Hoshi Onsen Chojukan, Central Japan

A delicious bowl of steaming ramen at Shin-Sen-Gumi last night left me dreaming of a cozy fall destination in Japan.  This ryoken (Japanese inn) is situated in central Japan about an hour from Tokyo.

I think the best possible description of this place is from the site, explomondo.com, where I found all these beautiful photos.

"The place is tucked away very deeply in the Japanese forests. Your trip will most likely involve a few hours by train, followed by a two very scenic bus drives. Once you finally step out, the entire staff will be out there to welcome you.  The staff takes your shoes and luggage, and provides you with traditional japanese clothing. That means both indoor and outdoor yukata [a Japanese garment]. During your entire stay you will be assisted by the same personal guest lady. Breakfast and dinner are served in your own room. Every dish will be brought to your room the moment it’s ready in the kitchen. There are many possibilities to walk around in nature, but the absolute highlight are the various hot springs, the so-called onsen. This ryokan has both indoor and outdoor onsen. The indoor onsen is famous throughout Japan, as it has remained virtually unchanged since its construction in 1870. There is a strict ritual of entering the bath, but once inside the water, the world seems to flow away. The overall experience in this ryokan was so authentic, it almost felt unreal."   

Kerala Houseboat

 

I am very pleased to say that in 3 weeks time I will be traveling to the south Indian city of Kochi for my old friend Harish's wedding.  My homie Nora and I will be there for about a week, so in addition to all the wedding festivities, we'll have a chance to see as much of the state of Kerala as possible.

It's strange for me to acknowledge that this will be the first time I'm traveling to India. After many classes on Indian history and politics in college, loads of desi friends, endless Bollywood movies and a long-held love of Indian Booker Prize-winning novels, I feel as if I've been there a hundred times. But then, when my passport arrived in the mail last week with a big new Indian visa, it finally became real.  Thus commenced the research for our adventure.

What I have learned so far is that the star of Kerala tourism is the kettuvallam, or houseboats, that cruise in the backwaters of the state.  They're traditional style boats made with ropes that have been updated with modern hotel amenities.  I've found loads of these online at places like Kerala Houseboats but these photos came from this picassa page and unfortunately I can't find any further details on the exact boat. I'm hoping that many of them look like this one.

Do you have any suggestions for hotels or adventures in Kerala? 

Pop-Up Hotels

LLOVE Pop-Up Hotel Tokyo

These pop-up hotels featured today on Apartment Therapy may be less relevant for the kind of hotel I'd love to own, considering L.A. is worth visiting all year round, but still, very cool concept. This one was an art exhibit in Tokyo that you could check into for a night. Neat!

Taş Otel - Alaçatı, Turkey

Photo from cafefernando.com

I am embarrassed to admit that despite having lived in the Middle East for nearly 4 years, I've never been to Turkey. It's like living in Los Angeles and never going to San Francisco. My excuse is that I was always a broke-ass student while there. But still, that's an inexcusable excuse.

I have a growing crush on the small Turkish town of Alaçatı on the Aegean Sea. According to Wikipedia, the town is, "famous for its architecture, vineyards and windmills for over 150 years. It has now made its name in the world of windsurfing and kitesurfing, with its crystal clear water, consistent and steady wind and well acclaimed hospitality."

Check out these indulgent photos of Alaçatı on the Cafe Fernando blog.

What started this whole infatuation was the brief glimpse on the intertron of the small boutique hotel, Taş Otel. It's a 150-year-old Greek mansion that has been transformed a 7-room boutique hotel. The website talks about how the owner quit her marketing job to open her dream hotel, and her adorable golden retriever is all over the website's gallery. These are details that make me like this place even more.

This is exactly the kind of hotel I'd love to run.

All photos from the Taş Otel website.