When we first started planning our trip to Japan, visiting the Kiso Valley was at the top of the list. My intent for our time in Japan was to experience slow travel, to not rush through each destination and cram it all in. With sixteen days, we took our time. Savoring each destination along the way, visiting the Kiso Valley was everything I had hoped it would be.
https://www.bontraveler.com/visiting-the-kiso-valley/
The Kiso Valley was first brought to my attention when I had read Local Milk’s blog post on the region — I was completely mesmerized. A sleepy town nestled in fog draped mountains, where time was slow and meant to be savored is the best way to describe the Kiso Valley. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. So much of travel, for me, is fast. The past years the goal has often been to see as many places as possible in a short amount of time. This year, Travis and I decided that instead of quantity, we wanted quality. We wanted to feel like locals, where we would recognize coffee shop owners, eat at the same place not once, but twice. My “do it all” personality has come to love the slowness and stillness of being deliberate in traveling slow. It’s refreshing, and so contrary to my work in the travel industry. The Kiso Valley was the perfect place to do exactly this. https://www.bontraveler.com/visiting-the-kiso-valley/
Dinner was sharply served at 6:30 and if you were a minute late, you would know. A set course set in front of us portrayed the region’s local cuisine. River fish, miso soup, an assortment of pickled vegetables, fried crickets, and other proteins cured in miso would be tonight’s dinner. Showers were strictly from 4:30-9, so with a quick rinse, we settled in for the night. The table was move to the corner, we laid out our mats and slept on the floor to the sound of the rushing river. It was magical.
https://www.bontraveler.com/visiting-the-kiso-valley/
We woke up to the fog over the mountains, whipping over the wintery pines. Breakfast was served strictly at 7:30, and your plate was there whether or not you were. It was an assortment of the evening before, this time with an omelette and a salad. It would be the right amount of fuel for our hike. Tsumago was quiet — in the kind of way where you almost didn’t see another person for minutes at a time. The shops slowly started to open up around 9:30, preparing for hikers looking for a soft cream or bowl of soba. We grabbed an umbrella, our bells for the local bears (which we later found out only appear around once a year), and started our journey on the Nakasendo Trail bound for Magome.
https://www.bontraveler.com/visiting-the-kiso-valley/
https://www.bontraveler.com/visiting-the-kiso-valley/
There couldn’t have been a sweeter way to end our day in the Kiso Valley.
https://www.bontraveler.com/visiting-the-kiso-valley/