I will be taking the boat to Ogasawara from Tokyo for a few days in early December. Does anyone have any recommendations for accommodation, restaurants, can't miss sights or anything else in the islands? Thanks.
Lee
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I did the trip a year or so ago...4 days, 3 nights and bought tickets on the spot in Tokyo morning of sailing. It was easy and about $600 round trip for the dorm room. We had hoped to get cabins but they were booked ahead of time. The boat is pretty nice and exactly 25.5 hours to and from. Chichi-Jima is fantastic with a ton of hikes and good restaurants. I hope you can make it! If you have specific questions please email me at lee@leeabbamonte.com
Peter,
I just heard from a Spanish friend of mine who took that boat. He said that he had no problem booking on the spot in Japan, but that was for a dormitory. The cost was about US$400 round trip, and the boat stayed for three days at Chichi Jima. It takes about 26 hours to get there. It seems to me he did this trip off season. Not exactly the same, I took a boat from South Korea to Dalian, China and found a space by just showing up. It was in August, the height of the season, and it was last minute stand-by, but I made it on.
I went with Military Tours to Wake and Midway, and though the tours went well and were well organized once over there, trying to communicate with the office beforehand was useless and nerve wracking.
Cheers,
Pam
Pam
Thanks for that. Yes, it's pricey but if you want to tick it off the TCC list it's the only viable option for non-US/Japanese citizens since Iwo Jima is effectively off limits (and the Military Tours company for Iwo Jima is such a rude and arrogant lot).
The real problem for me is the lack of single cabins or even twin-share. I have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine - usually not a problem in a single or twin-share cabin but not viable in a dormitory.
So I've put off that voyage for a later time and hope I can find someone to travel with.
The voyage price is expensive but it's more than double if you try to book from overseas. JTB Sydney gave me a quote that was more than double the Yen price on the ship's web site - the sort of quote that really means "We don't want your business but if you're stupid enough to pay this much ... ". I'd take the risk of arriving in Japan and booking there.
A few quiet days on the island would not bother me -- but I'm also a scuba diver and there's a few dive shops that have some English language skills.
Cheers,
Peter Deegan
Hi Peter,
I haven't done the trip but friends have. They say the boat is a bit expensive and you would want to stay three days/2 nights on Chichi-jima. Hotels and pensions are in walking distance from the port. There's not a heck of a lot to do except explore the beaches and hike some walking trails.
Meanwhile, you've probably already seen this site: japan guide
Pam
Lee,
I'm looking at doing the same trip in March 2013. Could you share with me and others your experience on the boat and the island.
Did you return on the same boat with a few hours on the island or stay a few days for the next return voyage? Any recommendations on places to stay and things to do?
Thanks
Peter Deegan