Review

Overall a wonderful overview of Japan for first-timers. Wish we\'d had one more day in Tokyo, and one full day in Osaka, and a little more time in Koya-san. To do that, perhaps take one day less in Kyoto, and leave out Himeji and/or Hiroshima? Kurashiki was our favorite experience, due to the charm, ease of walking to everything, and the fact it was less crowded. Koya-san and Hakone were also stellar. Our evening walk our first night in Kurashiki was magical, walking the alleys and exploring Ivy Square. The crowds at Himeji and Arishiyama and Hiroshima in particular were overwhelming and interfered with the experience.

We were mostly pleased with the lodging. Hakone and Miyajima lodging was exceptional, particularly because of the views and the Onsen experience. The onsens ended up being one of our favorite parts of the Japan experience. Highly therapeutic and rejuvenating. Koya-san lodging/bathrooms were a little tough, but attending the Buddhist prayer service the next morning made it all worth it. Plus the walk through the cemetery to the shrine was incredible. Osaka and Kurashiki hotels were excellent due to locations close to/walking distance to the key sights. The Tokyo hotel was okay, a bit touristy but in a great location. The Kyoto hotel was nice, just wish we had a room with a nice view. Our room for 3 days faced a wall with absolutely no view and no natural light. Also wish we\'d been able to stay at least one night in a traditional ryokan.

The food was all nicely prepared and presented. We appreciated the effort and aesthetic the Japanese put into their cuisine. We wish there was more diversity in the food experience. The first 4-5 days into the trip, it felt like we were basically getting the same meals over and over again. My husband can eat some raw seafood, but felt like the meals went too heavy on that type of cuisine.

Charlie, JJ and Ken are outstanding! We can\'t say enough good things about the professionalism and passion that they bring to their jobs. Charlie in particular was amazing, with his understanding of different learning styles, his organizational skills, how well he wove in cultural eduction, adding fun and humor. He was diligent in making sure our group stayed together and navigated all the public transportation systems without any issues. Suzuki was very sweet, it just seemed like she got put into that role without much notice, preparation or experience. We were hoping to learn a lot more about Buddhism during our stay and exploration of Koya-san.

All excellent.

We appreciated the detailed descriptions of each day, the communication before and during the trip (it was a treat to have the owner Mike join us for part of the trip), and how well all our train tickets were organized in order and labeled. It made that part of the trip go smoothly. The only suggestion here would be to add a little more free time in each location for us to explore on our own. Not sure how to do that, maybe would have to do fewer stops/locations in the itinerary. We did appreciate having full days to explore on our own in Miyajima, Kurashiki and Kyoto.

Seems like we took almost every form of transportation possible, and we loved it. Really enjoyed the experience of riding the trains with the locals. The bullet trains are incredible-- too bad the US never figured out how to make that work here.