Plans never keep up with changes. I had planned to visit Saraku Sand Bath Hall, but it was unexpectedly closed. Fortunately, a fellow traveler I met on the bus recommended Yamagawa Sunamushi Onsen Sayuri (Fushime Onsen), and we decided to go together. This unexpected detour became my most unforgettable memory of Ibusuki. Since I'd come all this way, I couldn't miss this natural steam sand bath, a rarity found in only a few places worldwide.
After getting off the bus, we had to walk a long stretch of rolling hills. The slight soreness in my legs made the warmth enveloping my entire body when I later lay in the black sand heated by geothermal steam feel even more soothing.
Supplies and yukata can be rented on-site, which is very convenient. After sweating and fully unwinding to the sound of the waves, I bought a bottle of cold, rich coffee milk in the lounge and drank it down. I felt refreshed from head to toe, bringing this serendipitous hot spring experience to a perfect close.
