and a laid back atmosphere come to mind.  Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture,  

is the country's premiere beach destination, with  numerous islands and seas abundant with coral  

and marine wildlife. Less than an hour by  boat from the prefectural capital of Okinawa  

lie the remote Kerama Islands, which are set in  the beautiful ocean. The small islands are popular  

snorkeling and scuba diving destinations,  and are where one can enjoy carefree days.

My name is Raina Ong,  reporting for japan-guide.com,  

and in this video, we'll  be going to Zamami Island,  

a popular destination in the Kerama Islands,  for a slow and idyllic beach holiday.

The Kerama Islands are about 40 kilometers  west of Naha, the prefectural capital of  

Okinawa. The only way to access the islands  is by high speed boat or ferry from Naha,  

and the closest airport with  scheduled flights is Naha Airport.

On Day 1, we take the high speed boat  from Naha's Tomari Port to Zamami Island.  

We'll spend the day snorkeling, checking out the  main village and dining at a local restaurant,  

and stay overnight at a  typical island accommodation.

On Day 2, we'll hike to a nearby observation deck  

before taking the morning boat  back to the main island of Okinawa.

So follow along, as we go on an overnight trip to  a Beach Paradise in the Keramashoto National Park

Day 1

From Tomari Port in Naha, I board a  high speed boat for Zamami Island.

The high speed boat took about 50 minutes,  

and here I am on Zamami Island  and ready to start my holiday!

Zamami Island is relatively small, and the main  tourist spots can be accessed on foot. However,  

a rental bicycle or moped can make covering  travel distances a little less time consuming.  

Fortunately for me, the place where  I'm staying also has rental bicycles,  

so I head there to drop my bag off  and rent a bicycle for the day.

A ten minute ride takes me to the jewel  of Zamami Island, Furuzamami Beach.  

This highly rated, pristine white  sand beach has clear blue waters  

populated with abundant marine life, and is  a top spot for sunbathing and snorkeling.

This is Furuzamami Beach, and it's so pretty!  I mean, just looking at it makes me so happy.

During the warmer months from  around April through till October,  

rental shops at the beach front open for business,  renting gear like sunbeds, parasols and snorkeling  

equipment, so one can turn up empty handed  and still do all the fun beach things.

I've got my life jacket and my  snorkel gear and I'm ready to go!

The waters near Furuzamami Beach  have a depth of about 2 to 5 meters,  

and there is a large coral reef  a few meters from the shore.  

While these conditions make snorkeling an  

accessible activity for the young and  those who are not confident swimmers,  

adequate precautions should be taken as  there is a sharp drop-off underwater.

After that refreshing snorkeling experience,  it was time to get dry and explore the main  

village on Zamami Island. The small  village is where the port and majority  

of the island's lodgings and restaurants are  centered. In fact, the main village is also  

where a large percentage of the island's  approximately 600 inhabitants reside.

This is the largest grocery slash  convenience store on the island,  

and where the locals get their daily necessities  from. Let's go inside and check it out!

Walking about the village gives one an idea of  the construction and decoration of Okinawan-style  

residences. Shisa are the lion-like statues that  are seen at the roof or entrance of many houses.  

These shisa, typically found in  pairs, are said to ward off bad luck.

You might have also noticed that some of  the traditional looking houses have low  

roofs and high stone walls surrounding the  premises, and many buildings tend to have  

flat roofs. The purpose for the flat or low roof  construction is to withstand the strong coastal  

winds as well as typhoons, which frequently  visit the region from late spring to autumn.

After the nice urban exploration of the  village, it was time to have dinner,  

and dining out is a great way to sample  the regional and local ingredients.

I'm at a Ao No Umi, a restaurant on  Zamami Island and I've ordered some  

local specialities for dinner. But before  that, I'm gonna have a drink. Kanpai!

Look at this spread I've ordered for  dinner! I'm so excited to eat EVERYTHING! 

We've got mozuku which is a local seaweed and  I have it in vinegar as well as in tempura. 

I've also got half grilled kanpachi  fish head and octopus...deep  

fried octopus, local fish sashimi as  well as somen champuru which is cooked  

in a typical Okinawan style with  vegetables and a bit of broth. 

And pizza, we've got pizza and its topping is  quite unique, it's got Rafute on top. Rafute  

is this simmered pork dish which is so tender  and beautiful. I'm excited to try that one!

Day 2

I'm at the Takatsukiyama Observation Deck, which  is one of the highest points on Zamami Island.  

This is also a great place to see the  sunrise, which is what I did this morning!  

And on the other side you get to  look down on the village of Zamami.

Following breakfast, I cycle to the Marilyn dog  

statue located a few minutes  away from my accommodation.

There is a romantic and heartwarming  story behind this dog statue,  

and one which was made into a movie in 1988  titled Marilyn ni Aitai or Longing for Marilyn.

This is the statue of Marilyn and she is looking  in the direction of Aka Island where her doggy  

boyfriend lived. And he would swim 3 kilometers  everyday across the water just to meet her. 

And you might have guessed, there is a matching  statue of Shiro, Marilyn's companion, on Aka  

Island. Their love is eternalised in bronze,  and their story will be remembered for ages.

For my afternoon activity,  

I made advance reservations for a guided  half day sea kayak and snorkelling tour.

I'm going on a sea kayaking  and snorkeling activity to  

that uninhabited island behind me which  is only accessible by tour. Let's go!

Having a local guide is indispensable  for those who want to know where the best  

places are and learn more about the local flora  and fauna. My tour included all the equipments  

like kayaks and snorkeling gear, and all I brought  was my swimming gear and sunny disposition.

To bring my time on Zamami Island to a close,  

I watched the sunset from the Kaminohama  Observation Deck after that fun tour.

As the sun set, I thought about how this  has been an excellent and relaxing trip.  

I got to explore the Kerama blue waters  and see a multitude of marine life,  

and most of all, got to thoroughly enjoy  the simple island life in a national park.

Thanks for joining me. I hope this video has been  enjoyable and perhaps even inspires some ideas,  

should you decide to plan  a trip to a national park.

For more information about this  trip or to watch another video,  

click the links on the screen now,  or head over to japan-guide.com,  

your comprehensive, up-to-date, travel  guide first-hand from Japan. Thanks for  

watching, be sure to subscribe and click the  notification bell for more videos about Japan.

Happy travels!