Iriomote Island in Okinawa is blessed by its lush forests, and over 40 rivers flow through them!

On Iriomote Island, we went trekking through waterfalls that cascade through the heart of the forest and explored all that the island has to offer!

Our trek started with upstream river trekking, which is known in Japan as "sawa trekking." We set out from downstream and aimed for the waterfalls in the upper reaches of the jungle as we trekked through rivers. River trekking is relatively safe because the rivers aren't particularly fast, but the rocks can be rudgged and slippery, which can make the footing unsafe. 

Next, we went shower climbing - climbed up rocks, went against the flow, and got drenched by waterfalls as we made our way into the heart of the jungle!

Shower climbing is a slightly more difficult version of river trekking. You use ropes and other methods to get past the waterfalls and huge rocks and cliffs that block the course. It's grueling, but really fun! 

In Iriomote, you can experience canyoning and get in touch with nature as you go with the flow along rivers and mountain streams and travel through jungle valleys. 

One thing to note is that if the weather is good, you're guaranteed to have loads of fun no matter what you get up to. But it's often the case that you'll encounter rainy days during your trip! So I like to think about two things when it's raining during a trek on Iriomote- "Even rainy days suit the jungle of Iriomote," and "Since it was raining, there was more water coming down the waterfall and it was really thrilling!" Get fired up and explore the jungle!!