Oura Wan Beach Review
Cost: Free entrance to DOD
beaches
Special Features:
-
Swimming area, ski boats with
operators, water trykes and ocean kayaks,
windsurfers, jetskis all available for rent, as well as charters for scuba diving or
fishing trips.
-
Volleyball courts, covered
pavilions, snackbar
-
10 stand-alone cabins
(cottages) available for
rent - 2 of these are reserved for VIPs (flag
officers and civilians above the GS-15 pay grade
)
-
Cottages sit on top of a cliff
overlooking the beach and Oura Wan Bay; cottages
have full-size kitchens, private patios, and
spacious interiors
-
Check-in not available until 1600 (keys dropped off
at that time to "The Beachhead" building and
restaurant where you can pick them up. If you
arrive early, check in at the office on top of the
hill to see if rooms are ready.
FREE sailboat
lessons on Saturdays at
9 am during the summer months of May-Sep. Space
limited to 3 students per class. By reservation
only - call 625-3683. Reservations open on the
15th of each month.
During the lessons, you
learn to sail a 14 foot sailboat around the bay. Once
the lesson is complete,
you have the boat to yourself to cruise the bay until 2 pm. After this, you can rent a sailboat at Oura
Wan Bay for $10/hour or $50/day (note - if you already
have previous sailing experience, you must pass a quick
licensing and orientation test. . .basically covers
safety issues and defines boundaries/limits of the bay.
OTHER KEY
NOTES:
If planning to rely on "The
Beachhead" restaurant, HIGHLY recommend you confirm in
advance that they will be open during days/times you
plan on using them. Also, "The
Beachhead" Restaurant
is substantially dislocated from the beach and
cottage
area (i.e. you will definitely need to drive there).
Mid-range
shoppette - enough for staples like milk, eggs, but not
enough to provide for full meals. If you plan on
cooking in the cottages, definitely hit the commissary
before you come. |
|
Other DoD Beaches and Popular Nearby Attractions
|
Torii Beach
Important phone
numbers
MCCS Camp
Schwab
Reservations
625-5005
Oura Wan Boating
625-3683
Have you
been to Torii
Beach, Okuma, or
White Beach?
Send us your
thoughts,
pictures, and
any information
we might have
missed. We
will add this to
the page.... |
|
Detailed Review
The Cottages at Oura Wan on Camp Schwab are high-class - much better than your standard MWR
lodging facility. The cottages are each inspired with their own unique
Ryukyun (Okinawan) decoration themes. Comfortable queen beds are found in
the bedrooms and sofa sleepers (more on the lump side) in the living rooms.
Great attention to detail at Oura Wan - You will find a
fully equipped kitchen with tile floors throughout, modern cabinets, full sized
fridge, 2-burner stove, microwave, pots, pans, dishes, silverware, etc.
Only things missing are an oven, the 2 extra burners, and a dishwasher.
Outside you will find a decently sized patio deck complete with Weber gas
barbecue grill and even an extra propane tank. Cable TV, DVD players, and
Playstation2 are also provided. Additional information on amenities
available at the MCCS cottages is available
here.
From Friday to Monday, you can rent kayaks, sailboats,
jetskis, windsurfs, or charter a boat (yes, you can charter a boat for your own
personal scuba diving or fishing outing!). Also, take note that on Saturdays,
the Oura Wan boating center
offers FREE sailboat lessons at 9 am. These
are by reservation only, so do call in advance to 625-3683.
Planning your trip - don't forget which days the
boating center is open. If you want to rent watersports equipment,
schedule reservations for Friday thru Monday. If you like an extra quiet &
private beach, schedule the cottage from Tuesday thru Thursday since the boating
is closed on these days.
If you have
recommendations or thoughts from your visit to Oura Wan, please click
here
Directions
COMING SOON
EXPRESSWAY METHOD (~30 minutes -
SHORTER, but also about
$10 extra roundtrip)
Forewarning - don't forget to bring Japanese YEN!!!
Thank yourself for skipping a ton of lights and crazy traffic.. Follow remaining directions as noted below.
Highway Method (45-50 minutes -
lots of lights, more
traffic, but $10 roundtrip
cheaper)
|