In April, I booked a flight to Japan. It’s a trip where we’ll be staying with my parents together with the kids. We visit Japan every one to two years, and this will be our sixth trip. Since the kids are growing up, I always find myself thinking hard about where to take them each time we go.
Whenever we go back home, taking the kids to an Aeon Mall has become a routine. Aeon Mall is a large shopping mall chain found throughout Japan. When they were younger, they played in the kids’ areas or at game centres for young children. As they got a bit older, they enjoyed playing in the ordinally game centres, buying stationery and manga. Once they became teenagers, they started spending time browsing clothing and cosmetics at Muji or Uniqlo, looking for computer gadgets, discovering interesting items at the 100-yen store, relaxing at cafés, or spending time in their favourite game centers. Aeon Mall offers plenty of ways to enjoy time according to their age, and there are also a wide range of dining options.
Planning a Trip to Okinawa, Japan
That said, I don’t want to go to Aeon Mall every time. Since it’s the summer holiday and a rare chance to experience Japan, I want the kids to have more diverse experiences. Since we live far from the sea in the UK, I thought seeing beautiful beaches would be a special experience. Though we’re ready for Japan’s heat, I thought it would be memorable for the kids to experience the beautiful sea, especially coming from the cooler (and beautiful) UK summer. I also wanted to go to a beach I hadn’t visited before, so I started thinking about Okinawa.
When watching Japanese TV shows with the kids, Okinawa is always introduced as an attractive place. Okinawa is located at Japan’s southernmost point, blessed with a warm climate and beautiful beaches. Its abundant natural environment, unique history, and culture are also highlights. Recently, it has become popular not only for tourism but also as a relocation spot. With the rise of remote work, more people have moved to Okinawa to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and seek a relaxed lifestyle. When I mentioned the idea of a trip to Okinawa, the kids were overjoyed.
However, Okinawa is popular year-round, and I quickly realized that I should have booked earlier, especially for the summer holidays. Although I booked tickets to Japan in April, I didn’t start seriously planning the Okinawa trip until June, which was definitely a bit late. Many good package deals were already sold out, and prices for August were expected to rise. So, I combed through options, trying to find any July deal I could settle on. If I could settle on one of the Okinawa vacation packages I found, I had to book it right away.
Instead of heading straight to Okinawa upon arrival in Japan, I decided to spend a few days at my parents’ house. This was because there was a chance our flight from the UK could be delayed, someone in our group might be tired from jet lag, and also to give us time to adjust to Japan’s extreme summer heat. So, we planned a three-day adjustment period before getting to Okinawa.
Okinawa Flight and Hotel Package
The package I found is a three-night, four-day tour departing at the end of July, costing approximately 190,000 yen, which included round-trip flights to Okinawa, a hotel, and a rental car. We were able to choose our hotel and rental car type, and we selected a schedule where we stayed two nights at a hotel in Onna Village (恩納村) and one night in a city hotel in Naha (那覇) on the last night.
I felt that having a rental car would be necessary for getting around Okinawa’s main island. Access to tourist spots and remote islands seemed limited without a car, so we chose a package that included one.
I’m not really sure if this Okinawa package trip was costly. People who are more familiar with traveling in Okinawa might know cheaper ways to go, but I had no problem with the price. Since we were going to an unfamiliar area and I was the only adult in the group, and though the kids are bilingual in Japanese and English, I wanted to make the safest choice possible in case something happened to me.
If you search for Okinawa trips, I wonder if various package tours are offered on sites outside Japan, such as English-language sites. Many Japanese sites offer Okinawa travel packages with various customizable details.
As for activities in Okinawa, I started my research from scratch. We plan to depart Narita at 3 p.m. and arrive in Naha at 6 p.m. I regretted a bit not doing research earlier, as I might have been able to book a tour with an earlier arrival.
Okinawa Travel Itinerary
On the first day, as we’ll arrive in the evening in Naha, we’ll just drive to the hotel with the rental car.
On the second day, we’ll drive to the Churaumi Aquarium (美ら海水族館) while enjoying the beautiful ocean views. We’re looking forward to seeing marine life from Okinawa’s surrounding waters, vibrant coral reefs, and tropical fish.
On the third day, after checking out of the hotel, we’ll go snorkeling at the Blue Cave (青の洞窟). I found a company that provides snorkel tours and booked with them. It includes wetsuits, gear, and a guide for 6,000 yen for the three of us. Afterward, we’ll return the rental car, take the Yui Rail (ゆいレール: monorail) to Kokusai Street (国際通り), and spend our last night at a hotel in the city center.
On the fourth day, we’ll take the monorail back to the airport and head home.
I wanted to include the famous Shuri Castle, often seen on television, and the very beautiful Kouri Ohashi Bridge in my itinerary, but since driving in an unfamiliar area with a rental car was a bit intimidating, I decided to focus only on the essentials.
As for things to bring from the UK, the kids will take swimsuits, armbands, goggles, and sunscreen. Although quality items are available in Japan, I thought it would save us time to bring what we’re used to, without needing to look for specific items.
