Southern Japan & the Philippines: Exploring Okinawa

Discover Japan's third-largest city as its most exuberant destination, where neon-lit canal bridges, giant mechanical crabs on restaurant facades, and the country's most celebrated street food culture await your arrival. Step into Dotonbori, the vibrant beating heart of the action, while also taking time to explore the historic Osaka Castle and wander through the vast stalls of the Kuromon Ichiba market. Experience an infectious civic pride that firmly establishes this metropolis as one of the most welcoming cities in all of Asia.

Visit Kochi Castle, recognized as one of only twelve original castles still standing in Japan, to admire its elegant black and white tiered roofs and take in commanding views of the city and nearby mountains. Trace the historic Shikoku Pilgrimage route as it winds beautifully through the surrounding forested hillsides and serene temples. Delight your palate with Kochi's celebrated culinary offerings, savoring katsuo no tataki—lightly seared skipjack tuna—while experiencing the region's thriving sake-brewing tradition.

Included Excursion:
Kochi City: Castle and Cultural Discovery
Makino Botanical Garden and Chikurinji Temple
Nakatsu Valley Waterfall Trekking
Tosa Washi Paper Experience

The primeval cedar forests of Yakushima are a portal to a Japan that has been evolving for millennia. Home to Yakusugi cedars thousands of years old, this subtropical island off southern Kyushu was Japan's first UNESCO World Heritage Site and inspired the mythic forests of Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke. Waterfalls, endemic wildlife, and moss-covered trails complete the otherworldly setting.

Included Excursion:
Essence of Yakushima: Waterfalls, Heritage & Ancient Cedars
Yakusugi Land Nature Walk
Kayaking the Anbo River
Yakusugi Craftmanship
Shiratani Unsuiko Trekking (extensive)

Halfway between Kyushu and Okinawa, the Amami Islands are a subtropical Japan of white sands, emerald forests, and coral reefs largely unknown to international visitors. The islands shelter the Amami rabbit and other unique wildlife, while traditional crafts and the ancient shima-uta songs reflect a culture shaped by deep ties to the natural world. Kayaking the mangrove waterways and snorkelling in crystal-clear waters complete an experience far removed from mainland Japan.

Included Activity:
Amami Nature Forest Walk

Included Excursion:
Snorkeling Japan’s Subtropical Waters
Kuroshio no Mori Mangrove Canoe Experience
Tsumugi Weaving & Shochu Traditions
Essence of Amami Oshima

The Kerama Archipelago south of Okinawa is a celebrated snorkelling paradise with famously clear waters revealing coral gardens, sea turtles, and occasional manta rays. In winter, humpback whales migrate through the surrounding seas. The islands offer some of Japan's best beaches and a subtropical setting that highlights the extraordinary diversity of the Japanese archipelago.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and pursue personal interests, whether visiting the gym, the spa, or simply watching for whales from deck. These blue sea days offer an ideal balance to busy days spent exploring ashore.

Calayan is a remote island municipality in Cagayan Province, located in the rough waters of the Babuyan Channel between mainland Luzon and Batanes. It is characterized by dramatic, windswept landscapes, featuring emerald rolling hills, plunging limestone cliffs like Nagudungan Hill, and pristine, undeveloped white-sand shores like Sibang Cove.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and pursue personal interests, whether visiting the gym, the spa, or simply watching for whales from deck. These blue sea days offer an ideal balance to busy days spent exploring ashore.

Capul Island, in the Philippines' San Bernardino Strait, is anchored by a Spanish-era stone church and a lighthouse that has guided ships since 1896. The island's position on one of the Philippines' most important maritime passages shaped its history as a trading outpost, and the quiet beaches and fishing village traditions of this lesser-visited corner of the archipelago reward unhurried exploration.

Included Activity:
Water Activities with Expedition Team

Included Excursion:
Capul Island Community & Heritage

Bohol is home to the Chocolate Hills, more than 1,200 cone-shaped karst mounds scattered in a surreal natural display, and the Philippine tarsier, one of the world's smallest primates, protected in a quiet forest sanctuary. Palm-lined beaches invite relaxation along the coastline, while the Loboc River winds through the lush interior past centuries-old colonial churches and local villages. The island's culture is deeply rooted in its landscape and history.

Included Activity:
Water Activities with Expedition Team

Included Excursion:
Bohol Countryside & Chocolate Hills
Bohol Cultural Heritage

Kalanggaman Island in the Philippines is famous for its sandbar that appears to float amid remote turquoise waters, consistently named one of the most beautiful and most photographed spots in the country. The island is largely free from infrastructure, with snorkelling above pristine coral gardens the main activity. Leaning palms offer the only shade on this minimal, unspoiled Pacific escape.

Included Activity
Water Activities with Expedition team

Donsol is one of the few places in the world where visitors can swim with whale sharks in their natural habitat. The Donsol River winds through mangroves and jungle, and at dusk lights up with fireflies. Local communities offer a genuine insight into everyday life in this corner of the Philippines.

Included Activity:
Snorkeling with Whale Sharks
Water Activities with Expedition team

Sibuyan Island, accessible via San Fernando, has been called the Galápagos of Asia for the extraordinary endemism of its wildlife — a consequence of its isolation in the Sibuyan Sea. Mount Guiting-Guiting rises dramatically above dense rainforest, and the island's biodiversity, waterfalls, and pristine coves reward the adventurous traveller willing to leave the main Philippine circuits behind.

 

Apo Reef is the world's second-largest contiguous coral reef system and a designated UNESCO Marine Sanctuary, its glass-clear waters sheltering tropical fish, sea turtles, and reef sharks. The small islands of the reef are fringed by white sand and backed by lush mangroves, offering snorkelling, diving, and birdwatching in some of the Philippines' most saturated natural color. Few places on the planet combine scale, clarity, and biodiversity so completely.

Included Activity:
Water Activities with Expedition team
Hiking with Expedition team

Manila is the Philippines' sprawling capital, known as the Pearl of the Orient, with Intramuros as its cobbled historic core where the Spanish once ruled. Fort Santiago is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has survived World War II bombardments, fires, and earthquakes. Rizal Park, where independence hero Jose Rizal was executed, is both a national symbol and a green oasis within the densely populated city.