Tokashiki Island, one day is simply not enough to enjoy it all!
Actually, you can also enjoy the beautiful seascape of Okinawa's northern glass sea right in Naha by island hopping!
We chose the well-developed Tokashiki Island, which is about 2km away from Tomari Port and International Street.
✅【Ferry Terminal】
⭕️Tomari Port is an important port connecting the main island of Okinawa and several small islands nearby;
⭕️The ferry terminal is not large, and inside there are a few windows marked with different island names (Zamami Village, Kume Island, Tokashiki Island, etc.);
⭕️The Tokashiki Island window only accepts cash and credit card payments, electronic payments are not accepted. Next to it, Zamami Village can use online payment methods;
⭕️You must reserve the ferry from Tomari Port in advance on the official website;
⭕️The fast ferry takes 40 minutes, and the slow ferry takes 70 minutes. We booked the slow ferry for the whole journey, which costs 3310 Japanese yen, including a 100 yen environmental tax;
⭕️The slow ferry is quite stable, with a flat layer on 1F, which is highly recommended for friends who get seasick easily to sleep on the flat layer. There are indoor and outdoor rest areas on 2F and 3F;
✅【Tokashiki Island】
⭕️The island is located in the eastern part of the Kerama Islands, which is a famous diving spot with many spectacular canyons and caves waiting for diving enthusiasts to explore;
⭕️The waters near the island are home to many types of hard corals, sea fans, etc.;
⭕️There are three beaches on the island, namely Tokashiki, Aharen, and Tokashiku, among which Aharen Beach is more famous. Here you can swim and snorkel;
⭕️After arriving at Tokashiki Island, you can take a shuttle bus from the snorkeling shop/inn you booked, or head straight to the only two buses on the island. The bus station is right next to the port, and the bus fare is 400 Japanese yen per person, one way, paid in cash;
⭕️The commercial atmosphere on the island is not strong, it was said that all consumption on the island must be in cash, but surprisingly, a restaurant was found to accept WeChat and Alipay;
⭕️From the port to Aharen Beach, over a hill, along the way, you will occasionally see the glass sea, the light blue blending with the white sand beach creates a very beautiful vacation painting;
⭕️The bus ride takes about 10 minutes, and when you get off, you can see a circle of small shops, including snorkeling shops, as well as beach chair and umbrella rentals;
✅Main Activities:
⭕️The shop has instructors who can take you to an uninhabited island for snorkeling, where the water is clearer and deeper, and there are more fish and corals;
⭕️The equipment rented from the shop can still be used for snorkeling by the beach after you return from the uninhabited island, and of course, it's also okay if you bring your own equipment;
⭕️If you like to relax, you can rent an umbrella on the beach, buy an iced drink, and laze around for a day, sunbathing, enjoying the breeze, and daydreaming;
⭕️There are not many water entertainment projects here, but there are banana boats;
⚠️Notes:
⭕️We arrived at the beach at 11:30 and left at 15:00 (for the 16:00 ferry), which was a relatively short time!
⭕️Even if you take the 9:00 fast ferry, it still feels a bit short. It is recommended that you stay on the island for one night;
⭕️Only after personal experience did I understand that an action camera is really necessary. I couldn't take clear pictures or do anything with my iPhone after getting in the water.