Aug. 10, 2008
Bangkok to Naha
China Airlines makes the best route from Bangkok to Okinawa via Taipei (although they had a few incidents related to Naha Airport). There is only 2-3 hours transit time at Taipei Airport. The return ticket cost 19,250 baht and was barely acceptable. I arrived at Naha in the early evening and checked in Toyoko Inn just next to Mie-bashi-eki Yui Rail Station (booked online in advance without payment, 6,090 yen per night). This hotel is at perfect location between Tomari Port and Kokusai-dori, the main shopping street of the city.
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| Naha Airport is also of military use |
Aug. 11, 2008
Zamami Island and Shuri
In the morning I walked to the port to catch the 10:00 a.m. slow boat to Zamami Island (1,860 yen one way). The boat stopped at Aka Island for 15 minutes and arrived at Zamami 2 hour and 15 minutes after departing Naha.
I chose Zamami Island as a day trip from Naha not only because there are more boats per day to this island, but also because all the sites on the Island are within easy walk from the port. I first walked uphill for about 20 minutes and reached Takatsukiyama Observatory where many of the Kerama Islands and even Okinawa Island can be clearly seen. Returning back to the port I walked for another 15 minutes to see Furuzamam Beach, just enough time to get back to the port to catch the 2:20 p.m. express boat (2,750 yen) direct to Naha. It took less than 1 hour to arrive.
In the morning I already booked a 4:00 p.m. tour to board a high speed boat to see the corals at the Marine Tourism Development near the port (3,000 yen). This company runs a semi-submarine from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. hourly. The trip takes about 50 minutes. It’s a very easy and relaxing way to see the corals and fishes so close to the city.
Walking back to Mie-bashi-eki Yui Rail Station, it’s a very comfortable ride to Shuri but I had to walk almost 1 kilometer to Shhurijo Castle Park after getting off the station. I missed Tama-U-Dun (closes at 5:30 p.m.) but the park (800 yen) was still open (closes at 7:00 p.m. in the summer).
The place is a good history lessen of the ancient Ryukyu kingdom and surprisingly I saw quite a lot of Chinese-speaking tourists.
After paying respect to Ryukyu, I walked down the famous Kinjo-cho Stone Road to reach a lower part of the city. I couldn’t find any buses passing by and had to continue to walk for about 30 minutes before reaching a Yui Rail station.
I took the train to Kokusai-dori where I spent some time looking for souvenirs but couldn’t find a single restaurant recommended in my Chinese guidebook open or without queuing. I finally found a fast-food restaurant Dontei near my hotel and had the long waited Okinawa Noodle (only 400 yen). I must say it’s sooooo delicious. I couldn’t imagine how Okinawa Noodle tastes at a recommended restaurant.
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| Furuzamami Beach, Zamami Island |
Aug. 12, 2008
Okinawa Island
My flight is 7:30 p.m., giving me almost an entire day to check out other parts of Okinawa Island. I decided to go north from Naha. There are a few sights along the west coast (highway 58). Bus No. 120 is the way to go. It runs every 15-20 minutes and is usually quite on time. Transportation in Japan is very expensive. Even using the bus for a 1 hour trip from north Naha to Ryukyu Mura costs 900 yen.
Ryukyu Mura (840 yen) is indeed a little bit touristy. But it’s a good place to spend an hour or so to see the traditional Ryukyu houses and watch some Ryukyu shows.
On my way to Cape Manzamo, I treated myself with a sea grape noodle (1,050 yen) for lunch. The sauce is very salty and the dish is not particularly super delicious. But the sea grape (a specialty in Okinawa) is said to be very healthy to human bodies. I was happy.
Moving north I arrived at the famous Cape Manzamo, a big area of lawns on the sea said to be able to hold 10,000 people (“man” means 10,000). Its natural beauty is definitely worth the visit. Best of all - it's free!
The last spot on the west coast for me is the Underwater Observatory (1,000 yen). It’s not as exciting as the semi-submarine, but it’s still an interesting way to get into the water (4 meters deep) to see some fishes there.
Still having time, I decided to get into Nago City to have a peep of the town. On my way to Central Park, I could feel the smell strongly when passing Orion Brewery. After climbing 10 minutes at the park, I couldn’t see any ruins. It was good exercise anyway.
When I got back to the main road of the city, I couldn’t find a bus stop. It’s almost the time for the express bus No. 111 to arrive in the area (the bus only runs once an hour) and it started to rain cats and dogs. I decided to test the flexibility of Japan and waved to a coming 111 bus. The driver was kind enough to stop but said something in Japanese complaining this is not a stop, I guess. This bus uses the Trans-Okinawa Expressway and passes some interesting parts of the east coast of the Island. It arrived at the Airport in less than 2 hours.
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| Cape Manzamo |
Overview
Okinawa is a popular destination not only for the Japanese but also for the folks in other countries within easy access to the Island. There are direct flights from Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul. The beaches are not as exciting as those in Southern Thailand. However, as in the rest of Japan, Okinawa has a system that makes traveling much easier (even if you don’t speak Japanese). And there are absolutely no rip-offs. It may be of particular interest to the Chinese because of its history. Transportation is expensive but everything else (food, accommodation, etc) is quite reasonable considering Japan is a developed country.
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