Uninhabited Japanese Island Offers Survival Adventures

Diaoyu Islands. Photo: AFP
Diaoyu Islands. Photo: AFP
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Uninhabited Japanese Island Offers Survival Adventures

Diaoyu Islands. Photo: AFP
Diaoyu Islands. Photo: AFP

Feeling ground down by the pressures of everyday life? Wish you could get away from it all? The island city of Iki in Nagasaki prefecture has an unusual and appropriate holiday destination, and its name is Tsumagashima Island.

There are many uninhabited islands that dot the coasts of Japan, and Tsumagashima, in particular, lies off the coast of Nagasaki. While humans did live on the island at one point, it was declared uninhabited in 2002, and since then has lain in relative obscurity—although people who fish treat the island as a especially lucky spot, according to the Japan Today website.

You can access the island with relative ease from Nagasaki's Indoji seaport, but it's far removed from civilization and the chance of bumping into strangers is practically zero, reported the German News Agency (dpa).

You can take also a 30-minute airplane ride from Nagasaki Airport. Prospective campers need not worry about the safety of the island—the campsite areas are being tended to and monitored by capable staff, which is currently undergoing a survival adventure of their own.

Camping on the island allows guests to try out a unique camping experience where they stake out their own lodgings, forage for food, fish, and cook their own meals using bamboo and camping tools.

And speaking of camping tools, only the barest minimum is included in the camping plan. Vacationers can also expect a beach reserved for their own use, a jungle expanse to venture through, and a stimulating environment without electricity or running water.

A two-day, one-night stay will cost 19,800 yen, while a three-day, two-night stay will cost 29,800 yen per adult. Elementary school students are expected to pay half of that price, while children younger than that can attend for free. Your party must consist of four people or more.

Don't worry if you aren't a serious camper because the island will also offer camping experiences for beginners where a qualified instructor will assist you on your survival experience.



Nepal Hosts Hot Air Balloon Festival

Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
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Nepal Hosts Hot Air Balloon Festival

Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)

With Nepal's snowy Himalayan peaks as a backdrop, the sky above Pokhara transformed into a vibrant canvas of colors for the country's first hot-air balloon festival.

Tourism is a major earner for Nepal, which saw over a million foreign visitors this year after a post-pandemic bounceback, and investments are being made in hotels and airports to cater to travelers.

"We felt that we must bring a balloon festival like this to Nepal," Sabin Maharjan, an organizer of the event, told AFP.

Hot-air balloons from more than 10 countries participated in the festival.

"A ride here can be very exciting as you can see mountains, hills and lakes," Maharjan added.

"All passengers tell us that they are very happy -- such a festival will boost our tourism."

The balloons created a mesmerizing display against a stunning sight of the snow-capped Annapurna range.

"It is spectacular," American balloon pilot Derek Hamcock, 67, said.

"As soon as you go above the small range here you see all the Himalayas. Unbelievable, every time you see them it is unbelievable."

Balloons shaped as a rat and a frog from were among those joining in the fun, slowly drifting with the breeze.

"You never know where you are going," said Diego Criado del Rey, 29, a balloon pilot from Spain.

"So it is pretty much you and the nature -- not fighting, but being together. You go where the nature tells you."

Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority issued a notice for the skies over Pokhara for a duration of nine days to allow balloon flights.

Although more than two centuries have passed since France's Montgolfier brothers made the first manned flight, ballooning can still capture the imagination.