From Miyazaki I left on an express train to head one prefecture north to Oita. The last prefecture I visited on this Kyushu tour is on the northeastern side of the island in between Fukuoka to its west and Miyazaki to its south. I arrived at the seaside resort town of Beppu just before noon.
Beppu is famous for onsen, all naturally heated. After a lunch of toriten I walked to the Hells of Beppu. There are several buses bringing tourists up to the Hells, having time I decided to hike it which took about 45 minutes. Getting closer to the Hells revealed steam rising from the green hills hinting of the geothermal wonders waiting ahead.
The Hells of Beppu feature seven popular tourist destinations that each offer exotic and gorgeous views from blood red pools to grey ponds of bubbling mud. The surrounding areas have narrow streets with several ryokan and local souvenir shops. Due to the distant apart from each other, I chose four in close proximity in the Kannawa area. The first Hell I went to was the beautiful aqua marine blue of the Umi-jioku or “Sea Hell”.
Many travelers, tourists and families pose in front of the dramatic pools behind them with ever-rising steam. I offered to take a couple’s picture, and subsequently took a few different groups’ picture. As I was taking a break from playing cameraman a girl came up to me and asked me in English if I had been to Thailand referring to my shirt which was for Chang beer. Another fellow traveler here at the same moment.
The Sea Hell also features a nursery with several lilies and lotus floating on a pool of water. Right outside of this is a rust red pool with warning signs.
The next Hell I went to was the Oniishi Bozu Hell or literally the Hell of the Monk’s Head. This one features several pools of continuously bubbling grey mud, resembling the bald head’s of monks giving this attraction its name.
This place is incredibly photogenic, several people perch around the pools taking pictures in burst mode until they can get that dramatic shot. This Hell also has an ashiyu which I happily took a break at.
The next Hell, Oniyama Hell or “Demon Mountain Hell”, was more like a zoo, featuring several varieties of alligators and crocodiles from all around the world. Hardly the natural wonder I was expecting I headed out and had a snack from a local street vendor serving items steamed by geothermal heat.
Shiraike Hell, the “White Pond Hell”, was a quiet peaceful stop for to finish the afternoon. The surface of the water was mostly still and varied in color from a milky blue to grey.
Though the Hells of Beppu are definitely tourist attractions, packed with people from all over, they are worth a visit as they offer unreal and stunning views with vivid colors. Leaving with several hundred pictures more than I came with, I got on a bus to back towards Beppu Station, from there I checked into my hotel, which featured an onsen of its own, and I went out the seaside area before dinner.
One thought on “The Hells of Beppu”
What an amazing place! You really captured the essence of it. This is one of my favorites of your blogs so far. Can’t wait to see more. I look forward to my Sunday morning treat!!!
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