Arts Club Tour 2018 Cruising Japan to the Philippines, Kobe to Manila A 13 day Expedition Cruise on Silversea Discoverer Join an intimate group of fit fellow travellers on this incredible journey of traditional and modern, of spirit and human worlds: of Japan during blossom time,of UNESCO World Heritage sites and national parks, of fishing villages, of Filipino beaches, villages, Spanish churches and limestone houses. Immerse yourself in fascinating history, wonderful wildlife and stunning seasonal beauty, as two cultures collide in perfect geographical fusion. Enjoy this adventurous, extraordinary opportunity to explore the normally un-cruised waters of this part of the western Pacific. Depart Kobe, Japan 17 April 2018 Arrive Manila, Philippines April 30
Day 1, 17 April 2018 Kobe, Japan Embark the Silver Discoverer for this delightful Silversea Expedition across the East China and Philippine Seas. This afternoon, you will attend a safety briefing before leaving Kobe. Later on, important members of the crew will be introduced as well as your expedition team. We invite you to familiarise yourself with your new home away from home, meet some of your fellow travellers and in the evening enjoy the first of many memorable meals in the restaurant. At dinnertime Silver Discoverer will head for the Harima-nada Sea. Day 2, 18 April 2018 Okayama, Japan A day of diverse cultural experiences awaits us as we will head for one of Japan s most significant gardens. Although the Korakuen Garden was severely damaged in WWII, the descriptions and paintings from the Edo period permitted an exact reconstruction. Designed in the Kaiyu style it is one of the Three Gardens of Japan and has been designated a Special Scenic Location. We will have time to stroll through the garden and taste Japanese green tea a specialty of the area. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant before we continue to Kurashiki, a town known as the centre of rice distribution in the Okayama area. Many old warehouses next to the preserved canal have been converted into museums, boutiques and cafes. During the afternoon we will see the Ohara Museum, which was the first Japanese museum to permanently exhibit Western art. We can see an eclectic mix of paintings and objects by El Greco, Renoir, Gauguin, Pissarro, Degas, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse, Rodin, and Picasso, as well as pieces from Jackson Pollock, de Chirico and Jasper Johns.
Day 3, 19 April 2018 Takamatsu, Japan Takamatsu is located on Shikoku, the smallest of the four main Japanese Islands. Your day will start with the visit to Ritsurin Garden. The 75 hectare park features six ponds, thirteen hills, a waterfall, plum, cherry, and pine trees, a bamboo forest, a tea house, and more. The garden is recognized as one of the most beautiful strolling gardens in Japan and was awarded three stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japan. The Japanese cuisine is famous for its sushi and noodles and today you can try an udon making experience. Not only will you learn how to prepare them, but you will also have a chance to taste the udon noodles you just made. Day 4, 20 April 2018 Miyajima and Hiroshima, Japan During the morning we will visit the small island of Miyajima, the Shrine Island, and get to see one of the Three Most Beautiful Views of Japan: the Floating Torii Gate. Built in the water, the Torii Gate leads to the Itsukushima Shrine and at high tide it seems to float. The Torii Gate is one of the most photographed sites in all of Japan. There are many more shrines and paths on Miyajima that are invitations to be walked. Mount Misen has a cable car leading partly up to the top with nice views and wild monkeys and deer roaming the trails. The name Hiroshima is linked to the dropping of the Atomic Bomb and the end of World War II. We will drive to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in central Hiroshima. The area where the park lies was Ground Zero for the first atomic bomb dropped on August 6, 1945. The park is dedicated to those who lost their lives in the attack. The park has many memorials and monuments, and we will stroll through it before we visit the Peace Memorial Museum. The museum surveys the history of Hiroshima and the advent of the nuclear bomb, focusing on the events of August 6.
Day 5, 21 April 2018 Moji, Japan From Moji we will drive to Kokura, the financial and business capital of this area. Kokura s landmark is its castle, which has been beautifully restored. In addition to visiting Kokura Castle, we will stroll through the remarkable garden located next to the main castle. After lunch we will see the Hiraodai Limestone Plateau, Japan s most representative karst plateau. Approaching the area one might mistake the pure white limestone scattered throughout the landscape for sheep grazing in the grass. Truly a natural treasure, the plateau also contains underground caves. We will explore the Hiraodai Senbutsu cave accompanied by local guides. To get deep into the cave you will have to walk in the stream running through the cave. Day 6, 22 April 2018 Kumamoto, Japan Built in the early 17 th century, the Kumamoto Castle is one of the three most famous castles of Japan. The castle has a number of interesting features, such as a stone wall and the beautiful black and white castle tower. However, it is the 800 cherry trees that add unrivalled elegance to the castle. The main varieties are Yoshino cherry as well as mountain cherry trees and Higo-zakura which make the square in front of the castle tower and the front of the long wall a wonderful spot for cherry blossom viewing, which we hope to still see in mid-april. This vast castle area is also a cultural place and houses the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art, the Kumamoto City Museum and the Botanical Garden.
