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Busena Marine Park, Busena Underwater Observatory, Cape Maeda, Cape Manzamo, Car, Japan, Katong Kids Inc, Lieta Nakayama, Nago Pineapple Park, Okinawa, Okinawa Fruits Land, Okinawa World, Todoroki Waterfall

Okinawa Travelogue – (Part 5): Okinawa Fruits Land, Busena Marine Park, Busena Underwater Observatory, Cape Manzamo, Cape Maeda and Todoroki Waterfall

October 16, 2019December 29, 2019 katongkidsinc

Okinawa by far, is one of the best Asia destinations to visit. You can also check out Touristsecrets.com – https://www.touristsecrets.com/category/destinations/asia/

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Lieta Nakayama is the second hotel we stayed. It was indicated as a 3 star hotel but the apartment was very spacious and all amenities were provided. Located beside to Okinawa Fruits Land, there are plenty of parking lots and it is near to Busena Marine Park.

Leita Nakayama

Byggingin sem hótelið er í — Image Credit – Booking.com

We were greeted by this view from the balcony.

Okinawa Fruits Land and Nago Pineapple Park are just beside the hotel.

And so is the convenience store.

Brekkie on the go for us, knowing that it would be more expensive to eat inside the Fruits Land.

Okinawa Fruits Land

Another rainy day! Out of the 2 attractions, we chose the Okinawa Fruits Land.

The only reason why we are visiting the Fruits Lands was it’s close proximity to our hotel. It doesn’t have much to offer and we struggled to find proper fruits or butterflies for photo-taking.

Probably one of the few entertainments we had here.

Busena Marine Park

The Busena Underwater Observatory is worthwhile to visit if you would like to get an underwater view of fishes in their natural habitat without getting wet.

Before exploring the underwater observatory, we hit the beach.

The water is crystal clear!

We knew it was a matter of time before Small M took a dip in the cooling waters.

There is a free shuttle from the ticket counter to the undersea tower.

So windy that Big M’s hair was messed up!

Fish shoaling in open waters before we reached the underwater observatory.

Kids and adults are all drawn to the fantastic underwater world. The underwater observatory sits 170 m (558 ft) away from the coast, submerged at a depth of 5 m (16 ft), and offers sights of a sea grass habitat.

The observatory is pretty small and we had to wait for our turn to enter. It was a time well-spent as we discovered a world of vividly colorful tropical fish and beautiful coral reefs.

Cape Manzamo

Cape Manzamo is our next stop, about 13km from Busena Marine Park. We are going to see its scenic rock formation on Okinawa Island, Japan. It is located near Onna Village in the Kunigami District of Okinawa Prefecture. We had to park and walked about 10 mins to the hilltop.

Many tourists came by to catch this natural beauty.

It was said that the grassy plain is so spacious and beautiful that you might feel like sitting there forever. Quite true.

On closer look, the limestone cliff is shaped like an elephant’s trunk which was formed when a coral reef rose.

These beautiful views can be enjoyed as great photo shooting spots.

Cape Maeda

We continued to drive south and reached the next Cape – Cape Maeda, which is about 14 km from Cape Manzamo.

Cape Maeda is known for its coral plateau located on the west coast of central Okinawa. Popular with the locals as a soul-healing spot, this is the best snorkeling and scuba diving site in Okinawa.

An observatory deck where we can see gorgeous view of the stunning ocean.

Crystal clear water and stunning view of the cape, what more can we ask?

Spectacular and breath-taking landscape is truly a sight to behold!

Todoroki Waterfall

On our way back to the hotel, we discovered Todoroki Waterfall by chance. It lies in the Sukata District just south of the Highway 329 and Highway 58 intersection.

It was about to close in 20 mins and we managed to buy our tickets.

It is not a popular tourist attraction and we hardly find any review in the internet. We thought this is an amazing place to have breakfast (so long as there are no mosquitoes)!

It was a short hike to the waterfall. It might not be that imposing but the sight of it was awesome, at least to us.

Needless to say, scenic attractions are what we were looking for.

Capturing memories for them to remember when they grow up…

The word “Todoroki” in Japanese means to “roar” or “rumble”.

This is a small waterfall but we can also feel the vibration of the thundering water as it splashes to the surface.

A soul-healing spot, we like!

Time, will You please stand still?

Just finding joy in the little things. Click here to follow Katong Kids Inc Facebook Page to stay tune on the next travel post.

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American Village, Car, Diary of a Foodster, Eat, Food, Growing Up, Japan, Okinawa, Shopping, Shuri Castle, Travel, Travel Blog, Traveler Wifi, Tsuboya Pottery District, Umikaji Terrace, Vacation

Okinawa Travelogue – (Part 3): Tsuboya Pottery District, Shuri Castle, Umikaji Terrace and American Village

August 14, 2019 katongkidsinc

It is more convenient to travel around Okinawa by driving. It was raining most of the time but we didn’t forgo visiting Tsuboya Pottery District.

Tsuboya Pottery District

Traditional houses with red earthenware roof tiles, accompanied by ceramic studios and stores.

Cute little huts showcasing one-of-a-kind mugs, plates, and pitchers.

Shuri Castle

We visited Shuri Castle on our next stop. Shuri is the name of the former capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom.

Shuri Castle (首里城, Shurijō) served as the residence of the Ryukyu kings for several centuries until Okinawa became a Japanese prefecture in 1879.

The place was huge and expect lots of walking.

