I’ve been wanting to place collectively an Ishigaki itinerary for a very long time. Sadly, till fairly lately, I lacked each the journey expertise and pictures to take action.
My first journey to Ishigaki, you see, was lower than charmed. I’d gone in early February a number of years again, on the advisement of a pal who had the perfect intentions. Sadly, I occurred to reach throughout one of many coldest weeks on report, throughout which a thick blanket of clouds stayed pulled over the sky actually your complete time I used to be there.
The excellent news? My newest go to to Ishigaki was shiny, sunny and scorchingly sizzling. The higher information? I’m about to share suggestions with you that can aid you get pleasure from your Ishigaki journey, irrespective of the cardboard you attract climate roulette.
The place to Keep in Ishigaki
On condition that issues to do in Ishigaki are scattered everywhere in the island, in addition to the truth that renting a automotive is your greatest technique of accessing them, location just isn’t a vastly essential issue in the case of selecting a spot to remain. With this being stated, probably the most reasonably priced (or at the least, the best-value) lodging are situated within the Ishigaki Port space. I’ve personally loved staying on the Resort WBF Ishigaki, though loads of comparable motels supply an identical expertise at a comparable worth.
If you happen to do determine to remain close to one in all Ishigaki’s wonderful seashores, I like to recommend looking for a trip rental property on Airbnb or an identical web site. In any other case, you’ll solely discover costly resort properties corresponding to Membership Med Diver’s Resort close to Kabira Bay. These are lovely and definitely worth the cash in case you have it; in case you don’t, nonetheless, there’s no sense in even contemplating a keep at one in all them. My Ishigaki journey information just isn’t about breaking the financial institution!
What to Do in Ishigaki
Marvel at the great thing about Kabira Bay
Many well-known locations in Japan reside as much as the hype constructed up round them—and Kabira Bay isn’t any exception. Certainly, even beneath the grey skies of my first go to to Ishigaki, the water right here was virtually fluorescent! Seeing it beneath sunny, blue skies is a completely transcendental expertise. Notice that whilst you can’t swim right here, glass-bottom boat rides permit you to see beneath the ocean in spellbinding element.
Hit Ishigaki’s open street
Though many of the issues to do in Ishigaki are situated alongside bus routes, seeing the island this manner requires loads of endurance and planning. A better possibility is to hire a automotive, which can permit you to string collectively an itinerary in a number of hours. I like to recommend getting your automotive on the airport after you arrive, then driving to Tamatorizaki Commentary Platform and Hirakubozaki Lighthouse earlier than touring west alongside the north coast to Kabira.
Take a ship to Taketomi (or elsewhere)
Like Okinawa’s most important island, Ishigaki just isn’t merely a single vacation spot however the heart of an archipelago—on this case, the Yaeyama Islands. Whereas most day-trippers head to bucolic Taketomi Island, well-known for its water buffalo, different choices exist. Most alluringly, the considerably far-off Hateruma Island presents what are in all probability the perfect seashores in Ishigaki aside from Kabira Bay itself.
Achieve the next perspective
One other one in all my favourite issues to do in Ishigaki is to see it from above. (TIP: This begins on the airplane. Get a window seat, ideally on the fitting aspect!) Different locations to absorb superior views exist, in fact, from Banna Park on the principle island not removed from the port, and Ufudaki Commentary Deck on Kohama Island, which is accessible by a number of direct, 30-minute ferry rides every day.
Dig into iconic Yaeyama delicacies
As is the case on the principle island of Okinawa, Ishigaki’s most well-known delicacies is its native variation on soba, made with tender pork meat and a wealthy broth that jogs my memory a little bit of Fukuoka’s tonkotsu. Different well-known gadgets embody umi no budou (“sea grapes”) and tempura-fried kombu seaweed. And naturally, no journey to wherever in Okinawa could be full with out a scoop of Blue Seal Ice Cream.
Is Ishigaki Price Visiting?
For a very long time, I couldn’t truthfully reply this query. Though there have been many issues I loved about my journey to Ishigaki with less-than-ideal climate, the truth is which you could’t precisely assess a tropical island in case you’ve solely visited it throughout a chilly, wet interval. Which leads me to my first level: If it seems just like the climate in Ishigaki goes to be terrible while you go—and assuming you’ve some flexibility—I’d extremely advocate shifting your journey there.
Certainly, though I’ve tried to make this text as various as doable, the truth is that the majority issues to do in Ishigaki heart across the seashore. And whilst you may have the ability to get a tan from UV rays alone, seashores (particularly ones with water as stunningly lovely as Ishigaki’s!) merely don’t look—or really feel—pretty much as good on days when the solar isn’t brightly shining, and when the air isn’t sticky and thick.
Different FAQ About Visiting Ishigaki
What’s Ishigaki identified for?
Ishigaki is understood for its unbelievable seashores, together with the Kabira Bay UNESCO World Heritage web site. Curiously, you possibly can’t swim right here as a result of environmental safety causes, though you possibly can take glass-bottom boat rides, and scuba dive if you’re licensed and journey with a certified information.
How do you get round Ishigaki island?
Ishigaki doesn’t have any trains, though it does have a fairly practical public bus community. Nonetheless, in case you can afford it (and in case you have a world driving allow, or IDP) I might advocate renting a automotive. This gives you a a lot higher deal of flexibility, and permit you to make extra environment friendly use of your time on the island.
How far is Ishigaki island from Okinawa?
Ishigaki is round 250 miles or 400 km from Okinawa’s most important island, because the crow (or airplane) flies. This interprets right into a flight time of round an hour. Though you possibly can technically journey between the areas by boat, I might advocate looking flights between OKA-ISG, fairly than contemplating an extended sea journey.
The Backside Line
Though many an Ishigaki itinerary heart across the island’s unbelievable seashores, they’re not the one recreation on the town. Particularly, discovering scrumptious Yaeyama delicacies and mountaineering on Ishigaki and its surrounding islands supply success past solar and surf. If you happen to haven’t already been by the point you go to Ishigaki, I’d additionally extremely advocate visiting Okinawa’s most important island, itself a really worthwhile vacation spot. Need to make your individual sojourn to Ishigaki? Contemplate hiring me to plan your journey.