Experience the best of Hagi, Japan | International Traveller

Want to avoid crowds? Visiting an under-the-radar destination offers a lot more than personal space.

A journey towards exploring the paths less travelled

A fun fact about me – and when I say ‘fun’, I mean ‘boring’ – is that I love coffee. It is a simple yet crucial morning ritual, the importance of which has grown as I have progressed through life’s most caffeine-dependent stages: cramming for university exams, entering the workforce, and becoming a mother.

I rarely drink more than one a day, even during the most sleep-deprived of times, and I am quite sure this only adds to the joy. I never saw it coming, but that joy spiked significantly when, almost three years ago, I started drinking my daily joe from a new mug.

a cherry blossom tree in full bloom — The Sakura of Japan or cherry blossom blooms from late March to early May.

What makes Hagi a quaint Japanese city?

With its must-touch texture, a network of fine cracks and gentle pores, the handle-free vessel has elevated my coffee ritual and, in turn, my mornings. It also reconnects me to Hagi, the quaint Japanese city famous for its traditional pottery in which I purchased the souvenir.

aerial view of the coastal city of Hagi in Japan — Hagi is set on the Sea of Japan.

I visited Hagi in early 2020, just weeks before travel changed dramatically in this country and around the world. And now, with the long-awaited, much-appreciated international travel green light glowing in Australia, Hagi – set on the Sea of Japan in Yamaguchi Prefecture – is just the kind of place to which I’d like to return.

traditional pots displayed in a Japanese home — The city is known for its traditional pottery.

It seems time on the sidelines has given travellers pause, with 61 per cent saying the pandemic has made them want to travel more sustainably in the future. That is according to Booking.com’s 2021 Sustainable Travel Report, which also found “84 per cent [of respondents] believe increasing cultural understanding and preservation of cultural heritage is crucial [while travelling]."

If we are true to our travel intentions, destinations like Hagi might just reflect the future of travel, a future in which we consider our impact as much as – and hopefully even more than – our bucket list.

outside view of a samurai residence in Hagi — Hagi is home to well-preserved Samurai residences.

The evolving efforts for responsible travel

Responsible travel can take many forms. You can minimise negative impacts and maximise positive impacts by taking the road less travelled, as long as that road leads to a welcome mat.

empty road in Hagi — Hagi, Japan is a former castle town.

Representative of many rural areas in Japan, Hagi is home to a growing ageing population, a cause and result of a declining birth rate. This has created socioeconomic and social issues: job opportunities are scarce; morale is low; and economic growth is hindered.

a historic temple in Hagi, Japan — Hagi used to be the capital of the Mori Clan, one of the most powerful Japanese samurai clans.

Hagi Homestay’s initiative for sustainable tourism

Tourism has been identified as a solution. Launched in 2019, Hagi Homestay aims to improve the sense of purpose for the region’s ageing residents. Resulting tourism activities create revenue for the Hagi Ageing Homestay Association, which then works to generate new economic opportunities that will hopefully appeal to the next generation.

The initiative is supported by Planeterra, an NGO helping in-need communities improve their lives through tourism, in partnership with G Adventures, which incorporates the homestay in its Back Roads of Japan itinerary.

Planeterra helps facilitate initiatives like this all over the world. In fact, by the end of 2021 (despite you-know-what), the organization had 340 community tourism enterprises in 70 countries, up from 85 enterprises in 65 countries earlier that same year.

guests wearing traditional kimonos — Experience wearing a kimono or yukata in Hagi homestay. (Image: Courtesy of G Adventures)

Changing the world through travel

Meanwhile, G Adventures has abided by its ‘changing the world through travel’ ethos since its inception in 1990 and other travel companies such as Intrepid Travel, The Blue Yonder and Better Places Travel (this list is far from exhaustive) are also committed to, and even renowned for, a responsible approach.

Whether via a travel company or of one’s own accord, responsible travel can take many forms, but all stand on the same foundation: to minimise tourism’s negative impacts on the environment and local communities.

Taking the road less travelled

Hypothetical bonus points are awarded for maximizing positive impacts, too. You can achieve both by taking the road less travelled, as long as that road leads to a welcome mat, as it does in Hagi. By travelling to a less-visited destination, you will be helping to spread the economic and social benefits of tourism, delivering a much-needed boost to communities that often miss out.

