Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

There were several; The shrines and temples The onsen and Ryokan Mnt. Fuji The snow monkeys The food

Thoughts on Group Leader

Akemi could not have done more. She was always cheerful, ever available and sorted out the couple of problems in the group very quickly and efficiently. On our free days she worked out and wrote down train and bus timetables, even down to platform numbers, for our varied itineraries, which made the act of travellng solo so much easier and enjoyable . She even had time to help me improve the little bit of Japanese I had learned before the trip!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take lots of cash, unless you eat in the bigger places, or at stations, it is difficult to find places that take credit cards. Two places I attempted to use my card, where the signs on the door said that they accepted them, could not process the transaction even though the cards had prior authorisation in the U.K. I was successful in a large chain sushi restaurant though. Don’t depend of free WiFi, especially out and about as it is very patchy and very slow. Some of the hotels we used were ok ish. I hired a mobile WiFi from Nina WiFi (with a discounted deal) in the U.K. and collected it from the airport. The only place it lost signal was travelling through tunnels. In places the connection and upload speeds were better than I get on my home broadband!, The ability to navigate with Google maps was a godsend. Try the local food you will not be disappointed, there’s more than just sushi and noodles.

Most Inspirational Moment

The contrast between the charms of the ancient castles, gardens and shrines and the modern sky scrapers and bullet trains . The courtesy and warm welcome of Japanese people in all the hotels, restaurants and places we visited.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ayaka was an excellent group leader going above and beyond ensuring we enjoyed and got the most from our time in Japan. She made sure we could find the most interesting things to see and do in our free time and teaching us to negotiate the wonders of the subway independently as well as suggesting good places to eat and shop for all sorts things and an idea of how to fit into the Japanese way of doing things. She also gave us good basic understanding of how the places we visited and the things we saw fitted into the bigger picture of Japanese history and culture. She rearranged our trains after the Typhoon closed some lines to close and made sure we didn't miss any of our itinerary.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you want an overview of Japan and its varied and fascinating culture book this trip. Remember to check the weather forecast just before you go and pack with this in mind. We encountered Typhoon Lan and were really pleased to have waterproof trousers and tops, Japan is green country and it does rain.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing parts of japan off the normal tourist trail

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ayaka was fantastic - she couldn't do enough for us all - full of energy and infectious enthusiasm, and very knowledgeable too. She clearly listened to what people said about what they wanted to get from the trip and delivered on this. Impressive.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing parts of japan off the normal tourist trail

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ayaka was fantastic - she couldn't do enough for us all - full of energy and infectious enthusiasm, and very knowledgeable too. She clearly listened to what people said about what they wanted to get from the trip and delivered on this. Impressive.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention but obviously the emotions of Hiroshima Peace Park, the busy food markets, the opulent shrines and temples, the extensive art treasures in Kyoto and Tokyo, the snow monkeys in snow, the hot spring bath in snow as well, Mount Fuji, the impressive time keeping of Japanese Rail, the patience, knowledge, good humour and infectious laugh of Ayaka.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ayaka brought together a sizeable group in a calm and unflustered manner and made sure that we were able to fully experience the 'wonders' of ancient and modern Japan. Ever present and always preparing material for free days and helping us get deeper into Japanese society, made the whole tour a really memorable experience. Thank you.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book for next year

Most Inspirational Moment

I travelled to Japan to particularly catch the autumn colours - amazing! Late November was the perfect time of year for acers and they are a sight the country over, so Japan kept giving beatiful views throughout the two weeks. Ginkaku-ji in Kyoto gave my favourite moment for autumn colour - it's optional, but I v much recommend. If in blossom, the Philosopher's walk would be stunning as it's lined with cherry trees, again this was optional.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ayaka had great enthusiasm, was very humourous and she was very well organised. She moved 18 people several times through Tokyo stations at rush hour without loosing anyone! She offered great advice on sights to see on our free time, and gave useful maps with recommendations highlighted. She knew her Japanese food, and I particularly liked the group treats she sourced in Kyoto and she got us into some lovely restaurants despite being a big group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There's more walking than may seem obvious in the trip notes, and most is on paved urban surfaces, so it could be quite uncomfortable by the end of the longer days. So take comfy shoes and be prepared for several miles on one or two days. Tokyo's rail carriages get busy and cramped, and the stations themselves at rush hour take a lot of patience. But, for me it was part of experienceing the modern side of Japan so added to the understanding of what it means to be a local. Busy! There's more time in Tokyo then I'd really appreciated, so I'd recommend doing more research than I did on your options so you can make the most of it.

Most Inspirational Moment

- autumn colours - Hiroshima - Kyoto golden temple - snow monkeys - bullet train - Nara It was all fabulous!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ayaka did an excellent job of organising a group of 18 people & keeping us on track. She was always cheerful, friendly & helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There was more walking than I expected. It was fine for us but I think it's worth letting travellers know that you could be walking 6-7 miles a day. There was also more transport changes than we expected.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many inspirational moments, first ride on the bullet train, the view from the top of a skyscraper of Tokyo at night, monks moving quietly through the grounds of their temples, watching the devotions of local people at the various shrines and temples, the sudden view of Mount Fuji from the window of a train and entire hillsides covered in trees in their autumn glory illuminated by the afternoon sun. There were inspirational moments around every corner.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was Alena Eckelmann and the success of the whole trip was linked directly to her hard-work, enthusiasm and deep knowledge of the country. She has excellent language skills, has lived in Japan for the last 10 years and was able to move us around the country safely, despite the obvious pitfalls in moving a group of 18 on and off crowded Japanese trains and buses. Her priority at all times was for the group to get the maximum enjoyment from their holiday whilst keeping us safe and well. This she did with a gentle sense of humour, clear historical and cultural information when appropriate and precise instructions about what was happening next, where we would meet and what our options were for our free time. Always patient, always good-humoured, flexible when necessary, Alena was the cornerstone of what was for us a wonderful experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As a taster experience for what is a fascinating country with many, many regions to explore I believe Japan - Ancient and Modern is excellent. A well chosen itinerary with good accommodation and comfortable travel arrangements for a pretty full-on trip. Much of the exploration is on foot and days start early and sometimes finish late. Pack light, bring your comfortable walking shoes, an umbrella and an open mind and you will have a great time.

Most Inspirational Moment

The "matter of fact" video testimonies of the survivors from Hiroshima. I felt that, although the city will never forget and the degree of forgiveness is hard to assess, it has, nevertheless, "moved on".

Thoughts on Group Leader

If you get Akemi you will be in very good hands.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are unlucky enough to get bad weather make sure you have packed some waterproof shoes.

Most Inspirational Moment

Staying at the traditional Japanese houses, sleeping on a futon, eating traditional Japanese food while wearing a kimono, doing origami with the hostess and best of all bathing in the outdoor hot sprngs in the dark - that was the best moment for me!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ayaka Tsukamoto was a wonderful group leader, she was unrelentingly cheerful and helpful and enthusiastic even in torrential rain and even when there was a typohoon that caused trees to fall on railway lines and landslides stopped the usual route up to the snow monkeys -- she persevered and made alternative arrangments so that our ploans could still be carried out. Ayaka was also most helpful in helping us to plan our itineries for our free days and she came along to some of the sights we wanted to see to help us out. I think she went out of her way to help, way beyond the call of duty, and she made the trip fun and highly enjoyable, in fact she made the holiday!