A pioneering hike guided by the palawa Indigenous community offers a deeper, nuanced perspective on Tasmania, Australia’s island state.
The wukalina Walk is a three night, four day Aboriginal guided coastal walk based around the stunning natural landscape of the larapuna (Bay of Fires) and wukalina (Mt William) areas in North East Tasmania, the cultural homeland of the palawa. The palawa are the only group of humans to evolve in isolation for over 10,000 years, so their culture and heritage is distinctively different from Australia’s mainland Aboriginal cultures, both in traditional times and since European occupation.
While traversing national parkland and reserve landscapes across larapuna (Bay of Fires) and the rugged beauty of wukalina and larapuna Bay of Fires, travellers will spend two nights in bespoke palawa inspired (domed) huts and one night in the Lighthouse Keepers Cottage at larapuna/Bay of Fires. Guests will be immersed in palawa culture and community and participate in cultural practices that have been handed down for hundreds of generations.
The experience provides a rare opportunity to walk with palawa guides in the footsteps of their traditional people. Guests sit in a semicircle around a campfire, listening to stories and learning ancient crafts. The palawa people did not document their history in books nor was it kept in museums, their tradition was an oral one and the landscape is their museum.
Explore the beauty of the Daintree Rainforest, with a local Aboriginal guide on Walkabout Cultural Adventures.
There is no better way to experience the region, one of the best biologically diverse rainforests in the world, and only place where two natural World Heritage sites meet – the Far North Queensland coastline and Great Barrier Reef meeting the edge of the Daintree Rainforest.
Your guides offer insight into the marine life along the beautiful coastline of the Port Douglas area and reveal local swimming spots in the rainforest. Juan, the owner is a Kuku Yalanji man from the Daintree Mossman area, with plenty of local bush knowledge and Aboriginal history to share. His aim is to preserve the knowledge and continue the connection between the people and the land by interacting with visitors and sharing the Kuku Yalanji history and cultural practises.
Experience the unique cultural connection to the land. Learn to throw a traditional fishing spear and have a taste of seasonal bush tucker, while seeing the best attractions on a half day or full day tour. The full day tour includes a guided rainforest walk, visit to Mossman Gorge and other culturally significant areas.
Cape Maeda is known by local Okinawans as a soul healing spot. The cape, which is located on the west coast of the main island is a coral plateau where huge rocks lie amongst the tip of the cape with a raised coral reef surrounded by Okinawa’s crystal-clear waters.
Scuba divers from across the world are attracted by this fascinating location with its calm sea and the undulating geographical features below. The reef’s shallow area has a sudden downfall, which is one of the many reasons scuba divers visit. There is also a variety of fish to see including flying fish, butterfly fish, damselfish, and clownfish.
One of the must-see spots at Cape Maeda is the Blue Cave (Kumagaa Gama) which is located just below the cliff. In the cave, the ocean sparkles with a stunning cobalt blue colour. It can become quite crowded but is definitely worth the effort. If you don’t wan to be swamped by other snorkellers and swimmers a weekday visit is an option.
If diving is not your thing, you can also access the cave with kayaks so that you can also enjoy the scenery. If time permits, the sunset from the cape is also equally as stunning and worth witnessing. With an abundance of natural beauty, centuries old Ryukyu culture and many untouched regions to explore, Okinawa makes for an ideal post pandemic escape.
Known as the Oriental Galapagas, the sub-tropical Forest of Yanbura is filled with many endemic species of birds, indigenous animals and plants and surrounded by mangroves, waterfalls, and indigenous wildlife. Yanbaru is the perfect destination to immerse yourself in an idyllic and uncrowded landscape.
Nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Yanbaru spans the northern villages of Higashi, Kunigami, and Ōgimi and contains some of the last large surviving tracts of subtropical rainforest in Asia. Take one of Yanbaru’s many hiking trails to enjoy the subtropical flora such as the Okinawa Chestnut, the small-leafed Banyan tree, many ferns and orchids, living fossil cycads, and the famous towering Okinawa Urajirogashi tree on Mt. Ibudake.
Okinawa is a treasure trove of wild birds and a sanctuary for bird watchers. The Okinawa rail, or “Yanbaru Kuina” in Japanese, is the rarest of all and was registered as a Natural Monument of Japan. This wild bird only lives within the Yanbaru region and unlike other birds, it cannot fly and so it has to jump up into the trees to sleep.
