for consecutive hours is not fun. Some children get cranky, they cry and you will probably have to stop a couple of times to entertain them. On the GO Train, we were able to park our stroller facing our seats on our way to Niagara Falls. We easily entertained them with songs, books, a tablet and even took a little walk.

3. Price. The Niagara Falls GO service runs from Union Station in Toronto to Niagara; $30 round trip. Also, if you’re bringing bikes, there are designated carts for bikes. We actually sat in a cart for bikes, all to ourselves on our trip back. The price covers your round-trip GO Train fare plus a connecting WEGO bus pass that you can use for the weekend.
Having transit covered via your WEGO bus pass made a huge difference in getting from one attraction to the other within Niagara. The bus service was fast and we were always able to get a seat.

A Fun Family Trip to Niagara Falls with GO Transit

We took the GO Train on Friday night and got on the WEGO bus to the hotel. Some of you asked me on Instagram stories whether it was hard getting on the WEGO bus with a luggage, stroller, and 2 kids. To be honest, no. We had done this in Japan with both kids when we were using the trains, so I guess we’ve found what works. Luggage and bags are with my husband, I assist when I can and I have one kid on my hip while holding the other’s hand. When there’s a will, there’s a way!

WHERE TO EAT AT NIAGARA FALLS

If you’re looking for a quick bite, there are many places to eat! The options are endless. If you’re looking for authentic Italian pizza, check out Antica. There’s also a great firework viewing area right across the street from here. (see my IG story highlights). For lunch, on Saturday we went to Elements on The Falls. What an experience!

We had an amazing view from the window of the Falls, the service was impeccable and the food was delicious! They brought crayons and paper for the children, along with closed cups with straws. And yes, they have high chairs and a changing area in the washroom. Here’s what he had, read captions for food details:

This waffle veggie sandwich is a cold sandwich with eggplant, brie, zucchini, tomato, and lettuce.

For dinner, we went to the Queen Victoria Place Restaurant. The views are incredible here as well, and the food is great! Around 8-9pm, the live music starts and you can hear it from this restaurant and also see the light show on the Falls.

The ADVENTURE PASS: NIAGARA PARKS ATTRACTIONS

Majority of the times we went to Niagara Falls, we spent more time just walking up and down the streets to different stores, the casino, arcades etc. Only the last time we went with our kids did we check out the Bird Kingdom and we loved it! So this time we made sure we experienced more attractions. Especially with children, they get to learn so much. I highly recommend you get an adventure pass. You get to pick from all the attractions you’d like to go too. There are so many to choose from. We went with the White Water Walk, Whirlpool Aero Car, and the Butterfly Conservatory.

WHITE WATER WALK

I was blown away to learn that almost 70% of you had not been to the White Water Walk and now are planning to go! It was my first time along with my husband’s and we were both in awe at how incredible it looked up close. Class 6 white-water rapids are hypnotizing when you’re walking that close to them. Our children were in awe at how fast the water was going and Baby D had a ton of questions to go with his admiration.

WHIRLPOOL AERO CAR

At first glance I was scared. Especially after I was told that we couldn’t bring our stroller on board the aero car. My plan was to buckle them in. But let me tell you, worried for nothing. First of all, they had a designated safe area for strollers, and the cart had an area for adults holding children, it was fenced in the middle of the cart, away from the edge. Totally safe and went at a very safe speed as well. Basically slow, which was great for pictures! The attendant who spoke about the whirlpool and rapids was really friendly and even took pictures for people on the cart.

THE BUTTERFLY CONSERVATORY

niagara parks — The Butterfly Conservatory – Niagara Parks

For almost a month now Baby D had been obsessed with butterflies and saying he wanted to catch one. So going to this attraction couldn’t have come at a better time. He was ecstatic to be there! He listened attentively to the introduction video at the beginning of the attraction. (Make sure you do, because they will be giving tips on how to be gentle with the butterflies and to watch out for them sitting on the floor.) There are over 2,000 butterflies, made up of 45 different species here! Before entering the conservatory, or after you exit, there is an area with table and chairs for children to sit down and colour or to have their snacks. Also, some informational exhibits about bugs. Our kids spent a lot of time here, just running around looking at each one.

