This past weekend, I went to Hakone with a friend for her birthday. Hakone is a really nice place, especially amazing after living and traveling through large cities.
The water really is mineral rich and wonderful. My friend and I stayed at a hotel with its own private baths and the two of us pretty much had them to ourselves. The hotel seemed to cater mostly to businessmen, though, so there were a lot more men than there were women. There is a nice river running near Hakone-Yumoto station and our hotel was right on the water.
I will also recommend a restaurant. I cannot remember the name, but it's right in front of the Suimeisou Hotel (our hotel). The food was very reasonably priced and you get a LOT of meat. I had a bowl of chashu ramen and it was literally half meat.
However, due to the very touristy nature of Hakone, I can tell you the trip will get expensive pretty quickly. The goods and food aren't entirely outrageous, but traveling around is what adds up. I DEFINITELY recommend getting the free pass. My friend and I didn't think we needed it, but it would have saved some money (especially if you have a travel intensive itinerary).
The ramblings of a college student, whether on travel or in the middle of exams.
