Top Hotels in Koya with Spas

We stayed for one night. The location really is magic, our room was comfortable and it was nice to attend the early morning ceremony before breakfast. The time for dinner was really early and strict (17:45!) but it's recommended to eat in because everything around there closes early. Even if the curfew was at 21, the staff sent as away from the common spaces where we were quietly enjoying the night view at 20:20, while they let a loud group in the entrance disturb everyone until 21:30, so I was a bit upset for this. I enjoyed the onsen but it was very small, I was lucky it wasn't crowded because no more than 4 people can fit in. I personally liked the vegan dinner and breakfast, beautifully presented, but it's not for every stomach and nobody tells you what you are eating (they only told us ”this is rice, tea and watermelon”, we could guess ourselves lol). In the complex, the experience was good and I recommend it, but it's a bit too expensive for what they offer.

I drove for three hours in the morning and arrived at Koyasan from Kyoto. The temperature on the mountain was 5 or 6 degrees cooler than Kyoto. We stayed at Huiguangyuan, a 1000-year-old Buddhist monastery. The temple has traditional Japanese-style rooms and beautiful gardens. The meals are Buddhist and vegetarian, and the service staff are monks, making people feel the Japanese Buddhist culture. The morning morning there was a Buddhist morning class and meditation activities. [Konoyama] On the altar, Kalan - Jingangfeng Temple - Huiguangyuan. Koyasan is the ancestral ancestor of Dongmi Mang, and was founded by the master of Hongfa in the 7th year of Hongren (816). Legend has it that the Master of the Seas was willing to find a lotus sacred place like Wutai Mountain in China to promote the Dharma. When the line went to Gaoye Mountain, a pair of white dogs and black dogs led the way. The Masters of the Sea followed them to discover the eight peaks around the Gaoye Mountain, so they were Here you build your own dojo, which has been passed down to the present. The altar on the altar is the center of the entire Gaoye Mountain, and it is also the place where the empty sea masters first built the temple. The Jingangfeng Temple is the largest temple in Koyasan. It was originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1593, and was renamed as the King Kong Temple in the Meiji era.

It’s hard to rate this location as it’s not like anything I’ve experienced before. So a good thing to keep in mind before you go is to set your expectations. This is not a hotel so you won’t get hotel amenities. We didn’t have a private bathroom, there are limited plugs in the room, you have to wear slippers inside, limited communal shower times, and you sleep on futons on the floor. What you do get is a wonderful experience: the optional morning prayer (the whole experience was 1 h 20 min), vegetarian dinner and breakfast (some kids might not like but adventurous souls will enjoy), peaceful surroundings, old architecture, easy walk to all major sites. I would totally recommend this place for a night in koyosan. I think one night is perfect to get the full magic of the place.

Abbiamo soggiornato per una notte in questo monastero sul monte Koya. Il soggiorno costa, i monaci non lo regalano ma ci può stare perché l’esperienza merita. Abbiamo seguito alle 13 la cerimonia del fuoco e poi la preghiera del mattino, tutto molto bello ed affascinante con i loro canti e le loro atmosfere. La stanza era tipica giapponese con il futon, dotata di stufetta elettrica. La colazione e la cena erano su base vegetariana, tipicamente giapponese. A me non è piaciuta ovviamente ma non mi lamento perché lo sapevo che sarei andato incontro a questo…del resto siamo in monastero

Ichijoin is located in the center of Mt. Koya and convenient for visiting nearby temples. The popular Buddhist vegetarian cuisine is carefully prepared using seasonal ingredients. The garden is one of the famous scenic gardens on the mountain.

This time in Japan for 10 days, the favorite is Wakayama. This tourist route is relatively niche, with fewer Chinese tourists. A Nanhai tram goes into the mountain without any caverns. The room was clean and the monks were friendly. It is recommended that you choose a meal with a meal to experience pure Japanese cuisine. Stay for 2 days and travel in depth. Tickets are the most cost-effective way to buy Nanhai tram sets, including Nanhai trams entering the mountain from the urban area, returning to the city, and an unlimited number of transportation cars at all attractions in Wakayama.

