After 3 years almost day for day, I am FINALLY closing the story of our Japanese road trip to Shikoku. I would not have thought to take so much time to tell you all this but the main thing is that, that’s it! We are coming to the end of the journey!
Last stage of the story: The city of Sumoto on the island of Awaji (which you already know a little about since we have already visited a bit of it here). Indeed, we retraced our steps to reach Osaka at the end of the stay (see route here) and return our rental car.
For this step, my darling has found this nugget hotel facing the sea. To tell you the truth, we did not leave the establishment to visit the city of Sumoto but the fact of asking ourselves without doing anything was a great moment of exception and serenity. Let me collect all my memories and I’ll tell you everything: Let’s go!
NEW AWAJI HOTEL COMPLEX
This large hotel complex NEW AWAJI connects 5 hotels to each other, where you can move around freely and enjoy the hot Springs internal to each hotel. It may be difficult to understand how this is organized, but we can compare this large Resort to a kind of Las Vegas of onsen (hot spring), less bling bling and more rest.
3 hotels (and their spa/onsen) are located side by side along the same corridor along the seaside: The NAGISA NO SHOU HANAGOYOMI (ours), followed by the hotel NEW AWAJI and the hotel YUMEKENSEI. We can go to another hotel SHIMAHANA by boat/shuttle to have a new point of view (and a new relaxation pool). A 5th hotel of the group, the YUMEKAIYU AWAJISHIMA is also accessible 5 minutes by bus/shuttle.
We didn’t have time to experience everything since we only stayed there for one night, but it might be nice to book at least 2 nights (in any hotel in the resort) to take full advantage of the whole place.
OUR NIGHT AT NAGISA NO SHOU HANAGAYOMI HOTEL
In the hotel lobby
Arrived in the early afternoon at Sumoto at the hotel reception, we were invited to choose a yukata (summer kimono) for our stay (as is customary in ryokans in general): I chose pink printed with cherry blossoms while the lover opted for a pale green shade vegetable.
As in Kinosaki, once the yukata is on, relaxation can begin. It’s so nice to walk around freely as if you were wearing a bathrobe, but lighter… and more chic!
We slept in this room on futons laid out on tatami mats at bedtime.
The “futon on tatami” version bedroom
What a joy to wake up with this view of the sea! Magic !
MOVING FROM BATH TO BATH
As I wrote to you above, we are free to move from hotel to hotel, testing each of their spa/onsen on the way. For the uninitiated, I’ll let you read the protocol (which I wrote for my article in Kinosaki) to make the most of an onsen in Japan and not offend the people around you.
“Kaze-no-oto Nami-no-oto” bath at our Hanagoyomi hotel
Going to a Japanese public bath is an atypical experience for Westerners but so relaxing!
Onsen with a view
I was able to take a few shots in one of the onsen because I was alone in the enclosure of the baths. But otherwise, be aware that photos are prohibited.
MEALS WITH A VIEW
Breakfast
We had chosen to dinner on the spot the day of our arrival and great good took us!
The menu was rich and refined, based onamuse boucheof chawan mushi (Japanese flan), sashimi, of fish (sea bream and vegetables in an earthen pot), a fondue shabu-shabuof rice of Awaji, of pickles and of miso soup to end on a slice of fresh melon and a scoop of ice cream.
The endless dinner (yes, we ate all that!)
The next day, at breakfasta complete meal based on fish was waiting for us… always with this view of the sea!
Bye bye my beloved travel diary!
It is therefore with this relaxing step that I end my story of this fabulous road-trip of 2019 : The most varied, exotic and inspiring trip I’ve done in Japan. The chosen season (May-June) was perfect for this trip (although I think all seasons are worth it in Japan).
I don’t know yet when we’ll go back there because I’m waiting for the conditions to return to normal and optimal to go there again but my head is still filled with wonderful images and memories: I’ll be patient <3.
It was a real chance to be able to live all these good moments of escape, change of scenery, nature and warm human encounters. I thank you for having followed everything about this journey for 3 years and hope that my reports will be useful to you for a possible trip! (Do not hesitate to ask your questions in the comments, I will answer them with pleasure!)
As a reminder, here are all the reports of my trips to Japan (I went there in 2007 too but had not made a precise report)
SPRING 2014
FALL 2015
WINTER 2018
ROAD-TRIP in MAY JUNE 2019
Thank you for escaping with me and see you very soon for new adventures!
