It was a great pleasure to enjoy the blue ocean of Okinawa at the Rizzan Sea-Park Hotel Tancha Bay, the biggest hotel on the island boasting 780 rooms and with a capacity for 2,600 guests. This impressive resort, situated on the western coast within the Okinawa Coastal Quasi-National Park in Tancha, Onnason, is known for its pristine 800 meter long white sand natural beach, an authentic gem.
My room was on the Rizzan Royal Floor—the top floor—with ocean views and I will never forget the first time I saw the ocean from the room's balcony. I was literally blown away by the magnificent scenery, which was truly mesmerizing. I could have stayed there staring at the different shades of blue of the ocean and the sky for hours. The atmosphere was so tranquil and serene.
The room was huge and very elegant, featuring a king size bed, a workstation with free internet connection via wired LAN and a cozy living room area with a couple of comfortable sofas, a table and a big TV. In one corner of the living room there was a refrigerator with drinks and a tea set for preparing hot drinks. The room was luxurious, homely and perfectly lit. On top of that, listening to the sound of lapping waves, while falling asleep in that immense and comfy bed, was really a wonderful experience.
There are six restaurants within the resort:
- “Shichifuku” is a Japanese restaurant serving Ryukyu and Okinawan cuisines, which overlooks the ocean.
- In the more casual “Blue Lagoon” restaurant, they serve a lunch and dinner buffet with a variety of delicious dishes such as hot curries, pastas, pizzas and desserts.
- If you are a fan of the Chinese cuisine you can have dinner at the “Mandarin Court” restaurant, where you can enjoy Chinese dishes made with Okinawan ingredients.
- Alternatively there is the “Mirakutei” restaurant, an authentic Korean style BBQ place. During the summer it is very popular to enjoy a BBQ outside on the terrace.
- Another BBQ restaurant, "Hibis", provides a buffet style dinner at the beach side corner of the hotel.
- Finally, the seaside restaurant “Tancha Bay” is the place where you'll have a buffet style breakfast with a variety of Japanese and European dishes. Last but not least, there is the lounge “Prashanti” where you can enjoy homemade sweets and Rizzan’s original brand of tea; and all that with a great view over the ocean.
After dinner you could spend your time taking a drink at the “Coral View” bar or at the seaside izakaya “Shimauta”. You can listen to traditional Okinawan songs and Sanshin music and have a nice awamori (Okinawan sake) and piping hot Japanese oden soup. Alternatively you could spend some time at the Karaoke and Mahjong room “Side walk” or have a look at the stage “Tancha-mae-shoten” to see the Ryukyu dance team “Tingala” performing the traditional Ryukyu and Eisar dance. They perform twice every night.
At the Rizzan Sea-Park Hotel, you will never run out of things to do. They offer a variety of water sports activities, but also tennis, table tennis and pool billiards. If you just want to relax, you can go to the outdoor garden pool overlooking the ocean (seasonal) or simply relax in the ocean view public bath and sauna “Spa Hamanoyu”. Open until midnight, this is my favorite place to restore my tired body after a long day of sightseeing.
Like in most Japanese hotels, there are plenty of shops too. You can buy all sorts of items from Okinawan souvenirs to beach gear, clothes and food. The hotel also features several banquet halls for parties or celebrations and has a wedding chapel next to the beach.
I must say this hotel was an incredible experience. I will never forget the amazing blue Okinawan ocean. Furthermore, the staff are extremely friendly, helpful and accommodating, which will make every guest's stay a memorable experience.
