Kyushu Itinerary

Hi all

I have previously posted a question on Kyushu Itinerary. After doing more research, I have come out with a revise itinerary as shown:

Day 1: Reach Fukuoka - 08:00am. Go direct to Unzen.
Day 2: Day trip to Shimabara.
Day 1 & 2 overnight at Unzen.

Day 3: Shimabara - Kumamoto (by ferry)
Day 3 overnight at Kumamoto

Day 4: Kurokawa
Day 5: Kurokawa/Mt. Aso
Day 4 & 5 overnight at Kurokawa

Day 6: Beppu
Day 7 : Day trip to Yufuin
Day 6 & 7 overnight at Beppu

Day 8: Fukuoka
Day 9: Fukuoka
Day 8 & 9 overnight at Fukuoka

Day 10: Fly out from Fukuoka

First question, though, is this itinerary too much of onsen. Although I enjoyed onsen, but I don't want it to become an onsen trip. I was thinking of Day 4 and 5 with replacing Kurokawa with Takachiho with 2 nights in Takachiho. Would this be a better option.

If this itinerary sounds good, appreciate any advice on the mode of travel. I would most likely not renting a car, except there is no logical choice.

thank you.

I have to admit that out of Kurokawa, Bepou und Yufuin I have only been at Kurokawa, but I liked it a lot. It's a small onsen only town WITHOUT any ugly buildings and a lot of rotenburo. (If you go, go to Yama mizu ki onsen).

From pictures I have seen Beppu onsen has more of those ugly hotel buildings.

So if you want to build in Takachiho (where I also want to go) , I would get rid of either Beppu o Uufuin). I think in the previous thread there were some more detailed comments on Yufuin.

Enjoy your trip to Kyushu!

Ps: don't forget to go to Dazaifu from Fukuoka.

As LikeBike wrote, Kurokawa is a very nice onsen. Honestly Kyushu is an onsen place, so without onsen it's rather boring place (I am a resident of Kyushu). Onsen ryokan is not cheap and it serves good Kaiseki meal. So if you don't want to enjoy the meal and atmosphere, it will be waste of money. Locals enjoy the onsen ryokan fully. We arrive at the ryokan relatively early, like 2 or 3 PM, drink tea served by the ryokan staff, and then wear Yukata and then take bath. Stroll around the town, and back to the ryokan and then again take bath before dinner. After enjoy the Kaiseki dinner, take onsen again before going to sleep on Futon. If you are not sleepy then again take onsen bath. In the early morning when you wake up, take onsen before breakfast. If you will stay another night, you can rest at your room and then take onsen again.

Of course you can do some sightseeing. Takachiho is less than 2 hours drive from Kumamoto, and you can reach from Takachiho to Kurokawa within 1.5 hours. From Kurokawa you can see Aso and Kuju. I recommend Yufuin rather than Beppu, but if you stay Kurokawa, then Beppu is very different while Yufuin is very similar (non-sulfer clear onsen). As compared to Yufuin, Beppu is somewhat messy, but has more history.

Your traveling places are not so convenient when you take public transport, so I recommend you to use rental car. In general, traffic in Kyushu are not so bad so you can drive quite easily. I don't recommend driving in big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, and tourisitic places like Kyoto and Takayama, but as for Kyushu, it is usually OK.

I would agree with the above. The itinerary isn't public transport friendly, (central and south-east Kyushu is like that). Car would be better.

While public transport is available for all locations within the itinerary. Some are infrequent and many wont have English available timetable. Plus public transport is slower, (but trip doesn't seem rushed so this shouldn't really be an issue).

You could limit you car travel by rejigging the itinerary and allowing more usage of buses/trains and then only renting a car for the smaller trips. If you put yourself in more central locations. From Nagasaki/Isahaya (maybe even allow access to Shimabara/Unzen. From Beppu you can access Yufuin/Kurokawa/Takachiko/Aso. You'd have to start and finish in Beppu, and do some overnighters somewhere within said travel loop.

Kyushu definitely is a place best seen with a car (or motorcycle). There are some great trains, but they are along the coast. But the area between Kumamoto and Beppu you will want to see nature, stop where you want, so unless there is a serious reason not to rent a car, I think that is the best option.
Probably everywhere but I know for sure at Toyota rental cars, all cars come with navigator that can be set in English. With that it is really easy to drive. You would just need to check what kind of driving license you need. Driving on the left isn't a real problem in my experience AS LONG AS you have a car with the steering wheel on the right. It will feel quite okay. The rental cars are all automatic so no changing gears with the "wrong" hand. And you'll get used after a few mistakes that the direction light (the orange blinking one) and the crystal cleaner (or what ever that thing is called) are respectively on the wrong side.

Agreed. I stayed 3 nights at Kurokawa and really there isnt anything to do during the day though we had some nice walks. That said, Hozentai (which we went to on the third night) would have to be up there in the top two ryokans I have stayed at, just spectacular.

On the other hand Yufuin is a fun town with a bit to see and do. We liked the owl zoo in particular and would probably go back just for that. I'd stay overnight there between Kurokawa and Beppu.

Hi All

Thanks for the comments.

From what i read, Kurokawa seems like a must. And probably should leave Beppu out.

The reason for not wanting to rent a car is because of cost. As I am traveling solo, renting a car may not make economical sense. But as I said in my original post, I will have to rent if there is no other logical sense, for example if it will take 4-5 hours to reach a destination by using a public transport.

Narrowing down, would it be possible if I rent just for Day 4 and 5 itineraries. How difficult is it to get from Kumamoto to Kurokawa or Takachiho by public transport. I was thinking if possible then I will take public transport (bus or train) to Kurokawa or Takachiho. From there to use rental car to move around Days 4 and 5.

Thank you.