Kavey

Hi All

Would love some input again, since board members nailed it on my recent Nagoya thread!

4 nts in Kanazawa (booked Hotel Trusty directly via email)
1 nt Wajima (booked into Hotel Route-Inn Wajima)
1 nt Ogi (booked ocean view room, at Hyakurakuso, but with a second 2 nt booking if we decide to skip firefly squidding)
1 nt Toyama Bay (nothing booked, to see firefly squid at night, out of Namerakawa)
2 nts Karuizawa (booked into Hoshinoyo resort, dates can't be moved)

*** UNASSIGNED NIGHT ***

2 nts Nikko (in Kai Nikko, by lake, not by temples / shrines, dates can't be moved)

I'm struggling with that unassigned night. I'd really love to visit Chichibu Whisky Distillery (Ichiro's Malts) but I am coming up short with any other attractions in that area, and where we'd overnight.

We'll have a rental car from Kanazawa, btw and thinking to keep it till Nikko.

Other options:
* Jigokudani Monkey Park - would be going backwards from Karuizawa, plus not sure whether it's worthwhile for a single night, taking travel into account - what do you think? We're driving so not reliant on public transport.
* Osenkaku Ryokan at Takarawaga Onsen (worth it for one night?)
* Mashiko (a little past Nikko but not a problem, routing-wise. For the pottery, but not the big fair which is a little later in Golden Week).

And any other ideas you may have?
Grateful for input!
x
Kavey

DonTopaz

Don't have any suggestions, just wanted to say I'm envious of your staying at Hoshinoya. Was there for 3 nights a couple of years ago and really enjoyed the place. Hope you were able to find a good deal!

russ_in_LA

On our last trip we briefly considered staying at Chojukan in Hoshi Onsen. Here is a link to the ryokan and the area.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...ure_Kanto.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7463.html

It's only a two hour drive from Karuizawa but looks a bit light on things to do. It might be a bit of a letdown after Hoshinoya, or it could provide a more rustic counterpoint (it was built in the 1870's).

For more activities I would consider Shibu Onsen for the Jigokudani Monkey Park, as you mentioned above. It is about a 3.5 hour drive to Nikko from there, but in addition to the Monkey Park you have the many private Onsen Baths at the hotel and the small town to walk through. We enjoyed staying at Kanaguya, but I notice that some others now rank higher on trip advisor since then.

Here's the trip advisor link to the ryokan:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...ure_Chubu.html

We liked the old, historic buildings and the variety of the baths. Note that dinner is taken sitting on the floor, not at western style tables.

kja

How much time will you have in the Nikko area (two nights can mean just one day, or as much as almost 3 days....)?

Kavey

Kja
It depends on what this one nighter before Nikko will be...
We're not in a rush to leave Nikko after - we'll be heading back towards Tokyo for the last couple of nights.

Kavey

DonTopaz
I'm really looking forward to Hoshinoyo, and Kai is their sister brand, so double excitement.

Russ
Thank you so much, will check those out today.

Anyone been to Mashiko?

Or have any ideas to take in Chichibu?

kja

Well, 2 days in the Nikko / Lake Chuzenji area would, IMO, not be too much for the area. More if you want to hike....

kalihiwai2

Tough to have an in between day.
Some ideas
We stayed at Shima Onsen, Gunma and had a good time. You may be onsened out though. Some nice private baths at the Kashiwaya Ryokan.
http://www.kashiwaya.org/e/

Get to Nikko early and stay one night at the historic Kanaya Hotel, close to bridge and temples historic building.

Stay one night in Utsunomiya, Toyoko Inn?, and do a Gyoza crawl.
http://travel.cnn.com/tokyo/eat/utsu...a-town-200431/

You're going to have a great time whatever.

Kavey

I have arthritis so definitely no hiking, I try and keep my limited mileage I can manage for all the basic sightseeing walking!

I don't think I want to go to Nikko early, we already have 2 nights there and we don't need to leave particularly early for Tokyo on departure day so I think that's good.

I LOVE the suggestion for Utsunomiya as that could combine very well with Mashiko for pottery during day and then overnight in Utsonomiya for gyoza feast that evening and then early morning head over to Nikko!

I'm still checking out the onsen options though but I think we'll be relaxed after the 2 nights at Karuizawa so I think the other ideas appeal more.

More I look at Jigokudani the less I'm sure - if my hips and back are bad, I don't know that I'll be up for a fair walk from nearest road to ryokan/ hotel and then same again on to the monkey onsen areas... maybe that's going to be a deciding factor.

And looks like the whisky distillery is not going to be workable...

russ_in_LA

Hi Kavey. FYI, you can have a taxi drop you off and pick you up right at your ryokan, as well as take you to the nearest parking lot to the Monkey Park; however, from there it is about a 15 minute walk with some hills and stairs to get to the monkeys. In the event that there is snow, the closer parking lot may be closed, which could double the amount of walking time, so indeed, that would be a trek.

Kavey

Russ, we'd have a rental car, so would need to check prices for the car parking as well... I'm hoping in mid-April the weather / conditions of the trail wouldn't be too bad. I'll check again before deciding.

russ_in_LA

That's the same time of the year we were there and there were very few patches of snow on the ground, so that probably would not be an issue for you.

Kavey

Brilliant, ta!