Hozugawa River Cruises (保津川下り, Hozugawa Kudari) are sightseeing boat rides down the Hozugawa River from Kameoka to Arashiyama. The cruises utilize traditional style, flat bottomed boats piloted by boatmen who guide the craft with oars and bamboo poles. The boats take about two hours to leisurely make their way down the river and are a relaxing way to see the natural scenery of the largely undeveloped ravine. The river cruises are often combined with a ride on the Sagano Scenic Railway.
The river originates in the central part of Tanba Mountain range, then, it flows around through the mountains from Sonobe to Kameoka City. Then, it runs into the Hozu-kyo Ravine and reaches world famous Arashiyama. It then merges to Kamo-gawa River, and to Yodo-gawa River. The river from Kameoka to Saga-Arashiyama, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto City, is called the Hozu-gawa River, famous for its beautiful ravine and boat ride.
4,100 yen (adults) and 2,700 yen (kids 4-12). Once again, my son doesn't have to pay anything. It is economical and fun to bring a 3 years old kid along with you in the travel. At this age, they already understand instruction and willing to cooperate with your demand. Every actions of theirs are really cute and adorable.
Time Estimate: Approximately 120 minutes, depending on water levels.
Capacity: Approximately 24 people (16 people for a winter boat), but it is subject to change without notice.
In case of rain: Even if it rains we operate our service as regularly with a tent on the boats. However, this does not apply to severe rainstorms or rise of the water level.
During winter: A red mat is spread out on the floor of the boat and there is a heater on top of the mat. Passengers sit directly on the floor of the boat. There are no chairs in the boat. You can see the scenery from glass windows of the boat covered with a transparent vinyl. It is warm inside.
The starting point is at Shin-Hozu Ohashi Bridge. To get to here, you need to walk to a bus stop which is located behind of the Kameoka Station. It is just a 2-3 mins walk. After that, you may need to wait for the bus. The bus frequency is every 30 minutes. It takes about 15 minutes ride to reach to this bridge. Once, you are there to purchase the ticket, you will need to wait for your number to be called. During peak season, the waiting time is going to be very long. It may takes more than an hour. I waited for 30 minutes.
The expression “Kawakudari,” a boat ride down the river, was started to be used when the history of using the Hozu-gawa River for transport began. It is a water transport whose history started when the capital was in Nagaokakyo City, even before there was a capital in Kyoto City. To help build the new capital lots of logs from Tanba, bound together into rafts, were transported down the Hozu-gawa River to Kyoto. Later the Tanba logs were in great demand and sent down the river by for the construction of Tenryu-ji Temple, Rinsen-ji Temple, Osaka Castle, and Fushimi Castle, Not only logs, but also rice, wheat, firewood, and charcoal were transported after Ryoi Suminokura, a wealthy merchant called the “River Lord” in Kyoto, opened the ravine up for boat transports in 1606. Transporting abundant and high quality of timber, grain, and firewood and charcoal was a thriving business but this vital role the river played was overtaken by rail transport with the opening of the current JR Sanin line in 1895, and later by road transport, such as trucks. From around 1945 rafting logs downriver stopped.
Not only is the scenery beautiful year-round, but the Hozugawa Ravine holds many unique points of interest, including; colossal boulders, glimpses of the surrounding mountains, mysterious deep pools, wildlife, charming flowers and trees, and intriguing geologic formations. The Ravine is and was so popular with tourist that in 1895 the sightseeing riverboat ride was introduced. Nowadays since the river no longer carries rafts or cargo the Hozu-gawa River is exclusively used for sightseeing.
The Hozugawa River Boat Ride is a world famous sightseeing experience whose travel distance is 16 kilometers-long, traveling from Kameoka to Arashiyama. About 300,000 tourists visiting us throughout year enjoy the beauty of nature in each season and thrill of the river ride.
You may argue that this experience is too expensive. However, please realize that this is a 3-manned Hozugawa-kudari which is done 100% manually. You can checkout the video below to understand how hard is it. They are really using their blood and sweat for the tourists to enjoy the journey. You will felt every Yen that you have spent is well worth it.
Near the end of the route, you will be greeted by a boat that selling food and drinks.
They have all kinds of skewers to amaze you. I am really surprised with the idea that they used to do business and make more money. The price is obviously more expensive than what you would be enjoying on the land but...
Look at this! Don't you think it is an amazing experience to eat while travelling slowly along the beautiful and clean Hozugawa river? It is all worth it.
Finally, we are at the final destination where this is the landing site. I am really curious about how do they get the boat back to the starting point. I can't ask them because their English is not very good. This is the only thing I dislike about this tour. The whole tour is in Japanese language. I cannot understand what are they trying to explain to us along the way.
