China & East Asia Journeys & Trips "in-the-Works" for 2010 & 2011

• Trips still "In-the-Works" are highlighted below in yellow and briefly described. Trip dates, itinerary and pricing may change as work on these itineraries progresses. You may reserve a slot with a $200.00 "earnest money" deposit, fully refundable at any time in the event your plans change, or the final shape of the trip doesn't match your budget or calendar requirements.
  
  
• An "In-the-Works" trip becomes a Calidex "Journey" when travel dates, itinerary and pricing are all firm. Journeys are highlighted below in green. Journey cost typically includes all lodging; meals at locations where there are no dining alternatives, e.g., at safari camps and lodges; guides; charter vessels; ground transport; porters' fees; airport transfers; permits & entry fees; and domestic airfares unless otherwise indicated ("+ air" refers to domestic airfares). International airfares, gratuities, travel insurance, airport taxes and expenses of a personal nature are not included. Deposit requirements vary depending on the Journey; when requested by Calidex, receipt of your deposit, net of any prior "In-the-Works" slot deposits, secures your confirmed space.To join any Calidex adventure, please click on How to Reserve.

 

Group members rendezvous in Tokyo at the peak of cherry blossom season and join the Japanese in their annual hanama—picnicking and viewing the captivating bloom in parks and sites throughout the city. Begin a discovery tour of Old Tokyo—hidden areas of wooden architecture, winding pedestrian lanes and traditional houses. Stay on Mt. Koyasan in a Buddhist monastery, then head south by train to Lake Hakone with its stunning views of Mount Fuji. Continue into Gifu Prefecture via Nagoya to UNESCO World Heritage Site villages such as Shirakawago with its unique wooden houses with thatched 60-degree pitched roofs, ancient wooden saki distilleries and great old ryokans. By minivan explore the Gifu countryside, then by train reach Kyoto, the treasure chest of Japanese culture and former Imperial capital for 1,100 years. Visit Kiyomizu, Kinkakuji, Sanjusangendo Temple with its hall of 1,001 Buddha statues, the Zen Buddhist temples of Ryoanji and Miyoshinji. Overnight at the Shunkoin Temple in Kyoto and experiment with Zen meditation techniques. Continue by train to 8th Century Nara, another repository of fascinating Japanese culture, where Japan's oldest Buddhist temple and the world's oldest wooden building are located. Continue to Osaka by train, then fly to Beppu on the north coast of Kyushu, one of the major centers of Japan's hot spring bathing culture where a bathouse is designated a National Treasure. Tour the Kyushu coast then fly to Hiroshima to vist the Peace Park. Cross the Inland Sea by ferry to Matsuyama on the west coast of Shikoku. Return by air to Tokyo. Accommodations are thoroughly Japanese, ranging from Buddhist monasteries to ancient inns and traditional ryokans.

$3,650 + rail + air

 

• Leg 1:
China's Yunnan Province & the Shangri-La Peoples

Yunnan Province has a wealth of colorful ethnic minorities inhabiting the lush mountainous regions along the Thai and Burmese borders. Soaring mountains, beautiful forested landscapes and rich tribal diversity make for memorable explorations, both on foot and by 4WD. Stunning land forms spike the countryside in a surreal integration of the natural with the agricultural. (See p16 in the May 2008 issue of National Geographic). Penetrate hidden valleys, walk timeless villages in the shadow of dramatic peaks and encounter people whose traditional lives have changed little over the centuries. The Yunnanese renamed their small town of Zhongdian, calling it "Shangri-La" to focus attention on the area's unique attractions. Accommodations are best-available small hotels and basic guesthouse.

$3,100 + air

 

Yes

• Leg 2:
Eastern Tibet's Khampa Region