Yakushima or Ishigaki at the End of our Japan Trip?
I have a Japan Trip planned for around Oct. 29 to Nov. 25 (28 days). We’re taking our time travelling from Tokyo south to Fukuoka and Kyūshū. As we’ll be spending a lot of time in major cities, a relaxing island holiday (4 nights) at the end of the trip would be ideal. I’ve been considering either Yakushima or Ishigaki. We’re a bit put off by the rainy weather in Yakushima, although the natural scenery does seem to be unique.
Ishigaki Island seems like an interesting alternative to me, with slightly warmer and less rainy weather. We enjoy snorkelling, walks on the beach and hiking. We’re thinking of booking a hotel on the outskirts of Ishigaki Town and exploring the island by car over 4 days. But is the long flight from Fukuoka and the rather expensive stay in November worth it? Is it possible to go hiking on Ishigaki? What about the neighbouring island of Iriomote?