Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The free day in Takayama. Ancient village atmosphere, Cheery trees full of blossom cascading down over babbling brooks right through town. Just delightful - and the best burger lunch in Japan. This visit to Hiroshima museum was pretty sobering but if you have spent your life post 1945 then it is well worth the effort.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Good English and plenty of energy - perhaps a bit too much at times. He managed to herd our group around - on and off trains , metros etc without any mishap. BUT it was his first trip and he gave one bit of bad advice about using our JR passes on our spare day - which cost us ! Be careful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Restaurants can be very challenging with not a word of English in sight. MY advice - head for the multi-story shopping malls. The all seem to have BIG food courts on the top floors - - that stay open long after the store have closed. Nothing like you'd find at Bluewater but really very good restaurants - lots of them so plenty of choice - and most had English menus. Head upwards to eat -at least in the cities. Overall it was a great food experience.

Suggestions

When can I go back?

Most Inspirational Moment

We were lucky to see a rare buddist ceremony in Nara and the chanting made the temple really come alive, although I can't really pick a 'best' place or moment as it was all fabulous.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had 2 leaders (one experienced English leader from the UK and one comparatively new French leader living in Japan) and the mix of personalities (one very strong on organisation and one very laid back) worked really well. They were very knowledgeable and told us all we needed to know to make the most of the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you want to make the most of the trip, even though it can be done at a leisurely pace, I would recommend getting some ideas of what you want to see before you go and getting up early with bags of energy so you can fits lots in on the 'free' days. This is simply beacuse there is so much you could see you don't want to waste a minuate and that can be tiring.

Suggestions

We found the Japanese incredibly helpful, friendly and polite aand we were amazed at how clean and safe the country is compared to the UK.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hearing the monks chanting in Kyoto; hearing the Taiko drums outside Matsumoto Castle; seeing the snow monkeys; sleeping in Ryokans. We know - that's more than one great moment!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both Catherine and Alexi were tremendous. Catherine provided the experience and was friendly yet professional and we felt very confident in her ability to lead the group. Alexi was lovely and a great complement to Catherine. Although a novice, his ability to speak Japanese was a great help and he was so helpful and accommodating. Together they made a great team. They were present at the beginning and end of each day that we had on our own in case we needed them but we always felt we had choices. They were both fantastic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Only to do their homework about currency, bank machines, access to WiFi and the amount of walking expected. Most of us were fine but one couple seemed to choose the wrong trip so doing your homework and reading all of the material from Exodus thoroughly is really imporrtant.

Suggestions

Not really - it was a fantastic trip in a wonderful country. We will certainly try Exodus again. We loved travelling with Brits as we are Brits by birth but are now Canadian citizens. Great memories. Thank you!!

Most Inspirational Moment

There are so many memories lodged in my brain... Dressing up as a geisha in Kyoto, standing at Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo mesmerised by the surges of people as the lights change, the Fox shrine outside Tokyo with the thousands of orange Tori, the mad fish restaurant in Kyoto (if you go with Dan definitely ask him to take you), the views of the Japanese Alps, the temples and shrines at Nikko and in Kyoto, and the amazing cherry blossom just coming into full bloom everywhere.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dan our group leader was fantastic. As Dan spoke fluent Japanese this meant we could visit places that an Eglish speaking group would not normally get to see. His knowledge of Japan and Japanese culture was also excellent and I felt like I learnt so much about the country that I could never have got from a guide book or a trip on my own. He also put in a lot of time and effort planning suitable restaurants that would suit the varied needs of the group, and also helping individuals make best use of their free time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's a full-on trip where every day is very busy and packed full of interesting stuff, so be prepared for long, busy days with lots of walking. Even though you're tired and got jet-lagged, keep going and do as much as you can as the is so much to experience that is new and different in comparison to Western culture. Make sure you have snacks and water each day to kee your energy up. Make sure you're camera has a big memory card - I took over 300 photos (and that's even after I did some serious editing every night!) Try all the different food - you may not love it and probably won't want to eat it again but it's all a great experience. Trip notes say bring a rucksack - I would say that a wheelie trolley would be fine and possibly a bit easier.

Suggestions

An amazing trip, I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

Most Inspirational Moment

This is a difficult question, as there were many inspirational moments: the wonderful gardens, staying in a ryokan and having a communal hot bath, the impressive Matsumoto castle with a view over the Japanese Alps, the snow monkeys, the bullet train and of course the cherry blossoms, of which there were many!

