KANAGAWA: Hakone, Kamakura and Yokohama

So here I am sharing yet another non mainstream itinerary with you all, and this time, it’s from my last month trip to Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. I hope you’ll find this useful one day, esp when you’re traveling to Japan and seek for a different experience :)

DAY ONE - HAKONE

Touched down Haneda Airport early in the morning, had my coffee fix and we finally headed straight to Hakone to begin our trip. But first, lunch at cafe KOMON. I had the Roast Beef and Rice with 12 Kinds of Vegetables and Hans had the Hotoriya Special Curry and Rice with Fillet Cutlet. The food was lovely and the view was extra beautiful.

After we finished our meal, we went cruising on Lake Ashi to experience the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise. It's a sightseeing destination for lake cruises on pirate-style ships offering scenic mountain views, forests and of course the striking red gateway to the Hakone Shrine.

Next stop was The Great Boiling Valley, Owakudani. It is a volcanic valley with active sulphur vents and hot springs in Hakone. And while you're here, don't forget to try the famous owakudani black egg. It is believed that if you eat the egg, you can live 7 years longer.

Also not to miss is the Hakone Ropeway, where you can enjoy Hakone's scenic panorama from the top.

When you travel to Japan, remember to spare some time for a tea break because Japanese matcha is definitely the best; and so we had our tea and snack time at Amasake Chaya just before we moved to the next destination: Hakone Shrine.

The Hakone Shrine is a Japanese Shinto shrine on the shores of Lake Ashi in the town of Hakone. It is also known as the Hakone Gongen.

Dinner was a yummy shabu shabu at the hotel that we stayed in: Ichinoyu Honkan, Hakone.

And I ended the day with a 10 minutes onsen! Just because the hotel room has a private onsen inside. I know, how awesome ;)

DAY TWO - KAMAKURA

Checked out from out hotel and we were picked up for a transfer to Kamakura. First stop was the Hokoku-ji Temple. It is an old temple which is famous for its bamboo garden, also known as the Bamboo Temple.

From one temple to another, next one that we visited was Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. It is said to be the most important Shinto shrine in the city of Kamakura. Again, while you're here, don't forget to take pictures in front of the sacrificial barrels of sake wine before going up to the main Shrine.

Lunch was shirasu and kaisen don at Wasai Yakura, Komachi Street. Definitely one of the best meal I've had in Kamakura. Ocean-fresh baby sardines and fish cuts, served with chawanmushi, miso soup and pickled, yum!

After lunch, it was time to experience the Ichijyo Ekan Sanso, a truly charming tea house with beautiful little garden and scenery. It was built by the 9th Prince of Emperor Goyozei 370 ago and it's one of the important Cultural Asset in Japan.

Thank you to our guide, Mr. Kawano, we had a lovely tour and afternoon tea while enjoying the beautiful scenery and relaxing sound of the river.

Right before dinner, we were given some free time to enjoy the local culture at Komachi Street, a place where you can find many souvenir shops, enjoy local food, snacks and also good coffee.

Dinner was at Ristorante Amalfi, an Italian Restaurant with a scenic view of the sea and of course, great food.

Done with dinner and it was time to take a rest at Kamakura Park Hotel before continuing our trip on the next day.

DAY THREE - YOKOHAMA

Third day was Yokohama day. We left Kamakura early in the morning for Yokohama and our first destination of the day was Cupnoodles Museum. It is a fun and interactive museum that shows the history of instant ramen noodles using a combination of whimsical exhibits and hands on workshops. We had such a memorable experience, from learning about the history of ramen, the space ramen to making our own cup noodle, how lovely.

Not forgetting lunch at Pie Holic, a pie buffet restaurant with varieties of pie, from savory to sweet, from vegan to all meat, you choose.

Not far from our lunch place is O R B I, a joint collaboration between BBC Earth and Sega and is one of the most high-tech museum attractions featuring giant, immersive films on nature, animals & landscapes.

Next in the schedule was back to the hotel: Yokohama Park Hotel to freshen up before dinner.

We ended the day and wrapped up our whole 4 days 3 nights Kanagawa trip with Yukata de Marine Rouge experience. Cruising through the Yokohama Sea while wearing traditional Japanese Yukata, having dinner on board Marine Rouge and of course enjoying the night view from the top deck. What a perfect way for a farewell.

Till next time, Japan!