Professor of Sustainable Tourism at Griffith University, Dr Susanne Becken, whose work earned her the 2019 UNWTO Ulysses Prize for Excellence in the Creation and Dissemination of Knowledge in Tourism, says the benefits of visiting under-touristed regions go both ways. “We have created almost-industrial systems that resemble factories rather than rejuvenating travel experiences," she says.

“The opportunity for discovery … that historically formed part of travel [has been] lost in the massification. Ultimately [visiting unfrequented destinations results in] more meaningful travel, [is] more rewarding and likely more ‘recharging [of] the batteries’, which is one of the key drivers of travel."

old buildings facing the river in Graslei Harbour, Ghent, Belgium — Old Buildings stand tall on the Graslei Harbour, Ghent, Belgium.

Consider off-beaten destinations

Tuvalu, South Pacific

The options are many. Take the tiny South Pacific nation of Tuvalu, a slice of paradise that also happens to be the least-visited country in the world, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. Think crystal-blue waters, palm-tree-lined beaches and – most likely – not another tourist in sight.

an aerial view of Funafuti atoll and the airstrip of International airport in Vaiaku — A sea of inconceivable blues surrounds Tuvalu in the South Pacific.

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Sri Lanka

Or Sri Lanka, an increasingly popular destination, but one that has struggled to attract visitors since the 2019 Easter bombings. Now, an economic crisis is keeping visitors at bay.

a mother and baby elephant in Udawalawe National Park — Sri Lanka offers a mix of nature, wildlife and rich culture.

Trieste

A travel swap is another approach. Love Venice? Try Trieste, an elegant seaside city, sitting pretty between Slovenia and the Adriatic.

Ghent

Love Bruges? Try Ghent. Just 40 kilometres away, Ghent has the fairy-tale streetscapes without the crowds.

elegant Trieste with charming streets and canals — Ghent is a chilled-out alternative to Bruges.

Travel sustainably on the ground with Intrepid Travel

Stick with a travel company that has transparent sustainability cred. Intrepid Travel, for example, has launched its eight-day Bosnia & Herzegovina Expedition. The organisation has joined USAID’s Developing Sustainable Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina program, as well as The Global Travel and Tourism Resilience Council, to regenerate Bosnia and Herzegovina as a sustainable destination.

the Old Bridge of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina — Bosnia and Herzegovina boast a charming landscape untouched by crowds.

Dr Becken says another way to make a positive impact is to buy local once on the ground.

“Use low-carbon transport, generally travel slowly and really take the time to engage with the place," she says.

“This will lead to lower environmental impact and greater exchanges with local people. Overall, the visitor experience should benefit from this."

Like cupped hands around a favourite coffee mug, this sounds like a travel philosophy well worth embracing.

After youth-led protests in 2025, this year Nepal elected a 35-year-old former rapper as Prime Minister. In a country where tourism is its biggest industry, what’s next for travellers?

In 1986, Nepal changed its clock. It had used India Standard Time since 1920 so, to differentiate, it wound its clock 15 minutes ahead of, not behind, its big-brother neighbour. Boss move. “Nepal is strongly opposed to the idea that our identity is connected to India,” says Community Homestay Network (CHN) guide Bikal Khanal.

Tharu dance is traditionally set to hand drums. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

Today, Nepal is the only independent country with a 45-minute deviation to universal time; an oddity that’s become a symbol of national pride. The quirk is nearly as endearing as Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan airport where carved varnished wood and shiny red bricks rule. One sign points to a ‘Travelator’ and another to a ‘Grievance Handling Desk’ while visas are noisily stamped at customs for US dollars, cash only. When am I?

Spot the endemic Nepal gray langur. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The 15 or 45 minute anomaly sees me tap out completely on timezone calculations. Why bend my brain calculating if it’s quarter to or quarter past elsewhere when I’m in the honking here and now of Kathmandu where the air is high-altitude crisp, the prayer flags flutter and the street dogs howl?

How tourism is changing in Nepal

Bardiya National Park is rich with wildlife. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

India is not the only association many Nepalis would like to shake. With eight of the world’s 10 tallest mountains, including Mount Everest and Annapurna, Nepal has long attracted mountaineers and trekkers, and expedition numbers are continuing to rise.

Tourism is one of the country’s biggest sources of foreign currency, so this growth is not negative, per se. But according to Ang Tshering Lama, who co-founded Phaplu Mountain Bike Club, being reduced to a mere trekking destination is limiting.

