Sanga Ryokan 山河旅館 — Hotel in Minamioguni

Ryokan Sanga is an absolute gem - an authentic, boutique ryokan in the woods along the river. The grounds are gorgeous, with beautiful details everywhere. I was very grateful that Ryokan Sanga accepts solo travellers - as many ryokan don’t, or else they charge you for two. I had a perfect solo travel experience. Here’s what you should know:||Access: Ryokan Sanga is ~2km outside of the town centre of Kurokawa Onsen. I didn’t have a car, and I didn’t regret that at all. Ryokan Sanga sent a driver to pick me up from the bus stop, and since I arrived several hours before check-in, he dropped me off in the little town of Kurokawa Onsen and took my bags to the ryokan. He then picked me up before checkin, and when we arrived, my bags were in my room. The ryokan offers free shuttles to town or to other Onsen if you are doing the Nyuto Tegata (Onsen hopping pass). After checkout, they dropped me off in town, and then picked me up with my suitcase later that day and took me to the bus stop. The service was beyond amazing.||Room: I booked a Standard room for one night. It had no Onsen and no shower (just a toilet and sink). There was also a closet and a kitchenette area. Ukata, socks and slippers are provided. You can hear the roar of the river and waterfall, which turned out to be perfect white noise for sleeping.||Onsen: When I checked in I booked the private outdoor Onsen for the evening and the following morning (no extra charge). Bookings are for 50mins and there are washing facilities, a sink and hairdryer. The outdoor Onsen is beautiful- it is right beside the river with waterfalls (see pics).||Meals: I booked the last meal times which were 7pm for dinner and 8:30am for breakfast - the food was amazing; the dinner was one of my most memorable in my travels to Japan. See sample menu.||I cannot recommend Ryokan Sanga...

Ryokan Sanga is an absolute gem - an authentic, boutique ryokan in the woods along the river. The grounds are gorgeous, with beautiful details everywhere. I was very grateful that Ryokan Sanga accepts solo travellers - as many ryokan don’t, or else they charge you for two. I had a perfect solo travel experience. Here’s what you should know:||Access: Ryokan Sanga is ~2km outside of the town centre of Kurokawa Onsen. I didn’t have a car, and I didn’t regret that at all. Ryokan Sanga sent a driver to pick me up from the bus stop, and since I arrived several hours before check-in, he dropped me off in the little town of Kurokawa Onsen and took my bags to the ryokan. He then picked me up before checkin, and when we arrived, my bags were in my room. The ryokan offers free shuttles to town or to other Onsen if you are doing the Nyuto Tegata (Onsen hopping pass). After checkout, they dropped me off in town, and then picked me up with my suitcase later that day and took me to the bus stop. The service was beyond amazing.||Room: I booked a Standard room for one night. It had no Onsen and no shower (just a toilet and sink). There was also a closet and a kitchenette area. Ukata, socks and slippers are provided. You can hear the roar of the river and waterfall, which turned out to be perfect white noise for sleeping.||Onsen: When I checked in I booked the private outdoor Onsen for the evening and the following morning (no extra charge). Bookings are for 50mins and there are washing facilities, a sink and hairdryer. The outdoor Onsen is beautiful- it is right beside the river with waterfalls (see pics).||Meals: I booked the last meal times which were 7pm for dinner and 8:30am for breakfast - the food was amazing; the dinner was one of my most memorable in my travels to Japan. See sample menu.||I cannot recommend Ryokan Sanga...

Where do I begin? This place is incredible...

Staff: They were ALL super attentive and professional, even at times with language barrier. They really do try and do what they can to make your stay comfortable. Our room was a little cold and called the front desk (spoke limited English), and in 5 minutes, a space heater was at our door!

Service: Due to weather, we had to leave our last hotel way early, and that means we got to Sanga Ryokan earlier than the check in time. They were accommodating, polite about their check in policy but also provided alternative. They send us to a nearby village with their shuttle and let us check in slightly early when the room was ready. To me, service is all about doing their best and trying... in this case, i felt they did above and beyond.

Food: I know taste can often be personal... but to us, it definitely worth every penny... it was fine, tasty, and very well decorated. Everything tasted so fine, quality and fresh.

Room: Beside it was a little cold (we were there on one of the coldest day) we had everything in there. Ryokan typically do not have your own bath, for us we had a toilet, which was super useful.

Onsen: They had PRIVATE onsen! If you are like us that are not comfortable getting stripped down in front of strangers, Ryokan Sanga comes with private onsen where you can book to use. Private onsen typically comes with higher priced Ryokans. And did i tell you they also have outdoor onsen and some good winter snowy view? :)

Speaking of price (which I know it is also personal).... we find all these for at a very, very affordable price point! We are super happy with this Ryokan and will highly recommend to whoever looking to experience...