Earth Hostel Riverhouse - Nikko

A great place to relax in a fantastic location with a view on the clear waters of the Kurokawa (Black river). Check out the awesome drone footage at [hidden link] There are many cherry blossom trees near earth hostel that are in full bloom around this time (early to mid-April) of the year. The host Scout is very kind, helpful and knows all the good spots in Nikko and surroundings. Their free shuttle bus service from/to Nikko station is a great experience. The drive is very scenic and thrilling. Organize your departure (as early as you like) and breakfast time the night before. He provides breakfast and dinner for vegans and vegetarians as there is no meat on the menu. He serves two types of delicious homemade pizzas and soup for dinner. I tried his vegan soup and it tasted awesome. Scout mentioned that all the vegetables are bought at the local farmer market or grown in earth hostel's several gardens and greenhouse. You can almost order vegan pizza for lunch topped with vegan cheese which I strongly recommend There is also a mini guest kitchen with hot plate and microwave available. For breakfast he served that morning was vegan blueberry pancakes and cereals with soy milk,loads of fruits and rich, buttery Pecan nuts halves. It changes every day you are there. I also tried his vegan yoghurt which was to die for with some apple chunks and chia seeds Updated from previous review on 2021-04-04

This hostel was a major highlight on my trip to Japan. It is a one of a kind place to stay. Remote, personal, clean and friendly. All thanks to Scout the owner who works extremely hard. His vegan breakfasts were so delicious, I looked forward to them every morning I stayed. I had his noodles for dinner one night and they were incredible as well. It was so nice to stay somewhere with vegan food which is very hard to find in Japan and cheap as well! Would highly recommend and hope that I can return one day.

We stayed here a few nights and wish we stayed longer! Our favourite of the trip. Scout is a legend and makes delicious vegan food to accommodate brekky and dinner. 10/10 will be back to stay again

I stayed at the River Hostel for two nights and LOVED IT. It is a great location, being right next to a river and surrounded by trees and peace and quiet. I went swimming in the river before breakfast and after hiking, which was amazing. Best thing was the food though the vegan soup for dinner was unreal (over 20 different vegetables, really filling and perfect after a hike , and I also had great blueberry vegan pancakes and waffles for breakfast. The owner, Scout, also made vegan yogurt with chia seeds on top which was lovely : The other guys who were staying had vegetarian breakfasts with French toast etc (which to be fair also looked great . I would hugely recommend this place for both atmosphere and food.

Earth Hostel is one of a kind. Secluded and surrounded by amazing nature, few stairs away is the river, open air lounge where you can chill, and many hiking options. But most of all Scout the owner is who made our experience so unique. He is so kind and generous, and does everything he can to make sure everyone enjoys their time. He picked us up from and to the train station, answered any questions and helped with anything. He sat to explain the area map and to help plan the hikes, and most importantly he made the BEST VEGAN FOOD! blueberry pen cakes and chia puuding for breakfast, amazing soup for dinner, and many more treats. DELICIOUS and full of love. I strongly recommend earth hostel if you look for a once in a lifetime experience. Updated from previous review on 2018 10 20