And that’s a wrap! What an awesome weekend. My family and I love that GO Transit offers a $30 round trip service to Niagara, and I’ve already inspired family and many of you to go! To see everything I mentioned above in action, check out my Instagram highlights under Niagara for videos. Tag me, (@HumJK) on Instagram. I would love to share your trip to Niagara on my stories. Can’t wait to see you all having fun at Niagara Falls!

[SPONSORED: This trip was provided by Go Transit and Niagara Parks. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

where to stay at niagara falls

Travel June 20, 2018

The 7 Best Dessert Places in Seoul and Tokyo

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

1. Mr.Holmes Bakehouse – Korea

I cannot even tell you how much I loved this place! Not only was it a cute place to eat but the desserts are SO good. A bloggers dream basically, marble tables, white brick, and a neon sign backdrop. You can sit and have your dessert there and people watch. Because it’s on Gungham. Where all the rich folks chill, you’ll love people watching, with all the designer shiznit they’ll be wearing it’s practically a non-stop fashion show. I would’ve loved to stay but with two todds we had to bounce and get it all to go. Love the old school paper bag they put your goods in. Make sure you go earlier during the day because evenings you’ll find very few items left. We basically took everything they had left. All their cookies, croissants and some kind of cake. Everything was delicious and finished that night. We managed to save two cookies for the next day to savor. And one of our Todd’s, baby D, found it and demolished it. Definitely going back in a couple of years to Korea and will stop by this place again. Otherwise maybe check out their other location in Cali.

The 7 Best Dessert Places in Seoul and Tokyo

2. FLORESTA NATURE DOUGHNUTS – tokyo
Because they have the cutest doughnuts you’ll ever have.

3. Delice tart and Cafe – Ginza

This Cafe was actually one we just found out of the blue. I noticed it when we were coming out of the all-day breakfast place. You can read more about that breakfast place here. So Baby D kept asking for cake and we walk into this place and it’s best described to be like a cafe dollhouse. Super cute seating area. They have a dessert buffet style menu and then you can also purchase desserts on their own. The first time we went here we got a slice of tiramisu cake to go. They actually packed it in a pretty box with ice packs around it so it would stay fresh till eaten! A lot of places in Japan pride themselves on how fresh their food is and a lot of times won’t even allow for a “to go” option. We had to talk the places into it by telling them our hotel was next door or very close.

4. TOKYO DISNEYSEA LITTLE GREEN MEN DUMPLINGS

How cute are these alien dumplings from Toy Story! I found these guys on Instagram, saved it and when I got to Tokyo DisneySea I showed someone there the picture and they directed me to the store that was selling them. The outer layer is squishy like dumpling should be. And then the inside is filled with like a custard. One is chocolate, strawberry, and custard. The strawberry one was the worse. But that’s just my preference. Enjoy!

5. DOMINIQUE ANSEL BAKERY – TOKYO

I’ll let the below video do most of the explaining for this bakery:

6. REMICONE – SEOUL

They have cotton candy! Enough said. This place is so cute and I love the clean aesthetic. Also, the price is right!

7. LINE FRIENDS CAFE – SEOUL

You’ll see this store everywhere around Seoul but the cafe is a specific one. They’ve got the cutest merchandise and then treats to match:

Top 10 Things To Do & See in Egypt

Travel April 11, 2018

Breakfast in Tokyo – Hawaiian Themed All Day Breakfast

The last time we were in Tokyo which was about three and a half years ago, it was really hard to find a breakfast place. Especially an all day breakfast place. So we opted for booking breakfasts at the hotel and all was great. This time we needed roomier places for the kids to play and run around in, especially since most of the day they would be in their strollers, our arms or walking. We booked an Air BnB twice on our two weeks and a bit trip. During those times we took our chance looking for breakfast places and to our surprise, a lot more options came up. Perhaps it was because we were staying in a different area from the last time. Which happen to be Ginza. Breakfast at Eggs n Things was a perfect option. Especially for kids.

