IYA VALLEY: HOTEL HIKYONYU

In the Iya Valley, we stayed at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn called Hotel Hikyonyu, which featured an onsen, an on-site hot spring bath. The onsen was very relaxing, but the inn itself was simple and not exactly the 4 or 5-star lodging we prefer, with prefab bathrooms, but we managed to add a couple of extra futons for more padding, the room was not cold, so we slept better.

National Geographic didn't score well for our accommodations, and truthfully, except for our hotel at the next stop, they didn't meet my rather high expectations for hotels when we travel.

However, Nat Geo excelled in taking us to places and sites, like the lya Valley, that we might not have discovered on our own. It's not easy being me, and I enjoy treating us to beautiful and comfortable hotels when we travel. I wouldn't recommend Nat Geo for future trips, as the value of the lodging compared to the cost wasn't favorable for the client. I think Nat Geo should hire a couple of discerning individuals, like us, to evaluate where to accommodate their clients; maybe I should apply?

Nonetheless, we made the best of it and enjoyed wearing our traditional kimonos again for dinner.