Japan - Ex-Seoul dive-oriented, post-business side trip ideas - Okinawa?

I have a business trip to Seoul scheduled for the last week of October and I hope to have the opportunity to fit a long weekend-sized side trip into my schedule. I will already have spent the better part of a week in Seoul, which I think is enough for me on this trip.

After a preliminary look at flight schedules and considering the likely restrictions on the kind of ticket I can book (discounted bus class, conference organiser's choice of carrier, either a direct flight from Paris or one without a stopover in Asia), I think I should assume that I will have to buy a separate ticket Seoul-long weekend destination-Seoul - and then fly home on the return portion of the ticket purchased for me. A destination that is up to 4 hours away would be ok, but direct flights only please (and preferably less than 4 hours in length). The chance to fit in a day or two's worth of relatively easy diving would be great, but not absolutely essential. I've already spent time in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore (popular stopover destinations), so I'm looking for something a little different. I read an interesting article recently about the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. Does anyone have any advice on planning a long weekend here (in addition to the advice provided on the Okinawa posts, which I've read)? To be honest, I'm not sure I'm ready for non-stop, jam-packed Tokyo yet, or at least not on this trip - but a different kind of Japanese experience would interest me. I noticed that Asiana has direct flights from and to Seoul to Okinawa in a Sat-Wed pair, which would suit me.

Other possibilities might be the Philippines (good diving), Vietnam (not for diving but I'd like to visit Vietnam) or Thailand (I've only been to Bangkok). Cost is not a big issue, and I'd like to stay somewhere relatively upscale (4* if possible). Any opinions on the relative merits of Ryukyu, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand for such a holiday?

I should also add that, except for the diving hobby, I'm fundamentally a city girl. Rustic, thatched-roof indoor-outdoor hotels are not my thing, and I have a strong aversion to mosquitoes. And crowds (hence my reasons for not choosig a stopover in Tokyo). Oh, and I can't drive. As I will be travelling without my intrepid, chivalrous, suitcase-toting and mosquito-killing husband, I also would prefer a trip that is relatively safe, sanitary, logistically straightforward and suitable for a solo woman traveller (who likely will be lugging a laptop and business clothes with her).

Thanks for your suggestions.

- Osaka/Kyoto combo for shopping, wellness and stylish nightlife

- Package tour to Gyeongju ( old capital of the Shilla Kingdom ) including a spa package at upscale hotel. Golf is also available

- The Hilton Resort at Hua Hin in Thailand is supposed to be quite reasonable. No eurotrash around as the Thai Royal family vacations there

- Basically any spa resort in Japan

Kate you are in luck :D , I'm off to Okinawa tommorow. And guess what there is a Typhoon coming.....just my luck ;) ! There are many places to go in the Ryukyu island chain. You can head to Okinawa (main island), Miyakojima, Ishigakijima, Kumejima etc....The major hotel chains are in most places. There is also a club med in Ishigaki which is quite nice too. If you are in for diving, I would strongly suggest a trip to Ishigaki. It can be reached via Naha, Fukuoka, Tokyo, Nagoya etc.

The cheapest way to Okinawa is part of a hotel and flight package , but you will need another person to make it work :td: . Tommorow I will stay at the Marriott on the main island. The rooms run about 25,000 Yen a night most of the time. October is still quite nice, but beware of late season typhoons. Will report more when I get back on Monday.....

Okinawa is very nice and the diving was also very good (although I've only tried the Yaeyamas (http://wikitravel.org/en/Yaeyama_Islands) further south, not the main island). The main disadvantage, though, is that Okinawa is way more expensive than any of your options, esp. if you plan to stay in branded 4* type of places (which in Okinawa means fancy resorts in the middle of nowhere, so you get socked on transport & food too).

I'm surprised Q-Shoe-guy didn't mention this ... You could have a pretty good time in Kyushu (http://wikitravel.org/en/Kyushu).

OK - Maybe not diving (I'm not sure) - but you mentioned that you like city stuff, so you might enjoy a day or two in Fukuoka (http://wikitravel.org/en/Fukuoka_%28city%29) and Nagasaki (http://wikitravel.org/en/Nagasaki_%28city%29).... Easy transport links between the two. No need to drive. Plenty of sights to see. Hot springs. Great food. Very short flight from Seoul to Fukuoka (1hr20min)

You can also fly direct to the following places - which are all worthwhile and less likely to induce ochlophobia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ochlophobia) than the mega-cities of Tokyo and Osaka,
- Matsuyama (http://wikitravel.org/en/Matsuyama)
- Miyazaki (http://wikitravel.org/en/Miyazaki_%28prefecture%29) - serfs up! (as they say in Russia)
- Kagoshima (http://wikitravel.org/en/Kagoshima_%28prefecture%29)
- Hiroshima (http://wikitravel.org/en/Hiroshima)

Just thought I would throw these ideas into the pot...

and if you're willing to make a 45 min flighht (but only 15min in the air) from Kagoshima you could even go to Yakushima (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakushima)... which has the most incredible forests... but maybe too rustic for your tastes.

