Good morning! Today, we had to wake up early as we were going on a day tour! We have quite a lot of activities planned for today and but first, I grabbed a free coffee from the hotel on the way out!
Battleship Island Cruise Experience in Nagasak
We will do the Battleship Island Cruise Experience in Nagasaki, a.k.a. Hashima, or Gunkanjima or Battleship Island.
Pre-booking the cruise is easy via popular sites such as Klook. There are 2 time slots, and the entire experience will take about 3 to 4 hours.
I recommend the morning session, so you can explore the town for the rest of the day.
The cruise ship is relatively stable throughout the journey. Although I am prone to seasickness, I did alright during the entire trip. Instead of sitting down, I just hung around the deck and took in the fresh air.
What I like about travelling in Japan is that everyone automatically becomes the most polite version of themselves. On board the ship, everyone was mindful not to block their fellow passengers behind from view. That’s pretty cool.
The abandoned island did look very impressive from afar.
Disembarking the ship onto the island is dependent on weather conditions. Unfortunately, the rough seas meant that the ship could not dock safely for us to explore the island.
We took one around the island and headed back.
Lunch: Ramen at 西田製麺所
We stumbled into this ramen stall by mistake. We wanted to go to another ‘famous’ stall nearby.
But this ramen stall is legit good.
The soup is foamy. It is light and citrusy to taste, making you want to have another bowl.
Glover Garden
The plan tonight is to visit the famous night view of Nagasaki. Meanwhile, we have time to spend until sunset.
We have a few places shortlisted to visit, and here we are at Glover Garden.
So apparently, some wealthy family used to stay here, and they took a good spot with a pretty awesome view of the city.
Some parts of the gardens are pretty and make for good photo opportunities. It will be worth a visit if you have the time.
Dejima
This is another historical site we saw many visited. I would not recommend coming here. It’s rather dull. Perhaps unless you are a sucker for history lessons and want to know more about the place, else I suggest you skip this.
I decided to grab an early dinner back at Hamamachi Shopping Arcade. This time, we found the ramen shop we intended to go. And it was just next door.
Dinner: Ramen at Menya Always
I read about this place because it is famous for its Negi + lemon ramen, which tastes rather good. However, I think I much prefer the earlier one I had.
To try many different foods, the trick is to order one serving and share.
After the ramen, we crossed the road to this restaurant. We wanted to try it because it was crowded during lunch earlier today.
Dinner: Japanese cuisine at Brahmin cafeteria
They serve quite a variety of items, and the price is reasonable, which may explain their popularity.
Enjoying the Night View on Mount Inasa
When you visit Nagasaki, you should not miss it. There are not many other things to do in the evenings anyway.
This place is rated as one of Japan’s top three-night views.
It’s super windy, so please come prepared if you are visiting during cooler seasons.
Nagasaki Ropeway transports you up the mountain in about 5 minutes. A roundtrip ticket costs ¥1250 (2020). The gondolas depart every 15-20 minutes and operate from 9:00 to 22:00. The lower ropeway station is named Fuchi Shrine Station.
Just mark the station on Google Maps and drive there. There are ample free parking lots available.
I would say come up 1 hour before sun set and stay through till blue hour.
Island Lumina: Enchanting Nightwalk
Wait, the night is still young. I still have something planned! This island, lumina, is located slightly off the city centre.
It certainly helps that I drove.
There is a gathering point where a shuttle bus will bring visitors to the entrance. The road to the entrance is rather dark and windy; hence, I believe it’s for safety purposes that they do not allow visitors to drive up.
This Lumina show is in many places, including our Singapore Zoo. But trust me, this one at Nagasaki is way better.
My wife found it a bit eerie, which added to the excitement. There are some stairs to climb, so I would say they may be better suited for couples.
Sorry about the bad photos. It was rather dark, and I did not have the equipment to take nice pictures.
Go experience for yourself!
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Read More
My 14 Days Travel Itinerary In Kyushu Japan 2023 – Day 8
My 14 Days Travel Itinerary In Kyushu Japan 2023 – Day 10
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