Visitors can explore the mangroves by taking its elevated walkways or for those more adventurous can partake in a guided kayak tour on the calm waters of Gesashi River. Night hiking tours are also available.
The late 13th century Nakijin Castle is a sprawling fortress located on the Motobu Peninsula of northern Okinawa Honto that represents five hundred years of Ryukyu culture and history.
Nakijin Castle was a castle of the Hokuzan’s King who ruled the area from northern Okinawa to the Amami Island region. Such is the importance of the castle that it was deemed a world heritage site in 2000.
The length of the castle wall is 1.5 kilometres, and the height is 8 meters tall at the highest place, and the scale of the entire castle makes it the 2nd biggest castle behind Shurijo Castle. The castle wall was built with the oldest known construction technique Nozura-zumi. This technique utilises the rocks’ natural shape to pile them up giving the wall a rough, natural appearance. The stones appear to be piled up randomly, but the technique makes use of stone groupings and gravity to create a resilient wall.
Spend half a day exploring the ruins and walking across the undulating wall, soaking up the rich history and surroundings. Take in the stunning view of the East China Sea. There is also the Nakijin Village History and Culture Center with a small museum displaying items unearthed on the castle grounds, such as Chinese pottery, coins and documents.
It’s no surprise that Okinawa is one of the world’s five “Blue Zones” of longevity meaning that thousands of centenarians live healthy, (currently more than 400) happy lives in the middle of peaceful and abundant nature consuming a healthy diet.
With very low rates of cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, Okinawans incorporate three key elements that support their healthy diet: the approach to food, simple recipes and superfoods.
In Okinawa, a healthy diet is considered to have the same benefits of traditional medicine and a balanced diet leads to having a healthy body. The simple yet nutritious recipes provide Okinawans with a good nutritional balance. With Okinawa blessed by the sun and sea, there are many superfoods grown locally that are key to their diet, including shekwasa citrus fruits, umibudou seaweed, purple sweet potato, shima tofu, mozuku seaweed are key to this.
The famed farm-to-table restaurant Emi no Mise in the town of Ogimi specialises in the culture of Okinawan longevity cooking. A must try is the Choujuzen ‘longevity food-lunch’, which is nutritionally rich in superfoods such as mozuku, goya, shikuwasa and local fruits and vegetables. When you finish your meal, don’t forget to say Kusunaibitan (that was good medicine)!
Located in Japan’s tropical southern islands, Keramashoto National Park in the Okinawa Prefecture is an island paradise with blue seas, pristine sandy beaches, and whales waiting offshore.
With more than 30 large and small islands and countless rock reefs, Keramashoto National Park’s feature is its beautiful glistening sea, referred to locally as “Kerama Blue”. One of the most popular attractions at Keramashoto is snorkelling with sea turtles. Take a snorkelling tour led by a local guide and experience sea turtle behaviour – you’re almost certain to encounter a sea turtle every time!
As well as its natural beauty and plethora of activities, the Kerama Islands also offers visitors an opportunity to experience traditional island customs and culture. Known for their delicious local food, Okinawans also have a custom called yuntaku where family and friends gather in shaded places to chat and relax, and visitors can experience their own “island time” as they admire the idyllic landscape.
There are several walking tours available where you can enjoy the tropical scenery of the Kerama Islands or soak up the stunning view of the Kerama Blue from Aka Ohashi Bridge and Geruma Bridge. Spectacular scenery includes Rhododendron scabrum in the early spring, Japanese bayberry, and the Kerama Blue viewed from Aka Ohashi Bridge and Geruma Bridge. You may encounter Kerama deer, and other animals as well as humpback whales, and sea turtles on your journey.
Whale watching at a rare breeding ground for humpback whales is also a major drawcard at Keramashoto National Park. Observe mother whales raising their calves and watch in awe at their impressive performances from aboard a boat.
No trip to Keramashoto National Park is complete without stand up paddle boarding at sunset enjoying up the Kerama blue. If balancing is an issue for you, soak it up from the shore!
Explore the Japanese alps of Chubusangaku National Park and discover breathtaking mountains covering the entire Northern Alps region of Japan.
Chubusangaku National Park is made up of a number of mountains rising 3,000 meters above sea level. To acquaint yourself with the area, an eco-tour from Taisho Pond to Kappa Bridge with a local guide is highly recommended and you’ll get an insider’s perspective about Kamikochi’s nature.
Mountain hiking tours of the Japanese Alps and group tours are also available and many tracks are accessible via public transportation and visitors can enjoy a view of the mountainous landscape and observe various alpine animals and plants without any strenuous hiking.
