See Japan’s cherry blossom and savour Bordeaux’s best

Join TV garden star Carol Klein for an Eastern adventure

HANAMI, the Japanese tradition of viewing blossom in springtime, is an experience that lingers long in the memory – even for gardening professionals. After joining our exclusive Mail on Sunday itinerary to Japan in April, TV broadcaster and gardener Carol Klein was so taken by the sights she saw that she signed up to join readers again in Tokyo next year.

Carol will be in the Japanese capital just as the pink and white shades of sakura – the local word for cherry blossom – are due to appear. Join her on this fabulous tour and you’ll also see Mount Fuji, travel on a bullet train and take an unforgettable nine-day cruise around ancient temples, feudal castles and an extraordinary coastline. REASONS TO SET SAIL Cherry blossom season Witness the blossom at its most beautiful. Timings vary from year to year, but in early April the Japanese capital is usually resplendent with blossom. Explore with Carol (who will be with you in Tokyo only) and enjoy exclusive talks. See the best of Japan Travel on a bullet train, visit Mount Fuji, sail through the Kanmon Straits and visit Shinto temples. Exceptional value Japan is not a budget place – especially during cherry blossom season – but this itinerary offers one of the best-value ways to explore it. Sail aboard Diamond Princess Built in Japan, this magnificent ship has a wide choice of restaurants, including a sushi bar and 24-hour panoramic buffet, as well as a theatre and Japanese baths. Stop in South Korea You will call at the fascinating port of Busan, described by Lonely Planet as ‘one of the great unheralded cities in Asia’.