Date: Jun/2026
United States (Female, age 30-39)
Individual:
Guestroom 5, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location 5, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
One of our most unique experiences on trail! We loved this farm stay, and the food was amazing. A very peaceful location and inspiring, kind, and skilled family practicing living in harmony with the land.
Date: May/2026
Spain (Male, age 60-69)
Individual:
Guestroom 3, Baths 1, Meals 4, Location 3, Reception & Service -
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Casa de pages
El propietari molt amable,el lloc està al final de la carretera i no hi ha res més, el menjar vegetarià molt bo.
Date: May/2026
Japan (Female, age 30-39)
Individual:
Guestroom 5, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location 4, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
We had a wonderful stay at Cafe and Guesthouse Engawa. Our room was comfortable, the meals delicious, and we particularly enjoyed the traditional outdoor bath. The hosts were very accommodating of dietary preferences and made us a delicious vegetarian meal. Location was about a 20 minute drive from Koguchi, but the host picked us up and dropped us back off at the Kumano Kodo trailhead. Would highly recommend!
Date: Apr/2026
Japan (Male, age 60-69)
Individual:
Guestroom 4, Baths 5, Meals 4, Location 2, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
Date: Mar/2026
United Kingdom (Female, age 30-39)
Individual:
Guestroom 4, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location 4, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
Date: Dec/2025
Australia (Male, age 50-59)
Individual:
Guestroom 4, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location 4, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Serenity
Loved it. What a beautiful family. So privileged to have spent a night with them. What an amazing place in the mountains. Great vegetarian food. Wonderful hospitality. Thank you so much.
Date: Nov/2025
United States (Female, age 20-29)
Individual:
Guestroom 4, Baths 4, Meals 5, Location 5, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
This house is definitely rustic, but the room is clean and a stay here offers a very unique experience of staying with a family deep in rural Japan. With the compost toilet and simple facilities, could be a good option for people who are used to camping/staying in cabins, etc. It was definitely the most unique of my guesthouse experiences, with baby goats, an off-grid house, and an outdoor bath heated with firewood. Seichii's youngest son is very friendly and it was fun to play with him. Seichii kindly picked me up and dropped me off at the trailhead the next morning. And the food was really delicious!
Date: Nov/2025
United Kingdom (Female, age 30-39)
Individual:
Guestroom 5, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location 5, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Such a special stay
Seichi was kind enough to pick us up from the trail head and took us back to his family home. You are greeted by his sweet boy, the goats and cats as you enter the homestead. The room was clean and warm, there was a shower room and a compost toilet which was fine for us. The bath was a wood fired cast iron outdoor bath looking over the forest - excellent way to unwind after walking. The food the family prepared was absolutely delicious, we would have loved to be able to chat to Seichi more as he was clearly a very interesting hardworking person! We loved staying here, it was completely different to the other guesthouses but special and lovely in its own way.
Date: Nov/2025
Finland (Female, age 50-59)
Individual:
Guestroom 4, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location -, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
A welcoming accommodation with one of the best meals we had in all Japan.
We arrived on a day of torrential rain. Welcomed by Seiichi, and a Japanese hottub. To bathe in pouring rain with the lush forest surrounding us was one of the most unforgettable experiences on our trip. The meal and the breakfast were just incredible! There was no trouble having my meals modified to gluten free options - felt very safe and taken care of in that regard as well.
Date: Nov/2025
Australia (Female, age 60-69)
Individual:
Guestroom 4, Baths 5, Meals 4, Location 5, Reception & Service 4
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Out of the way Rustic Farmstay
If you want to see a little of the genuine lifestyle of the farming folk, this rustic farmhouse at the end of a winding tiny road into the Forrest….. this is a place to stay. Don’t come if you want everything to be pristine and spotless. This is like visiting family in the countryside. Funky bath heated with a fire under the tub itself, outside with Forrest views. Owners communicates with you through an app and his children are around. One of my favourite experiences on the hike. But I am used to roughing it a little.
Date: Oct/2025
United States (Male, age 40-49)
Individual:
Guestroom 5, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location 3, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Cultural stay
Staying with this family was very peaceful. The bath that they provided was very interesting and the culture that surrounded this stay was fun and creative. I enjoyed seeing all the animals on the property and learning about the host lives.
Date: Oct/2025
Israel (Male, age 30-39)
Individual:
Guestroom 5, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location 5, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
Date: Sep/2025
China (Female, age 30-39)
Individual:
Guestroom 5, Baths 4, Meals 5, Location 5, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
Date: Jun/2025
United States (Male, age 40-49)
Individual:
Guestroom 5, Baths 4, Meals 5, Location 5, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
Sage and his family (and farm animals) were one of the memorable parts of our trip. The farm is tucked away on a culdesac near a large stream. We walked in the evening and saw tons if fire flies. The bath is a bit rustic and the compost toilet is also - not for people who want modern conveniences. The food was amazing (we were not vegans but didn’t care, it was delish!), and Sage was kind enough to adjust on pickup and drop off for the trail. The room was clean and cozy. Thank you!
Date: Jun/2025
Netherlands (Female, age 20-29)
Individual:
Guestroom 5, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location 5, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Very Sweet
Seiichi was there on time and picked us up. You can tell the love and attention that he gives to his house and his family. The room was clean, the futons comfortable, food very nice and there was a very cool japanese bath in the garden. We had a lovely stay!