“Trekking is just one layer of our identity,” says Ang. “When it becomes the dominant narrative, it limits how we’re seen and how we see ourselves.” Nepal’s recent success, however, in diverting trekkers to less-trafficked areas such as Manaslu mofuntain, where visitor numbers rose by 117 per cent last year, offers hope that tourism can diversify even more radically.

Local men in Bhada village. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The founder of CHN, Shiva Dhakal, wants that change. “The whole idea of the Community Homestay Network is to promote experiences outside of trekking,” he says. “Community tourism changes lives and helps kids stay home instead of coming to the city or migrating to the Middle East.”

Ang grew up seeing people leave, “not because they wanted to but because there weren’t enough opportunities to stay”, he states. Yet from remote villages to living traditions; food, art, music and emerging subcultures, “there’s so much that’s not being seen.”

CHN is opening some of those doors. It doesn’t own, or fund, any homes. Rather, it promotes homestays to travellers on a single, slick platform, while fostering entrepreneurship in places where women, marginalised castes, Indigenous people and the youth stand to benefit the most.

A new generation demanding more

Dalla Town Hall, where volunteers discuss anti-poaching tactics. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The future prospects of next-gen Nepalis can no longer be ignored. On a Kathmandu tour with 33-year-old guide Monica K.C, we pass buildings torched in the September 2025 ‘Gen Z protests’, including the Supreme Court and Parliament House. Seventy-two people died. “They were anti-corruption protests,” says Monica. “Politicians’ children are living a lavish life but the airports are crowded with youngsters leaving to find work.”

We stop in ‘little Tibet’ at the wondrous sixth-century Boudha Stupa. “The wheel of life is Buddhism in a nutshell,” says Monica. “Things such as hate, ignorance and anger keep you rotating around the wheel, so you must follow the principles of Buddhism to detach. If you can’t, there’s no nirvana for you.”

Boudha Stupa's prayer wheels — Boudha Stupa’s prayer wheels are used to recite Buddhist prayers. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

In a sun-drenched twist to the usual temple visit, we ascend the stupa’s sloping plinth and roam its whitewashed dome. Tendrils of diaphanous prayer flags stream from a steeple-like structure where the Buddha’s unblinking eyes stare out. No nirvana for you…

bouda stupa prayer flags — Tibetan-style prayer flags embellish the whitewashed dome of Bouda Stupa, a Buddhist temple. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

The dome is delightfully free of guard rails or chiding from security. There is, however, a stern ‘No TikTok’ sign, perhaps in response to the youth’s newly flexed power. The booted-out Prime Minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, was replaced in a resounding election victory in March by 35-year-old Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) – a former rapper and mayor of Kathmandu. The RSP’s manifesto indicates tourism is a priority, and that Nepal’s cultural identity in areas such as gastronomy will be strengthened.

Boudha Stupa vendors — Vibrant souvenir shops and cafes around Boudha Stupa. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

A more confronting stop awaits at Pashupatinath Temple. Today is Bala Chaturdashi, a Hindu festival where thousands of devotees gather to honour their dead ancestors. Vendors hauling foam mattresses do a lucrative trade as people set up for a night of vigil. This includes burning the bodies of recently deceased relatives on bamboo pyres in the Bagmati River, which flows into the sacred Ganges.

A woman at annual Hindu festival Bala Chaturdashi, in Kathmandu. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Wrapped in a shroud, the bodies are positioned with their heads facing north to the Himalayas where Lord Shiva resides. They’re covered with flowers and straw and set alight by male family members.

Hours later, the ashes are swept into the river where devotees will take a holy dip the next day. As much as Monica assures us it’s not voyeuristic to watch, I struggle to do so. “Here you see the reality of life because everyone ends up there,” she says, gesturing to the river.

Life unfiltered in the Terai region

tharu woman — Tharu woman and master weaver Parbati Chaudhary in Bhada Village. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The reality of life needs processing time, which the western Terai region delivers in spades. The Terai is largely separated from India by the Karnali River and Bardiya National Park, where elephants, rhinos and the elusive Bengal tiger roam.

Once a nomadic tribe, the Indigenous Tharu people are now the largest ethnic group here. “They didn’t know their daily life was interesting for international travellers but they’re starting to understand now,” says CHN founder Shiva.

