TOKYO, JAPAN

Without a doubt, one of my favorite places in the world.

My husband and I were actually planning a trip to Europe at the time and out of the blue I said "Why not Japan?!?", my husband loved the idea and we changed our plans just like that. I loved every minute we spent in Tokyo and definitely will explore other cities in Japan in the future. 

Let's start by saying we've never been to a city cleaner or more organized than Tokyo (for a neat freak like myself, that's heaven). The people are so sweet, polite and thoughtful. They go above and beyond to help you. If they don't have an answer to your question, they will find someone who does and everyone will stop on the street to help you find your way. Even if you don't speak Japanese, you probably won't get lost in Tokyo. Their subway system is flawless, takes you anywhere and all the signs are both in Japanese and English. There's no need for cabs, the trains are crazy fast and cheap. 

For the fans of the "Gundam Animated Series", an hour subway ride outside Tokyo (leaving from our hotel) will take you to "Diver City" where you'll get to see the life size GUNDAM. Even though I was never a fan of the series, my brothers were big fans as kids of all those Japanese tv shows and I couldn't pass that opportunity. Besides the amazing giant robot, the island itself is beautiful with great restaurants and a big shopping mall.

Gundam

If you are looking for nightlife, you must go to "Roppongi". That's where you will find the best bars, clubs and restaurants in Tokyo.

One of our favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo was "Shibuya", where you will find the busiest crossing in the world, the famous "Shibuya Crossing". It's so amazing how many people can fit in one single area. If I had to compare, I'd say it's like a "Times Square" blown out of proportion.

Shibuya Crossing 

"Akihabara", the "Electric Town" is a paradise for those who love the classic video game systems and the Japanese anime action figures. There, we lost ourselves between Super Nintendo, Sega System, Atari, and all the action figures we could find from those awesome 80's shows. 

If you are anything like myself, after a night out in the city, all you want is some quality quiet hotel to have a good night of sleep. "Nihombashi" is the perfect neighborhood for that. It's a business district, which makes it beautiful and busy at daytime but comfortably quiet at nighttime. Another great trait of that neighborhood is the fact that it's walking distance to the "Imperial Palace" which is the primary residence of the Emperor of Japan. It's also surrounded by a beautiful, enormous park.

Imperial Palace 

While in Japan, we also visited "Mount Fuji" which is an active volcano and also one of Japan's 3 sacred mountains. It's  about 100km (62mi) outside Tokyo. It's quite of a ride but it's definitely worth your while.