On this trip, I would be visiting my brother & his family, who's currently staying in Japan for their studies, and I would be bringing along my parents - basically, I'm an unglorified tour guide, lol.
As my brother is staying in the Kanazawa area, we decided to focus our travels in the Ishikawa area. Thus, after one day travelling around Osaka, Kyoto & Nara each, we focused our travels at the Ishikawa area which are reachable by car.
Notojima
Our primary reason for vising Notojima was for the Notojima Aquarium, which boasts an impressive display of various sea creatures.
 |
| The view along the way |
It also has the added advantage of being situated right next to the beach, so you get an open view of the coastline at the penguins and seals' outdoor pool.
Compared to Osaka Aquarium, I would say that Notojima Aquarium heldmore appeal, as it has several outdoor arenas which would be more enjoyable for kids. There are penguin marching shows, shows with seals, otters and the likes.
The big aquarium also has a beautiful display of various fishes, from big whale sharks to the smallest clownfish.
Highly recommended if one happens to be around the Noto Peninsula area, plus the drive from Kanazawa to Notojima also has some very nice views. The drive there doesn't take overly long (about 1.5hr one way).
Public transport option is available via a train to Wakura Onsen, and a 30min bus ride from there to the aquarium.
Public transport option is available via a train to Wakura Onsen, and a 30min bus ride from there to the aquarium.
Shirakawago & Gokayama
Another visit worth making around the area is Shirakawago & Gokayama, which is only about 2 hours away from Kanazawa. (This trip is also doable from Tokyo / Osaka, which was what I did back in 2014.)
Both gassho-zukuri villages are worth visiting, although if you have time for only one, I would personally go for Shirakawago, although fair warning that it is a bit more touristy compared to Gokayama.
Gokayama has a pretty quiet feel when compared to Shirakawago, and you can spend your time walking along the trails available. As we travelled to this area sometime in Apr / May, the weather was beautiful, with lush greeneries everywhere (the sakura blossom has sadly ended by the time we travelled).
 |
| Who can resist a view of the Japanese alps? |
You can spend a few hours walking around Gokayama, looking around the area, or you can take one of the treks which will lead you to this viewpoint. It's not an arduous trek, made more enjoyable when it's a beautiful day out.
After a few hours of walking around Gokayama, we then drove our way to Shirakawago.
Shirakawago was as busy as always, but never let that deter you from visiting the area, as there's a reason why so many tourists flock to this attraction. The village has a beautiful, rustic charm to it, and even though it's clearly geared for tourism, they keep the touristic aspects of it to a minimal for the best experience. Sleeping overnight at one of gassho-zukuri remains a popular option, but this time around we only visited for a daytrip.
For more details on a one-night stay in Shirakawago, you can refer to my previous post about it here.
Ganmon
Ganmon is another place near the Noto Peninsula, and the area which we decided to go to houses a beautiful cave near the coastline. The Ganmon Sea Cave (the cave is right next to the coastline) was formed due to long-term erosion - a brief hike down to the coastline will lead you to the cave.
 |
| Our first glimpse of the coastline |
The cave is dark (naturally), so make sure you have your flashlight on when making your way through it. It's not overly long, and the short trek takes you to the breathtaking rocky coastline. There is a boat ride during the period of December to February, so obviously we missed that since we came during May.
Once you get to the start of the trail marker, you will cross a bridge overlooking the rock cliffs (view pictured above). The bridge will then take you to a trail which will lead you down the coastline.
The area itself is beautiful, and well worth the visit. There is a bus that will take you there from Kanazawa Station if you opt not to drive, and I would suggest allocating at least a day to spend walking around the area. We were only there for a few hours, but there are several other treks which would take you to several other viewpoints along the coastline.
 |
| And with that, I bid you ja mata, Japan |
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment