I found PARADISE in JAPAN! 🇯🇵 | OKINAWA | exploring the Kerama Islands of Tokashiki, Zamami & Aka

I found PARADISE in JAPAN! 🇯🇵 | OKINAWA | exploring the Kerama Islands of Tokashiki, Zamami & Aka

okinawa isn’t just famous for its beaches and island life it is known around the world as one of the five original blue zones regions where people live significantly longer and healthier lives than the global average the longevity here is about living in tune with nature with community and with yourself there is a quiet wisdom in the way people live here a reminder that a slower more connected life might just be a longer and more joyful one this is the beginning of my Okinawa journey across turquoise waters quiet islands and moments that reminded me how good it feels to just be [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] i arrived in Naha in the afternoon right when I stepped foot on the island it immediately felt different like a breath of fresh air i couldn’t tell I was in Japan people looked and felt different the entire energy of the place was just more relaxed and even though Naha looks quite urban it still gives off those island vibes you literally feel them in the air i stayed at Hotel Strata and I loved everything about it the location is super convenient just 1 minute away from the Montreal station which made getting from the airport to the city center really easy after I checked in I decided to go look for a place to eat since I hadn’t had any proper food that day yet can I just say from the get- go that Okinawa ended up being one of those places you just want to return to i can definitely see myself coming here again walked the main streets for a bit and then made my way to Laazorba a restaurant that serves ethnic vegetarian food i loved it so much that I went back there again later during my stay i highly highly recommend you guys check it out even though it looks very simple the food was so good if I could visit only one restaurant in Naha that would be it that’s how much I loved it so back to my first morning in Naha i went for a breakfast at the hotel and just loved that they had a vegan option as the main dish you could also choose items from the buffet and the fact that they had lots of fruit and vegetables made me so happy those of you who are vegan or vegetarian know how hard it can be to find the right food when you travel so yeah little things like this really make a difference [Music] plans for today a day trip to Tokashiki Island one of the Kama Islands known for their incredible beauty i was really worried about the weather though the skies looked gray and of course when you have limited time in a place you want to make the best of it so I was just hoping the weather would clear up right after breakfast I headed to Tomari Port where I boarded the Marine Liner Tokashiki a speedboat that takes you to the island in about 40 minutes i booked my return tickets around 2 weeks in advance you can’t purchase them online but you can reserve your seats which I did and would definitely recommend during high season tickets can sell out quickly especially if it’s important for you to secure a round trip on the same day also it’s important to mention that sometimes departures get cancelled due to bad weather or big waves so you kind of have to be ready for that [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] i really love this [Music] [Music] once you arrive on Tokashiki there is a shuttle bus you can hop on that takes you directly to Aharan Beach the most beautiful beach on the island and that’s exactly what I did while you ride you get to enjoy breathtaking views of the island [Music] [Applause] by the time I arrived the weather started to clear up and I could finally see with my own eyes what caramel blue means it’s a kind of blue that doesn’t even look real at first too vibrant too clear too perfect but it is and it’s all natural the water around the Carama Islands is incredibly pure with minimal sediment and pollution that clarity allows sunlight to pass through deeply creating layers of radiant blue from pale aquamarine near the shore to deep sapphire just beyond the seafloor here is mostly made of fine white coral sand which reflects sunlight back through the water and intensifies the brightness of the blue it’s like the sea is lit from within [Music] the vibrant underwater life and healthy coral ecosystems add even more richness to the color when sunlight hits the reef from above the ocean glows [Music] thanks to low development and strong environmental protections the Kama Islands have remained relatively untouched there is little runoff no mercury rivers and no over tourism clouding the sea especially nowadays when there are so few places left on Earth that still have these conditions you feel incredibly grateful to visit a place like this [Music] heat heat [Music] [Music] heat [Music] heat [Music] heat heat [Music] [Music] there are over 20 islands in the Carama group but only a few are inhabited each one offering its own quiet charm tokosiki Zamami and Aka are the most visited yet still feel peaceful and untouched also the visibility here is among the best in the world often reaching up to 30 m perfect for snorkeling and diving among coral gardens sea turtles and tropical fish and from January to March hack whales migrate to this warm waters to breed and raise their young an o inspiring experience if you can catch it seeing all this beauty in front of me I honestly felt I should have stayed here for at least a night or two that would have been amazing in the afternoon I decided to walk around and find something to eat i had brought some snacks with me just in case because I knew I might not find food that works for me but still I wanted to explore and see what was available got myself a fresh dragon fruit smoothie and thought I really need to get to one of the observation decks for a beautiful view even though the hike uphill was quite a climb the views were so worth it tokashiki Island is the largest in the Carama group but still blissfully laidback no big hotels no crowds just winding roads gentle hills and beaches so clear and calm they look almost unreal here I’m standing on Mount Teryama lookout point and I have to say the views over the Kama archipelago from above are breathtaking from up here you can see the two main beaches on Tokashiki aharin Beach which I had just visited you can rent a kayak take a glass bottom boat or simply float for hours and explore and Tokashiku Beach a bit quieter and often visited by sea turtles it’s less built up and has a more relaxed natural feel i didn’t have much time left to check it out by that point I was worried about missing the shuttle bus back to the ferry terminal especially since tomorrow I’m heading to Zami Island [Music] [Music] good morning guys another breakfast at the hotel and today I had to check out this time I’m leaving Naha for three nights to visit two more islands Zamami and Aka i asked the hotel to store my big suitcase so I could travel light with just a carry-on and a toad bag this time I took the Queen Zami speedboat you can purchase those tickets ahead of time which I did and I will leave a link to their official website in the description for you guys there is also an inter island ferry called Mitsushima that travels between Tokosiki Zami and Aka and you can buy those tickets at the port right before departure it runs around three times a day you can ask the staff at the terminal they will know the current schedule again all departures are subject to weather conditions so I was really hoping everything would go smoothly [Music] once I arrived on Zamami I dropped off my bags at the hotel and headed to the Zami Tourism Association building where they’ve got a little coffee shop and a terrace with a view on the second floor i just wanted to sit down with a cup of coffee and chill for a bit i had a snorkeling tour booked for the afternoon so I had about an hour and a half to walk around get a feel of the island and relax for a snorkeling tour I went with Minuku Nakamuraya Center they do drone shots and underwater videos for you and overall I had a great experience with them the tour lasted about two and a half hours and cost $8,000 yen which was roughly about $57 and something important to mention bring cash to the islands because card payments are nearly non-existent there so make sure you bring enough for tours restaurants and groceries many places are cash only i visited at the end of April and the water was still cold but I found this activity so enjoyable regardless the underwater world here is unreal you can spot so many different fish and sea creatures from sea turtles to sea snakes and more [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] yeah [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] after the tour I returned to the hotel showered changed and headed to Furizami Beach one of the most beautiful places on the island the beach was about to close and people were starting to leave which made it the perfect time to enjoy some silence and peacefulness [Music] good morning guys this afternoon I’m moving to Aka Island but first I had one more activity planned paddle boarding originally it was supposed to be a kayak tour but due to the weather they change it last minute to paddle boarding which was totally fine with me i was really excited about this one the last time I did paddle boarding was in Jamaica and I loved it so I couldn’t wait to do it here first time SU standard paddling is here and uh after uh we uh next beach we go to next beach uh beach or this amma beach yeah I’m a beach because as many do coming here beach [Music] we drove to the other side of the island to find some calm waters and then we began afterward we also went to Amma Beach for snorkeling but had to return early because thunder and lightning started and it wasn’t safe to continue [Music] all right time to move to Aka Island to get there you just go to Zami port and take the Mitsushima ferry I mentioned earlier and it is just some 15 minutes ride [Music] [Music] [Music] tiny serene and wildly beautiful aka Island is the kind of place that feels like time has forgotten it it is quieter less visited and deeply peaceful it’s the kind of place where you wake up with a sound of birds walk barefoot to the beach and forget about the rush of the world there is no night life here just moonlight stars and the rhythm of the sea and what makes this place even more special is its population of wild deer these aren’t just any deer they are a rare subspecies known as the Kama deer and they only exist on a few of the Carama Islands including Aka and nearby Haruma that makes them endemic meaning they live nowhere else on Earth their quiet presence adds something magical to this island a reminder that this place is not just beautiful but alive in the most delicate and unexpected ways on this note I’m ending this video i hope you guys enjoyed it this is just part one so be sure to subscribe if you want to see how the rest of my Okinawa adventure unfolds thank you for watching talk to you soon [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]

