It was a very fun vacation. I enjoyed the small trips that we did with the drums. I enjoyed the pottery. That was great to see. I did the tea which was amazing. It was a great trip and the people that were on the trip with us were fantastic. You should go.
The interactive preparation was quite fun. Being able to learn while making added so much. The Hiroshima visit was heartfelt as we heard a firsthand experience story.
Simply Japan is pretty much as described in the trip notes, a full-on tour. Owing to the challenges of travelling by Minibus on Japan's highways the tour makes full use of Japan's Efficient rail network. Each location change is via train (Shinkansen or Ltd. Express). This would be more difficult without forwarding main luggage items by courier, hence living out of an overnight bag on 3 separate occasions during the tour.
All these travel arrangements and surviving the many city Metro and tram systems would be extremely daunting if it was not for the ceaseless attention of the tour guide. I could not praise our guide Henrik enough for his support. His enthusiasm and local knowledge was invaluable and clear instructions and morning briefings kept everyone in the group on track.
Almost every night he offered a group dinner option for those who wished to join him and he would take us to some less known local restaurant for authentic local cuisine. Even on the designated free time days Henrik (his designated days off), would offer to show anyone who wished to local places of interest.
All in all a wonderful experience. The only improvement I would suggest is that arranging an extra day in Tokyo at the beginning and in Osaka at the end would be highly beneficial (Some in the group had done this). Time is limited at the start and end of the tour and I certainly felt that I have not quite explored Tokyo and Osaka as much as I would have liked.
Lliasing with your tour group leader is very useful to plan visits to the most popular temples shrines and attractions. Most big tour groups tend to plan visits for opening time and pre lunch or post lunch. Visiting attractions at around 9:45, 13:00 or 15:00 generally avoids the massive peak-time coach tours.
Thank you Explore for another great travel experience
Train tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Guest House, Hotel, Villa
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Tokyo, Osaka, Miyajima, Kyoto, A
Tokyo, Osaka, Miyajima, Kyoto, Arashiyama, Matsumoto, Kanazawa, Takayama, Hiroshima
This was a top notch company and the climbing was great. The guide was completely safe and with high winds (too dangerous to climb) we worked together to amend the plans. This made me feel safe. (Note that these are high altitude climbs and one needs to have some climbing experience.) (Also in this time of the year it was cold and at times windy.) I cannot say enough about the Sherpa and the guide. An excellent time and a grand adventure.
ClimbingTrekking and Hiking
Tour Type
Private and Group Tour Private Tour with a few fixed group departures available.
Accommodation
Camping, Hotel, Eco Lodge, Guest House
Age Range
17-78 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Island Peak, Mera Peak, Lobuche
Island Peak, Mera Peak, Lobuche East Peak, Kathmandu, Kathmandu, Seto Pokhari, Amphu Labtsa pass, Island Peak Base Camp, Dingboche, Lobuche, Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar, Lobuche Peak Base Camp, Lobuche High Camp, Lobuche Peak, Pangboche, Lukla, Chhuthang, Tuli Kharka, Kothe, Thanngnak, Mera Peak Base Camp, Mera Peak High Camp
Our third time with Expat Explore, value for money heaps to see. A fast pace tour with some long days, but if you're up to it, I would highly recommend. An enjoyable way to travel to cover Japan.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
10-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Kyoto, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Takayam
Kyoto, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Takayama, Kanazawa, Shizuoka, Iga, Osaka
Great trip but with long bumpy off road drives. Accommodation in Gers the first week was very basic, Gers having big gaps for cold air and small animals to enter. Some of the shared showers only had cold water. I slept in my coat a couple of nights in the mountains as only 5 degrees and too cold to face a tepid shower. Food however was a surprise being a non red meat eater, the alternative was chicken with lots of fresh salads, vegetables and some fruits.
Our guide Sara was nice but lacked the skills for a large group. I had no complaints but some of the group had issues which were resolved and avoided at the next stop. Some mis information was given, so we were a little confused.
We managed to arrange with Sara and Explore a trip to the Genghis Khan statue and museum at an extra cost the last day which was worth the detour.
Camel riding in the Gobi was fun and for half hour we paid around £5.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Tent
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Ulaanbaatar, Hustai National Par
Ulaanbaatar, Hustai National Park, Khogno Khan, Erdene Zuu Monastery, Orkhon Valley, Bayanzag, Yol Valley, Dalanzadgad, Baga Gazriin Chuluu
Very passionate about making your experience as enjoyable as possible. My wife and I honeymooned in the Guilin and Yangshou area and again did a trip with this local travel specialist for our 10th anniversary.
City sightseeing
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Sleeper Train, Guest House
Age Range
6-79 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Beijing, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Xia
Beijing, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Xian, Yangshuo, Xi'an
Doni was an excellent tour guide and is very knowledgeable about the areas we visited.
We were only a small group and through his leadership we immediately felt like a family.
The only feedback I would like to leave is that it should be included that participants in this tour will be expected to walk 12000 steps on a daily basis, and not always on flat ground. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip but may have reconsidered it due to my health issues.
Active and outdoorExplorer
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Our trip was wonderful! We had 3 different tour guides. The first gentleman in Seoul didn't answer questions as well as we had hoped and it was somewhat difficult to understand him. The other two were excellent-especially Andy Park. We learned about the culture, the food, customs, religions, and saw the beauty of the country. We especially enjoyed the DMZ tour (very sobering) and Jeju Island.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers