Sea Change Okinawa: beach

Golden Week 2017 recap

Golden Week, that miraculous time of year in Japan where there are 5 national holidays over a week and everyone has time off work has been and gone! Our Golden Week was lovely. The last 2 years we have either had friends visiting or been away somewhere, and for our last Golden Week in Japan we decided to stay in Okinawa and finally start getting organised for the move home. This basically involved sorting, packing and more sorting and packing. Have I mentioned yet how moving house is one of my least favourite things in the world? Yeah, well it is, and an international move makes it even worse.

We found out that shipping our stuff back to Australia is basically the same cost as it would be to just replace everything when we get back, so we're posting only our treasured possessions home and need to sell all the rest. Anything we can't sell we'll need to somehow figure out how to get rid of....

The biggest stress and most expensive part of the move has to be the pets. Australia is crazy strict with the requirements to get the pets back and compared to the cost of sending pets back to the US, which everyone else seems to do here, it's about 4 times more expensive to Australia. Anyway, we knew what we were getting into and luckily prepared accordingly. We'll be starting the vet visits to meet the requirements this week! Here's hoping it all goes smoothly.

We did, however get to do some fun things during Golden Week. The first day we had our friend and her son over and made fresh pasta which was so delicious! It always seems like so much effort (which it is) but the payoff is so worth it!

The one good weather day, we wanted to drive up to Sesoko Island, but halfway there and stuck in extremely heavy traffic, we decided to give up and settled for a beach near Nago that was actually lovely!

The other great thing that happened Golden Week, is we finally fixed G's bike, took off the training wheels and within 10 minutes he had basically mastered it! Now he's a little speed demon on that thing! It's awesome!

We made homemade pasta!

Oh how I love the water here <3

No training wheels!

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Beach Camping on Miyagi Island

beach

So since our last camping trip to Kouri Island, I was hesitant to try it again, but I have to say, last weekend, we had camping success!

Thanks to a tip from a friend, we ventured to Miyagi Island (insert Karate Kid joke here...) to find a secluded beach they had camped on before. We packed up the car with anything we could possibly need and headed out! It took close to an hour to get there from our place, but we also stopped on the way for snacks and supplies at a couple of conbinis on the way.

Ready for the drive!

family selfie!

When we finally found the beach, we were actually surprised to see we weren't the only people there with the same idea. There was a bunch of people starting to set up their campsite in the particular spot my friend had told us about, so we headed over to the other side of the beach next to the cliff and decided to set up our tent there. Thankfully the tent set up took maybe 30 minutes compared to at least an hour the last time, and once we had it up, we were able to get some shade, as well as go in for a swim!

As the afternoon went on, the campers over the other side of the island got larger (I think there were at least 3 tents) and we also got another camper setting up behind us and another group in the middle of the beach. Even though this beach was obviously not as "secret" as I thought, it was still fantastic and there was plenty of room for everyone!

Although the beach on Miyagi island was relatively small, it was large enough to be away from the other campers at the other end of the beach and not be disturbed by their music, and the water was lovely! There were butterflies flying around everywhere and big rocks for G to climb on.

All set up :)

low tide

So in love with our tent!

As the sun started to set, it got quite chilly, so I was glad we brought warm clothes. We cooked tofu burgers for dinner and toasted marshmallows on our fire when it got dark. The sky was so clear, that when I woke at 3am and went outside I could see the Milky Way! It was gorgeous and made me wish I had a camera able to capture it!

We eventually woke around 6am, and got up to make coffee and just watch the ocean out the front of our tent, before the water just became too tempting and we went in for another swim. We were debating whether to stay and camp for a second night, but i'm glad we decided to pack up and drive home after lunch. It was such a relaxing and lovely experience, but I just can't get a good sleep when we camp, and I was exhausted by the time we got home. I can only imagine how tired I would have been after 2 nights!

All in all, i'm so glad we made the decision to go camping again! Even though I never get much sleep, it was better than last time, and the beach was so much nicer! I keep reminding myself that I would never be able to camp ON THE BEACH in Australia, so I need to make the most of these opportunities while I can.

That face <3

Miyagi Island in Okinawa, has some gorgeous beaches and blue water. Why not bring a tent and try camping on the beach! It's the experience of a lifetime!

Does it get any prettier than this?

Rock climbing

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Picnic at Maeda Beach

beach

Yesterday was glorious! I am still basking in the relaxation of FINALLY getting a beach day! I feel like the weather has been unseasonably cool for too long, and it's taken forever to warm up to swimming temperature.

