SAKURA GUEST HOUSE IN TAKAYAMA

After burning ourselves out in Tokyo, the peace and quiet we found in the comfortable surroundings of the Sakura Guest House in Takayama was just what we needed.

Upon our arrival we made ourselves comfortable in our spacious, air-conditioned room and finally got the rest we desperately needed.

While it is located on the opposite end of town from the heavily-trafficked tourist areas, the guest house is located on a quiet street on a hill near a number of other attractions and quaint little restaurants.

We loved everything about the place and were sad to leave its comforts when it was time to move on. Here’s how the Sakura Guest House in Takayama ranked in our book.

PRIVATE ROOM:

Compared to our previous hostel in Tokyo and other private rooms we’ve inhabited on previous vacations, this room was top notch. We were provided firm but comfortable beds, plenty of space, air conditioning, a cupboard with hangers, coffee table and stools and two large sliding windows with pleasant views.

Each day our room was cleaned by the guest house’s staff and each night we enjoyed complete peace and quiet, other guests rarely being seen or heard and the only sounds being that of the insects outside at night.

AMENITIES:

Here’s where the Sakura Guest House really shined. The toilets were spacious and spotless, cleaned thoroughly every day and, thankfully, not situated right outside our bedroom door on the second floor. Showers were located downstairs, (in the same room as the washer and dryer), offering four spacious, clean and private stalls for showering and dressing. The kitchen and common room was quite large and was stocked with everything you might need to make your cup of coffee in the morning or a three-course dinner in the evening. The guest house also provided free-wifi through out the place with a strong signal in both our room and common areas.

PRICING:

It was a little more than 6000 yen/night to stay in the private twin bedroom at Sakura Guest House. There were other hostels that were closer to downtown, but they were pricier even though their accommodations didn’t seem to warrant the higher cost (from photos we saw online). Sakura Guest House was not only less costly, but we imagined that it was also more spacious, cleaner and quieter than the other hostels. We felt the price was very reasonable for our stay.

LOCATION:

While some might not be thrilled that the Sakura Guest House is a good 15 minute walk south from the downtown area, we both found it a peaceful and enjoyable neighborhood and preferred the distance from the crowds of other tourists. There are other attractions very near the guest house though, including the Hida Minzoku Mura Folk Village, the Hida Takayama Art Museum, hiking trails in the forest and, yes, the Teddy Bear Eco Village.

There is a lot of fine dining in downtown Takayama one would have to make the walk for, but there are also some quaint restaurants very near the Sakura Guest House including Hiro Burger, a gourmet Japanese-stylte burger restaurant that we enjoyed two nights in a row while there. Also nearby is a drug store that we walked to for groceries when planning our own meals in the kitchen.

While the days we arrived and departed from the bus station in downtown required us to make the walk to and from the guest house in high heat with heavy backpacks, we didn’t feel it was bad enough to score the guest house any lower.

Next hostel on our route: Bakpak Kyoto Hostel in Kyoto, Japan.