2014.10.20 Yummy Autumn Kyushu (KE) 140617-1

Air & Sea Travel Center Phone: 1-808-951-9800
E-mail: [email protected]
s
Belly-God'
Toll Free: 1-877-951-3888
Yummy Yummy Tour: Japan Series
Kyushu Edition
Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Tsuetate, Shimonoseki, Kitakyushu
Takachiho Gorge
Tour Package Includes
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International airfare from Honolulu
Deluxe hotel accommodations (based on double
occupancy)
Circle Kyushu Island Tour
All meals & admissions as stated
Hands-on pearl removal experience
Steaming black sand baths: Ibusuki Hot Spring
Castella & Jizou Pudding Tasting
Ibusuki Hot Spring
Kuju-ku Islands
(Kujukushima)
Kumamoto Castle
Oct 20 – 28, 2014
Mt Aso Ropeway
$ 3,188 Single Supp: $ 680
50 S. Beretania Street, Suite C- 211B, Honolulu, HI 96813
Incl. Tax & Fuel Surcharge
Honolulu – Fukuoka
Day 1 ** Oct 20
We begin our journey by boarding an international flight to Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan's third largest island,
considered the southernmost island of Japan. Meals and snacks will be served on the plane.
Fukuoka
Day 2 ** Oct 21
Upon arrival at Fukuoka International Airport, we will meet with an Air and Sea Travel representative
who will escort us to our hotel. Fukuoka is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on
the southern end of Kyushu Island. Fukuoka was ranked as the 12th most livable city in May 2012 for
its green spaces in a metropolitan setting.
Fukuoka – Saga – Nagasaki
(B, L, D)
Day 3 ** Oct 22
After breakfast, we’ll travel west to enjoy a series of scenic views in Saga Prefecture, the northwest part
of the island of Kyushu with a long history of rice farming culture. First stop is Niji No Matsubara (Rainbow
Pine Grove), a grove featuring over a million old black pine trees stretching 1 km wide and 5 km long along
Genkai-Nada seaside road. The forest was originally planted by the feudal Lord Terasawa as a countermeasure against the strong winds and tides in Karatsu Bay. Then, we proceed to Yobuko town, a small
fishing village famous for its squid. Then, we’ll travel to Sasebo, the gateway to Saikai National Park and
enjoy a local flavor specialty lunch. Board the Kujukushima Excursion Boat, Pearl Queen, a barrier free
boat we can enjoy a relaxing and scenic cruise around Kuju-ku Islands (Kujukushima), a group of 99
islands along the intended coast to the northwest of Sasebo city within a range of 30 km. Try your luck
with a Hands-on Pearl Removal to get a free pearl. Saga has been a major manufacturing source of
ceramics for centuries with Imari-yaki and Arita-yaki as the most famous and distinctive. Enjoy a stroll
through Imari Okawachiyama - a small ceramic mountain village in the city of Imari. The secretive nature
of Okawachiyama reached such a degree that it came to be known as the “village of secret kilns”. Tonight,
stay overnight at Ureshino Onsen Town, one of the Japan’s three greatest spa towns that await us for a
relaxing and rejuvenating treatment. Enjoy a traditional multi-course Japanese Kaiseki Welcome Dinner.
Ureshino Hot Spring is known as one of Kyushu’s best. It has good quality alkaline hot water that contains sodium and
hydrogen carbonate acid. It is regarded as one of the top 3 hot-spring waters for "water producing beautiful skin" in Japan.
(B, L, D)
Nagasaki – Kumamoto
Day 4 ** Oct 23
This morning, we’ll continue our journey to Nagasaki Prefecture. Our first stop is Nagasaki Atomic Bomb
Museum, which is a remembrance site to the second atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki on 9
August 1945 at 11:02:35 am. Next to the museum is the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for
the Atomic Bomb Victims, built in 2003 and it marks the hypo-center of the event. This event marked a new
era in war making Nagasaki a symbolic location for a memorial. Then, we will proceed to the Shimabara
Peninsula, which was created by merging the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island
provinces of Tsushima and Iki. Along with Chijiwa Coast, we will taste Castella, the most popular Japanese
sponge cake in Nagasaki. After a delicious Shimabara style lunch, we will continue our journey by boarding
a ferry from Shimabara Pier to Kumamoto Prefecture located in the center of Kyushu. We will cross the
Ariake Sea to Kumamoto Castle, one of the most impressive castles in Japan. With large castle grounds
and a variety of buildings, Kumamoto Castle offers its visitors one of the most complete castle experiences
in Japan. After a Japanese Style Barbeque dinner, we will transfer to our hotel and stay overnight in
Kumamoto city.
