Christian's Travel Blog

Camping for two weeks at Yaeyama islands passed quickly. Whereas I was weatherwise somewhat lucky on Iriomote-jima, the Inoda Campground on Ishigaki-jima confirmed to be on the wet eastcoast - 5 days and a grey rainy sky did not allow for one morning sunrise shot. Yesterday I had my one-hour flight to Naha, Okinawa, up north. There are no more ferries these days connecting the Yaeyamas with Okinawa. And my plan was to walk straight to Tomari port to catch the last ferry to Zamami-jima, my next remote camping destination. Rushing in rain from Miebashi monorail station to Tomari port, the ticket office was closed ... and the last ferry departed 20 minutes ago. A late plane and wrong departure information upfront, and you find yourself on a rainy day in search for a cheap place to stay. I have to add here, that I do not have a local sim-card to access internet ... hence walking out there into a grey, wet late afternoon. Yep, moral was low. Finally I deci

Iriomote-jima has three campgrounds. One down south at Haemida Beach - right there where the road ends and the jungle takes over. There's no bus and you'll need to walk about 6km from Ohara ferry port. It's surely basic with no electricity, nor showers. In addition the next mini-market is back in town. Hoshizuna Campsite on the upper side of the island was my first choice, mostly because of its location just above the star-sand beach and a restaurant nearby (that also manages the campground). Indeed, the location as well as the garden setting didn't disappoint. But again, for an individual backpacker without a campgear stuffed car, no good deal. There's no covered space, nor any table set. No electricity outlet (except one lamp in the only toilet) either. And to take hot shower you have to be in time (during limited opening hours of the restaurant). So I moved to Mitorea Camping, about 2km from the ferry port and shops at Uehara. There's

Although I toured the globe with a tent in my backpack for decades - preferably on my motorbike - this is my first camping experience in Japan. I spent now two weeks on Iriomote-jima and Ishigaki-jima at three out of five listed campgrounds. Three campsites are on Iriomote and two on Ishigaki, whereas the supposed best located campground on Yonehara Beach continues to be closed since last year. Don't be fooled, as still a busline 'Yonehara Campground Line' runs daily from the airport to the west coast. Therefore Inoda Auto Campground was the only option on Ishigaki - spacious and directly located in dense native bush right at Inoda Beach. There is a reception and reasonable facilities, like a sanitation block with hot showers, covered cooking facilities and a mini-shop. End of March temperatures are still around 20 degrees and weather - probably all year round - is rather changeable. Too early for swimming, except you have a wetsuit for some of the b

On my last visit to Japan a visit to Iriomote-jima was on my radar - however, the Covid pandemic affected not only my travel plans. The thought wasn't lost, especially when a few months ago an episode by 3Sat documentary program 'Universum' provided an impressive inside to the subtropical jungle island and its unique hidden gems. And one of them definitely is 80-years old textile designer Akiko Ishigaki, known and widely acclaimed for her traditional weaving techniques. Unfortunately I had no appointment and started this morning by chance a trip to Kuuru Koubou, a hidden place settled between the sea, mangroves along river Urauchi and dense vegetation. 'Yes, this must be her workshop', I thought immediately when approaching a house under a big shaddy tree and lots of small artifacts. 'If I might meet her and not bother her in showing up with not much more than my admiration and respect?' I found myself alone in a place of

Iriomote-jima is almost fully covered by dense subtropical jungle. And one of the highlights to come that far south is the Iriomote Crossing Jungle Trail. The trail literally crosses the island from northwest to southeast, and its a full day hike in subtropical jungle conditions. Starting point usually is up north at the Urauchi river, catching the first tourboat up 4km along mangroves to the picturesque waterfalls. And here also ends the sightseeing trip, as from here the trail up along the wild riverbed will wind through dense jungle for about 13km and an additional 7.5km gravelroad to the opposite side of Iriomote-jima. Eventually you have to register and apply for a permit to enter and cross the National Park and Conservation Area. However, I was lucky to meet two young Japanese backpackers - Taketo and Yoshiyuki - that already organised their entrance permit and were ready to start early next morning. Kindly they accepted to join them ... and of

2020 - when Covid19 crossed my travel plans and suddenly flights between Europe and Japan got cancelled - I thought it is a surprise invitation to discover some of the remote islands stretching from Kyushu down south close to Taiwan. Wishful thinking - the 'New Normal' asked people to limit movement within their own prefecture. Eventually, the remote islanders themselves asked not to visit. Probably the frightening images from Europe made them aware of their own situation - a mostly elderly small population on remote islands with limited healthcare facilities, hospitals not to mention. Well, the pandemic waves passed and the health system could handle the situation, as no tourists from the main islands were to show up for two years. However, small remote islands - green dots surrounded coral reefs in deep blue sea - these days mainly receive their income from tourism. So far, so bad, as on my visit now in 2023, a soft landing for local tourism by a natio

A solo traveler too needs protection from evil spirits - be it from jellyfish in tropical coral gardens, Habu snakes on a trail in dense rainforest, or be it simply an exotic food experience. However, long before offering me that 'good luck charm', the Shīsā Lion Dog has been tasked in the Ryukyu kingdoms to prevent evil from coming into a home. Already at that time construction of buildings was restricted by rank. Encircled by a coral limestone wall and trees, a classic wooden house has a ceramic tiled roof and is raised off the ground. In addition it is surrounded by an overhanging roof for protection and air circulation to enhance living quality. Nowadays concrete buildings substitute the classic residences, but the farer you depart from the main island Okinawa, you'll still find those structures fit into their environment - some of them built before the Meiji period.

Okinawa - by some compared as Japan's Hawaii - is known to most travelers to Asia and Japan in particular. It is also the favourite destination for Japanese tourists in the Ryukyus. They get what they look for - a well developed and convenient sub-tropical holiday paradise. But maybe it's only due to lack of time, as the entire island chain of some 150 islands streches over more than 1.000 km from the southern end of Kyushu to Taiwan. The Ryukyus itself are locally better known by its regional archipelagos, like the Osumi Islands, Amami Islands, Okinawa Islands, and down South the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands. So maybe it is good to have a rough guide of the journey in your mind, and it is obvious that you need time. Especially when the starting point is solotravel, backpacking and camping, whereever possible. A rough guide is not that difficult, as 'island hopping' in the Ryukyus is nowadays as simple as reliable - mostly by ferry, and larger dist

2020 ... the year my travel experience entered a new dimension, as i got locked up for 7 months in Japan. More precise, in Fukuoka - as traveling the country was out of question and flights between Asia and Europe were literally stopped. But there's always a good surprise. The planned first visit of my siblings to Japan was cancelled, but I was rewarded to extend my time with my wife ... yep, she's living in the modern city of Fukuoka to take care for her elderly parents.  2023 ... I'm back to Fukuoka ... the borders recently were opened to foreigners. And this time it's travel time - not only Japanese are keen to see spring and 'Sakura' arriving down south. Although with a closed airspace over Russia and Ukraine the route takes a large U-turn. The Ryukyu Islands - a vast number of mostly tiny sub-tropical islands streching over 1000 km from Taiwan up to Kyushu - are on my agenda. Not for a short luxury holiday in Okinawa, but a 'trip into the wi