Traveling on a Dime: 5月 2012

The Kurogawa River from the
2nd floor sunroom of the Zen Hostel.

The common room, where breakfast is served, the days
are planned, and the river sound flows through it all.

Planning a trip to Nikko? Have I got the place to stay for you. Situated on the banks of the beautiful Kurogawa River in the middle of the woods, the Zen Hostel’s environment alone will make calling it a day yet another thing to look forward to. For between ¥4,000-¥5,000/person per night one can stay in completely authentic and very comfortable Japanese style tatami rooms; if you’re lucky enough to book into one of the outdoor riverside annexes then you’ll get to enjoy the sound of the Kurogawa singing you to sleep every night. Included in the price of your stay is a free shuttle to the World Heritage Sites in Nikko, and to and from JR Fubasami Station or Tobu Shimogoshiro Station at the start of your stay or when you’ve returned from adventuring. Also included in the price is a delicious pancake, french toast or omelet breakfast (gotta stay 3-days or more for those awesome omelets) prepared by Zen’s highly knowledgeable and accommodating owner, Scout, anytime you need or want it between 5 and 11am. Full coffee, tea and juice bar included. Homemade pizzas loaded with vegetables, and other ingredients from the local farmers market, are also available in the evening. ¥1000 for some of, if not the best pizza I’ve eaten in Japan is a bargain. Additional services? The owner, Scout, went far out of his way to make sure that my group’s stay was excellent. He lent us his grill and kitchen utensils and collected wood for us so that we could have a BBQ in the outdoor lounge on our second night, and his accurate advice provided for some awesome adventuring. And of course there’s the usual Internet equipped computer and wi-fi that we’ve come to expect in this day and age. An “A+” or five stars is not enough to properly rate my experience. Go and appreciate it for yourself. Happy travels!