2+ weeks Island Hopping Okinawa
Keramas, Ishigaki, Yonaguni & Miyako Island
2+ weeks Island Hopping Okinawa!
Content:
Go to the main page for Japan here!
Go to the main page for The Keramas here!
Go to the main page for Ishigaki island here!
Go to the main page for Yonaguni island here!
Go to the main page for Miyako island here!
"2+ weeks Island hopping Okinawa" Quick summary:
- Tokyo - Metropolis
(1-3 days) - Click here to book.
- The Keramas - Aka & Naha
(2-4 nights) - Click here to book.
- Miyako island - Cave & Caverns
(2-4 nights) - Click here to book.
- Ishigaki island - Manta Rays & Hammerhead sharks
(2-4 nights) - Click here to book.
- Yonaguni island - Mysterious Ruins
(2-4 nights) - Click here to book.
First stop: Tokyo/ Kagoshima.
Most Flights will enter Japan via Tokyo. Although I'm usually not a fan of big cities, this one is a must-see on your Japan trip!
You can easily spend a week or more in this beautiful city and enjoy the food, culture and people. You can also fly onwards to Naha airport to start your trip to Okinawa, the main reason for us divers to come here.
If you are coming from Kagoshima, in the south of Japan, you can catch a ferry or fly to Naha as well.
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Second stop: The Keramas.
A few reasons to come to The Keramas:
The Kerama islands boast the best visibility in Okinawa!
The sea is usually very calm, making the area enjoyable for any level of diving!
You can find more than 50 diving sites in this national park alone!
The easiest diving area to access: it is merely 1 hour door-to-door from Naha Airport!
Naha is the main place you will stay here. It is also the main entry point if you're planning to continue your trip to Ishigaki, Miyako, and Yonaguni Islands. From the airport, it's just an hour to get into the water and start exploring! Naha has everything you need: Shops, restaurants, hotels, etc. A really nice stop-over before you continue.
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Aka is the island inside the park. You can stay here as well, even for a few nights. And this way, reach all your must-see diving scenes!
Check out the main page for the Keramas here for more details!
Third stop: Miyako Island.
Miyako Island is your next stop in this Okinawa trip. From Naha airport you can fly straight to Miyako Island. There are also flights from Tokyo if you decide to skip Naha & Aka.
The Miyako islands are lovely and connected by bridges. You can rent a car or scooter or bicycle and explore a lot of the islands like this, between diving of course.
When finding accommodation, I would stick to the main island of Miyakojima, because all the dive centers are located here. Irabu, Shimoji, and Ikema are all easily explored from the central island.
Miyako Island offers amazing cave and cavern diving. With some unusual dives ending in cenote's or freshwater ponds!
Most memorable dive sites include:
- Satan's Palace
- W-Arch
- Antoni Gaudi
Check out the main page here for more details!
I recommend staying here for 2-4 days.
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Fourth stop: Ishigaki island.
From Miyako Island, you can fly to Ishigaki Island quite easily.
Ishigaki island is a small island, but it is still a full hour’s drive from the south to the north point. Public transport is limited. Each part has its different advantages, and you might want to split up your stay to experience both the city life and discover the wild nature of this region.
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If you are looking for a bit of nightlife with restaurants and bars and perhaps some souvenirs, go to Ishigaki City! It is also an excellent place to stay if you want to do some island hopping while you are here because most ferries depart from the Ishigaki ferry terminal and there are not many connections between the other islands. Most of the buses depart and arrive back in town.
Ishigaki is one of the best places in the world to dive with wild Manta rays, the season for watching manta rays usually starts in June and finish sometime by the end of October. The best chance of seeing them is in September and early October. Sometimes, it is also possible to see them a bit earlier or later in the season but the chances of seeing a manta are not as good.
I recommend staying 2-4 days here.
Check out the main page for Ishigaki Island here for more details!
Fifth stop: Yonaguni island.
Yonaguni Island can be reached from Ishigaki Island by ferry most easily. Yonaguni Island is quite far away from the other islands in the Yaeyama archipelago, but well worth the trip.
The biggest attraction for divers is a group of megaliths lying on the seabed to the south of Yonaguni Island. The mysterious 100-meter-long stretch of topography appears to be a series of steps and stone pillars, but people are still debating as to whether these are a man-made relic of a lost civilization or a natural occurrence. Experienced divers should book a tour at one of the local dive shops.
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I recommend staying here 2-4 days.
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Check out the main page for Yonaguni Island here for more details!
