PART 1- Review of Hankyu Travel 1-Day Tour to Hyogo, July 2016
Just staying in Osaka for eight days maybe a bit too much. So I decided to explore a bit further from osaka.
When i booked car rental for okinawa trip, i randomly clicked the website of Hankyu Travel. There are many places in Japan but it is not easy to go if you don't know how to drive or it may take more than 4 hours of different modes of public transport to get there.
I had joined Yokoso tour to Shirakawa-go 白川鄕 and Hida Takayama 飛驒高山 in 2015. Yokoso is quite well known for tours which catering for non- Japanese tourists. At that time, there were mostly taiwanese tourists joined tour. And the tour guide spoke in simple english but understandable with supplement info in either English or Chinese.
It was a one day trip but it took almost 4-6 hours in transportation. Actually the best part to join a tour is that you do not need to worry about transportation as you just hop and go.
Simple.
When I was searching any tour that departure from Osaka, there were mostly popular spot like Kyoto, Nara in Yokoso Tour. Since i have been to these places twice so I prefer somewhere less crowded with foreign tourists.
Hankyu Travel, it may not be as well known as Yokoso tour.
I was quite lucky that there is a english version of their website. I think the tour mainly serves the locals but i do not mind the tour guide speaks in Japanese only.
It was easy to book and pay online just like Yokoso.
I love to see the country side in japan.
It was great to explore a little more in Kansai area, especially the less crowded area.
And I know nothing about Hyogo 兵庫 in the past.
The tour is all about Hyogo including Saruo Falls 猿尾瀑布 in Kami Town 香美町, Tajima Seacoast 海岸公園 and Amarube Viaduct 「Sky Promenade」余部鐡橋.
It is for sure that the area is not the key tourist spot to foreigners, as it is rare to find in any travel guide book or post from any travel bloggers about these places.
Before i decide to join any tour, I usually check if it is possible to go on my own.
It all depends on how complicated to go, and of course the expense of modes of transportation.
The Tour is ¥7,990- all inclusive. It is obviously cheaper and more convenient than go by myself.
It was easy to book online as you can check the availability of the tour on the date you want. Once you pay by credit, your seat is confirmed.
Here is the description of the tour from the website.
Recommended points
○ Experience the San'in National Geopark by a excursion glass boat.
● Walk sky promenade just next to Amarube Viaduct
○ Enjoy fresh seafood lunch including sashimi of squid
◆◇◆◇◆ Tour Highlights ◆◇◆◇◆
【１】Tajima Seacoast excursion boat
・ Enjoy dynamic, strange rock and caves in the San'in National Geopark.
・ Take a look at the beautiful blue sea world from a glass boat.
【２】 Saruo Falls
・ Saruo Falls is one of 100 best Japanese waterfalls located in Hyogo prefecture.
・ It is two-step waterfalls 60m in total. The upper falls is 39m tall, and lower falls is 21m.
・ Saruo literary means the tail of monkey. It was named because the shape of the falls looks like the tail of monkey.
【３】 Amarube Viaduct ''Sky Promenade''
・ From the promenade you can get a close up view of the San’in Main Line passing by on the new Amarube Viaduct.
【４】 Savor an exquisite seafood lunch
≪menu≫
・ Sashimi of Squid
・ Sashimi of sweet shrimps
・ Sea urchin
・ Grilled oyster
・ Grilled scallops
・ Soba noodles
・ Some boiled dishes
・ A vinegared dish
・ Cooked rice with dried seaweed
・ Fruits
※The contents of dishes might be changed due to the stocking situation.
【１】Tajima Seacoast excursion boat
・ Enjoy dynamic, strange rock and caves in the San'in National Geopark.
・ Take a look at the beautiful blue sea world from a glass boat.
【２】 Saruo Falls
・ Saruo Falls is one of 100 best Japanese waterfalls located in Hyogo prefecture.
・ It is two-step waterfalls 60m in total. The upper falls is 39m tall, and lower falls is 21m.
・ Saruo literary means the tail of monkey. It was named because the shape of the falls looks like the tail of monkey.
【３】 Amarube Viaduct ''Sky Promenade''
・ From the promenade you can get a close up view of the San’in Main Line passing by on the new Amarube Viaduct.
【４】 Savor an exquisite seafood lunch
≪menu≫
・ Sashimi of Squid
・ Sashimi of sweet shrimps
・ Sea urchin
・ Grilled oyster
・ Grilled scallops
・ Soba noodles
・ Some boiled dishes
・ A vinegared dish
・ Cooked rice with dried seaweed
・ Fruits
※The contents of dishes might be changed due to the stocking situation.
The next day i got the email from Nozaki-San from Hankyu Travel. I think he was quite surprised that there is a foreigner to join the tour even it was purely Japanese speaking tour and asked me about how I found the website.
