Ambo Things to Do

Yakusugiland is the main attraction of Yakushima Island. But in spite of this, when we first arrived we had the whole park to ourselves. It's very remotely located up in the mountains. Be sure to keep track of the bus schedule -- you don't want to be stranded up there! On the bus ride up, we passed a dozen litle macaque monkeys, picking at fleas and playing with their babies. In the park itself we saw several Yakushima deer, including one that was curious enough to approach us when we offered it a cracker.

There is a small admission fee for the park, but it's worth it to use their beautifully laid out trails, which include several suspension bridges over breathtaking gorges. Later in the day, one tourist-filled bus arrived, but those folks only stayed on the shortest trails. We had the longer trails all to ourselves, although the outer trails aren't nearly as well maintained. Be prepared for a lot of narrow paths up steep and sometimes crumbly rocks. Yakusugiland's big claim to fame is its thousands of years old cedar trees. And those monstrous old trees are impressive, indeed. But more than that I enjoyed the general landscape. Rocky and tropical, full of cascading streams and dark green leafy foliage. But be prepared for rain! It rained about 85% of the entire time we were in Yakushima. By the end of our hike we were all soaked, which had more than dampened our spirits as well.