Aqua

Arrived late having caught last ferry from Himeji didn't realise we wouldn't be able to pop out for food but owners gave us some of their own noodles for free. This set the tone for the staff who were, despite our lack of Japanese and their lack of English, always patient and really helpful. The location is very quiet and secluded and if you don't have a car (as we didn't) then you need to study and understand the bus times and routes. The buses are irregular and quite expensive if you want to travel the island but work out OK if you get day or 2 day passes or if you are just going to the beach. There is a small picturesque shingle beach on the door step of the hotel and a great sandy beach (silver beach - take the bus heading from hotel stop to Tonsho) 5 mins by bus. The hotel provide cooking utensils upon request, but again you will have to get a bus to Tonsho to get to a decent sized supermarket. The hotelliers drove us there themselves on our first day and we caught the bus back. Bus timetables are available in Japanese from the hotel. We loved the remoteness of it all especially coming from Tokyo/Kyoto but if you want something more lively this is not the best place to stay. The rooms are fitted with a large LCD TV and DVD player with a good selection of DVDs in the hotel which can be borrowed for free. Once the sun goes down this is the extent of nightlife. That said the rooms were so nice and pace of the island so relaxing this was exactly what we wanted. If you are arriving by boat and don't have a car the owners will pick you up from the port, but you will need to explain or get someone you know to explain when and where you will be arriving. The room itself was massive with 2 large single beds pushed together to make a double, a living room and kicthen area and adjoining walk in shower toilet room. The rooms were spotlessly clean and have masisve windows overlooking the bay, it was a pleasure to open the curtains in the morning. We fully enjoyed our stay at Aqua and on the island in general, there is plenty to see and do if you want but also loads of beaches to do nothing on. Highly recommended.