Fukuoka & Beppu : Itinerary [Day 1 & 2]

Day 1

Our flight from KLIA2 departed at 0030
We rented portable wifi from Wiyo at a discounted rate via https://www.klook.com
Arrived at Fukuoka International Airport at 0740

First glimpse of Fukuoka

To the information counter to get some maps and coupons etc.
At first, we thought of bringing burger / sandwiches from KLIA for breakfast in Japan but now there's a new rule that prohibits visitor from bringing in any meat products into Japan (that would include Brahim's ready to eat meal as well). So, we just buy some drinks at the airport's 7-Eleven.

We then took the highway bus to Beppu [Tickets were bought online a month earlier, at http://global.atbus-de.com/]. We booked the 10.12am bus btw.

Comfortable seats, with wi-fi and plug point

2 hours later, we arrived at Beppu Kitahama and walked to our hotel (400m)

Will review the place in a separate post!

Bought the '2-day wide' bus pass at Beppu Station (outside the hotel)

It's value for money and easy to use. Just show it to the driver on your way out. However, it can only be used on Kamenoi bus (there are 2 bus companies in Beppu; Kamenoi and Oita Kotsu). Don't worry, you'll get all the details at the information counter.

Lunch at Ittoryu Ramen

Visited the 3 Hells of Beppu

Beppu is famous for 2 things; onsen and their 'hells'. These 'Hells' refer to the 7 hot springs. Don't be fooled though. They are extremely hot, so it's more of a touristy spot rather than for you to bath in. Legend has it that the locals used to hate the hot springs so much, that they referred to 'em as 'hells'. Now, it's developed as tourist attractions.
We chose to visit 3 of the most interesting 'hells' because let's faced it. How different can the hot springs be 😂
This picture right here, is the Chinoike Jigoku or the blood pond.

We then visited Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell). I like this hot spring the most as it's the biggest and the most beautiful!

Finally, the Kamado Jigoku (Cooking Pot hell). Basically, it has a little bit of everything. Blue and red hot spring (smaller than Umi Jigoku's and Chiboike Jigoku's), foot bath and snacks.

N is having onsen egg (boiled in the hot spring)

We then make our way to the three Michelin star onsen; where we spent an hour in the private hot spring. AMAZING!!

In front of our private onsen

Inside the hut is a changing room with mirror (and aircon). Just outside the cute hut, you can see the waterfall hot spring where you can control the temperature and flow of the water. There's also a sauna room, cold tub and shower.

Why is it important to choose private onsen? The communal onsen in Japan is mostly segregated between male and female. So, no bathing with your spouse 😹 Plus, you have to wear your birthday suit (ie. naked). Of course, private onsen is the best choice.

We love this place so much!

By the time we went back to our hotel, it's already night time and we just stayed in #oldpeople.
Oh, we visited Japan during summer. No joke, it's super super hot! So keep that in mind when planning for your journey.

Day 2

Early in the morning, we took the Yufurin bus to Yufuin. It's a very scenic 1 hour journey!
Yufuin is small town, so we just walked from one end to the other

Tourist information center in Yufuin

Beautiful cafe beside Kinrinko Lake

We had lunch at Siesta Cafe before taking off to Beppu Ropeway
Beppu Ropeway is a cable car connecting the peak of Mount Tsurumi and Kogen station as the base of the mountain