I've not done that trip, but I've done two Backroads bike trips (Northern Thailand and Argentina). Wide range of abilities on the tours and everyone was catered to (they were both adult only tours). Many options each day - different lengths, routes that skipped hills/challenging sections, sometimes people skipped rides altogether and hung out by the pool, and one of fellow guests was super keen and would sometimes leave early to bike extra where the normal plan was to shuttle in the van).
Other Options...
- Thread starter It's always cold
- Start date
I've not done that trip, but I've done two Backroads bike trips (Northern Thailand and Argentina). Wide range of abilities on the tours and everyone was catered to (they were both adult only tours). Many options each day - different lengths, routes that skipped hills/challenging sections, sometimes people skipped rides altogether and hung out by the pool, and one of fellow guests was super keen and would sometimes leave early to bike extra where the normal plan was to shuttle in the van).
sayhello
Have Camera, Will Travel
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
I loved it. But it was several years ago. We camped in tents for all but one night, and did a lot of hiking. But we had 3 amazing guides, saw a bunch of wonderful places, ate some great food. There was one really long hike, and it was raining. I and another 2 women (a woman with MS and her friend) opted out of the hike and ended up going with one of the Guides to check out the town of Wolfville, and eventually met back up with the group when they were done. They took really good care of us!
But I haven't felt motivated to travel with them since, because of the short trip length. If they had longer itineraries, I would definitely consider them as an ABD alternative.
Sayhello
Calfan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2009
Totally agree on the eye popping price! I’m really curious to find out on our Botswana trip whether I can justify Nat Hab’s prices for any future trips (and then figure out how to budget for them, if I even can, lol).
*WDW*Groupie*
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2006
While I can't comment on the price of the Nat. Hab trips in general, I can tell you that Botswana is known for "high value, low volume" safaris. The Botswana government does a very good job of keeping the parks and private reserves pristine by ensuring that the number of visitors is controlled, and we, the tourists, pay the price. Well worth it IMHO.
I think next year may be our last with ABD. I find that I really enjoy traveling privately. We meet a lot of people in the lodges at meals but get to set our own itinerary and don't have to deal with a group of 39 people being shepherded to and fro. Of course I may change my mind if the Japan trip blows me away!
AquamarineSteph
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 1, 2013
Just returned from the G Adventures/National Geographic tour of Ecuador. It's a definite A+ tour for them, and I'd highly recommend it.
Calfan, depending on the time of year you go, Victoria Falls may or may not have water running over it. This will also depend on which side of the falls you visit. The falls tend to dry up during the dry season so later in the year there will be less water flowing over them and it will be almost completely dried up on the Zambian side. The Zimbabwe side has more cateracts on it and doesn't tend to dry up as much as the Zambian side. If you go in spring, you will see the falls in all their glory.
Calfan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2009
We will be there in late June. This is the same time of year we visited Victoria Falls in 2001, and there was *plenty* of water. The Falls were spectacular.
We recently returned from our trip with Thomson Family Adventures. The Thomson portion of the trip was 9 days, and we added on 3 days up front and 3 days at the back end. Our itinerary was as follows:
· Tokyo (Day 1)-on own-arrived in evening
· Lake Kawaguchiko/Mt Fuji area (Day 2, 3)-on own
· Tokyo (Day 4, 5)- Thomson
· Osaka (Day 6, 7)-Thomson
· Kii Peninusula/Mountain Area (Day 8, 9)-Thomson
· Kyoto (Day 10, 11)-Thomson
· Tokyo (Day 12, 13, 14, 15)- On own-Day 12 was departure day of Thomson trip (Kyoto to Tokyo)
On the Thomson portion of the trip the days were pretty full and there was very little down time or OYO time.
I’ll break down our thoughts into the following subjects: Working with Thomson (pre-trip stuff); The Thomson Adventure (the itinerary and how the trip went); Our Thoughts on Japan (in general and any tips we can provide); and what we did on our own time in Tokyo (given that the ABD in Japan looks to have a fair amount of OYO time in Tokyo).