The castle interior is very clean and visitors are required to take off their shoes (carriers are provided). Interiors of the Hokuden and Nanden are constructed like modern museums.

A replica of the king’s throne and crown are among the exhibits.

Traditional Japanese dance by the boys.

And we tried the traditional snacks!

The most famous and popular dessert in Okinawa is the Blue Seal Ice Cream.

Big and Small M satisfied their cravings after completing the tour of Shuri castle.

Umikaji Terrace

The Umikaji terrace is situated on a hill below the Senagajima onsen Hotel. This place has the romantic feel as planes flew above us while we sight the beautiful sea view right in front of us.

A tiring climb up the flights of stairs to the peak and discover the beautiful views.

The terrace is close to the beach and the sea waters are generally mild and peaceful for one to explore the area.

The waters of Okinawa are so clear!

Tacos restaurants, ice cream shops and cafes literally packed the terrace.

Greece and Mediterranean vibes, that’s what everyone acclaimed after a visit to the Umikaji Terrace.

Umikaji Terrace

We drove further up north and reached the Mihama American Village, which is a large entertainment complex located in central Okinawa. Actually the American Village is not so fantastic but we supposed it is still a need-to-check-out attraction.

There is this Ramen shop outside the American Village and many diners flock to eat here.

Their ramen was one of the best we ever tried!

Our tasty orders, look at the thick broth.

The most recognizable feature of the American Village is the large Ferris wheel.

The shopping mall is not huge but there is this 100 Yen shop which is a nice store to find good items.

Just finding joy in the little things. Click here to follow Katong Kids Inc Facebook Page to stay tune on the next travel post.

Cafe, Photography, Travel, Travel Blog, Traveler Wifi, Vacation, Wifi Router

Okinawa Travelogue – (Part 1): Naha Airport, Urban Monorial, Mercure Okinawa Naha, Kokusai Street and Heiwa Dori

July 29, 2019 katongkidsinc

This is our first very trip to Japan, and what a way to start off with Okinawa, a Japanese prefecture comprising in the East China Sea between Taiwan and Japan’s mainland. Nicknamed the Japanese Hawaii, it is not difficult to see the influence of chinese and americans on this sunny island.

Naha Airport

Thanks to Jetstar, visitors can finally get to Okinawa on a 5-hour direct flight from Singapore. The Naha Airport is very clean and neat.

As usual, we would hit the brochures rack after clearing the customs. We forgotten to bring our itinerary and the travel guides were really a life-saver.

We would be driving but not on our first day. The length of Okinawa is about 100km from North to South so driving is easy and a must to visit more attractions. However, we heard that the Monorail is very efficient and connect conveniently to Naha City. It would be a shame not to try the Monorail as a tourist.

On our way to the monorail, we were fascinated by the stores that we spent about 2 hours browsing through the lovely japanese products!

Guessed we were not the only one, there were visitors glued to the Naha airport shopee.

A must-try taro tart from Okinawa.

Okinawa Urban Monorail

The Okinawa Urban Monorail, also known as Yui Rail, is a monorail line in Naha.

We bought day-tickets valid for 24-hour where we could take limitless rides. It cost about SGD35 for 4 of us. The time will start the moment the ticket is being tapped.

The seats were kind of low but the ride was very smooth, especially with the playing of lovely music during each announcement.

Our accommodation is Mercure Okinawa Naha which is right in front of the Yui Monorail Station“Tsubogawa”.

There’s our hotel, so near!

Mercure Okinawa Naha

We booked this hotel because it was one of the cheapest we could find in Naha and it was close to the city. The hotel room was small but we decided to stay here cos’ it has a car rental counter at the hotel lobby. We could collect and return the car over here.

Rented our hybrid (which we would share more later) from DH Rental Car.

Kokusaidori Street

Kokusaidōri, literally “International Road”) is Naha‘s main street, stretching for roughly two kilometers through downtown Naha.

This is the iconic spot for photography in Naha main street, just outside the monorail station.

Look at these little children on an excursion and they were having a sing-along session.

Souvenir stores selling Okinawa goodies.

Kokusaidori is lined by restaurants, cafes and departmental stores. It is similar to the Orchard Road of Singapore. Most stores would close by 10pm.

Here is where we can find special Calbee products. The exterior is brightly-colored and instagram-worthy for many hipsters.

Okinawa is sunny and warm, so there is not a need to bring thick clothing during the summer.

This is our favourite place for meals – YUI Garden.

The food were amazing cheaper compared to the streets and the quality were superb.

We had our lunch here.

Do you find such prices in Singapore?

Heiwa Dori

Heiwa dori is a covered shopping arcade featuring many shops, supermarkets and convenience stores that sell beauty products and local snacks.

A certain allure to this picture – a life of the locals.

And we tried the local snacks…

About $1 per piece.

Small fish market at the corner.

It cost about $85 for a steamed crab. Not cheap.

But it’s the walking along the streets and exploring little alleys that makes discovering Okinawa so special.

Just finding joy in the little things. Click here to follow Katong Kids Inc Facebook Page to stay tune on the next travel post.

Okinawa, Travel, Traveler Wifi, Vacation, Wifi Router

Overseas Wifi Router with Traveler Wifi

July 10, 2019December 18, 2019 katongkidsinc

Travelling with a wifi router has made traveling much more pleasant. After using Traveler Wifi for the first time during our previous trip, we decided to rent it again for travel to Okinawa.