Luxury Escape?! 🏝️ $1,000 Remote Island Villa Review: Sankara Hotel Yakushima 🇯🇵 Yakushima Japan

Foreign.

And welcome back to the channel. Today we're taking a look at a truly unique destination. Yakushima island in Japan. Often referred as the Alps of the sea, Yakushima is a world heritage site known for its ancient forest, towering mountains and mystical atmosphere. The easiest way to get here is either by flying to Fukuoka or Osaka. In order order to get a plane to Yakushima island, you can also go to the Kagoshima port and take a two to three hour high speed boat or the four hour ferry to fully immerse yourself in the natural wonderland. There's no better place to stay than the Sankara Hotel which we stayed at Loving property and we're going to review it today through this video. We'll be exploring everything Sankara has to offer, what to see and how we booked it. But before all that, let's jump right into the hotel while you can arrange to be picked up at the airport. We opted for a rental car and driving ourselves. The drive was fairly easy given that there's really only one main road and traffic is non existent. This is literally taking us into the.

Middle of the jungle.

I ended up booking this day with high points since Hyatt was a part of the small luxury resort program. But unfortunately Hilton took over that. So fingers crossed you'll be able to book this location with Hilton point soon. So keep an eye out says we're.

Still going the right way.

Dude, where are we going?

Oh my gosh.

Keep going.

We're about to walk into someone's house.

No we're not.

Turn left.

Nope, just turn left.

All right, Left. All right, all right.

In 200 meters turn right.

We're getting somewhere.

Go in. Be prepared. Yep.

Haha.

Sankara.

Ooh, electric fence hotel and spa.

Oh, they don't want us to leave.

They really want you to work to find this place.

200 meters, your destination will be on the left.

Right.

To change the towels and stuff, please put in the basket. And here there's a mini bar. So this is a room service menu. Okay, we can check it out later. And this is for making tea with coco.

Okay.

Also have coffee and herbs and hot tea. Herb tea. Yes. And you can use the teapot. And in the later we have a yakshi as passion fruit juice and beers and water.

Okay.

It's all inclusive.

Okay, cool.

This is the don't disturb.

Oh, the do not disturb.

Okay, so if you don't want us come in your room then please put.

It on it's hurdle.

And then here we have Sundance for the outside you can use inside of the restaurant, anywhere you like on the table. We have some menu and after menu if you are interested. And here there's a phone. So if you need us to pick you up or need anything, then please push this button over and we will come to you. So if you need us to change the bed sheet, please put this green card on the bed. Okay. I think that's all.

As you saw, Sankara doesn't do ordinary hotel rooms. Here you'll find beautiful appointed villa style accommodations. Each with a modern warm colored interior. Interior and stunning views of the surrounding nature. Imagine waking up to the sounds of birds and fresh scent of flowers. Pure bliss.

Laundry room, Fitness room.

Junior suite. Whoa, look at that one. Look at the laundry room.

Somewhere where we can do our laundry. Yeah, our clothes are getting pretty ripe. I think it comes with a little mesh bag you can put your clothes in and stuff. Oh, and then you dangle a little number there, I guess. The room number 96 on the little hook right here.

Is it a washer and dryer in one?

I guess.

Interesting.

So it's awful? I guess so. Oh my goodness.

Nice.

Put a little bubble. So did you push the automatic button?

I pushed a lot of buttons.

Push that one, then they will make it for you.

I just.

So they say you can have 90 minutes. So could you come to the spa room on the second floor at 6:30?

Should we rinse off first? Shower?

No, no, no. You don't need any. Okay.

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

Take your time.

Get our robes.

Maybe we're back. Walking up the hill, we were able to score a 90 minute massage right before they close. So rushed back to the room. Got that figured out. Ooh, the lens is kind of foggy. Got that figured out. All these stairs are killing me. But got our massage clothes on.

Where's your mask?

Forgot my mask again.

Sankara isn't just about the rooms. It's about the entire experience. Nestled amidst the Yakushima cedar forest, the hotel itself feels like an extension of the natural world. Imagine relaxing by the outdoor pool, surrounded by lush greenery. Or unwinding in the world class spa after a day of exploring. Which we definitely did. We'll get to that later. Unfortunately, while we were here, the weather didn't work out to our favor. But on the day we were leaving, we saw the natural beauty. Our favorite daytime activity was hanging out by the library during tea time and enjoying some food. Speaking of exploring, Sankara offers a dedicated service to help you curate your fushima adventures. Whether you're interested in trekking through the ancient forest Visiting hidden waterfalls or simply soaking up the pure peaceful atmosphere here. The staff will ensure you have an unforgettable stay. We opted to do some exploring by ourselves and check out the Yakushima national park, the Okonotaki waterfalls and we went to check out the Yakushima Museum to get some history on the island. In terms of dining, Sankara doesn't just have one dining option, it has two. The Misu where we enjoyed a pre fixed style regional cuisine with venison, chocolate, a lot of fish and honestly our favorite part was the dessert tray. It's European inspired dishes clearly incorporate the fresh ingredients and regional flavors of the island and they added a little extra touch to it since it was our anniversary while there. I honestly love the steak but I think I should have had the duck. The lady next to me was going oishi, oishi the whole time talking about the duck. So next time I'm there I'm definitely trying the duck. While I didn't get to try the other restaurant okas myself, I heard rave reviews about their dishes and French style cuisine. Seeing so it is a must. Next time I go waking up and going to the breakfast, I was honestly surprised by the selection that they had. Start your day off right with authentic Japanese breakfast at Sankara featuring freshly baked reds made with Yakushima water and locally grown yeast, organic vegetables and seasonal fruit. I had to stop myself from eating all the dang breads cuz they were so good. Nice. Breakfast starts at 6:45 and ends at 10am every day. We had to make our reservations for it but it was well worth it. Good morning. Last night was very relaxing. This is the hotel. During the day they're little villas.