Okinawa isn’t just famous for its beaches and island life — it’s known around the world as one of the five original Blue Zones: regions where people live significantly longer and healthier lives than the global average.
The longevity here is about living in tune — with nature, with community, and with yourself. There’s a quiet wisdom in the way people live here. A reminder that a slower, more connected life might just be a longer — and more joyful — one.
This is the beginning of my Okinawa journey — across turquoise waters, quiet islands, and moments that reminded me how good it feels… to just be.
Enjoy watching!

Timecodes:

0:00 Intro
01:07 Hello Okinawa
03:42 My First Morning in Naha
04:19 A Day Trip to Tokashiki Island
07:19 About Kerama Islands
11:41Let’s Go Explore The Island
13:37 Moving to Zamami Island
15:56 Underwater Life of Zamami
19:07 Quite Moments on The Island
20:04 Paddleboarding Experience
21:38 Let’s Move to Aka Island
22:30 Aka Island and Kerama Deer
23:41 Outro

USEFUL INFO:

To reserve your seats on the Tokashiki Speed Boat or Ferry:
https://tokashiki–ferry-jp.translate.goog/Senpaku/portal?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en

To book your seats on the Queen Zamami Speed Boat or Zamami Ferry (both to Zamami and/or Aka):
https://yoyaku.vill.zamami.okinawa.jp/zamami_web/enlog0101!doFormOpenLogin.action

To see the schedule:
https://yoyaku.vill.zamami.okinawa.jp/zamami_web/ennres0101!doAvailability.action

There is also and inter island ferry called Mitsushima, that travels between Tokashiki – Zamami – and Aka, and you can buy those tickets at the port right before departure. It runs around 3 times a day. You can ask the staff at the terminal, they will know the current schedule.

Snorkeling Tour on Zamami Island:
Minshuku Nakamuraya
https://zamami-nakamuraya.com/
+81 98-987-2147

Found this video useful or entertaining? Thank me by buying me a coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irynakorniienko