Working with Thomson Pre-Trip:
From a pre-trip perspective, we really liked the Thomson model. There was a single point of contact who you could call anytime and they were very knowledgeable of the area and had in-depth knowledge of the itinerary.
Our rep proactively asked if we were coming in early or staying extra days. She got to know our non-Thomson itinerary and made suggestion around things to do and recommended restaurants. She knew at the end of the trip we were going from Kyoto to Tokyo, and offered to get the Shinkansen tickets. Obviously, we paid for the tickets as this was outside of the included end of trip transportation. They did charge a small service charge (~$10/ticket), but it was well worth the convenience.
About a week before the trip, our Thomson rep reached out and set up a call to answer any last minute questions we had. Our only recommendation was that Thomson get some talking points around Japan’s restrictions on bringing medications into the country. We had some specific questions that they were not able to answer (in fairness, the Japanese consulate couldn’t answer them either).
About 3 weeks before the trip, we received a hard copy of the itinerary, 3 Thomson baseball caps, luggage tags, and a go-pro. So, a pretty nice swag bag.
Within a week of returning home, we got a call from our Thomson rep following up on our experience and soliciting feedback on the trip. They said they try to reach out to all families and talk directly to them, along with the written survey.
One difference between Thomson and ABD is airport transfers. Thomson provided the airport transfers only for the designated arrival/departure days. If you came in before or stayed later, you were responsible for the cost of airport transfers. They would help to arrange, but you had to pay. We arranged both airport transfers on our own. We used a shared van (~$50/pp) arriving and took an airport bus on departure (~$30/pp).
All in all, we found working with Thomson to be a very positive experience. They were knowledgeable, helpful and professional. They really seemed to know the experience they were selling, and we found the information they provided pre-trip to be very accurate.
The Thomson Japan Adventure
The Group: Our group had 12 people comprised of 4 children (ages 12 to 15) and 8 adults from 4 families. We had 2 guides for the 12 people. We really liked the flexibility that the small group afforded. Everything seemed faster and more expeditious. There were times when we were running ahead of schedule and our guides were able to insert an additional activity or go to an additional site.
Guides: Both guides were top notch. Very knowledgeable, but even more important you could sense the pride they took in their country and their willingness to share their passion. Like the ABD guides they consistently went above and beyond to try and accommodate. To give an example, 3 of the 4 families were headed back to Tokyo after the trip (we were staying and the other 2 families were going to the airport). Our guides walked us to the train station and made sure we got on the right line, and pointed out the right platform. Just a small touch of extra service that they didn’t have to do, but adds to the customer experience.
Itinerary: What attracted us to this itinerary was the mix of city touring (Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto)-about 6 or 7 days- and being in the country/mountains (3 days). We wanted a mix of the cosmopolitan as well as the opportunity to hike the Komano Kodo trail or bike in a country side village. One of our favorite things was the cultural experience at a school. Prior to the trip the children had the opportunity to be pen pals with a 7th, 8th, or 9th grader at a school in the mountain town of Tanabe. We then spent half a day with the kids at the school. There were 10 or so kids that put together a packet (in English) introducing themselves, they gave us a calligraphy lesson, and taught us origami. Our children introduced themselves and their families to the group in Japanese (after much practice on the bus). All the kids and some adults then played soccer, ping pong, and basketball. All in all, a great and authentic experience.
Lodging: In terms of lodging, I suspect that the hotels and accommodations on the ABD are higher end. In Tokyo, we stayed at the Shiba Park hotel (near the Tokyo Tower). It is a nice, clean boutique hotel with everything that is needed but wouldn’t compare to the Peninsula. In Osaka and Kyoto we stayed at the Granvia hotel. Both are close to the train stations. The hotel in Kyoto is really nice, but the one in Osaka felt a bit dated. One of the lodgings we really enjoyed was staying at the Fujiya Inn. This is an authentic Japanese ryokan (ok, it had a bathroom and wi-fi, but other than that it was authentic J). The rooms had tatami mats and at night a mattress was laid down to sleep on. We thought this was a pretty cool experience.
