Last week, on a whim, we decided to book ourselves a little one night staycation in Naha. We had both had really difficult weeks at work, and island fever was starting to set in, so we needed to get away! I had a look online at hotels in Naha, and put the call out for a pet sitter, and luckily the stars aligned and we could go!
We drove down to Naha after G's swimming lesson and decided to stop in at
Naminoue Shrine on the way to the hotel. It was a crazy hot day, so we didn't stay super long before heading to the hotel to check in and go straight to the pool. I've been trying to teach little G to swim, because his actual swimming lessons seem to be resulting in very little progress, so we spent lots of time in the pool and in just one session we made heaps of progress!
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| These cuties at Naminoue Beach |
After our swim we got ourselves dressed and headed out to explore a bit before our dinner reservation. Although I do like Naha, and we will continue to go back for the occasional staycation, it's just so so touristy. Pretty much every shop on Kokusai dori (the main street) is a souvenir shop, and there's not much else going on. One good thing it has going for it though is the amount of good food options! It's also great to be in a "city" (I use the term city very loosely - Naha is tiny!) and not have to drive everywhere.
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| Waiting for dinner at Ukishima Garden |
For dinner we went to
Ukishima Garden again, which we went to on our
last Naha staycation. It's a vegan restaurant that is amazing. The atmosphere is lovely and the food is delicious!
After dinner we decided to check out the
Hyatt Regency bar on the 18th floor (probably the highest building in Naha - this says something about the size of Naha) for a nightcap before bed, and it was awesome. I could almost imagine we were in Tokyo. The bar was classy, with great cocktails and live music. If you are after a bit of a Lost in Translation experience in Okinawa, I think this is the place to go. We will definitely go back.
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| I love the interior of Ukishima Garden |
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| What we ate (clockwise from top left): Vegetable terrine, tofu caprese, creamy tomato and vegetable pasta, fried potato bites |
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| Kokusai Dori at night |
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| Kokusai dori |
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| Naha at night |
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| Inside a convenience store with it's very tropical decorations |
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| Some music at the Hyatt Regency bar |
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| View from the Hyatt Regency bar...almost felt like Tokyo |
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| Little G loved the music |
After checking out in the morning, we headed home via the Shikina-en Royal Gardens, which was another Naha spot I had been wanting to check out for ages. Although it was crazy hot (aaah, Okinawa summer), the gardens were lovely and the shade made it bearable. We drove home via the only Cocos Curry in Okinawa with the vegetarian menu and before we knew it our staycation in Naha was over. It was such a lovely weekend, and a much-needed getaway!
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| Shikina-en Royal Gardens |
I'd really love to go back to Okinawa. I was born there and lived there off and on until I was 3. Don't remember much so I'd like to see it as an adult! Great post! So interesting to see more! #wanderfulwednesdays
ReplyDeleteOh that's so cool. I hope you get to come back one day!
DeleteLooks like so much fun! That food looks delicious too! I've never seen a Tofu Caprese before.. So creative! And although Naha is touristy, looks like you made the most of it! SOmetimes you just have to give into Island Fever :D Thanks for linking up!!
ReplyDeleteThe tofu tastes surprisingly the same as mozzarella, so it totally works!
DeleteI always get island fever living here, so am always scheming my next holiday.
Seems like a perfect destination for some rest and peace, especially in the Gardens!
ReplyDeleteGreat guide, thanks for linking up! #wanderfulwednesday
ReplyDelete