Kavey

So, we've decided on Kyushu for our next trip. I was also drawn to Chugoku and Tohuku but Kyushu appealed more. I'm sure we'll go back again, and visit the other regions in the future.

We have 8 nights to play with though more like 7.5 actual days...

Day 1 - First half day will be taken by travel by train, from Osaka or thereabouts.
Day 9 - Reasonably early morning departure as will be travelling back to Tokyo.

We are happy to get a rental car, which I think will give us greatest flexibility. I imagine best option is to pick up and drop off in Hakata / Fukuoka as that's most likely route into / out of Kyushu on train?

Initially had thought first and last night best spent in Hakata but actually, perhaps best to spend last 2 nights there so can enjoy the full day in between. In this case, would mean arriving by train, picking up rental car and driving straight on to first destination. Is this advisable / doable? Don't want to arrive too late anywhere...

Probably means not going to Beppu for first night (as want to tour there and then go to Yufuin for that night). Maybe an overnight in Nakatsu?

Day 6, 7 or 8 - Want to be in Katsuri for one of these nights, to coincide with Karatsu Kunchi festival.

Other days/ nights:

(Nakatsu?)

Visit to Beppu during day, overnight stop in Yufuin. Onsen.

Perhaps another town in this prefecture as there seem many of interest?

Visits to Aso/ Mount Kuji - best to overnight in Kurokawa or Kumamoto?
-- and do I want to include an overnight in Kurokawa if already stopping overnight in Yufuin?
-- and can I detour to enjoy Takachiho Gorge or is that pushing it?

Nagasaki - of historical interest but a fair drive out of the way

Kumamoto - looks a little ugly but looks like it has lots to do/ see/ eat and I'm a lot about the eating!

Kagoshima - looks beautiful but is a long way down, perhaps better left for another trip? If not, being there on day 6 or 7 best, as coincides with Ohara Matsuri.

Miyazaki - also out of the way from most other stops, again thinking best to leave Southern Kyushu for next time.

Ibusuki - as above, not this time.

So, with my days to play with and the restrictions in terms of when to schedule Katsura, any suggestions on itinerary/ order?

We prefer to pootle in leisurely fashion than rush about...

THANK YOU

Kavey

Oh, I missed one - there's also a hot air balloon fiesta in Saga, I don't have 2013 dates but here's the 2012 page. Perhaps we can include this in our itinerary?

http://www.sibf.jp/e/

hawaiiantraveler

I would probably stay on the train till Kumamoto and start from there. Kumamoto is a lovely little town with a fantastic castle and shopping/eating area worth at least two nights.
Rent a car here and drive up through Mt Aso and stop over in Kurokawa onsen for the night. The next day then head out to Takachiho and tour the area maybe making it to Miyazaki for the evening. Trek down to Kagoshima through the coast and forest roads and explore the town and maybe take the ferry over to Sakurajima if you have the time. You could find enough to do in Kagoshima to spend two nights(maybe heading down to Ibusuki one day) then head back north through the coastal roads instead of the toll/freeways to avoid the tolls and take the more scenic route back past Miyazaki and up the coast to Ususki to see the stone Buddhas and their samurai district then maybe overnight in a ryokan Beppu or Yufuin. Then head back over Asosan and down back to Kumamoto to drop off the car and maybe have time for a couple of days in Nagasaki via the train. We have been to Kyushu several times, maybe you can gleen something worthwhile reading our latest venture with pictures here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...-fall-2011.cfm

Aloha!

Kavey

Thanks HT!
We want to be in Katsura on day 6 as it coincides with festival...
Will look at your trip report again and have a think.
Part of me thinks best to leave Southern Kyushu as may be trying to fit too much in but Kagoshima does appeal...

Kavey

OK I'm back to organising this again and need help!

I'll book a rental car (any recommendations for rental car agencies that can provide English language sat nav?)

Day1 - Travel from Kobe to ??
Day2 - ??
Day3 - ??
Day4 - ??
Day5 - ??
Day6 - Karatsu for festival (may not be possible, can't get any accomm)
Day7 - ??
Day8 - ??
Day9 - Travel to Tokyo



Karatsu was fixed for day 6 (Nov 2) but it's proving impossible to book accommodation and even an agency I've tried tells me it's all fully booked (as opposed to not being loaded for sale yet). I'm not sure on this but it's certainly possible given that it's festival date in Karatsu (which is why I wanted to be there)

I think I'd like 2 nights in Hakata / Fukuoka.

We'll visit Beppu daytime only, but think overnight in Yufuin would be nicer.

Kumamoto looks worthwhile, especially for foodies.

Aso, yes, but where best to overnight?

If we do give up on Karatsu, maybe we go to Kagoshima instead for their festival on same date?

I have 8 nights to play with, 7 full days and 1 half day on arrival...

Can anyone help give me some itinerary ideas as a starting point. I'm in ANALYSIS PARALYSIS mode!!

