Kerama Islands

The customer service, staff, and owner were all very caring towards me, someone who doesn't understand English, Korean, or Japanese. The half-day trip was very enjoyable. I envied the islanders, whose average lifespan is 88 years. Even at 107, they can still weed. If they have money, they can lie on the beach next door. If they don't have money, they can find a place to mix drinks or teach people to scuba dive. They chatted energetically with tourists, swam in the shallows with the fish, and got a tan.

The itinerary was very well-organized, with time before and after snorkeling to relax on the beach, take photos, and swim. The instructors were very enthusiastic and helped everyone take many photos during the snorkeling and swimming sessions. The day was relaxing and fulfilling.

We were so lucky to see the jelly-like sea just a 40-minute boat ride from Naha Port, and we were so happy to see the sea turtles!

The shuttle service requires advance booking. The hotel will inform you of the pick-up time and order according to the route. You will fill out a consent form on the vehicle (must be in English or Romanized spelling only). Instructions on the boat are provided in Chinese, as well as Japanese and English. Life jackets, diving masks, and snorkels are provided on board. For those with nearsightedness, 200-degree and 400-degree masks are available. Because my prescription differs between my eyes, I inquired with the shop beforehand. They explained that they might not have a matching prescription and suggested wearing contact lenses. However, the mask I received had mold on the silicone part. Upon arrival at the designated spot, an instructor will lead a snorkeling trip around the boat area and feed the fish. However, perhaps because the instructor didn't speak much English, there wasn't much explanation during the snorkeling. The instructor took photos, but it seems each group only got one photo. The photos were disappointing. The shop will ask everyone to download photos from an encrypted cloud album on the return trip, but they weren't uploaded that day. To my great disappointment, when I checked the uploaded photos the next day, not a single one of ours was uploaded! Although the album description stated that photos might be blurry and therefore wouldn't be uploaded, seeing other groups with numerous photos while our instructor only took one or two, which weren't uploaded at all, felt incredibly unfair. After the first snorkeling session, we were regrouped according to the optional add-on program to search for sea turtles. Many people were there, led by two instructors, for about 20-30 minutes. Unfortunately, we didn't see any turtles that day, but it was already stated that we might not see any. During the search, we could feel the instructors were very diligent in looking and ensuring everyone's safety. On the return trip, you can quickly shower and change on the boat (the shower area is at the bow, an open space; you can use the simple curtains to change or wait in line for the two toilets). If you use the shuttle service, you must change back into dry clothes before boarding the vehicle. The waves were calm that day, and I had taken motion sickness medication beforehand, but I still felt a bit dizzy towards the end of the trip. I highly recommend remembering to bring your own motion sickness medication and take it beforehand. Overall, it was a smooth and comfortable experience. Apart from some mold on the mirror and uneven photo shooting, it was generally satisfactory.

It was a great experience, I highly recommend coming! The kids had a blast! 😃