Ocean Resort Bondi

Bondi is in a handy spot, about a five minute walk from Ohama beach and restaurants. The owner was friendly, and the whole pension was very clean. Our room was basic but perfectly fine, with what we needed. There’s a small private Onsen downstairs for guests, and it was really refreshing to use. For food, White Beach Hotel has Italian, Cafe mellow does Hawaiian food and an amazing coconut shake, and Balaton Bistro is Mexican. YAMAYA is a Japanese seafood place about a 20 minute walk away, with decent seafood bowls (kaisendon), tempura, and red snapper. Get there around 5:30-5:45 to queue, or you could be waiting two hours, it gets very popular. We had an amazing time at Bondi!

The coolest thing is the bar built into a cave. The place itself is beautiful too.

The basket-style breakfast was lovely, both the food and the atmosphere. The restaurant doesn’t seem to open outside summer. I visited during Golden Week and chose one of the slightly pricier rooms, which had a double bed, a table and sofa, plus a table and chairs on the balcony. There’s a bath in the room as well as a private bath. Yoshisami Ohama beach is visible in the distance, with a sports field directly in front. The owner and a toy poodle, I think, greeted me. For public transport, the nearest stop is General Ground on the Togyu-bound bus, but the unpaved road makes rolling a suitcase difficult. Yoshisami bus stop is about a 15-minute walk away, through a narrow tunnel. The owner seemed troubled that monkeys and wild boars have been appearing in the area lately. Apparently, keeping them from getting used to human food is important for preserving their habitat.

It’s a small inn, and I really liked it. The owner is very barrier-free! The place itself isn’t accessible, though, so it may suit families, people with a car, or those who get around easily best. Besides the suggestions on the website, I thought the golden-eyed snapper ajillo and steamed bamboo steamer were excellent. Kisami Ohama is lovely. The waves are high, as they are elsewhere in Shimoda, so it’s probably better suited to energetic people.