Guest house Sora Chikatsuyu — Hotel in Tanabe

This is honestly the place we have felt most welcome in Japan! A lovely, caring couple that speaks English well and does their best to make you feel at home. When we checked-in, someone helped us in perfect English and sat us down and talked us through what the options are for the Kumano Kodo the next day, what buses we could take, which ingredients we would want or not want in our food (big plus for vegans) and we felt that this was such a good service. The food that was cooked was made with local (mostly self-grown even!) ingredients and was delicious. We had a room that was separated from the main house, that included a private bathroom (with a large bath!), air conditioning, a kitchen, a fridge and even a screen with several Studio Ghibli movie DVDs to watch. The futon beds are the first one I had in Japan that actually felt like lying on a bed as I did not feel the floor at all when lying on my side. Because it is so dark and quiet we had a perfect sleep and rest. You could see this accommodation and this life they built is their passion, and we got a lot of stories and history during dinner which was very cool. The garden had roosters that were digging and cuddling together in the sand and you could see they have a good life. The next day we had a nice breakfast, and after a goodbye hug and group picture we left with our bento boxes in our bags and a warm feeling in our hearts. It felt like staying with your grandparents for a night. 10/10 Would definitely stay again, hope you stay in good health and enjoy your life in Chikatsuyu. Greetings,...

What can I say, we were absolutely blown away by this guesthouse. We have been travelling Japan for 5 weeks now and this has been our favourite accomodation yet. We had the granny flat in the back of the house, and it was so lovely to finish our long Kumano walk for the day and have a relaxing bath. Location was perfect for people doing the Kumano Kodo trail. The place is clean, warm and welcoming. We even had studio ghibli movies in the room to watch. But, the most stand out part of this stay was the hosts. Naomi and Yasu are so welcoming, so friendly, and full of all the advice a traveller could need. They helped us plan our bus route & walk the next day and we loved chatting to them and the other guests over dinner- which by the way was absolutely delicious. We also got a bento box for lunch the next day and loved every bite. We cannot fault Guesthouse Sora and wish we could have stayed longer. Thank you so much...

If you need the English service, here must be your best choice.(Even you don't need, its still the best!!) When we just arrived quite early at 1st day, we're still a bit worried about the long distance at 2nd day. But the host suggested us many plans, and their suggestions help us make the perfect plan and soothe the worry about the 2nd day.

They hosted us with hot tub, soft and warm bed, 最高 during this season. And we had dinner with Sukiyaki, Sashimi and 日本酒. So luxury and delicious then I expected. Also we chatted and enjoyed dinner with host and other guests. The hosts, Yasu and Naomi, they know everything about Japan. If you have any questions, they will be so happy to share information and experience with you :) Totally full-recharged for the 2nd day!! They're one of the reason I love the experience in Kumano Koto so much!!

p.s.They have many collections for books and music! So much...