Okinawa - Taiwan Ferry

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Arimura Ferry Line

Arimura is the ferry company that goes between Okinawa and Taiwan.

The ferries depart from Naha, Okinawa and go to either Taipei or Kaohsiung, depending on which day you leave. The ferry to Naha leaves from Keelung, Taiwan.

As of 15 March, 2008, the cheapest one-way price was about 17,000 yen (~$170 USD). There is a discount if you get a round-trip ticket with a stay of less than two weeks.

The ferry I was on stopped at Miyako island and Ishigaki Island. The stopover at Ishigaki-jima (Okinawa Islands) was long enough to get out of the ferry and walk around town for an hour or two.

1 Sleeping on the Ferry
2 Eating on the Ferry
3 Arrivals
4 Photo Gallery

Sleeping on the Ferry

Dormitory-style bunks on the ferry.

The ship provides a dormitory-style bunk. There is no smoking allowed in the bunk area, but there is smoking allowed in adjacent rooms with no separation between the rooms. If you have any respiratory problems, it might be too much smoke.

There is also a shower on board.

Eating on the Ferry

It's a good idea to bring a couple of large bottles of water as well as some food. The boat's shop was only open certain hours, but there were snacks and instant noodles for sale. It's probably cheaper to buy snacks and noodles on land though.

The restaurant on the ferry is only open very limited hours, which is another reason to bring your own food on board.

The selection of drinks from vending machines in limited, and they are very overpriced. A small bottle of water from a vending machine on the ferry is 160 yen (~$1.60 USD).