Sankara Hotel & Spa Yakushima

We stayed for 3 nights, but it still wasn’t nearly enough. Yakushima is often thought of as “all about trekking,” but you can absolutely enjoy it even with a long, relaxed stay at the Accommodation. For example, a guest from Eastern Europe was lounging by the pool from the morning—honestly, the atmosphere feels just like Southeast Asia (Bali in Indonesia, Phuket in Thailand, Langkawi in Malaysia, etc.), so if you love that vibe, this place is irresistible.On top of that, in the Junior Suite you can enjoy an Onsen right in your in-room bath! The bath is spacious and even has an ocean view—and the water quality is excellent.Also, as mentioned in someone else’s Review (maybe a blog), we were never once asked to confirm our name or Room number. Many of the staff were young, but everyone served us with genuine warmth and a real desire to make guests happy and help them enjoy their stay. We had dinner at “Orchard” all three nights; each meal was varied and we never got bored. The younger staff really shined here too and made it a lot of fun.This time, due to the recent typhoon, trekking at major spots was canceled. However, thanks to alternative options suggested by the trekking company arranged for us, we were able to get a great overall sense of Yakushima—including driving around the entire island—which ended up being perfect for us as first-time visitors. The spa and sauna were excellent as well. By making good use of hourly rental cars, we’d like to consider a longer stay next time (it almost makes you think there’s no need to go abroad just to unwind). Thank you very much for everything.

My friend and I stayed for one night and two days. That morning, we joined a river kayaking tour, and since there were no changing facilities near the river, I asked if it would be okay to arrive still wearing our wet wetsuits. They kindly agreed, which I truly appreciated. We were dropped off by the tour staff, and the moment we arrived, the breathtaking view of a beautiful infinity pool under a clear blue sky spread out before us—I couldn’t help but shout, “Wow, amazing!” We were shown to seats by the poolside, and even before checking in my friend said, “Wow… I should’ve brought my laptop. Next time we have to bring our laptops and stay longer for a workcation.”We were then shown to our Room. When I tried to open my suitcase, it wouldn’t open—an unexpected mishap—but after speaking with the butler right away they prepared an adorable tracksuit that could be worn over swimwear and arranged a rental car for us. Thanks to that, we were able to get it opened at a local gas station we had found in advance.For dinner, they prepared a handmade welcome plate inspired by the kayaking experience and the sea turtle nesting observation tour we had done—it was moving from the moment we sat down. Every dish was something new to us and absolutely delicious; in particular, I loved the peach sorbet served by the pastry chef. We got so caught up in eating and chatting that we stayed late, yet the chef still came out with a smile to see us off all the way until we boarded the golf cart back to our Room.The next morning we joined a kokedama (moss ball) workshop and enjoyed making one while learning all kinds of things about plants. I’ve forgotten the plant’s name now, but when I mentioned that I like tea, they also wrapped large leaves that can be enjoyed as tea together with my kokedama.We were probably the noisiest guests during our stay as just two people, yet everyone treated us with kindness until the very end—I’m nothing but grateful. Next time, I plan to bring my laptop and come back for a longer workcation stay.