Anyway, after a day of rain on Saturday, Sunday turned out to be glorious! We decided to pack up a picnic and head to our favourite close-by beach, Maeda beach for a couple of hours!

When we arrived it was low tide, but this beach is still great for snorkelling at low tide, and it probably made it easier for us to get in as the water was warmer than at high tide. I feel like this beach is definitely getting more popular than a couple of years ago, but it's still a great beach to find yourself a shady spot to relax.

We set up our stuff and snacked on some of my homemade faux tuna and cucumber sushi rolls and fruit. After a snack we got right in the water! I managed to get a really nice snorkel in, and was happy to see the clown fish still in their anemone I remember from last year.

I think once you visit this beach, it's hard to go elsewhere. In my case, it's only 5-10mins drive from my house, and no matter the tide it's a great place! If you're looking for a new beach to visit, I recommend heading here. There's even a great pizza place (Pizzeria da Enzo) you can get a snack from before or after your beach visit.

You can find the pin for the beach here. Enjoy your visit!

The Entrance to Maeda beach. Is there a view more perfect than this?

Basically my favourite view

Maeda beach at low tide, with crystal waters great for snorkelling.

Explorer pup

Enjoying the shade

That water <3

Cave window

Well deserved shaved ice with fruit!

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Maeda beach in Onna, Okinawa is the perfect place where you can snorkel straight off the beach, as well as find plenty of shady spots to sit and enjoy the beach!

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Make the most out of Golden week in Okinawa

beach

Golden Week is coming! That glorious time of year in Japan where we get at least 5 days off work to relax and hopefully travel. Golden week is the perfect time to travel to Okinawa because it's warm enough to enjoy all the summer activities like going to the beach and snorkelling, but it's before the extreme heat and oppressive humidity take over the island!

So if you are planning to travel to Okinawa over Golden Week, here's what I recommend doing to make the most of your time!

Camping

Okinawa is a great place to go camping! There are numerous campsites throughout the island, if you want modern amenities such as showers and bathrooms, and most of these places you can also rent all the equipment you need such as a tent, sleeping mats and the all important BBQ! If you want to rough it a bit more and actually sleep on the beach and listen to the waves lapping on the sand overnight, you can even just set your tent up on any secluded beach, such as this one on Kouri Island!

Visit the Kerama Islands

If you have time, and are looking for some of the clearest waters and best snorkelling in Okinawa, it's worth catching a ferry over to one of the Kerema Islands from Tomari Port in Naha. These can be visited in one day, or make the most of it by spending a night camping or staying in one of the many guesthouses on the Islands. The closest of the Islands, is Tokashiki, which has fast and slower ferries. You need to book your ferry tickets in advance by ringing Tomari port, especially during busy periods such as Golden Week!

Aharen Beach, Tokashiki — Tokashiki Island

Hire a car!

The best, and really only way to get the most out of your visit to Okinawa is to hire a car. The public transportation on the island is slow and inefficient, and most sites are quite a distance from each other. With a rental car you can drive around the island to find the best and cutest cafes and most beautiful beaches, rather than being stuck in the one area.

Check out Shuri Castle

Shuri Castle is a World Heritage Site that was once the center of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The castle and grounds are gorgeous, and a great glimpse into life in the ancient Ryukyu kingdom. It is starkly different to the Castles on mainland Japan, with influences from Japan, China and Taiwan.

Find a Cafe with View

Okinawa is full of adorable cafes, and if you're lucky on a beautiful day you can find some with amazing views! My favourite if you are up near Churaumi Aquarium, is the Hammock Cafe! You can enjoy your lunch while relaxing in a hammock overlooking the East China Sea. My other favourite is Cafe Doka Doka in Onna-son, which has another great view as well as selling Okinawan pottery made in their pottery studio downstairs.

Wander along Kokusai-Dori

Kokusai-Dori is the main tourist spot in Naha city. It's a great place to try Okinawan food, as well as buy souvenirs. There are numerous alleyways coming off the street, so you can easily spend the day wandering, shopping and getting lost.

Kokusai Dori Naha — Kokusai Dori in Naha

Do you have plans to visit Okinawa in Golden Week? Let me know if you want any other tips!

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Golden week in Okinawa is a great time to visit! The weather is warm and the water is lovely and it is just before the extreme summer heat and humidity arrives! Make the most of your holiday with tips in this post!