I'm surprised Q-Shoe-guy didn't mention this ...

I'm tired of sounding like a broken record......... ;)

Thanks for all the suggestions - and the identification of my phobia. I'll investigate further (the travel suggestions, not the phobia). Actually, the crowd problem is a bit more narrowly defined - sort of a cross between mild claustrophobia and ochlophobia, perhaps. What bothers me is unruly crowds in enclosed, or semi-enclosed, spaces (e.g. rock concerts, very crowded streets). I'm fine in an elevator full of people, or a subway - unless the people around me get restless. Although, surprisingly, this doesn't get in the way of my shopping habit - Mr. Canuck and I just got back from an afternoon at Les Soldes (French, semi-annual equivalent of Boxing Week Sales) at the Grands Magasins in Paris.

Hmmm....a dive-oriented Japanese trip. How about the kabuki-cho area? :)

Hmmm....a dive-oriented Japanese trip. How about the kabuki-cho area? :)
Golden Gai would certainly fit the bill and you can see all sorts of fascinating creatures at night, the only problem is that the waters around there tend to be a little murky... :p

Hmmm....a dive-oriented Japanese trip. How about the kabuki-cho area? :)

Richard I have always held you with the highest esteem........and now this :eek: ...... :D !

Kate, just got back from the main island on a short break to visit with friends. The main island is very easy to navagate....I would suggest renting a car if you go to the main island. I couldn't go diving but it looked like there were many opportunities with many dive establishments. I don't think English is a problem as I was addressed in English all the time (which never happens where I live). In a strange twist of fate I was not taken to the Marriott by my Japanese friends(which worked out well as there was nothing to do at the resort if it is stormy)and was taken to a nice (ish) place in Chatan. They booked under their name so we got "Okinawa Peoples" discount ;) .........The culture is a mish mash, very different to the rest of Japan. I enjoyed the food, and there was good sushi ,noodles, and lots of 1960's American fast food :eek: . Lot's of A&W, and Blue Seal/ Foremost ice cream shops. The music and Okinawan culture is also worth a look see as it is unique. If you do choose to go I think that you would be fine on the main island, but I would suggest Ishigaki or one of the other islands for diving(again I haven't been diving off the main island). With regards to crowds of people I wouldn't worry, it's a world away from the hectic pace of the large Japanese cities and Seoul!

Kate, just got back from the main island on a short break to visit with friends. The main island is very easy to navagate....I would suggest renting a car if you go to the main island. I couldn't go diving but it looked like there were many opportunities with many dive establishments. I don't think English is a problem as I was addressed in English all the time (which never happens where I live). In a strange twist of fate I was not taken to the Marriott by my Japanese friends(which worked out well as there was nothing to do at the resort if it is stormy)and was taken to a nice (ish) place in Chatan. They booked under their name so we got "Okinawa Peoples" discount ;) .........The culture is a mish mash, very different to the rest of Japan. I enjoyed the food, and there was good sushi ,noodles, and lots of 1960's American fast food :eek: . Lot's of A&W, and Blue Seal/ Foremost ice cream shops. The music and Okinawan culture is also worth a look see as it is unique. If you do choose to go I think that you would be fine on the main island, but I would suggest Ishigaki or one of the other islands for diving(again I haven't been diving off the main island). With regards to crowds of people I wouldn't worry, it's a world away from the hectic pace of the large Japanese cities and Seoul!

Thanks for the update. I hope you enjoyed your trip. A&W - double eek. When I was in high school, I had to: (a) wear the most hideous brown/orange band uniform (complete with oversize brown velvet clip-on bow tie) because our school colours were orange/white/brown; and (b) play the Great Root Bear theme song (which I had learned from the original composer/performer for the commercials) on my tuba at all of our band concerts while travelling, since A&W chipped in a bit for our travelling expenses. The flashbacks could be distressing ...

Will I be able get by (on Okinawa and Ishigaki) without renting a car since I can't drive because of a depth perception problem? (I realise, of course, that readers of this thread probably now have a very unflattering image of me as dorky tuba-playing, half-blind, and mosquito- and crowd-phobic. And you're probably thinking that diving with me is no fun either if I've got a depth perception problem.)

