Sankara

Location: Kyoto, Southern Honshu & Kyushu | Japan

Price guide: £££££ £200-£350 per person per night

Sankara Hotel & Spa is a luxurious property on the southeastern tip of the beautiful island of Yakushima. Its stylish, evocative interiors use rich teak furnishings and polished floors to create a modern aesthetic which blends Eastern and Western elements. The forests, mountains and ocean of Yakushima are within easy access and are ripe for exploration.
Perfect forExploring Yakushima’s natural beauty.
In the know
  • Indulgent spa with a range of natural treatment options
  • French cuisine based on seasonal Yakushima produce
  • Easy access to cultural attractions like the Yakusugi Nature Museum

Recommended for...

  • Chic Design
  • Cultural Immersion
  • Eco-tourism
  • Food & Wine

Hotel Overview

Sense of place

Sankara prides itself on its high level of personal service, offering private consultation with a butler on your arrival to help you plan your stay in Yakushima. On the island’s southeast corner and surrounded by the beautiful nature for which Yakushima is famous, the hotel is dedicated to preservation, and part of the price of your stay will go towards ecological causes.

Rooms at Sankara

Rooms and suites are elegant and darkly stylish, exhibiting a fusion of Japanese and Western design; the floors are dark, polished wood, large windows look out over the forest, and original artworks inspired by the natural world adorn the walls. The Sankara Suite has its own spa room, so you can enjoy a range of treatments in privacy, while the Sankara Villa Suite has a large wooden deck terrace overlooking the ocean.

Food and drink

Sankara is home to two superb restaurants, both of which serve up delicious French cuisine using fresh, seasonal produce local to Yakushima. Ayana is a casual prix fixe style restaurant, where breakfast includes delicacies such as sausages made from Kagoshima black-haired pigs. At the stylish, dimly lit Okas, you can enjoy a multi-course gastronomic extravaganza. In the spring, the hotel’s commitment to seasonal produce means tankan oranges, Fatsia sprouts and bamboo shoots; in the summer, mangos, pineapples and dragon fruit; in the autumn, gnomefish, crab and flying fish; and mackerel in the winter.

Facilities

Sankara’s luxurious spa makes the very most of the ocean, mountains and forests which surround the hotel, offering a range of fantastic treatment options based on the use of local natural produce. There is also a fully equipped fitness centre, and a cosy library lounge where you can relax with a book. A free shuttle runs between the hotel, Anboko Port and Yakushima Airport.

Activities at Sankara

The island of Yakushima is a nature lover’s paradise, and a range of hiking trails meander through the moss-covered cedar forests and rugged mountains to beautiful spots like Oko-no-taki, the island’s highest waterfall. The yakusugi – or Japanese cedar – is so important to the natural and culture life of this island that there is a dedicated Yakusugi Museum, where beautiful exhibits outline the trees’ importance to islanders throughout history. Yakushima is also a nesting and hatching place for turtles, and at Umigame-kan night tours on the beach can help you learn about the turtles’ life cycle.

Best time to go

Best time to travel

Good time to travel (but some limitations)

Travel is possible (but it’s not the best time)

Travel is not recommended

  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
Best time to go

Hotel location

Sankara Hotel & Spa is around 15 minutes’ drive from Anboko Port and around 30 minutes’ drive from Yakushima Airport.

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