hi everyone!
im in the middle of planning to go to okinawa in the beggining of july. im doing some island hopping, so i will visit the yaeyama islands first and then go to the main island. i should also mention that im travelling solo and i wont be able to rent a car, so i have to rely on public transportation.
im going to the yaeyama islands for 4 nights 5 days. im gonna stay on ishigaki island and then do some daytrips to the other surrounding islands. i want to go to iriomote island as well, but im not sure if it should be as a daytrip or if i should spend a night there on the last day. i really like stargazing so the dark sky park on iriomote island is really peaking my interest. theres also the ferry schedule to keep in mind, so i cant stay for too long if i want to return to ishigaki on the same day. im interested to know if the stars on iriomote is something spectacular compared to other parts of okinawa. also, does anybody have some must-do acitivities on iriomote island?
as for the main island im debating between 3 nights 4 days or 4 nights 5 days (but in reality its between 2 or 3 whole days because of the transportation). im also stuck on whether i should use one place as a base (im thinking naha, but im open to other suggestions) or if i should stay in other cities as i explore the island. for now im thinking one day in the nothern part (churami aquarium, nakijin castle ruins, maybe kouri island), one day in central (do a diving tour in blue cave, relaxing on beaches) and one day in the southern part (kokusai dori, shurijo, naha). i dont know if its too packed or if should allow some time to relax and spread the events out a little more.
also, is the kerama islands worth a visit? im already going to ishigaki so unless its totally different, im not planning on visiting. but i would love to hear any recommendations or advice from anybody who has been to okinawa or is living there!
thanks in advance!
by coolfroggies