Miyazaki City

Rowing in Takachiho is highly recommended, but the walking distance is a bit long. Older participants should assess their physical condition, especially since the return trip is mostly uphill. Our guide, Ms. Morita, was very caring towards the group members; we were lucky to have met her.

The timing was perfect; Takachiho Gorge is definitely worth a visit. Joining a day tour is ideal for independent family trips since you don't need to drive yourself. The price was also reasonable. The Miyazaki beef and the restaurant's homemade sake at lunch are worth trying.

It was a rare treat to have a day trip starting from Kumamoto, and seeing the autumn leaves in Takachiho during autumn was truly beautiful! It was a little disappointing that it was cloudy that day; it would probably be even more beautiful on a sunny day (?). But overall, I highly recommend it! If you go to Kusasenri, you absolutely must try the ice cream and drink the local milk—it's even richer than Hokkaido's! The tour guide and driver were both very nice. If any of my friends are planning a trip to Kumamoto, I'll definitely recommend this itinerary again!

The tour guide worked very hard, switching between Chinese and English, and was extremely attentive! Truly fantastic! The scenery along the way was beautiful; I saw many stunning views, and it brought me great peace. However, I must point out the downside of this tour: there were too many people, and the ethnicities were very diverse, making the travel a bit difficult due to different customs. But the group was very punctual – which was really great! This itinerary was a bit rushed, so the guide often walked quite fast, requiring a brisk walk or even a jog to keep up. The mini-train ride, as mentioned on KKDAY, was an extra charge, but I didn't find the experience very enjoyable and it wasn't quite worth it.

It's a pity we didn't get to the crater, but we did manage to grab a coffee in Kusasenri! 👍 Kusasenri is best visited in summer when the grass is lush and green; on November 22nd, the grass was withered and yellow. Takachiho was beautiful. Lunch was so-so; if possible, I recommend bringing your own bread and snacks to spend more time exploring.

We boarded the bus at 8:00 AM. The highway to Takachiho was heavily congested at first, taking 4.5 hours to reach the destination. However, Takachiho itself was truly beautiful, with stunning scenery everywhere you looked. A small tip: if you haven't signed up for the boat tour, don't rush; you can take your time to explore and take photos. But I still recommend taking the boat since you're already there. Lunch was quite authentic, though I didn't particularly like the beef. The Aso Volcano and Kusanagi Scenic Area tour was fairly standard, and the traffic didn't shorten our sightseeing time. After a long 12-hour drive, everyone was tired. The tour guide was very professional and attentive, even helping us take photos. However, these locations are difficult to reach without a car, so overall, I still recommend it.