The concept is "Play with the island, connect with the forest" Various activities that allow you to experience the Yanbaru atmosphere

The Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa has been reborn as a space worthy of being the base for a journey to experience Yanbaru, and we welcome you as a comfortable hotel that offers a unique stay experience through a wide range of accommodation plans and a wide variety of activities that guests can select according to their various usage situations and needs.

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Yanbaru, which spreads across the northern part of Okinawa's main island, is a place rich in nature, including an area that has been registered as a World Heritage Site. In the subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests, there are clear water sources, from small streams to magnificent waterfalls, and there is a large variety of flora and fauna, including some designated as natural monuments. Okinawa has a strong image of blue seas, but the lush natural beauty of Yanbaru, which can only be experienced here, is also one of its charms. I wanted to experience the nature of Yanbaru firsthand. I tried out the adventure tour "Dokidoki Yanbaru Uncharter," which made that wish come true.

• Table of Contents
• A moment of thrill and excitement
• Learn about Yanbaru's current situation while walking through the forest
• Embodying the concept of "Play with the island and connect with the forest"

At first, my legs were a bit stiff, but once I got used to it, I had enough energy to wave to my family with the magnificent Yanbaru scenery as a backdrop.

A moment of thrill and excitement

Enjoy Yanbaru on an intense zipline and buggy tour

Located at Matayoshi Coffee Farm in Higashi Village in the northeastern part of Okinawa Prefecture, you can enjoy activities such as zip lines, buggy tours, and nature trekking in the Yanbaru natural surroundings.

Ziplines were originally developed as a way to cross valleys, and offer the exhilaration of sliding down a wire rope on a pulley. Taking advantage of the terrain, there are a total of five wire routes stretched throughout the forest. There are thorough safety measures in place so there's no need to worry, but the thrill of crossing high places can be intimidating, but once you get used to it, you'll find it easy to let go of your hands. The best part of the zipline is being able to see Yanbaru's unique plants, such as ferns and giant ferns, below you, and you'll be able to see the spectacular forest filled with abundant greenery.

Next up is the Buggy Tour, where you race around rough roads in farms and forests on a 4-wheeled buggy. It is popular because you can ride with children and it can be enjoyed by the whole family. You can feel the Yanbaru atmosphere and get intoxicated with the sense of speed. This moment of adventure will tickle your sense of adventure and you will feel like you are back in your childhood.

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The password for jumping is "GO! GO! Yanbaru!"

Muddy roads are no problem. We had a great time on the buggy tour, which children can ride in with.

Nature trekking allows you to enjoy the Yanbaru forests lined with ferns, a type of fern that grows large and evergreen.

Learn about Yanbaru's current situation while walking through the forest

Nature trekking to encounter flora and fauna

Nature trekking, where you walk through the forest accompanied by a guide, is a program that allows you to literally come into direct contact with Yanbaru's nature. As you walk along the trails on the premises, you will encounter plants unique to Yanbaru. It is also a precious moment to be touched by the scenes of life interwoven in the forest, such as the shed shells of Oshima cicadas and aconite lizards. Walk through a small mountain stream with your family and listen to the sounds of nature. You will experience a special time that you could never experience in the city.

At first glance, the Yanbaru forest appears to be a place where pure nature is nurtured, but the invasion of invasive species cannot be overlooked. During the tour, you will learn about the threats to the natural vegetation, such as the Japanese bush warbler and the American bush warbler, and uprooting and removing them is also incorporated as an activity. The true value of nature trekking is that it allows you to touch upon some of the problems that Yanbaru faces despite being a World Heritage Site, question your sustainability consciousness, and think about what the area will look like in the future.

Fusayoshi Kimura, president of Okinawa Dokidoki Tours Co., Ltd., the company behind "Dokidoki Yanba Launcher," also had this to say:

"I want people to remember their childhood and become interested in many things. This interest will lead to them researching and learning, and as an extension of that, a desire to look after nature and this forest will emerge. As guides, we want to foster an interest in nature together with our guests, and to look after it as well."

I encountered a tree lizard while walking through the forest.

Get familiar with nature that you rarely encounter in your daily life.

You can ride through the beautiful scenery in the neighborhood.

Within the hotel, you can also experience aerial yoga, where you pose while feeling the comfort of being wrapped in a hammock.

Embodying the concept of "Play with the island and connect with the forest"

The worldview nurtured together by "Dokidoki Yanbaruncher" and Oriental Hotel Okinawa

The collaboration between "Dokidoki Yanbaruncher" and Oriental Hotel Okinawa is strongly linked by the hotel's concept of "Play with the island, connect with the forest."

"I really empathize with the Oriental Hotel Okinawa's concept of 'Play with the island, connect with the forest.' In particular, with regard to 'connecting with the forest,' we want to play a role in serving as a gateway to spark interest in forests, starting with the activities at the hotel. For those whose only purpose up until now has been to visit Okinawa's beautiful sea, we would like to create an opportunity for them to learn at least a little about the splendor of Okinawa's forests and spark their interest. With regards to activities on the hotel grounds, we can propose new ways for guests to have fun, and for example, we hope that small children will set foot in the hotel's backyard and become interested in working at a hotel. If they have thoughts like that, I think that can be said to be one of the goals of our tours. We will continue to aim to provide tours that stay in our guests' hearts, not just in their minds." (Kimura Fusayoshi, CEO of Okinawa Dokidoki Tours Co., Ltd.)

"We want people to feel closer to Yanbaru by enjoying Okinawa and experiencing Yanbaru, while keeping with the concept of 'Play with the island, connect with the forest,' and by doing so, we want people to feel that it is something they are familiar with. At the same time, we always try to keep in mind the importance of protecting the environment and the risks that may arise from it being damaged. We discussed with Kimura that the guided tours would include explanations about native and invasive species, and we have also included an experience of eradicating invasive plants. Another thing we are concerned about is whether or not it allows people to return to their childhood. The charm of Okinawa lies in the relationship between people and nature. In that process, we would like to continue to create an exciting sense of discovery, where people can discover things they have never seen before." (Yamaguchi Naohiro, Oriental Hotel Okinawa)

In the thoughts of both parties, we can get a glimpse of the future of services that connect with the Yanbaru forest. Hopes are high that in the future, activities that allow people to enjoy and cherish the Yanbaru forest will be developed.

Exciting Yanbaruncher

They develop adventure tours that allow you to experience nature while enjoying the Yanbaru forest. They implement programs that allow you to experience Okinawa's nature and culture while experiencing buggy tours, zip lines, and nature trekking, and also engage in social contribution activities such as eradicating invasive species. They offer activities in Higashi Village in the north of Okinawa Prefecture, Yomitan Village in the center, and Itoman City in the south.

Dokidoki Yanbarunchar Official Website (For inquiries, please click here)