“It was wonderful to find myself immersed into the deep forests in Yanbaru and be soothed by the calming sounds of the creeks and rivers.”

Yanbaru National Park spreads over three villages, Kunigami, Higashi, and Ogimi, which together form the northernmost region of the island. The Hidden Jungle Tour started the first day of the Yanbaru 2-day Retreat Trip from Higashi Village that is 70% covered with Yanbaru’s subtropical forest. The name Yanbaru is written in two Chinese characters that mean “a mountain” and “a field” and can be described as “a region where the mountains stretch and forests spread.”

As we approach Yanbaru, the dark green mountain range stretches near to the coast. Small villages with old houses and tiled roofs, and traditional small shops instead of convenience stores blend in the natural scenery of the forest and sea. It’s far different from the areas in the middle and south of the island. In the deep forest, water from countless swamps and rivers flows towards the sea through numerous waterfalls. Yanbaru is also home to many animals and plants that only live here.

After a briefing by our veteran guide, Higa-san, we boarded the kayaks and headed for the hidden forest. We listened to Higa-san’s explanation about the Fukuchi Dam, the largest water reservoir in the prefecture that is built on the top of a mountain and from where water can be released directly into the sea. The surrounding forest and the blue sky were reflected on the fantastic surface of the lake like an artist’s painting as we glided along with great speed. As we went deeper into the jungle, the waterway became narrower, and subtropical plants, such as ferns, arched over the surface of the lake. We paddled our kayaks for about 30 minutes and set foot into the unexplored forest, where the untouched nature was waiting in the jungle.

“The further we paddled on the dam and the deeper we walked into the jungle, the more adventure I felt. At the same time while kayaking, I was forgetting my sense of time while enjoying the beauty of the water surface reflecting the blue sky and surrounding forests. “It was a very relaxing time,” said Miltos.

The tours that started in 2018 allow visitors to access the jungle only by kayak with a guide approved by the local council. Even in the scorching summer heat, the woods are cool, and the sounds of a mountain stream, the breeze blowing through, and the chirping of birds are pleasant in the clear air.

As Higa-san, our guide, calls, “It’s easier to climb from here,” I proceed step by step trying not to slip on a moss-covered rocky terrain.

“One of the attractions of Okinawa is that you can escape from the hectic pace of modern life and enjoy nature in an environment far from your everyday surroundings.”

In the jungle (take off where) lizards roam as if they were time-slipped from the distant past and climb on the rocks in a clear stream that flows like a small waterfall. Time to take a break by the river and eat the rice balls we brought with us.

“In Okinawa, there is often talk of fairies and trickster spirits living in these forests. They are hard to see in physical form, but you can appreciate their presence in the gentle sounds of nature and the rustling of the leaves of the trees,” Miltos says.

The forest bath seems to have refreshed me. I enjoyed the hour and a half trek. I admire the giant 100-year-old Quercus Miyagii-tree (Okinawa urashirogashi) that even several people can’t stretch their arms around and with big plate roots that can hide a full-grown man. The tour ended with a smooth kayak ride back across the dam with the sun glittering on the surface, a different experience from the morning.

Going north to Kunigami Village, feeling comfortable but tired after completing the hiking tour at Higashi, we stopped on the way at the popular Kunigami Port Shokudo, which fishermen from Kunigami Village run directly. There, we enjoyed fresh seafood sashimi and a butter grilled local fish set. “I use my fingers to eat the fish’s head and cheeks, just like in my home country,” Miltos exclaimed delighted, while enjoying the meal and talking with local patrons, as if they were warm old friends. “I felt very much at home with it,” he said.

Kunigami Village at the northernmost tip of Okinawa faces the East China Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. The village has a population of about 5,000. (add period) It’s the fifth largest village by area on the island while about 90% of it is forest. There are four forest therapy roads open throughout the year, leading to Yasuzu Mountain, which local villagers have worshipped as a holy place, Mt. Yonaha, the highest peak of the main island, Hiji Falls in the Kunigami Village Forest Park, and Yanbaru Learning Forest. Visitors can find information and make tour booking at the The Village Office. Our destination for staying in Yanbaru was “Ada Garden Hotel Okinawa” located in the northernmost part of the main island in Ada on the east side of Kunigami Village. Unlike the western area where Cape Hedo and Okuma Beach are located, the Ada area, which takes about 30 minutes by car across the mountains from the west coast to the east, is a region that locals rarely visit. That is why Yanbaru Kuina, a flightless bird and designated natural monument often inhabits the forests here.