Baggage handling was the same as a typical ABD. On some occasions bags were forwarded to the hotel and were in our rooms when we checked-in. When bags were in the bus, porter service had been arranged. Of course, we had the opportunity to save a few minutes and take our bags to our rooms ourselves.
Meals/Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner were included each day (except the first and last days). We found the food to be excellent. With the exception of the breakfasts, which were really good buffets, It was primarily a variety of Japanese cuisine (tempura, barbecue, sashimi, bento boxes,ramen, etc.). However, some in the group were disappointed that there wasn’t a specific sushi meal, so they skipped the tour arranged dinner and went for sushi. We had a big sushi meal on our own, so it wasn’t a big issue for us. But if you take this tour, be aware that there is not a meal dedicated to sushi (unless they change it based on feedback). The guides provided snack bags and water (although a bit more water could have been distributed)
Timing: Overall, we thought this was a great itinerary that fit most of what we wanted to do. We would have loved to have done Hiroshima, but there was only so much time and so many things to do. Some of the feedback we gave to Thomson is that we would have liked more time at the Fushimi Inari shrine. We had about 45 minutes, but would have liked about another 30 to go through all the tori gates. There were a couple of other things we would have liked more time at. In each case, our thought was if they arranged dinner an hour later we could have had more time (note; dinners were typically around 6:30). The other feedback was that for several dinners there was little to no time to go back to the hotel and clean up. The temperature ran between 85 and 95 degrees, with about 90% humidity. So, some time to shower and change would have been beneficial.
We thought the itinerary was great, but there were a couple of women on the tour who would have liked more time to shop, and one person on the tour thought the afternoon at the middle school was a waste of time and would have rather been doing something else. Because of the diversity of things to do, I tend to think that anyone can pick out activities that don’t appeal to them and find something else they would rather be doing.
Transportation: In terms of transportation, we took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka (~2.5 hours); a bus from Osaka to Kii (~2.5 hours); a bus from Kii to Kyoto (~5 hours—the longest bus day); and the Shinkansen from Kyoto back to Tokyo (~2 hours). For our day tour in Tokyo we took the metro around the city. This really worked out well. Tokyo is a big city that can take over an hour to get from one place to another on the roads. The small group size afforded us the opportunity to travel by subway and save time.
Onsens: Finally, a note about the onsen experience on the tour. Ours was at the ryokan. They had 2 indoors as part of the ryokan. These were authentic onsens meaning no clothes, separate male and female baths, and no tattoos. They did have a public onsen which was basically a large hole dug onto the edge of the river across the street with a rock wall. This was open to families, you wore swimsuits, and as best I could tell tattoos were OK. As a note; most in our group found the authentic onsens to be too hot and couldn’t really stay in that long.
Thoughts on Japan
We absolutely loved Japan. The people were incredibly friendly, polite and courteous. Whenever we needed directions people were happy to help.
Everywhere we went was incredibly clean. We were hard pressed to find trash and bathrooms were spotless. Most places had western toilets, but there were some that were Asian variety.
Japan still seems to be very much a cash based society. Many places in the mountain areas were cash only, but many restaurants and souvenier stands in the cities were also cash only. We had about a 2-3 day period where access to ATMs was limited, and one family ran out of cash. Our lead guide loaned cash to them until they could get to an ATM in Kyoto.
In Tokyo, the metro system is very easy to use. Every station has attendants that will help (even if they don’t speak English). We each got a Pasmo card and loaded about $15 on it which covered our OYO time in Tokyo. You can also get a Suica card. They are 2 different companies but the use of the cards are interchangeable.
