Islands of the East China Sea - A Voyage from Hong Kong to Kobe

Fly by scheduled flight.

Arrive and transfer to the MS Island Sky. Enjoy welcome drinks and dinner as we sail this evening.

Spend a relaxing day at sea as we sail towards Taiwan.

This morning we arrive at our first port of call in Taiwan, the southern city of Kaohsiung which is our base for our excursion to nearby Tainan, the former capital of Taiwan. During our tour we will see the Chikan Tower, built by the Dutch in 1653 as an administrative centre, and the Koxinga Shrine dedicated to General Chenggong. We will continue to the beautiful Confucius Temple which is over three hundred years old and played a key role in education and is now a venue for cultural festivals and events. This afternoon we will drive to the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum which covers over 100 hectares and is home to the 108 metre high bronze Buddha, the largest seated bronze Buddha in Asia. The museum houses a number of permanent exhibitions about the life of Buddha, Buddhist festivals and relics. We will enjoy lunch here before exploring this impressive site.

Staying in the Taiwan Straits we visit the Penghu archipelago made up of 64 islands of which only 20 are inhabited. We will base ourselves in the historic capital of Magong where we find an array of historical buildings and temples. See the 16th century Queen of Heaven Temple (Mazu Temple) which is Taiwan’s oldest and finest temple and is classified as the first grade relic. Whilst on Zhongyang Street, one of the oldest in the islands, we will hear about the “Four-eyed well”. Return to the MS Island Sky for lunch and this afternoon we will continue to explore the island.

From our berth in Taichung we have a choice of tours. Choose from a full day tour inland to the Sun Moon Lake, the largest lake in Taiwan and so named as the eastern part of the lake is round like the sun and the western side is shaped like a crescent moon. Its crystalline, emerald green waters reflect the hills and mountains which rise on all sides and provide one of Taiwan’s most mesmerising landscapes. We will spend time on the lake and also visit one of the temples on the banks before enjoying lunch. We return to the ship via the Chung Tai Chun Monastery, a lavish monument to Chan Buddhism which has fused ancient traditions with modern architecture. Alternatively, join a half day tour to Lukang, one of Taiwan’s oldest port towns which was used as a major harbour by Dutch traders in the 17th century. We will see the 17th century Lungshan Temple, one of the best preserved in Taiwan, whilst in Old Street we can see the historic buildings or purchase some of the rare handicrafts produced here. Return to the ship for lunch and a free afternoon in Taichung.

After breakfast we will travel by coach to Taiwan’s capital, Taipei. We will delve into the history and heritage of Taiwan and explore how Taipei fuses the past with modernity. We begin our exploration at the National Palace Museum which houses over 600,000 priceless treasures of Chinese art, many dating back almost 5,000 years. Many of the items were removed from the Forbidden Place before the Communist revolution. From here we will visit the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, which pays tribute to the former President of Taiwan. Lunch will be at a local restaurant where we will enjoy a range of dishes including dumplings. Later we will ride the lift to the 89th floor of the Taipei 101 building for panoramic views of the city and after some time at leisure will return to the ship.

From our berth in Hualien we will enjoy a full day tour of the Taroko Gorge National Park. Taroko means “magnificent and beautiful” in the local Truku language, and it is clear to see why the name was used. The gorge itself stretches for 20 kilometres with marble cliffs rising hundreds of metres above the Liwu River. We will see the Swallow Grotto and the Tunnel of Nine Turns, a 1.9 kilometre path cut into the cliffs following the route of the original tracks along the gorge and the Changuang Temple, a Buddhist monastery with commanding views of the river. Enjoy a local lunch before returning to the ship later in the afternoon.

Our first call in Japan will be at the Yaeyama Islands, a cluster of coral reefs and forested mountains. This morning, from our base in Ishigaki we will explore the island. Our tour will start with a visit to the Yoneko-Yaki Pottery to learn about the craft of making the famous Shisa – half dog, half lion statuettes, typically sold in pairs. From here we will drive along the scenic roads to Ishigaki Yaima Village. We will explore this open-air museum that has preserved traditional Japanese houses. Located in the forests, keep an eye out for the local wildlife such as squirrel monkeys. There will also be a chance to walk through the mangroves along the boardwalk and see the unique flora and fauna. Later, after lunch on board, we will take in more of the island with a visit to the Tamatoizaki Cape, where from the observatory there are wonderful views of the Hirakubo Peninsula and the sea of Ishigaki. We will continue to Kariba Park located on Kariba Bay, taking in the stunning views while exploring the shrines and statues that decorate the park. Our final stop will be the Yaesen Brewery which produces awamori, a sake-like Okinawan spirit.

Enjoy a day at sea with time to relax on deck and join the lecture programme in the lounge.

Today we arrive on Amami Oshima, a natural sub-tropical paradise situated in the Amami Islands and surrounded by transparent waters, brightly coloured coral reefs and tropical fish. The island is almost entirely covered in forest and mangrove and offers fantastic bird watching and wildlife sightings. We have the day to explore and will visit the Nature Observation Park where we can walk through the forest and hope to see the Amami jay, ruddy kingfisher, Ryukyu akashobin, butterflies and possibly the rare black hare. We will also see local industry and watch the process of making tsumugi and kasuri silk-cotton fabrics, used for making kimonos, at the Oshima Tsumugi Village, a craft complex in a beautiful hillside setting amongst flowers. Many of the local plants are used in dyeing. In the afternoon we will visit the Amami Park which focuses on the artist Tanaka Isson with a museum of his works which depict the natural beauty and life of Amami.

Today we spend the morning on the island of Yakushima which became Japan’s first World Heritage Site in 1993. Yakushima is famous in botanical circles for many great garden plants, including dwarf plants that have evolved to grow smaller than their mainland cousins. We will spend time here on nature walks, including Yakusugi Land, a nature park populated by a number of the island’s ancient cedar trees. Return to the ship for lunch and spend an afternoon at sea.

Arrive this morning in Uwajima, situated deep inside the saw-toothed coast of Uwajima Bay. Today there is a choice of morning tours; Uwajima is the nation’s largest pearl cultivation centre and you can learn the process of cultivating and sorting pearls on a visit to a pearl farm before continuing on to Tensha-en Garden which is a typical example of a Japanese garden built during the Samurai era. Alternatively, explore the ancient Uwajima Castle and Tensha-en Garden. The afternoon is at leisure to relax on board or explore further independently.

From the port of Uno-Ko we will visit one of Japan’s most famed gardens, Koraku-en, which translates as “Garden of pleasure after”. This 17th century formal garden has 28 acres of walking trails, ponds, plum and cherry trees, and a classic teahouse where we will experience a traditional tea ceremony. After a Japanese lunch in a local restaurant, we will continue to Kurashiki where we explore the old merchant quarter and its fine 17th century wooden warehouses painted white with traditional black tiles, along a canal framed with weeping willows and filled with koi. There is also a chance to visit the Ohara Museum of Art which includes rare works by Matisse, Picasso and Renoir as well as collections from Japan’s Mingei movement including ceramics by Hamada Shoji.

Disembark this morning and transfer to the airport for our scheduled flight to London.

Arrive this morning.

Itineraries are subject to change.