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Lindsay and I had gotten the idea to travel to Okinawa during our honeymoon after seeing a few Tiktoks about the Okinawa Aquarium. The aquarium, known for being one of the largest in the world, also housed the largest sea creature (that we currently know of, at least), the whale shark. Being able to visit it, however, would require a bit more travel know-how than our typical Japanese experience. Having gotten used to Osaka’s subway system, we’d now have to get used to a Japan that didn’t have any subway infrastructure. So, of course, the first thing to do in Okinawa would be to..
Rent A Car
The transit system that Japan is typically known for, doesn’t apply here in Okinawa. There are no trains/subways to be found. The bus that would’ve taken us up the western coast of the island to our hotel, and most of our stops, came only once an hour. If you’re here for only 2 days like we were, get a car!
We were able to book a car just a month or so before arriving in Okinawa. At the time, bookings were filling fast, and costs were starting to get a little on the high side. I was able to find a booking through Sixt, luckily, at a price around half of what the other competitors were showing at the time. The total cost (not including gas) was 14,100 yen for 2 days for an economy box car. Their website isn’t super clear whereabouts they were located, and also how to get to their location (it’s not at the airport), but there was a free shuttle that took us from the airport to their rental location ~15 minutes away. Reviews online indicated to us that their low cost came at a cost of surprise fees upon return, but we did not encounter this.
Book a car with Sixt Naha here.
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
Naturally, our first stop to recommend would be the aquarium. It’s about a 1hr, 43min drive from Naha Airport, or about 2hr, 30min via public transit, so it’s by no means a convenient place to visit. I promise that it’s worth it though. The cafe located right next to the central aquarium tank (Ocean Blue Cafe) is a highlight for its view. The reserved tables normally book up fast, so we got to the aquarium right when it opened and placed our name on the list. There’s no buzzer system, so you have to keep your ears peeled. The wait was only about 15 minutes for us, but it’s very likely if we showed up later that the wait times would exceed an hour. The food there is nothing to write home about, purely fodder to pad the time that you can sit next to the 8m tall aquarium, watching a gigantic whale shark, a few exceedingly large mantas, and many other fish friends swim by. The time limit is 40 minutes for a table, and that time passes by quickly.
There are, of course, other parts of the aquarium to explore besides the marquee whale shark tank. There’s a turtle pool, a manatee pool, and a dolphin lagoon located outside. The Okichan Theater is a bit farther out and can be reached more accessibly via the trolley. There’s an Adventure Land meant for kids, so it was a bit out of the age range for myself and my wife. Emerald Beach is part of the aquarium grounds and was a beautiful place to have a short walk. All paths led back to the whale shark tank though. Seriously, how close you could get to that massive whale shark was incredibly neat. You could go upstairs to the open area and see it being fed as well (don’t fall in!).
Buy Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium Tickets Online Here
Snorkel at Blue Cave, Gorilla Chop
After we visited Honolulu, we were craving to snorkel more crystal clear waters with sea life again. Okinawa is a great destination for that, but keep in mind that the snorkelling locations near the city (Naha) are more polluted given the proximity to the airport and car traffic, so it’s much less of an ideal experience. For better snorkelling, I recommend driving, or taking a tour, to the northern sides of the island. The primary locations to snorkel (without taking out a boat) are:
- Blue Cave (mid-west part of the island, I spotted lots of fish here, but specifically a few lionfish)
- Gorilla Chop (northwest part of the island, visit after the aquarium, nice coral spread, spotted an octopus here)
- Mibaru Beach (southern part of the island, lots of coral)
In my opinion, the Gorilla Chop and Mibaru Beach can easily be snorkelled without a guide. For Blue Cave, I would recommend a guide though, as it’s not abundantly clear where to go to view the caves, and the tides are in greater effect here, so beginner snorkellers may struggle more.
You can book a tour to Blue Cave here (Viator Link)
Grab a Bite to Eat
Being so close to the water, and being in Japan, we made the effort to eat as much seafood as we could during our short stay in Okinawa. We couldn’t help but be tempted by a ramen place closeby Americatown though, and we didn’t regret the decision. Some of our highlights from eating in Okinawa would be:
- Keijiro Ramen: a sleepy ramen joint close to Americatown. Order by the vending machine by the door, and help yourself to some complimentary soup (get it yourself). Delicious broth is to be found here.
- Tenkaippin: another ramen stop in Chatan. Expect big portions at a low cost here. They had One Punch card games at the table, which is a plus.
- Blue Seal Ice Cream: get this iconic ice cream after snorkelling, your body will thank you. I got addicted to the pistachio taachi bars here. Lindsay got pandan chips for whatever reason.
- Kaihomaru: the set menus, teishoku, are the go-to thing at this bustling, modern, Japanese restaurant closeby the aquarium. The presentation is wonderful, the seafood fresh. Place and update your orders easily via the tablets at each table.
- Jirocho Sushi: our favourite sushi place on the island, Jirocho features a very dedicated chef that arrived to our table to explain each dish ordered. It was almost like receiving an omakase experience, but at a fraction of the cost. Loved this place. Watch for the stray cats outside.
Enjoy Sunset by the Beach
Being this close to the water, with most of the city being built on the west side of the island, you’d be hard pressed to not find a good location to view the beautiful sunsets here in Okinawa. Our top choices were:
Okinawa was an amazing 2-day trip for us on our honeymoon. Wishing you the best on your trip to the beautiful island here in Japan!
Want to read more about Okinawa? I’ve written about touring the island with the Minolta 24mm here.
Check Prices for Stays in Okinawa (Expedia) | Check Prices for Car Rentals in Okinawa (Expedia)
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MMy name is Alex Lau, and I’m a travel blogger and photographer. I’ve worked in the automotive digital marketing business for 6+ years before I decided to uproot and explore this little blue marble we find ourselves on, meeting new people, telling their stories, and discovering new places.
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