We spent a beautiful weekend in Okinawa, an island south of Japan. Had we known, we would’ve been here earlier and back many times. On a sunny day, the waters along the coast were emerald blue. The drive from our resort in Manza Beach to the Churaumi Aquarium was a treat in itself.

Renting a car was a great idea because everything was 45 mins to an hour away from each other. Also, tolls weren’t so bad! We’re used to paying $20 here just to get to Tokyo, but it ranged from $3-6 there for about the same distance.

We stayed at the ANA InterContinental Manza Beach Resort, and it was a magnificent spot! Surrounding the resort were the clearest waters and luscious green flora. The beach was clean and offers an aquatic playground for kids (and some adults). We even ventured for a night stroll one evening since the grounds were well lit. We did run into an area where we suspect bats were hanging about, but they didn’t bother us. (It was more like Clint was trying to bother them.)

The aquarium is pretty standard for the most part, except for their famous gentle giants: the whale sharks. It was pretty mesmerizing to watch them swim back and forth amongst sharks, rays and tons of other fish. Best of all, Emerald Beach is right outside. So once you’re done admiring ocean biota, go for a quick dip.

Now we get to the good stuff: the food! We tried really hard to stick with local offerings, but ended up enjoying mostly foreign food. Pizza in the Sky was a must for the view. The pizza was good mostly because we waited over an hour to get a table. I even managed to sneak in a nap in the car. We also found a cajun chicken joint called Warren’s Place. By all appearance, it’s truly “hole-in-the-wall;” but judging by their popularity on social media and how quickly they book up, they’re well on their way to becoming something much bigger. The chicken was delightfully tasty. The infused flavors grab on to your every tastebud. Warren wasn’t kidding when he talked about his passion for every single dish. We loved it so much, we canceled existing reservations to a teppanyaki restaurant and went back the next night. This time, we tried the sizzling steaks and a smoked duck caesar salad. I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m currently trying to find this duck so I can make my own. Yum yum yum!