(B, L, D)
Kumamoto – Kagoshima
Day 5 **Oct 24
After breakfast, we will go south to Kagoshima. Our first stop is Chiran Bukeyashiki (Samurai Residences
and Gardens), the reminiscence of the samurai’s residential district and preserved to communicate the
townscape of feudal Japan. Afterwards, we proceed to Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots, which
was an airbase that served as the departure point for hundreds of Special Attack or kamikaze sorties
launched in the final months of World War II. The Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots display
preserves and collects the valuable documents of these pilots who rammed enemy ships by crashing their
planes into them. Later, we proceed to Lake Ikeda, the largest lake on Kyushu Island, known to tourists
as the location of the falsely sightings of a monster named Issie. Finally, we’ll transfer to the southernmost
tip of the Satsuma Peninsula, Ibusuki; a coastal town best known for its “Suna Mushi” onsens (steaming
black sand baths), to experience being covered in warm black volcanic sand.
Ibusuki Hot Spring is famous for its natural Suna Mushi hot springs, a type of natural hot springs where bathers are covered
with sand. These Suna Mushi hot springs are the only sand hot springs in Japan that utilize the plentiful amount of hot springs
that naturally gush out along the coast. Bathers lie along the seashore and are covered in sand warmed by geothermal heat.
After staying covered in this heated sand for a while, bathers will start to perspire. Recently, Suna Mushi hot springs have
become quite popular with women due to the similar effects of sauna from these sand hot springs.
Day 6 ** Oct 25
Kagoshima – Miyazaki
(B, L, D)
T o d a y ’ s h i g h l i g h t i s Senganen Garden, a l s o k n o w n a s Isoteien; a J a p a n e s e s t y l e l a n d s c a p e g a r d e n
located on the coastline at north of downtown Kagoshima. The garden cleverly borrowed the sceneries
from Sakurajima and Kagoshima bay, harmonized with the landscapes inside the garden to become one
of the most striking features of Senganen. The garden has been used as a filming location for the
well-known Japanese TV drama, Princess Atsu. After the garden tour, lunch will be served as a
traditional Kagoshima prix fixe meal called “Satsuma-maru”; it combines a set of seafood plates, fruits
and soup with good taste and healthy flavor. Mt. Shiroyama is the symbol of Kagoshima. This is an
active volcano still constantly emitting smoke. With an elevation of 107 meters, the mountain formerly
served as the site of a castle fortification, which led to its name. Shiroyama literally means "Castle
Mountain" in Japanese. Today, we have chance to see this mountain. Then we will drive to Miyazaki
Prefecture, located along the southeastern coast of Kyushu and well known for its beautiful mountainous
and coastal scenery. We will drive along Nichinan-Kaigan Coast on one of the prettiest highways in
Kyushu. Afterwards, we proceed to Miyazaki city, one of Japanese mythology prominent cities, as it
is believed to be the home of the Gods who created Japan. Next, we’ll visit the Udo-jingu Shinto shrine,
which is dedicated to Yamasachihiko, the father of emperor Jimmu, the first mythical emperor of Japan.
The shrine is famous for its unique construction. With a cave on a coastal cliff, it features a terrace
overlooking the ocean outside the cave. After all our travels for the say, we will transfer to our hotel
a n d d i n n e r w i l l b e s e r v e d i n t h e d i n i n g r o o m w i t h a n abundant international buffet.
(B, L, D)
Miyazaki – Kumamoto – Tsuetate
Day 7 ** Oct 26
This morning, we’ll visit Takachiho Gorge (Takachiho-kyo), a V-shaped ravine formed through the Erosion of
the Aso lava plateau by the Gokase River. The nearly sheer cliffs lining the gorge are made of slow forming volcanic
basalt columns that resemble scales of a dragon where the stone twisted and flowed as it formed. If weather permits,
we will proceed to Mt. Aso Ropeway, which became a magnificent tourist attraction featuring the first ropeway
built on an active volcano. Opened in 1958, Mt. Aso Ropeway is a Japanese aerial lift line operated by Kyushu Sanko
Tourism and rests on the side of Mt. Aso, carrying 91 passengers per lift. At the top, pay a visit to the Nakadake
Crater, a national park featuring the largest caldera in the world. It is one of the few volcanoes in the world where
visitors can step right up to a viewing area close to the rim to look down into the active crater. Enjoy the hot spring
in Tsuetate onsen resort, the largest outdoor hot spring in Kyushu.
