Simply Japan was our first ever tour and we can’t wait to do another. Since returning our friends and family asked us for our favourite thing was, but we are unable to name just one. Japan has always been on our list of places to visit, and having been there for work previously, we wanted to see and experience as much as possible, and this tour did just that.
David Lam was a fantastic guide, who not only taught us about the places we visited, but also just how to get around Japan by train and bus, exchange coins at a 7-eleven, foods to try and places to shop (and more!). The WhatsApp group was a great source of information, and an easy way to share photos between the group.
The tour pacing was just right for us, with enough free time to explore some parts on our own, although we mostly took David’s excellent suggestions and were not disappointed. When most of the group agreed to one of David’s suggestions, David would often help organise and/or ****** us to those destinations to ensure we maximised our time and enjoyment. This included the traditional tea ceremony and many of the dinner locations.
One of our highlights was the Mt Fuji tour with JTB Sunrise tours. This is recommended but not included in the Explore tour and can be very hit and miss depending on the time of year and weather. But in November your chances improve, and we even saw the first snow of the season. This tour included a ferry on a lake and cable car for more views of Mt Fuji and surrounds. Take the train option for the return, it only took half-an-hour, while the bus was likely to hit traffic and take at least 2 hours. You may need to book the tour before arriving in Japan.
The food highlight of the tour was the Hiroshima Okonomiyaki savoury pancakes. These were so good we went back again the following night to have more. Notable other meals included the first night in Tokyo with group, the gluten-free Tempura Asakusa Sakura in Tokyo, and Ramen Street at Tokyo station, although ordering the Ramen on the machines at the restaurants proved to be a challenge the first time.
Hiroshima was a highlight for us, and we want to come back to Miyajima, even stay a night, to explore the island more thoroughly. This was the only location on the tour where we felt rushed.
We averaged about 15,000 steps a day, peaking at 20,000 with some of the optional destinations. We knew the hotel rooms would be small, and they really were in Tokyo at Hotel Sunroute Asakusa, but all the other hotels and rooms were comfortable. Hotel breakfasts were more of a challenge, and we appreciated a more western breakfast by time we arrived in Hiroshima.
The weather was kind to us, with just a bit of rain in Tokyo and Kanazawa. It was about 15 degrees each day, so a jacket was needed most days, and something warmer for the early starts. Our flights were from Narita, so we organized our own train tickets from the airport, including from Osaka back to Tokyo at the end of the tour. There is lots of free wifi available, but we found having Ubigi e-sims on our phones handy when navigating around in each city, just turn off those apps that consume lots of data first. You will need to have some cash handy; David will give you advance warning when it is required, and the 7-eleven ATMs were good for withdrawing more cash. That said, we were able to purchase most things using a Wise debit card to minimise the currency fees.
We also wanted to thank David, Rachael and Explore for their assistance when one of us become ill, making it easier for us to stay an extra night in Kanazawa and catch up to the group on the train to Hiroshima. Did I mention the trains? A great way to see the countryside and wind down between cities.
