After a long hiatus, Silver Horizon organised a tour to Okinawa, Japan in March 2025. A group of 25 participants left in the early morning of 11th March for Naha, Okinawa and returned safely in the afternoon of 16th March. The group itinerary consists of visits to farms, castles, gardens and other tourist sites. We stayed in Hotel Collective throughout our week-long stay. This hotel is located along the famous Kokusai (Shopping) Street. Shopping was very convenient in the evenings after our dinners. The weather was good most days except for the last two days when it rained a bit. Food was good; we had tonkatsu, teppanyaki, and the usual buffet spreads. Mainly international cuisine for breakfast supplemented by local Japanese dishes. For the last day, we indulged in a Traditional Japanese dinner before going home!
Day 1 started with a visit to Itoman City Market. We were served breakfast and then we proceed to browse the area's markets which sold fresh seafood, and other foodstuffs. We also visited a Premium Brands Factory Outlet nearby. We then checked in to our hotel on the famed Kokusai Street in the late afternoon. Dinner was an Okinawa Dining Experience at a restaurant nearby. We went shopping along Kokusai Street after dinner.
On the second day, we visited Okinawa World Culture Kingdom in the morning. Within Okinawa World, we explored Gyokusendo Cave, a large, 5-kilometer-long cave system, considered to be the most beautiful in East Asia, and other attractions such as a snake museum. We also watched an Okinawa Eisa Drum Dance Show. In the afternoon, we visited the Peace Memorial Park. It was followed by a stopover at a sea grape farm where we observed how it was farmed and harvested. We then had a grand teppanyaki dinner at Kokusai Street.
For Day 3, we stopped by a supermarket on the way to a Salt Factory where we saw how salt was harvested from the sea. We had a simple lunch at the salt factory before we proceeded to explore the nearby park and beach. We also visited the beautiful Royal Shikina-en Gardens, a UNESCO Heritage site after lunch. We also indulged in a Coral Dyeing Workshop where we used corals to create artwork on T-shirts, tote bags, scarfs etc. A final stop was the Royal Mausoleum where the urns of the ancient royal family was kept! We then had pork tonkatsu for dinner today!
We crossed the Kouri Bridge on the fourth day to visit Kouri Island. Unexpected rain denied us a good view of the scenery as we went up the Kouri Ocean Tower. We then visited the famous Churaimi Aquarium after lunch where the main attraction was a massive whale shark in the main tank! In the afternoon, we visited the Nakajin castle ruins and the Heart Rock at Tuni Beach. The final activity of the day was a cooking demonstration where we also had our dinner.
On Day 5, we were divided into smaller groups for our home visits. We spent some time with an ordinary family in Okinawa and experience their lifestyle, learn Japanese and Okinawan cultures while enjoying lunch with them. We also visit the Okinawa Prefectural Museum that provides a superb overview of Okinawa's history from the late 19th century onward. Our final dinner was a traditional Japanese dinner where we also bade farewell to our gracious local guide Aki, and we wore traditional Japanese clothes for the occasion. Everyone had an unusual and fun experience in Okinawa! We flew home on the morning of 16 March.