Okinawa Tips/Guide

Edit: For those interested, I have a travel-focused instagram with pics of some of this (and much more). Feel free to browse @deftonesrc

I wrote a lengthy response to a thread that got closed by the time I finished. Didnt want it to go to waste, so here it is:

As promised, here are some places I found enjoyable while in Okinawa. So, here we go!

1. Cape Hedo – This is the farthest point north on the island. Visually, its kinda of beautiful, but I really enjoyed the drive to and from here (I lived in Uruma-shi). To get there you can just take the west side of the island (58 I believe), and going back its nice to drive on the east side of the island. Doing so will expose you to a bunch of small villages along the coastline. Additionally, you can also take a random side road and see where the hell it goes! We ran into a few secluded beaches every so often.

[https://goo.gl/maps/nPNoZzgsQCS4njwm7](https://goo.gl/maps/nPNoZzgsQCS4njwm7)

Tataki – Tataki is a waterfall that you have to trudge through a small creek to get to. At the top you can swim around and just enjoy yourself. It’s a beautiful jungle hike and is pretty safe, so don’t stress any habu =)

[https://goo.gl/maps/JfMWWkw7VrgVu6uEA](https://goo.gl/maps/JfMWWkw7VrgVu6uEA)

Miyagi Island – This is a really fun place to just drive around and explore. There is a nice lookout and some super random hidden beaches that you can find. I’ve gone here to have a beach BBQ with a cheap Don Quixote grill and some yakitori. Its pretty cool, but requires some work and exploration. Some sites worth seeing are the Nuchimasu salt factory and the happy cliff they have on their grounds. Its quite a stunning view. My link below is to the remote beach and the salt factory

[https://goo.gl/maps/sDXZ2YThZaj79AUD6](https://goo.gl/maps/sDXZ2YThZaj79AUD6)

[https://goo.gl/maps/6z2jsQ2Y97MV6v2B8](https://goo.gl/maps/6z2jsQ2Y97MV6v2B8)

Hamahiga Island – This is in the same general island chain as the above Miyagi Island. There is some fun places you can explore. Like most of Okinawa, you have to get there by car, then maybe bike around to really get a sense of it. This island is one of those places. If you can drive here then bike, that would be an awesome experience. The link below goes to a shrine to the god of the ryukyu islands (if memory serves)

[https://goo.gl/maps/vbi5rNHcebXZjyXYA](https://goo.gl/maps/vbi5rNHcebXZjyXYA)

Manga Souko – Now this place is a place I went to waaaay too much =) It is a great second hand store that you can find things for pretty cheap. I bought a bunch of work clothes and dishes here. They have a lot of fun stuff to look at including Japanese anime toys, old and new video games (for collectors, you can get Atari stuff there), books and comics, vintage clothing, musical instruments, movies and music, and game machines to win stuff. In general, this store is pretty cool and I found myself there a lot. The link below is to the Awase store (there are 2 others, one in Urasoe and another in Naha)

[https://goo.gl/maps/eKzBzbCeZaZnTrg3A](https://goo.gl/maps/eKzBzbCeZaZnTrg3A)

Seifa Utaki – This is a sacred site to the Ryukyus, and its very peaceful to walk around. You park at the bottom of the hill and walk up through this small marketplace. When I went nothing was open, but it looked like it could be pretty neat if it were.

[https://goo.gl/maps/BrZX2mSXBWY9vvC87](https://goo.gl/maps/BrZX2mSXBWY9vvC87)

Café Kurakuma – This is a restaurant (Thai) with an awesome view. We went here and just chilled out for a bit. It came recommended by a friend who is native to the island. The food wasn’t something you would lose your mind over, but I think the surroundings made it worth the trip. Its near the above Seifa Utaki, so you could roll them into one trip.

[https://goo.gl/maps/YwwT7D5DstpXjXux9](https://goo.gl/maps/YwwT7D5DstpXjXux9)

Gushikawa Castle Ruins – I randomly stumbled on this. It’s the only castle I found that was located directly on the coastline. The landscape is this really bizarre porous stone that resembles an alien landscape. Great views here as well (running theme!). This is one of the last things I did before leaving Okinawa.

[https://goo.gl/maps/qY1pr9jW1i7WGiFV8](https://goo.gl/maps/qY1pr9jW1i7WGiFV8)

Kouri Island – This island is similar to most areas, but getting here is really awesome. The bridge you cross to get here is breathtaking. I wasn’t expecting it when I navigated here, and it was a great surprise. The island warrants a bit of exploration that I didn’t have enough time to get to. Maybe you can pick up on my slack =)

[https://goo.gl/maps/UaqU5UBAZ46vUYnz7](https://goo.gl/maps/UaqU5UBAZ46vUYnz7)

Wansaka Oura – This place is actually a travel stop of some sort, but it acts as a good staging point for central Nago. Specifically I enjoyed the stroll through the mangroves. There isn’t much to the town beyond that, but you can walk through it and check out the Shisa road they have. I would recommend doing this either on the way in, or out of, another destination. Maybe hit it on the way to/from Hedo.

[https://goo.gl/maps/hDqzvfC8Avz4f9tT9](https://goo.gl/maps/hDqzvfC8Avz4f9tT9)

Bise Fukugi Tree Road – This is a really quaint town that that has a network of roads that are unpaved and lined with these Fuku Trees. On one end you have the ocean (with, you guessed it, a stunning view!), and on the other side you have the town and its neat roads. It’s a nice peaceful stroll that brings you back to what Okinawa may have looked like in the past. Its not far from Churami, but you’ve already done that…. Well, still worth the drive considering you can get gas super cheap compared to the local economy.

[https://goo.gl/maps/PLUXCh4N4Fo6KBpf9](https://goo.gl/maps/PLUXCh4N4Fo6KBpf9)

Kokusai-Dori – This is a marketplace in Naha that has some fun shopping and food. On the whole the food is amazing in Oki.

[https://goo.gl/maps/e1sPusNTH61JQ84x7](https://goo.gl/maps/e1sPusNTH61JQ84x7)

Kobe Bar NakaNaka – This is a place to get Kobe beef 🙂 Small little bar-type joint with a cook who has a british accent (I found this awesome haha). Of course, he could have moved on, who knows, but the place is worth a visit. Just eat the beef with salt and wasabi. Here you can try out the Ishigaki beef as well; that is the Okinawa-specific wagyu.

[https://goo.gl/maps/ZcC7s2RSnLBrm9BP9](https://goo.gl/maps/ZcC7s2RSnLBrm9BP9)

Southeast Botanical Gardens – Here is a place I lived near. On my way home from work I would stop here and walk around then head home (I had an annual pass). Across from it is a cool noodle place where you can pick up some Okinawa soba 🙂 I also bought a bottle of their chili oil and still use it now!

[https://goo.gl/maps/eKiMaAiu3bLDbuo4A](https://goo.gl/maps/eKiMaAiu3bLDbuo4A)

[https://goo.gl/maps/B5m4MwfKpyPYDcPw6](https://goo.gl/maps/B5m4MwfKpyPYDcPw6)

There is also some stuff like American Village, which has a really cool nightlife scene (just a lot of military guys around there, so I didn’t include it here). If you do go there, check out Okinawa Brewing Co. and have a flight. Nearby is Chatan Brewing Co which is also good. Its worth seeing as the Seawall is spectacular.

That’s enough for now haha. Let me know if you have any specific interests and I can provide some insight. As u/TakaonoGaijin said there is some seriously awesome diving, but I never really got into that as much, so he may be able to provide more insight.