Osaka to Manila

Japan’s third-biggest city has thrown off its shackles and stepped out of the shadows to light up the sky with glaring neon signs and a larger than life outlook. Giant octopuses cling to buildings and bustling restaurants pack in the crowds in this great and garish place, which is Japan at its most friendly, extroverted and flavourful. So dive in headfirst to experience an all-out sensory assault of delicious food, shopping cathedrals and glittering temples. View less

Dotombori Bridge bathes in the multicoloured, jewel-like lights of signage-plastered buildings, and the neon lights dance on the canal’s waters below. Osaka is known as the nation’s kitchen, and the Kuromon Ichiba Market has served as the city’s spot to tuck in for almost 200 years. Full of street food stalls – try pufferfish, savoury Okonomiyaki pancakes, or ginger and onion flavoured octopus, among the endless feast of exotic flavours. Osaka Castle is another of the city’s landmarks, built in the 16th century by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. A modern museum now waits inside, where you can learn about the country’s history, and why this castle is a symbol of Japanese unity. Be sure to take the elevator up to the observation deck for a panoramic view of Osaka’s spread. A colourful park encloses the castle and blooms with an ocean of pale pink cherry blossom during the season – the elegant black tiers rising from the pink haze below is one of Osaka’s most alluring visions. Kyoto’s peaceful cultural treasures and temples are also just a short jaunt away on Japan’s sleek trains, should you wish to explore further afield.

Yakushima is a round-shaped subtropical island off the southern coast of Kyushu island and part of Kagoshima prefecture. One fifth of this island is designated a Natural World Heritage Site in 1993, and it is covered by an extensive cedar forest that contains some of Japan’s oldest living trees. The symbol of Yakushima is called Yakusugi, a Japanese cedar. Yakusugi is a specific term only used for cedar trees over 1,000 years old. The oldest Yaku-Sugi is considered to be more than 7,000 years old.

Amami Oshima is something of an enigma for historians. No one can accurately place its age: stone tools suggest habitation as early as the Japanese Paleolithic period (pre-10,000 BC), while other artefacts, including pottery, indicate human presence much later, from the bronze age onwards. Great clumps of the sub-tropical cycad plant — one of the oldest surviving species in the world, said to be over 250 million years old — cover the island in profusion, immediately conjuring up images of dinosaurs chomping on the enormous leaves.

Bohol is an island province consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of 1,589.7 sq mi and a coastline 162 mi, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines. In the 1600’s, the Jesuits introduced Christianity to the region. They built huge churches, which were declared heritage sites in the early 2000’s. Unfortunately most of these churches were heavily damaged by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake of 2013. Today, some of these churches are being restored.

Our stay in San Fernando will present a unique opportunity to immerse ourselves in the traditional ways of Sibuyan Island.

The city sprawls eastward from Manila Bay. Its streets range from multi-lane boulevards to maze-like alleys. In this metropolis of 12 million, the contrast between spacious well-maintained elite communities like Forbes Park and overcrowded slum areas such as Tondo is immense. Occupied over the decades by the Spanish, Americans, British and Japanese, East now meets West, giving the city its unique character. The Walled City, a medieval fortified town, was the heart and soul of the country for more than 300 years. This city fortress, surrounded by moats and turreted walls 30 feet thick, was known as Intramuros. Only members of the Castilian upper class, friars, soldiers and government administrators were privileged to live inside the walls; natives had to live in the outlying boroughs.