Our favourite travel agent in Asia, Sébastien Duval, just discovered the Panda Café in Tokyo’s Taito ward while exploring Asakusa area on foot. He strongly recommended us this great coffee shop (and restaurant) near Tawaramachi subway station notably for its small terrace, delicious desserts shaped like animals, and exciting room for children upstairs!
Interested? Learn about Panda Café on Inner Japan‘s new page: “ぱんだカフェ (Panda Café)“.
During your stay on Iriomote island, a water buffalo with large circular horns can quickly take you across the sea to visit the botanical garden of Yubu island! It is great fun the first time and there is no way to get sea sick 
Travel photo 1: Water buffalos ready to go to Yubu island.
Travel photo 2: Tourists crossing the sea in a cart pulled by a water buffalo
Travel photo 3: Iriomote island seen from behind a water buffalo!
During my autumnal trip in Okinawa, the driver even played an Okinawan musical instrument “sanshin” during the crossing Will you be that lucky too?
Beautiful wild animals inhabit the jungle and rivers of Iriomote island. Some are cute and friendly… some are scary and dangerous… as I could witness during holidays in Okinawa in 2008.
Ecotour photo 1: Friendly lizard accepting my invitation to come on my sweaty arm. Admire its right eye, scales, yellow and dark tail, claws… What a good surprise! What an experience!
Ecotour photo 2: Colourful lizard featuring black, yellow and blue stripes. Open your eyes in the jungle, look on the ground, on trunks, between leaves…
Ecotour photo 3: Venomous Habu viper. Be careful with such snakes and listen to your guide’s instructions!
Ecotour example 4 (no photo due to fast movement and reflections): Ferocious Minami-kurodai piranhas in Nakama river.
Ecotour example 5 (no photo due to fast movement at night): Iriomote-yamaneko wild cat (endangered species).
Meeting wild animals while trekking or canoeing in a jungle really changes one’s vision of life, nature and humanity. I can only recommend it, with a good guide on Iriomote island or elsewhere in the world!