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SPECIAL OFFER – sA £500VE PER PERSON CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF HOKKAIDO AN EXPLORATION OF JAPAn’s remoTE ISLAND WILDERNESS WITH JUDITH THOMAS ABOARD THE MS CALEDONIAN SKY 17TH MAY TO 1ST JUNE 2019 Rishiri Island okkaido, Japan’s northernmost and least developed island is often considered by the Japanese to be the country’s last frontier and is a world away from the traditional view of Japan. Every year the island emerges from a bitter Siberian winter intoH the warmth of spring, when the thaw reveals a glorious landscape littered with wild flowers. Only colonised by Japan in the past 150 years, we won’t find a land of ancient temples and shrines or developed cities with skyscrapers during our visit, but what the island lacks in regard to 21st century development, it more than makes up for in natural wonders with large swathes of wild, open spaces, primeval forests, crystal clear lakes, beautiful alpine flowers, active volcanoes and bubbling hot springs. During our circumnavigation of this remarkable island, we will visit the outlying Rebun and Rishiri Islands, explore nature trails, watch for wildlife in the national parks, learn more of the indigenous Ainu people and hopefully see the multitude of colourful flowers that should be in bloom to coincide with our visit. More than two million acres on Hokkaido are dedicated to national parkland and we will visit some of the most remarkable including the Shiretoko National Park located on the north eastern tip of the island and which in Ainu means ‘end of the world’. UNESCO has called it one of the richest integrated ecosystems in the world and in 2005 designated it as a World Heritage Site. We will have a full day to explore the national park, home to brown bears, Yezo shika deer and red fox whilst birders can keep an eye out for Steller sea eagles, Blakiston fish owl and white-tailed eagles. Whilst in the Kushiro Marshlands we visit the home of Hokkaido’s resident red-crowned cranes, Japan’s iconic bird, known as the bird of happiness. We hope you can join us for this rare circumnavigation of Japan’s most enchanting isle. Guest Speaker The Itinerary Day 1 London to Sapporo, Japan. Sake Brewery to learn more about Judith Thomas Korsakov Fly by scheduled flight via Tokyo. this famous Japanese drink. After RUSSIA Judith has our visit we will transfer to the MS Rebun Island Shiretoko National Park lived and Day 2 Otaru. Arrive today in Caledonian Sky for embarkation and Rishiri Island Teuri-Jima worked in Sapporo and transfer to Otaru enjoy Welcome Dinner and Drinks Abashiri many countries on the west coast of Hokkaido as we sail this evening. Otaru Kushiro Sapporo including Island. Transfer to our hotel for an Tomakomai Muroran the USA, overnight stay and spend the rest of Day 4 Teuri-Jima & Rishiri Island. At Indonesia, the day at leisure to explore or relax dawn we arrive at the tiny island of Hakodate New Zealand, the Middle East in the hotel. Teuri Jima, part of the Shokanbetsu- Aomori and Japan. Her early work as a Teuri-Yagishiri National Park and Akita Management Training specialist Day 3 Otaru. This morning is at an important sanctuary for nesting JAPAN for overseas assignments leisure. You may wish to explore seabirds including common murre Niigata developed her interest in globally independently and visit Sakaimachi and black-tailed gulls. We will use mobile families and the cultural Street where you find seafood our ship to sail by the cliffs and, Bullet train changes they confront. Her vendors, cafes, shops selling some if time permits, we will use the experience of Japan dates from of Otaru’s famous glassware and the Zodiacs for a closer look. Later this Tokyo the 70’s up to the present day, town’s steam clock situated outside morning we continue our journey including two extended periods the Music Box Museum. In the early to the Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu of living and working there. Her afternoon we will check out of the National Park, arriving at lunchtime. Himenuma Pond and Kutsugata expertise is Japanese Culture; hotel and spend some time at the At Rishiri Island the skyline is Cape Park whilst we hope to see gardens are a cultural expression Otaru Art Base, a series of former dominated by the dormant volcano Black Woodpecker during a walk at in their own right. Traditional office buildings that have been of Mount Rishiri which climbs to the Forest Park. cultures adapting to the modern renovated to house exhibitions 1721 metres. On an afternoon tour world are also of particular of Japanese and Western art, we will see the beautiful scenery Day 5 Rebun Island. We remain at interest to her. before continuing