Ada Garden Hotel Okinawa — Hotel in Kunigami

This is quite an unusual hotel for Okinawa, and even Japan....in some senses it could have easily been transported from some hill station in the Vietnamese highlands. The architecture, with high roofs and tiling, and much of the interior, furnishings are all reminiscent of places I have stayed in Vietnam. My hunch proved correct as I later found out the Ada Hotel is built as a testimony to the friendship between Okinawa and Vietnam, and much of the hotel interior has indeed been imported from there. I really appreciated the spacious and airy feel of the building, very suited to the climate.||It was a pleasure staying here, the staff friendly and accommodating, everything worked as it should, and the food was great. We stayed 2 nights and the set menu meals exceeded our expectations! There are vending machines for snacks and drinks for those wanting a little something extra either side of the morning or evening meals. Something needed because in this part of the Okinawa Main Island shops are few and far between. However after a few busy days prior to our visit, we were more than happy to soak up the isolation and quiet...the night time silence ensured deep and restful sleeps. ||There is lots to do and see around Yanbaru, the nature is stunning and the wildlife unique and abundant. The nearby beach at Ada village was really good too, very swimmable and the bare feet friendly sand was a bonus. We came in rainy season so didn't get in as much jungle walking time as we wanted, but enjoyed our drive around the area and even got to see the rare (and very protected) Okinawan Rail bird.....We were also surprised to be able to see large blue fish in the coral below from the Cape Hedo...

I gasped when I opened the door of my room in the Ada Garden. Heavy wooden doors, plenty of shelf space, wired ethernet and our own private balcony along with the necessary air conditioning made this the best possible stop on our southern Japan journey. The meals (breakfast and dinner) in the dining room were skillfully presented and tasty. We saw a critically endangered bird, the local Okinawa (Pryer's) Woodpecker, from our balconies! If you sleep with the window open, you will hear calling Ryukyu Scops-Owls, Northern Hawk Owls (Brown Booboks), and Okinawa Rails during the nighttime hours. This hotel has an old-world feel in a gorgoeous natural setting. The only drawbacks were the lack of lunch options (we visited a small nearby golf course for lunch, where the noodles were passable but the shikuwasa gelato EXCEPTIONAL), and the lack of cell phone coverage. These were small prices to pay, and I would visit there again in an instant. People who enjoy the occasional alcoholic beverage will like the vending machines in the lobby where one can get a Shikuwasa/Acerola Shochu drink that quickly became my favorite. In the lobby, too, are numerous bird, mammal, amphibian and butterfly field guides to help identify the numerous creatures you'll seen the Yanbaru forest. This hotel is clearly dependent on, and thankful for, it's gorgeous forest setting. I can imagine no better place to stay in...

This hotel far exceeded our expectations in terms of the beauty of the building. Heavy wooden doors with real keys, wood floors, and scenic balconies off each room. Nice amenities and deep tub.||The restaurant in the hotel is the only place to eat around, so be prepared to be very secluded and have to drive at least a half hour to get to a Family Mart/Lawsons. However, if you're prepared that only adds to the atmosphere. ||A word of caution for those that book using hotels.com, we booked a room through the website and clearly indicated two people would be staying in the room. When we reached the hotel, the reservation was only for one person and the rate for two was twice the quoted price. The front desk staff were extremely helpful in working out the mix-up, even getting an additional staff member on the phone to assist in translating, but I will be more wary of using a third party site in the future.||Overall, wonderful hotel if you're looking for a secluded stay in the northern part...