Plan introduction( Turtle Snorkeling & Yubu Island Buffalo Cart )
On this tour, you can enjoy snorkeling at Barasu Island and sightseeing on Yubu Island, where you can feel the tropical atmosphere.
In the morning, enjoy colorful tropical fish and coral reefs while snorkeling, and in the afternoon, take a buffalo cart to Yubu Island.
Barasu Island is an uninhabited island that does not appear on any maps and is one of the most popular sightseeing spot around Iriomote Island.
Around Barasu Island, many tropical fish and coral reefs inhabit.
Please enjoy the beauty of the sea of Iriomote Island.
Sea turtles inhabit in this area, and if you are lucky, you will be able to swim with sea turtles that are friendly to people at close range.
In the afternoon, we will take a buffalo cart to Yubu Island while enjoying the tropical scenery.
Enjoy a relaxing ride on the buffalo cart as it moves slowly through the shallows.
Yubu Island is a small island with a circumference of about 2 km. The island’s subtropical botanical garden has a bougainvillea garden with primary-colored flowers in full bloom.
There is also a large pond where about 40 buffaloes relax, and where visitors can see adult and golden chrysalis of Japan’s largest butterfly, the giant sargassum butterfly.
There is also a restaurant and a store where visitors can spend a relaxing time.
It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to walk around the site.
Walking slowly around the site, you will find crabs and hermit crabs here and there!
This is a very popular tour that allows you to visit two popular spots around Iriomote Island in just one day.
Even if you have a short travel time, this tour is an efficient way to visit the highlights of Iriomote Island, so please consider this tour.
Estimated timetable
| Time | Details |
| 9:00 | Please come to the meeting place * Hotel pick-up service is available at each hotel. (only in in Uehara area of Iriomote Island) * If you are coming from Ishigaki Island on the same day, please board the 8:00 a.m. ferry to Uehara Port. |
| 9:20 | Arrival at the field. |
| 9:30 | Start of 1st activity. |
| 11:00 | End of 1st activity. |
| 11:30 | Lunch time. * Our guide will take you to a restaurant where you can have lunch. * Please bring money for lunch. |
| 13:00 | End of lunch time |
| 13:20 | Arrival at the field. |
| 13:30 | Start of 2nd activity. |
| 15:00 | End of 2nd activity. |
| 15:30 | End of the tour * If you request a drop-off service, we will take you to your hotel. (only in Uehara area of Iriomote Island) |
* Schedule is subject to change depending on weather, tide level, and number of participants.
Course Summary
| Tour Price (Tax included) |
Adult (12+) : 12,500 yen Child (6-11) : 12,500 yen |
| Included in price | Guide fee, Rental fee (life jackets, marine shoes, Snorkel equipment, Wetsuits for winter,), Entrance fee to Yubu Island, Fee for buffalo cart ride, Fee for using shower room(hot water), Photo data taken on the tour, Insurance, Taxes |
| What to bring | Towel, Drink, Sunscreen, Change of clothes (if you need), Money for Lunch |
| What to wear on tour | Swimsuit, Rash guard, Half pants, etc. |
| Meeting and Dismissal Locations | Please choose from the following. 1. Pick-up and drop-off at each hotel in Iriomote Island (Only in Uehara area) * Please see NOTES for details. 2. Uehara Port 681 Uehara, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa 907-1541, Japan (Google Map) |
| Term | Whole Year |
| Time | 9:00-15:30 ( 6.5 hours) |
| Time of meeting | Our guide will inform you of the meeting time the day before the tour. |
| Age restrictions | 6-59 years old |
| Max. capacity of the tour | 30 people (Minimum 2 people) |
| Reservation deadline | By 8:00 p.m. the day before the tour |
How to contact us after booking a tour
Our guide will contact you by phone (or e-mail) the evening of the day before the tour to inform you of the tour details.
For single person
The minimum number of participants for this plan is 2.
If there are no other participants, the tour will be cancelled free of charge.
We will inform you if the tour will be held or not the day before the tour.
Pick-up and Drop-off Area
Pick up and drop off service is available at hotels in Uehara area of Iriomote Island.
Our guide will inform you of the pick-up time after your reservation is made.
* Hotels outside the Uehara area (Jungle Hotel Painumaya, Eco Village, Latida Iriomote, etc.) are out of the pick-up and drop-off area.
If you are staying at such hotels, please take a bus or taxi to the Uehara Port.
Cancellation and Change of Reservation
The following cancellation fees will apply if you wish to cancel your reservation.
1. By 8 days before the tour : Free of charge
2. By 7 to 2 days before the tour : 2,000 yen for one group
3. After the day before the tour : 100% of the participation fee
*No cancellation fee will be charged if you cannot join the tour due to force majeure, such as tour cancellation due to bad weather or flight cancellation.
For any changes to the tour, please get in touch with us at the e-mail address (or phone number) provided in the reservation confirmation e-mail.
About the decision to cancel the tour
The tour will be held even if it rains, as long as safety is ensured.
Except for special weather conditions such as typhoons, the tour will generally be held rain or shine.
However, field conditions are subject to change due to wind, waves, and other factors in addition to rain.
If we determine that the field is not safe on the day of the tour due to these factors, we may cancel the tour even if the weather is fine.
Our guide will contact you if the tour is cancelled.
Notes
1. Meeting and dismissal times may vary depending on the season and field conditions on the day of the tour.
Our guide will inform you of the meeting place and time on the day before the tour.
2. Please change into clothes that you do not mind getting wet before the tour.
3. Please use the restroom before the tour. There are no restrooms near the tour field.
4. Please contact our guide in advance if you are going to be late.
5. For the safety of our guests, we require all guests to wear life jackets on our tours.
Please do not remove your life jacket during the tour.
6. For safety reasons, we do not allow people who meet these conditions to participate in our tours. Please be sure to check.
