Kyushu holiday trip (March/April 2018)😊

xiaojing11

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Hi all,

Currently planning my 5th Japan trip, as Kyushu itself is big with many prefectures, I have read through the places of each prefecture and shortlisted Fukuoka, Oita and Nagasaki. Will be going from Osaka to Kyushu and take Fukuoka as my base area. Will appreciate if anyone can share their experiences or provide any useful info, as I might miss out any interesting places at other prefectures (Saga, Kumamoto, Miyazaki and Kagoshima). Feel free to share ya. Many thanks!

I am still in the beginning of researching and planning, will have more qns to ask later, hehe.😛

1) How to arrange the route for Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Oita, then back to Osaka?
Is this route convenient? Osaka -> Fukuoka -> Nagasaki -> Oita -> Osaka

2)Need to buy any pass?

3)Read that Yufuin onsen is better than Beppu, as Beppu one has sulphur smell, any comment?
 

concreteman

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I have been to to Fukuoka , Kurokawa onsen village and Kagoshima.

Kyushu quite unique that it is a totally onsen place and the bus network is very good

Fukuoka - good and modern city with good night life
Kurokawa - Have to take bus or drive there. Nice onsen village that is peaceful night. But can be on the ex side
Kagoshima - very quiet and small city. usually used as base to explore the other parts of the south . i stayed in Nakazono Ryokan , highly recommended cheap ryokan. I also visited the sand baths of Ibusuki (50 min train ride) that u can take pic and make ur friends jealous

There is the Sunqiss bus pass and the Jr Kyushu pass. Both offer good value but if you are going all the way south to Kagoshima area i would recommend the JR one.
 

saffronsatire

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Was in fukuoka and Nagasaki last month. Went to kita-Kyushu too. Didn't find these cities to be very interesting.

I travelled from Osaka too and used the setouchi area pass and visited okayama, kurashiki, Hiroshima, onomichi, iwakuni along the way too. If you not planning to visit Kansai, shikoku, chugoku, should just fly direct to kyushu? Previous trip i went to Hiroshima, miyajima, himeji, kobe and some places in Kansai.

Used the 3 day northern Kyushu pass for Nagasaki. Stayed two nights. The ltd exp train ride is super bumpy. Pass allows train reservations, so do reserve. The trains quite full.

Then Nagasaki back to fukuoka and domestic flight to tokyo since jal/ana need to stop at tokyo anyway.

If i could choose again, might have done fukuoka, oita, (kumamoto but can't really visit the castle in the next decade?), Miyazaki, kagoshima.

Colleague recommended to take domestic flight to Southern Kyushu then self drive upwards.

Huis ten boch got mixed views.
 
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evilerniex

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Any reason for starting from osaka? Y not just fly direct to Fukuoka? That will save u a lot of time and money coz it is a long trip from osaka to kyushu.

Fukuoka is a city, so it is mainly eating and shopping. the only other draw is probably just the yatai (push cart store).
U can visit yanagawa, known for their unagi and the canal boat ride. But note that if u dun understand Japanese, the canal ride may be boring coz the boatman tell jokes, stories and sing in Japanese.

For Nagasaki, the must visit to me is the peace memorial museum and the night view from mt inasa. U can also make a day trip to huis ten borsh theme park
 

xiaojing11

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Was in fukuoka and Nagasaki last month. Went to kita-Kyushu too. Didn't find these cities to be very interesting.

I travelled from Osaka too and used the setouchi area pass and visited okayama, kurashiki, Hiroshima, onomichi, iwakuni along the way too. If you not planning to visit Kansai, shikoku, chugoku, should just fly direct to kyushu? Previous trip i went to Hiroshima, miyajima, himeji, kobe and some places in Kansai.

Used the 3 day northern Kyushu pass for Nagasaki. Stayed two nights. The ltd exp train ride is super bumpy. Pass allows train reservations, so do reserve. The trains quite full.

Then Nagasaki back to fukuoka and domestic flight to tokyo since jal/ana need to stop at tokyo anyway.

If i could choose again, might have done fukuoka, oita, (kumamoto but can't really visit the castle in the next decade?), Miyazaki, kagoshima.

Colleague recommended to take domestic flight to Southern Kyushu then self drive upwards.

Huis ten boch got mixed views.

Thanks for ur reply. :)

How u go Kyushu from Osaka?

If u could choose, y u will opt out nagasaki and kita-kyushu?
 
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xiaojing11

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I have been to to Fukuoka , Kurokawa onsen village and Kagoshima.

Kyushu quite unique that it is a totally onsen place and the bus network is very good

Fukuoka - good and modern city with good night life
Kurokawa - Have to take bus or drive there. Nice onsen village that is peaceful night. But can be on the ex side
Kagoshima - very quiet and small city. usually used as base to explore the other parts of the south . i stayed in Nakazono Ryokan , highly recommended cheap ryokan. I also visited the sand baths of Ibusuki (50 min train ride) that u can take pic and make ur friends jealous

There is the Sunqiss bus pass and the Jr Kyushu pass. Both offer good value but if you are going all the way south to Kagoshima area i would recommend the JR one.

Thanks for ur reply. :)

The way u describe kagoshima sounds nice, where r the places u will recommend? But it is at south side, which seems far from fukuoka side. Oh, haha, i saw the tw traveling program intro ibusuki sand bath b4.

Any reason for starting from osaka? Y not just fly direct to Fukuoka? That will save u a lot of time and money coz it is a long trip from osaka to kyushu.

Fukuoka is a city, so it is mainly eating and shopping. the only other draw is probably just the yatai (push cart store).
U can visit yanagawa, known for their unagi and the canal boat ride. But note that if u dun understand Japanese, the canal ride may be boring coz the boatman tell jokes, stories and sing in Japanese.

