Sen's house — Hotel in Yakushima

I have never written a review for anything before, but I simply could not pass up the opportunity to sing the praises of this incredible place.

My husband and I recently returned from a weeklong stay in Yakushima, and Sen's house played a big part in making the trip so special. The host was friendly, kind, and gracious; traits he clearly learned from his parents who also run the property. All three always greeted us with a genuine smile and desire to make our stay as special as possible.

We stayed in a two person cottage with a private bathroom. It was very neat and always cleaned by the time we returned from our daily activities. We had a small refrigerator and were provided with some plates and cutlery. There are also complimentary laundry facilities. It was perfect for our needs and made the stay very comfortable.

One of the highlights is also the bath that they prepare for you. It is heated using a woodfire, and after a long day of hiking it is nothing short of bliss. It helped us feel rejuvenated and reenergized to tackle another few kilometers of hiking.

Sen's house also offers a personalized experience on making your own chopsticks from the local yakusugi wood. While being very patient with our limited Japanese (and my obvious lack of craftsmanship), he helped us create something tangible to reflect the beauty of Yakushima. He also crafted the amazing pieces available for sale.

I have travelled somewhat extensively and in several countries, as has my husband. We both agree that this is one of our favorite places we have ever stayed. I cannot recommend them highly enough. We are already working on planning our next trip to Yakushima and another delightful stay at...

Sen no Ie is truly magical. ||||We were lucky enough to secure a cabin with the irori fireplace, and though we didn't use it this time we hope to return in the fall of 2019 and try it out then. The family and staff are amazingly sweet, kind, and thoughtful. They kept our cabin immaculate, and were always eager to help us with anything we needed. The small kitchenette was very handy as we love to cook, and the futons were always beautifully laid out and oh-so comfortable. ||||We didn't really see any scary bugs, but there's a very cute hand-illustrated guide to bugs and how to treat each kind. Perhaps the bugs were kept at bay by the adorable cats who prowl the property. With the family's permission, we bought some cat treats to spoil the kitties with, lots of fun!||||We needed to do our laundry while we were there and they have a machine you can use as well as different sorts of racks you can borrow for drying your clothes. ||||We didn't know about the chopstick making class that the owner, a master wood-worker, offers, and so were very pleasantly surprised and seized the opportunity. While there's a language barrier, that didn't stop him from teaching a very thorough class to us. Such a wonderful teacher! ||||And then... there's the bath! Everyday when we returned we would be promptly asked when we would like our bath, and would be told again when it was ready. They prepare everything, you just wash up and then step in. The baths open out to the forest and a river. It's truly a beautiful experience to bathe partially outdoors with the beautiful greenery and rushing sounds of water. Ahhhhh, I can't stop daydreaming about it! ||||We will definitely be back, thank you so...

We had a lovely stay here for two nights while visiting Yakushima.||||The room was a quaint wooden cottage in a traditional style, with a central living space and separate bedroom. Our room had a central iron fireplace, which unfortunately we couldn't use as it was unseasonably warm when we visited. The cottage was air-conditioned and well ventilated.||||The sleeping arrangement is Japanese style futons, comfortably large enough for three futons for adults and a portable infant cot.||||The bathroom was a Japanese family bathroom, one per family, with showers and a hot bath that's cleaned and heated daily. Soaking in a hot bath, heavy with the smell of cedar wood and listening to the sounds of nature was a nice way to end each day. On our second night, they changed us to the more traditional bathroom with iron baths.||||What made the stay special was the exemplary service. The family were thoughtful and accommodating, ready to lend a hand and offer useful advice in what English they had. They even drove us around on the odd short trip to get things done (grabbing some groceries, posting luggage, even to the bus stop very early in the morning to get to our ferry back to the mainland) - very handy given the infrequent taxi services on the island.||||The cottage is located a few bus stops from Miyanoura, and is also very convenient for bus services to the Shiratani Unsuikyo cedar forest up the mountains for hiking and sightseeing. The cottage can organise packed lunches with a day's notice.||||This really was a memorable...