THANKS

kalihiwai2

Kavey,
Exciting about your upcoming trip. Some great advice given above. We recently returned from Kyushu and drew heavily from HT's trip report and enjoyed Kumamoto as a base to explore Kurokawa /Aso. You don't say whether you will have a Japan Rail pass or not.
We used public transport with a North Kyushu rail pass and bus transport in between Kumamoto and Kurokawa (bus goes through Mt Aso).
Given your time frame and wanting to 'pootle in a leisurely fashion" I would stay in northern Kyushu. If your travelling by rail though the time between Fukuoka and Kagoshima is only 2 hours by Shinkansen
Here is a link to Fukuoka Now, this article is an Oita travel guide.
http://fukuoka-now.com/areaguide/oita/

Another guide site with pdf guides
http://www.acros.or.jp/english/culture/tour.html
Dazaifu is worth seeing.
We wanted to go to Mt Hiko, The Yoshinogari Archeology site and
the spot where Eisai planted tea on Mt Seburi but ran out of time.

You could use Fukuoka or another Saga town as a base to visit Karatsu as a day trip, or stopover onward to another city.
Could be crowded but thats the fun of a festival. Don't know if you could make a reservation from Tokyo early on if you know where you will be the festival day, otherwise non reserved standing could be a possibility?

I find the hardest part of a trip sometimes is editing, I want to do so much but the idea of "leisurely pootling" is appealing as well.

Looking forward to hearing your plans

hawaiiantraveler

In Karatsu try booking out of town in the next city or a short train ride away. You've probably already seen this, there is some hotel information included, hope this helps.

http://www.karatsu-kankou.jp/english.html

We have used Toocoo car rental throughout Japan for English rental cars with lots of success. In Japan all Nissan car outlets have English language GPS car available. The JR ekiwren(usually have an office somewhere in the train station) are great outlets too that sometimes offer English GPS.

http://www2.tocoo.jp/?file=rentcar_i...in&asp_id=0001

There is a Nissan car rental you can get using the Toocoo site right across the street at the JR Kumamoto station which is where I recommend you start and end the car rental portion of your trip. Kumamoto is a main stop on the shinkansen line and a main hub of rail and bus transport if needed throughout Kyushu. Which also makes it a great place with easy access in and out of. Great little town to explore for a foodie with a first class castle to boot.

From Kumamoto you can head up over Aso san taking a tour then head to Kurokawa onsen for a soak and overnight. Then the next day drive on across to Takachiho and peruse that area, maybe even renting a boat for a short row in the gorge (25 minutes). Then drive back up the coastline to Usuki and visit the stone buddahs before driving up to Yufuin for another onsen stay or somewhere in Beppu this evening. Maybe a drive over to see Daizufu this day then back to Kumamoto to return the car and take the train down to Nagasaki taking the later train which might allow you to be coming down the mountainside into Nagasaki as the sun is just setting.....Kirei!!!
Just a few ideas to try and break that paralysis....

Aloha!

Kavey

Thanks all, still absorbing and thinking, will come back to you for more soon.

x

hawaiiantraveler

another idea to confuse you.....

7 days on the ground really to explore. After arrival set out towards Beppu and relax somewhere near for the evening. Then drive to Beppu and explore maybe taking in Usuki and the buddahs in the morning, sleep in Yufuin ryokan for the evening. Next day its up to Aso san and its environs. Lots to do and see up there with a night in Kurokawa onsen. Explore onsen town the next morning then drive to Takachiho for the day settling back to Kumamoto for the evening. Tour castle and city then head to the matsuri town etc. Add more per your requisites.....just trying to help break the paralysis,lol.

Aloha!

Kavey

Thanks HT, it's ridiculous isn't it? I know whatever I choose will be great and yet and yet....

Kavey

Been desperate to get back to this for last fortnight, but not had even weekends at home... am resorting to snatching hours here and there.

Even my Japanese lessons are suffering - I was doing 20-30 minutes every morning 7 days a week and now it's down to 4 days a week, if that. Gah!

Anyway...

As we can't readily find accommodation in either Karatsu or Kagoshima for the holiday weekend, I think I may stop trying to attend either Karatsu Kunchi or Ohara Matsuri.

So I'm wondering if the following is a good order, loosely?

Train from Kobe / Kyoto directly to Kumamoto:-

Kumamoto - 2 nights
Mount Kuji / Aso / Kurokawa - 2 nights (need more help here)
Beppu / Yufuin / area - 2 nights (and here)
Hakata/ Fukuoka - 2 nights (I'd like to finish here and then train back from here to Tokyo)

Means rental car needs to be one way from Kumamoto to Hakata, which I assume would not be a problem.

With this loose outline in mind, could any of you Kyushu gurus help me to flesh it out?

THANK YOU!

rkkwan

No problem doing one-way rental. Just the not insignificant drop-off fee when returning car at a different prefecture.

hawaiiantraveler

I have given suggestions already but with your revised plan......

Starting in Kumamoto is great. The Comfort Inn Shinshigai is in a great spot at the end of the covered shopping dori and right in the middle of food city. Bars and restaurants are very close by and the new Toyoko Inn is right across the street if the Comfort Inn is full.

