Day 1 Naha
We flew into Naha in the afternoon, basically the day before our holiday officially started, which means we avoided the horror of a 6AM airport dash and got to enjoy a cost-effective business hotel near Asahibashi Station. Doing this was cheaper than flying in the next day (Saturday morning), so basically spent money to save money. Added bonus was the welcome drink and inclusive breakfast.
Day 2 Onna and Kouri island
Drove up to Onna where naturally we didn’t have time for all the marine activities. Hence we opted for most difficult and demanding one as first-time newbies, the flyboards.
After that, we did normal beach things: chilling, relaxing, and playing at the pool.
By evening, we stopped at a supermarket before continuing on to our AirBnB on Kouri island, which is connected to the mainland by 1 very long and scenic bridge. Made dinner, played some games and winded down for the night.
Day 3 BBQ, Pool and Junglia\*
The AirBnB had a BBQ grill, a pool, jacuzzi and sauna, so of course we didn’t have time for everything, so opted to play in the pool before firing up the grill for lunch. After lunch we went to Junglia! We stayed there until closing time.
Day 4 Junglia Round 2, Night Pool and Sauna
We started out by heading to Junglia in the morning and went on a few attractions until the afternoon. Then went to the Junglia spa (with a pretty awesome infinity pool!) after sweating the day away. We made it back to our little island before it got dark, ate at a delicious albeit slightly pricey ‘tropical cuisine’ restaurant, before winding down playing in the pool at night this time, and getting warm in the sauna room as well.
Day 5 Churaumi Aquarium and Sesoko island
Checked out of the first property by 10AM and drove west to Churaumi Aquarium. Parked the car and explored a bit the surrounding the area and found a nice spot to eat (even had some live cows nearby!). After lunch we headed back towards Churaumi (at one point had the largest aquarium tank in the world), still massive, with the iconic whale shark! Plus there were so many other sea animals and creatures. Even without factoring in the much-needed respite from the extreme heat, this aquarium was the best I’ve been to ever.
After Churaumi, we drove a bit south from there to Sesoko island (another island connected by 1 bridge 😊). Checked into our second property, played at the local beach, and ate dinner at an awesome (and very pricey) Okinawa barbecue spot (fresh local ingredients including the meat, with the cattle and all produce being raised and processed by the owner).
Day 6 Until next time, Okinawa
Had time for a bit more beach fun before driving back down to Naha and getting a lift to Akamine, which is 1 stop from the airport on the monorail. We had lunch at a delicious (this time cost-effective!) seafood place which was definitely decorated Okinawan style (whale sharks galore). We then flew out!
If you read this far and want to also watch an overview of our trip, I uploaded it to YouTube (5 minute video).
*About Junglia… We went 2-3 weeks after it officially opened, so going into this I accepted that we'd be somewhat beta testing the experience before it improves over time. Generally, we had a good time. But if you do go and you don't intend to buy those premium passes, just be wary of what they call "numbered tickets". Numbered tickets are free, but they're just that, numbered/limited. We arrived at the official opening time of 10AM, but the numbered tickets were already gone. So if you want some, I'd recommend arriving before 09:30. You can get them after entering the park on the day of your visit. Unfortunately, a lot of the attractions aren't accessible outside of premium passes and numbered tickets. So if you don't want to spend extra on premium passes, then you're limited to the standard pass (i.e. the regular 1 day ticket) and numbered tickets.
by applicantruckus