Day trip to Takachiho- Miyazaki Prefecture

I saw beautiful image of Japan on Pinterest and I did some research to find out where is this place is. Takachiho Gorge is a beautiful landscape in Miyazaki prefecture,Kyushu region. This area is a bit far and not much public transportation available during summer in 2020. I took a highway bus from Kumamoto station to Takachiho bus center which takes about 3 hours to reach there. Due to the Covid-19 situation some of the buses are limited and I took a morning bus around 9:11am and reached there by 12:21pm. Buses can book online from the Kyushu bus booking website.It's a very comfortable bus ride and they stop at several places for quick rest.

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From Takachiho bus center to Takachiho gorge I walked as I have no budget to spend for a taxi. It takes about 30 minutes to walk to the river area. I went during Japanese summer holidays and it bit crowded. Better to avoid public holidays as it is crowded.

I walked the area near the river side which is a very beautiful and perfect place to take photos. There is boat service available which costs 3000 yen per boat for 30 minutes. Unfortunately it was too late to get a boat and explore the river side as it was crowded. But I’m pretty sure the views from the riverside are fascinating.

After walking around the riverside I went to the streets shops to check some souvenirs and food. There are few places that sell ice cream and drinks to beat the heat. Spending 1 and half hours in Takachiho gorge I decided to explore another beautiful location in Amano iwato Jinja shrine. I went back to Takachiho bus center by taxi as it's difficult to climb back and so hot outside.

From Takachiho bus center to Amanoi Iwato Shrine takes about 15 minutes by bus and it costs me 320 yen. I have been to several shrines and temples in Japan and I chose to visit this shrine because of the beautiful cave with Japanese gate. I walked straight to the cave area passing the shrine and beautiful sceneries along the river. Around the cave there are little piles of stone stacked nicely along the river by previous visitors to mark their pilgrimage.

The area is so beautiful and it reminds me of my father's village in Sri Lanka. We used to take baths but in Japan I guess we are not allowed to do so as it is located within a shrine premises. The clear blue water is so relaxing and can stay there for awhile.

After exploring the area I decided to return back early as I had to catched return bus from Takachiho bus center. Before heading there I had an ice cream shop nearby and it was refreshing at the moment. Because of Covid-19 the buses are limited and the next bus was too late for me to arrive at the bus center. So I decided to take a taxi but couldn't find taxis around the area. I asked one of the ladies from Omiyage (Confectionary shop) where I can get a taxi. The lady helped me to get a taxi as my Japanese is not so good to request a taxi. From Amano Iwato shrine to the bus center, taxis cost me around 2000 yen. As I don't want to miss my return bus to Kumamoto I made up my mind to spend that much.Totally I spent around 4 hours exploring around Takachiho area and I believe I covered important sites I wanted to visit.

Overall a day trip to Takachiho was quite interesting as the sights are so magical and dreamy. I was quite worried about traveling during the Covid-19 but I don't regret it anymore. Finally Takachiho Gorge is off from my bucket list.

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