Nikko Park Lodge

My daughter and I spent two weeks travelling Japan using or JR Rail Passes. One of our first stops was a two night stay at the Nikko Park Lodge. The Japanese owners, Ken and his partner, a Buddhist Monk, are both fluent in English. The Lodge has a large common room used for meals, tea, gathering around in by the guests (mostly English speaking tourists with many working as teachers of the English language in Japan) and use of the free internet. The rooms are comfortable, clean and very affordable. Ken picked the guests up at the train/bus stations and he had sufficient time to guide a group of five of us around. Ken is a lot of fun and knows the area well. Nikko is a gem and is a highly recommended stop for beginning or ending a Japan Tour if you are flying into Narita Airport. I enjoyed the yoga classes in the morning with the Buddhist Monk, strolling around the temple grounds within walking distance of the lodge, and relaxing with other guests in an Onsen tucked up in the mountains. Many guests enjoyed the Monk's cooking but I didn't have the opportunity to and wish I had, since the traditional Buddhist vegetarian meal he prepared looked great and was enjoyed by many of the guests.

My wife spent three months in Japan for an internship and I flew out from Michigan to stay with her for a week. We decided to take a quick look at Nikko. We stayed only one night near the end of our trip and it was great. I wish we had stayed there at the beginning of our week because we would have changed our plans and stayed for several days. The stay was more pleasant than in any hotel. The employees were all extremely friendly and spoke English well which made things easy for us. The food was great and the other guests staying there were good company. If I can go back to Japan I will make every effort to stay a night here again.