Ganiba Onsen

Upon arrival, our first impression of Ganiba Onsen hotel was not great. With weeds growing everywhere and a subtle air of faded grandeur, we weren’t sure that it was still open. But inside, everything looked respectable. We were quickly checked in a given a quick rundown on the hotel on onsen with the staff speaking very basic English. Our Japanese style room was quite small, very little room left over after laying out the futons, however it was clean and comfortable with 2 large windows. The toilet/basin area was tiny and there was no shower/bath in the room (you must use the communal onsens). The room was severely lacking in hooks and other places to dry towels and clothes. We had a mini-fridge, TV, AC, but no coffee making facilities and the Wifi seemed to work OK. The traditional Japanese meals, included in the price, were OK but nothing to write home about. We were dismayed to see that you actually had to pay extra if you wanted drinks, such as coffee or juice, with your breakfast – seemed pretty tight! The outdoor onsen was beautiful, set down in a small forested valley about 50m from the hotel. Magical setting and the water was divine at 41C. This is a mixed gender onsen but I only ever saw men there. There is another outdoor onsen for women and also a couple of indoor ones as well. They change them around at certain times so women can use the nice forest onsen. Access to the hotel is fairly easy as it is the last stop/first stop on the bus coming to/from Tazawa-ko, about a 40min ride from the lake. There are a few interesting trails in the immediate area if you like to explore. Overall, a bit of a mixed experience, but overall well worth the stay, even just to use the amazing onsen.