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was efficient and well organised. We had plenty of information for our free time and everything ran very smoothly. Suzy was approachable and helpful and did her best to make it a successful tour.On the downside, I would have appreciated more insight into Japanese society and culture from an "insider", either a Japanese or someone who had lived there for some time and spoke the language well. We spent a few days in Japan after the trip with someone who is living there and learned so much more about the country and went to interesting places where tourists who can't speak Japanese would not have been able to go.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be open to new experiences, try unfamiliar foods and take a dictionary. Not so many people speak English. If you ask a Japanese for information or advice, be prepared to wait, as they will often go in search of an answer or someone who speaks English. We found the Japanese in general very courteous and helpful, always ready to assist us "gaijin".Be prepared for a lot of walking, take good walking shoes. 

Suggestions

When I enquired beforehand about the amount of walking, as I had been suffering with a back problem recently, I was told it was just leisurely sightseeing. However, we spent many hours on our feet with few breaks. Luckily my back improved and I coped with that, but there was a member of the group who did not cope well and was quite slow, which meant my husband and I were sometimes torn between not abandonning her and trying to keep up with the rest of the group. I think this could have been handled better, perhaps with clearer advice beforehand and arranging meeting points at intervals. The schedule was sometimes too tight to allow for slower walkers.

Most Inspirational Moment

Mount Fuji seen at a distance through a gauze-like haze.Geisha-hunting as they rushed fron client to client in the Gion district of Kyoto Seeing the Ticket  Inspector bow to the next compartment as he left - there was no-one there, but it was part of his courteous routine, and he did it, no doubt, to make sure he never forgets to do it when there are  people there. So typical of the Japanese way of doing things. The Cherry Blossom in the parks in Tokyo - it did not disappoint

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dan was everything one could expect in a tour leader. Not only was he a great organiser, but he was so knowledgeable about the history and culture of Japan that we were enriched by what he told us. He was also amazing at finding and taking us to eating places that were great on food and atmosphere but didn't break the bank. The only negative thing to say was that he warned us of the contrast between the luxurious hotel of Kyoto and the  traditional basic facilities of the ryiokans we were to visit, to such an effect that my wife Mary approached them with great trepidation. In the event they were a marvellous experience which we would not have missed for the world. It was also curious that we elderly married couples seemed to be allocated the few rooms with the most Western facilities. Funny, that.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We had the impression before going that it might be difficult to use credit cards or find ATMs. In fact it was very easy - apart from banks and some big shops every 7-11 store had an ATM, and many other places advertised the fact that they had one in the same way that they offered other facilities, like loos or refreshments.

Suggestions

The only real downer of the whole trip was the length of time we spent in the air - 40 hours altogether. One of our party had to leave earlier and flew direct from Tokyo to Gatwick, which, she said, was only a 9 hour flight. We would have been prepared to pay more for a shorter route. Otherwise - don't change anything.

Most Inspirational Moment

I believe we found the Totukuji Temple (not sure correct spelling -  name)   in Kyoto - where the red gates wind up and up and up  the hill - with many steps leading up - to be absolutely spectactular. However I must say that the  Cherry Blossom trees that we saw in Tokyo - in various parks - were also fantastic.  I believe that this will remain an everlasting memory for me.  Could not stop taking photos of these.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I believe our leader did her best to accommodate the various needs of a diverse group.  She was casual in her approach in leading us which suited us. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do a lot of research on the major areas you visit - so you can plan your free days and just go and enjoy it. The weather in late March - April is also a little unpredictable - probably a lot colder than  we thought it would be -  we were glad of good coats - umbrellas needed at times - cheaply available everywhere.  We also made the most of every moment to the point of at times exhaustion.  But  you are only here for a short time so make the most of and enjoy it.   Also we found good cheap food in the Kyoto Station - where some locals ate.  Also in department stores - in food areas - fresh good and cheap with markdowns towards the closing times.  

Suggestions

I think a type of pack (travel info)  - perhaps receiving it before we go  - that covered all the areas we visited - with  maps and major spots- so perhaps a bit of forward planning could be made.  We made our own flight plans and payment for same as we had to travel  from Australia  and also  make our own arrangements to travel to Kyoto to start the tour.   This made the trip a little more expensive than our UK friends as I believe they paid an inclusive price.  I may be incorrect here.  Our instructions for arrival at Kyoto Station were bizarre - all that had to be advised was to take the correct exit.   The other small gripe - which we were unaware of - was having to pay 3000 yen each for the bus transfer from Metropolitan Hotel to Narita Airport.  We had not been made aware of this.The other thing was our stay in our last Ryokan - where we had an archery display - which was not too bad. The showers virtually did not work - very small trickle.  The onsen - cedar - did not seem too clean either. The rooms were not too bad, however,  the Japanese breakfast in the morning - for 1020 yen approx. was to say not too good - actually disgusting -  unedible for some.  Wish we had taken the Continental breakfast - although we had planned to mostly eat local food on this trip Otherewise had a fantastic time. 

Most Inspirational Moment

My first view of a bullet train pulling into Kyoto station. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very competent. Not intrusive, allowed us to explore by ourselves.