For children, they had high chairs that fit perfectly close to the tables and they provided Hawaiin themed coloring paper and thick crayons. Not those cheap breakable ones.

Hawaiian Themed All Day Breakfast

Other breakfast places in Ginza we found and were considering to try were:

Mercer Brunch

Eggs n Things

Elle Cafe

The first day we went to eggs n things and loved it so much we went there twice! We were going to try Mercer Brunch the second day, especially because it’s right across from eggs n things. But at that time the line was longer and with two kids that could get complicated.

So here’s what we ordered at eggs n things:

French toast – It has a lot of vanilla in it. But tastes great! You can choose to get the original, where they put lots of whip cream and make it look pretty. Or opt out of whip cream altogether. Which is what we did.

Omelet – They have different ones. Veggie or meat. But in my opinion, don’t order this. It’s not the worse omelet we had on our trip but it’s not good. Watery and undercooked. But because this was the third time we found omelets not tasting good in Japan, I started to think maybe this is how they like their omelets. So pass on this one.

Pancakes – Lots of options and they’re perfect. We tried the chocolate chip pancakes and they really packed in the chocolate chips. So if you don’t want too much chocolate, let them know.

The banana pancakes are really good too. Our kids loved it! You have the option of having them baked inside or on top.

Breakfast in Tokyo

Eggs Benedict – The first day I had it with shrimp. Something different from my usual order of salmon. I was impressed. I got serious Hawaiian vibes from this dish. Very fresh and …excuse me while I wipe my drool. The second day I tried the salmon to see if it was better than the shrimp. Both were great, but if you go here once then try the shrimp Eggs Benedict.

The virgin blue/green drink I can’t remember what it was called, was $8 and not worth it. Watered down kool-aid. Instead get a tea, coffee or OJ.

When we go back to Tokyo, and if we’re staying in Ginza, I’d definitely eat here again!

PSST! SAVE ME FOR LATER. PIN BELOW IMAGE:

Motherhood February 7, 2018

5 Tips for Toddler and Baby Airplane Travel, Including Netflix Downloads

We just came back to Toronto from our first flight with two kids. Baby D had flown twice before but at 3 months old. which made this officially his first time, where he will hopefully remember everything. Before the trip, I did a couple of things that really helped traveling with my two babies. Here are my 5 Tips to Travel with a Toddler and a Baby, Including what Netflix shows you should download for offline viewing:

1. LOTS OF SNACKS

So on our plane ride to Vancouver, I packed some juice boxes, goldfish, cookies, and some dry fruit. But what the heck was I thinking! That’s a lot of sugar to give to a toddler on a plane where the options to burn that sugar off is very low. I ran out of options to keep his tantrums from escalating and learned very fast what I shouldn’t have done. That being said, on our plane ride back to Toronto I was prepared! I cut up cucumbers, carrots, and apple slices right before the flight and stored them in a tin snacking bowl that has a cover. To keep them fresh you can even sprinkle very little orange juice or lemon juice. I also got another pack of goldfish, veggie snack chips and bananas (has the natural muscle-relaxants magnesium and potassium, that helps children sleep better).