From early/mid June to early/mid July is the rainy season in Japan. Overall, we lucked out with weather. We probably got 3 periods of sustained rain (3-5 hours of steady rain). Luckily, we were doing indoor activities during 2 of those periods. Our walking tour of the Gion district in Kyoto was the only activity affected. The group pretty much unanimously voted to cut it short and go back to the hotel (it was torrential rains). The guides arranged for the same activity the next night for those interested.
As mentioned earlier, it is HOT and HUMID in Japan during the summer. Temperatures ranged from 85-95 degrees, but the humidity was about 90%. So, those active days will take it out of you especially during some of the more active excursions.
The Shinkansen (bullet train) is great for long route travel. Just be aware that there is minimal storage space for large suitcases. The space is basically behind the seats of the last row on each train car. There is ample overhead space for rollerboards and smaller bags, but the issue is with larger suitcases. Again, our guides went above and beyond for us. When we were returning to Tokyo, they helped us to get our 3 larger suitcases shipped from the hotel in Kyoto to our hotel in Tokyo. The cost was about $20/suitcase, but well worth it as hauling our baggage through the Tokyo train stations would have been near impossible given the number of people on the metro.
It’s tough to do on a group tour, but if you can get to some of the more touristy spots early, you will avoid the crowds which can be overwhelming.
Potential OYO Time Activities in Tokyo
The Thomson itinerary had one day of touring in Tokyo where we went to Asakusa (old city), Harajuku (retail district), the Meiji shrine, the Senso-ji temple, and the government offices. There were other things we wanted to do which is why we spent extra days pre- and post-trip. I know the ABD is heavy with OYO time in Tokyo, and honestly, there is so much to do and see. The following is a list of the experiences we booked and things we elected to do:
Tsukiji Fish Market Tour and Sushi Making Class: Booked through Viator. Fantastic tour. Got a great overview of the outer and inner markets including behind the scenes in a couple of spots. Sushi making was a lot of fun and was all you could make/eat.
Sengakuji Temple: Went on our own. This is a small museum and the gravesites of the 47 Ronan (there is a movie of the same title that tells the story of the 47 Ronan).
Evening Tour of Shibuya, Roppongi, and Shinjuku with Backstreet Guides. We did this as a private tour, but it could be done as a group tour also (actually ended up being less expensive as a 5 hour private tour). Awesome tour guide. Learned a lot about the culture of Japan and she picked up that Jenn was really into photography, so the guide began to take us to great photo op spots. Great tour to get a sense of Tokyo at night.
Sumo Demonstration and lunch with 2 Retired Sumo Wrestlers: About a 45 minute demo and explanation of sumo by the wrestlers (they had a ton of personality and were really funny guys). Then everyone got to do a mock match with them, followed by photos and lunch. A fun couple of hours. Booked through Viator.
Robot Restaurant: Lasts about 90 minutes (broken into 3 scenes) and is loud, laser show telling a story of good vs. evil. It was fun, but probably wouldn’t do it again. Through the Voyagin website, we booked front row VIP seats (~$15 extra), but we really didn’t have to. The stands are 3 rows that have a steep pitch, so there is no problem seeing over the person in front of you.
Godzilla: For those old enough to remember all the Godzilla movies, the Gracery Hotel in Shinjuku (very close to the Robot Restaurant), has a giant Godzilla head outside the hotel. If you go to the 8th floor and grab something in the Godzilla Café, you can go out to the patio and come face to face with the giant Godzilla. Every hour it rumbles, blows smoke and screeches that Godzilla sound. We actually really liked this.
Akihabara: On our final full day, we spent the day in Akihabara (Electric City). This is where they have the massive stores (Yodabishi) for all the electronics you could imagine, 7 story arcades for game play, tons of Anime and Manga shops (note; for those with younger children some of the Anime/Manga can be pretty suggestive), the maid cafes (we thought these were pretty weird, bordering on creepy). This area was a teenage gamers dream.
Apologies for the length of this, but I wanted to try and get as much detail as possible. If there are any questions feel free to ask and I’ll answer as best I can. I can't emphasize enough how awesome Japan is. We are definitely going back within the next few years.