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Moon Beach Hotel, Okinawa

beach

Entrance to the beach

I'm lucky enough to live in an area of Okinawa surrounded by resort hotels. Although I don't get to stay at these hotels, I do sometimes like to take advantage of their facilities. The resort hotel closest to me is Moon Beach. Recently they opened a new lagoon pool and it is absolutely gorgeous! Usually I prefer going to the beach (salt water! snorkelling!), but every now and again I get persuaded by little G to go to the pool.

A couple of weekends ago, the weather was amazing, so we headed up to road to the Moon Beach pool. Because we were not guests at the hotel, we had to pay for parking and pool entry (500yen each) but it's worth it. There are 2 pools and the beach. The semi-indoor pool is good on a rainy day, and has a childrens pool as well. The outdoor lagoon pool is the nicer and newer of the two, but is more laid back, and you kind of need to keep more control of your children. Both pools are surrounded by sun lounges, and during the morning there was a nice bit of shade covering the lagoon pool if you are worried about getting sunburned. One other thing I really liked was the free kids arm floaties you could just borrow, which was handy because we forgot ours.

As for the beach, there are sun lounges and umbrellas but I think you need to pay for these, as well as floating rings for rent. There are also lifeguards at all the pools/beach. I noticed a beach bar near the lagoon pool, but it wasn't open when I was there (before midday), however, nothing is more resorty/relaxing than a cocktail by the pool! One last thing that I think is the icing on the cake is the relaxing hawaiian music playing near the pool. Perfect!

If you are coming to Okinawa, but can't afford the expensive resort hotel prices, you can always stay somewhere cheaper and just pay to use the facilities at the resorts. Moon Beach is definitely cheaper than some of the others (expect upwards of 2000yen per person at other places), but it's still lovely!

Lagoon pool

Vines growing inside from the roof

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Moon Beach hotel in Onna, Okinawa is fantastic! IT's a little retro, but if you can't afford to stay the night, you can still just visit for the day and use their amazing pool and beach facilities.

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Life lately - June

beach

Once again another month seems to have flown by and here I am writing the monthly update. I'm so happy that the weather has warmed up and we've managed to get to the beach at least once every weekend. This is what makes me happy and reminds me of what Okinawa has to offer.

Last week we managed to make it to the beach after work twice, which was awesome. We have all our beach stuff ready to go in the car and head straight to the beach after work, stopping off at a convenience store on the way to get some food for dinner. Dinner on the beach and a swim in the ocean really improves a work week.

Nabee Beach in Onna, is a great free beach to have a swim at both low or high tide in Okinawa.

After work swims at Nabee Beach

I've also recently been trying to make some progress with G and his swimming. He's been doing lessons here for about 6 months now, but I feel like he barely made any progress at all with them. Because of this, I decided to take things into my own hands, and the fact that it's now swimming weather here really helps because we can practice all the time.

Lots of swimming practice lately trying to teach this guy how to swim

Derpy pets

Little G is in love with his instruments at the moment

Another awesome thing about June is that we've finally found ourselves a great babysitter, who we've now used twice and both times has gone really well. It meant that we got our first real date night in ages a couple of weeks ago, and then we got to have a night out last weekend with our visitors as well. I really think this is going to be awesome if the arrangement continues. We have a very well behaved child who we are lucky enough to get to take out to restaurants often, but there is just something so luxurious to be able to go out to dinner, and not worry about how much food is being spilled all over the place by a child!

Maruki Pizza in Yomitan is probably one of the best Italian places on the Island. Wood fired oven and fresh made pasta! Yum!

Maruki Pizza is my new favourite restaurant

Early in the month I went to Tokyo for work, just for 24 hours, but it was so nice to be able to use the chance to catch up with by Japanese besties who I met when I was working for NOVA almost 10 years ago. I also had an amazing traditional lunch at a fancy hotel restaurant which was incredibly delicious (see photo below).

Traditional Teishoku lunch at the Prince hotel in Shinagawa, Shimizu restaurant. Lunch menus are a cheaper way to try high class restaurants at a lower price in Tokyo

Amazing lunch in Tokyo a few weeks ago

I'm obsessed with peonies at the moment

Tide pools at Maeda Beach

Lastly, we've had visitors from Melbourne this past weekend, and although the weather hasn't been great, we managed to make the most of the brief sunlight yesterday (Sunday) morning and do some snorkelling at Maeda Beach before 100 yen sushi lunch! Basically the best of Okinawa.

Next week we're off to Korea for 5 days for my birthday and to visit my brother and sister-in-law. We'll be spending a couple of days in Seoul before heading down to Busan and Gimhae (where my borther lives) to hang out! I can't wait! If you've got any tips for child friendly Korea, please let me know in the comments!