For Star Navigator’s shore excursions, Naha is the one I’m most enthusiastic about. The primary cause is that it has white, sandy, tropical seashores—a spot I don’t normally affiliate with Japan. And second, being a part of Okinawa Prefecture, it’s so remotely positioned it’s really nearer to Taiwan than mainland Japan—a spot that the majority vacationers should not simply in a position to entry. Naha is thus far; it really took us greater than a day and a half to achieve it from Kumamoto.
BOOKING A STAR DREAM CRUISES TOUR
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| MORNINGS ABOARD THE STAR NAVIGATOR |
StarDream Cruises is the brand new branding for Resorts World Cruises. It has since reverted to its basic names, Star Cruises and Dream Cruises.
Star Cruises presents one of the vital reasonably priced cruises in Southeast Asia. It has two ships, the Star Voyager and the Star Navigator—which we’re presently on.
Reserving a cruise is straightforward. Take a look at the steps under:
1. Head over to the Star Dream Cruises web site.
2. Click on on “Offers”, then select “Present Offers”.
3. Select a ship you wish to cruise on.
4. Click on “Any Vacation spot” or any particular vacation spot you wish to go to.
5. Select your most well-liked departure port.
6. Select the month you wish to cruise.
Notice that additionally they have quite a few promos which you could avail proper earlier than testing—like a free or discounted reserving for the second particular person becoming a member of the cruise. Charges begin at USD 379.00.
You may also get an extra low cost through the use of my low cost code: lakadpilipinas (small caps, case-sensitive).
One of many issues I actually like about their cruises is that there’s completely no must get a Japanese or Korean VISA (besides for his or her Busan cruise) to affix their Japan and South Korea cruise.
➤ CHECK OUT: STAR NAVIGATOR CRUISE REVIEW
NAHA CRUISE TOURS
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| WAKASA SEASIDE PARK SCULPTURE IN NAHA |
Situated on the island of Okinawa, Naha is the capital metropolis of the Okinawa prefecture. It’s the third and final vacation spot for our 6D5N cruise through StarDream Cruises’ Star Navigator. After this leg, we’ll be crusing again to Keelung in Taiwan to lastly finish our cruise.
For this leg, Star Cruises presents 5 bundle excursions—which in cruise terminology are known as shore excursions, or shorex.
Notice that for this explicit cruise, the Naha excursions are fairly quick—like half-day quick—because of the lengthy distance and time it takes to get from Kumamoto to Naha.
Once more, these excursions require a separate price from the one you paid for the cruise itself. DIY excursions are allowed—simply remember to be again on time, lest the ship depart with out you.
Beneath are the Naha excursions presently provided by the Star Navigator:
Superb Naha: Grownup NTD1,500 / Youngster NTD1,500
Gyokusendo Kingdom Village Tour: Grownup NTD1,900 / Youngster NTD1,700
Highlights of Naha: Grownup NTD1,700 / Youngster NTD1,500
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium: Grownup NTD2,200 / Youngster NTD2,000
Cultural & Buying in Okinawa: Grownup NTD1,900 / Youngster NTD1,700
OUR TOUR: ESSENCE OF NAHA
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| WHITE HOUSES IN NAHA |
Having arrived at Naha by noon, our shore tour tour was restricted to just a few choices. And with the Shurijo Fortress—a UNESCO World Heritage Web site—closed for renovation throughout our go to, our choices additional dwindled. We took the Essence of Naha shore tour tour, which I feel StarDream Cruises has now up to date to Cultural & Buying in Okinawa.
➤ SEE: STAR NAVIGATOR KUMAMOTO SHORE EXCURSION
SHORE EXCURSION PREPARATION
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| MORNING COFFEE ON THE STAR NAVIGATOR CRUISE |
We’ve later time than typical for a shore tour day. Name time was set at 2:00PM, loads of time to get up late, take pleasure in a sluggish breakfast at my favourite spot at The Lido—the al fresco seats out again—and roam across the ship.
And since we nonetheless have a variety of restaurant credit, we determined to check out the black burger on the Blue Lagoon—effectively, simply because.