· Tokyo (Day 1)-on own-arrived in evening
· Lake Kawaguchiko/Mt Fuji area (Day 2, 3)-on own
· Tokyo (Day 4, 5)- Thomson
· Osaka (Day 6, 7)-Thomson
· Kii Peninusula/Mountain Area (Day 8, 9)-Thomson
· Kyoto (Day 10, 11)-Thomson
· Tokyo (Day 12, 13, 14, 15)- On own-Day 12 was departure day of Thomson trip (Kyoto to Tokyo)
On the Thomson portion of the trip the days were pretty full and there was very little down time or OYO time.
I’ll break down our thoughts into the following subjects: Working with Thomson (pre-trip stuff); The Thomson Adventure (the itinerary and how the trip went); Our Thoughts on Japan (in general and any tips we can provide); and what we did on our own time in Tokyo (given that the ABD in Japan looks to have a fair amount of OYO time in Tokyo).
Working with Thomson Pre-Trip:
From a pre-trip perspective, we really liked the Thomson model. There was a single point of contact who you could call anytime and they were very knowledgeable of the area and had in-depth knowledge of the itinerary.
Our rep proactively asked if we were coming in early or staying extra days. She got to know our non-Thomson itinerary and made suggestion around things to do and recommended restaurants. She knew at the end of the trip we were going from Kyoto to Tokyo, and offered to get the Shinkansen tickets. Obviously, we paid for the tickets as this was outside of the included end of trip transportation. They did charge a small service charge (~$10/ticket), but it was well worth the convenience.
About a week before the trip, our Thomson rep reached out and set up a call to answer any last minute questions we had. Our only recommendation was that Thomson get some talking points around Japan’s restrictions on bringing medications into the country. We had some specific questions that they were not able to answer (in fairness, the Japanese consulate couldn’t answer them either).
About 3 weeks before the trip, we received a hard copy of the itinerary, 3 Thomson baseball caps, luggage tags, and a go-pro. So, a pretty nice swag bag.
Within a week of returning home, we got a call from our Thomson rep following up on our experience and soliciting feedback on the trip. They said they try to reach out to all families and talk directly to them, along with the written survey.
One difference between Thomson and ABD is airport transfers. Thomson provided the airport transfers only for the designated arrival/departure days. If you came in before or stayed later, you were responsible for the cost of airport transfers. They would help to arrange, but you had to pay. We arranged both airport transfers on our own. We used a shared van (~$50/pp) arriving and took an airport bus on departure (~$30/pp).
All in all, we found working with Thomson to be a very positive experience. They were knowledgeable, helpful and professional. They really seemed to know the experience they were selling, and we found the information they provided pre-trip to be very accurate.
The Thomson Japan Adventure
The Group: Our group had 12 people comprised of 4 children (ages 12 to 15) and 8 adults from 4 families. We had 2 guides for the 12 people. We really liked the flexibility that the small group afforded. Everything seemed faster and more expeditious. There were times when we were running ahead of schedule and our guides were able to insert an additional activity or go to an additional site.
Guides: Both guides were top notch. Very knowledgeable, but even more important you could sense the pride they took in their country and their willingness to share their passion. Like the ABD guides they consistently went above and beyond to try and accommodate. To give an example, 3 of the 4 families were headed back to Tokyo after the trip (we were staying and the other 2 families were going to the airport). Our guides walked us to the train station and made sure we got on the right line, and pointed out the right platform. Just a small touch of extra service that they didn’t have to do, but adds to the customer experience.
Itinerary: What attracted us to this itinerary was the mix of city touring (Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto)-about 6 or 7 days- and being in the country/mountains (3 days). We wanted a mix of the cosmopolitan as well as the opportunity to hike the Komano Kodo trail or bike in a country side village. One of our favorite things was the cultural experience at a school. Prior to the trip the children had the opportunity to be pen pals with a 7th, 8th, or 9th grader at a school in the mountain town of Tanabe. We then spent half a day with the kids at the school. There were 10 or so kids that put together a packet (in English) introducing themselves, they gave us a calligraphy lesson, and taught us origami. Our children introduced themselves and their families to the group in Japanese (after much practice on the bus). All the kids and some adults then played soccer, ping pong, and basketball. All in all, a great and authentic experience.