Tsuetate Hot Spring is s hot-spring area spouting 95-degree water. The name "Tsuetate (stick storage place)" originated
with the tradition in which visitors to the spring would bring stick and leave them after bathing. Surrounding by the Mount
Aso and embracing by the river of Tsuetate, the misty onsen of Tsuetate lies in the deep forest for ages. The legend has
spoken of the miracle of curing lame foot, which makes it famous among the Japanese people. Here at Tsuetate, tradition
remains unchanged and uninfected from the modern world.
Day 8 ** Oct 27
Tsuetate – Shimonoseki – Kitakyushu
(B, L, D)
After enjoying breakfast, we will visit the Kurohawa Onsen town, the most popular onsen for Japanese females
among all the others. We can feel the small old town relaxing atmosphere, walking along the street we will have
the chance to taste a special Jizou pudding, a traditional sweet made only in Kurohawa. Then we will have lunch
featuring a local special Sansensomoku Soba noodles, a type of hand-made noodle that uses pure natural materials
and traditional production that is equally healthy and delicious. We will enjoy the noodles when surrounded by the
lush, natural environment. Next we will visit Kyushu Railway History Museum. The red-brick museum once
served as the former headquarters for Kyushu Railway; it consists of a main lobby, an expo area and mini railway
park. We will find all kinds of train and train facilities, equipment and the power systems that exist in different ages
in the expo area, while most of them are classic models, some of them have never been revealed to the world.
Akama shrine, a shrine dedicated to Antoku, a Japanese emperor who died as a child in the Battle of Dan-no-Ura
in 1185. This battle had a great impact on Japanese history because it brought an end to the Taira clan and their
domination of Japan. We will also go to see the Kanmonkyo Bridge, a suspension bridge connecting Honshu
and Kyushu Islands, with Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture on the Honshu side, and Kitakyushu on the Kyushu
side. The bridge crosses the Kanmon Straits and is the 34th longest suspension bridge in the world and once the
longest bridge in Japan. We will move to the city of Kitakyushu, which is the midway between Tokyo and Shanghai.
A farewell dinner is arranged for tonight.
Day 9 ** Oct 28
Kitakyushu – Fukuoka – Honolulu
(B)
Today, we’ll enjoy a last minute shopping at Canal City Hakata, a large shopping and entertainment complex located
in Fukuoka Prefecture, calling itself a "city within the city". In the afternoon, we will transfer to the airport for our return
flight home ending our fantastic journey in Japan.
We wish you a safe journey and have many wonderful memories to share with family and friends!☺
B: Breakfast | L: Lunch | D: Dinner
Welcome to Kyushu
Remarks:
Escorted tour with a minimum of 20 passengers
Local English speaking tour guide service
All transfers and sightseeing by air conditioned coach
Refer to “General Condition of Grande Holiday”
We reserve the right to modify the itinerary for smooth operation
Tips and gratuities are not included
Tour price is subject to change according to any airfare increase, increase in government taxes, additional fuel
charges and fluctuation of the rate of exchange between U.S. and foreign currency
Tour price includes fuel surcharge & government taxes and fees. The tour price shown is current at time of
listing and pricing on June 1st, 2014
Payment Policy:
CHECK OR CASH PAYMENT ONLY. A deposit of $350 per person is required at the time of application. The balance of
payment is due 70 days prior. In case balance of payment is not made within the required time period, Air and Sea Travel
Center reserves the right to cancel reservations and charge some service fee for cancellation.
Written notice is required for any cancellation. $350 deposit is non-refundable if you cancel within 70 days before departure.
Within 70 days before departure, the cancellation fee will be as follow:
** 69-31 days prior departure, 50% of total price plus any other service fee caused from the cancellation;
** 30 days prior to departure or withdraw during the tour shall be regarded as willingly give up all rights concerned,
100% of total price, and request for the other service as substitute shall not be accepted. Also we strongly recommend
you to purchase travel insurance when you make a reservation.