Guesthouse Yunosato — Hotel in Tanabe

We stayed here two nights on our Kumano Kodo trek as we had a rest day at Hongu and this was probably our favourite Minshuku of our trip. Our hosts were very friendly and the food was fantastic. However, our favourite feature would have to be the two private onsens that are open 24 hours - nothing beats getting up early before breakfast and soaking in a hot bath!

One thing to be aware of is that there are no nearby shops (despite Google maps saying otherwise resulting in us walking up a hill for 30 minutes after a long 8 hour day of hiking). I would therefore recommend buying any necessary snacks from a Hongu convenience store before taking a bus out to Shimoyukawa. You could also walk 15 mins up to Yunomine Onsen which does have some food available, and is a great place to visit if...

Awesome spot for backpackers depending on your priorities. Private onsen or shared public onsen among a small group. It’s quite rare to find a private onsen for those on a budget. Most places cost an arm and a leg but Yunosato is very reasonably priced. Not to mention the food offered for breakfast and dinner is very well balanced, healthy, and tastes amazing for home cooked food. I would definitely visit again just for the onsen or the food! I would not recommend though for people looking for something fancy since the bathroom and baths are shared. The place is great for those hiking the Komodo trail. The owner is also very accommodating and sweet. She made me feel very at home. I’d give her 5 stars for...

A magical place to stay when walking the Kumano Kodo trail. It started amazingly when our hostess rescued us after missing our bus and then only got better. A beautiful spot with wonderful private onsen both inside and outside. Lovely clean rooms. The food was incredible, highlights including super fresh fish. The drink selection was without equal - beer, local sake, umeshu plum wine) [young or old], homemade umeshu, aged home made umeshu with brandy!!!!! Breakfast was a treat, and served with onsen coffee. When we left were given a warm goodbye, a superb bento and home made biscuits. After only 2 nights it was very hard to leave and...