Aso County

《For Tour Guide and Service Experience》 Our tour guide for this trip, "Eiichi," was very attentive and kind. Although he is a local Japanese, he was able and willing to explain in both English and Chinese, considering travelers of different language backgrounds. He also reminded us of the itinerary route and safety, and even sent a written itinerary explanation and food recommendations before departure. Compared to other experiences where I often take elders on similar trips, sometimes the Chinese explanation is skipped, leading to elders not understanding, or the itinerary simply goes through each spot without detailed explanations of history and precautions, this experience was excellent. 《For the Itinerary》 Our visit was in May and June, which coincided with Japan's rainy season. Although we checked the weather in advance, the weather in the mountains is indeed unpredictable, with rain stopping and starting. Here are some small tips for travelers planning this itinerary during this period: 1. Raincoats are more practical than umbrellas: This itinerary involves continuous walking. If you want to take good photos and move around easily, choosing a nice raincoat or a transparent umbrella might be more convenient. 2. You might not need to reserve the Takachiho boat ride: As shown in the photos, if it rains, the water level rises, and there's a high chance the service will be suspended. The platform initially stated that if suspended, 2000 JPY would be refunded, but the original cost of adding the boat ride to the itinerary was actually about 4000 JPY. Therefore, it's recommended to directly not consider the boat ride if there's a risk of rain. 3. Lunch arrangements: Lunch is at the scenic restaurant in Kusasenri, where you can eat Kumamoto beef from Kyushu. However, because time is quite tight, if you want to take good photos and climb to a spot with a good view, you might not have time for lunch. You can buy food at a convenience store on the way in the morning to increase your photo-taking time.

Today's itinerary was packed but felt wonderful. First, the mini-train, which children are sure to love, with the driver blowing bubbles at the end! Then, the canyon was beautiful and very photogenic; I really enjoyed the leisurely stroll through the scenery along the way. My personal favorite was Kumano Shrine, which had a very, very tranquil atmosphere. Ancient moss-covered lanterns and towering old trees overlooked everything. It started raining at the last stop, so we ate Kuroge Wagyu barbecue on the second floor of Kusasenri, looking out at the lush greenery – all five senses were delighted. Many thanks to our guide today, Mr. Miyamoto, who was very attentive and thoughtful. Not only did he give us a perfect day, but he also gave us posters on the way back, and I got my favorite Spirited Away one, which made me so happy.

素晴らしいツアーでした。ガイドのサンさんは、すべての観光スポットの歴史と情報に精通しており、彼の率直で生き生きとした説明は旅の大きなハイライトでした。必見のものだけでなく、避けるべきもの（お土産や軽食）も教えてくれるツアーガイドはとても新鮮でした。旅のペースも素晴らしく、サンさんが週末の混雑を避けるために観光スポットの順序を柔軟に入れ替えてくれたことには感謝しています。本当に思慮深いですね！そして、旅の主なハイライトである美しい阿蘇山（最近の事故のため行けませんでしたが）、神社、渓谷を忘れてはいけません！よく計画され、ペースも良く、全体的に素晴らしい旅でした。強くお勧めします！

We visited a lot of places during the tour and was able to have time to browse lots of souvenirs and food throughout. Mount Aso crater was unfortunately closed but we were still able to enjoy and take in the amazing views. Our guides especially Sun was so accommodating even when we me and my friend were the only 2 English speaking people in the trip. They were both really jolly and would give good infos about the places and also gave tips on food and where else to visit around Fukuoka. So thank you so much to them :)

This tour was really good if you love animals and want to see them up close. I enjoyed the guide Zhu Zhu was so sweet and even she spoke little English she was so great and made sure I was able to follow along with rest of the group. She was so delightful and kindhearted, helped me order all the foods form all the shops and stores and offered me her umbrella and even the sweet apples. I highly recommend this route you get to see lots in one day!

We really like our guide Carson!! He asked about our preferred language when we first met, since my Chinese speaking skills are pretty bad lol so we were gonna talk to him in English but surprisingly he could speak Cantonese as well! during the intros he would speak in Chinese and English (we could understand both) and if we had any questions we could use Cantonese which was just perfect. I really liked the mountains and had time to do some shopping and take photos. I personally don’t really enjoy onsens but I was happy to see a chubby cat there and those unique buildings. Carson also reminded us about snakes because it was the first sunny day after days of raining. Carson was very helpful and full of information, we really liked him as our guide which was one of the main reasons we trusted this company and went on another trip.

We gathered at 7:50 AM, and our guide for the day was Xiao Chen. We thank him for giving us a wonderful day trip experience. Xiao Chen's explanations were very professional and clear, and he also recommended delicious food. This itinerary actually involves a very long time in the car and does not include meals, but Xiao Chen arranged rest stops in between for everyone to take a break and replenish their supplies. The first leg of the journey: Hakata to Takachiho (2.5 hours); the second leg of the journey: Takachiho to Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine (50 minutes). The Aso red beef rice burger at the shrine's parking lot was about 200 NTD, and it was really delicious. The third leg of the journey: Shrine to Kusasenri (1 hour). Unfortunately, due to an incident in January, we were unable to go to the crater, so we went to Kusasenri instead, staying for about 30 minutes, which was a bit rushed. This itinerary involves a lot of walking, so be mindful of your physical stamina!

Although the guide primarily provides information in Chinese, there will be no issues with the itinerary if you can speak a little Japanese or English. They even used a translator and made immense efforts to communicate. We were very grateful. I tried to close the bus air conditioner, but one side of the plastic was broken, so it couldn't be fully closed. While this was a minor inconvenience, I don't think it's significant enough to negatively impact the overall rating. At Kusasenri, or the rest stop there, it seems like the parking lot gets quite crowded, causing delays if you drive your own car. I think taking the bus and going more comfortably is also a good option.

Several of the attractions are natural energy spots, shaded by green trees, perfect for breathing fresh air and cleansing the mind, and you can also learn about the origins of Japanese mythology. It's not very convenient to get to these attractions from Fukuoka, so this tour was a great help, and the arrangements were very reasonable. Kamishikimi Kumano Shrine is integrated with nature, full of greenery, much like a place where kodama (tree spirits) might appear in Princess Mononoke. Amano Iwato Shrine and Amano Yasukawara are associated with the story of the eight million gods luring Amaterasu Omikami out of hiding. Takachiho Gorge is where the heavenly grandchild descended to Ashihara no Nakatsukuni (the Central Land of Reed Plains), and the air there carries a divine quality that inspires awe. Since there are places that require climbing stairs and hills, it can be a bit physically demanding, so just be mentally prepared and climb with enthusiasm! Our tour leader, Zheng Yu, switched freely between Chinese and Korean, providing thoughtful guidance with clear instructions. He clearly communicated the meeting times for each spot in advance and also informed us that there wouldn't be a dedicated lunch break, so we would need to eat during our free time, while also pointing out convenient dining locations. It felt like the time allotted for each place was just right, never rushed. Finally, he even gave us specialty steamed buns from Takachiho Gorge as souvenirs. It didn't rain during the rainy season, so the weather was very cooperative. The tour leader was very organized, and the fellow travelers were very nice. The experience was excellent! Grateful thanks 🙏🏻