Hi all, I’m really excited to be going back to Japan this spring for our third visit! I love seeing different regions of Japan so this time we’re going to Kyushu. We have 4-5 days total in the region, so it’s not a ton of time but enough to see the things we’d like.
My current plan is to use Fukuoka as a base, then make day trips to Nagasaki and Kumamoto, but I’m torn on the last day. Potentially we could do both Beppu and Kagoshima but not sure it’s worth it to rush for both.
In Kagoshima, I’m most interested in the observation deck and the Ibusuki sand baths. In Beppu, I love that it’s an onsen town (we’d probably stay in a ryokan), we can visit the hells and they also have sand baths (also more accessible than the ones in Kagoshima).
Initially I was thinking Beppu since there seems to be more we’re interested in, but on the same trip, we’re already planning to stay in a different ryokan in Kawaguchiko, and on our last Japan visit, we stayed in Noboribetsu, another onsen town. Is it too much, would they be too similar?
Beppu would likely be overnight while Kagoshima would be a day trip.
Any recommendations on choosing Beppu vs. Kagoshima? For some context on what we like, we love food, beautiful scenery (but no hiking etc). I love onsen, my husband generally does too but he can get onsen-ed out kind of easily.
Thanks!
4 comments
What is your mode of travel? If rental car is an option, you can plan a round trip with a different city for each night rather than returning to Fukuoka.
Although I love Kagoshima, Ibusuki is honestly like a miniature, discount version of Beppu. Beppu has several famous sand bath facilities in addition to a better atmosphere and more things to do.
Ibusuki is quite distance away from Kagoshima main station if I recall.
Kagoshima has shinkansen access, Beppu doesn’t. If it’s all in a day unlikely able to do both.
Personal opinion: Kagoshima if it’s scenery you’re after (might want to skip the Observation Deck, try the Sengan En instead), Beppu if you want onsens.
For me the big draw of Kagoshima is the history. I would not even go to Ibusuki unless you have one extra day on top of it.
For me Beppu felt more like visiting a city where there is just lot of onsen and not just a small town that only exists because of onsen. In that regard, I feel my Kinosaki experience, walking around in yukata, was much more memorable than Beppu. In that regard, I think that Kurokawa onsen look like a more interesting experience: