Showing posts with label walk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walk. Show all posts

Cycle, Walk or Drive on top of the ...Kurushimakaikyo Bridge

Visited 14 Jun 2016

Name of Attraction : Kurushimakaikyo Bridge
Tripadvisor Name : Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge
Name of Shop : Sunrise Itoyama Bicycle Hire サンライズ糸山
Tripadvisor Name : Sunrise Itoyama
Address (住所) : 〒794-0001 愛媛県今治市砂場町2丁目8番1
AREA : Imabari 今治市 
TEL : 0898-41-3196  
Website :  http://www.sunrise-itoyama.jp/
Opening Hrs : ... 
Parking (駐車場) : limited lots 30 available

Bicycle Hire Cost
Adult : 1000¥ per day
Primary School kid and below : 300¥ per day
Deposit
Adult : 1000¥ per day
Primary School kid and below : 500¥ per day 

Cycle
1.    The bicycle rental info is in English and the counter staff speaks a bit of English as well. Take the mountain bike option (it’s lighter and easier).
2.    The cycling staff ensured that we knew how to change gears, what gear to use for easy cycling and offered us helmets, which we refused.
3.    The bicycle shop will tell you how to get to the cycling lane : it's to the right after exiting the shop and carpark. The cycling path is well marked in blue on the roads.
4.    It was relatively easy, except for the part going up the ramp to the bridge on both sides(when we walked the bike), and for Oshima Island, where it is slightly uphill after the 
Roadside Station Yoshiumi Ikiiki-kan よしうみいきいき館.
5.    We didn’t eat at the Roadside Station, as it was closed for maintenance.

6.    All in all, we spent a few hours doing about 20+ km. I believe the bridge itself is about 4+ km long. We didn't even know we had cycled the world's longest suspension bridge (LOL), only after we showed our friends a photo of it on Whatsapp. We were rewarded with breathtaking views of the surrounding inland sea, the small islands and of course, this amazing structure on a beautiful day ! We took our time to cycle, as we had only the intention to cycle to the next island Oshima Island, until our legs were tired, and head back.

Walk 
1.    We came here again at night after dinner, to take a nice cool walk up the bridge. We did not walk any length of the bridge. The night view simply cannot compare with the day view !

Drive 
1.    Finally, we drove across the whole Shimanami expressway, to stop over at 2 or 3 islands for another day of outing on a fine day.
2.    The highlight was the view from Kirosan Observation Park 亀老山展望公園 on Oshima Island.
3.    We drove from island to island, and we stopped at Omishima Island Roadside Station Tatara Shimanami Park 多々羅しまなみ公園 for a good lunch. 

4.    The other islands did not offer any interesting attractions and we were mainly out for a day drive across the islands.
5.   This trip cost us the most, in terms of paying for the toll from island to island :

  • 1st bridge : 1750¥
  • 2nd bridge : 570¥
  • 3rd bridge : 460¥
  • 1 way return : 2620¥ 

Going up the bridge from the Bicycle Hire shop

Going down the bridge at Oshima Island
 
Finally !

Remarks
1.  The Sunrise Itoyama is not only a bicycle rental hire shop but a hotel as well.

Mt Ishizuchi 石鎚山

Visited 17 Jun 2016

Name of Atraction : Mt Ishizuchi 石鎚山
Tripadvisor Name : Mt Ishizuchi


Name : Mt Ishizuchi Ropeway Station
TEL : 0897-59-0331 

Area : Saijo 西条市  
Opening Hours : generally from 9 am to 5 or 6 pm
For details, refer to http://www.ishizuchi.com/rw
Admission(Round trip) :
Adults 1950¥
Elementary school students (7-12 years old) 980¥
Parking (駐車場) : 500¥ or 700¥
  1. Upon reaching the destination, the first car park costs 500¥. Park here as it's only 50m from the beginning of the walk-up to the Ropeway Station. If you park right opposite the walk-up, it costs 700¥.
  2. The cable car leaves every 20 minutes and it's a short ride about 6-8 minutes each way. The last cable car to leave from the top is at 5 or 6pm.
  3. From the top cable car station, it’s about a 30 min walk to the 1st stop, the Joju shrine (成就社). The walk to Joju is good, and mostly shaded. The view is fantastic !


