Oh—
What's up?
It looks like JUNGLIA is finally going to open!
Hello, this is NICHI.
Today, I’ll explain how to get to JUNGLIA from Naha Airport.
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Where is JUNGLIA located?
- Is Junglia really hard to access?
- What’s the fastest way from Naha Airport?
- Summary
Where is JUNGLIA located?
Where exactly is JUNGLIA?
It’s in the northern part of Okinawa Prefecture!
Source: JUNGLIA ACCESS
It looks pretty far from the airport. How’s the access?
Honestly…
It’s really bad!!
Is Junglia really hard to access?
Seriously, is the access that bad?
Let me explain why it’s so difficult to get there.
Reason 1: There are no trains in Okinawa
Okinawa doesn’t have trains—people rely on cars.
But isn’t there a monorail?
The monorail only goes as far as the southern area of Okinawa,
so you basically can’t use it to reach the northern area.
Below is the route from the monorail’s last station to JUNGLIA.
Wow, that’s far…
Reason 2: Very few buses
But at least there are buses, right?
There are, but there aren’t many buses, and because the roads are crowded, they rarely run on schedule.
Also, while there’s a highway bus from Naha Airport about once per hour,
it doesn’t go directly to JUNGLIA,
so you have to transfer to a local bus along the way.
Maybe in the future there’ll be direct shuttle buses to make it easier.
Reason 3: Narrow roads
So basically renting a car is the only option…
But the roads to JUNGLIA are very narrow, so you can expect traffic jams.
Most likely, you’ll have to take the road below, which only has one lane each way.
Source: Google Map
Looking at Street View, it really does look narrow…
What’s the fastest way from Naha Airport?
So in the end, what’s the best way to get there?
Personally, I recommend these three options:
① Take a ferry from Naha Port to Motobu Port, then a shuttle bus
Taking a boat? That’s unexpected…
As I mentioned, the roads are expected to be heavily congested,
so if speed is your priority, the ferry is the fastest option.
However, if you plan to stay at a hotel in the north afterward,
it might be inconvenient for moving around…
② Take a ferry with your rental car OR rent a car at the port
Another boat…
If you have a rental car, it’s much easier to move between JUNGLIA, your hotel,
and other attractions like the Churaumi Aquarium.
③ Drive early in the morning OR late at night
Finally, an option that doesn’t involve a boat…
Personally, I think driving at night and staying overnight near JUNGLIA,
then heading there early the next morning, is the best approach.
Summary
・The fastest ways to get to Junglia are either by ferry or by driving early in the morning or at night.
So there’s really no way to take a bus?
If there’s a direct shuttle bus in the future, maybe.
But I absolutely don’t recommend highway buses or local buses!
The reason is that when I tried to take a highway bus in Okinawa before,
it was so crowded I couldn’t get on.
In the end, I had to take a taxi instead.
I see…
So not only are they late, but you might not even be able to board.
Thank you for reading all the way to the end.
I hope this article is helpful for your trip.
