Today, I joined a one-day tour to Kyushu, visiting four attractions. I initially thought the pace would be rushed, but it wasn't tiring at all because the driver and tour guide arranged everything perfectly throughout the trip. Our tour guide, Jin, was practically a walking encyclopedia! His explanations were engaging and so humorous that even the elderly and children listened attentively to his stories.
**First Stop: Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell) - A Spectacle of Two-Colored Hot Springs ♨️**
It turns out the blue and red hot spring pools have different mineral compositions. Tour guide Jin meticulously explained why two pools so close to each other would have different colors.
**Second Stop: Kyushu African Safari Park 🦁**
I thought the elderly and teenagers would find watching animals boring, but to my surprise, everyone was constantly exclaiming "Wow, wow, wow!" and taking photos of the animals. Although we couldn't ride the cage bus to feed the animals, we still managed to take many beautiful photos of them while touring in the air-conditioned bus. My family's favorite part was feeding the ponies and petting the kangaroos.
**Third Stop: Yufuin Street Food Guide 🍡**
Before we got off the bus, tour guide Jin provided each family with a Yufuin food map. We took the elderly and the young ones to explore the street food, trying various local delicacies, but the weather was really hot!
**Fourth Stop: Mount Yufu Trailhead ⛰️**
The last stop of the itinerary was the Mount Yufu trailhead. I initially thought it would be unremarkable, planning to just get off the bus for 10 minutes to take a photo. To my surprise, it was like an IMAX theater with a super-sized mountain view! The lush green mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, truly refreshing!