Kulture Kaiwa

If you’re planning a trip to Okinawa, you’re most likely headed to the main island of Naha. I think it’s worth staying a night or two in Naha city to explore the cool sights, like gardens and Kokusai-dori shopping street, but staying further north by the beaches will be much more worth your while.

Ryukyu-an Guesthouse

I ended up in Yomitan to meet up with a friend, intending to only stay a couple of nights before exploring another area. However, it quickly turned into a week-long stay, largely due to the lovability of our hostel. Ryukyu-an Guesthouse is a bit of a trek to get to (1.5 hours by bus plus a 30min walk) but so, so worth it once you’re there. And if you’re not up for the walk, you can always contact the host, Ryuta san, who is more than willing to come and pick up his guests from the bus stop.

There’s a mixed room or female-only room to choose from – both with sturdy, handmade bunk beds and a relatively generous amount of space to get comfortable in. I stayed in the female room and was lucky to have the top bunk by the window, waking up to a lovely view of greenery and butterflies every morning – what more could a gal ask for? A massage maybe…

What’s included?

There are 6 bikes and [lenty of snorkelling gear (goggles, flippers, and beach shoes) to choose from, although I will warn that the area around Yomitan has quite a few hills so be prepared for some thigh burning adventures if you’re grabbing a bike. I had a few dead-leg-inducing rides here but the downhill zooms along the coast made the hard uphill battles worth it (I admit I walked the bike up some of the steeper roads), and I was always satisfyingly tired by the end of the day, which helped to justify all of the Blue Seal ice creams I was “taste-testing”. There’s also two cars available for rent at fairly reasonable prices, especially if you can get a group together to split the cost, making it easier to reach further destinations like Churaumi Aquarium, the American Village in Chatan, or the Southeast Botanical Gardens.

Ryuta made amazing breakfasts that changed every day, alternating between grilled sandwiches and pancakes, and you can help yourself to the drip coffee bags or freshly brewed herbal tea that also rotates daily – my favourite was a ginger tea made from the shell ginger plant that grows in abundance on the island.

The kitchen and living area are super cosy, which is necessary for the rainy days if you happen to be there around typhoon season like I was, and can get pretty lively if there are musicians staying in the house. There’s a drum kit, bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitars, and a mix of smaller instruments to play around with. Ryuta-san is quite musical himself and taught us how to play a simple ‘Happy Birthday’ tune on the traditional Okinawan Shansin guitars. If you have a good mix of instrument players you’ll easily pass through hours of jamming together, or if you’re keen on picking up an instrument it’s the perfect place to start learning! I started teaching myself the drums a few years ago but hadn’t touched a kit in over 9 months when I arrived, so I was stoked to jump back in and even had a skilled drum player in the house to help me pick up new tricks quicker than I had before.

Exploring the area

The walls are decorated with a few maps, one in particular of the surrounding area with markings that Ryuta will go through with you to let you know what spots are good for snorkelling/swimming and give you some restaurant recommendations. Here’s a few places that I particularly loved:

Bakery Suien

A cute and cozy bakery cafe with plenty of baked goods made from local flours and sugars to peruse. The space is very open with large, inviting tables and a couple of wandering kitties to spy on. The homemade seasonal summer drinks are especially refreshing. I had a passionfruit soda that had real pulp in it, a luxury I hadn’t had since coming to Japan. If you’re after delicious and affordable fruits in Japan, Okinawa is seriously the place to go.

Bloom Coffee

This coffee shop is walking distance from Ryukyu-An Hostel and has an indie plant vibe inside. The interiors are very modern while remaining doused in natural décor and the large coffee roasting machine gives a wonderful touch of hands-on creation. The beni-imo latte here is the way to go – the famous Okinawan sweet potato called beni-imo gives the coffee a lovely nutty and sweet flavour reminiscent of ube (shoutout to my fellow Pinoys, you know what I’m talkin’ about).

Banjutei 番所亭

Banjutei came recommended by Ryuta-san – a traditional soba shop within biking distance from the hostel serving traditional Okinawan style soba. You might be used to the mainland version of soba, made from buckwheat and cut into thin and even noodles with a nutty flavour and hearty texture. Okinawan style soba, however, is more like ramen noodles, made from wheat and sometimes with added mix-ins like beni-imo or mugwort – a type of herb with a punchy flavour and digestive benefits. At Banjutei you’ll find both types, offering up either bright purple or green noodles served with fall-off-the-bone short ribs. I personally recommend the mugwort noodles with pork ribs if you’re to try anything here.

Beaches and sunsets

As for snorkelling spots, Zeena Beach was my favourite. A nice, chill beach in a fairly quiet cove where the water is calm and you can leisurely float around observing the gazillion fish darting around the shallows. Blue Cave is also a fairly famous spot for snorkelling, just be mindful that on days when the waves are too rough it will be closed off or may require you to use a safety vest that you will need to provide yourself (Ryuta kindly invested in a few for the hostel during our stay there). I didn’t end up getting to explore the cave as the waves were too rough, but the above area is lovely for taking a walk and looking out over the water.

For sunset views, the nearby Zakimi Castle Ruins are pretty secluded and offer amazing views out towards the ocean. Alternatively, head out to Zanpa beach for an afternoon swim then move over to the Cape Zanpa Lighthouse for sunset.

Naha is such a big island and it can be difficult to figure which area is best to stay in. If you’re like me and prefer quieter places out in nature with more secluded sights to see, then Yomitan is definitely a place to check out, and I cannot recommend Ryukyu-An Hostel enough.