Lodging: In terms of lodging, I suspect that the hotels and accommodations on the ABD are higher end. In Tokyo, we stayed at the Shiba Park hotel (near the Tokyo Tower). It is a nice, clean boutique hotel with everything that is needed but wouldn’t compare to the Peninsula. In Osaka and Kyoto we stayed at the Granvia hotel. Both are close to the train stations. The hotel in Kyoto is really nice, but the one in Osaka felt a bit dated. One of the lodgings we really enjoyed was staying at the Fujiya Inn. This is an authentic Japanese ryokan (ok, it had a bathroom and wi-fi, but other than that it was authentic J). The rooms had tatami mats and at night a mattress was laid down to sleep on. We thought this was a pretty cool experience.
Baggage handling was the same as a typical ABD. On some occasions bags were forwarded to the hotel and were in our rooms when we checked-in. When bags were in the bus, porter service had been arranged. Of course, we had the opportunity to save a few minutes and take our bags to our rooms ourselves.
Meals/Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner were included each day (except the first and last days). We found the food to be excellent. With the exception of the breakfasts, which were really good buffets, It was primarily a variety of Japanese cuisine (tempura, barbecue, sashimi, bento boxes,ramen, etc.). However, some in the group were disappointed that there wasn’t a specific sushi meal, so they skipped the tour arranged dinner and went for sushi. We had a big sushi meal on our own, so it wasn’t a big issue for us. But if you take this tour, be aware that there is not a meal dedicated to sushi (unless they change it based on feedback). The guides provided snack bags and water (although a bit more water could have been distributed)
Timing: Overall, we thought this was a great itinerary that fit most of what we wanted to do. We would have loved to have done Hiroshima, but there was only so much time and so many things to do. Some of the feedback we gave to Thomson is that we would have liked more time at the Fushimi Inari shrine. We had about 45 minutes, but would have liked about another 30 to go through all the tori gates. There were a couple of other things we would have liked more time at. In each case, our thought was if they arranged dinner an hour later we could have had more time (note; dinners were typically around 6:30). The other feedback was that for several dinners there was little to no time to go back to the hotel and clean up. The temperature ran between 85 and 95 degrees, with about 90% humidity. So, some time to shower and change would have been beneficial.
We thought the itinerary was great, but there were a couple of women on the tour who would have liked more time to shop, and one person on the tour thought the afternoon at the middle school was a waste of time and would have rather been doing something else. Because of the diversity of things to do, I tend to think that anyone can pick out activities that don’t appeal to them and find something else they would rather be doing.
Transportation: In terms of transportation, we took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka (~2.5 hours); a bus from Osaka to Kii (~2.5 hours); a bus from Kii to Kyoto (~5 hours—the longest bus day); and the Shinkansen from Kyoto back to Tokyo (~2 hours). For our day tour in Tokyo we took the metro around the city. This really worked out well. Tokyo is a big city that can take over an hour to get from one place to another on the roads. The small group size afforded us the opportunity to travel by subway and save time.
Onsens: Finally, a note about the onsen experience on the tour. Ours was at the ryokan. They had 2 indoors as part of the ryokan. These were authentic onsens meaning no clothes, separate male and female baths, and no tattoos. They did have a public onsen which was basically a large hole dug onto the edge of the river across the street with a rock wall. This was open to families, you wore swimsuits, and as best I could tell tattoos were OK. As a note; most in our group found the authentic onsens to be too hot and couldn’t really stay in that long.
Thoughts on Japan
We absolutely loved Japan. The people were incredibly friendly, polite and courteous. Whenever we needed directions people were happy to help.
Everywhere we went was incredibly clean. We were hard pressed to find trash and bathrooms were spotless. Most places had western toilets, but there were some that were Asian variety.
