Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
58
9 SPECIAL INTEREST TRIPS & ESCORTED
GENERAL INTEREST TOURS
LANGUAGE CLASSES &
CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
You won't become fluent in Japanese in a
week or two, but for longer stays there are
language schools throughout Tokyo that
cater to both the beginner and the inter-
mediate. Check the classified sections of
city magazines such as Metropolis for lists
of language schools.
Two Hong Kong import luxury hotels
offer a variety of cultural classes for its
guests—all at a price, of course. The Pen-
insula Tokyo (p. 90) offers a flower-arrang-
ing class and a sushi-making class, among
others, while the Mandarin Oriental,
Tokyo (p. 91), offers private lessons in the
tea ceremony, ikebana flower arranging,
and calligraphy lasting from 60 to 90
minutes.
Several hotels have tea ceremony rooms
and demonstrations open to the public,
including the New Otani, Okura, and
Imperial. See p. 180 in chapter 7 for more
information.
For extra pampering, many upper-
range hotels also offer spas (see individual
hotel listings in chapter 5), but for the
traditional Japanese spa experience, you'll
want to visit a hot-spring bath. Tokyo has
two hot-spring baths, the Ooedo-Onsen
Monogatari and Spa LaQua (p. 182), but
for a real hot-spring experience, consider a
trip to Hakone or Izu (p. 289 and 299,
respectively).
For more information on cultural expe-
riences in Japan, including flower-arrang-
ing schools and acupuncture, see “Five
Ways to Immerse Yourself in Japanese
Culture” in chapter 7.
ESCORTED GENERAL
INTEREST TOURS
Escorted tours are structured group tours,
with a group leader. The price usually
includes everything from airfare to hotels,
meals, tours, admission costs, and local
transportation.
Despite the fact that escorted tours
require big deposits and predetermine
hotels, restaurants, and itineraries, many
people derive security and peace of mind
from the structure they offer. Escorted
tours—whether they're navigated by bus,
motor coach, train, or boat—let travelers
sit back and enjoy the trip without having
to drive or worry about details. They take
you to the maximum number of sights in
the minimum amount of time with the
least amount of hassle. They're particularly
convenient for people with limited mobil-
ity, and they can be a great way to make
new friends.
On the downside, you'll have little
opportunity for serendipitous interactions
with locals. The tours can be jam-packed
with activities, leaving little room for indi-
vidual sightseeing, whim, or adventure—
plus they often focus on the heavily
touristed sites, so you miss out on many a
lesser-known gem.
That said, lots of tour companies offer
group trips that include a stop in Tokyo,
including General Tours ( & 800/221-
2216; www.generaltours.com), which offers
tours to major tourist destinations in
Japan. JTB USA ( & 800/235-3523; www.
jtbusa.com) offers tours that may high-
light anything from Japanese cuisine to
art. Esprit Travel & Tours ( & 800/377-
7481; www.esprittravel.com) specializes in
small-group walking, hiking, and cultural
tours that cover such interests as textile
arts, Japanese gardens, and the old Tokaido
Road. If you want someone else to take
care of logistics but don't like group tours,
Artisans of Leisure ( & 800/214-8144;
www.artisansofleisure.com) provides lux-
ury tours with private guides that are
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