At the gate of Koyasan, take the bus at the 6th station of the mountain and get off at the post office. The opposite side of the entrance is the entrance to the Jinsan Sanyuan, and it will take five minutes. In the courtyard check-in, the monk's English is not very good, communication is difficult, and only words can be used for communication. Originally at the time of Ctrip booking, I directed this separate shower room with separate bathroom, but told us after the check-in, or the public bathroom, the room only has a separate bathroom, which is different from the one shown on Ctrip. After checking in in the afternoon, I went to the altar on the altar and rushed back to dinner at 5:30. Dinner is delivered to the room, vegetarian food, you need to eat more rice to eat, but it is very special. After the meal, the monks took the tableware away and laid the bedding on the tatami at night. I feel very comfortable and sleepy. At 5:30 in the morning, I got up and took part in the morning class at the 6:30 temple. I was so solemn and victorious that I felt some mysterious power. In the morning class, the bedding was received in the closet, and the breakfast was set up. I ate three bowls of rice and packed my bags. I asked for check-out before 9:00. We left our luggage in the monastery and asked to take it before twelve o'clock. We arrived at the baggage at 12:30. In the morning, the Aozhiyuan, Jingangfeng Temple and Lingbao Hall turned a big circle, and the Aozhiyuan lost its way, and walked nearly two kilometers. The trip to Koyasan purifies the soul, which makes me understand the development history of Dongmi and strengthens the determination to learn Dongmi.

After spending two hours getting to the temple from Namba, it was refreshing to absorb the peace and tranquility of the place. The place is just a short walk up a slight slope from the bus stop where we got off. Check-in was smooth with good explanation on the place and the facilities. Place was spotless and they ensured that by helping to clean the wheels of our luggage. Room is of ample size for four of us in a traditional setting sleeping on tatami mats. A toilet is attached to my room but the bathing facilities is a sharing facility which was clean and spacious. Dinner and breakfast were superb vegetarian meals. We also had a great experience with the morning prayers which also taught us a meditation method. This place is within easy walking distance to the small town center with restaurants for lunch. Bus schedule to other places are posted on the bus stops. Overall, we had a peaceful stay here which was a good break from the hustle of the big cities.

Sufang is the most anticipated part of the formation of Koyasan. The so-called Sufang is actually living in a temple to experience the practice. There are more than 100 temples in Koyasan, and dozens of them are open to tourists. It is different from the small Japanese-style houses in ordinary hotels. In addition to being located in the mountains, there are also practice experiences such as eating fast, morning classes, and copying scriptures. In the morning class starting at 6:00, the sky was still dark. In December, Koyasan was already very cold. When I saw the girls next to me, they were very cold. The monk's chanting calmed the mood. Around the lobby of the morning class, this temple is dedicated to the spiritual position of the people. Compared with the mysterious sense of religious rituals in Japan, and Japan with frequent natural disasters, religion seems more secular to ordinary people. It is noticed that when monks recite scriptures, the instruments used to make sounds are used quite frequently. This is probably why there is music such as Buddhist electronic sounds in Japan. Zhaifan is quite exquisite. The combination of ingredients also takes a lot of effort. The monks do not eat meat and rely on soy products to supplement protein. The tofu made by Koyasan has also become a local famous thing. After breakfast, dinner is not wasted. There is a public bathroom that can be used for soup, there is a public smoking area on the first floor, and a wine list is optional. Unlike the imagination before the visit, the monk who received our English communication was ok, warm and gentle. Although Sufang's experience was more secular than expected, living in the headquarters held a good memory of the trip to Koyasan.

Let me talk about a good place first: the environment is good, the temperature on the mountain is cooler; the service is in place, everything is explained clearly and carefully, especially friendly and polite; the location is next to the fundamental tower. Then there is a not very good place: all Sufangs in Gaoye Mountain are very high, here adults are 1,000 yuan per capita, and children over 6 years old are also 700 yuan (cannot use existing beds to reduce or exempt, 700 without meals), not cheap; The facilities are objectively restricted, there are public bathrooms and toilets, and they are very small and inconvenient. In general, if it is not for Westerners who are curious about the ”Mystery Power of the East”, it is recommended to come back and forth from Osaka on the same day, rather than choose Sufang. The place in Takano Mountain is not big. It is possible to go back and forth in Osaka on the same day, so that you can live in downtown Osaka, and the same price greatly improves the accommodation conditions. The view of the vulgar is for reference only.