Great Explorations

I was intrigued when I read that the writer Pico Iyer had made Japan his home. Pico is a discerning travel writer and his descriptions of his adopted country make anyone desperate to visit, if not live. A colleague suggested that the Noto Peninsula offered just the right mix of rural countryside, beautiful sea-side vistas, an astounding number of cultural attractions, charming ryokans, great restaurants and more. But how would it be to bike, I asked? At this question, his eyes sparkled and he grinned widely, exclaiming: the biking is some of the best in the world on the quietest roads imaginable. We put together an itinerary that included a mix of inland and coastal riding, visiting and staying in the towns of Wajima, Suzu Beach, Wakura Onsen, Kanazawa and Yamanaka. We designed the trip around where the best riding is including regions of the interior that are exquisite and this is where the traditional rural villages and quietest roads are. One of the great appeals of this region is the opportunity to stay in charming and luxurious ryokans that are unlike any hotel I have stayed at before. Omotenashi is Japanese hospitality and until you have experienced it first-hand, when staff make you feel an honoured guest, you really can’t imagine. Many of the ryokans have hot springs (onsens) that you can enjoy and provide traditional yukata to wear to the spa (and dinner when dining in!). Did we mention the food? In a word, extraordinary. We mix traditional Japanese meals with French and Italian-fusion restaurants including Ben Flatt’s outstanding restaurant along the coast south of Suzu for a lunch you will never forget. To hear Ben describe his philosophy to food and cooking and why he chose to live in this region of Japan will have you understand