Naha

A reggae themed basement-restaurant with surprisingly good food. Delicious goya champuru and fried chicken. Try the Afro Rice and Jamaican Jerk Chicken, they're excellent. The staff and customers here are fun to talk to and the menu is a laugh.

What makes this Shabu-Shabu place special is its selection of local Okinawan produce and Agu pork, which more than justifies the price. No English menu available, but the staff tries to help with translating as best as they can.

For a less frantic, more intimate time, you could do worse than check out this American-style bar that's verging on refined. Take care not to be too noisy as it will only upset the otherwise friendly and attentive staff. Bar Dick is the premier whiskey and scotch bar on the island, with expert bartenders, some of whom have been featured in magazines and received awards at national level competitions.

Really nice place to drink. The staff speaks English. One bloke lived in London for 5 years. Lots of friendly locals. Food is good and they had Union Rugby on the TV. Just walk up the hill from Ryubo Shopping Centre on Kokusai Street. It is on the left side.

Great place to watch football. The owner, Hiro-san is a lovely guy and football mad. He can speak enough English to get by and is foreigner friendly. He is often open odd hours to accommodate matches held in different time zones.

A friendly, homely bar with great staff and a good crowd. The selection of beers is nice and the food is delicious. Try Haruka's Raftee! It also has Strongbow, for people trying to find some cider.

Okinawa's only karate and kobudo theme bar, The DOJO opened in 2011 and is owned and run by James, a local resident and long-time karate fan! The DOJO features draft beers, cocktails and a delicious food menu. The English and Japanese speaking staff are knowledgeable about all aspects of activities and places on the island including local dojos to for karate and kobudo training.

Women ¥1500, men ¥1800. There's free internet and a 24-hour shop nearby.

Ten dorm rooms and a couple of lounge rooms make this a really nice place to stay when on a budget. There is also free Internet, laundry, bikes, etc. If you want to get there, walk up the street from the Kencho-mae monorail station towards Wakasa. After passing Wakasa-dori, turn left at the first crossing without a traffic light (there's a very small sign there that says "BASE").

A business hotel that is suitable for divers. It has drying space for scuba diving gear and free parking. There is free internet. Room prices include Japanese breakfast. Staff are friendly, though they only speak Japanese.

Known as "the kitchen of Okinawa", This market started as a kind of black market after World War II. There are more than 400 shops in one floor. You can buy any traditional Okinawan foods, like dried sea snake (イラブー irabū), pork (Okinawans say they eat everything except the hooves and the scream), special vegetables not found on the mainland, colorful fish, or edible seaweed. There are many restaurants upstairs, serving traditional Okinawan home cooking. You can bring your own ingredients (fresh seafood or pork for example) bought downstairs and they will cook it for you for a small fee.

Full of shops that sell a multitude of Okinawan products. It's also a good place to check out the nightlife and youth scene.