Takachiho

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.

Although the drive is long, it's a great way to visit all the major attractions in Kyushu. Pick-up and drop-off from Fukuoka city is very convenient. Mr. Yanagi is very professional, taking care of everyone and providing tips for each attraction, such as the best spots for photos of the volcano crater. The itinerary was well-planned, ensuring a smooth trip to Mount Aso. Highly recommended, it's a very worthwhile tour.

The app's emails, which were in Chinese, could use some improvement, but I received one in Japanese three days before the trip. We were supposed to meet near the bus rotary at Hakata Chikushiguchi and head for the yellow flags, but when we got there, there were a lot of people with yellow flags. I checked with one of them, and he was fluent in English, Japanese, and Chinese, directing us. Since the tour is run by a Chinese company, the tour conductor was a Chinese national, Mr. You, a 10-year veteran guide. When we gathered in the medium-sized bus, we realized we were the only two Japanese people there—everyone else was foreign. Conversely, we were treated specially, sitting in the front row. The tour was a speedy, efficient day trip. I imagined a Japanese travel agency would have allowed a little more time, but the time was perfectly timed. However, after the trip, I realized they were trying to accommodate foreigners, since they couldn't always visit at their leisure, by showing us as many places as possible. At the iconic Takachiho waterfall in Miyazaki, we even enjoyed rowing our own boat. I couldn't paddle well, so I plunged into a waterfall. Getting wet was a good memory. The Miyazaki beef for lunch was seriously delicious.