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View of Fukuoka from Mt. Tenpaizan |
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Vendo machines everywhere! Hello Japan. :) |
Mt. Homan
After preparing my stuff, I took two trains to Mt. Homan (Itinerary here) in Dazaifu, a small city in Japan's Fukuoka prefecture. The nearby Tenmangu shrine and all the stores and restaurants around it attracts huge numbers of visitors but with my preference for quiet time and solitude, I moved away from the crowd and up the mountain.
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A shrine at the foggy summit of Mt. Homan |
Fog began settling in, creating an eerie vibe but I kept my focus on nature. The beautiful huge trees were a good distraction. :) Though the trails are established, most of the signage are in Japanese so I relied heavily on the directions I downloaded online from Fukuoka Now, a website which contains helpful travel and hiking info in Fukuoka.
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This was lunch. During my trip, I got a kick out of hunting for interesting food at their convenience stores which are everywhere! Lawson stores are common here. |
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A section of the trail to the summit of Mt. Homan |
Walking from a train station, I got so lost trying to locate the entrance of the trail. Ironically, it's a popular place for tourist and hiking enthusiasts but I'm not really good with road directions. :P A lady I met in the street, who didn't speak English, was kind enough to lead me to the jump-off which is 10 minutes away from where I was! I couldn't thank her enough.
Check out my other hikes here.
I ended up following another trail that turned out to be more challenging from where I intended to start. There's less people on this side which I love. I eventually found the main trail and rejoined the crowd. From there, it takes less than an hour to get to the summit. Compared to most mountains which are at least 600 MASL (Meters Above Sea Level), its highest point is only at 258 MASL.
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a view of Fukuoka from Mt. Tenpaizan |
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Hakata area |
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Montbell branch at Canal City,a huge shopping & entertainment complex in Hakata |
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Food stalls at Ohori Park |
Hours before flying back to Manila, I did my 3rd and final hike in Fukuoka.
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View at Mt. Shioji |
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Torii, a traditional Japanese gate found in Shinto shrines |
By 5:00 PM, I was in a bus back to Fukuoka airport with 3 hours to spare before my flight back to Manila. (Travel tip : At Dazaifu station, there are lockers where you can stash your luggage and go around. The rental fee varies on how big your luggage is. I think I paid 300 Yen for my 33 Liter Osprey Nova. There are also buses at the exit of the train station that can take you to the entrance of Fukuoka International Airport)
FUKUOKA TRAVEL INFORMATION
How to get to Fukuoka
From Manila, you can fly via Cebu Pacific, a budget airline that has direct flights to Fukuoka.
Where to stay
I booked a room at Sharely Style Hakata through Agoda. Click here to book.
Rates : For a 3 night stay, I paid 4,706.89 Pesos
Description : Single bed, aircon room with a balcony, private t&v, mini ref, desk, tv, hair blower, (breakfast not included). This place is outside the tourist district, within walking distance from Ijiri station. It's located in a residential area. I suggest plotting it on a map which you can access offline before your trip.
Solo Travel Tips
- If you're taking Cebu Pacific, you will most likely arrive way past the normal check-in time. Just so I don't have to wander around in the wee hours of the morning, I paid for my accommodation on the same day I'm arriving then informed the hotel that I'll be checking in late.
- The train station map I got from the airport was helpful. You can ask for one at the information desk. The staff were quite friendly! I also learned from watching a vlog that you can download an app for the train schedules. For more tips on traveling to Japan, watch the vlog here.
- there's decent cheap food (sushi, noodles, meals) at the convenience stores and the vendo machines
- Watch out for sales on the Agoda website (or just download the app) so you can book your accommodation at a cheaper price. If your flight is arriving late in the evening, inform your hotel. I found it easy to get in touch with them through the contact page on their site.
- Pocket Money : 15,000 Pesos was enough for me to get me by on this 4 day trip. I mostly did hiking and a bit of eating. This excluded the plane fare and Philippine Travel Tax (1,620 Pesos). Of course, budget varies depending on what you want to do or buy.
- Souvenir shopping can be done at the duty free at Fukuoka International airport. You can shop while waiting for your flight out of the city. There's also Starbucks here.
- Learn a few basic Japanese words. During my stay, the following words were enough for me to survive :
sumimasen - excuse me (before asking a question) or sorry (when you accidental bump to someone)
kore - this (to point at things close to you, such as ordering an item from the menu you're holding)
kudasai - please
doko - where
wakarimasen - I don't understand (when someone talks to you in Japanese)
Here are some of the helpful resources I read while researching for my trip :
How to apply for Japan visa for Filipinos - http://www.thepoortraveler.net/2013/11/japan-visa-requirements-manila-philippines/
Japan Embassy in the Philippines - http://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/00_000035.html
Japan Tourism Site - http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/spot/natuscen/index.html
Getting Around Fukuoka - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2436.html
Fukuoka airport official site - http://www.fuk-ab.co.jp/english/
Info on Fukuoka City Tourist Pass (train pass) - https://yokanavi.com/en/tourist-city-pass/
Info on Bus pass -> http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4802.html
Hiking in Fukuoka - http://www.fukuoka-now.com/en/2016/09/hiking-in-fukuoka/