Hoshinoya Taketomi Island

One of the best places I have been in Japan. Excellent rooms and sensational food. Staff were very efficient and the bus shuttle to various sites very handy. The place is nice and quiet and allows you to relax in peace. The surrounding villages, beaches and islands were all worth a visit. You can only find this in Japan. The water buffalo rides were certainly a highlight.

If you ever wanted a Robinson Crusoe experience, this hotel is for you, and you never thought you can get such a tropically exotic holiday in Japan! First up the location – it’s very secluded as getting here means you need to go through both a boat and domestic plane transfer, but I assure you that everything is worth it, and you can seriously recharge your mind and escape from everything and just snuggle up in this beautiful resort and experience amazing island life when you’re here! The island itself is very small and beware because during typhoon season the boats do not run to mainland Ishigaki at all - Ishigaki connects to Naha in mainland Okinawa, but you can also fly here from other cities in Japan, like Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka, so it really isn’t THAT secluded with such air connectivity! The hotel does provide a bus shuttle that brings you around the island and the beautiful beaches with crystal-clear waters and amazing fine sand – there is even a beach call “star sand beach” where you can see sand speckles that are actually shaped like stars! The hotel itself is beautiful and all rooms come in individual Ryukyu-style ‘villa’ with your own dedicated porch and entryway. Inside your room, you will find generously spaced living areas, bathroom, shower, and the very comfortable Hoshinoya bedding! The hotel, being a Japanese hotel, will also provide you with a set of pajamas for the night, and also Yukata, which you can wear and wonder around the resort, such as going to The Lounge, where local snacks are served alongside coffee and a tea cabinet comprising local herbs like Ryuku Mugwort and Okinawan bitter melon! Every evening there is also a happy hour where you can indulge in delicious local Okinawa liquor - Awamori! I also highly recommend you to have dinner in the restaurant as the food was amazing! I actually prefer the menu here more than that of Hoshinoya Tokyo, as I find the presentation and ingredients here to be more spectacular, especially those that they sauce from the Okinawa Islands! Facility-wise, the hotel is not beachfront, but, as mentioned earlier, the shuttle bus does bring ypu to the beautiful beaches on this island, and on-site, there is a huge pool that’s almost like a lagoon or a pond where you can swim under the beautiful skies. There is also a spa here which gets booked out quickly so if you want a treatment, you should get it as soon as possible when you reach the hotel. Overall, I spent six amazing nights here and I found it to be so recharging for my mind and soul that I will not hesitate to come back here again.

It is a great experience to do one time but I felt very isolated. Not a lot of choice of food. However, in town there are wonderful places in the daytime