奥水間温泉 — Hotel in Kaizuka

A last night in Japan treat, this traditional onsen hotel was wonderful. We missed our train to get to the pick up station at the correct time and the staff were so kind and understanding. They waited and took us directly to a supermarket, as we had not booked an evening meal, and this has to be done 24 hours in advance minimum. The meals we saw going out looked amazing, but be warned that the meal set comes as is and there is no a la carte option. Thankfully the lovely staff had agreed to heat up food we got from the supermarket, and you can always head into the village (taxi). We had booked breakfast and it was incredible. The obligatory 8am breakfast time might be a little tricky for some, and again, the meal comes as is. The child version is also as is, so fussy eaters will find this hard, and the nearest village with restaurants etc is 5km away although taxis are available (we did not use this service). There is a small shop on site with some cup noodles, ice creams, snacks and souvenirs, as well as vending machines for drinks and icecreams. The is no ATM so please bring cash with you! The location is incredible, and all the rooms have a view of the forest and/ or river. It is wonderfully peaceful with hikes nearby. In the August heat, we used the pool and relaxed in the Aircon lounge area, overlooking Japanese gardens and koi carp. The hotel was quite full, but we had no noise issues. This is a traditional Japanese onsen hotel, so you will sleep on futon on the tatami floor, with plastic pellet filled pillows. The rooms come with a toilet only. You are expected to wash in the onsen facilities which are male or female gender. As with all onsen you will have to be naked to use. The details above are to avoid any misunderstanding of what you are getting should you be a tourist interested in experiencing something quite traditional. The pool is a good size and is manned by a lifeguard. There is a shallow section and seating with shade. The staff went above and beyond to accommodate us, and were at all times kind and helpful. They organised a shuttle bus on to Kansai airport for us (a separate fee, clearly stated) and we were given use of a different room, on the ground floor, once we checked out, for the rest of the day whilst we enjoyed the facilities before we left. I cannot stress enough the kindness and understanding we received. It was a great way of saying goodbye to Japan. ...

We visited Okmizuma Onsen on the last night of our trip as a way to relax before heading home. The rooms are traditional and beautiful and the garden surrounding the ryokan is lovely. We loved hearing the rushing water from the creek outside of our window as we drifted off to sleep and very much enjoyed our beautiful dinner in our room and the lovely staff did their best to explain to us how to eat some of the more unusual items. Its worth paying the extra money for the meal - its a very special experience. The baths are relaxing and well-maintained with both an indoor section and an outdoor section with views of the forest and creek. You'll definitely come away feeling relaxed! A few of the staff speak a little bit of english and will do their very best to communicate and make you feel welcome but its mostly Japanese so don't book here if you are english-speaking and can't deal with that. Some of the guests even came over to help us in the morning with our food! You can call ahead to book the dinner and arrange a ride from the train station - there's a number for a translation service that will be provided for you or a short taxi ride from the station works as well. Just a note: they do allow smoking in the lobby and though its vented and doesn't reach the rooms, you can smell the smoke a bit...

Dé ultieme Japan-belevenis; meer Japan dan dit zal je niet snel krijgen. Het begint al bij binnenkomst waar je je schoenen uit moet doen en je sandalen krijgt aangeboden. In je kamer in dit klassieke onsen-hotel vind je geen bed of nachtkastje, maar een grote ruimte met twee stoeltjes zonder poten en een lage tafel. Daar wordt begin van de avond een perfect Japans diner geserveerd, je eet wat de pot schaft, maar die bestaat uit tientallen kleine gerechtjes: warm en koud. Na het eten toveren de superlieve dames van het hotel de kamer om tot slaapvertrek; dunne matrasjes op de vloer, een dekbed en een kussen van kersenpitten is even wennen, maar versterkt de Japanervaring. Gelukkig lagen in de kast spullen om een kussen en matras te improviseren dat behoorlijk comfortabel was. Ontbijt is in de grote zaal, is ook wat de pot schaft, ook weer enorm veel Japanse gerechtjes, koud en warm. Voor het badderen is de fantastische onsen: een warmwaterbad met zowel een buiten als binnengedeelte en uitgebreide wasvoorzieningen. Het hotel is kleinschalig zodat je vaak alleen of met een paar gasten zit. Het is een sauna dus naakt is verplicht, mannen en vrouwen zijn gescheiden. Op de kamer is gelukkig wel een toilet, die hoef je niet te delen en een simpele badkamerhoek met wastafel. Heel fijn, ook een zitgedeelte met stoelen mèt poten en tafeltje voor het raam met uitzicht op een prachtige beek. Betalen met Visa-creditcard is geen enkel probleem en, als je geen huurauto hebt, bestelt de ontzettend vriendelijke man van de receptie met liefde een taxi. Hoewel het Engels van de mensen niet best is, bieden hun vertaalcomputers uitkomst. Dus, zeker niet geschikt voor gasten die gebrand op Westerse dingen: vergeet boxspring, vergeet café latte en een croissantje, maar dompel je onder voor een...