5 Ways to Explore Okinawa

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Peace Memorial Park

JAPAN

OK Go 5 ways to start your exploration of Japan’s tropical islands of Okinawa. By Ric Stockfis Sea grapes

Cape Hedo

Naha, Great Tuf of War

Bise Village

Shuri Castle

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loser to Shanghai and Taipei than they are to Tokyo, the 100 plus islands of Okinawa are a world away in spirit too. Famous for white sands and turquoise waters, it’s a destination that’s long been popular with domestic tourists dreaming of the island life. But with overseas visits reportedly up 70 percent last year and new flights being added apace, it’s not likely to stay off the mainstream radar for much longer. And while the continuing US military presence overshadows much of the main island of Okinawa-Honto, it’s still significantly less busy and considerably more laid-back than the mainland. The capital city of Naha is also where you’ll fly into, even if you’re planning to explore further afield, making the main island an obvious place to spend some time at either end of your trip.

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Explore Underwater

Okinawa is home to what was, in the early aughts, the world’s largest aquarium: Okinawa Churaumi (JPY1,850 ($23.70) entry; www.churaumi.okinawa), near the town of Motobu, one of very few in the world to display whale sharks. But, frankly, it’s depressing to look at so many captive creatures when there’s a wealth of life immediately offshore.

If you do find yourself in this part of the island, the traditional village of Bise, with its sandy, tree-lined lanes and beachfront setting is a much more rewarding use of your time, with Café Cahaya Bulan (www.cahayabulan.com) a very pleasant lunch stop. Far better, if you’re interested in the marine world, to get in the water yourself. Cape Manzamo is a hugely popular snorkelling and diving spot, famous for its Blue Cave—though it’s now so busy we’d recommend you avoid it. We heard much better things about Cape Hedo in the north. And the diving gets better the further out into the archipelago you go, with serious scuba lovers drawn to remote places like Yonaguni island (a 90-minute flight from Naha), in search of schools of hammerhead sharks and mysterious underwater rock formations. Reef Encounters (www.reefencounters.org; +81 9 8995-9414), based inOkinawa City, is one of the few operators with English-speaking instructors and can help arrange trips to some of the more far-flung destinations.

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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

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Eat well (and maybe live a little longer)

Okinawans are among the world’s longest-lived people, at least in part thanks to the local diet. Given the island location it’s no surprise they eat a lot of seafood, but they’re also big on tofu, bamboo, and pretty much anything pickled. You’ll see the purple Okinawan sweet potato everywhere and folks here eat more seaweed (including a local variety called mozuku) than anywhere else in Japan. Thanks to historic ties with China, pork crops up more frequently than it does on the mainland, including in the Okinawan classic goya chanpuru (bitter gourd stir-fried with pork, tofu and egg) and local favorite mimiga (shredded pig’s ear). You’ll also find pork ribs served with chewy oki-soba. And the islands are a great place to sample umi budo or sea grapes, fresh seaweed served up with a side of vinegar. One of the best places to try all of these items is Makishi public market in Naha (2-10-1 Matsuo; open from 8am-8pm), where you can pick your produce from the vendors on the ground floor and have the restaurant upstairs cook it for you.

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Learn about the islands’ chequered history

The islands of Okinawa saw some of the fiercest fighting in WWII, with the huge casualties dissuading the Allies from invading the mainland. Many of the key battle sites are in Mabuni (a 45-minute drive south from Naha), where you can tour the old navy headquarters, a national cemetery, and the Peace Memorial Museum (JPY300 ($3.80) entry; www.peacemuseum.pref.okinawa.jp/english). Shuri Castle in Naha, for close to 500 years the royal court and administrative center of what was—until Japan annexed it at the close of the nineteenth century—the independent Ryukyu kingdom, was also destroyed in the Allied attack, but has since been rebuilt and reopened as a World Heritage site (JPY820 ($10.50) entry; www.oki-park. jp/shurijo/en). It’s also the site of the three-day Shuri Castle Festival held in late October (this year’s edition starts on Oct 28), which sees traditional dance performances and a colorful re-enactment of a coronation ceremony in front of the castle, as well as on the streets of Naha. Also in October (this year on the 10th) is the Naha Great Tug of War, another lively street festival and celebration of local culture, the centerpiece of which sees teams up to 15,000 strong pull a 200 meter-long rope weighing more than 40,000kg (no surprise then that it’s a Guinness World Record).

ESCAPE ROUTES

Okinawan rail

Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach

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Go in search of the local wildlife

While adventure lovers are better served on outer islands like the jungleclad Iriomote-jima (sometimes nicknamed the “Japanese Galapagos” and home to an indigenous type of wildcat; it’s an hour’s flight to Ishigaki and then a ferry ride away), Yanbaru, the forested northern tip of OkinawaHonto, offers trekking and wildlife-spotting opportunities of its own. Bird-lovers come in search of the extremely rare Okinawan rail, a near-flightless bird found nowhere else in the world, and other endemic species like the Okinawa woodpecker and the Ryukyu robin.

You might also be able to spot the Ryukyu flying fox and the deadly habu snake. You can trek to the Hiji Waterfall (JPY 500 ($6.40) entrance fee), which at 26 meters is Okinawa’s highest, and, though it’s only a 90-minute round-trip hike, camp in the forest at the trailhead (JPY2,000 ($25.60)) if you want to spend more time there. It’s a two-hour drive from Naha.

