Luxury Small Ships, Mediterranean Cruises, Caledonian Sky, Kimberley Coast Cruises, Malaysia, Expedition Cruise
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90 | BOTANICA SMALL SHIP DISCOVERIES Day 1. Arrive Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Embark Ship. Depart Osaka Kansai International Airport at 10.30am or Imperial Hotel Osaka at 11am and explore Kyoto. Visit the rock garden masterpiece of Ryoanji and see the Cherry Blossom on the philosopher's walk. After lunch, transfer to the MS Caledonian Sky in Kobe. Enjoy a Welcome Dinner as you set sail for the port of Okayama. 10 Nights: MS Caledonian Sky. LD Day 2. Okayama, Koraku-en Garden, Kurashiki. After breakfast this morning, we will visit Koraku-en Garden, one of Japan's most significant gardens – the name meaning 'garden of pleasure after'. Visit a classic Japanese teahouse with garden views. After a local lunch, continue to Kurashiki, to explore the old merchant quarter and its fine 17th-century wooden warehouses. The beautiful houses are white with traditional black tiles and are situated along a canal lined with rows of weeping willows. BLD Day 3. Takamatsu, Ritsurin Park. Today tour the beautiful city of Takamatsu on Shikoku, the smallest of the four main Japanese Islands. Journey over the Seto-Ohashi Bridge and visit Kinashi Bonsai Town. Next visit Ritsurin Park, a 350-year-old garden, famous for its lush spring colours and Chrysanthemum-Moon Pavilion. BLD Day 4. Hiroshima, Miyajima. Arrive in Hiroshima to visit the compelling Peace Memorial Park, including the cenotaph that contains the names of all the known victims of the A-bomb. Return to the ship for lunch, then continue to Miyajima, which provides an impressive vista of the scarlet Torii Gate, the giant camphor wood gates at the entrance to the Shinto Shrine. Explore the World Heritage-listed Itsukushima Jinja Shrine, founded in the 6th century. BLD Day 5. Uwajima. Arrive in Uwajima, deep inside the saw- toothed coast of Uwajima Bay, the nation's largest pearl cultivation centre. You can learn about cultivating and sorting pearls on a visit to a pearl farm before continuing on to the Samurai era Tensha-en Garden. Alternatively explore Uwajima Castle and the beautiful Tensha-en Garden. BLD Day 6. Nagasaki, Dejima Island. Arrive at Nagasaki, the second city destroyed by an A-bomb in World War II. Tour the CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN JAPAN 12 DAYS – OSAKA TO TOKYO 10 Night Botanica Small Ship Cruise | 1 Night Tokyo Okayama Takamatsu Kobe Kurashiki Hiroshima Nagasaki Pusan Hagi Matsue Kanazawa Miyajima Uwajima JAPAN SOUTH KOREA TOKYO OSAKA MS Caledonian Sky 10 1 Cruise Coach Bullet Train No. of Nights Stay Included Sightseeing/ Freedom of Choice™ 1 YOUR BOTANICA CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE See the cherry blossom of Japan in full bloom and discover its significance Visit Ryoanji rock garden and see the stunning cherry blossom on the Philosopher's Walk Visit Ritsurin Park, a 350-year-old garden famous for its spring colours Explore Kenroku-en Garden, ranked among the country's top gardens ITINERARY OVERVIEW DAY DESTINATION 1 Osaka, Kyoto 2 Okayama, Koraku-en Garden, Kurashiki 3 Takamatsu, Ritsurin Park 4 Hiroshima, Miyajima 5 Uwajima 6 Nagasaki, Dejima Island 7 Pusan 8 Hagi 9 Matsue, Yuushien Garden 10 Kanazawa, Kenroku-en Garden 11 Kanazawa, Tokyo 12 Tokyo KEY FREEDOM OF CHOICE TM EVENING DEPARTURE / OVERNIGHT (B) Breakfast (L) Lunch (D) Dinner