Niijima / 新島

Niijima / 新島

I've been out of the loop. I've been in tropical paradise. If you ever get the chance to go to Niijima, there are no excuses. See below.

For the time being, my whole body aches, I'm peeling off sheets of burnt skin and nursing great welted mozzie bites, I need about a week's worth of sleep and I can't seem to remove that "rock the boat" sensation from my brain. But I'm already planning my next trip. 

Niijima is about 8 hours ferry ride from Tokyo (2 if you take the high-speed jet. But that leaves a little less time for boozing on the deck, doesn't it?). You arrive, pitch a tent, hire a bicycle and ride around to your heart's content. The island is generally pretty easy access, and the beaches varied and spectacular. The east side backs onto the hills and is home to sheer cliffs and huge surfing swells, while the west side is a little more calm and user-friendly. There is also a fantastic free (!) onsen on this side which has been styled to look rather unusually like a miniature Greek Acropolis, and from here you have a perfect sunset vantage point.

It is impossible to find any fault with Niijima...apart from the fact that it is occasionally in the direct line of a typhoon path. But you know.

You can find out more about the place here (Japanese) and here (English).

E.