Ira Schack and Edie Schack, Private Cherry Blossom Photography Tour/Workshop April 18 - May 1, 2020. .
Now extended to May 1, 2020. 13 Nights 14 Days.
Day 1,2, April 18 - 19, Saturday - Sunday. Meet in Tokyo 10am. Transfer to Mt. Fuji and visit the Fuji Five Lakes. Mt. Hotel.
Day 3, 4, April 20 - 21, Monday - Tuesday. After checking out of our lodgings in Mt. Fuji, we will stop at Suwa Shrine and Matsumoto Castle on our journey to Snow Monkey territory. Hotel Kanaguya built in the Edo period. These two days, we will spend about 6hrs with snow monkeys, and the rest of the time exploring and photographing our historical JapaneseRyokan, and if time allows, we will visit a Buddhist shrine by appointment only. Hotel Kanaguya
Day 7, April 24, Friday. Hirosaki Castle & Aomori City and region. Richmond Hotel.
Day 8, April 25, Saturday. Ocean photography in Aomori, then overnight ferry to Hokkaido.
Day 9, April 26, Sunday After arrival Tomakomai, we will drive ☞ Akanko. Tsurugawings Hotel.
Day 10, April 27, Monday Visit Lake Mashuko volcanic complex, Lake Kussharo for landscape photography, and migrating Whopper Swans if still in the region then drive to the Pacific Coastline and travel to Rausu. Also, in the region may be brown bears, we may get lucky to photograph them and caution will be taken for our safety.
Overnight Rausu Daiichi Hotel
Day 11, 12, April 28 - 29, Tuesday - Wednesday Whale watching by boat, photographing The White-Tailed Eagle and other raptor species. Brown Bears may be awake and we might get lucky to photograph them, and extra caution will be taken for safety. Make our way to Shibetsu Hokkaido, usually about a 90-minute drive; we will take about 5hrs, stopping for wildlife and landscape photo ops. In this area resides the large Sika Deer population on this planet. Two Nights Seaside Hotel.
Day 13, April 30, Thursday, Depart Shibetsu (SeaSide Hotel) in the am for Kushiro stopping to photograph The Red-Crowned Cranes either in Nemuro or in the Kushiro wetlands district, once in the region I will know which direction is best depending on weather and colleagues who are my neighbors in Hokkaido, but I am positive we will have encounters with them on April 29th. Overnight Hotel LaVista Kushirogawa. Dinner will be at a Japanese Izakaya next to the hotel, the chef is a friend. Also, on our last morning May1, Friday the chef who is an amateur photographer may join us for photographing the sunrise with us, Kushiro is said to be in the top 10 sunrises on our planet.
Day 14, May 1, Friday After Sunrise photo opportunity and breakfast we will transfer to the Airport ☞ Tokyo Haneda Airport, JAL540. 10:30☞12:15 Tokyo. JAL has changed flight scheduling for summer and our flight time will be Kushiro (KLH) 10:20 ☞
Tokyo Haneda Airport, 12:10.
Workshop total price was paid in full by Ira Schack March 31, 2020. Ira Schack and Edie Schack Private Cherry Blossom photography workshop/tour April 18 - May 1, 2020. This is a fully inclusive photo workshop includes all lodgings, all meals, all ground transportation, ferry travel to Hokkaido from Aomori and whale watching boat in Rasusu, domestic flight return to Tokyo from Kushiro Hokkaido. Not included: flights to or from Japan, Health or travel insurance, items of a personal nature, or Hotel amenities.
Terms and Conditions for Participants/clients on any Japan Photography Workshop by Blain Harasymiw Photography or JDS Japan Dreamscapes.
DEPOSIT & PAYMENT
A deposit of USD $1000 per person is required when reserving your spot. The deposit is nonrefundable, so please be sure of your travel plans and dates before you reserve your spot. In the case of a family or personal accident has broken bones etc., and you cancel it is possible we will allow for a return of your deposit, minus banking fees. The full balance amount per person is due 90 days before departure date. If you want to sign up for a Japan Photography Tour workshop within 90 days of departure, then the full amount will be due when signing up.
TRIP CANCELLATION
All Photography workshops by Blain Harasymiw, airlines in Japan hotels require a deposit. Which we normally do six months to a year in advance. In almost all cases, this is either non-refundable or partially refundable. Therefore, if you sign up for a photo workshop and cancel for any reason, you will receive an amount of money back see below, “REFUND TIMING” If Blain can re-sell your place on the workshop, you can expect a 90% refund.
Blain highly recommends that you have full travel insurance.
REFUND TIMING
If you cancel 150 days before workshop departure, you will receive 90% refund.
If you cancel from 149-120 days before workshop departure, you will receive 70% refund.
If you cancel from 119-90 days before workshop departure, you will receive 50% refund.
If you cancel 60 days before workshop departure, you will not receive a refund, unless Blain can re-sell your place.
LOGISTICS
Itineraries are done to take advantage of the best photographic opportunities. Participants will allow for changes in itinerary due to change in weather, traffic, sudden price increase, or any other unforeseen event may occur.
RESPONSIBILITY
The passenger in regard to travel including, but not limited to, sightseeing, meals, lodging, transportation, and all other services whether by motor car, SUV, van, motor coach, boat, ship, aircraft & Blain Harasymiw/Manami Kishimoto & team at blaininjapan.com & JDS Japan Dreamscapes assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity which may be occasioned either by reason of a defect in any vehicle or for any reason whatsoever or through the acts of default of any company or persons engaged in conveying the person on the photography workshop tour or in carrying out the arrangements of the trip. Blain Harasymiw/Manami Kishimoto & team can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delays or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, natural disaster, or any other causes, such as viruses, pandemics, and hospitalization or facilities required due to injury or contracted illnesses. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the client or clients, as photography workshop fees provide for photography workshop arrangements only for the times & locations during the client's arranged photo workshop duration. Baggage is at the owner’s risk entirely, and itineraries are changeable without notice by Blain Harasymiw and the team. Blain Harasymiw or any of the Blain Harasymiw photography workshops leaders or team members can terminate a client's workshops or workshops dates if the client's behavior is considered disruptive in any capacity, and there will be zero refund.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
All workshops/vacations participants are strongly recommended very strongly, to have travel and health insurance.
Japan is courteous when it comes to medical emergencies; health comes 1st payment last. Please have full medical travel coverage.
MEDICAL CONDITIONS
Please let us know in writing beforehand about any medical conditions you may have or your co-travelers in your group may have that list must include any past or current medical conditions. In the event of a medical emergency & you require emergency medical care, we should know ahead of time to be able to give a copy of your documented medical condition(s) to the practicing physician at the medical facility, regarding allergies to medications and such.
If you also have any allergies to foods, please let us know when booking your photo workshop.
Safety at Blain Harasymiw Photography & JDS is paramount for your wellbeing.
These Terms and conditions are subject to change without notice, from time to time in our sole discretion.