This morning we said goodbye to Hotel Associa Takayama Resort. Our luggage is being transported ahead of us to Tokyo and we were able to use our Adventures by Disney duffle bag to pack essentials for an overnight stay in Odawara. Our group was split in half for the afternoon and some in our group did a bike ride through the countryside while the other did a food tour of Takayama. This morning we reversed it. Those who didn’t want to ride bikes were given an alternate guided tour of old town Takayama. As a result, I ended up going on a solo bike ride with our local guide and James, one of our two Adventure Guides. James told me this is the first time they’ve had less than five riders.
The weather was perfect for the bike ride and the rain held out. The local guide stopped to show me some of the local vegetables growing in the farms, as well as the process to grow and harvest rice. Other stops included a farm with Hida beef cattle and a freshwater spring where locals like to come for natural water. I got to try some and it was pure and refreshing.
After the bike ride and regrouping with the Adventurers who did the walking tour, we went back to the main shopping area of Takayama for lunch on our own. I had a fruit sandwich which was light and delicious, followed by a stop at Sugi Bee Honey Garden for a honey ice cream sundae with honeycomb and honey wafer. Yum!
Our afternoon was spent traveling to Odawara by train. First we took a local scenic train to Nagoya, where we transferred to high speed Shinkansen. We enjoyed the train ride to Hiroshima so much that we were really excited for more train opportunities. It was a nice way to sit back, relax, and enjoy the view for a few hours. This is one of the changes from the advertised itinerary, which originally included transportation by bus. We’re very grateful for the altered method of transit.
Once we arrived in Odawara, we boarded a bus for a quick ride to our resort for the night, the Hilton Odawara Resort & Spa. It’s a large hotel with lots of amenities. The rooms were an even mix of Japanese and Western styles. The beds, for example, were Japanese futon style but on an elevated platform rather than tatami mats. The toilet also was halfway between a Western and Japanese toilet. By that, I mean it had some of the electronic features (a seat warmer) but lacked the “Bells and whistles” of the hotel toilets we’ve experienced so far.
Check-in was handled for us and as we were given our room keys and wi-fi passwords, we also received the pin for the day. The day’s theme was “Seaside Bound” and features Donald Duck holding a map of Japan with a star over Odawara. Daisy was on the previous day’s pin and they look great together on our lanyards.
We were given time to settle into our rooms before a buffet dinner in the hotel. They had a good mix of foods from around the world as a resort that serves a wide array of international guests.
Since we were on the final Adventures by Disney Japan trip of the season in addition to an itinerary that was bought out by Mouse Fan Travel, James and Tomomi had a karaoke room rented just for our group after dinner, which included a complimentary adult beverage. Not everyone got up on stage, but we had a great time singing along and cheering each other on.
The hotel also has a bowling alley, arcade, and mini golf for an additional fee in addition to indoor swimming facilities. We were there for just 13 hours so we didn’t get to see it all, but it seemed like a great way to experience Odawara.
Tomorrow we will finish our journey to Tokyo, where we will spend the last few days of the Adventures by Disney itinerary before transition to our Tokyo Disneyland add-on. Check back tomorrow for another trip report from Japan!
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