Asia Tours and Trips

I can see why this is such a popular trip. We did everything that was mentioned and more. Japan is an ideal country for a trip using public transport as it is reliable, safe and clean.

Fabulous trip overall I loved it, however I would refine the itinerary in the following ways if feasible : - DMZ on Day 1 as predominantly slower day on the bus (helps recovering from jet lag) - Seoul city exploring was ~ 20,000 steps so perhaps split some of these sights at start and end of tour (doing this on the current Day 1 itinerary with jet lag was a struggle for a lot of people). - drop seeing missionary houses - Buddha temple afternoon was too long (archery was fun, show was good, but several hours of meditation and slow training was very boring) - keep the paper making factory visit in itinerary (as this wasn’t in our original itinerary but added due to weather circumstances and it was excellent) - make this a 2 week trip - tour is very city heavy, consider having a rural visit to rice farmers or equivalent Tour guide JAMES JIN - absolutely fabulous, one of the best guides I’ve experienced on all my many trips with explore. - He went above and beyond to clearly explain the history, culture and flavours of South Korea - his dedication to ensuring the group were content, fulfilled and safe whilst dashing up to Seoul from Busan to attend the surprise early birth of his first child was truly commendable - his patience with the different levels of fitness of the group was caring and supportive - BOOK him again (as this was his 1st explore guiding trip I believe)

Loved this trip. We had a few early starts, covered a lot of miles, but it was truly excellent. The trip lets you see some truly amazing sights that will live a long, long time in the memory. All the cities we stayed in were quite different from each other, which means every stop is a new experience. Man Mo temple in Hong Kong, limestone karst peaks, River Li cruise, Xi'an city walls and town, Terracotta Army, Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square. All in one trip with more stuff on top of that. With spare time in the evenings in Xi'an, I recommend seeing the Bell and Drum towers lit up, absolutely stunning, and then get a meal in the muslim quarter which is super lively at night with tons of choice. If you fancy a real highlights of China trip, this does the trick. My only problem with it is that I liked it so much I want to go back and explore more of the country. We were super lucky to have Tracy Zhang as our tour leader, the loveliest person who looked after us extremely well. Her suggestions on what time is best to get to a particular place to avoid the busier period were all spot on. I could have happily had a few days more in Xi'an and Beijing. But you can easily add on more time to yourself in Beijing at the end if you wish. Getting about on your own there is easy and inexpensive on the metro. Loved it.

I had a great time - when I saw my Tour Leader with the 'Explore' sign at the airport on arrival - I knew I was in safe hands - he was kind and generous with his time and had a passion which enthused. The accommodation was great - better than I expected and the 'immerse india' van for driving us from city to city was fast and efficient. I couldn't recommend this tour any more highly for those looking for adventure in India - I only hope my next explore holiday lives up to this first experience...

This group tour was a fantastic way for first-time visitors like us to discover Japan, and it's history, culture and landscape. The mix of city, and rural and mountain pilgrimage route, travelling by train, bus and on foot, even boat, was a great blend for the more active traveller. Our guide was excellent - knowledgeable, helpful and patient. I'm already looking through the Explore brochure for our next trip!

This trip was brilliant. It covered the main tourist sites all in one go, from stunning scenery at Gulin to Yangshou to beautifully crafted architecture and temples in Xian and Beijing. The people were friendly and the food was fantastic. My highlights were the boat to Yangshou and the country lanes bike ride - the contrast of the paddy fields and Karsts, such beautiful scenery. I could have spent 2 more days in Xian, there is so much to see. What we saw was spectacular - the only complete city wall left in China, the beautiful buddhist art at the Wild Goose Pagoda, the serene Great Mosque and the stunning Terracotta Army. I didn't want to leave and I'll definitely go back to see more of this fascinating country.