This is the Togetsukyo bridge. The moment you are here, you will definitely fall in love with this place. Arashiyama is the best place in Kyoto.
Overall, the experience is great! My son enjoyed the ride and he always asking me to take him here again. The whole journey just took about 2 hours and it is just nice because my butt started to get uncomfortable already. The only cons is the language. If you feel this is really matters to you, then you can skip this tour.
Total Damage: 4,100 yen Service: 4/5 Price: 2/5 Recommended?: Yes Hozugawa-kudari 2 Shimo-Nakajima Hozu-cho Kameoka, Kyoto 6210005, Japan Tel:0771-22-5846 (Domestic) 81-771-22-5846 (International) Open Hours: 9.00am - 5.00pm (daily) (No service from Dec. 29 to Jan. 4)
Souled out has been began their footstep at Sri Hartamas, Mont Kiara since 1996 and finally they opened a new branch after 15 years at the east of Klang Valley, Ampang. It is a great news that I do not have to travel so far for it. 7atenine @Ascott and W.I.P @Bangsar are under the same company with Souled Out. Red bedded roses over our dining table. Nice~ Sparkling Wine Pan Seared Aussie Shore Scallop Outlook: 4/5 Creativity: 3/5 Taste: 3/5 Overall: 3/5 - Scallop on a bed of rich pumpkin puree, topped with aged balsamic reduction, tomato & avocado and garnished by alfalfa shoots & drizzled with truffle oil. Incredibly done but unfortunately the chef was making these in bulk which has made these dish turned cold when it was served. Pretty disappointing. Rack of Lamb Tandoor Grilled Outlook: 3/5 Creativity: 3/5 Taste: 3/5 Overall: 3/5 - Served with parmesan mash, sauteed spinach, green lentils, diced carrots & yoghurt mint sauce. Slight game...
I used to whine that Japanese cuisine in Johor Bahru is horrifying and disappointing until I meet Warakuya Japanese Garden at Mount Austin. From the exterior itself, this restaurant looks so grand and luxury. The first thing comes to my mind is the price will be hefty. However, when I saw the queue in front of the restaurant, I already doubt their price is going to be really expensive. I know people just loves good food but at the minimum price. Who doesn't anyway? One of the best part of the restaurant is they are providing 42" LCD TV, free flow of drinks and seating area for the queue. You will never know time flies when you are having those things at the waiting area. Something that Sushi Zanmai needs to consider. Mango Sushi @RM11.90++ Outlook: 5/5 Creativity: 5/5 Taste: 5/5 Price: 4/5 Overall: 4/5 - The moment I put the whole piece into my mouth, the sweetness of the mango already started to pamper my tongue. Once the biting started, the sweet taste is ge...
My love with the Thai food never fades even I have left Thailand for 4 months already. I wanted to refresh my memories on the beauty of Thai food so I took the chance at Thai Thai restaurant which is located at Sunway Pyramid. The design not really Thai style but makes me remember about Ben's General Food Store who is using the same sets of chair as well. Spicy Tom Yam Mee Hoon @RM16.90++ Outlook: 3/5 Creativity: 3/5 Taste: 2/5 Price: 2/5 Overall: 2/5 - The tomyam soup aromatically great when it is in your mouth but once you swallow the burning hot sensation makes you feel very unpleasant feeling. I have drink a great tomyam soup with no such effect but I do not why I experience this here. Pineapple Fried Rice with Prawn @RM17.90++ Outlook: 4/5 Creativity: 4/5 Taste: 4/5 Price: 3/5 Overall: 3/5 - Fragrance rice and crunchy cashew nuts plus a little sourish kick from the pineapple. This is perfect for me. However, a little dry feeling when towards the fina...
Most of people think if you travel to Hatyai and not visiting their temples, you are just wasting your time at Hatyai. As for my personal opinion, if you come to Hatyai and did not go to Sports Shooting Club (SSC) Hatyai to experience the shooting experience with a real gun, I think you are not just wasting your time at Hatyai but you are wasting your time being a human. You only live once and there is no better way to understand these guns than coming over to SSC. Their gun selections are enough to satisfy your urge. From rifle, pistols, revolvers to shotguns. You would be surprised that their rifle is the cheapest. The price is stated from 890 baht nett for a 15 rounds. I have tried the rifle, beretta and this Smith and Wesson 4506 .45 ACP. This 45 is my favorite among all with 50m shooting range and 8+1 capacity. One of the most expensive gun to rent here. Basically you are shooting at the target paper like this. You can adjust the range of the target ...