[Tweet “#DidYouKnow 1 in 5 #Canadians have suffered through a flight with no entertainment due to faulty in-flight systems. @Netflix_CA “]

5 Tips for Airplane Travel with a Toddler and a Baby, Including Netflix Downloads

[Tweet “Nearly half (45%) of those watching on the go have caught a backseat binger snooping on their screen Screen snooping can have real consequences! In fact, 20% of public bingers experience “show shame”, the feeling of embarrassment over what they were caught watching”]

2. NETFLIX OFFLINE DOWNLOADS + CHILD-FRIENDLY TABLET

Baby Ds first tablet was actually a tablet that was given to me for my birthday. It was the newest Samsung tablet with all the bells and whistles! But soon as Baby D got his little hands on it, the tablet wasn’t mine anymore. Kind of bittersweet because now he was self-sufficient for a couple of hours a day but I lost one of my favourite gadgets. Long story short, he cracked the screen and then we got him a child-friendly tablet with a cover. We got him the Amazon tablet (click here) that has been proven to be child-friendly and the tablet cover (click here) has saved this tablet from damage, even when thrown from the second floor! P.S We bought the tablet brand new off of kijiji because it’s not available in Canada or wasn’t at the time we purchased it.

I downloaded:

Land Before Time (Dinosaur movie) This movie keeps him glued to the tablet because he loves dinosaurs so much. I also played dinosaurs with him while the movie played in the background with the toys I brought him.
Paw Patrol – At least 5 of newest episodes that he hadn’t seen yet. Yay for the new season on Netflix!
Octonauts – He loves sea animals!
Dora the Explorer – What I love the most about this show are the scenes where Dora interacts with the viewers. Asking questions or to do something.
Magic School Bus Rides Again – He’s been loving this show as much as I did when I was a child.

One thing I did learn through our trip to BC was that it’s so loud on the airplane that you can barely hear anything from the tablet. I tried getting him to use the earphones but he hated it and threw them off. We went to the mall while in BC and picked up headphones in hopes he would use it. When we first showed it to him and how it works he said a hard “NO!”, but then I sneakingly plugged it in so he could hear the sounds coming from the headphones. Then after a couple more minutes, I put them on him and he let them stay. But to ask me a question he took them off and then wouldn’t put them on again. We did this at least 10 times. Then I gave up and hung them from the armrest as if they were just extended speakers. New plan: A month before our next trip we’re going to practice putting on headphones, and hopefully he’ll understand the concept and accept it.

[Tweet “64% have laughed out loud to themselves while bingeing in public”]

2. SMALL TOYS

Make sure the toys you choose are soft and not too noisy, to ensure you don’t disturb the people around you. Especially toddlers they’re unpredictable and might feel like throwing them in the air. Yes, it happened to us. Smaller toys will also be easier to travel with. Here are some suggestions for toys and where you can buy them:

Light squishy plastic dinosaurs – Found them at Wal-Mart for $2 each

Kinder Surprise Eggs – Any convenience or grocery store

Play-doh – You can make anything out of it!

Soft/Teddy bear books – Example

3. ACTIVITIES

You have to plan ahead for what kind of activities to keep your toddler busy. Especially if you have other children traveling with you, activities are the only thing that will keep them busy and be playing friendly. I brought colouring books and a massive Peppa Pig sticker book that kept him busy for an hour. We put the stickers together and then coloured them. He loves to build stuff so Ièm going to look into getting some soft toy building materials. Maybe from an arts supplies store and put together a ziplock bag of items we can use to build stuff. Another thing to take note is that the flight attendants can get very pushy about when the seat trays have to be put away. A toddler doesnèt understand that and it could easily turn into a really bad tantrum. This happened to us on the plane. For the next trip, I plan to purchase a travel tray or I saw one that skip hop carries used for cars. That might work as well.

4. REWARDS

Have a couple of surprises to reward for good behavior. However, stay away from candy, chocolate or anything with too much sugar. Organic fruit gummies or a new toy will suffice.

5. STRETCH IT OUT

Make sure your seating situation makes it easy for you to walk around or for washroom breaks. Your toddler and baby will be drinking a lot more on the plane to stay hydrated, which means more washroom breaks. After diaper changes in the tiny plane washroom, I sang a song and do a little wiggle dance with him so he can stretch out. You can do the dance near the exit areas where there’s space if you’re feeling brave.

