Watch this 160 kilometers bike ride across six islands in Japan

Guest post by Jacob Laukaitis
The Shimanami Kaido route
The Shimanami Kaido route

The route that I took is called Shimanami Kaido. It connects the Honshu and Shikoku islands through six smaller islands. The smaller islands are connected with massive bridges. I decided to take this route because I heard it was one of the most interesting things to do in Japan, so I simply could not resist doing it.

As you’ll see from the video, the islands are connected with massive bridges. Every time I would have to cross a bridge, I would ride up a steep hill for about two kilometers, then cross it and cycle down to the coastline. The roads are well developed and makes riding a bike a breeze.

It took me two full days to finish this route. I was cycling around 8-10 hours a day (stops included).

If you ask me, my main take-away from this trip is that you need to get a good bicycle! The one that I rented did not contribute to the trip being pleasant, far from it actually.

But at least the planning process for this trip was actually quite easy. I didn’t use any specific tools or websites, I just Googled some random things like “where to rent a bicycle,” “how to get from Hiroshima to Shimanami Kaido” and so on.

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The islands themselves may not have many special sights or points of interest for tourists, but the ride itself is what was wonderful!

Comments on Watch this 160 kilometers bike ride across six islands in Japan

    • After looking at the route more and looking at your website, I think I answered my own question. Interestingly, the link included in this post suggests that the ride could take as little as a single day! I see that you have been on a long trip to lots of different places in Asia, and your traveling lifestyle sounds amazing.

      I’m take my first trip to Asia this summer, I’ll be doing a travel course to South Korea as part of my graduate school program. I’m really excited! I’ve traveled to lots of places, but thus far have not been to any of the countries in Asia yet.

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