7 Days Chugoku (Hyogo, Okayama, Hiroshima & Yamaguchi

7 Days Chugoku Less Trodden (Hyogo, Okayama, Hiroshima & Yamaguchi Prefectures)

(Specially Prepared for Pauline & Yitian)

An unusual journey that first begin in the mesmerizing onsen village of Kinosaki Onsen in northern Hyogo

Prefecture, you will witness the quaint charm of life along the coast of the Sea of Japan before moving inland to

the heart of Chugoku into the fabled lands of Okayama Prefecture – a land of great traditions, rich hot springs,

a storied history centred on the “Way of the Bushido” and charming villages. Continue next into Hiroshima

where you will see charming seaside towns and fisherman villages along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. End

your journey to the western frontiers of mainland Honshu where you will discover astonishing landscapes of

Yamaguchi Prefecture, a subtle finale for a great sojourn in serendipity!

Yokoso Nippon!

Flights At A Glance:

#04-20/21 Tanglin Shopping Centre, 19 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247909 Tel : (65) 6334 6120 Fax: (65) 6337 4166 (Business Reg. No. 199307023G)

[email protected] Web. www.countryholidays.com.sg

Fly 15Oct Singapore / Osaka SQ 618 0125/0900 (6h 35m) – Daily

Fly 21Oct Yamaguchi-Ube / Tokyo Haneda NH 696 1235/1410 (1h 35m) – Daily

Fly 21Oct Tokyo Haneda / Singapore SQ 633 1705/2305 (7h 00m) – Daily

DAY 00 14th OCT (TUE) SINGAPORE CHANGI AIRPORT

Today, make your way to Singapore Changi Intl Airport for your flight check in. DAY 01 15th OCT (WED) SINGAPORE / OSAKA / KINOSAKI ONSEN

On arrival at Osaka Kansai Intl Airport, you will be met by your guide and driver and then transferred to Osaka where you have some free time for refreshments. Thereafter, arrive at Osaka Station where you will board your train to Kinosaki Onsen.

Arriving at Kinosaki Onsen, you will first check in the refined settings of the Nishimuraya Honkan, a traditional Japanese inn with over 150 years of legacy. Explore Kinosaki Onsen town, located in northern Hyogo Prefecture and with its iconic canal, is one of the most pleasant and popular hot spring towns in Japan. This evening, tuck into fine Hyogo-styled kaiseki for nice welcome of your intrepid journey.

Overnight: Nishimuraya Honkan, Kinosaki Onsen (Horai Special Room with Open Air Bath)

Meals: Dinner

DAY 02 16th OCT (THU) KINOSAKI ONSEN / TOTTORI / MIMASAKA

Wake up to a refreshing morning and after breakfast, be met by your guide and driver and begin your journey along the scenic coast of the Sea of Japan amidst picturesque rural towns. Arrive at Tottori where you will marvel at the largest sand dunes in Japan stretching over 30 square kilometres. We make a brief visit to the Sand

Museum, displaying large sand sculptures by artists from around the world. Spend some time in town for lunch (on own expenses) before we continue south into the heart of Okayama Prefecture to Mimasaka Onsen where the region is ranked by travel magazines and tourism organizations as the best onsen destination in Japan!

Overnight: Kifu no Sato, Mimasaka (Japanese Styled Room with Private Bath)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner



Fly 15Oct Singapore / Osaka SQ 618 0125/0900 (6h 35m) – Daily

Train 15Oct Osaka / Kinosaki Onsen Ltd Exp Konotori #9 1211/1454 (2h 43m) – Daily

DAY 03 17th OCT (FRI) MIMASAKA

Today, spend a full day visiting the “Three Hot Springs of Mimasaka” as you visit the lovely onsen towns of Yubara, Okutsu and Yunogo. The Yubara-onsen Hot Spring offers sand bath, and it has been bestowed the title of "Yokozuna (grand champion) of the West" in promotions ranking the best open-air baths in Japan organized by travel magazines and others. The Okutsu-onsen Hot Spring is known as a place where clothing can be stomped clean, as well as for its "Bijin-no-yu (beautiful woman's bath)." Lastly, the Yunogo-onsen Hot Spring is nicknamed the "Heron Hot Spring" because legend has it that a white heron once used the soothing waters to heal an injured foot. You will also visit the city of Tsuyama on your return back to your ryokan where you will see a very ancient atmosphere of old merchant’s residences, the castle ruins of Tsuyama Castle and old shops that evoke a nostalgic feel.