Travel August 29, 2017

Top 10 Things To Do & See in Egypt

Note: The things to do and see in Egypt are not in order based on best to worse or vice versa. I went in order to what we
did on our trip.

1. Sharm el Sheikh

If you go to Egypt then definitely book a flight to Sharm el-Sheikh. It’s on the coastal strip along the Red Sea, with warm water and has miles of beautiful beaches. This is a great relaxing break during your trip to Egypt. Some excellent places to hang out and eat in Sharm is the Little Buddha restaurant and the Camel Bar.

little budddha sharm el sheikh — Little Buddha Restaurant

2 – ATV riding, Tea & a Bedouin dinner (Sharm el Sheikh)

3 – Shopping in Cairo

Check out the Festival City Mall and the InterContinental Citystars Mall. The Citystars Mall is full of a great mix of American, European and Egyptian stores. This mall has 7 floors, approx. 650 shops, a theatre, food courts (yes, more than one), restaurants/cafes and 3 hotels connected to it. The weekends are really busy, so if you still want to see the mall busy but not to a crazy extent then go on a Friday. We stayed at the InterContinental that is connected to Citystars, which made it really easy to go to the mall when ever we remembered something we wanted to buy. Also convenient to have it so close when you’ve had a long day touring Cairo and still want to feel like you’re outside getting the most of this beautiful country. If you haven’t chosen a hotel yet, I highly recommend this one.

Gaby's Citystars Mall — Gaby’s Citystars Mall

4 – The Great Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza

The best way to see the Pyramids and Sphinx in Giza is by horseback riding to them. Having a guide is fun so they can teach you some history while you gaze at these wonders of the world. We went inside the great pyramid and it was definitely worth it! You may get hustled outside the Pyramids by children and men asking you to buy souvenirs. We just couldn’t resist and bought some.

pyramids tour going down — Going down inside the Pyramid

5 – The Egyptian Museum

The museum is located by the famous Tahrir Square. Exhibits at the museum include a collection of King Tut’s items and an amazing display of the new kingdom royal mummies. There are no cameras allowed in the museum, so they confiscate cameras at the door and give you a ticket to get it back on your way out. If you try to take any pictures with your phone, be aware that they have some under cover workers there that look like regular people, that will catch you and ask you to delete the picture right away. Someone in our group tried taking pictures and that was the outcome.

6 – National Military Museum

When you plan your day to go to the National Military Museum, add number 7 to your list because they’re close to each other. If you love learning about the history of a country then definitely go here. There’s a lot to learn and the exhibits are beautiful.

7 – Old Mosques

Right outside the Military museum you can walk to the Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque. You will be in awe at the amazing architecture.

The Saladin Citadel of Cairo is a medieval Islamic fortification in Cairo, Egypt. Located on Mokattam hill, center of Cairo, has a beautiful view of the city.

8 – Authentic Egyptian Food

Make dinner plans at Abou Shakra restaurant for authentic Egyptian food. The best food we had in Egypt was at this restaurant.

9 – Khan el Kahlili Market

Spend an afternoon shopping inside the Khan El–Khalili bazaar, where you can easily get lost in the, what looks like hundreds of alley ways to different parts of the bazaar, dedicated to different items. A section for jewellery, scarves, fabrics, food, souvenirs, hookahs and more. Most importantly there is so much history within these streets. The Bab al-Ghuri gate (seen below) dates back to 1503-1505.

10 – Dinner by the Nile

While you’re by the Nile, if the weather is beautiful go for a 30-45 min cruise down the Nile. But first go for brunch at Left Bank in Zamalek, followed by dinner at Seqoia. I was in love with Seqoia’s ambiance and decor. Under a big white tent, splashes of pastel and the fresh smell of the Nile, it couldn’t be a more perfect spot for dinner. The service was spot on and the food was delicious.

