【TESTING】Sightseeing northern areas without a car♪Departing Naha, day trips on the bus taking the “Okinawa Airport Shuttle” 〜Visiting Onnason〜

Greetings from Naha Airport!

I’m the Okinawa Holiday Hackers, Ishii. （╹◡╹）

This time, I introduce to you,

this【red vehicle】parked behind me.

It’s called “Okinawa Airport Shuttle”

Okinawa Airport Shuttle travels between Naha City and Northern regions. (Onnason/Nagoshi/Motobucho) It is a highway bus for transportation in Okinawa prefecture. With 26 busses a day, these busses runs and bring together Naha and the north as they continue to run today♪

*Inside the bus, guides in Chinese, Korean, and English are available.

＼ ＼ ＼ So, today’s plan is… ／ ／ ／

The Hacker Ishii will get on the “Okinawa Airport Shuttle” from Naha and check out how much fun she can have going around “Onnason” in the northern region!!!!!!

Departure: 9:00 a.m.
Naha airport, domestic terminal

This trip’s starting location was 【Naha airport, domestic terminal】

I got on the first bus for the departure♪

▼Bus stop for the meeting place①

From the domestic flight arrival, exit number 4 is the closest.

▼ If you want to take the bus from Naha airport, international terminal,
▼ go to “Bus stop ②” located to the left after going out of the international flight arrival exit.

By the way, there are four stops where you can take the Okinawa Airport Shuttle in Naha.

1. Naha airport, domestic terminal

2. Naha airport, international terminal

3. Prefecture office, north exit (only for getting on)

   About 3-minute walk from Prefectural Office Station (Yui Rail)

4. Asahibashi Station Naha bus terminal mae (only for getting off)

   About 2-minute walk from Asahibashi station (Yui Rail)

At international/domestic terminal at Naha airport, you can get on and off the bus but at the Prefecture office north exit, you can only get on the bus going north from Naha! Also, please be careful as buses going north don’t depart at Asahibashi station Naha bus terminal mae.

For boarding information maps, access the official website’s “Route/boarding area information,” you can check it there♪

▼ Let’s board the bus!

Inside the bus, you get a paper fan and free Wi-Fi.

The temperature is good! Smartphone’s up to speed!! Comfortable trip to the north begins!!!

Arrival: 10:49 a.m.
Nabee Beach Mae

Arrived at the first stop “Nabee Beach Mae”!

Walking about 3 minutes from the bus stop, we arrive at Nabee beach.

Characteristic of Nabee beach is the designated swimming area with lifeguards where you can safely swim. The waves are relatively gentle so this beach is recommended for children as well. （╹◡╹）

Don’t forget to take a souvenir picture at Nabee beach’s famous “Big Smile Big Shisa”!

Next to the Okinawa Airport Shuttle bus stop, there is a park too. For children who wants to play more after the beach, it’s recommended for them to play at the park while you wait for the next bus.

＜General information of Onna Seaside Civil Park, Nabee Beach＞

Walking about 15 minutes from Nabee beach,
I came to have some “POKE Bowl”!

Arrived at the second stop for having lunch!

It’s Hawaii’s signature local food, POKE bowl (aka: Poke-don), a specialty restaurant. Here we are♪

▼The restaurant is called “808 POKE Bowls OKINAWA”

It takes about 15 minutes to walk from Nabee beach. I actually walked and I could arrive by just going straight down the road so even if it’s your first time, you can get there without getting lost.

At 808 POKE Bowls OKINAWA, the ordering style is you can make your own POKE bowl【customizable to your own liking.】 We selected the type of rice, POKE ingredient, flavor and toppings for each from the menu, ordering two POKE bowls. ^ ^

Left: POKE bowl with white rice/tuna, salmon, octopus ingredients/honey miso flavor/regular topping with sea grapes added (\1,250)

Right: POKE bowl with mixture of 16 types of rice and cereals/tuna, salmon ingredients/soy sauce flavor/regular topping with green soybeans (edamame) added (\1,000)

The restaurant is open between 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. but it closes when it is sold out so it is recommended to go during lunchtime! We went here about 11:45 a.m. on a weekday and we could go in without having to wait in a line.

＜General information of 808 POKE Bowls OKINAWA＞

After fully enjoying Nabee beach and POKE bowl,

Let’s get on “Okinawa Airport Shuttle” to the next destination!

★Okinawa Airport Bus runs 26 times a day♪

★For bus schedule and fee between stops,

　 access the official website’s “Schedule and Fees.” Check it out ^ ^

Departing Nabee beach: 12:51 p.m.
Arriving at Sun Marina Beach Mae: 12:57 p.m.

I rode the Okinawa Airport Shuttle for about six minutes.

Arrived at the third spot, “Sun Marina Beach Mae”!

I wanted to go to this hotel, which is about a 3-minute walk from the bus stop.

Here I am at “Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort,” with about 400 meters of long white sand with superbly transparent ocean beach!!!

Sun Marina beach is said to have the best water transparency in Onnason. When we went, we could amazingly see a group of “Abasa” (Okinawan dialect for “balloon fish”) and a stingray up close!!

*Shot from the pier with a special permission.