For something special for the whole family, the frozen Zengoro Falls; one of the Three Waterfalls of Norikura, at night is a must visit! The night tour includes lighting equipment to illuminate the frozen waterfall and the spectacular scenery accessible only with snowshoes.
For those who can’t let go of creature comforts can enjoy high-quality local food and drinks amidst nature with a personalised star-gazing tour. The restaurant (yes you read correctly), is located in the lush nature of Chubusangaku National Park, and guests can relish in delicious alcoholic beverages made from nature’s bounties in the mountains and meals prepared with local ingredients.
A snowshoeing tour of the snow-covered Alps is available dependent on the weather and snow conditions, but the Kamoshika (Serow) ski slope course, which is 1,700 meters above sea level, is a popular choice, as well as the frozen Hirayu. After a hard day snowshoeing, refresh the body and soul in the free-flowing hot spring water of Hirayu Onsen.
For amazing views, take the Shinhotaka Ropeway, running in the Alps and located in Okuhida Onsengo Hot Spring Village, famous as one of Japan’s best onsen resorts.
Ise-Shima National Park is a natural marine park that features the historical site of Ise Jingu Grand Shrine and the picturesque coastal route on Shima Peninsula, located in Mie prefecture in Western Japan.
Ise Shima National Park is a combination of natural beauty combined with ancient tradition and age-old cultural practices. The interaction between people and nature is profound in the region and can be observed in the ancient tradition of the female ama divers. The ama is a 3,000-year tradition where divers free dive into the water from a boat to gather shellfish and seaweed. For an extra treat, you can enjoy a seafood lunch grilled by ama divers in an ama style hut.
Toba contains Mikimoto Pearl Island, which offers a pearl museum and demonstrations by its famous ama divers, as well as the Toba Aquarium. In Kashikojima, there are boat trips around Ago Bay and for a wider view of the 60-plus small islands, head to the Yokoyama Observation Deck, which is accessible by taxi or a 40-minute walk.
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For those wishing to experience the essence of Shinto and Ise Jingu’s 2,000 years old-history must visit the Grand Shrine with its 125 shrines centered in and around Ise City. Surrounded by a dense forest of Japanese cypress, the Naiku (Inner Shrine) is most sacred and is reached by crossing Ujibashi bridge. In Shinto culture crossing that bridge symbolises leaving daily life behind and entering the spiritual world.
In the town of Ise, just a short walk from Ujibashi bridge, is the historic main street of Oharai-machi, once the main pilgrimage route leading to Ise Jingu during the Edo Period. The street is lined with Edo-era wooden buildings with many restaurants and shops. Try the Akafukumochi, a rice cake topped with a sweet red bean paste, which has been sold to worshippers on their way to Ise Jingu for more than 300 years.
Japan’s second largest National Park Bandai-Asahi includes the Three Mountains of Dewa, the Asahi, Iide, Azuma, and Adatera Mountain Ranges, Mt. Bandai, and Lake Inawashiro.
The national park has many mountains suitable for climbers of all levels with stunning scenery, hot springs, skiing in the winter months, and many other leisure activities for all ages.
The Three Mountains of Dewa are famous as places of mountain worship and historical importance. Azuma, Adatera Mountain Ranges, and Mt. Bandai feature stunning and rugged landscapes created by volcanic activity as well as beautiful, diverse scenery formed by lakes, ponds, and forests of various sizes. Urabandai is known for its various species of wild birds and visitors can enjoy birdwatching all year round.
From late April to early November the best way to get around Lake Sohara and take in the stunning sunken forest is by kayak. The tranquility of the area can be fully appreciated on kayak and it’s the only lake in Urabandai where power boats are not allowed. Lake Hibara also has canoes for hire.
From mid December to mid-March, and at 680 meters above sea level, Mt. Bandai offers powdery snow lies and a 600-meter-long sled course is available. Skiing conditions are suitable for the whole family.
The Azuma Mountains west of Fukushima City are home to the Azuma goyomatsu, a popular species of Japanese white pine for bonsai. Bonsai enthusiasts are in for a real treat as they can visit Bonsai Abe and experience ‘The Beauty of Space’ with a third generation bonsai artist.
No visit to is Bandai-Asahi National Park is complete without exploration of its two volcanoes ‒ Mt. Bandai, which last erupted in 1888; and the still active Mt. Azuma. Activities in the area include trekking, canoeing, hot springs and bonsai.
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