Overnight: Kifu no Sato, Mimasaka (Japanese Styled Room with Private Bath)


DAY 04 18th OCT (SAT) MIMASAKA / KURASHIKI / TOMONOURA / HIROSHIMA

This morning, continue south to the canal city of Kurashiki, dubbed the “Venice of Japan”. We visit the Bikan

Historical Quarter where you will see iconic old merchant warehouses, shops and residences. Thereafter, we continue along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea to the port town of Tomonoura – an old-fashioned fishing townscape with a calm and laidback atmosphere. Coincidentally, Tomonoura gained recent spotlight as the film setting for the movie “The Wolverine” starring Hugh Jackman. Wander around and explore the beautiful town before we continue to Hiroshima for check in.

Overnight: ANA Crowne Plaza, Hiroshima (Club Floor Twin Room)

Meals: Breakfast



DAY 05 19th OCT (SUN) HIROSHIMA / YAMAGUCHI / AKIYOSHIDAI / OTOZURE

This morning after breakfast, be met by your guide and transfer to Hiroshima Station for your bullet train journey to Yamaguchi. (Your guide will travel with you on train journey)

On arrival at Shin-Yamaguchi Station, be met by your driver and thereafter, we visit Yamaguchi, dubbed as the “Kyoto of the West” for its striking resemblance of beautiful Zen gardens, samurai residences and pagodas. Visit the Rurikoji Temple, best known for its five-storied pagoda and ranked among Japan’s three greatest. Admire the beautiful temple grounds of Kozan Koen and enjoy a pleasant stroll. Enjoy time for lunch (on own expense) before we continue to the Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park – home to the largest concentration of karst formations and the largest and longest limestone cave in Japan. The vast lands of the Akiyoshidai Plateau are dotted with limestone pinnacles, presenting a landscape rarely seen in Japan. The plateau was a coral reef an estimated 300 million years ago, and the karst topography that we see today is the result of the gradual dissolution of limestone by rain through the years. Below the surface at the south end of Akiyoshidai lies the Akiyoshido Cave – spacious with ample lighting, paved paths and levelled steps. Various natural formations can be seen along the course, such as terraces of limestone pools filled with water, underground waterfalls and a lovely stream of cobalt blue water flowing along the path. Finally, we retreat to the beautiful Otozure River where you will enjoy the rich hot springs of Yumoto Onsen.

Overnight: Otanisanso, Otozure (Suite Room with Open Air Bath)




Train 19Oct Hiroshima / Shin-Yamaguchi Shinkansen Nozomi #99 0943/1014 (0h 31m) – Daily

DAY 06 20th OCT (MON) OTOZURE

Spend a full day at leisure to take leisure hikes along the mesmerizing Otozure River. Legend has it that a yuna, a woman who worked for the Ochaya (teahouse), fell in love, but her love was hopeless. The river carried away her unvoiced love written on paper “Otozure”. The legend named the river Otozure running through the town. Spend a day enjoying and relaxing in a charming countryside environment, indulge in fresh seafood caught from the Sea of Japan from the nearby Senzaki Fishing Port or just relax in the therapeutic alkaline healing properties of Yumoto Onsen hot springs.

Overnight: Otanisanso, Otozure (Suite Room with Open Air Bath)


DAY 07 21st OCT (TUE) OTOZURE / UBE / TOKYO / SINGAPORE

After breakfast, be met and transferred to Yamaguchi Ube Airport (1h 10mins) for your domestic flight to Tokyo Haneda before connecting to your international flight return to Singapore.

Meals: Breakfast

END OF TOUR

#04-20/21 Tanglin Shopping Centre, 19 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247909

Tel : (65) 6334 6120 Fax: (65) 6337 4166 (Business Reg. No. 199307023G) [email protected] Web. www.countryholidays.com.sg

Fly 21Oct Yamaguchi-Ube / Tokyo Haneda NH 696 1235/1410 (1h 35m) – Daily

Fly 21Oct Tokyo Haneda / Singapore SQ 633 1705/2305 (7h 00m) – Daily

TOUR PRICE PER PERSON:

- The following prices are based 2 Adults travelling together;

OUR RECOMMENDED HOTELS: BEST Price Per Person 1N in Nishimuraya Honkan, Kinosaki Onsen 2N in Kifu no Sato, Mimasaka 1N in ANA Crowne Plaza, Hiroshima 2N in Otanisanso, Otozure (Yumoto Onsen)

S$9,500 PER PERSON x 2

GRAND TOTAL (2 PERSONS)

