Beppu

Breakfast

After a very restful night, Salmonella, Touchpad & Chef’s family and I recongregate in our Ryokan’s dining area for breakfast. One of the great things about staying at a ryokan like this are the set meal plans. It’s an amazing way to try some pretty tasty dishes. Sharing a meal with friends to start the day is very welcome While we eat,  we go over our plan for the day. After devouring everything we make preparations to head out for the day. 

Beppu Ropeway

Our first stop today is the Beppu Ropeway. It’s a gondola that takes you to the top of Mount Tsurumi which offers some amazing views of Beppu and the surrounding area. After securing tickets we line up and eventually pile into the gondola car and wait for it to take us up. As we gain more elevation we start to see the skyline of Beppu City and Beppu Bay. Throw in the streaky clounds and you have the makings of a lovely day at the top. 

Top of the Beppu Ropeway

After disembarking from the gondola we exit the gondola station and are treated to beautiful views of Beppu, the bay and on the other side the lush green valley below. We walk along the path to take in the view from different angles. While it’s generally quite warm and slightly humid in Beppu, the higher elevation and breeze at the top of the ropeway is very pleasant. We spend some time exploring and enjoying the experience before we head back to the Gondola station. We ride the Gondola back down the mountain and head for our next stop of the day.

Suginoi

Our next stop is the Suginoi resort. This is a large complex of accommodations, onsens, eateries and other amusement. Originally the group had looked into staying here for our time in Beppu, but there it does lean on the expensive side so we ended up at our ryokan instead. However, you can visit and pay for a day pass to enter the pools and onsen and so that’s what the family and Salmonella did. I wasn’t feeling particularly “pooly”, at the time so while my friends partook in the water festivities, I explored the facilities. It’s a beautiful resort with some great views from the pool area. Even without experiencing some of it, I could see it being a destination in Beppu on its own!

Yunosato Dinner

After spending our afternoon at Suginoi, we return to our Ryokan in time for dinner. Again we have another lovely meal waiting for us which includes sashimi and a small beef yakiniku portion. Even the meals for the kids look very appetizing to the point that the adults would eat whatever the kids couldn’t finish! After dinner we head down the street to a local laundromat to so everyone can have some clean laundry for the next portion of our trip.  

Hyotan Onsen

After setting the wash, Chef and Touchpad take their kids back to put them to bed. Salmonella and I hang out at the laundromat while we wait for the wash and dry cycles to complete. After the kids are asleep, Chef comes rejoins us to fold the laundry and bring it back to our ryokan. We also need to head to Hyotan Onsen to retrieve two packs the kids left on their visit prior to my arrival. Hyotan Onsen is a famous Beppu Onsen that the group was raving about. So since we’re here we decide to indulge in the services! It’s a great onsen facility with multiple pools and different ways for it to be experienced. I spend some time catching up with Salmonella while bathing and eventually the three of us reconnect in the courtyard. One of the things everyone raved about is the snacks! Since we’re here we might as well indulge, so we order one of everything! Everything is very tasty and refreshing after spending time in the hot baths! We spend time chatting and enjoying our treats before heading back and calling it a night.

Yufuin Part 2

This morning we are checking out. However, before we do we have one more tasty breakfast waiting for us. We enjoy the meal together and decide on our day’s activities. We will be taking an overnight ferry from Beppu to Osaka in the evening. But we have most of the day to explore. Since Chef, Touchpad and their family have not seen Yufuin before, we decide to visit for the day!

So after checking out, we get to Beppu’s main train station and get on a bus to Yufuin. The ride takes about an hour and drives through the mountains to get to Yufuin. Upon arriving we explore many of the same attractions from my first visit to this cool town. What is more enjoyable this time though is that we get to try more snacks and treats that I didn’t get to on my own visit. We spend most of the day exploring and eating our way through Yufuin. In the afternoon we hop back onto the bus back to Beppu. 

MOL Sunflower

We then make our way to the port where the MOL Sunflower ferry is docked. This ferry will take us from Beppu to Osaka overnight. Japanese ferries are almost like mini cruise ships with sleeping cabins and a buffet onboard. It’s something I’d seen online and always wanted to try so I’m excited to get the opportunity! After checking in at the dock, we are soon ushered onto the gangway and board the ship. Once onboard it really does look and feel like a cruise ship. There’s a large central gathering spot and multiple levels for different cabins. 

Sunflower Buffet

After getting situated in our sleeping arrangements (more on that later) we head to the buffet for dinner. Unfortunately, I didn’t take too many photos of the buffet, but it has a lot of variety of Japanese foods! There’s enough options for both adults and kids alike. We all get our fill of the different food offerings before heading back to our rooms. Not all the cabins have showers but there is a public onsen onboard. So I head to the bath to freshen up before bed. Touchpad, Chef and Salmonella had booked separate to me and had adjoining staterooms. So after freshening up, I head to their room to hangout for a while.

Overnight Ferry

After spending time with everyone, I head back to my private single room. This is a small capsule like room that has a non locking sliding door. While my room doesn’t lock, the hallway is only accessible via a key. So there is some privacy and security and the only people that would have access to your room are the other occupants of the other rooms. It’s actually a very comfortable and enjoyable space and I would have no qualms about doing it again! It’s fairly affordable for a place to sleep and a method of transportaion!

In the morning, I wake up in time to catch the sunrise. It looks to be a beautiful day and I’m glad to catch the start of it from the outdoor deck of the ferry. 

We soon dock in Osaka where the disembarkation is very efficient and orderly. I would certainly do the Sunflower crossing again in the future but for now we need to head into Osaka for the next round of our adventure!