For Star Navigator’s shore excursions, Naha is the one I’m most excited about. The first reason is that it has white, sandy, tropical beaches—a place I don’t usually associate with Japan. And second, being part of Okinawa Prefecture, it’s so remotely located it’s actually closer to Taiwan than mainland Japan—a place that most tourists are not easily able to access. Naha is so far; it actually took us more than a day and a half to reach it from Kumamoto.
Kuma-where? I had never heard of Kumamoto prior to our Star Cruises Japan trip. We were now on the fourth day of our cruise, visiting Nagasaki the day before. It turns out, the Kumamoto Prefecture is just a sleep away via a cruise ship. I woke up with our ship docking at Kumamoto’s cruise port, a red lighthouse punctuating a very still and calm Japanese morning.
It took almost two full days to cruise from Keelung City in Taiwan to Japan’s Nagasaki. It was gonna be our first stop for our 6D5N StarDream cruise aboard the Star Navigator. En route, we spent our time exploring the nooks and crannies of the ship, enjoyed the onboard entertainment, and pigged out on its food offerings—both at the free inclusive restaurants and those worth splurging on.
Nagasaki calmly slid across my room’s balcony as I awoke on the third day of our voyage. A peaceful welcome to our first destination in Japan.
Hues of blues and warm oranges paint the skies as our ship parted the still waters of Kumamoto. A jagged range of mountains silhouetted the horizon, their edges aglow with the setting sun. On our right, a small solitary lighthouse stood on an islet—painted in immaculate whites, its lights winking a silent sayonara to us. We were midway through our five-night StarDream cruise to Japan—suspended between hellos and goodbyes aboard the Star Navigator—on a journey filled with luxurious entertainment, a flood of delectable food, and quick adventures.
Coming from a Hida Furukawa day tour, we decided to go back to our hotel—Mercure Hida Takayama—to freshen up before continuing to the famous Takayama Old Street. And while BG was busy inside the toilet and Kid A on the TV, I decided to pass the time watching the trains at the back of the hotel—our balcony directly overlooks the tracks.
SUNSET FROM OUR BALCONY IN MERCURE HIDA TAKAYAMA
I quickly forgot about the trains as I parted the drapes, the sun was lighting the town of Takayama and the nearby mountains with its majestic rays. I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped the most beautiful sunset we’ve had in Japan yet.
We were on the second half of our Nagoya Tour. Taking a three-hour long bus ride from Takayama, we arrived at Travelodge Nagoya Sakae early in the afternoon. Hauling two medium-sized suitcases, a camera bag, and a toddler with more energy than an Energizer bunny, I quickly plopped down on Travelodge’s comfy sofa while the wife, BG, and our friend, MM, sorted out our reservations.
It’s confirmed, we’re staying in Tokyo for another full day. A few minutes before we actually went out of our lodging in Asakusa, Enaka Central Hostel, we checked our phone for our flight schedule and found that it has been rescheduled. Instead of a midmorning flight, we’re having our flight from Tokyo to Manila via Cebu Pacific at midnight due to the typhoon that just passed Japan. We cannot be more happy with this news!
A JAPANESE FAMILY ENJOYING A VISIT TO MEIJI SHRINE
Quickly gathering our wits, we immediately formulated a plan. After visiting nearby prefectures like Nikko in Tochigi and Hakone in Kanagawa, a quick day tour of Tokyo was indeed in order. We consulted the Klook app for cheap Tokyo tours, but it was way too late to book one then. So, we did what we usually do best, do a Tokyo walk, DIY style.