After Magnum has hit Midvalley City and got a tremendous response from it, this time they hit Putrajaya in IOI City Mall. This exciting ice cream house is making Putrajaya a whole lots livelier with their irresistible ice cream selection. If you plan to eat their single magnum stick, you only can take away. If you are planning to dine in, you have to order their other creative collections of ice cream. If you are choosing their magnum stick, you can choose a chocolate ice cream or a vanilla ice cream and then pampered yourself a series of exciting and saliva-dripping toppings. For your information, you only can choose 3 toppings. Any additional toppings will be charged separately. I know it is a hard decision to make. Next, you get to choose the coating. This should be very easy to select because they are only 3 choices there which are dark chocolate, vanilla and chocolate. Here comes the toppings that you have chosen. The will be merrily sprinkle over the delici...
Healthy Strawberry Farm is another fruit picking farm apart from The Bee Farm. Once again, we are out of luck. All the strawberries are either being pluck out or still not ready for plucking. In the end, we bought the strawberries instead which cost us RM30 when buying 2 boxes and get 1 box for free. Apart of strawberries, they so sell fresh flowers in a pot. You can buy these flowers to bring back to put in your own garden. I just wonder if our climate is suitable to plant them. It will be a waste if they are only look nice above here. Well, just enjoy the rest of the flowers and cactus here. Overall, I believe it is a good place to drop by here to but their fresh strawberries and see various kind of flowers which we hardly find them after we are going down the hill. About the fruit picking, it is seasonal. Really depends on luck when you are not in the right season to visit Cameron Highlands. Healthy Strawberry Farm Jalan Rumah Persekutuan (Federal ...
Many people asked me what is there in Kunming, honestly, I will say nothing. It is just a city with a dirty lake called Dianchi Lake. The locals love there though but you really do not wish to waste your flight ticket, accommodation and time for that. Trust me. The best part of Kunming is located 82km away which is a town named Shilin. Kunming Stone Forest, Shilin in Chinese, is a spectacular set of limestone groups and the representative of south China’s karst landscape. Known since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) as the 'First Wonder of the World', it is one of the most important attractions of Yunnan. An old local goes that if you have visited Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time. To get to here from Kunming has several ways: From the airport: There is a special bus line straight to this location from 9.30am - 6.00pm with 8 trips per day. The return bus is from 8.20am - 5.50pm with 8 trips per day as well. The cost is CNY45/trip. T...
A cafe located inside a coffee processing factory, what will you think about their coffee? 100% fresh and natural of course! Without a doubt especially they are using Borneo Liberica Beans which is originated from Tawau and Ranau, incorporated with Brazilian/Columbian Arabica & Indonesian Robusta beans. They got a coffee school too! Many great baristas are born here. Since it is located in a factory area, you will see a lot of working expats and workers will drop by to take away their delicious coffee to continue with their working day. The cafe itself is not very big. Just a few tables but it is comfortable enough to give you a space to enjoy your coffee. For your information, they do sell coffee beans in this cafe too. RM19.00++ each. Please take note to separate your dining bill with your coffee beans purchase because they will include the service charge in the whole dining bill inclusive your coffee beans purchase which is unnecessary. I had my cold mocha whi...
Never know about this place until I watched Ah Xian from the TV Programme which is known as "Taste with Jason". This restaurant is known as Chong Siew Lam Restaurant. No signboard to show this place but this is the only the crowded place in the whole street. They only serve for lunch so do expect great crowd roaming to this place between 12.00pm to 2.00pm. Steamed Tilapia Fish Head @RM20.00 Outlook: 4/5 Creativity: 5/5 Taste: 5/5 Price: 4/5 Overall: 4/5 - Tilapia is a freshwater fish and the best is to steam it. Without a doubt, they did it very well. The meat is so fresh but what is the best part is the gravy. Not sure how they made it but it brings a little wine taste in it with spicy kick. Absolutely uniquely delicious! Steam Salted Chicken @RM22.00 Outlook: 4/5 Creativity: 4/5 Taste: 4/5 Price: 3/5 Overall: 3/5 - By steaming the chicken like that, the gravy has already penetrated the entire chicken meat. If you just eat the chicken itself, it i...
It is FEBRUARY!!! When it is February, most of us will know that it is the only month with 28 days, some older people will just think of Chinese New Year but for the love birds, they will only have Valentines' Day in their mind. This day is men's nightmare because they need to think where to spend and how much to spend as well. As for the ladies, it is one of their most desirable date ever throughout the year to expect how their men are going to surprise them. I have taken more than 2 years to survey for the best restaurants to be compiled in this list. It is done more than 100 restaurants around Klang Valley. I will be truly glad if I able to solve some men's challenges in celebrating their Valentine's Day. I do hope others will enjoy this post as well too. I will briefly share with you how do I judge these restaurants and how their score is calculated. So that you will know I am not doing some blind marking system here. The scores will be divided into 6 cate...
Comments
Post a Comment