Cycling through cherry blossoms Japan- an incredibly fascinating country with a culture like no other. The 2 week bike trip was a wonderful way to start to get to know Japan. Of course cycling is the best way to travel anywhere but having guides that explain their beloved country, teach you some of its culture, try to teach you the social skills that the Japanese excel at, getting you to test all the interesting food, giving history lessons and nature lessons, explaining the Shinto or Buddhist religion all the while giving you a great cycling experience makes the entire experience beyond memorable. The choice of the route gave us a good variety places to see. Staying in the Japanese inns ( ryokans) was amazing and definitely a must on any Japan trip. The food is an experience all on its own and if you are a fish lover than you will be in paradise. I really felt that the trip was complete and didn't just focus on one element of Japan so I never felt that I had too much of any one thing which was great. The description of the tour corresponded to what the trip really was and that is always appreciated. In the end, I didn't have too many preconceived notions of what I would be seeing and I can tell you that I was constantly amazed and ended up having enormous respect for the Japanese and their way of life. I thought my own country of Switzerland was well run but Japan wins on that respect. Kudos to the people of Japan and their being so courteous towards us tourists. Weeks later I am still feeling the effects of this trip and it is wonderful. Oh and thanks to Mother Nature for blessing us with the cherry blossoms.
Cherry Blossom and so much more in Japan We had high expectations for our visit to Japan for the Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season and they were exceeded. Not only did we get to see the beautiful blossom but also the old Japanese streets of Kyoto, dancing Geisha, the spring fair in Takayama, snow monkeys bathing and so much more. We got to stay in a traditional ryokan with great dining which was a great Japanese experience. Over and above the standard tour, our group leader also arranged on our free days to see Mount Fuji (wonderful view from Lake Ashi) and the sumo wrestlers training. We've been back a week and still processing all the wonderful experiences.
Our trekking on the backroads of Japan was amazing. We were able to go to places where most tourists do not go to. There is a lot of walking and you need some stamina to walk many kilometers. The people on our tour were lovely and enjoyed the places we stayed and went.