Top 5 hot springs in Japan

Japanese has enjoyed bathing in the island’s natural hot springs for centuries. Here are the best and most beautiful places to enjoy hot springs like a local.

Kusatsu

About 3 hours from Tokyo, Kusatsu is situated in scenic Gunma prefecture, with an actual hot water field in the town center. This is Japan’s most prolific source of geothermal waters, with 100 hot springs gushing 34,000 liters of water every minute.

This water reportedly helps heal a variety of human ailments, including indigestion, arthritis, and poor circulation. For the full rotenburo (outdoor bathing) experience, visit the spacious Sainokawara onsen. Not far from the town’s water field, two bathhouses offer the traditional jikanyu experience, where bathers sit in an extremely hot bath (118 degrees Fahrenheit/48 degrees Celsius) for exactly three minutes.

Beppu

Cannot make a decision as to what kind of hot spring you would like to experience? Well if that is the case, then Beppu is certainly the place you should go to! Located at the Oita prefecture, this resort promises you an abundance of options and high standard hot springs.

Beppu is famous for housing the largest number of hot springs in Japan, which offer treatments that deviate from the typical hot water baths. Here, visitors can explore steam baths, sand baths and even mud baths, all of which have their positive healing properties! It’s time to broaden your onsen experience at this resort as you try the myriad of treatments available here.

Noboribetsu Onsen

It is recognized as the best Onsen in Hokkaido as far as access, notability, history, and quality goes. Hot spring quality includes sulfur and hydrogen sulfide which soften and lighten your skin, and also includes iron spring which has tremendous effect on your fatigue.

See more: Top favorite summer dishes in Japan

Minakami

You can get to Minakami in a few hours’ time from Tokyo, but this hot spring destination feels worlds away from Japan’s high-energy capital. Nature surrounds everything here, and guests can enjoy the scenery while lounging in one of the many rotenburo, or outdoor baths.

Highly recommended is the Takaragawa Onsen, where there are both shared gender (and women only) facilities. Hoshi Onsen Chojukan offers drop-in bathing passes, but it is wise to take advantage of the ryokan’s elegant Japanese-style accommodations. There is also a bath here that is over a hundred years old.

Yurari in Kawaguchiko Onsen

Located just two hours from Tokyo by bus, this onsen hub sits at the base of the legendary Mount Fuji. The hot baths, as well as the accommodations, are designed to give guests a clear view of the mountain at all times. The baths at the Yurari facility are unbeatable. It is a complex that is home to over 10 different hot spring baths, but the main drawcard is the large outdoor bath, which boasts a panoramic view of neighbouring Mount Fuji. There are also relaxation spaces and shops inside, too, so it is easy to spend an entire day relaxing here.

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Things to do in Causeway Bay

You could easily spend days in Causeway Bay, one of the busiest neighborhoods on Hong Kong Island. It’s jam-packed with restaurants and shops, and also features Hong Kong’s main library and the Island’s largest public park, so there’s something for everyone here.

Go shopping in SOGO

For many, Causeway Bay represents one thing, and one thing only: shopping. From gigantic shopping malls to local retailers, and from high-end fashion to affordable high-street offerings, Causeway Bay has it all. Visit SOGO, Hong Kong’s largest Japanese-style department store, or check out some local designers at Fashion Walk. It’s not just about clothes either; those on the lookout for electronics or household items are sure to find their fix, too.

Visit Times Square at night

It’s not as big as the other Times Square, or as famous, but it’s a sight you should not skip when exploring Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay. The square wasn’t previously part of Causeway Bay, but due to some moving of notional borders, most guidebooks now agree that it’s part of the area, if not one of its prime attractions. Why go at night? Because the glass-walled malls and high-rises filled with shops look so much prettier lit up. Plus, where else are you going to find shops that welcome you until well after midnight?

Try out the street food on Houston Street

Whether you’re hungry or not, Houston Street – or Food Street – is a great place to check out. Tucked away in the crowded shopping area, it’s a little street with some of the best al fresco dining options in the city. Cuisines range from Italian to Thai, with most places open for both lunch and dinner. If you aren’t quite ready for food, just stroll around and peek into the side streets. You might catch groups of fashionable girls using the brightly painted walls as backgrounds for their Instagram photoshoot.

Stop by Hong Kong Central Library

Lovers of literature should flock to this building. Featuring an innovative overhead book carousel that automatically catalogs hundreds of books and transports them to their rightful sections, the establishment redefines libraries, using technological advancements to appeal to the younger generation. There’s a designated area where children can come to read and enter a fantasy world of castles, faraway lands, and mythical creatures.

Take a stroll through Victoria Park

Named after the former British queen, Victoria Park is the largest public park on Hong Kong Island. It features a fountain, some ponds, large grassy areas and plenty of benches dotted along its winding paths. Depending on the time of day, and of course the weather, you’ll find people having a picnic, practicing tai chi or doing a lap on the dedicated jogging trail. It won’t top any lists of the world’s most beautiful parks, but it’s a welcome bit of green in the middle of Hong Kong.

Read more: Top street foods in Hong Kong you need to try

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Things to know before take a trip to Bhutan

Bhutan, a tiny country in Asia, only began allowing tourism in the 1960s, so it can be tough to find practical travel information about this mysterious country. Intrigued and planning a visit? Here are some things you should know.

Do not expect to travel freely

Bhutan is not a budget destination or a place for backpacker-style drifting. It only started opening up to outsiders in the 1970s, and it still closely guards its heritage and ecology by restricting tourism. Travel must be arranged through government-approved agencies and be paid in full before you score a visa.

Bring cash

Bring cash to be safe, you can easily exchange American dollars at the airport or your hotel. There was no currency exchange desk past security at Paro Airport, but you can exchange at souvenir shops. Most places in Bhutan will also accept whichever currency you have as payment as well, although you may receive change in the local currency. Credit cards are also accepted for larger purchases, but be warned that most places charge a high convenience fee for cards.

BYO smokes

Bhutan is the only country in the world that completely bans the sale and production of tobacco, and naturally, smoking is banned in public places. Tourists and the Bhutanese elite can bring in 200 cigarettes, but ask your guide to find a place to light up. Hotels will accommodate smokers, some local bars and restaurants have indoor smoking rooms, and many nightclubs informally allow it after dark. Importing cigarettes overland from India (for personal use) is allowed, but they are slapped with up to 200 percent duty.

If your shoes are off, do not take photos

If your shoes are off, it is not appropriate, so just capture the moment in your mind. If you have taken your shoes off to enter somewhere, it means that it is a sacred place (like the inside of a monastery), and so you will not be able to take photos.

Mountaineering is forbidden in the country

Hiking is possible up to 6,000m in elevation. Peaks under that altitude are considered trekking peaks. Anything above that is considered mountaineering, and it is forbidden as the mountains are sacred for the Bhutanese. Snow peaks are considered the domain of the gods and goddesses, and it is believed that if you go there, they’ll get disturbed – bringing hail storms, drought, floods, etc.

See more: Foods that you must try in Bhutan

Feel the burn

The Bhutanese believe a meal is unworthy without chili peppers. If you love spicy food, you will be in heaven. The country’s national dish, ema datse, is a simple, fiery curry of chillies and farmer’s cheese, always paired with a generous helping of nutty red rice.

Source Internet