ZAMAMIA International Guesthouse - Hostel

The staff were welcoming and flexible, and the location in Zamami township is really convenient. You can rent bikes and snorkeling gear here too. There’s a burger and pizza restaurant attached. It only serves lunch, but in the morning and evening you can use its dining area to hang out. A good, affordable spot for backpackers.

I left after three days even though I’d booked a week, because the WiFi never worked and I needed it to research and arrange the next part of my trip. I ended up using a lot of mobile data. The luggage storage was just a bench on the porch outside, and leaving my things there without protection made me uneasy. The so-called female-only dorm was behind a curtain inside the mixed dorm, which rather undermined the point. When I arrived, I was told they only took cash and had to pay 30,000 yen. Nobody had told me ahead of time. The island’s only ATM was already closed, and the woman spoke rudely while lecturing me about getting cash. The staff came across as blunt and rude. It’s the only hostel on the island, but I wouldn’t have stayed if I’d known the WiFi was down. A working connection, a separate women’s dorm, somewhere secure for bags, more flexibility about being in the rooms, and less rude owners would make a big difference.

We decided to eat here on the spur of the moment and were lucky to get a table without booking. The food was delicious, the service was good, and the price felt fair. I’d come back, and next time I want to try the brownie with honey and Okinawa Sea Salt.

There aren’t many places to stay on Zamami, and this hostel does fill a need, but I’d choose somewhere else if you have the option. Some staff were helpful, while others were rude and had an attitude. The common area lights went off when staff left around 9pm, so there wasn’t really anywhere to sit after that. Once, a staff member switched the light off while I was in the middle of a call, then went home. We also couldn’t use the main kitchen sink after staff left, so filling our water bottles was a problem. Kitchen facilities are sparse, just a microwave and kettle, with plates but no hob or even bowls for instant noodles. That became an issue because many restaurants were closed while I was there, and we sometimes needed to make our own food.