Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the Iriomote Onsen (
西表島温泉
). The hotel is luxurious and incorporates a nature and hot
spring theme throughout the property. Room rates start at about $150 per person per night
and go up from there. That includes breakfast and dinner.
he next-door
onsen
, which is the only hot spring on Iriomotejima, may be visited
without staying at the hotel. It costs 1,500 Yen for the day. There are indoor and outdoor hot
soaking pools and steam saunas for both men and women. In the separate men's and wo-
men's quarters, people bath without swimsuits. In the common areas, where both sexes mix,
swimsuits are required. There's also a large heated outdoor swimming pool. The
onsen
is open
from 10
AM
to 10
PM
every day. Overall, this is a lovely public hot spring sited virtually in the
jungle. If you enjoy hot springs, the Iriomote Onsen will in all likelihood be a highlight of
your stay on Iriomote.
Ōmija Roadside Park, a seaside observation deck, is reached across walkways through mangroves.
From the hot springs continue west and north about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) along Irio-
mote's northern shore to a small unnamed cape. Continue for just over a mile (2 kilometers)
across the cape (this is away from the water as it's separated by jungle), then over a couple of
small rivers to rejoin the sea along a small open bay. You'll next come to the Ōmija Roadside
Park (
大見謝ロ ードパーク
; Ōmija rōdo-pāku). It's a parking lot with a seaside observation
deck to the left and a set of stairs leading to a series of wooden walkways through a mangrove
forest to the right.
The observatory provides a nice covered shelter in which to enjoy a cool drink or lunch. It
has a lovely view of this small bay. If you also descend the steps down to the shore, you'll find
several paths through the man-groves. They're elevated above the changing tides and provide
a good look at a mangrove tidal swamp without getting your shoes wet and muddy.
From the observation deck or from the road, looking north and east over the water, you
can now see the next islet, Akabanare Island. As the crow flies, it's a little more than three-
quarters of a mile (1 kilometer) north, a little to the right, east, at the end of the bay, and just