For Nagasaki, the must visit to me is the peace memorial museum and the night view from mt inasa. U can also make a day trip to huis ten borsh theme park

Thanks for ur reply. :)

Ya, i hv reason to go from Osaka. Hmm, but i researched it is 2-3hrs train ride and the cost not more than $200 to fukuoka. I read peace memorial museum got high reviews, but somehow i am not interested, eh, mayby u wan explain y is it must visit? I opt out huis ten bosch, although i am interested in the europe style buildings.
 
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FireEmblem

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If u like small animals, cat island aoshima near ehime nagahama and bunny island okunoshima near Hiroshima are two places u can consider going as day trips.
 

saffronsatire

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Thanks for ur reply. :)

How u go Kyushu from Osaka?

If u could choose, y u will opt out nagasaki and kita-kyushu?
Take shinkansen as I went to those places in 2nd Para.

Boring as mentioned in first Para. E.g the peace museum is smaller and underwhelming compared to Hiroshima. Inasayama was ok. Kita-kyushu moji port quite a dead place lol. Main reason was to visit gunkanjima but weather conditions didn't allow landing that day unfortunately.
 

wanderlex

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Thanks for ur reply. :)

The way u describe kagoshima sounds nice, where r the places u will recommend? But it is at south side, which seems far from fukuoka side. Oh, haha, i saw the tw traveling program intro ibusuki sand bath b4.



Thanks for ur reply. :)

Ya, i hv reason to go from Osaka. Hmm, but i researched it is 2-3hrs train ride and the cost not more than $200 to fukuoka. I read peace memorial museum got high reviews, but somehow i am not interested, eh, mayby u wan explain y is it must visit? I opt out huis ten bosch, although i am interested in the europe style buildings.

Been to Kyushu earlier this month on a self-drive trip. I didn't drive to Kagoshima but for sand bath, you can try it at Beppu too - https://www.city.beppu.oita.jp/seikatu/gaikokujinmuke/ei/detail12.html It's quite a nice experience.
 

crntbs

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Hi all,

Currently planning my 5th Japan trip, as Kyushu itself is big with many prefectures, I have read through the places of each prefecture and shortlisted Fukuoka, Oita and Nagasaki. Will be going from Osaka to Kyushu and take Fukuoka as my base area. Will appreciate if anyone can share their experiences or provide any useful info, as I might miss out any interesting places at other prefectures (Saga, Kumamoto, Miyazaki and Kagoshima). Feel free to share ya. Many thanks!

I am still in the beginning of researching and planning, will have more qns to ask later, hehe.😛

1) How to arrange the route for Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Oita, then back to Osaka?
Is this route convenient? Osaka -> Fukuoka -> Nagasaki -> Oita -> Osaka

2)Need to buy any pass?

3)Read that Yufuin onsen is better than Beppu, as Beppu one has sulphur smell, any comment?

It'll be easier to advice you if you can indicate your travel preference (shopping or sight seeing?), travel group (solo, wif friends or family wif kids), can you self drive? Number of days? :)

Actually if you want to go thru oita, it'll be much easier and time saving if you could self drive.
 

xiaojing11

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If u like small animals, cat island aoshima near ehime nagahama and bunny island okunoshima near Hiroshima are two places u can consider going as day trips.

Thanks fireemblem :)

Been to Kyushu earlier this month on a self-drive trip. I didn't drive to Kagoshima but for sand bath, you can try it at Beppu too - https://www.city.beppu.oita.jp/seikatu/gaikokujinmuke/ei/detail12.html It's quite a nice experience.

Thanks wanderlex :)

It'll be easier to advice you if you can indicate your travel preference (shopping or sight seeing?), travel group (solo, wif friends or family wif kids), can you self drive? Number of days? :)

Actually if you want to go thru oita, it'll be much easier and time saving if you could self drive.

Thanks crntbs. :) My travel preference quite wide range... shopping, buddhist/zen temple, sight-seeing, nature, places of interests. Japan has so much to see! Nope, i dun know how to drive. Around 8 days. U been to kyushu?
 

kifo

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the most enjoyable way to get to osaka from kyushu is to take the overnight ferry from oita... save one night accommodation and you get to experience the beautiful evening and morning views from the sea...
 

xiaojing11

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Happy doggie year! Anyone can intro hotel at fukuoka? Thanks!
Feel free to continue to share abt kyushu experience. :)
 

evilerniex

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Happy doggie year! Anyone can intro hotel at fukuoka? Thanks!
Feel free to continue to share abt kyushu experience. :)
I stayed at century art hotel. Very near jr hakata station and breakfast provided.
But tt was almost 10years ago... Dunno whether the hotel still there or how is it now
 

VD

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JR Kyushu blossom in Hakata gets my recommendation, nice place. I don't think its very cost and time effective making fukuoka as a base, Kyushu is rather huge and long traveling time gets away a better part of the day trip. Many ppl feels self drive in Kyushu allows u more access to more interesting places where bus frequency is limited.
 

xiaojing11

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JR Kyushu blossom in Hakata gets my recommendation, nice place. I don't think its very cost and time effective making fukuoka as a base, Kyushu is rather huge and long traveling time gets away a better part of the day trip. Many ppl feels self drive in Kyushu allows u more access to more interesting places where bus frequency is limited.

Hi, u mean this hotel? It seems expensive.
https://www.jrk-hotels.co.jp/Hakatachuo/en/
 

szeli

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drove from Fukuoka - Oita - Mt Aso - Kumamoto - Takachiho - Miyazaki - Nagasaki - Fukuoka. Kyushu is awesome.
 
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