Rachel

Japan was splendiferous – the people friendly, the food fantastic, and Tokyo was marvelously easy to get around in.

I traveled with my parents, and my dad decided that no, he really didn’t need to make an effort with the language. So he wound up having a horribly stereotypical American accent, and even though the Japanese were incredibly polite, most stared quizzically at him when he tried to speak.

So this is my tip: You can mangle the language all you like. One time I even said to a ryokan attendant that the toilet was in my dad (“Watashi no chichi ni toire desu.”), and she understood me enough to show me the way to the lobby bathroom. But, WORK ON YOURACCENT! Amazing things happen when you say “kureditto kado?” instead of saying “credit card” over and over while the very nice shop lady smiles at you.

Another tip: The best shopping I found was not in Shinjuku nor Shibuya. There’s a shopping arcade in the Gion district of Kyoto – Shin-go-kyu, I believe, and the one right next to it. You won’t find anything cheaper than you will in the States, but the clothes are far cuter and more fashionable! I only wish I had more time there.

EDIT: And go to Hiroshima! Do it. I am not shitting you. I took a tour on Sunrise JTB to Miyajima and the Hiroshima museum. It was very very worth the trip out of the way. One of those things you need to do as a human being, you know?

I visited the Marriott Waiohai (South Shore) on Kauai, and honestly, I was pretty disappointed. The weather is amazing, the island itself is gorgeous, and the diving is beautiful. But the hotel and shopping? Tourist-y enough to make you vomit.

Come for the natural beauty, stay away if you want great shopping.

BUT: The North Shore is vastly different! Much less touristy, and lots of stuff to do. Not sure about the diving or the hoteling, but for kayaking and camping and actiony things? Fantastic!

And, of course, the entire island is beautiful.

I went to Fiji on a dive trip – as much as I was lonely (no one else my age), it was beautiful and I had lots of fun. Definitely a place to go! Be sure to bring school supplies for the local schools. We paid for a copier machine.