THE 7 BEST DESSERT PLACES IN SEOUL AND TOKYO

BREAKFAST IN TOKYO – HAWAIIAN THEMED ALL DAY BREAKFAST

Beauty March 13, 2015

Friday Faves : Travel

Travelling to new places and learning about the culture and history of different destinations is something my husband and I love to do. Some trips are planned well in advance and some last minute. Our last big trip was to South Korea and Japan. We also had booked a trip to China this week for two weeks that we cancelled due to the wonderful new addition to our family. Now we look forward to taking him with us on all of our trips. The first one being to a resort in Mexico this May.

When planning a trip, where do you look for information, inspiration or general tips?

Reading and collecting the lonely planet books has become a tradition. However, a lot of the unique suggestions and tips come from articles. Articles like the ones I read in the Global Style Advisor that released today. If you haven’t already, I’d go out and get this travel edition found in the Globe and Mail to keep as a reference for the many destinations mentioned or check out the digital version here. Love the resort fashion spread, that has left me inspired for our trip in May. Need to have that Hugo Boss dress!

If I were only allowed to take a ~~few~~ some items with me to any of the great escapes mentioned in this Globe Style Advisor edition, they would be the following:

Fave Fragrance

Try travelling with a light and fresh fragrance. Especially if you’re stuck on a long flight.

Fave Notebook

Everyone has that one notebook they travel with. Somewhere to keep all of their plans, schedules, tips etc.

Fave Cosmetics

All I need is Benefit’s new roller lash, blush and an awesome lip tint balm for the perfect amount of natural colour.

Fave Tag

Just in case you lose your luggage and just because it’s a cute accessory for your carry on. Plus, there really is no place like home. 🙂

Travel December 15, 2014

REVIEW: The Conrad Hotel – Tokyo

stayed in a lot of hotels through my years of travelling and some hotels become your staple go-to’s, some you never want to go back and others you tip your hat too.

Food : Four restaurants, two lounges and room service. The choices are endless. Paying an extra amount to have breakfast included is a great idea. Plus, there are no breakfast places in Tokyo. Unless you’re looking for brunch, only on weekends or a sushi breakast. The locals say it’s because no one wakes up early enough for breakfast, so make sure you get a breakfast package at the hotel you stay at.

We enjoyed breakfast in the executive lounge and the Cerise restaurant, where you have a wide variety of foods to choose from. American breakfast, japanese and even some mexican, which I had the pleasure of trying. Never would’ve thought I’d try a mexican breakfast in Tokyo.

I discovered on the second day of having breakfast at the Cerise restaurant that you’re able to take your hot drinks to go. This is great if you’re short of time and need to start your day but want to also enjoy your tea.

Room service options are great! You can pretty much order food from all the restaurants in the hotel and the only disclaimer is time. I believe most of the best items on the room service menu you have to order before 10 pm. One evening, I was craving a nice CLT avocado sandwich. I hesitantly called room service to check if they could make me this sandwich because it wasn’t in the room service book. When they said yes and delivered, I was smiling ear to ear! As a social media specialist, I was giddy when I saw the butter in the form of the Twitter bird. I know, it’s probably just a bird. However, social media nerds alike, would understand and also see a “Twitter” bird instead.

Don’t leave the Conrad in Tokyo without making reservations at the Kazahana restaurant for a private sushi bar experience like no other. The master sushi chefs are world class. A bar of about 6 seats, you’ll enjoy an intimate dining experience, where you watch the master sushi chefs create your order right before your eyes at a perfect pace, so it’s all fresh. As soon as you finish one order, they give you a few minutes break to clear your taste buds with some tea and then start making the next order. Don’t be shy to ask questions about the fish or the process. It adds to the whole experience of learning about what you’re eating.

The wasabi isn’t like the wasabi we have here in Toronto at restaurants. It’s made into a paste, fresh, right before your eyes. Ground from the wasabi root, to your plate. The flavour was SO much better then the tube or overly green stuff we get here. Same texture, better zing!

