Dan and I stayed a few nights at the Conrad Bora Bora in August, shortly after French Polynesia re-opened to Americans on July 15th. We had an amazing time at the Conrad. The Conrad is top notch, super classy, and much fancier than the Hilton that we stayed at on Mo’orea or the Intercontinental Tahiti. But, it was also more expensive and difficult to reach. This is Dan and my review of the Conrad for those planning a visit – happy trip planning!
Welcome to Bora Bora!
Dan & I traveled to French Polynesia in August on a whim after it reopened to Americans on July 15th! After spending nearly two weeks in the islands, these are our budget tips for traveling to French Polynesia. Because French Polynesia is expensive and really, who doesn’t love to save some money for that next trip?!!
Dan and me in Bora Bora. It was as gorgeous (and pricey) as it looks. = )
After a very, very long year with hardly any travel since mid-March (aside from a quick getaway to Antigua over the July 4th holiday), Dan and I spontaneously booked a real live getaway to French Polynesia just as it reopened to the World in mid-July! There were a lot of unknowns due to COVID, but everything ended up working out splendidly. However, literally until we boarded our Air Tahiti Nui flight, we were not certain our getaway to French Polynesia would happen… I’ve detailed our trip for those visiting, or dreaming of visiting, French Polynesia!
Mount Otemanu in beautiful Bora Bora, French Polynesia. August 2020. Continue reading
Uobei is a “cheap” chain in Japan with a location in Shibuya, Tokyo, a major transportation hub popular with visitors. And, its claim to fame is “rocket sushi – AKA normal sushi that is delivered automatically on a superfast conveyor belt, reminiscent of the popular Japanese trains! I discovered Uobei online when searching for a “conveyor belt” sushi restaurant during our 3 day layover in Tokyo last December. While not quite a traditional “conveyor belt” sushi restaurant, Uobei certainly looked fun and it is indeed reasonably priced (well, for Tokyo). We penciled in Uobei’s Shibuya location for a late lunch during our trip.
Street views en route. This was pre-pandemic so no masks (though its not uncommon to wear a mask in Japan).
We found Uobei’s location using Google maps without too much trouble and were greeted with bright lights at Uobei’s very catchy theme song – U-o-bei bei, U-o-bei bei… I had read that there is often a wait for lunch at Uobei, but we were two of only a few patrons for lunch when we visited. Upon entering, there are signs and floor markings explaining how to join the wait list and where to wait in clear English. Pretty easy for Tokyo first-timers and non-Japanese speakers.
Waiting area in Uobei.
Instructions.
Seating at Uobei is all bar style with a tablet connected to each seat containing the current menu. The menu, as you can see, is also posted around the restaurant, but the tablets have the most up to date version. Ordering is done via the tablet, and each item is ordered individually. You can order all at once or spread it out to see how hungry you are, which is what we did. In addition to being budget friendly, another selling point of Uobei is that the menu is quite robust and features everything from “crazy” Japanese sushi, to familiar rolls like spicy tuna, to things even picky eaters will like, and I’m talking fried chicken.
Uobei.
The most fun part of eating at Uobei is that shortly after ordering, your order will come out super fast on the conveyor belt and magically stop right at your seat! Remove the plate from the conveyor belt and eat; its very, very, very fun! Be sure to have your camera read. Chopsticks, soy sauce, and green tea are complimentary at each seat.
As I mentioned, the menu offers some non-traditional dishes, and I tried a number of them! Dan went the more traditional route, but we forgot to take pictures of most of his food. Everything was good and fresh. Uobei also serves drinks and desserts, including beer and wine. Beer and wine were surprisingly reasonable. At the end of your meal, you pay your tab at the cash register at Uobei’s entrance.
Shrimp tempura in an unknown sauce.
Tuna salad style sushi.
Real tuna.
Don’t recall what this one was – I think the green is jalapeno.
Fried chicken. Actually quite good.
Also cannot recall the name of this dish.
Not sure what this was.
A white fish.
Dessert.
Full from sushi, we quickly paid our tab and set off for a visit to the Yayoi Kusama Museum. While there is certainly better sushi in Japan, Uobei is good, not terribly expensive, and serves food that picky eaters will eat. And let’s be honest, the rocket concept is totally fun! Recommended for newbies to Tokyo, families, those looking to try “rocket sushi,” and those on a budget.
Paying on our way out.
Yayoi Kusama Museum.
Uobei: Japan, 〒150-0043 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Dogenzaka, 2 Chome−29−11 第六セントラルビル 1F. Open daily 11:00 – 23:00.
Uobei is a great budget option for sushi in pricey Japan.
Yep, we did it. After strictly locking down for 3.5 months in New Jersey (and missing 3 trips along the way), we were majorly itching for a getaway when restrictions were finally lifted. We initially planned to travel within the US but honestly, the US is going to shit with its handling of the pandemic. So we looked else where and realized that a number of Caribbean destinations were open/opening to US travelers. We settled on Antigua, which was one of the first Caribbean countries to open to the US back on June 4th, and upon researching, Antigua handled the pandemic quite well. We decided on a short trip over the 4th of July, from Thursday, July 2nd – Tuesday, July 7th. This article details our travels and hopefully will shed some light on the issue for those trying to decide whether to travel this year.
Flying into Antigua! It felt great to be flying again.