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| LAMB CHOPS AT STAR NAVIGATOR’S THE PALACE RESTAURANT |
We arrived at Okinawa’s Wakasa Cruise Terminal by noon, and with nonetheless extra time, we even received to strive a lunch buffet on the unique The Palace Restaurant. Spell premium eating!
And eventually, we’re able to line up for the final shore tour of the journey. Hey, Naha!
➤ SEE: STAR NAVIGATOR NAGASAKI SHORE EXCURSION
NAMINOUE SHRINE
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| NAHA’S HOLY NAMINOUE SHRINE |
The primary cease of the tour was a small shrine devoted to Nirai Kanai, a legendary supply of all life, and to the ocean. It’s only a few minutes away from the cruise port, and we have been quickly spilling out of the tour bus and onto the very quiet streets of Naha.
We have been requested to carry out a chozu cleaning ritual, the place we use a wood ladle to scoop water out of a chozuya basin to clean our fingers and mouth.
The temple was mentioned to have been constructed through the Ryukyu Kingdom, which was earlier than Okinawa was built-in with Japan. Nonetheless, the temple itself isn’t that grand; it’s really tiny and appears like some other temple in Japan. What it lacks in that division, although, it makes up for in location—it sits on a rocky promontory overlooking a white sandy seashore.
Nevertheless, the one technique to really see this vantage is by standing on the freeway bridge that runs parallel to the seashore. And we had no approach of doing that; I used to be in a position to take a number of seconds of video as our bus went previous it en route, however zero photos.
NAMINOUE BEACH
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| THE POPULAR NAMINOUE BEACH |
Slightly below the shrine is the seashore. I’ve visited Japan quite a few occasions, nevertheless it’s the primary time I’ve set foot on a swimmable Japanese seashore.
It’s about half a kilometer lengthy, with the Naminoue Shrine’s rock outcrop dividing it into two separate areas. The seashore has tremendous, white sand and appears fairly in style with each locals and vacationers.
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| THE STAR NAVIGATOR, DOCKED NEAR THE BEACH |
Two bridges really run parallel to the seashore, making fairly a wierd sight; however, its cerulean waters look clear and welcoming. Given extra time, I might, little doubt, be swimming in its waters already—particularly since we visited throughout Japan’s summer time months! Japanese summers are extraordinarily sizzling!
Naminoue Shrine and its seashore are a superb locations to go to should you plan on doing a DIY Naha tour. I imply, you may really see the Star Navigator from the seashore; it’s that shut!
ORION BEER
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| LIMITED-EDITION ORION BEER AT OKINANAWA |
Whereas ready for our companions to complete, I visited an area 7-Eleven and located a limited-edition Orion Beer can. I do gather beer cans, and this actually made me fairly excited. Whereas paying, I seen a Japanese couple carrying matching Orion shirts. It seems Orion beers are literally made right here in Okinawa!
➤ GET A NAHA STREET GO-KART TICKET HERE!
EN ROUTE TO SENAGA ISLAND
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| -OLD U.S. NUCLEAR MISSILE SILOS IN NAHA |
We trooped again to the bus, and we’re off to our third vacation spot, an island that was once an American navy base. Our information associated to us how the US occupied the island after the Second World Conflict and the close by space was used as a nuclear missile silo. You’ll be able to really see the silos as much as at the present time, though the missiles themselves are lengthy gone.
Senaga Island has since been returned to the Japanese they usually have now transformed the previous base to a vacationer vacation spot.
NISHI BEACH
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| THE CHILD TREASURE ROCK AT NAHA’S NISHI BEACH |
Senaga Island has two pure seashores, and it was our luck that our tour bus parked proper in entrance of 1.
The Senaga Nishi Seashore just isn’t your typical sandy seashore in that components of the shore are stuffed with tough coral stones above the sand layer.
One of the in style spots on the seashore is the Kodakara Iwa, or Youngster Treasure Rock, an outcrop that options two pure holes. It’s mentioned that {couples} who throw rocks into these holes will get a boy in the event that they get the highest gap and a lady for the underside gap. I used to be shocked that the present rock is definitely only a duplicate of the unique that was destroyed through the Battle of Okinawa throughout World Conflict II.