Perhaps it's possible to hire a guide or join a small tour for sightseeing.

Will I be able get by (on Okinawa and Ishigaki) without renting a car since I can't drive because of a depth perception problem? (I realise, of course, that readers of this thread probably now have a very unflattering image of me as dorky tuba-playing, half-blind, and mosquito- and crowd-phobic. And you're probably thinking that diving with me is no fun either if I've got a depth perception problem.)

Perhaps it's possible to hire a guide or join a small tour for sightseeing.

Ishigaki is quite ugly if you stay in the main area near the port, so if you go there you will want to find some way of getting around to the north side of the island, I think.

Will I be able get by (on Okinawa and Ishigaki) without renting a car since I can't drive because of a depth perception problem? (I realise, of course, that readers of this thread probably now have a very unflattering image of me as dorky tuba-playing, half-blind, and mosquito- and crowd-phobic. And you're probably thinking that diving with me is no fun either if I've got a depth perception problem.)

Perhaps it's possible to hire a guide or join a small tour for sightseeing.
Okay, I do have to admit...that was probably the funniest sentence I've read on FT EVER.

Hi,
As I'm now planning a trip to Japan, I asked for advice about a relaxing break in a similar way (beach/dive days) and someone pointed me to Jeju Island (or Cheju in other transcriptions). It is a Korean island between peninsular South Korea and Japanese Kyushu island.

After some Google, I learn that it is a volcanic island, in some way similar to Réunion or Mauritius islands, with dive schools and good acommodation options. Connections both from S Korea and Japan are frequent (Asiana and Korean Air). Maybe (I'm not sure), they are flight-hotel packs available. And out of main cities, it doesn't look very crowded (great hiking!)

My only concern is about water temperature in the last week of October.

Hope this helps

Beach season in Korea ( and Japan ) is only July and parts of August. Jeju is an all year destination but not for the beaches and swimming.

Okay, I do have to admit...that was probably the funniest sentence I've read on FT EVER.

Thanks (I think). You should see me post-dive, with "mask face", after I've taken to a flipper to the nose due to a depth perception miscalculation ...

Good thing I persuaded Mr. Canuck to marry me before he he'd learned about my past and seen the family photo album.

I'm in Okinawa right now, my father in law actually lives here and dives occasionally. He enjoys it! Seems like the better diving is on one of the local islands by Okinawa, but Diving near it isn't so bad.

I know I went snorkling up at Okuma and I enjoyed it a lot. :)

So, did you make your decision yet?

Will I be able get by (on Okinawa and Ishigaki) without renting a car since I can't drive because of a depth perception problem? (I realise, of course, that readers of this thread probably now have a very unflattering image of me as dorky tuba-playing, half-blind, and mosquito- and crowd-phobic. And you're probably thinking that diving with me is no fun either if I've got a depth perception problem.)

Perhaps it's possible to hire a guide or join a small tour for sightseeing.
There are no trains on Okinawa and the buses to the Northern part of the island are infrequent so joining a one day tour might be a good idea.

Thanks, everyone, for the additional advice. mosburger - I'm not too concerned about temperatures since: a) I'll be wearing a wetsuit to dive; and b) I'm a Canadian who learned to dive in New Zealand, so I'm used to water temperatures of 12-15C.

SirDomino - Unfortunately, I won't be in a position to make a decision until closer to the trip date in late October. It will depend on how the conference comes together and my workload back at home in Paris. But I love planning trips, so this will give me something to think about for the next few months.

There are no trains on Okinawa and the buses to the Northern part of the island are infrequent so joining a one day tour might be a good idea.

There is a train from the airport to some parts of Naha. (And when it was completed, it meant that every prefecture in Japan has trains). But it serves only the airport and Naha. It won't enable anyone to do an extensive exploration of Okinawa...

(I realise, of course, that readers of this thread probably now have a very unflattering image of me as dorky tuba-playing, half-blind, and mosquito- and crowd-phobic. And you're probably thinking that diving with me is no fun either if I've got a depth perception problem.)

Okay, I do have to admit...that was probably the funniest sentence I've read on FT EVER.

Totally agree! :D Three cheers for self-awareness!

David

There is a train from the airport to some parts of Naha. (And when it was completed, it meant that every prefecture in Japan has trains). But it serves only the airport and Naha. It won't enable anyone to do an extensive exploration of Okinawa...

It's a monorail and goes from the airport via International street to the Shurijo World Heritage site........The best way to get around is definately car......I also spotted some highway busses etc. I am sure there are car and driver services available.