Hotel Rainbow Sakurajima

Room was better than I expected. With good view of volcano. Also, many of English language booking websites say "shared bathroom". What they mean by that is there's no shower in the room; you have to go to the bathhouse. But you don't have to share toilet or sink; those are private to your room. I didn't take meal plan here; there's a supermarket across the street with lots of reasonably priced pre-packaged meals. Within easy walking distance of ferry and the tourist bus stops right in front. However, if you want to go to other public hot springs on the island and not just tourist places, you have to transfer buses, which don't run that frequently, so it's a bit of an ordeal. OTOH, ferry to Kagoshima runs almost constantly. Bathhouse is not the cleanest.

I rented an e-bike here to circle the island. I made reservations in advance over the phone, as they have a limited number of bikes. The staff were helpful and the bike itself was in good shape - the assist only kicks in under 20km/h so it's helpful on hills only. That being said it's still definitely a workout on some of the inclines, and you'll be passed by vehicles on the road, so just be aware of that.

Very accessible from the ferry pier. The room has a seaview. Convenient store and supermarket just a few minutes walk, you can't miss it. Dinner and breakfast are very good, delicious and full of local food products. staffs are very helpful. We went there on a hot summer day, the air con didn't cool the room much but we managed to rest..

We visited the Onsen at Hotel Rainbow recently; as a couple of clueless tourists we were made to feel very welcome by the friendly staff on reception. It cost 390 yen per person + 200 yen if you wanted to hire a towel. Highly recommend it to relax during an afternoon. Male and Female segregated areas, not a fancy or luxurious onsen but obviously liked and used regularly by locals. Nice views of the sea (amidst the steamy windows!)

- Great location. it takes about 5 minutes by walk to get here from sakurajima ferry terminal. And also, there is a bus stop in front of the gate. - Room is little bit old, but it's clean, includes adequate facilities and has a great ocean view. ocean view room is non-smoking room but there is a smoking area in the 2F. - Great meals. good quality and quantity. - Staffs are really kind even towards foreigner tourist. - Good hot spring, but you should use a coin locker with a charge (around 200 to 300 YEN) to keep your valuables. hot spring can be crowded in day time.

While I did not stay at the hotel, I used its ebike rental as well as the onsen that is on the other side of the building. The service is quite nice, and remember to bring some sort of id if you want to rent a bike or a paddle board. There is also a little cafe and gift shop if you need some souveniers.

*** Gaijin Dudes Only Review *** You're going to be Stark naked bro! And winter is coming so get in the damn water! So my buddy says "you've gotta try out this onsen thing blah blah blah... it's so damn refreshing blah blah blah". So I took his advice, and whilst in Kagoshima decided to hit the one built into the side of an active fricken volcano! How's that for "trying it out"? This particular onsen is actually called "Sakurajima Magma Onsen". Sakurajima is the name of the active volcano on the island (correction: now a Peninsula after a lava eruption in 1914 merged the island to Osumi). As for the Magma, Now I dunno if it IS magma but it IS pretty darn hot. There are 3 pools, the hot magma one, a second one that hovers around 40.5 degrees, and a 3rd ice cold jobbie - that one is a nut shriveller! Shrinkage? Yup, frightened turtle? YUP! This is going to test all of your mettle and courage; for if you are a lone gaijin walking into this onsen - and I am guessing right now that you are - you are walking into a room that holds nothing but derision and judgement for you... and you are doing it naked. === How To Get There === The ferry from Sakurajima Port is ¥160. Just get on the Kagoshima side and pay at the other end. You will have to pay to get on again to leave. You then have a short walk to the Rainbow Hotel from the Sakurajima ferry terminal. Ferry Tip: Go inside and grab a seat at the front of the ferry when going to Sakurajima (back when returning) as this has unparalleled views of the island and you can snap away. Pro Ferry Tip: When you alight from the ferry on Kagoshima side upon returning be sure to check out the free dolphin show from the aquarium (they do 3 per day) === Inside The Building === Let me walk you through the winning procedure (for men). First get the ¥390 ticket from the vending machine out front; and hand it to old lady. Make sure to hire the bath towel (¥200) you're gonna need it. Then head through to the Men's Onsen - sorry ladies I have no concept of the Women's experience, you'll have to wait for a fellow female yelper to give it a go. === Once inside the Onsen === First off: Get nekkid! There are unsecured baskets to store your belongings (or you can pay ¥100 for a locker). Myself and everyone around me went unsecured. Second: Scrub yourself head to toe at the stools. Wash all ounces of soap from you. Then repeat. Only then, do you begin to get in the water. Third: I recommend beginning with the magma pool. Show them who is boss and just go sit in that thing for 30 straight minutes like it is nothing. That's your first mark of respect. Fourth: Then man-up 1000 notches by walking over to the cold one, equipment all hanging out, and nonchalantly entering that frozen lake like a white walker accustomed to this frost... the hardest part here actually isn't the entry, as you are somewhat sustained by the heat from the magma. What's difficult is being able to endure that pool for more than a few minutes. Hold your nerve, 10 should do it. Fifth: Next hit the medium pool to work your body temp back up for the magma. You've already earned their respect and this pool has gloriously warm-like-your-bathtub water... so it's worth sitting in for a bit. Finally: Finish it off with one more round of magma to show them it wasn't a fluke and then you'll be refreshed like never before. Remember: To rinse yourself just as thoroughly after exiting the pool for the final time (you don't rinse in between). Pro tip: hire the bath towel for 200 yen BEFORE you go in (you'll need it), BUT do not take it into the pool with you. Towel in pool equals bad etiquette and you don't want to lose all that respect you just earned. Stick it on a spare chair or on a ledge above the showers. === The Aftermath === Once you exit you hand back your towel then sit and ponder on your experience. There are a range of vending machines with a wide selection of drinks available. How Was It: I began sweating profusely at this point. I believe my body made an executive decision to purge all toxins right then and there. Walking out into the frosty air I felt rejuvenated and refreshed (both mind and body) - similar to the endorphin rush you get when exercising. Super Pro Tip: get 1 or 2 of the ice cold milks from the vending machine AFTER you come out. They are amazing and you will feel fantastic afterwards. NB: You'll see muppets complaining about the windows being dirty so you cannot see out of them - actually this looks to be intentional; they also use a tinted bar around the glass. There is a clear reason for this - a well-travelled walkway outside runs beneath both the mens and women's onsen's. So this protective glass prevents the need for parents to explain the sudden appearance of twenty men's tockley's to little Keiko.