Last spring I got to go on lots of fun adventures around the Okinawa with some of my girlfriends. From sakura / cosmos hunting in Nago with a group of friends and then walking across the island from Uruma to Onna with them, being Nano’s Okinawa tour guide, frolicking through the Iris fields in Ogimi with Lauren and lastly exploring the Yokatsu Islands with Ashley! We didn’t have much of a plan.. but our overall goal was to see as much of the Yokatsu Islands as possible.
The Yokatsu Islands chain includes: Yabuchi, Henza, Hamahiga, Miyagi and Ikei Island (as well as Tsuken, Ukibara & Minami-ukibara but these are farther away and not connected by bridge). We got to the Ikei bridge right before sunrise but as soon as it started we realized it wasn’t an ideal spot. We then decided to quickly drive to Kafu Banta (or Happy Cliff) on Miyagi Island. The cliff is located inside the Nuchi-una Salt Factory which was technically not open yet.. but they only have a small rope blocking off the parking lot. We took a chance and just hopped over it, lol! It made for a great sunrise spot and we loved getting to see the beach below at high tide.
After the sunrise was done we headed back to the Ikei bridge to take photos of this magical spot.
^^ the other side of the Ikei bridge is equally as beautiful! ^^
Afterward, we headed to Miyagi Island for a delicious treat. I had been wanting to visit Ruan + Shimairo since Ashley posted a photo on her Instagram a few years ago. This place is absolute heaven. Starting with the colorful pottery it’s served in, the incredibly thin and fluffy ice, and the freshly made syrups. Both of us got the mango because it’s simply the best tropical flavor! Afterward, we got a bit lost finding the main road, so naturally, we made a few stops along the way.
^^ On the bottom of the bowl there are mochi balls. You can order condensed milk to drizzle on top ^^
Ashley left after this but I returned to Kafu Banta to see the view at low tide. If you ask me, it’s better at high tide, but I’m glad I got to see both sides.
Before heading home I decided to stop by the Yakena Strait Observatory, a place I’ve been wanting to photograph for a while. The water there is insanely turquoise, I wish I knew why!!
If you made it this far you deserve a gold star! Haha sorry for the long post. Here’s a list of places I went on this day:
Kafu Banta (Happy Cliff)
Yonashiromiyagi, Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture 904-2423, Japan Hours: 9AM-5:30PM
Ruan+Shimairo
Japan, 〒904-2425 Okinawa-ken, Uruma-shi, Yonashirotōbaru, 428-2 JP Hours: 11AM-5PM (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays) Read more about this place on OkinawaClip
Yakena Strait Observatory
Yonashiroyakena, Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture 904-2304, Japan Hours: Open always