Polys in Japan!

Our family recently traveled to Japan to celebrate my brother's 21st birthday. We were a group of 19 people, including our mum & aunty, all my siblings, their partners & children plus my husband and I. We had an amazing time exploring all that Japan has to offer, from its street food to its theme parks.

We spent the first five nights of our trip at the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Resort, which is located right next to Tokyo DisneySea. We had a blast at the both DisneySea and Disneyland theme park, riding all of the rides and eating all of the delicious food. The Beauty and the Beast ride was such a big hit! I think us 'oldies' enjoyed the ride way to much, and our poor nieces & nephews had to witness us all (grown adults) giggling & being in awe.. what can I say, we grew up on the Disney Classics!

We also visited the Pokémon Center in Tokyo, where we bought all sorts of Pokémon souvenirs for our family and friends back home. My husband & I still play Pokemon Go and bonded with my younger brother and niece over it. The Pokemon Centre in Tokyo is located in the Sky Tree building, so don't forget to check out the other floors as they have amazing anime shops as well.

We also went to TeamLab Planets, an interactive art museum that was absolutely mind-blowing. Defiantly a must if you are in Tokyo, Japan! A few of our group also went on the Street Go Karting experience in Shibuya while the rest of us explored the underground food court of Tokyo Train Station.

After our time in Tokyo, we took a Shinkansen (bullet train) to Osaka, where we spent the next four nights at the Vermillion apartments. In Osaka, we visited a few shopping districts and Universal Studios Japan. Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan was all our favourites so paying the extra money for the Express Pass was defiantly worth it! From the interactive rides to the custom made food to look like the characters on the game, you can easily spend hours in Super Nintendo World.

Round One in Osaka is 11 floors of entertainment!

We all brought the mega pass and added the drinks package which gave us access to everything (except for the coined games on the first 3 levels) and unlimited beverages from soft drinks, ice teas to ice coffees for 5 hours.

Dotonbori was our favourite place to shop and eat at. We were there everyday and we still didn't get to walk all of Dotonbori, thats how big the place is! Dotonbori is a city within its own city; with hundreds of shops & restaurants, so many karaoke venues, bars, live entertainment on the streets and it's just such a live & vibrant place! We also found the only Fiji Bar in Osaka! Yes, there is a Fijian living in Osaka running his own bar where rugby playing on the TVs.

We absolutely love Japan and highly recommend for all types of travellers to visit the country.

Here are some of our favorite memories from our trip:

• Visiting Tokyo DisneySea & Disneyland: Beauty and the Beast ride is a must!

• Shopping at the Pokémon Center: We bought all sorts of Pokémon souvenirs for our family and friends back home, including Poké Balls, plushies, and trading cards.

• Visiting TeamLab Planets: This interactive art museum was absolutely mind-blowing. We loved the Borderless World exhibit, which is a huge space filled with digital art installations that you can interact with.

Overall, we had an amazing time on our trip to Japan. It was a great way to celebrate my brother's 21st birthday and to experience a new culture. We would definitely recommend Japan to anyone looking for a fun and exciting vacation destination.

Here are some tips for traveling to Japan with a big family:

• Book your flights and accommodation well in advance: Japan is a popular tourist destination, so it's important to book your flights and accommodation well in advance, especially if you're traveling with a large group.

• Book your theme parks and tickets in advance: I tried booking directly and it was alot harder than I thought, for example our Universal Studios tickets. I booked out tickets on Klook as it was easier for me and our big group. On klook you click on the type of tickets you wanted to purchase and it showed how much the tickets were on the different days, yes, every day had a different price. We also booked our Express Passes for Universal studios on Klook as it was all in english and again, just an easier booking process. You can use promo code POLYSABROAD for an extra 5% discount on Klook.

• Get a Japan Rail Pass: If you're planning on doing a lot of traveling around Japan, a Japan Rail Pass can save you a lot of money. The pass gives you unlimited access to most JR trains for a set period of time.

• Learn a few basic Japanese phrases: Knowing a few basic Japanese phrases, such as "hello", "thank you", and "excuse me", can go a long way when traveling in Japan.

• Be prepared for crowds: Japan is a very crowded country, especially in popular tourist destinations. Be prepared for long lines and tight spaces.

Have fun! Japan is an amazing country with a lot to offer. Be sure to relax and enjoy your holiday!