Day 7, 23 April 2018 Miyanoura-Yakushima, Japan Yakushima, Japan s first UNESCO World Heritage site, is famous in botanical circles for its great many garden plants, including dwarf plants which have evolved to grow smaller than their mainland cousins. We will spend time on nature walks including Yakusugi Land, a nature park populated by a number of the island s ancient cedar trees, including the BuddhaTree, a 2500-year-old cedar, Futagosugi and Sennensugi. There are different trails for different levels of activity and while walking we will see the very clear stream running through the forest and the unique plant life on the island. There will also be a chance to see Yaku monkeys and Yaku deer. After your walk in the forest you will visit the Yakusugi Museum, which tells about the vegetation of Yakusugi as well as the history of Yakushima. Day 8, 24 April 2018 Amami Oshima, Japan Amami Oshima is an unspoilt natural paradise situated in the Amami islands and surrounded by transparent waters with brightly coloured coral reefs and tropical fish. Our day will start with a visit to Oshima Tsumugi kimono village where we can watch the process of making tsumugi and kasuri silkcotton fabrics. This is a craft complex in a beautiful hillside setting among flowers and many of the plants used in the process of dyeing. In Bashayama village we will have lunch including Keihan - one of the best specialities in Amami; Keihan consists of chicken, egg and other various ingredients placed on rice and covered in chicken broth. During lunch we will also have a chance to see local people playing the Shamisen. After lunch we can relax at the beautiful beach or stroll through Kenmunmura village with its traditional houses. If you prefer a visit with a little more activity, then choose the canoeing tour in Amami Oshima s Mangrove Park. Amami Oshima holds Japan s second-largest mangrove primeval forest inhabited by the Amami Rabbit, a national protected species. You will be canoeing for approximately an hour amongst the mangroves.
Day 9, 25 April 2018 Naha, Okinawa, Japan Okinawa is a typical Japanese subtropical region with a warm climate where cherry blossoms bloom in late January, and the swimming season lasts from April to October. There are more than sixty islands between the main island of Okinawa in the North and Yonaguni Island at the southwestern end. Departing from the pier and travelling towards the southeast corner of Okinawa, the first stop will be at the former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters. One can walk down the 101 steps into the narrow tunnels to get a unique insight into the conditions and experiences of the soldiers and officers inside the headquarters. Then we will visit Shuri Castle, the administrative center and residence of the Ryukyu royal family for over 400 years. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the castle rests on a hill providing outstanding views of Naha and the sea. Surrounded by tall curved walls, the bright red castle is a mixture of Japanese and Chinese architectural styles. You will see the lavishly decorated Main Hall and the ornate Shurei Gate. Known as the Gate of Courtesy, it typifies Okinawan architecture and serves as a symbol of modern day Okinawa. The final stop will be Shikina-en Garden, constructed at the end of the 18 th century; it features beautiful, relatively simple, wooden palace buildings with Okinawan-style red tile roofs and a spacious Japanese style landscape garden. A section of the old stone pavement that ran from the Shuri Palace to Shikina-en still exists. While the garden is designed in a style seen elsewhere in Japan, the architecture and flora of Shikina-en are uniquely Okinawan. Although the original garden was destroyed during World War II, it has been beautifully restored.
Day 10, 26 April 2018 At Sea While Silver Discoverer sails south, our lecturers will recap the Japanese experiences and will prepare you for the interesting ports to be visited in the Philippines. The executive chef and his or her team would like to demonstrate how to prepare some of the culinary specialties they have chosen for your dining experiences and you might want to try cooking your own fish or meat at the Hot Rocks dining experience out on deck this evening. Day 11, 27 April 2018 Batan Island, Philippines During the morning Silver Discoverer will continue to sail south across the Philippine Sea. Have a leisurely breakfast, join a seminar or workshop and get ready for our first stop in the Philippines northernmost province. Arriving in the late morning, we have to clear customs into the Philippines and then will want to make the most of our visit to Batan Island. Upon arrival there will be a cultural presentation with traditional songs and dances. We will see traditional houses and hear about their importance. In addition, be ready to reach lookout points and at the Basco Lighthouse enjoy a food demonstration and tasting. Further stops and photo opportunities will be at Chawa, the Valugan Boulder Bay and Rakuh A Payaman, known locally as Marlboro Country for its communal pasture. Another cooking demo and tasting of local delicacies, specifically the various ways to prepare sweet potatoes, will take place before we return to the pier and Silver Discoverer.
Day 12, 28 April 2018 Vigan, Salomague Port As we land in Salomague on Luzon s northwestern shore, we will be welcomed by a local band before heading south to Vigan and its historical district. We will see the Bantay Church and bell tower that is one of Ilocos oldest structures dating back to 1590. A Filipino style fiesta lunch will be had in a beautiful garden known as the Hidden Garden. There will also be a demonstration of how to prepare Pinakbet, which is a popular northern dish of mixed vegetables steamed in fish or shrimp sauce. Following these activities, visit a pottery factory specializing in jars and ride in horse drawn carriages to the Syquia Mansion, a museum dedicated to the Philippines sixth President. A walk through the Vigan Heritage Village with its mestizo district of old colonial Spanish style houses and tasting of local delicacies will end the excursion before we head back to the Silver Discoverer after a full day ashore.
Day 13, 29 April 2018 Hundred Islands, Philippines At the aptly named Hundred Islands National Park we will initially disembark by Zodiac and transfer to local boats to do some island hopping, as well as swimming, snorkelling and sunbathing. The local outrigger boats will pass and stop at several of the descriptively named islands, including Marcos, Cathedral, Quezon, Bat, Cuenco, Children s, Mayor s and Governor s Islands. Watch for dolphins, dugong and sea turtles that have been recorded in this national park and marine reserve. Another option for you is to visit the Coral Garden on the other side of Quezon, one of only three developed islands in the area, for some snorkelling. In the afternoon Silver Discoverer will continue south along the coast of Luzon. While aboard, be sure to attend the videographer s presentation of our voyage documentary. Day 14, 30 April 2018 Manila, Philippines Following breakfast, disembark Silver Discoverer. This cruise offers a single supplement from 25%, making it an ideal opportunity for the single adventurous traveller. This escorted group already has the minimum numbers sold to be an escorted group departure. Pricing for this cruise is available by calling Geoff at 604.685.6756 or geoff.clydesdale@visiontravel.ca