Stephanie Rae - Travel Counsellors

🚢✨For a limited time, these two sailings include an exclusive Bar Tab bonus for Travel Counsellors guests! 🍹

Virgin Voyages already offers incredible value, and this exclusive Bar Tab makes your clients' holiday even better.

Every Virgin Voyages fare includes:

🍽️ All dining at 20+ eateries, including 6 à la carte restaurants
🥤 Essential drinks – still and sparkling water, soft drinks, tea & coffee
🎭 Award-winning entertainment
💪 Group fitness classes
📶 WiFi

Now's the perfect time to help your Sailors enjoy even more onboard with this exclusive Travel Counsellors offer.
Get in touch to find out more or secure your spot today!

📧[email protected]
📞01392 770014

Quintessential Japan: 26 Days From Nagasaki To Tokyo

I recently designed a three‑and‑a‑half‑week adventure for a couple who wanted to experience “the real Japan”: big cities and tiny mountain towns, iconic highlights and hidden gems, with a comfortable pace and characterful stays. .

Cherry blossom season, ancient castles, floating torii gates and neon skylines: earlier this year I designed a 26‑day journey through Japan for a couple who wanted to experience “the real Japan”, far beyond the classic Tokyo–Kyoto route.

They began in Nagasaki, settling into a stylish central hotel and discovering the city with a private guide: from hidden Christian history and atmospheric temples to poignant Second World War sites. A cruise out to eerie Gunkanjima, or “Battleship Island”, gave them a powerful glimpse into Japan’s industrial past.

From there, they travelled by train to food‑loving Fukuoka for canals, yatai stalls and an evening in a local izakaya, before continuing to Hiroshima and tranquil Miyajima Island. Staying in a traditional ryokan on Miyajima meant quiet walks, forested hills and the famous “floating” red torii gate without the day‑trip crowds.

In Kyoto they based themselves in the heart of the city, balancing guided “insider” days with time to wander temples, gardens and old streets at their own pace. A highlight was the Kitano Odori geisha spring dances, a beautiful cultural experience that many visitors never see.

Next came neon‑lit Osaka and its street‑food districts, then elegant Kanazawa for samurai streets, geisha quarters and one of Japan’s loveliest gardens. From there they headed into the Japanese Alps: Shirakawago’s steep‑roofed farmhouses, the wooden streets and morning markets of Takayama, and a ryokan stay with onsen and kaiseki cuisine.

In Matsumoto they explored one of Japan’s finest original castles and walked a section of the historic Nakasendo Way, linking old mountain post towns and offering a real sense of rural Japan.

The journey ended with five nights in Tokyo, staying in vibrant Shinjuku. With a private guide they explored classic districts, shrines and gardens, and took optional day trips to Hakone for hot springs and Fuji views, and to Nikko for ornate shrines in the forest. Their final evening was all about city views, shopping and a last bowl of ramen, before a private transfer to the airport.

If you would love a tailor‑made Japan adventure, from hidden villages to glittering skylines, I would be delighted to design something just for you. Message me to start planning your own journey.