Fukuoka Revisited: SIN-FUK-SIN by A333

[9V-SIA]

Introduction

After our first trip to Fukuoka reported here SIN-FUK-SIN by 772 we promised we'd go back with the children

Two years later, we fulfilled our promise and we spent Christmas 2012 there.

I was looking forward to flying the A333 this time

TR is late but…. better late than never!

SIN-FUK

After the kids had supper in the SKL, we boarded 9V-STL for the short flight to FUK



After I settled in my seat, checked on the kids. Two looked remarkably fresh considering they had arrived that morning on SQ25!



Took off from 02L. Can you make out the cargo 744s?



Being the shortest flight to Japan, I quickly went to bed



I had a good 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep before waking up east of Taiwan



One of my favorite moments on a red eye to Japan.. sunrise over the Pacific



I always try to take a picture that is unique to the flight. This is it...



Breakfast is served. Coffee or tea, sir?



The Japanese option...



… my wife chose it. She said it was delicious



The non Japanese options



My BTC nasi lemak I always have for breakfast



Great start to the holiday!

[j.lin]

Nice! Which are the ramens you gonna try?

[9V-SIA]

After breakfast, I watched the air map. Tried to look for some Saga beef below



Alas, it was overcast and I saw nothing.
These same conditions saved Fukuoka from being nuked during WW2.
Instead, the alternate target was chosen… Nagasaki!



I love this version of the air map. Much more detail ( zoom in ) than the new one on 77WN.
Identical approach as my first trip ( better illustration than previous TR! )



Finally, a break in the clouds on final approach



Welcome to a wet FUK. Compared with the last trip, much more visitor friendly at CIQ.
We didn't have to wait for immigration to open before disembarking.
Customs check was random not for every single PAX like last time



A last look at 9V-STL as I disembarked. Did you know that the A333 saved this route?
The economics of operating a 772 on this route were poor with rising fuel prices

[9V-SIA]

Grand Hyatt Fukuoka

We took 2 taxis to the Grand Hyatt. One of the nice things about FUK is that it is a short distance from the city centre so no need to take a train like NRT or KIX

Christmas tree in the GH Lobby gets us into the Christmas mood



Our room would not be ready till after lunch so we left our bags and walked around Canal City

We had lunch in one of the restaurants at the MUJI end of the mall.

After lunch, our room was ready. Sorry no pictures of the room before we messed it up

Just some additional notes on the Grand Hyatt to add to what 9V-SIA has helpfully posted:

1 My room faces the canal (not Canal City) side and behind that, Nakasu - the largest entertainment district in Japan west of Osaka (although I couldn't hear or see a thing from my room other than the sight of taxis frequently disppearing into the area).

I faced the canal this trip and concur with jhm. Canal facing is quieter than if you face Canal City

The reason why the rooms facing Canal City can get noisy is because there is always something going on here

and the sound bounces off the "canyon walls" into the rooms



Bridges below my room lead to Nakasu, which is actually an island on the river



View of GH from across the canal. Buildings in front of GH are on Nakasu island where the yatai stalls are at night

Just a 5-minute stroll from the hotel along the bank of the canal (turn right on leaving the hotel if facing the canal; stay on the hotel's side of the canal rather than crossing over a bridge into Nakasu) are the yatai (food stalls) which open in the afternoon until past midnight for cheap but tasty food.

This bridge to Nakasu is pink for a reason.



It leads to the "adult entertainment" district that is Yakasu.

So if you have young daughters who want to cross the cute "pink bridge"

think of an excuse and follow jhm's route to the Yatai stalls!

Otherwise, you will walk down this lane… which was open for "business" even when I went for my morning walk…. at 7am!



Walking back from dinner, the yatai stalls on Nakasu island can clearly be seen.

You can make out GH in the background



We never tried them because there were 7 of us, it was cold and didn't look very comfortable for my mother-in-law

4 Internet access in the room appears to be free but it's not wifi and there's nothing at all on the desk for connection. After some searching, I found the Internet box plus cable in one of the unmarked drawers by the desk.

Wifi had just been installed when we stayed there.

7 After being accustomed to them in the places I stayed in in Tokyo and Osaka the last few days, there's no heated toilet seat here! (The toilet in the place in Osaka was so advanced that even its flush function was electronically controlled!) (Edit: strange - the loo seat is warm today!)

Open the lid!

[9V-SIA]

Canal City has added an extension since our last visit - Sun Plaza - which has more big chain stores and hence less attractive to me



Viewed from the south, Canal City on left, Sun Plaza on the right..



..linked by overhead bridge



It has a more conventional layout than the original Canal City - shops arranged along a central corridor - which gives more visibility for the retailers than before



Sun Plaza looks like this when approaching from Hakata Station



It's only a short walk away, which afforded good exercise to burn off the calories we were to eat!



Hakata Station by day..



.. and night



The Japanese do Christmas & New Year well

[CarbonMan]

Looking forward to the rest of the TR, 9V-SIA. I've just come back from a great trip to KIX-Shirahama-Katsuura-Shingu-Kawayu Onsen-Nara-Kyoto-KIX.

Love the food, the great service and of course, their delightful toilets.

[shikhargpt]

How would you describe the 332's Y class offering to the 772?