When I stepped onboard my transcontinental flight, winging all the way to Japan across the Pacific, I had never heard of Beppu. Not once. Not ever. But chatting with strangers can be a good policy and yield very interesting results. Seated next to me, a friendly young woman extolled the virtues of a certain hot springs town on the southern island of Kyushu.
It sounded like an absolute magmatic wonder. Beaches where, if you ask, they’ll bury you up to your neck in volcanically charged soil. Onsen baths will warm you right down to your soul. She showed me a photo of the town on her phone, a series of traditional-looking buildings clinging to a seaside incline. The whole place was shrouded mystically, almost magically, in a moody sort of fog. That mist was propelled high into the air from all that boils below the surface.
Right then and there, at 38,000 feet, I decided to vacation in Beppu. And I’ve been telling stories about the place ever since. Not just the obvious charms, which were all very accurately described by my benevolent and talkative seatmate. But because, over the course of four days, I was only among locals and national tourists. Special, because it was unique.
Traveling to remote, quirky, off-the-beaten-path destinations like Beppu is a reward in itself. Yes, they have all the usual benefits of visiting someplace new—all that inherent pleasure of discovery. There’s just so much more of it when you feel like you’ve found a place and can call it your own. Here are some of the best parts of venturing off the beaten track.
The Joys of the Journey
Getting to Beppu wasn’t hard—but it took a little effort. Thundering south on the Shinkansen, the bullet train raced through the mountains on banked tracks at unbelievable speeds. Making my connection to a smaller regional train, I had to run from one platform to another in order to make it on time.Another passenger proved very helpful, inquiring of the staff on my behalf, in Japanese, about non-reserved cars and where I should board. As I settled into my seat just a second before the rolling stock heaved our departure, it wasn’t just relief that poured over me, but also exhilaration. I wasn’t even there yet, and I’d had a rather fun adventure.
Getting Lost
There’s really nothing wrong with a well-worn tourist path. After all, people visit magnificent places en masse because they are really worthwhile. Whether it’s the Mona Lisa in Paris, Christ the Redeemer in Rio, or the Sydney Opera House in Australia, when you visit an iconic site, you’re bound to have company. Plenty of it.The Locals Appreciate You
“Over-tourism” has become a hot-button term. But it’s true that, these days, some destinations are just filled to capacity and bursting with visitors. Especially in the height of high season.So it’s not surprising that the people who reside in these cities day-to-day can get annoyed with out-of-town cars driving too slow down the main streets, looking for their turns. Or tour groups turning up at their neighborhood market, gumming up their regular morning shopping.
But that won’t happen if you go a little deeper into the hills or to an island further down the archipelago. Truly, chatting with an unjaded local person who is genuinely curious about your life and travels and the road that brought you to their doorstep and who wants to provide firsthand knowledge and advice about where to go and what to do and eat and drink—that’s one of the great wonders of travel.
Embrace the Quirk of the Mundane
Fascination springs from a culture that’s very different than your own. And that’s even further amplified with it remaining rather untouched by the West. I love wandering into, say, a little supermarket in small-town Wales or the Australian Outback or Greenland just to see what people are eating and drinking. (In each case, it might be blood sausage, kangaroo, and muskox.) Even the everyday can be very entertaining.
Go Home With a Truly Unique Story
In the end, Beppu was definitely a win. Many years later, I’m still talking about the town. Which is why remote places are like gifts that just keep on giving.For sure, I’ll forever tell stories about the temples of Kyoto, golden pagodas reflected on the smooth surface of a pond, and viewing the skyline of the capital from the Tokyo Tower, an endless and unknowable city at my feet.
But it’s those days in Beppu where the narrative is the warmest—and maybe gets the most laughs. The sweat poured down my face when taking that volcanic “sand bath,” the workers shoveling on the steaming beach. The feeling of being snug and secure—if slightly claustrophobic. Later, I hung out in an onsen pool, making stilted, gloriously awkward conversation with local guys who go there every day.
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3 Things to Bring Along
A translation app that you can access offline—you may not find many English speakers or mobile access when you’re away from the well-worn trail.Snacks. I can’t emphasize this enough—packing shelf-stable, filling food in your bag is a very good idea. It could be jerky, trail mix, or protein bars. The further away you travel from the bright lights, the earlier the restaurants and supermarkets close. So it can be a lifesaver to always have a quick bite on hand.
Your patience. It’s a guarantee that things won’t always work smoothly. So it’s best to be prepared to take a deep breath and enjoy it all, whether absurd, sublime, or just plain frustrating.
