Monday, December 31, 2012

Sleeping At The Kansai International Airport

     
             In my previous trips abroad, I’d experienced sleeping at airports since most of my arrivals were scheduled late at night and I didn’t want to pay for an accommodation during the first night since there’s only few hours left before I’d start my tours first thing in the morning. Although this practice saves me money it is not the most comfortable thing to do. In Beijing International airport I wondered if the heater wasn’t working because it was so cold I ended up people watching. The following morning I suffered the consequences not just in climbing the great wall but also in taking pictures of my sleep-deprived self. I promised not to do it again. Before I flew to Japan, I had booked a single private room in a hostel on my first night. However , I was having second thoughts. I knew I only had few hours to clear the immigration,change my money to yen, buy the Kansai Thru Pass, get lost until the train stations close. It was daunting to get out of the airport late at night and find my way in a city as huge as Osaka so I decided at the last minute not to show up at the hostel.(Warning: You have to cancel your booking within the timeframe given otherwise you’ll still get charge the full amount. Good thing the hostel was considerate enough and didn’t charge me the full amount.)
            We landed at Kansai International Airport and I’d read online that it’s possible to spend the night at the airport. They suggested the area on the second floor near the airport police and the Lawson store.After I toured the airport I looked for the said spot.             

    

             Be warned though that the police would wake you up anytime to check on your passport. The one who checked mine didn’t speak English and just wrote the word “travel” on a piece of paper. When I read it I just nodded and went back to sleep. The seats at the airport are so comfortable that I didn’t have a hard time sleeping.There were also Filipino families on their way to Nagoya  who spent the night at the airport with their kids.


            At 5:30 AM a toddler singing what sounded like” twinkle ,twinkle  little stars” in Japanese woke me up.I looked for the Airport Lounge where they have shower rooms. It was just few meters from where I was sleeping.For Y500/15mins  I got to shower.I was worried though because I knew 15mins wouldn’t be enough for me to shower and dry myself. I asked the reception how long I could stay in the room after I shower and to my relief they said” up to an hour”.They handed me a basket with the coin that I had to insert into the shower ,the key to the shower room,towel and blower.


The staff are so welcoming and very polite



Spacious shower room




             The shower actually has a timer which stops when you are not using the water and you could just press the start  button when you have to use it again. Very convenient! Kansai International airport is  really a homeless friendly airport.

There are also lockers for rent at the airport

15 comments:

  1. Nice amenities in KIX. I also experienced sleeping in Narita Airport and police also will check you out for passport. I really don't know what's its purpose. Maybe just checking who are sleeping?

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  2. maganda talaga ian.siguro they're making sure na walang homeless na natutulog.andali kasi puntahan ang airport kung wala ka matutulugan,may lockers pa sila.thanks for dropping by ian.

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  3. i like airport showers very much.i always pay a visit before going back to work in case a had midnight flights. :-)

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  4. Hanep naman, may shower pa inside the airport? I only slept in an airport once, and that was in Frankfurt Am Main. Wala silang shower but there was unlimited coffee (may latte and others pa!) and hot chocolate. Okay na rin :D

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  5. Hi! this post is very helpful to me! Did you travel alone there and also, do you speak Japanese! I really want to go there but I'm kinda hesitant dahil baka super magastos. Do you have a post regarding on how to travel there on a very tight budget? Thanks! :)

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    1. Hi bimbolera,yes i traveled alone.medyo mahal nga dun compared sa Southeast asian countries pero may mga guesthouses naman na within backpackers' budget and about the food kontento naman ako sa bento boxes sa supermarket and pag gabi bagsak presyo na hahaha.thanks for visiting my blog

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  6. I'm so jealous of your Japan posts! Hope I can visit next year. Great post! :)

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  7. ay ang taray naman ng airport na ito, ganda nung mga upuan kaya parang ang sarap humiga. :)

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  8. Hi, may I know whether this sleeping spot near Lawson, is inside or outside of departure hall? I mean, is it after the custom check? I have a morning flight to catch so I'm thinking I might as well sleep at the airport for the night, I can't get check in that early.

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  9. From the chaos in Manila, which I actually enjoy syempre sariling bayan yun. But I can't deny landing at Kansai Airport from every trip coming from Manila, it does put everything into perspective, the quieteness, the orderliness, cleanliness, then I always say, "its so nice to be back home".

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  11. From its internet based parking reservation system, Park 'N Fly offers live access to a network of airport parking spots covering 50 plus markets.

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  12. Hi thanks for this! Im planning to do the same thing because my flight will arrive in the evening and im scared to go to my hotel.

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