茶の香 (Chanoka - Tea Aroma Inn) — Hotel in Tanabe

A last minute change of plans for our Kumano Kodo hike left us with few accommodation options in the Hongu area. We thought we’d have to settle for less, but discovered a hidden gem that was worth going slightly off the beaten track. Our two night stay at the Tea Farmer’s Inn ended up being a highlight of our trip to Japan. After a very long day of hiking from Chinkatsuyu to Kumano Hongu Taisha, our kind and generous hosts offered to pick us up from the bus stop by the shrine and take us to the Inn. After staying in a variety of accommodation types, it was wonderful to have such a spacious and private room. It was simple, but clean, cozy, and with a stunning view of the river and mountains.

After settling in, our hosts offered to drive us to a local onsen of our choice. We visited a different onsen each night, allowing us to see and experience more than if we had stayed in just one. When we returned to the Inn, dinner was ready. The Inn offers dinners and breakfasts that include traditional dishes and local ingredients -- many from the hosts’ own garden! Crisp produce in beautifully dressed salads, hearty soups, freshly baked bread, traditional pickles, and a braised onion dish that we needed the recipe for. The tea dinner was particularly special, incorporating tea from their farm into everything, even tea tempura that tasted like gourmet popcorn! We had the incredible opportunity to listen to the host play the Shamisen (we also attempted to!)

The Inn offers a tea tasting and farm tour — these are a must! Accompanied by homemade wagashi, we tasted different tea preparations, learning about the role roasting and water temperature play in taste! We then took the winding road up to their tea farm in the Kumano mountains where we learnt about how the tea is grown pesticide-free and harvested by a small team. You can tell the incredible work put into maintaining this farm — one of only two remaining in Hongu — and the passion for making high quality tea and taking care of this space in the mountains. Please spend time here to learn about this important project. We hope to visit again some day. Until then, we look forward to ordering next season’s in the spring so we can have a bit of Kumano with us in Canada. This would be a great way to end anyone’s...

Having booked a two night stay we were pleasantly surprised with the excellent service and the excellent and imaginative Japanese food made with locally sourced ingredients. We also tasted some excellent tea grown on their tea farm. They went over and above what we had expected including assisting with booking tourist attraction tickets and luggage transfers. As it was approx. 7 minutes drive from Hongu Temple entrance. The host was happy to drive us into town and pick us up on multiple occasions including to and from the nearby Onsen, Hongu Temple sightseeing and to the trailhead for the next...

Jordan picked us up in Hongu which was a nice benefit after walking in pouring rain the last 2 hours. The room was nice and warm with beautiful views of the river and mountains. The room has a toilet and sink in the room, but showers are in the main house (walk across the driveway). Meals are in the beautiful main house and are chef level with local ingredients. We enjoyed the meals (and meal time) very much. The owner will drive to onsens or anywhere in the area (one drop off/pick up daily). It was a great way to end our Kumano walk and we really...