Japan still seems to be very much a cash based society. Many places in the mountain areas were cash only, but many restaurants and souvenier stands in the cities were also cash only. We had about a 2-3 day period where access to ATMs was limited, and one family ran out of cash. Our lead guide loaned cash to them until they could get to an ATM in Kyoto.
In Tokyo, the metro system is very easy to use. Every station has attendants that will help (even if they don’t speak English). We each got a Pasmo card and loaded about $15 on it which covered our OYO time in Tokyo. You can also get a Suica card. They are 2 different companies but the use of the cards are interchangeable.
From early/mid June to early/mid July is the rainy season in Japan. Overall, we lucked out with weather. We probably got 3 periods of sustained rain (3-5 hours of steady rain). Luckily, we were doing indoor activities during 2 of those periods. Our walking tour of the Gion district in Kyoto was the only activity affected. The group pretty much unanimously voted to cut it short and go back to the hotel (it was torrential rains). The guides arranged for the same activity the next night for those interested.
As mentioned earlier, it is HOT and HUMID in Japan during the summer. Temperatures ranged from 85-95 degrees, but the humidity was about 90%. So, those active days will take it out of you especially during some of the more active excursions.
The Shinkansen (bullet train) is great for long route travel. Just be aware that there is minimal storage space for large suitcases. The space is basically behind the seats of the last row on each train car. There is ample overhead space for rollerboards and smaller bags, but the issue is with larger suitcases. Again, our guides went above and beyond for us. When we were returning to Tokyo, they helped us to get our 3 larger suitcases shipped from the hotel in Kyoto to our hotel in Tokyo. The cost was about $20/suitcase, but well worth it as hauling our baggage through the Tokyo train stations would have been near impossible given the number of people on the metro.
It’s tough to do on a group tour, but if you can get to some of the more touristy spots early, you will avoid the crowds which can be overwhelming.
Potential OYO Time Activities in Tokyo
The Thomson itinerary had one day of touring in Tokyo where we went to Asakusa (old city), Harajuku (retail district), the Meiji shrine, the Senso-ji temple, and the government offices. There were other things we wanted to do which is why we spent extra days pre- and post-trip. I know the ABD is heavy with OYO time in Tokyo, and honestly, there is so much to do and see. The following is a list of the experiences we booked and things we elected to do:
Tsukiji Fish Market Tour and Sushi Making Class: Booked through Viator. Fantastic tour. Got a great overview of the outer and inner markets including behind the scenes in a couple of spots. Sushi making was a lot of fun and was all you could make/eat.
Sengakuji Temple: Went on our own. This is a small museum and the gravesites of the 47 Ronan (there is a movie of the same title that tells the story of the 47 Ronan).
Evening Tour of Shibuya, Roppongi, and Shinjuku with Backstreet Guides. We did this as a private tour, but it could be done as a group tour also (actually ended up being less expensive as a 5 hour private tour). Awesome tour guide. Learned a lot about the culture of Japan and she picked up that Jenn was really into photography, so the guide began to take us to great photo op spots. Great tour to get a sense of Tokyo at night.
Sumo Demonstration and lunch with 2 Retired Sumo Wrestlers: About a 45 minute demo and explanation of sumo by the wrestlers (they had a ton of personality and were really funny guys). Then everyone got to do a mock match with them, followed by photos and lunch. A fun couple of hours. Booked through Viator.
Robot Restaurant: Lasts about 90 minutes (broken into 3 scenes) and is loud, laser show telling a story of good vs. evil. It was fun, but probably wouldn’t do it again. Through the Voyagin website, we booked front row VIP seats (~$15 extra), but we really didn’t have to. The stands are 3 rows that have a steep pitch, so there is no problem seeing over the person in front of you.
