Wanderlust UK – September 2019

(Axel Boer) #1
wanderlust.co.uk September 2019 131

Wheretostay?
○InKobe:Toweringabovethe
watersideMerikenParkand
'Harbourland',OkuraHotelhas
bedroomviewsfacingeitherthe
mountainsortheocean.
kobe.hotelokura.co.jp/en
○InToyooka:KoyadoEnn,a
traditionalryokaninninKinosaki.
Youcanborrowayukataforfree,
plusgetatickettoKinosaki’s
bathhouses.koyado.net/english
○InKyotobytheSea:Hoshino-
OtoatMarinetopiaResort–
elegantsuitesbesidetheshorein
Miyazu,withprivatehotspring
bathsandinfinitypools(hoshino-
oto.jp/en).Cool‘glamping’options
arealsoavailableinbubble-like
pods.marinetopia-suite.com/en

Wheretoeat?
○InKobe:Wakkoqu,wherethe
skilledchefsdelicatelysliceand
cookKobe'Wagyu'beefinfront
ofyou.wakkoqu.com
○InToyooka:Sanpou-
Nishimuraya,inKinosaki,with
English-speakingstaffanda
menufeaturingTajimabeefand
fishcookedovercharcoal.
sanpou-nishimuraya.com/en
○InHimeji:NadagikuBrewery,

whereyoucantourthesake
brewerybeforetuckinginto
sizzlingsukiyaki(beefhotpot).

TravelinKansai
○JRWesthasawidevarietyof
railpasses,fromonedayexplorer
passes(2,200JPY;£16)to
five-dayunlimitedusepasses
(9,000JPY;£66).Buybefore
arrivinginJapantosavemoney.
westjr.co.jp/global/en
○TheHanshinElectricRailway
connectsOsakatoKobein 40
minutes.Unlimitedrideday
ticketscost500JPY(£3.70).
hanshin.co.jp/global/en

Usefullinks
○Kansai:kansaiguide.jp/rt/eng
○Kobe:plus.feel-kobe.jp/en
○Himeji:himeji-kanko.jp
○Toyooka:visitkinosaki.com
○KyotobytheSea:
uminokyoto.jp/global

MAKE IT HAPPEN


KANSAI KYUSHU


PROMOTIONAL FEATURE


Olivia Lee; Hankyu Ferry


Where to stay?
○ In Fukuoka: There are a huge
number of hotels in Fukuoka city.
Opt for one near Hakata Station
for a convenient central location.
○ In Kumamoto: Nanjoen Ryokan
in Kurokawa features traditional
tatami rooms and an idyllic
location overlooking the
steaming hot spring town.
nanjoen.com/en
○ In Oita: Sally Garden Yanagiya,
in Beppu – an onsen hotel with
hot spring baths and tatami
rooms featuring futons or
western-style beds, as well as
a Japanese-Italian restaurant.
beppu-yanagiya.jp/english

Where to eat?
○ In Fukuoka: Ohana restaurant,
in Yanagawa, with tatami rooms
overlooking a Japanese garden,
serving the regional speciality:
sticky grilled eel. ohana.co.jp

○ In Kumamoto: Takamori
Dengaku no Sato, in Aso,
where miso-marinated skewers
of fish, beef, tofu and vegetables
are grilled over your own 'irori'
fireplace built into the floor.
kyushuandtokyo.org/spot_126
○ In Oita: In the area of
Kanawa, Beppu, you can
steam your own food at
various steaming spots,
cooking anything from
vegetables to pizza. Stop
by a local grocery shop and
then get cooking. Visit
jigokumushi.com for locations.

Travel in Kyushu
While there are plenty
of trains and highway buses
in Kyushu, self-driving is by far
the easiest way to get around.
Hire a car in Fukuoka city, with
Fukuoka Airport or Hakata
Station as easy pick-up points.

Useful links
○ Kyushu: welcomekyushu.com
○ Fukuoka: crossroad
fukuoka.jp/en
○ Oita: discover-oita.com
○ Kumamoto:
kumamoto.guide/en

The Hankyu Ferry
Only in Japan would a ferry
have an open-air hot spring
bath to soak in as the ocean
glides by. The overnight Hankyu
Ferry connects Kansai and Kyushu
in around 12 hours, meaning you
can set o from either Kobe or
Osaka in the evening and arrive
in northern Kyushu the next
morning (or vice versa). Private,
comfortable rooms are available
on board, with large windows
and western-style beds. Prices
start from 6,470JPY (£47) but
if you book your ticket through
directferries.com you can get up
to 30% o. han9f.co.jp/en

Scan here to watch our Japan videos
We've created two Wanderlust videos on Kansai
and Kyushu. Simply hover your smartphone's
camera over the QR code to watch.
(This may not be possible on certain devices.)
Free download pdf