Enjoy Saga: A two-day, one-night trip with gourmet food and sightseeing by rental car
Purpose of the Trip
See TeamLab!
Eat delicious food!
Soak in hot springs!
Schedule
Day 1
Fly from Haneda Airport to Saga Airport.
There are no low-cost carriers or airlines serving the area. ANA operates five flights per day, with a flight time of approximately two hours. There's nothing around Saga Airport. While buses are an option, rental cars are recommended.
For flight passengers, there's a 24-hour promotion for 1000 yen for two or more people. (This promotion seems to have been going on for quite some time.) One person pays 2000 yen per car. Two people pay 1000 yen, so even single travelers are cheaper.
Rental cars are conveniently located next to the airport. Getting around is easy.
First, head to Yutoku Inari Shrine.
This shrine is quite large and historic.
Then, drive along the coast to see the underwater torii gate of Ouo Shrine. It's beautiful at high tide.
Tara Town, where this shrine is located, is a gourmet town famous for its oysters. We tried grilled oysters at an oyster shack.
They were delicious, and the location right in front of the ocean was perfect. Then, we drove to Arita. Arita is synonymous with Arita ware. We enjoyed tea and sweets served in beautiful tea utensils at Arita Purcellin Lab.
Then, we checked into Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel, home to teamLab. After checking in at the front desk, we were greeted by a fantastic view of the forest of lamps. The hot springs here are also amazing! Rakan no Yu has a sauna, an open-air bath, and is spacious.
There's an Italian restaurant on the hotel grounds, so we made a reservation there for dinner. The food, made with local Saga ingredients, and the tableware was beautifully crafted. It's in a different location, about a five-minute walk away. It might be a bit difficult if it's raining.
Day 2
We got up early and thoroughly enjoyed teamLab's forest of lamps. Of course, we also took a dip in the hot springs.
For breakfast, we had Japanese food at the hotel. The nori seaweed was served in a heated container, and it was incredibly crisp.
After checking out, we visited the Takeo Onsen Tower Gate and other attractions, then went to Yobuko to eat squid. I was so happy to eat such fresh squid. They even cooked the tentacles for me. We ate at the Underwater Fish Restaurant Manbo.
We drove to Saga Airport and then flew to Tokyo.
Photogenic Spots
Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel, home to a TeamLab artwork.
I recommend staying late at night or early in the morning, as there are fewer guests.
Important Notes
Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel does not have an elevator.
This hotel is not suitable for elderly guests or those with small children, as moving around inside the hotel is difficult. Also, the reception area is dark due to the TeamLab artwork, so elderly guests and those with small children may find the darkness intimidating or uncomfortable.
Transportation
Public transportation is not very good, so a rental car is necessary for sightseeing. However, if you book in advance, the hotel offers a shuttle service from Takeo Onsen Station.
Renting a car from the airport for 1,000 yen a day was a great deal!
Recommendations
The hot springs are amazing. I recommend Takeo Onsen.
Also, the food in Saga is delicious.
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