Map of the walk

Trail is well sign-posted




Walking trail



Remarks
Apparently, the walk from the top cable car station to the summit would take about 3 hours. The elevation change from the top cable car station to the summit is from 1300 metres to 1974 metres. The level of difficulty is graded 4 out of 5. For more information, refer to http://www.ishizuchi.com.

Tatsukushi Coast 竜串海岸

Visited 26 Jun 2016

Name of Attraction : Tatsukushi Coast 竜串海岸
Tripadvisor Name : Tatsukushi Coast
Name of Place : Tatsukushi TIC 竜串観光案内所
Address (住所) : 
〒787-0452 高知県土佐清水市竜串23-8
TEL : 0880-35-4171
Area : Tosashimizu 土佐清水
Parking (駐車場) : free
  1. Like some visitors here, this was for us a stopover visit while on the way to Cape Ashizuri.
  2. We weren't sure what to expect. We stopped at this tiny Tourist Information Centre and there, were 2 elderly folks. The woman was so kind and tried hard to explain the walk and the way.
  3. So we parked and began the walk. Indeed, many queer and bizarre rock formations everywhere, you think you would be on another planet, another time.
  4. I believe many would just walk a bit and snapped photos, but my wife noticed concrete slabs which seemed out of place. They are built to guide us for the walk, so we looked out for them and walked the coast...A pretty easy walk and loop, it brought us right back to the car park.
  5. A great short 45 min walk, taking photos considered. A good stop if you are going down further south to the Cape.







Cape Ashizuri Lighthouse 足摺岬灯台

Visited 26 Jun 2016
 
Name of Attraction : Cape Ashizuri Lighthouse 足摺岬灯台
Tripadvisor Name : Cape Ashizuri
Name of Place : Tosashimizu TIC 土佐清水市観光協会
TEL : 0880-82-3155 
AREA : Tosashimizu 土佐清水
Parking (駐車場) : free

  1. We visited Tatsukushi Coast and then stopped by at the Tosashimizu TIC for some information.
  2. We then stopped at a local restaurant for lunch and took national expressway 27, an easy road, to reach Cape Ashizuri.
  3. There is an onsite Tourist Information Centre, so we took a map of the place and started our walk to the Lighthouse.
    We didn't have time to do all the attractions so we decided to take the trail to Hakusan Domon (白山洞門).
  4. Both attractions are nothing spectacular. It's a great easy drive to this place for a day outing.
  5. I rate this as excellent due to the shaded and pleasant walking trails in between. More time, I believe, is needed to explore these paths or attractions at the most southern tip of Shikoku.


Cape Ashizuri Lighthouse

Hakusan Domon


Kochi Castle Garden

Visited 29 Jun 2016
 
Name of Attraction : Kochi Castle Garden
Tripadvisor Name : Kochi Castle
Area : Kochi 高知市
Website :  http://kochipark.jp/kochijyo/side-contents/pamphlet

Admission : free
  1. We did not visit the castle but took a walk in the castle garden early in the morning before we checked out of our hotel at 10 am,
  2. This is a beautiful garden not to be missed and commands a good view of Kochi city.










Roadside Station Kazahaya no sato Fuwari 風早の郷風和里

Visited 17 Jun 2016


Name of Attraction : Roadside Station Kazahaya no sato Fuwari 風早の郷風和里
Tripadvisor Name : Road Station Fuwari
Address (住所) : 〒799-2408 愛媛県松山市大浦119番地
AREA : Imabari 今治市
TEL : 0899-11-7700
Website :  http://www.michi-no-eki.jp/michinoeki/ehime/kazahayanosatofuwari/?language=1
Opening Hrs : ... 
Parking (駐車場) : free

  1. We set out about 4 pm from Imabari and took route 196, a real easy good national expressway to reach this western coast of Imabari.
  2. The roadside station has a local produce store, frequented mainly by locals, and a florist beside it. There's also an eating outlet further to the right, if you are facing it.
  3. We were there for the seaside, and there's a short coastal walk. We were rewarded by beautiful surreal paintings of the sky and the clouds, on that lovely day.


Fishing the sun