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Zamami island
座間味島
In three words: VIBRANT. BLUE. BEACHES.
Recommended for: Sea lovers, sun bathers, people wanting outer island beauty without the difficulties.
Size: About 6km²
Population: About 600
Boats depart from: Tomari Port, Naha, Okinawa.
Zamami and us: We worked there and lived right next door for a long, long time.
in brief:
The beautiful Zamami island is one of the Keramas. It’s gorgeous beaches, ultra bright blue sea and lively atmosphere make it a wonderful place to visit. There are a lot of marine activities and plenty of places to eat and drink, so you never have to think too far ahead in Zamami. In the summers you come for the sea and the beaches. In winter you come for the humpback whales.
TOO TOURISTY?:
Zamami is a popular holiday destination with Japanese and foreign tourists alike. The boat to Zamami stops on another island too (Aka Island), but when the boat stops in Zamami 95% of the tourists get off. Almost 100% of the economy is tourism. As a result, it is very convenient and caters well to what people are on holiday for. However, in the high season Furuzamami Beach can get a little busy, and in the village it can sometimes be difficult to get a table at a restaurant. All this said, the island hasn’t sold it’s soul away to big hotels, and it remains full of hard working, small, local businesses.
getting there:
It is really easy to get to Zamami. From Tomari Port in Naha City, the capital of Okinawa, there are two boat options. There is the high speed Queen Zamami and the slower, cheaper Ferry Zamami. The boats are named after Zamami village, of which Aka island is a part of. There used to be planes but not anymore. Helicopters are an expensive but fast option option and become heavily discounted when the boats stop running.
The faster boat: the Queen Zamami will cost 5,970 yen for a round trip. It takes either 50 or 70 minutes depending on if it stops at Zamami Island first or Aka Island first. In the high season this boat runs three times a day. In the low season it runs twice a day. High season means Golden Week (early May) and then July, August and September. In these popular times to visit, the boat is usually fully booked. It is highly recommended that you book in advance. Book through us to save yourself the hassle.
The slower Ferry Zamami will cost 4,030 yen for a round trip. It usually takes 2 hours to Zamami and stopping at Aka island first. The boat usually only does the journey once in a day. Generally leaving at 10:00 from Naha and departing at 16:00 from Aka in the high season and 15:00 in the off season. However the schedule is very irregular so check the timetable. Cars, motorcycles and bikes can only ride on the Ferry Zamami.
The online schedule can be found here. Typhoons will create waves that stops the boats from running, as do windy days especially in winter. Be careful as you might get stranded and miss your flight.
There is also an inter-island small boat called the Mitsushima that runs several times a day. This goes between Zamami, Aka and Tokashiki. The timetable can be found here.
getting around:
On Zamami you can get around on foot, rent a bicycle or use a bus. The three villages on Zamami are called Zamami, Ama and Asa. Inside the main village of Zamami you will just fine walking around on foot. But if you want to get to the main beaches of Furuzamami Beach and Ama Beach, you might begin to need a little help.
Bicycles can be rented in the main village for 1,000-1,500 yen per day and several stores offer this service. 50cc scooters can be rented and cost around 3500 yen or so. Hourly rates are also available. You can get snorkelling gear from rental stores in the village, but they are also available at Furuzamami Beach at a similar price.
Be warned that the journey to Furuzamami Beach features quite a steep hill. So some might consider taking the bus. There is a regular bus that ships people from Zamami port to Furuzamami and Ama beach. It is about 300 yen per person per trip and runs from when the boats arrive, they also return to the port in time to catch the boats home too.
So to recap: walking in the village can be done on foot. Getting to the beaches is easier done with a bicycle or a bus. And for the freedom of getting to far flung beaches and far away view points for sunsets/sunrises a scooter will make life easier. Whatever you choose be sure to wear a hat and sunscreen, drink plenty of water and watch out for heatstroke.
food and drink:
There are several places to eat and drink in Zamami. Too many to list them all so I will just list a few local favourites and leave you to discover the rest on your own.
Marumiya - This restaurant is an institution of Zamami. Open for lunches and dinners, Marumiya serves decent portions for reasonable prices. A no-thrills place with an authentic Japanese cafeteria vibe. They always have a set menu as well as two specials of the day which come with a drink at a slightly discounted rate.
Wayama Mozuku - The owners name is Wayama. Mozuku is the name of a kind of seaweed that he grows himself in the sea around Zamami. His restaurant is most famous for it’s Okinawa soba served in a soup full of his locally produced seaweed, with a Hawaiian themed decor. Open for lunches 11:00-14:30.
Little Kitchen - This relatively new place offers lunches and dinners from 11:00-14:00 and 18:00-22:30. They are passionate about food and have an eclectic menu with Japanese, Thai, Italian dishes and more on the menu at a reasonable price.
Bar Karii - A late night bar which opens at 20:00 and closes at midnight or later is a popular spot for younger locals and tourists alike to drink the night away.
Zamami Burger and Pizza - This foreign owned guest house and restaurant hand make their food and sell it reasonable prices as well as offering an original cocktail menu. Open for lunches and dinners.
Furuzamami Beach’s Stalls - Very basic food and drink (non-alcoholic) can be bought at the stalls on Furuzamami beach. The quality isn’t high but the prices are not bad and it fills a much needed purpose for hungry swimmers and sunbathers.
