Well our stay at Kyoto ryoken #1 is about to come to an end. The reason we’re staying at 2 is because neither could put us up for all 5 nights. Originally we wanted to stay at the Heianbo, but they could only fit us in for the final two nights. The ryoken agency we were booking through came up with the Shimizu, but only for the first three, and their next alternative was a lot more due to evening meals, so we decided to take the two and move part way through the stop in this city. The reality is they are only about 5 minutes walk apart.

What do I think of this ryoken ? Well it might be described as a modern one and more geared towards tourists, but I like it and wish we could have been here all 5. Sleeping on a real futon (no wooden slats) is comfortable. There are some down sides to staying in a ryoken. For a starter they normally have a locked door policy – arounhd midnight, so if you’re going to a town and are going to be partying it up you need to stay in a hotel. Also the walls are thin so at night you have to be careful not to make too much noise. If you are a single traveller then there’s also the posibility you’ll be forced to share a room with some one else.