to the Tanaka and alpine wildflowers in bloom at anchor overnight in the National www.noble-caledonia.co.uk Steller Sea Eagle Canal, Otaru Rebun Island Onuma National Park Park and will spend the day at half. From here we will make a full Shiretoko Peninsula and into the artefacts and enjoy a tour of the neighbouring Rebun Island which day excursion to the Shiretoko Nemuro Channel where we will famous brewery. is famous for its rich flora, including National Park which covers the keep an eye out for wildlife, the many alpine flowers, some of which majority of the Shiretoko Peninsula. abundant birdlife and minke, orca Day 11 Muroran. We will spend our cannot be found anywhere else This remote and untouched park and sperm whales who inhabit these morning around the Shikotsu-Toya in the world, and which carpet combines rivers, forests, mountains waters. National Park, named after the two the island from late April to mid and waterfalls and is home to an caldera lakes which offer wonderful September. Today we will take a array of wildlife including brown Day 9 Kushiro. Today we will scenery and excellent hiking and series of walks around the coastline bears, Yezo shika deer and red fox visit Kushiro Marshlands, Japan’s walking opportunities. This is still an offering views over to Rishiro whilst birders can keep an eye out largest wetland and marsh habitat active area and a geological wonder Volcano and Cape Gorota. Return for Steller sea eagles, Blakiston and home to the only known with the volcano Showa Shin-zan to the ship for lunch and sail this fish owl and white-tailed eagles. population of Japan’s sacred red- only created in the 1940s. Our day afternoon. We will clear immigration If weather permits we will also crowned cranes. The cranes were will be flexible around the weather formalities from Japan this evening take the Shiretoko pass offering thought to have been made extinct but if clear we may take the cable as we sail to Russia. stunning views of Mount Rausu. due to overhunting and habitat car to the top of Mount Usu for We will return to the ship via the destruction. However in 1926 a the wonderful views to Lake Toya, Day 6 Korsakov, Russia. Arrive Koshimizu Gensai-kaen, an eight group of 20 birds were discovered visit Jigokudani, “Hell Valley”, a this morning at Korsakov where kilometre long dune covered in over in this area and with conservation steaming lunar like valley of steam we will clear into Russia. Once the 40 varieties of wildflowers against efforts now number more than vents and sulphurous streams formalities are concluded we will a backdrop of the Sea of Okutsk. 1000. We will visit the observatory formed over 10,000 years ago or explore part of this city which was Return to the ship this evening as with displays of the fauna and enjoy scenic walks in the volcanic founded in 1853 as Sakhalin’s first we moor overnight in Abashiri. fauna of the region and views over peaks that surround Lake Shikotsu. Russian military post. From here the marshlands before taking the Return to the ship for lunch and we drive to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Day 8 Abashiri. There will be a walking trails. Return to the ship via spend the afternoon at leisure in the capital of the island with a choice of activities this morning. the small but excellent Kushiro City Muroran, maybe visit the scenic population of just over 160,000. Chose to take a trip to Lake Museum that offers an insight into cape and lighthouse or the active Founded as a small Russian Kussharo, a beautiful caldera lake Ainu culture and natural history of may wish to walk up Mount Sokuryo settlement in the 1880s, the city where we can enjoy the scenery or the area. offering views to the city below. became a Japanese prefect capital join a nature walk and maybe take a when the southern half of Sakhalin dip in one of the hot spring baths. Day 10 Tomakomai. Spend the Day 12 Hakodate. Our final day in was declared a Japanese colony We return to the ship via the eight morning at sea as we arrive into Hokkaido will be at the southern in 1905; after World War II it was hectare Shibzakura Park in Ozora Tomakomai in the early afternoon. port of Hakodate. We will make returned to Russia. Highlights where we hope to see it covered in Choose to visit Nibutani, one of our way to Onuma Park, on the include a visit to the Russian the tiny red, pink, white and purple the country’s best museums about outskirts of the city and known for Orthodox Church, the Regional flowers of spring. Alternatively the Ainu people, the indigenous its picturesque, island-dotted lakes Museum housed in an impressive spend a more leisurely morning people of Hokkaido.

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