S$19,000

Cost includes: - One-way economy airfare on ANA (Yamaguchi Ube – Tokyo Haneda) - All accommodations with daily breakfast as stated; - Other meals as stated; - Private English-Speaking Guide, air-conditioned vehicle as stated; - All tours & transfers as stated - All Shinkansen train journeys; - All Entrances, tickets as stated;

Cost excludes:

- International airfare on Singapore Airlines (SIN-Osaka/Tokyo Haneda-SIN); - Visa if any; - Gratuities to guides and driver; - Personal and other expenses not stated; - Travel Insurance; - Any extra meals other than specified; - Any expenses incurred beyond our control due to natural disaster, weather conditions, etc;



HOTELS:

Kinosaki Onsen:

Nishimuraya Honkan – Boasting a 150-year history and a beautiful garden, Nishimuraya Honkan offers hot-spring baths and Japanese rooms just 1 km from Kinosaki-Onsen Train Station. A gallery with traditional artwork is featured. This hotel was selected as one of Top 25 B&Bs and Inns in Japan by TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Award 2013. Rooms at Nishimuraya Honkan Ryokan have traditional futon bedding and tatami (woven-straw) floors. Each is air-conditioned and comes with a tea maker, flat-screen TV and private bathroom. Kinosaki Ropeway and Kinosaki Museum are both a 10-minute walk. Sato-no-yu Outdoor Hot Spring is 900 metres away. Guests can tour nearby hot springs wearing Japanese yukata robes and geta sandals. Seigetsuro Lounge pairs European and Chinese furniture with lovely Japanese garden views. Free Wi-Fi and wired internet are provided in the lobby. Bicycles can be borrowed for free. Dinners usually feature local Tajima beef, and fresh crab in the winter. Japanese-style breakfast is also served in the guest rooms. http://nishimuraya.ne.jp/honkan/english/index.php

Mimasaka:

Kifu no Sato – Some ryokans come in the form of dazzling traditional architecture, letting it be known from the moment guests arrive that their stay would be simply unforgettable. Then there are others that may look at first glance rather unassuming, but strive impress with what they do inside. Kifu no Sato, housed in a blocky yellow building in the mountainous onsen town of Yunogo, near Mimasaka in Okayama Prefecture, is one of the latter kind. Considering that the name of this 35-room ryokan translates to “the home of seasonal melody,” it’s only natural that the times of the year are abundantly expressed. The delicate kaiseki dinner may include an array of wild mountain vegetables in the spring, or crab and blowfish sashimi in the winter. And the fully tatami-matted hallways and little corners throughout the building blossom with traditional arrangements of, say, Japanese iris and sunflower in the summer, and camellia and pine sprigs in colder months. http://kifunosato-ryokan.com/



Hiroshima:

ANA Crowne Plaza Hiroshima – Just a 5-minute walk from Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, ANA Crowne Plaza features a 22nd-floor French restaurant and a health club with a pool. Rooms have free wired internet and a flat-screen TV. Rooms at ANA Crowne Plaza have wood furnishings, elegant colours and extra-long beds. Each includes a minibar and a private bathroom with a bathtub and bathrobe. 24-hour room service is available. The hotel is a 10-minute walk from the Atomic Bomb Dome, and a 10-minute drive from JR Hiroshima Train Station. It is a 30-minute drive to Miyajima Island, which features the famous Itsukushima Shrine and Otorii (Grand Gate). The hotel’s Aesthetic Salon offers facials and massage treatments. The 24-hour front desk has currency exchange and luggage storage. Guests can also enjoy Japanese and Chinese dishes at Unkai and Tao Li. Light meals are available at Fruitier. http://www.anacrowneplaza-hiroshima.jp/language/english/index.html

Otozure (Nagato Yumoto Onsen):

Otanisanso – Otani Sanso offers public hot-spring baths, relaxing saunas and free Wi-Fi at the public areas. Guests can request massages and facials for an extra cost and enjoy watching the night sky from the on-site astronomical observatory. Japanese Yukata robes are provided for all guests and the en suite bathroom comes with a hairdryer. Guests can enjoy swimming at the outdoor pool during the summer season and sing their favourite tunes at the karaoke rooms. Local gifts can be purchased at the souvenir shop and luggage storage is available at the 24-hour front desk. Guests can enjoy Japanese dishes at Fuko and Zuiun restaurants. Refreshments are available at Sansoka lounge and Chosyu offers Teppanyaki grilled dishes. Sanso Otani is a 5-minute drive from Tainei Temple and a 20-minute drive from Aomi Island. JR Yamaguchi Train Station is a 1-hour drive away. http://otanisanso.co.jp/english/



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7 Days Chugoku (Hyogo, Okayama, Hiroshima & Yamaguchi