farm stay Banja — Local services in Kyoto

Banja Kyoto was a beautiful farmstay. You have your own space, but you also have the warmth and welcome of a host family. I almost don’t want to ruin the surprise for you by giving too many details. We were very glad to spend time with the Tanaka family and it was a highlight of our trip to Japan, a very special experience we will treasure. ||||It was very easy to get to! Mr Tanaka gave us great advice to take the JR bus, and told us we were able to use our JR passes! Brilliant! He also picked us up and dropped us off to the bus stop. Mr Tanaka's detailed and quick communication was so helpful. He was very generous with his time, and we loved getting to know him and his family better. ||||You can cook your own meals, because you have access to a kitchen. However, we opted to get the additional dinner and breakfast combo which was worth it! Mrs Tanaka is a brilliant cook, and it was also nice to eat together and talk. (The breakfast and the pour over coffee was so so nice to wake up to!) Mr Tanaka has travelled and lived all over the world, and speaks English very well. Their eldest son also speaks English very well too. ||||We wished we had organized to do the pottery workshop with Mrs Tanaka!! Her work is gorgeous. We bought a mug and another small gift, with a gilt edge. Now I wish we had also bought a few others, because the prices and quality of her handmade items was very good compared to gifts in Kyoto city. You can also see the inspiration for her work in the expressions on the faces in the nearby temple. She is so talented and inspiring!||||The surrounding area is serene and lovely. We walked into the small village nearby to do some snack shopping, and we also went to the cute café for lunch one day. (About 30 mins walk, through beautiful farm country side, easy walk.) We were lucky there was a festival going on in the Buddhist temple nearby, and everyone there was very welcoming. We left with some treats, and got to try seasonal food made with local ingredients. The local ladies even gave us some little origami birds, we were so touched! Overall this was one of the best places we've ever stayed. I would 100% recommend Banja to my...

This is a very special place. We spent some beautiful peaceful winter days at Banja this January. The dinner and breakfast were amazingly good, cooked over the fire or on a traditional range and served on Nami's handmade ceramics. The original structure of the 300 year old house has been preserved as much as possible, (with the addition of a few modern comforts) providing insight into a traditional way of living in the country. Our boys loved the beds in the tatami room and the afternoon they spent making bowls with Nami. They also did some glass blowing with a local artist. We would have liked to stay longer as there are loads of other things to see and activities available locally. This farmstay was definitely the highlight of our trip to Japan. Would...

Our stay with Nami & Masanori was unforgettable! In our three week trip across Japan it was definitely one of the highlights. We loved doing a pottery class with Nami and visiting historic villages with Masanori. The food cooked by Nami was incredibly delicious home-cooked Japanese cuisine that changed everyday. One night she prepared for us a indoor BBQ over the fire as the snow fell outside and it was simply magical. We also tried their homemade umeshu, which was the best umeshu we had anywhere in Japan. Nami & Masanori has a beautiful family and are amazing hosts and even better people. We felt so blessed to stay in their home. From Victoria and...