The master chef goes every morning to the fish market to get everything he needs at the restaurant. You can tell he’s passionate about what he does, because he even lives near the Tsukiji Fish Market. The Tsukiji Fish Market is world’s largest, busiest fish market. If you go around 5 am you can catch a tuna fish auction and even sit at one of the sushi counters there for a sushi breakfast. The highlight of this experience was when we ordered prawns and the process they went through to get to our plate. As soon as I saw them alive, I have to admit I didn’t want it any more, but the reality of eating fresh is just that. The chefs here even made a delicacy out of the prawn legs. They were deep fried and presented to us when we finished eating, as an in between snack before the next order. Visually it was hard to eat, but tasted pretty good.

There are some orders the chefs would make in between us figuring out what else we wanted to order. At one point, the master sushi chef, started to put together an octopus order. Upon asking some questions about the process and the octopus, he prepared an order on the house for us. It was a very distinctive flavour, definitely not for everyone and didn’t taste like the calamari we get at home. However, that was really kind of him to sample it to us.

Rooms:

We had the King City room booked for 3 days on the 37th floor, right beside the Executive Lounge and then the 4th day we were suppose to move to another hotel but loved our time at Conrad so much that we decided to stay there and had our items moved to the 38th floor in a King City room. The King City room has a king size bed, panoramic views of Ginza and the Shiodome area, amazing bathroom and some cute surprises.

conrad king city room bears — Cute Conrad Hotel Teddy Bear Takeaways

conrad tokyo hotel washroom — His and Hers sinks, separate shower, stand alone tub, electronically controlled blinds for bathroom and bedroom.

conrad hotel tokyo — A takeaway rubber duck

Staff:

Everyone at the Conrad hotel were exceptionally nice and very accommodating. Nunzio, a manager at the Cerise restaurant was very nice to us and I had the pleasure of speaking to him about his experience in Japan, since he is originally from Italy.

Other Amenities:

Tips:

The hotel is located near the JR Shinbashi station. If you have a JR pass this will make travelling from cities and stations on the JR line very easy.
You enter the Conrad Hotel entrance on the ground floor but the hotel lobby is on the 28th floor.
Afternoon tea service 3-5 pm in the Executive Lounge
Bath room mirror is great for selfies 😉

Series August 22, 2014

Road Trip: Toronto to CT

One of my favourite things is to go where I’ve never been..

And so our road trip journey to Connecticut began.

It’s a long drive but definitely worth it. Especially if at the end destination you’re reunited with one of your best friends. You’ll need lots of snacks and a big case of water bottles. Keep the long drive interesting by keeping conversations going and maybe even throwing some mini dance parties during your drive. Don’t worry, there are lots of opportunities to stop and get food or go shopping at outlets. We passed 3 outlets and stopped at 2.

Here are some highlights and tips if you’re visiting New Haven, CT or Cape Cod, MA.

When you get to New Haven definitely visit the highest peak, East Rock. You can either hike to the top or drive. Once you’re there, the view is spectacular. Pack your lunch, because it’s a great picnic area!

You must try this breakfast place in New Haven, very close to Yale University, The Pantry! This was the most delicious breakfast I had during this trip. The Oreo pancakes were to die for! It was the best of both worlds of sweet and salty.

Cape Cod, sticking out into the Atlantic Ocean is the eastern most portion of Massachusetts. There are beaches and cute little strips of old school stores to explore. Shopping for interior items for your home is best in Chatham.

We stayed at the Ocean Club on Smugglers Beach in Cape Cod and the beach was just a short walk from our room. Everywhere we went, we noticed sculptures and signs made from sand. They kicked off the summer with these displays of sand art all around Yarmouth. You could even download a map of where they all were and go on a sand sculpture tour of your own!

