December 2012

"A wonderful stay at the Maeniiya"

I had a wonderful stay at this beautiful machiya. Of course, if you rent a house you don't have the amenities, you may have in a first class hotel, like a pool, conferencing rooms or a buffet breakfast. But if you're a traveller who wants to explore Japan and its culture, a machiya like the Maeniiya is the perfect choice. After a sightseeing day full of japanese culture, you're not coming back to a solitary cell hotel room, but to a traditional house with tatami rooms. So the japanese dream goes on. Miho-san was very helpful host and gave me a very good introduction. Tourist maps and further informations is provided. The Maeniiya is well equipped. Wifi is available for free. You'll find a flat screen TV set with english channels, a DVD player, a fully equipped kitchen including a microwave which can also be used as a toaster or stove and a washing machine including a dryer. An english user manual, how to use all these devices, is provided. So don't fear Kanji-labelled buttons or menus. The Maeniiya is centrally located in Kyoto, in walking distance to bus stations and the subway. Bus Nr. 50 is 5 minutes away and takes you directly to Kyoto station. Other buses are 10 minutes away and take you to any direction. The subway station Shijo-Karasuma is also 10 Minutes in walking distance (if you arrive with heavy luggage use the elevator at exit 4 of Shijo-Karasuma station). Around there are several restaurants (my favorite was 'tenkadori'), supermarkets (like Fresco) and convenient stores. There is also a post office in walking distance. I enjoyed my stay a lot and I hope to stay at the Maeniiya again if I visit Kyoto again. 


Asia Traveller
Hamburg, Germany