For Japanese tourists who are looking to get away from the mainland, one of the most popular destinations is Okinawa, and in recent years it has become a destination that is very popular with Europeans as well. It has beautiful white sand beaches as well as stunning natural scenery inland. When you combine this with its fascinating culture you can see why this is such a popular destination with tourists from all around the world.
This part of Japan is made up of 150 islands, most of which are located south of the mainland. When you consider the size of these islands they are heavily populated and when you compare it to the culture that you will see in the rest of Japan it is very different. Even the language on these islands is notably different from the Japanese spoken on the mainland.
Getting to these islands is not very easy and you will have to take a connecting flight from Japan. If you are feeling particularly adventurous then there is a boat which takes visitors from the mainland to the islands, be aware though that this runs only once a week and the journey takes over 40 hours.
The climate on the islands is very similar to that seen in Indonesia and the Fijian islands. This means that the temperature throughout the year never drops below 15 Celsius, even in the winter, but generally it is much hotter than this. During the rainy season there are many typhoons and if you want to avoid this then don’t visit from June to October.
The rainy season often means that supplies cannot reach the islands and so some foods can become unavailable during particularly bad weather. The best time to visit these islands is between January and May when the weather is perfect and there are also several cultural festivals taking place.
Scuba diving and snorkelling are very popular as there are numerous coral reefs which are home to some beautiful tropical life. For those who have a diving certification it will cost you around £70 for a day’s diving. For those who are not qualified divers then you can go snorkelling which can be a fantastic experience and cost significantly less.
The capital of Okinawa is Naha and it is a great place to visit and is a particularly easy place to travel as most people here will be able to speak English. One of the great sites in the capital city is Shuri castle and the surrounding park which is very traditional and give you a great idea of the culture of Okinawa. When you visit this location it is easy to see how both Chinese and Japanese culture have infiltrated this city.
One of the main theme parks on the island is Okinawa World and it has being created exclusively for tourists. There are the usual attractions you would expect at a theme park but also fascinating natural attractions such as the Gyukosendo caves which are breathtaking.
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