Each one is like an upstairs and a downstairs.

The suite and junior suites are over there, another villas over here and then another suite.

Suite number 10 is right there.

Right now we're headed up to go get breakfast.

You have to make your reservations for breakfast. I think the day before today we're probably gonna drive around the island, just check out some sites. Don't think we're going to do any hiking. It's been raining non stop since we got here so probably not the best weather for hiking. So probably drive around, see some monkeys, maybe check out the onsen. But oh, there was a monkey in her dream so now we got to see the monkeys.

Ooh, look at that view.

That's the ocean right there. Oh yeah, and we're late for breakfast.

One cool thing that I saw was that going to the dining room downstairs across from the gym they have logs where they grow their own shiitake mushrooms, so if you come, go downstairs and look at them. I've never seen shiitake mushrooms grow on a log, so it was cool. They also had a gym area where you could work out. But who needs a gym area where you have hundreds of heights where right around you and on the island. Now let's talk about exploring Yakushima. Of course, the real star of the show here is Yakushima Island. This mystical place is teeming with life. From ancient Yakutsugi cedars, some over a thousand years old, to playful monkeys and deers, which we definitely checked out. Hiking enthusiasts will be in heaven, with numerous trails and offering breathtaking views and a chance to truly connect with nature. If you're feeling more adventurous, Yakushima even has some stunning waterfalls you can explore. They also have some guides that you can talk to at the hotel that can take you on a hike so you. You don't get lost. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't the greatest when we went, so we decided not to go for a hike. The hotel offers car rentals, but remember to reserve them. But during our visit, we had our own car so we could go and leave as we pleased. Driving.

We're going to go see the monkeys.

We're going to go look for monkeys.

It's raining and deer forecast. Rain is cold and 90% chance of rain.

Perfect. Perfect opportunity for spa and relaxation.

Yeah, there's a lot of rain.

Look at these mountains.

Mountain fog on them, snow, lots of tree, very lush. Yep, that's. That's all we have to report now.

See you when we get to the monkeys.

So we just stopped.

We saw a little sign for waterfall, so we pulled off to the side, saw people walking that way. Some parking spots right there. Didn't know if we were going the right way. It looks like there's a little bathroom and everything over here. So pretty chill. I guess we're at the Oko no Taki waterfalls. Taku town is that way as well, so gonna walk a little bit, see if we can find, oh, Yakushima National Park.

All right.

For the national park we're gonna see. Oh, all right.

Cute. I would like it quiet for a little bit. Okay.

I guess I can't talk to y' all anymore. She's making me not talk.

No, no.

So enjoy.

What's that?

Oh, that's. That's a monkey. There's two. That's a monkey.

Holy cow.

No, don't yell at it.

We're a little lost. Can you help us out?

Just. Just Keep going straight thing.

Oh, it's a little baby.

They're everywhere.

They're emerging.

There's another one.

They keep coming out. Holy.

There's like 10 of them. Hey, you. He's getting on his back. Oh, are they having.

Oh, yeah, yeah, boy.

He said they're watching. Hi. Oh, my God.

I'm gonna throw up.

This is so cool.

Are so cool.

They're little Mickey Butts.

We're getting close to the monkeys.

Oh, I don't know. We made it out.

We did it.

We made it through this scary road. We didn't see any monkeys. Yeah, we did not see any monkeys. We saw the monkeys before we got on the monkey road.

Oh, goodness.

It.

That little yellow thing is the entrance.

To the hotel with the heart. The.

The love box.

The love box with the heart. Now you go through this windy road for a bit, then you come. That little yellow thing is the entrance.

To the hotel with the heart. The.

The love box.

The love box with the heart. Now you go through this windy road for a bit, then you come to the entrance.

Ahoy. We made it. We did it. Yeah, we saw the monkeys.

If you have the time, I highly recommend getting a massage. After a long day of traveling, we ended up getting a couples massage, where we were greeted with some warm, delicious tea and these cute little cedar trees. While waiting for our rooms to get ready, they gave us some aromas to try out. And during the massage, they burnt some cedar to kind of get that flow going, and it was a nice touch. Sankara Hotel and Spa is more than just a hotel. It's a gateway to a truly unique and unforgettable experience. Here you can combine luxury and relaxation with the thrill of exploring a breathtaking natural paradise. And honestly, the best part was that they had a laundry machine on site that you could use, which we definitely took advantage of after throwing Yakushima and getting wet. So if you're looking for a getaway that will rejuvenate your mind, body, and Seoul, Sakara Hotel and Spa and Yakushima island should definitely be at the top of your list. Let me know in the comments below if you've ever been to Yakushima or have a dream destination you'd love to visit. As always, thanks for watching and see you in the next one. Peace. That's so sad.

That was so fun.

They're gonna do it again. They're gonna do it again.

You guys, they're so cute.

Look it.

It's in the shape of the Yakushima Island. They're the best. You should go, Sam.