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[Northern Okinawa] Enjoy the ocean at Busena Marine Park! We'll introduce you to the best ways to enjoy it and the surrounding tourist facilities.

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Enjoy a day at the park, filled with the charm of Okinawa's ocean! 5 recommended sightseeing spots in the area Busena Marine Park has the only underwater observatory on Okinawa's main island, where you can see coral and tropical fish up close regardless of the weather. There is also a glass-bottom ...

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What is Busena Marine Park, where you can enjoy the crystal clear waters of Okinawa?

Busena Marine Park is located in the Busena area, which has some of the most beautiful ocean on the main island of Okinawa. Located in the underwater park zone, the waters are home to a variety of colorful tropical fish, so you can enjoy the natural beauty of Okinawa's ocean from a boat or underwater observation tower regardless of the season. A free shuttle bus runs within the park, and you can also get a ride to the underwater observation tower or the glass-bottom boat dock. The park is located on a cape and is surrounded by the ocean. It takes about 10 minutes, but we recommend walking while looking at the ocean.

Address: 1744-1 Kise, Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture

Phone number: 0980-52-3379

Opening hours: Underwater observation tower: April to October 9:00-18:00, November to March 9:00-17:30 Glass-bottom boat: April to October (every hour) 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 50 minutes (12:00 10 minutes, 50 minutes) November to March (every hour) 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 50 minutes (16:00 10 minutes, 30 minutes)

Fee:

Underwater Observatory: Adults 1,050 yen, 4 years old to junior high school students 530 yen Glass-bottom boat: Adults 1,560 yen, 4 years old to junior high school students 780 yen

Parking: 200 spaces available, free

Official website: https://www.busena-marinepark.com/english/index.html

Access to Busena Marine Park

Below is how to access Busena Marine Park using public transportation.

Access from Naha Airport

Take bus 120 bound for Naha Bus Terminal from the bus stop in front of the Domestic Passenger Terminal and get off at the bus stop in front of Busena Resort (travel time: 2.5 hours). After getting off, it is a 4-minute walk from the bus stop.

How to enjoy Busena Marine Park

From here, we will introduce how to enjoy Busena Marine Park. The highlights of the park are the glass-bottom boat and the island's only underwater observatory. Both allow you to look into the ocean, but each offers different ways to enjoy it. If you come to Busena Marine Park, be sure to try both. There are also other ways to enjoy the park, which we will introduce in more detail below.

Take a glass-bottom boat ride underwater

At Busena Marine Park, you can enjoy exploring the ocean on a whale-shaped boat. If you look inside the boat, you'll see that the bottom is entirely made of glass, allowing you to see the fish so close you can almost reach out and touch them. There is a guide on board, and the tour takes about 20 minutes to go around the crystal clear waters of Okinawa. This facility is very popular with both children and adults.

Underwater observation tower overlooking the ocean

Busena Marine Park is home to the only underwater observatory on Okinawa's main island, where you can encounter marine life regardless of the weather. The islands of Okinawa are tropical and subtropical, and are characterized by their high transparency and the abundance of colorful fish. With 24 windows on 360 degrees, you can discover rarely seen fish and look out over the beautiful coral reefs. You can see the fish up close without having to dive, so it's a must-see place to visit when you go to Okinawa.

You can also try out diving and have lunch at the cafe.

In addition to the glass-bottom boat and underwater observation tower, Busena Marine Park also has a diving shop and the Bankoku Shinryokan Cafe Terrace. If underwater strolling isn't enough for you and you want to dive, why not try out trial diving? The cafe is also perfect for a break, with a beautiful ocean right in front of you, and you can see the horizon stretching out into the distance even from inside the cafe. The cafe also has terrace seating, and during peak seasons there can be a line. It's also a great spot for a lunch break, with a menu that ranges from classic dishes like Okinawa soba to desserts.

Enjoy the subtropical plants on the way to the underwater observatory

Busena Marine Park is known for its underwater observatory and glass-bottom boat attractions, but that's not all the park has to offer. On the way to the park, you'll find subtropical plants that are rare in mainland Japan, and the numerous palm trees towering into the sky create a unique landscape. The wide variety of plants is also one of the attractions of the park, so when you travel to the underwater observatory by shuttle bus, take your time to enjoy the natural scenery unique to Okinawa.

Enjoyable even on rainy days

Busena Marine Park (underwater observation tower) is indoors, so you can enjoy it without worrying too much about the weather. If it rains during your trip to Okinawa, it may be difficult to enjoy the beach, but Busena Marine Park is a great place to visit at such times. It's a good idea to check the weather forecast for your trip and make it a tourist spot for days when the weather is a little uncertain. One of the attractions of Busena Marine Park is that you can enjoy it without any problems even on rainy days.

5 Recommended Tourist Spots Near Busena Marine Park

Next, we will introduce 5 carefully selected recommended sightseeing spots around Busena Marine Park. The Nago area where Busena Marine Park is located is also famous as a tourist destination, and there are many sightseeing spots scattered around the park. Below, we will introduce 5 particularly recommended spots, so if you have time, please visit them together.

1. Neo Park Okinawa

Source: Neo Park Okinawa official website

Neo Park Okinawa, located in Nago City, is a zoo and botanical park surrounded by rich nature. Within the vast grounds, 100 kinds of animals live in a natural environment, and you can enjoy watching them up close. In particular, in the area where the "flying cage method" is used, it is possible to observe animals such as flamingos at zero distance. A guide locomotive that is a reproduction of the light railway that once ran in Okinawa travels around the park, so you can move around while having fun.

