Kokonoe Yume Suspension Bridge
It's a little touristy but I thought it was worth going because of the view and to take a look at how amazing engineers built such structures. It's cool because you can see the point where all the tension is concentrated on and how the alleviate it so that it won't snap. We took a short walk off the bridge to see a waterfall. There are food options there, though limited. Matcha ice cream saved the hot weather for me!
Kurokawa Onsen Village
Instead of staying there, we made a day trip to the town instead. I'm actually glad I didn't, because there isn't that much to do in the village except have a dip in a few onsens. You can purchase an onsen pass which allows you to go into about 3-5 onsens. Honestly, I had my private onsen in the airbnb so it didn't really matter. Instead, we found a couple of nice food places. It's easy to get around because you can just head over to the tourist information center to park and grab a map. Here are some places we found that were good:
- Patisserie Roku and Roll sells nice rolls for you to share or takeaway
- Dora dora shop (there's only one in the area)
- Senbei shop (also only one in the area)
Senbei shop
Doradora shop
Patisserie roku
A typical sight in Kurokawa
Kusasenri
We didn't go up Mount Aso because it was closed (due to seismic activity). Hence, I decided to try out this plain. You can choose to do horse riding there but it's about 40sgd per ride and I personally didn't think it was worth it. I did a little walking trail up Mt Eboshi and it took about 30-45 min to reach the top. I would say that the difficulty is roughly intermediate? It depends on how fast you wish to climb.
View from top of Mt Eboshi
Trying to squeeze through bushes on the trail
Takachiho Gorge
This was our last stop in the Mt Aso area before heading south. You should try the water slide soumen there! It's pretty popular in the area and makes it good fun for kids because they get to "play" with food. There is also a freshwater fish aquarium for fish-lovers like myself. Some cool stuff they have there is a hands on (literally) experience of kenko fish spa, sturgeons and salamanders. Other things you can choose to do would be a walking trail and a boat ride. I wouldn't go for the boat ride because it's rather short, but if you don't mind paying for a little romantic ride then do go ahead (:
Global Bar Vibes
This is situated in downtown Kumamoto, and I will honestly go back to Kyushu just to visit them again! It's owned by Nori-san, a Japanese who loves Shochu and will introduce the history of the drink and why he loves it. It's a very cozy bar. He named it glocal because he wanted it to be a bar that welcomes people from all over the world (global) and yet integrate them into the local culture. His concept is extremely strong in the things that you do. It's basically a place to drink, chill, make friends etc.
Global Bar Vibes
This is situated in downtown Kumamoto, and I will honestly go back to Kyushu just to visit them again! It's owned by Nori-san, a Japanese who loves Shochu and will introduce the history of the drink and why he loves it. It's a very cozy bar. He named it glocal because he wanted it to be a bar that welcomes people from all over the world (global) and yet integrate them into the local culture. His concept is extremely strong in the things that you do. It's basically a place to drink, chill, make friends etc.
Accommodation Reviews:
My original intention of staying at Kurokawa Onsen Village got thrown out of the picture once I found this hidden gem! It's owned by Kuniharu-san. He has a day job but his mum helps to maintain the account so she typically replies within a few minutes. It was slightly difficult to find since it's up in the mountains but I can guarantee you that it's soooo worth it! The view, the private open-air onsen, the fresh air made me want to retire there. They also gave us a wooden coaster when we left!
Firefly Festival
A random find thanks to staying at this place was the firefly festival we chanced upon! June is the firefly mating season, so places with streams and brooks will be full of these magnificent creatures. They're so tiny, yet they emit fluorescence and provide such a pretty view! Worth going to take a look if you're heading to Japan in June (:
Accommodation at Sanrinsha (Agoda)
The owner is a 70 year old man who manages the property alone. He only allows check in at 5pm and check out at around 10am. The place is very nice and quiet. The rooms are a little small - they basically accommodate beds and toilets are shared outside. There is an onsen room shared among all the guests. During my stay, there were 2 other couples, so we had to wait for our turn. Overall, the area is a cozy, very pretty and well maintained, off-the-main-road type of accommodation, if you're looking for this style of housing. It suited my overall theme for the trip but may not be everyone's cup of tea. The owner is extremely helpful and will draw maps and suggest food places for you.