Trek and Water activities in the World heritage mystery island, YAKUSHIMA
On this tour, you will experience the blessings of water and the life that it brings through various activities such as mountain climbing, nature walks, and river kayaking, and you will experience the joy of communing with nature.
Yakushima is an island with a circumference of 130km located south of Kyushu. Because its mountains rise from the sea as if protruding into the sky, the island is referred to as the “Offshore Alps”. Water vapor from the warm sea around the island travels up the towering mountains and becomes rain clouds, resulting in what is said to be the heaviest rainfall in Japan. The abundant rain, which is said to fall “35 days a month”, nurtures the Yakusugi giant cedar forests and the beautiful evergreen forests, which are over 1,000 years old.
Through various activities such as mountain climbing, nature walks, and river activities, this tour allows participants to experience the blessings of water and the life it brings, and to experience the joy of living in harmony with nature.
●Area: Yakushima,Kagoshima Pref.
●Main Activity: Guided hiking to Mt. Kuromidake
●Difficulty: 4
●４nights 5days
●Accommodation
Day1: THE HOTEL YAKUSHIMA OCEAN＆FOREST
Day2: THE HOTEL YAKUSHIMA OCEAN＆FOREST
Day3: THE HOTEL YAKUSHIMA OCEAN＆FOREST
Day4: THE HOTEL YAKUSHIMA OCEAN＆FOREST
●Meal 4 breakfasts,4 lunches and 4 dinners
●Guide: An English speaking guide：Juinichi Aida (Jun) from Yakushima Geographic Tour
●Min Group Size 4 / Max Group Size 10
●Price: JPY 1,020,000-
・Climbing Mount Kuromi
・Kayaking and “stream climbing” in the clear Kurio River
・A nature walk of the World Natural Heritage area
・A Yakusugi craft activity
You will meet at Kagoshima Airport around 2:30 p.m. for the 40-minute flight to Yakushima Airport. If the weather permits, you will be able to see the Sakurajima volcano directly below which constantly spews up smoke.
You will meet at Yakushima Airport and take some time to get to know each other and the itinerary. A 20-minute ride in a private car will take you to the information center. An overview of the island and the program will be provided while looking at a map of Yakushima, which will raise your expectations for the itinerary in the coming days. Then you will check in at THE HOTEL YAKUSHIMA OCEAN & FOREST, which is located in front of the information center. You will stay at this hotel for the duration of this tour so there is no need to repack your large suitcases every morning. Gear rental for several activities is also available. You will disperse early to prepare for the next day’s activities.
This will be a day that you can experience the life facilitated by Yakushima's warm climate and abundant rainfall.
You will be dropped off in the area of the western forest road about 1 hour from the hotel, and walk through the evergreen forest of the World Natural Heritage area to the coast for a round trip of 4km (2.5 miles). The walking tour takes 2-3 hours. You can see rich natural forests where people lived until about 50 years ago. Now the people have gone, and the wild Yakushima macaques and deer enjoy the lush natural forest and its bounties. If the weather is nice, you can also see the Island of Kuchinoerabu, a volcanic island that continues to spew smoke from along its coast.
You will spend the day going around the island counterclockwise. On the way, you will be dropped off at a beautiful sandy beach, which is the best sea turtle spawning ground in Japan. And also, at a shochu factory that makes shochu with a mellow taste thanks to the abundance of soft water. You will have the thrill of seeing the Kurio River and Mount Kuromi, which are sites scheduled for the coming days, and gain a better understanding of the island's geography, nature, and environment.
This will be a day where you can experience the abundant and splendid water of Yakushima.
Two activities have been prepared: river kayaking and stream climbing. The setting for the main activity is the Kurio River which originates in Mount Kuromi. The Kurio River is the only river in Yakushima where mangroves remain, and the water is exceptionally clear.
It is a 1-hour drive from the hotel to the mouth of the Kurio River. Once you are ready, you will start kayaking from downstream, where salt water and freshwater mix. While observing Mount Kuromi in the distance, you will paddle for about 90 minutes to travel upstream about 2 km.
You will exit your kayaks and enjoy lunch alongside the river, and then continue upriver. This is known as “stream climbing”. Take a dive into the abundant and splendid water while sensing the power of granite and the thick and beautiful forest.
Before returning to the hotel, you will stop off at a spot related to mountain pilgrimage to purify yourselves with its sacred air ready for tomorrow's climbing. The next day’s main activity is climbing Mt. Kuromi.
Climbing Mount Kuromi, which is located on the central ridge of Yakushima at a height of 1,831m above sea level, is a special activity that allows you to walk along a variety of mountain trails that include massive forests, beautiful, clear streams, high moors that are the southernmost in Japan, and bare granite. You can feel the diversity and richness of Yakushima with your whole body. On a sunny day, the 360-degree panoramic view from the mountain’s summit is magnificent, enhancing your sense of accomplishment.
Leaving the hotel before dawn (at 5:00am), a car will take you to the 1,360m start level of the mountain trail on the Yodo River. The drive will take 90 minutes. The hike will take an average time of 9 hours, cover a distance of 10.2km, and an elevation difference of 471m. Take a crack at this main activity, spurred on by breakfast boxes including sandwiches specially prepared by the hotel, boxed lunches with rice balls wrapped in bamboo sheaths, and coffee breaks featuring coffee made with pure water from the river.
Enjoy your last dinner in Yakushima thinking back on the adventures you have had so far as you talk with your newfound friends.
The day after the main activity is a day for you to recover.
Until checkout is free time. Please spend your morning time relaxing in your room, soaking your tired body at the hotel's spa, or enjoy shopping and exploring the town around the hotel.
After checkout, there will be a craft activity using Yakusugi at a workshop where you can commune with nature. You can polish the precious Yakusugi bogwood, one of the island’s bounties, to create an original gift that can be found nowhere else in the world. After this activity, you will have a farewell lunch at a local restaurant near Workshop. This will mark the end of your trip to Yakushima. Then you will fly from Yakushima Airport to Kagoshima Airport to end this trip.
Contact
・JTB Fukuoka Branch
・Address：3F Shin-KBC Bldg, 1-1-15 Nagahama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka, Japan
・Tel：092-731-0685
・ https://branch.jtbbwt.com/j8931-0?utm_source=jtb_measure&utm_medium=1to1_mail&utm_campaign=sales
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