Time of the visit: june the 26th+27th,2025

I took one of the hourly buses in Naha, Okinawa's capital, to Nago, the second biggest city on that island. My intention was to kill two birds with one stone, visiting Nago and the world heritage site. I locked my luggage in the lockers at the Nago bus station. Nago was a disappointment. Nago turned out to be a faceless little town, only the beach was really worth mentioning. Bus 67 connects Nago to the north. It had been incredibly hot until the bus departed. During the journey, it poured with heavy rain. I somehow forgot to buy a SIM card when I arrived at the airport, and afterward, I simply had no time and no possibility to buy one.I communicated with the owner of the jungle guesthouse via email, as I couldn't phone him (he didn't speak English anyway), nor did he have WhatsApp or telegram. He wanted to pick me up at the nearest bus stop, "Okuma Beach." Conveniently, the last grocery store is right next to the stop: a Family Mart convenience store. I recommend anyone following this route to stock up on drinks, food, and instant soups there.

The guesthouse turned out to be the last building before leaving civilization. I had booked a spot in the traditional common room for a small fee. There were no other guests, and I had the entire building to myself. I was offered a room, but I preferred the large common area. There were also several huts outside the main building... all fully booked... The couple who owned the place were busy preparing the many barbecues. You had to reserve food in advance.

The rain had stopped in the meantime, and the sun was peeking through occasionally. It was now well past 1:00 p.m. I wanted to walk to the waterfall, but the owner advised against it because of the heavy rain and the closed trail. Using an information board in the main building, he briefly showed me the eight(?) poisonous snakes I should watch out for. He drove me uphill in his car to the beginning of the Mount Yonaha trailhead. There were many large sticks leaning against the information board at the entrance to the jungle. The owner advised me to use one because of the snakes and drove the 12-15 minute drive back to the guesthouse. The trail was easily passable, although it was partially underwater or muddy for short stretches. It was a strange feeling walking all alone on the occasionally overgrown path, without internet or phone connection, and stalking with my walking stick through a shadowy, dark world. I didn't meet a single human soul neither on the way there nor back . I used Maps.me, which worked well, even without internet. My goal wasn't the summit but the jungle itself... I simply walked for two hours and then turned back. I made quick progress, but there was so much fascinating to see and hear that I made relatively slow progress. On top of that, the air was extremely humid after the rain. I was only wearing sandals and shorts... perhaps not the brightest idea in an area infested with leeches and poisonous snakes. At one point, I stepped into a pool of a mountain stream and took a cold bath... wonderful. Later, I thought that it hadn't been such a good idea because of possible parasites.

I heard countless animals, but saw significantly fewer: several salamanders of various sizes and species, a few birds, and a few insects. Fallen trees occasionally blocked the path. The vegetation was very dense, and you couldn't see far. After almost four hours alone in the jungle, I was back at the trailhead. From there, I walked about 35 minutes to the guesthouse, always along the paved mountain road, where I didn't see a single car. Every now and then, there were gaps in the roadside vegetation, allowing for a good view of the jungle. Surprisingly, I saw quite a few birds along the road.

I made it to the guesthouse just before sunset, grabbed a cold beer from the fridge, and made myself some hot instant soup...it was still incredibly hot and humid...and went to one of the wooden tables with a bench that stood right on a slope, so that you could see the real sea in the distance across the "jungle sea". The sunset and the view were fantastic...dreamlike and priceless...I was physically exhausted, but enjoyed one of the most enjoyable drinks and soups of my life, happy to have the privilege of seeing all of this with my very own eyes. The accommodation is unique, as no other resort/hotel/pension offers this otherworldly view. The next morning, I had a hearty breakfast there. The owner drove me back to the bus stop. I saw neither a snake nor the Okinawa rail (I saw so many birds that I'm not really sure about it, though 😁).

I would like to thank our fellow member Matejicek very much for mentioning the jungle guesthouse "Yonahadake" with its friendly owners and the magical view.https://primenet2010.biz/yonahadake

I paid around 18€ for a night in the Japanese-style room with tatami mats ..the friendly owner didn't charge me anything for the transport from and to the bus stop. An unforgettable experience. And a surprisingly easy destination to reach with public transport.