What Could be Better Than Hot Tubs and Snow Monkeys
If you’re heading to Tokyo for the Marathon this March, let us let you in on a little secret. You will be just a train ride away from one of the most unique experiences on the planet. This week, let’s find the answer to this important question, “what could be better than hot tubs and snow monkeys?”.
Faster than a Speeding Bullet?
The first thing you’ll need to do is take a bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano. Though they aren’t quite as fast as a speeding bullet, you’ll still cover the 140 miles in less than 2 hours. And the train is rather posh, sort of like first class on a plane.
The Onsen Ryokan (Hot Spring Inn)
Once you arrive at the Yudanaka train station, the Aburaya Tousen, is just a short walk away. Hot springs and hot tubs are very popular in Japan, BUT you can’t use a public one if you have tattoos. So if you have a little body art, like we do, a private tub is the way to go. The ones in this Onsen, come right up from an in-ground hot spring.
The Room!
Though we warned you that the hotels in Tokyo had such small rooms, we called ours “The Crevice“, the room at the onsen was like a penthouse suite!
The Meals
Oh and let us talk about the food. We had our own private dining room WITH personal chef! And we got this same AMAZING experience for breakfast and dinner every day. Here a just a few of the incredible dishes we got to enjoy.
But Let’s Talk about…The Snow Monkeys
From the hotel, you can take a shuttle to the Snow Monkey Park. After about a 40 minute hike from the parking lot, you’ll end up face to face with hundreds of red faced macaques. Stephen said it was like going to the zoo but being able to hang out inside the habitats.
So what could be better than hot tubs and snow monkeys?
Well the answer is…snow monkeys IN hot tubs. These little critters were soaking in all the vibes and couldn’t care less that we were there.
Lounges, and Breweries and Bars
To wrap up your perfect day, stop by the Yudanaka Brewery from some lunch and a craft brew.
Visit the Secret Lounge back at the Hotel
To unwind, get the secret code from the front desk to get access to this indoor / outdoor lounge – which you can enjoy in the kimonos the hotel provides.
And End the Night at the Rooftop Bar
And since it’s practically illegal to go all the way to Japan and not enjoy some sake, make your way to the rooftop bar. You can enjoy a sip in one of their cozy igloos. We promise, you won’t regret it!
Thanks for joining us on this VERY FUN journey! You can always check us in real time on Instagram at the__travel__oracle or follow us on Facebook for our latest article.
Until next time!
