[Access] About 1 hour by car from Yufuin IC
[Website] Oku-Aso no Yado Yamanami
To give my child a rare experience, I planned a paragliding activity in Aso and stayed at Yamanami in Ubuyama Onsen. The inn offers a unique experience where you can ride a horse from the inn, making it an exciting choice. It’s a cozy, traditional-style inn with a simple alkaline hot spring that leaves your skin feeling smooth.
A lantern from the Nihon Hitou wo Mamoru Kai (Association for Preserving Japan’s Hidden Hot Springs) adds to the atmosphere, making me curious about the baths inside.
The inn has two family baths, Tsubaki-yu and Yamaboushi Bath, located in charming bathhouses. The onsen water is a soft, smooth alkaline hot spring that feels gentle on the skin.
One standout bath is the “Pumpkin Bath,” named for its resemblance to the inside of a pumpkin, with yellowish-brown rock walls. It’s a spacious bath that even welcomes day visitors, but I was lucky to have it all to myself during my stay.
The highlight of the trip was horseback riding from the inn to Ikeyama Spring, about 2 km away. The staff from Hinata Bokko carefully explained how to handle the horses and gave thorough practice before we started. My child, who was riding a horse for the first time, managed to ride confidently on his own.
On the trail, we tried a gentle gallop, let the horses rest and graze, and the staff even took many photos for us using our phones. Their love for the horses and enthusiasm for making the experience enjoyable were evident, making it an unforgettable adventure.
Our destination, Ikeyama Spring, was breathtaking with its crystal-clear water and tranquil, green surroundings. Although riding back to the inn was exciting, I felt like staying longer to soak in the serene atmosphere around this area.
Dinner at Yamanami featured an impressive variety of over 20 types of colorful pickles, which were fun to look at and sample. It seems this region has a tradition of serving an abundance of pickles as part of their hospitality, as I noticed the same during lunch with an Akaushi steak bowl.
The combination of the warm atmosphere, the unique horseback riding experience, and the soothing hot springs made Yamanami a place that feels both charmingly rustic and refreshingly unique.