Others: La Toque for dinner is an island institution and tasty izakaya. Cha Villa have a chilled out coffee, cake and relaxation vibe. Santa do dinners and lunches with all you can eat rice. Plus many more. Go explore!
TOURS AND ORGANISED ACTIVITIES:
There are lots of dive shops, kayak tours, stand-up paddle tours, boat snorkelling tours, trips to uninhabited beach islands, banana boat rides and more. Zamami has all kinds of tours available from many different providers.
Scuba diving - One of the main activities on Zamami along with the other Kerama islands. Zamami offers some of the best diving in Japan. There are masses of coral, fish and exotic sea life in the seas with the best visibility in Japan. This is where most dive shops in the mainland come to do their diving. Save yourself a lot of trouble, stay on the island and use a local shop.
Kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding - A few shops offer tours that will show you the best local snorkelling spots from a kayak or a SUP board.
Boat Snorkelling - Some shops offer a service taking you out in a boat to some unbelievable snorkelling locations.
Trips to uninhabited islands - Day trips to Gahi island sold at a reasonable price and will drop you off and pick you up. When there you make your own fun and snorkel to your hearts content. Do bring some shade with you!
Contact us and tell us what you would like to do and we can book it for you.
accommodation:
There are a ton of places to stay in Zamami. I will introduce a few, but do know that there are so many more. And get in touch if you would like some help in booking.
Zamamia is a Canadian owned guest house on the island. It is cheap and cheerful and good for solo travellers/backpackers. From 3,000 yen per person per night.
Yenn’s Marina Inn - This is a brand new place offering a mid range option but with a clean, modern feel. It costs in the 8,000-9,000 yen per person pre night range.
Cat’s Inn Kerama - This highly rated place right in the middle of town also has a great diving service and decent language abilities.
Ama Beach Campsite - In the smaller village of Ama and amazing campsite exists. It costs 300 yen per person per night or 1,000 if you want to rent a tent too. It is situated right on a gorgeous beach with two sea turtles living there. Heavenly but hot!
There are so many other places to stay on the island. And a lot of places book out in high summer so get in touch for help.
the sights:
Furuzamami Beach - This is the real bustling beach on Zamami. Understandably so. The beach is beautiful and the snorkelling is also great. Lifesavers man the swimming area for safety. On a low tide you can walk across a sand bar to Amuro island. Furuzamami can get a little crowded in the summer months.
Ama Beach - This beach is a little more chilled out. It also has lifesavers watching. This beach is all about the turtles that life here.
Takatsukiyama - Not exactly a mountain, more of a small hill but the views from the top are stunning.
View Points - For sunsets, head to the western road on Zamami and you will find a few view points. Needless to say it is stunning.
Further flung points: There are many remote and hard to get to beaches explorable on scooters.
possible itineraries:
Itinerary 1 - self touring
Day 1 - On arrival, take a walk and orientate yourself around the main village. Have some lunch in the village, then rent a bicycle and some snorkelling gear and head to Ama beach to snorkel with turtles and watch the sun set. In the evening choose a local restaurant or bar to drink beer and aomori.
Day 2 - After a breakfast at your accommodation, head to Furuzamami beach for a full day of beach relaxation and snorkelling. Lunch and beachy goods can be found at the beach itself, but could bring a bento if you prefer. When the tide is low, a walk across the sand to neighbouring Amuro island makes a lovely little excursion. If you timing doesn’t match that, then a little extra energy will take you to the sleepy village of Asa, with great views of the ocean and a real laid back feeling of old fashioned Okinawan life. Head back for another night of wining, dining and sleeping.
Itinerary 2 - marine tours
Day 1 - Go scuba diving! You will see so much vibrant biodiversity, you really can’t fail. Log and drink with the dive shop and the customers in the evening. If you like, repeat this day many times over.
Day 2 - Try a kayak tour or a stand-up paddle tour. You can go snorkelling in some great spots with these tours.
Day 3- Book a return trip to an uninhabited island. Agenashiku and Gahi are the islands names. You will escape the crowds and the snorkelling is great. Bring shade!
sealife:
The sea life is the star of the show. Too many things to see that I couldn’t possibly list them. But to name a few, there are reef sharks, sea turtles, manta rays, Spanish dancers, sea horses, cuttle fish and such unusual colourful sea slugs you won’t believe your eyes
In the winter time humpback whales arrive. Boats take whale watching trips from Aka and Zamami.
wildlife
Hermit crabs are everywhere. Several plants are also native to the Kerama islands. For example the Kerama Rhododendron is bright pink colour that shines in the sun. There is plenty of birdlife too. The highly venomous habu snake is not present on Aka, Geruma or Zamami.
notable history:
The Kerama islands were the first point in Okinawa that the American’s attacked. On March 26th 1945, Zamami was boarded. Fighting broke out between Japanese infantry based there as well as Korean war time labourers. The locals were fed lies and propaganda by the Japanese government. They believed that if captured by the Americans, a fate of torture and rape, worse than death awaited them. Thus a horrific scene of mass suicide occurred here as well as lots of fight between Americans, Japanese and Korean war time labourers.
May the tragedy that occurred here never occur again. And may the lessons learned here help us to avoid it in the future.