Japan discovery tour, 14 days

Planet

All the ground agents we work with are committed to travelling responsibly and our Japan ground agents especially so. They believe that in order to gain the most enjoyment out of your travels, your trip needs to include elements which support the country’s economic development, there environmental protection and social and cultural awareness.

Waste is a big issue for everyone and our ground agents have implemented several measures to make sure your trip doesn’t contribute. They have banned disposable wet towels you would normally find in your vehicle after a tour and replaced them with an environmentally friendly alternative (non-toxic and biodegradable) napkin.

Over the past year, our ground agents have saved and recycled 200,000 plastic water bottles and replaced with reusable aluminium bottles. Replaced over 100,000 plastic wrapped napkins and replaced with a biodegradable alternative. Generated over $125,000 for social enterprises and contributed over $175,000 towards community development projects. This is achieved through the help of our guests, whose holiday fee contributes to these projects. Our Japan ground agent has achieved Travelife status which provides training, tools and guidelines for sustainable practices in the travel industry. Their standards promote compliance with guidelines on labour conditions, human rights, environment, biodiversity and fair business practices. The Travelife Sustainability System resulted from the collaboration between ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents), the UK Travel Association and the Dutch ANVR Travel Association, supported by the European Commission, Lund University and Leeds Metropolitan University.

Much of your travel during this trip is to use public transport rather then private vehicles. Japan's clean and efficient train service is a wonderful way to travel with the locals and you will use the local train pass to travel around the country, with a local guide available for support.

People

During your trip you will stay in a traditional Japanese Ryokan. This family run establishment offers traditional Japanese hospitality and cuisine and along with supporting local staff in working here, helps keep the traditional style of accommodation alive.

No trip to Japan is complete without a journey on its infamously efficient rail system. There is very little use of a car during this trip and your train ticket includes local train services. You will travel with the locals as a local, making use of the facilities along the way.

You will enjoy a traditional cooking class learning about the cuisine of this incredibly gastronomic country. This class is run by local experts who have the wealth of cooking experience behind them and are able to provide a living for themselves using their skills.

One of the most poignant stops along the way is at Hiroshima where you will have the opportunity to visit the famous memorial dome. While your visit helps maintain the area, and provide local employment opportunities, it is also important to recognise the enormous impact the bomb had on both the country and the world as a whole and is an important and reflective stop on your journey.

Our ground agents make sure that the knowledgable and well-trained guides they employ are also local to the area you are experiencing. This helps promote tourism in their country and provides a means for them to be employed and develop their skills further. Our ground agents ensure that there are education and continued employment opportunities as both they and we recognise that without our excellent and passionate guides and ground staff we could not offer the exceptional holidays we do. Their work and commitment is recognised and appreciated. We also make sure that every bit of feedback we receive goes back to our ground agents and their guides to make sure they get the recognition they deserve.