On this cycling trip we prefer to utilise the services of smaller, locally, or family run ryokans (guesthouses). This provides a more intimate cultural experience that is uniquely Japanese with opportunities to gain an insight into the daily lives of Japanese people, the warmth of their hospitality and the charm of their dwellings. We employ the services of local Japanese as cycling guides and crew members who love nothing more than to share their knowledge for their country and the experience of travelling through it.
We visit and provide financial support to the historical Chiiori Farmhouse in the Iya valley on Shikoku Island. We will organise the entry tickets, home made traditional lunch and take part in an educational talk (when available) that provides information on the history of the building and objectives of this organisation.
This project is one of the very few initiatives that seeks to preserve and document the traditional buildings and farming practices that are unique to this region of Japan.
We visit Hiroshima’s War Memorial Park where we’ll invite one of the few surviving locals to talk about his experiences of the devastation the city and it’s people suffered after the atomic bomb was dropped and how it has shaped the thinking of it’s people – an unforgettable, sobering, but richly rewarding experience.
We send out trip information booklets to all passengers on our trips before the trip has started to encourage all participants to start reading and learning about the country and region that you will be cycling through. The maximum group size for these trips is 12. This helps to preserve the experience as a more intimate. Big groups can be less personalised for the traveller and a little intimidating for the locals!
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
