Fukuoka, Japan
We’ve tried, in no specific order:
- Ritz Carlton
- Solaria Nishitetsu
- One Fukuoka (recently opened)
- Hotel Mei Fukuoka Tenjin (this is closer to Hakata though)
Of the 4, given the chance, I’d stay at Ritz again. Its new, rooms are big, the location is good, its accessible, service is top notch.
Solaria and Mei would be tied, but I’d probably choose Solaria because there are a lot more places to eat and its closer to where everything is.
Unfortunately, I’d skip One. The location was great, rooms not as big spacious as expected and the service doesn’t quite meet the 5 star price tag. Perhaps because it was still new — literally just opened when we stayed. The library lounge was a huge plus though.
Fukuoka Accommodation
https://ruffeecola.blogspot.com/2023/07/nest-hotel-hakata.html?m=1
https://ruffeecola.blogspot.com/2022/12/fukuoka-prince-smart-inn-hakata.html
For our 7-day trip, we rented a car for the first four days.
Day 1: We landed at Fukuoka Airport in the morning, collected our rental car and straightaway drove to Itoshima 糸島, Nanzoin, and Dazaifu. At night, we headed to Beppu for our first stay.
Day 2: We visited Kyushu Safari Park, followed by the Hells of Beppu (only managed to visit Umi Jigoku 海地獄), and then drove up to the Beppu Observatory Deck to get a view of this steaming city.
Day 3: Early morning, we checked out from Beppu and headed to Mount Aso. Unfortunately, we were slightly late for the helicopter ride. we reached around 10am but the next available slot was at 3pm, so we decided to skip it. We then planned to walk around the volcano crater, but had no luck as it was closed due to unfavourable wind direction. After a short walk around the shrine, we drove down and went to Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine, which is not too far from Mt. Aso. Personally, it was one of my top picks among the shrines I’ve visited. It gave me a bit of a Meiji Jingu vibe in Tokyo, like walking through a dark forest path before reaching the main shrine, giving a zen and calming feel. That night, we stayed in Gokase, in Miyazaki Prefecture. It’s a very outskirt place, nothing interesting, not recommended unless you’re self-driving.
Day 4: We headed to Takachiho Gorge in the morning and rented the boat (we booked it two weeks in advance). My parents loved it. the view was stunning, and renting the boat was worth it. It was ¥5,100 per boat for Golden Week. After that, we drove all the way to Kumamoto city, checked in, and returned our car. From here onwards, we relied fully on public transport. We mainly used the tram in Kumamoto. it was a nice and nostalgic ride. The city gives off an 80s vibe in terms of transport, but you’ll spot Kumamon bear all around. So cute and iconic for this city.
Day 5 (1st May): To avoid the crowd, we headed early to Kumamoto Castle, one of the three premier castles in Japan, so definitely worth a visit. It’s still undergoing restoration work due to severe damage caused by the major earthquake in 2016. In the afternoon, we just took a slow city walk to explore. We really liked Kumamoto, peaceful and charming.
Day 6: We took a long-haul bus to Fukuoka early in the morning. The ride was around 2 hours, and we were impressed by the driver’s punctuality and politeness. After arriving at Hakata Station, we left our luggage at the hotel as it was still too early to check in, and we spent the rest of the day doing city walks, eating good food (We had Ichiran at the original shop, and we queued for 90 mins, but definitely worth the Q!) and shopping.
Day 7: Our last day was pretty chill too. just more exploring, eating and shopping in Fukuoka.
https://www.airbnb.com/l/tVkAEm9X
We stayed here. Onsen bath in the apartment and coin laundry opposite
I stayed at Amane Sekai Resort hotel and had an onsen on the balcony with sea views and great to bathe at sunrise
Beppu Hostel U&T. Free parking, big family room with kitchen
We will be traveling from kagoshima -> Miyazaki -> tachiko gorge -> mount aso -> beppu -> Fukuoka -> Nagasaki -> Kumamoto.