18/12/2014
Sweet Memories of Kyushu
Me and my sister are no strangers to Japan. Both of us have been to Japan many times visiting Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima etc But this is our first time travelling to Kyushu in November 2014. Hence, we planned for a 2 weeks trip to give us enough time to take in all the sights and attractions that we have researched on. In this article, we will give some highlights and insights on those that left a deep impression on us as we travelled through Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, and Oita, Miyazaki.
First up is an idyllic getaway on Nokonoshima Island (Fukuoka).
Nokonoshima Island is about 10-15 minutes by ferry from Meinohama. It's a very small, tranquil and scenic island to explore. You can rent a bicycle to cycle around the island, like what we did. There's hourly rental and full day rental. We rented 2 bikes for 2 hours. It's very cheap and convenient to rent a bike. The bike rental kiosk is right in front of the Noko Ferry Passenger Terminal.
11/12/2014
Kyushu mon amour
Well this was difficult for me to decide where to start this article.
I have been so many times in Japan and so many times in Kyushu.
I love it all but you have to choose right?
So I will try to show you my Japan, not necessary the one you see in the guide books and I will start with one of my favorite place in Japan: Kagoshima and the famous volcano Sakurajima.
Why my favorite place:
- first the volcano itself with it's cloud of ashes
- then the foot bath not far from it, just a dream to put your feet in the hot water of the volcano, relax relax relax!!!
- and then the path between the old lava, a little bit mysterious, never crowded, like just for yourself!
04/12/2014
Discovering Kyushu
Before visiting Kyushu you should decide what your interests are and what kind o travel adapts to your own personality. Kyushu has so many things to offer! Astounding landcapes, vibrating cities, delicious cooking, arts and crafts, festivals and traditions... and a kind people that will receive you with open arms.
But let me tell you my own story. I travelled to Kyushu last summer. It is very easy to get to the southernmost big island of Japan. You can get there by plane, ferry or by using the shinkansen, the punctual and rapid japanese high speed trains. And it was a sunny day of August that I got to Fukuoka by train.
It is a modern city that has preserved its traditions and culture and looks forward to the future. It got into my heart immediately. You can visit its old temples, have a shopping afternoon in Tenjin, get the ferry to the islands on the bay, have dinner in the open-air street stalls called yatai, or jogging at Ohori Park.
04/12/2014
Onsen Bathing with a Kyūshū Twist
There's something about being barefoot that does something to the soul. The feeling of tatami underfoot, of a summer's walk through a shallow river bed, of sand between our toes. It's grounding and revitalizing.
Now imagine taking that beach full of sand and not only walking on it but having your entire body buried in it for a relaxation exercise like no other. That's right, it's called sand bathing and the Ibusuki Sand Baths in Kyūshū's Kagoshima Prefecture is where you can do it!
Kyūshū is known as the 'Onsen Island' and for good reason; it has the highest number of hot springs in Japan! It is actually thanks to the onsen water bubbling beneath the coastline (due to nearby volcanoes) that makes this unique experience possible. The onsen water naturally heats the sand and gives all the benefits of hot spring bathing without even needing to get your feet wet!
19/11/2014
A Journey the Length of Kyushu
We arrived at Fukuoka/Hakata airport after a long but uneventful flight from London. The great thing about this point of arrival in Japan is that the airport is so close to the centre of the city - after a short metro ride we found ourselves checked in and eating delicious meat skewers for a light evening meal at a small local bar. Although we were still in the centre of a modern city small things like a shop totally devoted to chopsticks or fans immediately gave hints of a change from our normal surroundings, and the bowing reception we received from all staff as the first customers to enter a large department store the next morning was both slightly disorientating and delightful.
01/11/2014
A trilling experience of being burried …
It was a remarkable experience for me and my friends to try the sand hot spring for the first time.
As we know, Japan is well-known for onsen (Hot spring) as the country has many active volcanos. Unlike other prefectures in Kyushu Island, onsen in Kagoshima prefecture is unique and different, where vistors do not deep themselves into hot water. Instead of, people are burried with valcanically heated black sand. This is called as sand onsen or in Japanese it is called as Sunamushi (砂むし).
Last spring a group of seven Malaysians, including myself visited Kagoshima prefecture. We took this opputunity to try the Kagoshima famous sand onsen. From Kagoshima–Chuo station, we took the rapid train (approximately 50min) to a town called Ibusuki, where the sand onsen is located.