Okinawa World

Each drive in southern Okinawa takes about 30 minutes. Time was a bit tight to have lunch at the Itoman Fish Market, but overall I really enjoyed the trip and hope to have the opportunity to come again.

The pick-up point was easy to find, the staff were very welcoming, and the driver was very steady. Gangala Valley is a new attraction, located next to Okinawa World. Although the entire tour is conducted in Japanese, including the tour leader who speaks only Japanese, it doesn't affect Taiwanese participants. The tour leader ensures that foreigners understand the meeting times. The guided tour of Gangala Valley is also entirely in Japanese, but a paper translation with Chinese is provided, and the guide carefully explains which item they are currently explaining. The forest is very cool in the hot weather. The tour includes a bottle of iced drink in a stainless steel bottle, which is a bit heavy and can be carried diagonally. You don't need to bring too much of your own water to avoid adding too much weight.

The female coach will demonstrate for us first. It's not difficult; as long as you remember the procedure, even if you don't understand the explanation, you'll know by watching the movements.

Upon arriving at the morning meeting point, a person in charge explained the day's itinerary clearly and the route was well-organized. Following their explanation was smooth, and there was no need to worry about transportation. After boarding the bus, the tour guide explained Okinawa to the passengers. Although it was in Japanese and I couldn't understand it very well, he still explained things very attentively. The first stop was Gyokusendo Cave. The natural scenery inside is something you can't see in Taiwan, and it's definitely worth seeing. We entered as soon as the park opened, so there weren't many people, making it great for taking photos. After leaving Gyokusendo Cave, the other areas in the park are also worth exploring. We went to a pearl shop, which I highly recommend! Each shell contains a pearl, and the price is very cheap. For an additional fee, they can make it into necklaces, earrings, and other jewelry. Our second stop was Gangala Valley. First, a big thank you to Mr. Yamashita for his excellent guidance. He explained things very well and even took photos for everyone individually. He was a very dedicated and responsible guide. I recommend this spot to nature lovers, as it's an 80-minute walk and quite physically demanding, but the scenery is absolutely worth seeing. The explanations were in Japanese, but they provided translation cards, so don't worry about not understanding. Before we started, they even sprayed us with mosquito repellent and gave us jasmine tea – very thoughtful. Finally, we visited the Ryukyu Glass Village, where you can see glassmaking techniques. The visit isn't very long, and it's the last place where you can enjoy the air conditioning and take photos. Overall, I highly recommend this trip! 👍👍👍👍

I had a great time! The Ryukyu Kingdom had snake and taiko drum performances, and there were also many handicraft workshops where you could experience different things, like selecting pearls, doing indigo dyeing, and making your own pottery – it was really fun!