Date: May/2025
Australia (Female, age 40-49)
Individual:
Guestroom 4, Baths 5, Meals 4, Location 3, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Beautiful Farm retreat
A beautiful farm stay with Sechii and his family. Sechii picked us up from Koguci after walking the Kumano Kodo, and drove us to his house about 20mins away. Its a simple Japanese house, but comfortable with a family feel. The outdoor hot tub is fantastic and lit by a fire underneath.
We were given a lift to back to the trail the following morning.
Highly recommend staying here, albeit be prepared for not having any internet for the night.
Date: May/2025
Japan (Male, age 60-69)
Individual:
Guestroom 2, Baths 1, Meals 3, Location -, Reception & Service 2
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
Date: Apr/2025
Malaysia (Male, age **)
Individual:
Guestroom 3, Baths 3, Meals 4, Location 3, Reception & Service 4
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
Engawa will give you a genuine rural experience. Located in the hills resembling a farmhouse. The novelty of this guesthouse is the outdoor bath with wood fired hot tub. Food(vegetarian)was really good and very beautifully presented. Rooms and amenities are pretty basic / rustic and may require some upgrades .
Date: Mar/2025
Spain (Female, age 30-39)
Individual:
Guestroom 1, Baths 1, Meals 2, Location 1, Reception & Service 3
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
Date: Mar/2025
Germany (Female, age 20-29)
Individual:
Guestroom 4, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location 4, Reception & Service 4
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Unique experience
It was a truly unique experience out of the comfort zone to stay at Guesthouse Engawa. Given the remote location it is really calm and peaceful. The family is self-sufficient and cooked very tasty, fresh food grown by them. All vegetarian which is very uncommon in Japan.
Date: Jan/2025
United States (Female, age 60-69)
Individual:
Guestroom 4, Baths 4, Meals 5, Location 4, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Permaculture and country living
I enjoyed staying at this small farm; the hosts were very kind, and living close to nature. It's a bit rustic. The vegetarian meals were amazing!
Date: Dec/2024
Italy (Male, age 40-49)
Individual:
Guestroom 2, Baths 2, Meals 5, Location 2, Reception & Service 2
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
Date: Nov/2024
Spain (Male, age 60-69)
Individual:
Guestroom 4, Baths 4, Meals 5, Location 5, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
Date: Nov/2024
Finland (Male, age 20-29)
Individual:
Guestroom 2, Baths -, Meals 4, Location 2, Reception & Service 3
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
Date: Nov/2024
Australia (Female, age 30-39)
Individual:
Guestroom 4, Baths 4, Meals 5, Location 3, Reception & Service 4
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
Date: Nov/2024
United States (Male, age **)
Individual:
Guestroom 2, Baths 3, Meals 4, Location 2, Reception & Service 3
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Really rustic remote place
Be ready to experience really rustic Japanese place, almost a cabin. Amenities are super basic, dinner is basic, breakfast was also simple but very good. Really long ride from koguchi. Friendly hosts.
Date: Nov/2024
Australia (Female, age 50-59)
Individual:
Guestroom 3, Baths 4, Meals 5, Location 3, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Wonderful experience
Exceptional meals and kind host family
Date: Oct/2024
Australia (Male, age 60-69)
Individual:
Guestroom 3, Baths 4, Meals 3, Location 2, Reception & Service 4
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
Quaint, rustic place. Family demands most of their time. Veg food was pretty good taste wise and presented well. Unique bath tub open air and compost toilet. Provided a good insight into rural Japan
Date: Oct/2024
New Zealand (Female, age 50-59)
Individual:
Guestroom 4, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location -, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Unique experience
Opportunities like this do not come up often, we enjoyed seeing a different way of life, having a hot bath outside and a bonus was the food was fantastic!
Date: Sep/2024
France (Female, age 40-49)
Individual:
Guestroom 5, Baths 3, Meals 5, Location 4, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
great ecological stay
and one of the best meals we ate in Japan. the house is around 30mn drive from the kumano kodo, but with the free pick-up and drop-off it's perfect, and the owner is super friendly
Date: May/2024
Australia (Female, age 30-39)
Individual:
Guestroom 5, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location 5, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
A wonderful family friendly stay
We had a wonderful stay and felt very welcomed by the family. Transport from the end of our hike in Koguchi and to Kanmaru the next day was very much appreciated. Our family of 6 fit comfortably into the large room. The outdoor bath was steaming hot after a long day hiking in the rain. Vegetarian meals were delicious. A great insight into life in rural Japan.
Date: May/2024
United Kingdom (Female, age 70-79)
Individual:
Guestroom 5, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location 5, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Quirky farm on the Kumano Kodo
Great place to be based for walking around the Hongu area. Seiichi was very helpful about pick up & drop off. The place is simple, but the traditional Onsen was good at the end of the day’s walking, & the food was good.
Date: Apr/2024
Netherlands (Male, age 30-39)
Individual:
Guestroom 5, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location 5, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Very kind and welcoming
This was such a wonderful stay. They were very welcoming and made me feel right at home.
Date: Mar/2024
Canada (Female, age 20-29)
Individual:
Guestroom 5, Baths 5, Meals 5, Location 5, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
Wonderful
We had an absolutely wonderful time. Such a peaceful and quiet place. We loved the little cats roaming around and the cute goat. The food was absolutely incredible. It was exactly what we needed after a long wet and rainy hike. Honestly, one of the best parts of our trek.
Date: Mar/2024
Sweden (Male, age 30-39)
Individual:
Guestroom 4, Baths 4, Meals 3, Location -, Reception & Service 5
Plan:
Supper & Breakfast
- No subject -
No Meat
No Fish
No Seafood (other than fish)
No Dashi fish stock
No Dairy
No Eggs