From there to Here

Thursday, May 7, 2015

From Mainland Oki to Aka to Zamami

So you're on mainland Okinawa and you've been to all the popular spots; the aquarium, Shuri Castle, etc. What do you do now? Well One of the best things about Okinawa is the nearby islands to explore! Iheya, Iejima, Zamami, and Aka Island are only a ferry ride away! I recently returned from a golden week trip to Zamami and Aka Islands! In this post I'll give you a few of the basic things you'll need to know to get there and share a ton of pictures from my own trip there.

Your journey will begin at Tomari Port in Naha. There are two ferries that bring folks to Zamami daily. They are Ferry Zamami and Queen Zamami 3. There is also a small ferry between Zamami and Aka island but we will get to that a little later on. First if you are planning to go on a weekend or during a Japanese holiday I would highly highly recommend reserving tickets beforehand. You wont be able to purchase them before arriving at the port but it will save you a lot of trouble if the ferry you want is already at full capacity. To do this you can call 098-868-4567. The staff does have very limited English ability so if you have a Japanese friend this could be made easier... Or just speak clearly and slowly and they should be able to help you out :)

Now, one thing I should mention right off the bat is bring CASH. Not American dollars either. Nowhere we went had a credit card machine and as far as we could find there is only one JP Bank on the entire island with an ATM! So once more... BRING YEN!

Next is choosing the time of the ferry you want I've posted the ferry schedules below. You can click here to go to the website.

Depending on which ferry you take (or if you are bringing a motorcyle, scooter or car) can drastically affect the price. Though the average adult ticket will cost about 4,000 Yen. Below are the prices for each ferry. Once again you can click HERE to see the entire website.

After you get your ticket and get on board it will be about an hour and a half ferry ride to Aka Island and then another 10-20 minute ride to Zamami island. Once you arrive there will be a visitors center with English informational maps. These maps will include popular beaches/sights/activities, dining options and accommodations. You can rent bicycles, scooters and cars from many of the local folks as well. Just click the links above to get more information!

We chose to stay at the Ama campground. It was 300 yen per night and they offer tent rentals (1,000 yen per night) and BBQ rentals (1,000 yen a day) among other things. They only had cold showers but it is literally a hop and a skip to the beach. There are also a few food and rental shops nearby.

Now perhaps you also want to see Aka Island. Well you can! It's a very short very ride away! At the Zamami ferry port you can buy tickets on the Mitsu Shima. The ferry costs 300 Yen one way. Here is the schedule for this ferry.

There are plenty of activities and fun things to do on Aka Island as well! I only spent a few hours on Aka island so here's a LINK to get you more information! Hope you enjoy your trip! Look below to see a few photos of what you will be seeing soon! Have a good one!

Zamami Island

One of the beaches on Aka Island

Aka Island

Communal Tomb on Zamami

Aka island port

walking path near a beach on Zamami Island

All public beaches have HUGE swimming areas and life guards

It's stunning everywhere you go! Even on hazy days!

Aka Island Port

First glimpse of Zamami

I love Shisa

Aka Island bridge

Zamami island

Zamami

Unfortunately we had cloudy moonlit skies all week!

Bring your board!

Cute cats near the general store

80% of Zamami is wooded

Beautiful nights

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Cute Cats of Zamami Island

Zamami is an island located off the south western coast of Okinawa, Japan. It's an island living life at a slower pace than the typical hustle and bustle Japan is known for. It also has many adorable cats calling it home! Here are just a few of the cats calling this place home!

This cute lady only had three working legs but was a complete sweetheart

This is probably the friendliest cat on the island. All he wanted was for someone to pet his belly

This guy posed in the window of his owner house and rubbed his face against the window pane when we came in closer to take a picture.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Live the Mario Kart Life in Okinawa Japan

Ok, so I've seen this several times but was finally able to get a picture of it yesterday. Here in Okinawa they have quite a few ways to get tourists to spend their money. This is one of them!

Apparently its's legal to drive these anywhere except the expressway in Okinawa. No helmet is needed and I believe you only need a regular drivers license/ international drivers permit to rent one. You can also rent three wheeled motorcycles without needing a motorcycle license or helmet (apparently they fit the bid as a small car). But if you do rent one be incredibly careful they are really hard to see if you are in a car (even the flags above them can be difficult to see).

Also the company who rents them may give you Mario gear to wear. The guy in the white tshirt above has a Mario cap. I've seen other people completely dressed as Mario, Luigi Etc. You can see more on the website link below.

These guys stopped at the 100 Yen store (Japanese Dollar Store) to buy a few of their own supplies including party masks and squirt guns. Looks like a damn good time right?!

If you're interested in renting some while on the island you will need to go to the link HERE. For one hour it will be roughly $30 USD for one hour up to $170 for 24 hours (¥3,150 -¥17,850 plus insurance).