Okinawa - Idyllic Islands
Ishigaki
Okinawa seems to be one of the two favorite destinations for Japanese people, the other being Hokkaido, in the north of Japan. Having a few days off at the end of June, I went to Okinawa. This prefecture is made up of several islands. I first went to the Ishigaki archipelago, known as the tropical paradise destination of Japan. The island is famous for its many beaches. Its downside? The humidity is very high there…
On the day of my arrival, I spent the day at the beach relaxing. The next day, I met up with an acquaintance from Tokyo and their friend. I was able, for the first time, to travel by car, which proved to be very convenient. I then visited various beaches and accessed a beautiful viewpoint of the island.
The next day, I went to a small island very close by: Taketomi. The island is known for its traditional village and beautiful beaches. Once the morning was over, I returned to Ishigaki Island and went to an open-air museum that traces the history of the island. It was quite nice: you can find different houses that help you understand how the inhabitants lived in the past. On the way back, I stopped to admire the sunset on a beach. A short moment, though, because I had to catch the last bus to return to my hotel
The next day, I woke up quite early to go to Mount Nokoso (photo 1). It’s quite easy by car, but since I travel by bus, the hike was much longer. Not so simple. I then went to different places, ending my day at Kabira Bay (photo 2). For my last day on the island, I went snorkeling. I was able to see various tropical fish for the first time; it was beautiful. I also visited an open-air museum about pottery in Ishigaki (photo 3); very nice.
Iriomote
I then went to Iriomote Island, an island mostly covered with tropical forest. To get there, I took the boat from Ishigaki. After settling in at the hotel, I rode a bike to a beach on the island. I was alone in the middle of a huge beach, a very pleasant moment (photo 1).
On the second day, I joined a tour organized by a travel agency to go kayak to see a waterfall on the island, and also for a snorkeling session to admire the tropical fish. For the very first time, I was able to see a turtle: it was incredible! (photo taken with a GoPro by a person from the agency). After a last day on the island swimming, I returned to Ishigaki for one night before flying to the main island of Okinawa.
Naha
To finish this trip, I spent 3 days on the main island of Okinawa. On the first day, I went to the Okinawa Aquarium. Although I’m not particularly fond of visiting aquariums, since it’s one of the largest in the world, I made an exception. The journey was quite long, and there were a lot of people; in the end, I didn’t even stay there for an hour. On the way back, I visited the American Village, which I really liked. The houses are colorful, there are many restaurants, and the atmosphere is very pleasant.
On my second day, I went to Zamami Island, a paradise island near Naha where you can observe turtles. Personally, I went to Furuzamami Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Japan. I didn’t see any turtles, but the beach was stunning.
For my last day, I visited the city of Naha. In the morning, I went to Fukushuen Park. The Okinawa region was once heavily influenced by Chinese culture, and I found the park to be different from the parks in Tokyo. I really enjoyed this park, and it made me want to learn more about Chinese history (photos 1, 2, and 3). I then visited the Naminoue Shrine (photo 4). It was very nice, but it was quite crowded. Afterward, I went to eat with a Japanese couple I had met on Ishigaki Island. We then visited Shuri Castle. A fire took place in 2019, and the castle is currently under reconstruction. After this last, busy day, I headed to the airport to return to Tokyo.