We noticed not a number of locals having fun with the shore with seashore blankets laid out. The seashore itself is close to the Umikaji Terrace purchasing heart and the Ryukyu Onsen Senagajima Resort, the place a pure sizzling spring is positioned.
➤ JOIN A NAHA HALF DAY SNORKELING TOUR HERE!
UMIKAJI TERRACE
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| OPEN-AIRED SHOPS AT THE UMIKAJI TERRACE |
The spotlight of our tour is the Umikaji Terrace, an open-air purchasing heart beside Nishi Seashore. Painted in white, it evokes a terraced Mediterranean construction overlooking the ocean.
The purchasing heart principally homes cute cafes, dainty eating places, and small retailers promoting extra, err… cute and dainty stuff. I can see how in style this place will be for teenagers and {couples}.
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| A SHOP INSIDE THE UMIKAJI TERRACE |
We have been really looking out for a ramen store so we might full the ramen trilogy for all of the shore excursions we did for Star Navigator, however alas, a ramen store we discovered none. In hindsight, I discovered that Okinawa has no signature ramen, however what they do have is Okinawa soba—which is similar to a ramen. Nevertheless, as I mentioned, no cube.
Umikaji Terrace can also be a great spot for planespotting, because the Naha Airport runway will be seen from its topmost stage.
ALEXANDER & SUN SHOPPING
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| A PLANE TAKING OFF AGAINST NAHA’S SUNSET |
And naturally, a shore tour can not finish with out a little bit of purchasing. For the Naha leg, we have been dropped at an remoted a part of city and right into a warehouse-like construction housing some kind of purchasing heart.
The Alexander & Solar purchasing heart is a type of vacationer traps the place vacationers are dropped off by tour operators with out a selection. The place homes the whole lot from meals and electronics, to medicines. Costs are a bit on the excessive aspect, however should you hit a specific amount, you will get a tax low cost. Sadly, there wasn’t a lot to buy, so I didn’t get a tax rebate.
Whereas looking by means of the shop, we have been wanting exterior on the incoming sundown, wishing we have been on considered one of Naha’s seashores as a substitute.
To be truthful to Star Cruises, I checked their web site, they usually have since eliminated this place from their shore tour locations.
FREE TIME
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| GROCERY SHOPPING AT THE AEON MAXVALU |
Unhappy with our purchasing expertise, we googled for a spot to buy close to the Wakasa Cruise Terminal. And since we nonetheless have an hour or so of free time, we determined to spend it on an Aeon MaxValu grocery store.
Whereas it isn’t a full-blown Aeon hypermarket—MaxValu being a small neighborhood department of Aeon—we nonetheless did have a greater time purchasing round for immediate ramens, native beer, Japanese half-calorie mayos, and spices. We met not a number of Pinoy Star Navigator workers doing their purchasing too. Apparently, with its proximity to the cruise terminal, it’s a preferred spot to buy earlier than crusing again to the ocean.
➤ SEE: TRAVELODGE NAGOYA SAKAE REVIEW
BACK ON THE STAR NAVIGATOR
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| THE STAR NAVIGATOR AT THE WAKASA CRUISE TERMINAL |
We arrived again on the Star Navigator because the solar retired. The blues of the twilight made an electrical background to the ship as we wended our approach again up.
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| ACROBATICS AT STAR NAVIGATOR’S ZODIAC THEATER |
We attended Zodiac Theater’s finale, Color My World, which was, as all the time, fairly wonderful, particularly the acrobatics.
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| A FEAST OF JAPANESE FOOD AT STAR NAVIGATOR’S UMI UMA |
And since we have been unable to have our Japanese meals repair throughout our Naha shorex, we determined to have our meals revenge at Star Navigator’s Japanese restaurant, Umi Uma. With an abundance of restaurant credit nonetheless in our title, the unfold of Japanese dishes on our desk positively greater than made up for our missed Okinawa soba.