Pot making at Chuko distillery

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Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta

Knock back the local liquor

Awamori is the Okinawan take on shochu, made from long-grain Thai rice, an indigenous black mold and water (unlike sake it’s distilled not brewed). It’s commonly aged for at least three years and often for 25 or more, after which it becomes more potent and is known as kusu. There are some 48 distilleries in the islands, though the Chuko distillery (www.chukoguro.com), a 10-minute drive from Naha airport, is the only one that continues to make the drink in a traditional pot still— and it’s helpfully open to the public. You can see the pots themselves being made, watch a demonstration of the distilling process, and sample the wares yourself while you’re there.

Admission and tasting are free.

Essentials GETTING THERE It’s not easy right now as there are no direct flights. Your best bet is to go via Taipei with China Airlines (www.china-air. com), which flies through Taipei from $690 return (journey time is around 8h30m). Consider asking a travel agent though— we flew direct with SilkAir (www.silkair.com), which had a number of chartered flights Ryukyu Onsen Senagajima Hotel running in June. Note that the island is not particularly easy to get around, and so we’d strongly recommend renting a car: try Budget (www.budget.com) at Naha Airport, which has vehicles starting from around $50/ day including taxes.

Flights to the other islands with ANA (www.ana.co.jp) and JTA (www.sg.jal.com) start from $280 for foreign travelers, regardless of destination.

WHERE TO STAY The nicest place we stayed was Ryukyu Onsen Senagajima Hotel (www.senagaspa.jp), a luxe spot right by the ocean, and only a few minutes from Naha Airport. It’s a great place to start or end your trip, with an in-house onsen, open-air baths with sunset views in some rooms, and a smattering of cafes and restaurants on the headland next to the property.

Rooms start from JPY9,600 ($120) per night. Other upmarket options on the main island include a Hyatt Regency in Naha (naha.regency.hyatt.com) and the Ritz-Carlton Okinawa (www.ritzcarlton.com/Okinawa), inside a golf course north of Motobu.

Snoopy Museum Tokyo

Yonaguni underwater ruins

St.Regis Kuala Lumpur

MALAYSIA

Kuala Luxe St. Regis Kuala Lumpur (goo.gl/173HKb) is the Malaysian capital’s latest luxe hotel opening, and follows hot on the heels of the brand’s expansion into Langkawi.

Supposedly taking its cues from Manhattan high-rises, the hotels offers 208 elegant rooms and suites (from 62 sq meters to 137 sq meters)—all with walkin wardrobes. Big-spenders can live it up in the 371-sq-meter Royal Suite, which is accessed by a private elevator and comes with an en-suite massage room and gym. But for now only the Deluxe rooms are available—opening rates start from RM1,084 ($362). The highlight might be the six in-house restaurants and bars including Taka by Sushi Saito, the first restaurant to open outside Tokyo by three Michelin-starred chef Takashi Saito, and Ginza Tenkuni, a branch of a 131-year-old Japanese restaurant that serves Edo-style tempura. The hotel is handily located right next to Kuala Lumpur Sentral train station, within spitting distance of attractions like the National Monument, Sri Kondaswamy Kovil Hindu Temple and Little India.

INDONESIA

Time of the Season Sprawling, suffocating Jakarta often gets a bad rep. But things might just be looking up for your next business trip with the opening of Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta.

Located in the business district of Jalan Gatot Subroto, the all-suite hotel boasts 125 rooms with Four Seasons’ usual impeccable interiors. An outdoor pool and terrace offers panoramic views of Jakarta’s (often smog-filled) skyline. Guests can also get drink at the ground-floor Nautilus Bar or get pampered in one of their eight spa rooms, which include two VIP couples’

Snoopy Museum Tokyo

suites and a hammam. Room rates start from Rp3,888,000 ($397) including $100 worth of hotel credits.

PHUKET

The New Pearl After a recent opening in Hua Hin, Marriott hasn’t wasted any time unveiling the new-look Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach (goo.gl/ bDDAg3). Situated on the Northern end of the island, a bit south of Phuket International Airport, the completely refurbished resort is home to 180 rooms surrounded by the lush tropical forests of Sirinath National Park. On-site venues include the beachfront Big Fish grill restaurant and bar, all-day Thai and international spot Andaman Kitchen, and Quan Spa. Room rates start from a pretty friendly B3,499 ($134) for the Deluxe Garden View.

JAPAN

Snoop Around Japan now has the first museum outside of the United States dedicated to the work of Snoopy creator Charles M. Schulz.

At the Snoopy Museum Tokyo (www. snoopymuseum.tokyo), you can browse rotating exhibitions of Schulz’s original artwork (the opening exhibition, My Favorite Peanuts, runs through Sep 25 and features work selected by the late artist’s wife, Jean Schulz), grab some West Coast American-style bites at Cafe Blanket, and shop for Peanuts and Snoopy products at Brown’s Store, which includes many items designed exclusively for the Japanese branch. It won’t last forever, though. The Snoopy Museum Tokyo only has a two-year timeframe, and is scheduled to close in Sep 2018.

Until then, tickets cost ¥1,800 ($24).

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016 SG MAGAZINE

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