Ryugujo Butterfly Garden

With fluttering butterflies on spacious grounds and an ocean-view restaurant, Ryugujo Butterfly Garden is a slice of paradise in the northern part of the tropical island of Okinawa.

Ryugujo Butterfly Garden is a couple hours from Naha (Okinawa’s capital city), but if you’re already in the area of Motobu or headed to Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium (which is well worth a visit), consider taking a side trip to this unique attraction.

The highlight of the garden is its greenhouse of tropical flowers and “paper kite” butterflies, black-and-white gentle giants with a wingspan of up to 15 cm. It’s a great place to hone your still-life and motion photography skills or just snap a few for your Insta feed.

What to wear

It’s said that the butterflies are attracted to red and the scent of perfume, so wear both to make sure you get the perfect photo with butterflies by your side. If you forgot to pack your favorite perfume, don’t worry! Inside the butterfly garden are red baseball caps that you can wear and artificial bouquets scented with sugar water that you can use as props to attract butterflies.

A post shared by Catherine (@maxvol86) on Jan 16, 2016 at 9:16pm PST

Ocean-view restaurant

After playing with butterflies, head to the nearby restaurant for a taste of Okinawa.

The restaurant is a large, two-story dining hall featuring an outdoor walkway with spectacular views of the ocean. Note that the restaurant gets up to 1,500 visitors on peak days, but seating is divided into areas for tour groups, families and solo travelers.

Try out local gourmet meals like taco rice and Okinawa soba. The menu also features allergen-free meals. As you exit, stop by the gift shop on the first floor for Okinawan goods, clothing and alcohol.

Definitely worth a visit, this fun spot in Okinawa is just a bus or car ride away.