Address: 4607-41 Nago, Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture

TEL: 0980-52-6348 Regular admission fee (special fee for special exhibitions) Adults 1,300 yen, Children 700 yen

Business hours: 9:00 ~ 17:30 (open all year round)

Website

2. Nago Pineapple Park

Source: Nago Pineapple Park Official Website

Nago Pineapple Park is a theme park where you can appreciate pineapple fields and tropical plants. If you stroll around the park in the cute "Pineapple Car" inspired by a pineapple, you will be greeted by colorful flowers and plants. After your stroll, we recommend enjoying gourmet food made with pineapples. This is a popular spot where you can see, eat, learn and enjoy pineapples.

Address: 1195 Tamemata, Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture

TEL: 0980-53-3659 Admission fee: Adults (16 years and over) 1,200 yen, Children (4 to 15 years old) 600 yen, Free for children under 4 years old

Business hours: 10:00-18:00

Website

3. OKINAWA Fruit Land

Source: Okinawa Fruit Land Official Website

The tropical orchard, where you can see rare tropical fruits, is a popular spot. Don't miss the jackfruit, the world's largest fruit, certified by the Guinness World Records. You can also interact with colorful birds and take commemorative photos. After solving the mystery in the mystery-solving adventure "Tropical Kingdom Story," enjoy tropical sweets at the fruit cafe in the garden.

Address: 1220-71 Tamemata, Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture

TEL: 0980-52-1568

Business hours: 10:00-18:00 (open all year round) General admission (tax included) Adults (high school students and above) 1,200 yen Children (ages 4 to junior high school students) 600 yen

Website

4. Orion Happy Park

Source: Orion Happy Park Official Website

Okinawa is famous for "Orion Beer." Orion Happy Park, where you can tour the beer factory, is a must-see spot for beer lovers. Another great thing about the park is that you can taste freshly brewed beer after the tour. Tour reservations can be made online or by phone. Children are not allowed to drink beer, but the factory tour alone will still be enjoyable.

Address: 2-2-1 Tonoe, Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture

TEL: 0570-00-4103

Reception hours: 9:00-17:00 *Closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays

Admission fee: Adults (18 years and over) 500 yen, Children (7 to 17 years old) 200 yen (tax included), Infants (0 to 6 years old) - 1 free per adult

Website

5. Kariyushi Beach's Marine Athletics

Source: Kariyushi Beach Official Website

Kariyushi Beach has one of the largest marine athletic facilities in Okinawa Prefecture. There are slides, trampolines, balance steps, and more, so adults can have plenty of fun too. There is also a pool, a beach with shallow waters that are incredibly clear, and plenty of marine activities, so it is especially recommended for those who want to have fun in the sea.

Address: 1996 Kise, Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture

TEL: 0980-52-4093

Opening hours: Early March to May 9:00-17:00 (Golden Week 9:00-18:00) June to September 9:00-18:00, October 9:00-17:00

Facility usage fee: Adults 2,000 yen, Children 1,000 yen (ages 4 to 12)

Website

If you're staying in Nago City, we recommend the Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa.

Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa in Nago City opened in October 2021 as a resort hotel with Okinawa's beautiful ocean as a backdrop. One of the hotel's greatest attractions is its spectacular location. You can refresh yourself and spend a blissful time while integrating with Okinawa's crystal clear blue ocean and lush nature.

The hotel interior is luxurious, the guest rooms are very sophisticated in design and facilities, and all rooms have an ocean view. In addition, the 170m-long garden pool that spreads out on a lush hill offers a panoramic view of the sunset sinking into the East China Sea. For meals, you can enjoy a variety of meals, including Japanese, Okinawan, and other international cuisines, as well as a buffet restaurant that serves Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine.

In addition, a wide variety of other activities are available, such as water activities, nature guides, and night pools, so you can enjoy Okinawa without getting bored.

Located close to the Kyoda Interchange on the Okinawa Expressway, it is easy to access not only the northern part of Okinawa but also the central and southern parts of the country, making it the perfect hotel for active tourism in Okinawa. Why not spend a special time at Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa and make your Okinawa trip even more fulfilling?

Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa Official Homepage

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Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa is the first resort hotel of Oriental Hotels & Resorts, and is located in the northern part of Okinawa's main island, at the entrance to Yanbaru, a region of rich subtropical forests and blue seas. It is close to the Kyoda Interchange on the Okinawa Expressway, and is 60 minutes to the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium and 20 minutes to Manzamo in Onna Village, making it an ideal hotel for active tourism in Okinawa, with easy access to not only the northern part but also the central and southern parts. All rooms have ocean views and spacious rooms (361 rooms) of over 44 m2, and in spring 2024, 288 rooms will be transformed into a space that is even more suitable as a base for traveling to experience Yanbaru. In the lobby area, where sunlight pours in and plants native to Yanbaru forests are abundantly arranged, ambient music is played in the image of the hotel's concept of "Play with the island, connect with the forest", creating a space where the immersive feeling of standing in the Yanbaru forest at night intersects with a sense of openness that is separate from everyday life. In addition to the "Amenity Base ArinKrin" where you can freely choose your amenities, we have also set up a "Lobby Lounge" that is available to all guests, as well as a "Club Lounge" exclusively for club room guests, to provide a more fulfilling stay. In addition, we have a full range of facilities and services, including a restaurant and bar that boasts a menu that uses luxurious ingredients from Okinawa Prefecture, a banquet hall, and a chapel. Since its opening in 2005, the Okinawa Marriott Resort & Spa has been used by many domestic and international guests as a pioneer of overseas hotel brands in the Okinawa region, and has been rebranded and reopened as the Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort Spa on Friday, October 1, 2021.

The information presented in this article is based on the time it was written. Note that there may be changes in the merchandise, services, and prices that have occurred after this article was published. Please contact the facility or facilities in this article directly before visiting. Some of our articles contain affiliate links. We kindly ask our readers to exercise careful judgement when making a purchase or booking a service online.

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