Long story short, 3 of us (all non-drivers) impulsively booked a grad trip to Okinawa without realising that a car is absolutely essential.
As I’m currently planning the itinerary now, I’m seriously petrified by the comments on the public transport system in Okinawa. But at the same time, I really want to make this trip work 🙁
My original itinerary is rather packed too:
Day 1: Naha airport -> Hotel in Nago
Day 2: Hotel in Nago -> Nago pineapple park/orion happy park
Day 3: Hotel in Nago -> Matayoshi Coffee Farm -> Hotel in Nago -> Hotel in Naha
Day 4: Hotel in Naha -> Kayaking at Kaneku seaside park -> Snorkeling at Blue cave -> Mihama American village
Day 5: Hotel in Naha -> Makishi market/Kokusai Dori Street -> Okinawa City
I understand that the public transport in Naha is still relatively decent, so my main concern is really the travelling for Days 3 and 4.
Here to get some brutal feedback and advice on the feasibility of executing this itinerary via public transport… and in a worst case scenario, if we should just forgo our bookings for this trip and stick to mainland Japan…
If you’re able to help, would really appreciate your honest input. Thank you very, very much in advance! 🙂
17 comments
My advice would be to get to the bus stops like 10 minutes early. The buses are infrequent sometimes and if no one is waiting at the stop then they will not stop even if they get there earlier than expected. That being said, there is sometimes bad traffic on the island so the buses also have a higher chance of being delayed.
Regarding the rental car – do none of you drive (no license) or are you just not interested in driving?
I was in Okinawa a few weeks ago and I rented a car for 3 days. Driving was not as intimidating as I thought it would be, if that is a concern.
I can’t comment with authority on public transport options. They exist, but they are not as frequent or convenient as mainland Japan. Therefore you would have to build your itinerary around the bus timetables etc. which I personally find can be stressful.
There are taxis but I found them mostly concentrated in the Naha area. Also they can get expensive for longer hauls and the bigger issue is you might be able to take a taxi from city -> country but finding a taxi when you’re out in the country can be tough.
It’s not impossible, but make sure everyone has the bus timetables on their phones, understands that the bus schedules decides your schedule and arrive 15 minutes before the buses supposedly come.
Okinawa is car dependable for sure. The yui rail can take you around central naha only and as there are some nice things to do in the center, the good stuff is all over the island, hence why a car is important.
I rented a car and it was great. I got to places i would never be in if i didn’t rent a car. Taxis are expensive as expected.
Try to connect with other travelers that have a license and suggest splitting the car bill or even paying for all of it
in the same boat- just commenting to boost
Can’t really add much since I’m currently in Okinawa and rented a car but I just wanted say skip the castle, it unfortunately burnt down in 2019 and there isn’t much to see there besides a view over the city, in my opinion it’s not worth the price (time and ¥) also try to add a stop in the American village in the evening, it’s beautiful and pretty fun with loads of quirky shops and cafes with everything being a Japanese/Americana fusion. Also if you’re coming soon, plan backup indoor plans (Aeon mall, aquarium etc) it’s rain season and some days have torrential rain that will make outdoor activities impossible.
Use taxi and uber.
When you get back, get started on getting a license. Not judging you for not having one, it’s just such an invaluable skill.
Swing by the DMV and grab your license. Assuming you’re at least 18, it should be pretty quick to get.
After that, apply for the AAA international drivers license, which you’ll need, and rent a car. You will be miserable if you’re sticking to busses only, and will be limited in what you can see.
Personally, I’d skip mainland and go to Okinawa. Okinawa has a lot to see and is very nice, you just need to plan accordingly.
Make sure you’re getting on the right bus. Check the bus number. During my time in Okinawa, using the buses, I accidentally got on the wrong bus because two buses arrived to the same location at the same time but I was not aware of this so I got onto the wrong bus.
You could definitely use this site to plan your route/bus stops with a timetable. this site also displays the different kind of buses that you could hop on.
http://www.kotsu-okinawa.org/en/map_south.html
I’ve done this many years ago when I was under 18, and it was my first time traveling abroad alone. It was very feasible back then if you don’t mind spending a lot of time for bus or just walking a lot.
Used to live in Okinawa and looking at your itinerary, I would get a hotel in Chatan on Day 3 instead of going all the way back to Naha. American Village is in Chatan and in the middle of the Okinawa main island. It would be easier for you to get to your Day 4 activities as well. Okinawa City is also closer to Chatan. You’d be backtracking if you went there at the end of Day 5. I can’t speak to the public transportation since I only took the bus or monorail for short distances on the days I didn’t drive. But feel free to message me if you have questions, I lived there for 5 years.
I’ve done similar stuff by bus, a bit annoying, but doable.
As well, if the schedule is not fixed and you get good weather, I’d recommend taking a ferry from Naha to Kerama Islands (Zamami, Aka). They are way more natural and quiet compared to the main island. Good for beaches, snorkeling, diving and calm village life. Staying overnight is prefer, while doable as a day trip too.
On the main island I liked Cape Manzamo a lot.
Was there on a nature tour last month and we spent most of our time on the north end of the island, such as Yambaru National Park. But we were there for the birds and other wildlife (gotta see the rail!).
Naha (and the south end in general) really surprised me from an appearances standpoint. For a subtropical island, the architecture is amazingly non-tropical looking. It’s all harmless concrete buildings that are ugly and it looks like you could be anywhere but an island paradise.
Amami-oshima I liked a lot better because it is mainly small towns that have a lot more charm. And it has even more beautiful scenery and some nice wildlife at that.
Try looking for day trip bus tours that will go the places you’re interested or ask your hotel if they can arrange a full day sightseeing taxi. Relying on public buses to sightsee around the island will be very, very difficult and frustrating as if you miss the scheduled departure you may be stuck waiting for a long time.
Can you rent bikes?
The busses I have rode in Japan are generally not marked nearly as well as trains, and often don’t display the bus line name or route in romaji, and so if you can’t read Japanese it gets very confusing trying to figure out if the the kanji on your google maps navigation matches what’s on the bus electronic display. When I got on the buses in Japan i always had to ask the driver to be sure I was on the right one. I’m not sure if there’s more English speaking in Okinawa, but I would make sure that you and everyone in your group can confidently, without second thought, ask the bus driver “Is this bus going to <insert place>” in Japanese – “Kono busu wa <insert place> ikimasuka?”