Head straight out to Beppu area passing over Aso san and down past Yufuin the first day. The drive should take a leisurely three to four hours.....more if you stop. Spend your 2 nights in the Yufuin/Beppu area(haven't been so can't reco a hotel/ryokan)then head back to Kurokawa Onsen and stay at the Sanga Ryokan for 2 nights from where you can also explore the Aso san areas.

Then drop the car back in Kumamoto at the Nissan rental across the street from the station and take the next shinkansen for a short 35 minute ride back to Hakata where there are a plethora of hotels near the station or my fave the Grand Hyatt in Canal City.
One idea.....

Aloha!

mrwunrfl

This could be a driving loop from Fukuoka though the driving time to Kumamoto can't compete with 40 minutes on a shinkansen.

Fukuoka airport is quick and cheap to get to. Flying to Tokyo could be quicker and cheaper than train.

Other option is to stop in Fukuoka on the way south and then fly to Tokyo from Oita or Kumamoto. Drive between Kumamoto and Oita/Beppu. I don't remember what the transfers between Kumamoto and the airport were like but that just means it wasn't difficult or long.

Kavey

HT, the idea to start in Kumamoto instead of Hakata/Fukuoka came from your earlier advice, so I'm very grateful for it.

MrWunrfl, hadn't even thought about flight options, very good reminder to check, especially as we won't have JR Pass it it doesn't make sense for this trip.

(We'll do 1 night Tokyo, then 6 in Kyoto, 2 in Kobe and then these 8 in Kyushu and 2 back in Tokyo, so JR Pass won't help, I think).

RK I'll keep an eye on price differentials for one way rental vs. return to same spot. THanks

Kavey

By the way, is there enough in Kumamoto for me to spend 2 nights there, given that we'd arrive mid to late afternoon that first day? I assume we'd have plenty to see by spending the next full day and night there before heading out after that?

hawaiiantraveler

Yes, lots for you to see in 2-nights. Kumamoto-jo is the main attraction but there is also the main shopping dori Shinshigai, and a lovely walk in Suizenji Garden should fill your day nicely. There is also a Tokyu Hands in Kumamoto. Have you been in a Tokyu Hands store yet while in Japan? An experience all in itself.....Japanese ingenuity personified

Aloha!

kalihiwai2

HT is quite right . We just spent two days in Kumamoto and had plenty to do. It is a mid sized city so the stations, dept. stores and facilities while busy and crowded are on quite a smaller scale than Tokyo/Kyoto/ Osaka which makes for a different feel. Our stay broke down like this. We arrived by train from Yufuin mid afternoon, we stored our small packs (suitcases waiting at Comfort Inn) at the rail station ( rail station is out of city center), and took train to Suizenji Station and walked to Suizenji Garden, (could have taken taxi from station to garden) about a 15 minute walk.Another attraction in area is Col Janes house who was an early western teacher but we didn't have time to go there.
Afterwards walk and train back to station and taxi to hotel in city center. Late afternoon walked the shopping streets and checked out some stores for snacks and treats.
Dinner at a place a few blocks from hotel Za Wataya, good food and english menu.
Would recommend next day to get to the castle first thing to beat the crowds, we walked there from our hotel. We spent about three hours touring the castle, palace and turrets . From there we walked through park grounds to the Hosokawa Mansion and spent about an hour there. City Museum is in this area but it was closed this day so we took a taxi to the Shimada Museum to see a bead exhibit my wife was interested in she discovered by picking up one of those advert postcards these places put out. I was pleasantly surprised tha t this museum was dedicated to supporting local artists and had a collection of artifacts connected to Miyamoto Musashi the famous swordsm and martial arts philosopher. The museum also has a very nice little cafe full of artwork and good food. We walked to bus stop and the back to downtown by bus . Late PM we were feeling like we had had a full day already so enjoyed an expertly mixed martini at Bar Vespa ( thanks HT) near hotel and then meandered through entertainment shopping arcade area.
Next day we caught the bus to Kurokawa which by the way passes through the Aso highlands and Mt area. This was enough of a tour of the area for me as we continued on to Kurokawa where it was quite enough to stay at the Ryokan and do the onsen tour.

In Yufuin we stayed at the Shuhokan hotel and enjoyed it. We stayed in a japanese style room with meal package. The building is modern with baths on the top floor with a great mt view and delicious meals. A little out of town we enjoyed the walk to the shop area along the back road , look out for a place called Grandmas where they have baked goods and coffee and tea and are very friendly. I posted a link on my trip report that takes you to photos of trip.

Hope you have a great time!

Mara

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4505.html

I also stayed in Kumamoto two nights after arriving there from Yufuin on the Trans-Kyushu bus. I visited the Kumamoto castle, Hosokawa residence, Suizenji garden and the Lafcadio Hearn residence (linked above).

Kavey

Brilliant, thank you all. Will absorb and then look at the exact itinerary for the days after Kumamoto...