South Okinawa has so many fantastic things to do. There’s some amazing scenic locations, full of culture and history. There are some great little shops and restaurants for you to try the local flavours, and of course there’s Okinawa World, famous for its giant cave as well as other attractions, such as the Habu Show – where you can see these venomous Okinawan snakes up close and personal!
First we made the trip to visit the Gushikawa Castle Ruins to learn a little bit about Okinawan culture and History. The castle exists in a network of six structures that served as a fortress to protect the southernmost point of the island from foreign invaders. The castle is estimated to have been built between the 13th and 15th centuries and features a “blowhole” which is a vertical kind of cave that connects the castle above with the sea below. This feature must have been used to transport supplies from arriving ships. Be very careful when exploring the castle grounds. The area is unmonitored and is perched on the edge of a dangerous cliff which is open to the wind and elements. This is definitely not a place to let small children wander freely! But it is beautiful and well worth the trip to take some stunning pictures.
Next we made the trip over to Nanjo City to Cafe Curcuma for some pretty great Thai food as you can see in the video. The cafe, nicknamed “Thai in the Sky” has about just as fantastic a view as we’d seen at Cape Kiyan, and a huge menu (we must have tried half of it), with the real standout being the soft shell crab (¥1,550)
It really is a huge menu, with a lot of options, so we advise taking a look at their menu before you make the trip. Lots of reasonably priced lunches, you can have a great lunch starting from about ¥1,000.
They are open every single day, weekdays from 11:00 – 17:00 (last order 16:00), weekends and holidays from 10:00 – 18:00 (last order 17:00). For more info, call the cafe directly at 098-949-1189.
Finally, we made our way to Okinawa World, to check out the Habu Show. We’d always been curious about it, and have been to the park to see the Gyokusendo cave several times but had never bought the extra ticket to the snake show. It’s called the “Habu Show” named after Habu snakes, the notorious venomous snakes native to the islands of Okinawa.
Okinawa World is a tourist theme park in Nanjo, and inside it you’ll find the Habu Park where you can see different breeds of snakes, and catch a live show five times daily at 11:00/12:00/14:00/15:30/and 16:30. The show lasts approximately 20 minutes, and answers the question “Who is faster? The Habu or the Mongoose!”
General admission to the park is ¥1,300 (¥650 for kids), and with the Habu Show included is ¥1,700 (¥850 for kids). There are group rates available, and they have many different price plans depending which attractions you are aiming to see, so we recommend checking their website before you go.
Helpful Tip for enjoying the Habu Show at Okinawa World; after you’ve exited the show, you can have your photo taken with one of the huge snakes around your neck (and you even get to choose your own snake!) Very cool and a lot of fun for kids!
Is there an Okinawa Activity you’d like to learn more about? Email us at info@okilife.jp and we’ll look into it! Our goal is to provide you with all the best information to help you better enjoy your time in Okinawa.
Key information:
Name : Gushikawa Castle Ruins
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gushikawa_Castle_(Itoman)
Address: 1730-1 Kyan, Itoman, Okinawa 901-0354
Hours : Open 24 hours
Parking : Yes
Name : Cafe Curucuma (a.k.a. Thai in the Sky)
Website : http://curcuma.cafe/menus
Address: Chinen-1190 Chinen, Nanjo, Okinawa 901-1513
Hours : Weekdays 11am-5pm, Weekend 10am-6pm
Parking : Yes
Name : Okinawa World
Website: https://www.gyokusendo.co.jp/okinawaworld/en/
Address: Maekawa-1336 Tamagusuku, Nanjo, Okinawa 901-0616
Hours : 9am-5:30pm (Last Entry, 4:30pm)
Parking : Yes
