Every tourist loves a bargain when abroad, as well as mixing fun activities with relaxation. One city has now been revealed as among the most cost-effective in its country and boasts two Disney parks as well as gorgeous beaches.
Chiba in Japan scored a cost efficiency rating of 8.9/10 from experts at JR Pass and boasts a number of exciting attractions. Lying just 40km east of Tokyo, it has a significant stretch of coastline and a population of just under one million people. Its coastline also plays host to Chiba Port, which handles one of the highest volumes of cargo in Japan, with much of the city used for residential buildings.
The city is famous for the Chiba Urban Monorail, the longest suspended monorail in the world, and the Kasori Shell Midden, the largest shell mound in the world at 134,000 square metres.
It also features the first artificial beach in Japan, Inage, and the Chiba Zoological Park, which boasts the male red panda Futa. In 2005, Futa became a Japanese television celebrity for his ability to stand upright on his hind legs for about ten seconds at a time.
Inage Seaside Park is a white-sand beach bordered by a harbour, where swimming is available in summer.
Alongside these, perhaps the biggest global attraction in the city is the Walt Disney resort.
Tokyo Disney Resort is a theme park and holiday resort located east of Japan’s capital city, around a 30-minute drive from Chiba.
Tokyo Disneyland opened in 1983 as a single theme park; a second park, Tokyo Disneysea, was later developed.
Since opening, the resort has added six Disney-themed hotels, six non-Disney hotels, and a shopping complex.
Tokyo Disneyland was the first to open outside the United States and is the only Disney resort in the world not owned or operated by Disney Experiences in any capacity.
Instead, it is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which operates under license from Disney Experiences.
Chiba itself is a warm summer destination, with an average high temperature of 31C in the warmest month of August, reaching average lows of 2C in January and February.