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| NEWS! The Mountain Hiking Holidays website is now live! Walking Softly's hiking trips are now offered under the "Mountain Hiking Holidays" brand name. You can access information about our hiking trips at the Mountain Hiking Holidays website at www.MountainHikingHolidays.com. Until further notice you'll also be able to access information about our hiking trips right here at the Walking Softly website. | ||||||
 NEW TRIP! October 26 - November 4, 2009 Plan your arrival in Kagoshima, Japan for October 25, 2009 or earlier Plan your departure from Oita, Japan for November 5, 2009 Printable version of itinerary  Join us for a hiking journey on Japan's southern island of Kyushu. Highlights include hikes in the Aso-Kuju National Park, the Kirishima Volcanic Highlands and the UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site of Yakushima, an island known for its ancient cedar forests and granite peaks.  |
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Arrival day Overnight in Kagoshima area The southern Japanese city of Kagoshima serves as your gateway to Kyushu. Overnight accommodations at or near Kagoshima Airport are included. |
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Day 1 Overnight in Ibusuki Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Travel by vehicle to Kagoshima city and visit the Iso-Teien Garden with its notable "borrowed" view of the smoking Sakurajima volcano. Continue to the seaside town of Ibusuki whose mild climate allows hibiscus to flourish. Warmed by geothermal activity, Ibusuki's steaming sands offer a unique bathing experience! |
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Day 2 Overnight in Ibusuki Breakfast, lunch & dinner included This morning, a short transfer brings you to the trailhead for the hike to the summit of Kaimon-dake. This lovely cone-shaped peak is number ninety nine on the Nihon Hyaku-meizan, a list of one hundred famous Japanese mountains compiled in the early 1960s by a Japanese mountaineer. Follow the trail as it spirals up the slopes of the volcano and enjoy sweeping views over land and sea from the summit. Return to Ibusuki for the evening. |
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Day 3 Overnight on Yakushima Island Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Depart Ibusuki by jetfoil this morning bound for the island of Yakushima, a lush, sub-tropical paradise boasting primeval forests of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria), waterfalls and granite mountain peaks. Yakushima's wilderness treasures were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1993. Upon arrival, an island familiarization tour will lay the foundation for the next two days of hiking! |
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  An ancient yakusugi on Yakushima. |
Day 4 Overnight on Yakushima Island Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Follow trails and boardwalks through the vibrant greenery of Yakushima's ancient cedar forests where you'll discover several fine examples of the island's venerable yakusugi (the Japanese name given to cedars that are over a thousand years old). Energetic hikers might consider a push to the granite peak of Tachu-dake, if the weather permits. |
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Day 5 Overnight on Yakushima Island Breakfast, lunch & dinner included If the weather is fine, enjoy a hike to the picturesque Hananoego moorlands. If you desire, continue to the granite top of Kuromi-dake for views over Yakushima's mountainous wilderness core. If weather conditions make the ascent into Yakushima's highlands unfeasible, explore the trails of the Shiratani-Unsuikyo gorge for a close encounter with Yakushima's classic forest landscapes. |
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Day 6 Overnight at Kirishima Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Travel by jetfoil from Yakushima to Kagoshima. Upon arrival in Kagoshima, travel by vehicle to the Kirishima Mountains where a short walk will introduce you to this compact and beautiful volcanic mountain range. A visit to the nearby Kirishima Jingu Shrine may also be a possibility. Settle in for a two-night stay in the mountains. |
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Day 7 Overnight at Kirishima Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Today, set off on the scenic hiking trail that traverses the Kirishima Range. This is one of the classic mountain hikes of Japan. From Ebino Kogen, the trail ascends by steps to the top of Karakuni-dake, the highest peak in the range from where you'll enjoy a marvelous view over southern Kyushu. The deep blue crater lake of Onami-ike lies directly below. The route continues in roller-coaster fashion along the main crest of the Kirishima Range passing through groves of trees and expanses of bamboo grass. You'll pass the large crater of Shinmoe-dake with its small lake and hissing thermal vents before descending to the pass at Takachiho-gawara. |
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Day 8 Overnight at Kuju-san Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Travel by vehicle to the Aso-Kuju National Park in central Kyushu. The centerpiece of this national park is the active volcano, Mount Aso, whose fifteen-mile-wide caldera is among the world's largest. The picturesque, grassy highland plain of Kusasenri-ga-hama and the active crater of Naka-dake are highlights of a hike you'll enjoy in this area. Following the hike, continue by vehicle to your accommodations for the evening nestled on the slopes of Mount Kuju. |
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Day 9 |
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Other Details about this Trip Trip Dates: October 26 - November 4, 2009 Price: $4,895 Single Room for entire trip: $400 Trip Begins: Kagoshima, Kyushu, Japan Trip Ends: Oita, Kyushu, Japan Accommodations: Eleven nights in hotels and inns. On most evenings you can expect Western-style hotel rooms (i.e. with beds), but please note that you may on occasion be assigned a Japanese-style room (i.e. with tatami mat floors and futon for sleeping). If you prefer Japanese-style accommodations, please let us know. Most of the hotels have rooms with private, Western-style bathing and toilet facilities. The exception is the hotel on Yakushima (evenings of October 28, 29 and 30) where the rooms will have only a private toilet/sink. Bathing facilities on Yakushima will be communal (traditional Japanese-style). These will include separate bathing rooms for men and women with showers and a hot water tub (ofuro) intended for use only after showering. Most of the other hotels used on this trip also offer traditional Japanese bathing facilities, if you prefer to use them. Please note that for the evenings of October 28, 29 and 30 and November 2 and 3 single rooms cannot be guaranteed for single travelers although we will try to secure single rooms whenever possible. Single travelers may need to “double up” on these evenings. Meals: Eleven breakfasts, ten lunches (packed lunch or restaurant depending on the day), and ten dinners are included and will normally be Japanese-style. There are limited Western-style food options at some of the hotels. Departing from Oita: A single early morning transfer by bus from your hotel in Beppu to Oita Airport on November 5 is included as part of the tour package. We suggest you plan your departure from Oita Airport for no earlier than 9:30 AM on November 5. |
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