Sun Marina Beach is so beautiful even sea creatures come to play. You can visit the beach even if you are not staying at the hotel so be sure to visit ♪

By the way, There are many fun spots for kids at the “Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort.” ^ ^ There is a white wall that anyone can draw on, 24-hour kids play area that is safe, and a pond in the central area where you can see Okinawan sea creatures. It is a recommended hotel to stay with the kids. ◎

＜General information of Sun Marina Beach＞

Next, Ishii will go through a grand challenge you can only experience in Okinawa if you are in Japan,

The Mega zipline “over the ocean”!!!

About “Okinawa Airport Shuttle” I’m introducing this time,

there are set fees between each bus stop section, but

we used the【3 day unlimited PASS】!

Adult: \3,900/Child (12 years or under) \2,900

“Unlimited PASS” can be purchased at the limited 3 locations: Tourist information at domestic/international terminal of Naha airport, Okinawa Tourist Information Center in Asahibashi.

It is a dream pass for Okinawa travelers who “want to go sightseeing in the north & stay in the north even without a driving license!” Plus, the price is low at under \4,000 per person for 3 days.

You can choose 3 days or 5 days for the unlimited pass. If you feel “2 rides for going and returning is enough!” then a discount 【2 rides ticket】 is also available so it’s recommended you purchase this one. ◎

●There are two ways to purchase●

1. Visit the Official websiteand reserve online

   Select two bus stops for getting on and off. You can “purchase for each section.”

2. Purchase available at 26 ticket vendor within Okinawa prefecture.

   A “2 ride ticket” is also available for purchase.

   For a list of【Ticket vendors】 visit the official website’s “How to purchase” section. Check it out!

“Unlimited PASS” can be purchased at the limited 3 locations: Tourist information at domestic/international terminal of Naha airport, Okinawa Tourist Information Center in Asahibashi and at travel agency.

It’s not just the beach!!
Japan’s first “over the ocean” mega zipline

The fourth spot is

at the same place as the Sun Marina Beach before!

“Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort”

Japan’s only “Over the ocean mega zipline” You can try out the activity here!! (∩^o^)⊃━━☆ﾟ.*･｡

With no change of clothes required you put on a special harness and helmet and after you take a safety class on how to ride, you just wait for your turn to go! We had wind on the day of the shoot, so they put a cape on me to adjust the speed.

▼I could feel the wind as I glided through, and it felt so exhilarating!!!

I was a bit nervous because of the height at first, but it was fine once I started gliding! I could enjoy an elegant walk over the ocean. ^ ^It was exhilarating beyond my imagination and it was a 250-meter journey that made me think “I want to go on it again!”♪

▼This is how it looks like on a sunny day!

There are some places where you can do zipline in Japan but zipline going over the ocean in Japan is only available here at “Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort”!!! It’s a must have experience activity for the next Okinawa trip（╹◡╹）

＜General information of PANZA Okinawa＞

Close to the bus stop!
Take a rest at RAINBOW CAFÉ

The fifth spot is about a 10 second walk from the bus stop “Sun Marina Beach Mae” by Okinawa Airport Shuttle!

It is a perfect café to stop by while you wait for your bus.

▼It’s called “RAINBOW CAFÉ”

At RAINBOW CAFÉ, you can take colorful pictures from the inside to outside of the café anywhere. It’s a café that’s great to take pictures at in Onnason! On hot days, go inside the air conditioned room and on cool days, it is recommended to sit at the terrace and relax.

▼Everywhere, it’s colorful ^o^

At the left back is Rose-holic (\500), at the right back is Mango-holic (\500), at the left front is Custard pudding (\650), and right front is Rainbow pudding (\800).

＜General information of RAINBOW CAFE＞

We introduced 3 spots at the bus stop “Sun Marina Beach Mae” by Okinawa Airport Shuttle♪

All spots are within about 3 minutes walks from the bus stop so please definitely visit when you take the Okinawa Airport Shuttle（╹◡╹）

Let’s go to the next destination!

Departing Sun Marina Beach Mae: 4:14 p.m.
Arriving Halekulani Okinawa Mae: 4:45 p.m.

For the last and sixth spot,

We introduce a new bus stop of Okinawa Airport Shuttle.

▼ It’s a bus stop that opened in July 2019

”Halekulani Okinawa Mae”

“Halekulani Okinawa” that’s in the name of the bus stop is a hotel that just opened on July 26th, 2019.

“Halekulani” means “House Befitting Heaven” in Hawaiian.

It is originally a luxury hotel facing Waikiki beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, known for being honeymoon destinations. With more than 100 years of history built in Hawaii, the hospitality at “Halekulani” is the very best. And now, “Halekulani” has opened the second hotel in Onnason, Okinawa!

Please visit the hotel to stay over or have meals♪

Departing Halekulani Okinawa Mae: 5:57 p.m.
Arriving Naha: 7:46 p.m.

I toured around 6 spots on the Okinawa Airport Shuttle and returned to “Asahibashi station Naha bus terminal” in Naha（╹◡╹）

How was the day trip by bus to Onnason??

When returning from northern regions, you can get off at 3 bus stops in total including Asahibashi station Naha bus terminal as well as Naha airport domestic/international terminal♪

Travelers to Okinawa who think “I don’t have a car but I want to enjoy the north” overwhelmingly support the Okinawa Airport Shuttle. If you don’t have any plan to rent a car, it’s very convenient so please take advantage of it for your next trip to Okinawa. ^ ^

Okinawa Airport Shuttle travels to not only Onnason but Nagoshi which is further north and Motobucho where there is Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. （╹◡╹）

*Inside the bus, guides in Chinese, Korean, and English are available.

▼For more details about Okinawa Airport Shuttle: