Yubu Island is a tiny, tropical island and botanical garden located 400m of the coast of Iriomote Island in Okinawa. It is probably best known for the romantic, traditional water buffalo carts which are used to travel to and from the island.
If you find yourself on the exotic and remote island of Irimote, a side trip to Yubu Island is one of the recommended activities. Yubu island is a small island of around 1.5km2 located a few hundred meters of the east coast of Iriomote. The island functions mostly as a botanical garden, filled with walking paths and exotic tropical plants. It is a comfortable place to enjoy and explore the sub-tropical environment, and get up close with the palm tree forests and beautiful hibiscus flowers. The park also features a butterfly garden and a bougainvillea garden, which is best observed during flowering season in late autumn and spring.
The main draw for most visitors to Yubu Island is in fact, as much as the island itself, the trip from Iriomote to Yubu by buffalo cart. The water is very shallow between the two islands, allowing the water buffalo to travel back and forth with carts full of tourists. The water buffalo carts are a traditional feature of Yubu which has had great importance for the island historically. The tradition is kept alive today for purposes of tourism. On the island the water buffalo’s have their own pool where they can be seen resting and cooling down with only their heads out of the water.
Getting There
The only way to get to Yubu Island is by traditional water buffalo cart from Iriomote Island. Tickets for the buffalo cart ride (and admission fee to the island) can be purchased from the ticket office on Iriomote island. The ticket office is located by the beach where the crossing takes place. The buffalo cart rides depart from Iriomote approximately every 30 minutes from around 9:15 to 15:45. The last ride back to Iriomote is at 16:30. Check the current schedule on the official website before going.
There is no accommodation on Yubu. It is recommended to get a guest house or hotel in Iriomote Island. There is also no direct access from Ishigaki. It is necessary to travel from Ishigaki to Iriomote to get to Yubu.
link: yubujima.com