The rooms have a serene nautical feel to them and it truly feels like you haven’t left the beach. With seashell paintings and side table lamps, a cute light pink kitchen by the den area and a fireplace. Looking out the balcony you can even see the ocean.

Greenwich is not too far from Cape Cod, so if you have a chance, take a short drive and have your dinner or grab some gelato at the La Fenice Gelateria.

Make the most of what’s left of our summer and go for an adventurous road trip!

Happy travels!

Series June 17, 2014

Bermuda: Planning a Girls Trip

My girl friends and I like to try and squeeze in a trip a year into our busy schedules so we can get some quality time with one another. This year we chose Bermuda. It was a short trip, but definitely worth it.

We’ve gone on so many trips in the past that doing research, buying tickets and organizing the entire trip has become a lot easier over the years. One of the things I’ve noticed as my typical keyword search to help us decide on a destination is “name of the place” girls trip itinerary. The search results for these keywords are weak. Either there isn’t much raw content out there in this category or I need to step up my keyword search game. Which ever it may be, I’m adding to the data pool!

Length of Trip: 3.5 Days

Day 1

Settle into your resort, villa or house : This could take up your entire morning depending on where you stay. The bermudans love to talk and they’re very kind. You have two options when deciding where to stay. You can stay near downtown, or what Bermudans call the suburbs, countryside. The distance from countryside to downtown is usually less than 30 mins. The south side of Bermuda, Hamilton to the Dockyards I think is where the prettier water is. Although surprisingly Horseshoe Bay Beach had a stunning view.

You’ll need to travel around Bermuda and I think the best way is by scooter. Bus transportation takes too long, from what I read in reviews and cabs can get pricey. If you haven’t ever rode a scooter before, please take it easy. I’ve heard and witnessed enough scooter accidents that lead to death or close to it. Be confident and stay within the speed limit. Or just ride behind someone like I did. I didn’t do so well on a scooter in Cuba so didn’t want to take any chances. Call a scooter rental place and have them meet you at your place of stay or a restaurant. The people at Oleander Cycles were very nice and patient. We’ve ridden scooters in Jamaica, Cuba and some of us in Goa but after a few months you still need some practice and direction before you head onto the road.

Everyone drives on the left side of the road in Bermuda and key thing to remember is if you’re being honked at, they’re just saying Hello! The speed limit is 35-40kph, so it’s not because you’re going too slow. From one point of the island to the other side takes about 45 mins to 1 hour.

Day 2

Rent your own boat and go out on the water and do some coral reef and island hopping!
We packed up a cooler for a whole day trip and rented our boat from H2O sports.

Although we were really tired we still made a trip Downtown and had dinner at Pearl, which is inside Port O Call. It was great sushi!

Day 3

We rode our scooters to the dockyards where cruise ships stop, where you can find cute shops and restaurants as well. After that we made a trip to the Horseshoe Bay beach which is known as the most popular beach in Bermuda. Make sure you climb the big rock beside the hidden cove near the entrance of the beach. The views are spectacular from up there.

Later that evening we went back downtown and enjoyed an evening at Cafe Cairo. For those of you who love hookah, you can order it there.

Check out my vlog I posted to my YouTube channel. Hit subscribe ;”) :

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About

Toronto Lifestyle Blogger
I love Sushi and BBQ, just not together. I'm a mom of two, I love to travel, obsessed with the cosmetics industry and we can have a very geeky conversation about Social Media Marketing and I promise you'll learn something new. I also founded many small businesses that you'll learn about the more you get to know me. Visit any of my social pages to connect or directly via email hihumjk @ gmail.com

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stayed in a lot of hotels through my years of travelling and some hotels become your staple go-to’s, some you never want to go back and others you tip your hat too.

One of my favourite things is to go where I’ve never been..

And so our road trip journey to Connecticut began.

My girl friends and I like to try and squeeze in a trip a year into our busy schedules so we can get some quality time with one another. This year we chose Bermuda. It was a short trip, but definitely worth it.