Japan - Yakushima
Yakushima is an island off the coast of the most southern of Japan’s four main islands.
Getting to Yakushima isn’t easy; a three hour hydrofoil ferry ride (or much longer on the slower, cheaper boat) from the southern most port of Fukuoka; Kagoshima.
The waves can be rather large once you get into open water, but because the boat is raised off the surface of the ocean, the ride over to Yakushima is very smooth.
Hiring a car on the island gives you the freedom to take the circle roads as you please, I would recommend it!
There are plenty of beautiful beaches, which are swimmable even in Spring or Autumn.
The forests reach right to the shore across most of the island and are filled with Deer and Monkey, meaning any hikes or road journeys are often punctuated by stops to watch the animals do their thing.
There are several hidden gems on this island, but one really stood out; The Ryokan guesthouse named Soyotei.
A set of historic traditional guesthouses set alongside a beautiful beach with private Onsen hot pools for each of the rooms.
The island itself is filled with peaceful, majestic natural environments and it’s ready for you to make your own adventure in.