Take a Jeep safari through Bardiya National Park. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

We fly Buddha Air to Dhangadhi airport and drive five hours to stay in Tharu homes. The journey to Bhada village is a blur of roadside fruit stalls, traffic-stopping sacred cows and fields sown with wheat, rice, mustard, spinach, cauliflower and potatoes. Nepal’s agriculture feeds only Nepal.

Marigolds are an important part of Hindu rituals. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

“The only thing we export is young people,” says our guide Bikal. As the light dims and we plunge evermore rural, mysterious mounds of compacted hay – some house-sized – loom like the creatures from Where The Wild Things Are. Even our trusty driver gets flummoxed by a dirt road that abruptly ends and we find ourselves hurtling across a paddock.

On arrival, some are ferried to mud-walled cottages greened by gourd creepers, with thatched roofs and rustic-chic mosquito nets. Myself and two others are ushered to the home of corner store owner, mechanic and mushroom farmer Man Kumar Chilaruwa and his wife Rajkumari.

community homestay entrance — A warm welcome at a community homestay. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

They escort us to a bunker-esque back building with steel doors and a folding security gate, behind which is gleaming linoleum, dolphin-printed tiles and a shower cavity that must be gingerly stepped through to reach the toilet.

The ceiling lights emit a rainbow of colours (the bathroom light gets stuck in, frankly, a quite frightening red). We’re nevertheless touched that our hosts invested in all this bling when the average salary is around $275 a month.

In the coming days, we participate in Tharu traditions such as making moonshine, dancing, weaving straw handicrafts and gold-panning. We’re fed well with staples of rice, mustard greens, lentil pancakes, daal, curried chicken and tomato chutney served on antibacterial saal leaves.

food at community homestay — Dig in. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Sonara community homestay president Indradevi Tharu tells us river snails are often served, and the boiled and pickled flesh of rats hunted in the rice fields. “Perhaps next time?” we say and all have a laugh.

The power of community homestays

community homestay owners in Nepal — Barda community homestay owners Parbati Chaudhary and Ram Krishni Devi Chaudhary. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

Immersing Western visitors in foreign cultural practices is not new. But with the Tharu, I never get that uneasy sensation that I’m being performed for. Despite being the only tourists, there’s no ‘othering’; just warm, composed and ultra-dignified welcomes. Like we’ve always been here.

“I love to have travellers in my village so I can see the world,” says local woman Parbati Chaudhary. “Why would I travel the world when the world comes to me?”

The graceful acceptance the Tharu offer, as well as the slow pace, works miracles on my frazzled nervous system. One day I even take a nap on a vacant homestay bed.

Sonara community room — An authentic stay in the Sonara community. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Roosters strut and goats bray as we sit on the ground in al fresco kitchens, rolling rice flour into cylinders steamed to make dhikri (dumplings). When water is needed, we fetch it using a hand-operated pump as a family of ducks strolls by, side-eying us like curious neighbours.

Animal lovers will delight in Tharu villages. Kind and resourceful inventions are everywhere, such as snacking stations where two posts lean together, with leafy boughs dangling on rope for baby goats to forage from.

CHN’s CEO, Aayusha Prasain, nods knowingly when one in our group says she cried when she left her host, Shayam Chaudhary, in Bhada. Shayam’s 17-year-old son, Prashant, had translated, which deepened the connection.

“Community tourism turns travel into a relationship, not a transaction,” says Aayusha. “It places decision-making power in the hands of local communities, especially women and youth.” Since 2018, CHN has hosted more than 4000 travellers from 52 countries in 408 households, and estimates women’s participation has increased by 381 per cent.

In the Bardiya community, where vexing human-animal conflict has been a balancing act for decades due to elephants raiding crops, long-time homestay operator Salik Ram Chaudhary says young people keep the older ones on their toes.

“We can’t keep homestays stagnant,” he says. “We have to upgrade our service and redefine our product or young people won’t see it as an attractive business. If we can keep evolving with this travelling trend we’re confident the youths will stay and continue it.”

Back in Kathmandu, Monica explains that after the deaths of young protestors in September, a determination had spread to not let their sacrifice be in vain. “We want to keep holding the government accountable,” she says. “We don’t know what situation we’re facing, but we’re ready to face it.”

Interested in Nepal but prefer to experience it in total comfort? Read our guide to luxury travel in Nepal.

The quaint Japanese city using tourism to give its ageing residents a sense of purpose