Godzilla: For those old enough to remember all the Godzilla movies, the Gracery Hotel in Shinjuku (very close to the Robot Restaurant), has a giant Godzilla head outside the hotel. If you go to the 8th floor and grab something in the Godzilla Café, you can go out to the patio and come face to face with the giant Godzilla. Every hour it rumbles, blows smoke and screeches that Godzilla sound. We actually really liked this.
Akihabara: On our final full day, we spent the day in Akihabara (Electric City). This is where they have the massive stores (Yodabishi) for all the electronics you could imagine, 7 story arcades for game play, tons of Anime and Manga shops (note; for those with younger children some of the Anime/Manga can be pretty suggestive), the maid cafes (we thought these were pretty weird, bordering on creepy). This area was a teenage gamers dream.
Apologies for the length of this, but I wanted to try and get as much detail as possible. If there are any questions feel free to ask and I’ll answer as best I can. I can't emphasize enough how awesome Japan is. We are definitely going back within the next few years.
Last edited:
kaseyC
Mom to 3 lovely Princesses
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2002
That was one of our favorite days of of our TB Ireland trip in 2015. All of the kids loved the hurling. The cooking school was fantastic. Their gardens were amazing.
A couple of more thoughts...one of our activities was box karaoke. About half the group skipped it, but it turned out to be alot of fun. I see it is on the ABD itinerary, even if you can't sing give it a shot, it is alot of fun especially if you are with a good group of people. Finally, in Kyoto it appears that the ABD goes to the Arashiyama Park (the bamboo grove). That same park also has an area of wild monkeys (that are used to being around people) that you can see--not in cages. It is about a 20 minute uphill hike to the area, but well worth it.
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Calfan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2009
We have booked this trip with Thomson for 2020, so I really appreciate your report and feedback. We also plan to add on some extra days before and after to get to Mt. Fuji and Tokyo DL, etc., so it's great to have the list of what you did on your own in Tokyo. It's interesting that Thomson did not cover your airport transfers with your pre- and post-days. We came in a day early to Beijing on our 2016 China trip with Thomson, and our assistant guide picked us up at the Beijing airport. Likewise, we added two extra days in Shanghai to visit Shanghai DL, and our transfer to the Shanghai airport was covered by Thomson. In each case, we added days at the same hotels we stayed at with Thomson so I wonder if this was the difference or whether there has been a policy change? We experienced a similar extra guide touch in China when our main guide went out of his way to get us directions to the Shanghai subway from our hotel for our trip to SH DL. He also called Shanghai DL for us to confirm whether we would need to present our passports for entry for our VIP tour.
Hope it helps in your planning. A couple of details around Mt. Fuji. We were told in June/July there is about a 20% chance of seeing the mountain on any given day, so we set our expectations pretty low and stayed 2 days to double the chance. The first day we got there we started a private tour at 9:00 am and got about a 10 minute glimpse of the top half of the mountain around 1 pm. We checked into our hotel around 5 pm, walked out onto the balcony and the clouds had fully cleared. The next day, we got up around 4:30 and got the sunrise over the mountain, but by 9 am or so it was clouded in again. We headed back to Tokyo around 5 pm that second day and the clouds started clearing again. So, I guess the message is if you can stay in the area overnight, you significantly increase your chances of seeing the mountain.
Not sure why transfers weren't included. It could have been that we came in on a Weds, and the tour started on a Saturday. The tour ended on a Sunday, and we stayed till Weds. It could have been the time lag. The other thing to consider is the cost of transport. Narita is ~1.5-2 hours from center Tokyo. A private pick-up is around $250, hence the shared van and bus we elected to take. If they arranged private transportation for all it could get expensive.
BluesTraveler
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2015
Thanks so much for this detailed write up. Japan is our plan for 2020 and all options are still on the table for us.
acndis
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2012
Austin Adventures Western Belize Summary
I am finally back and organized enough to write my summary of the Austin Adventures Western Belize Family Trip. This was a custom trip so it was just our party of 5 (my dad, his friend (both in their 70s), me, my husband, and my son (10). This was truly one of the best vacations we have ever had and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
The trip started in the Jungle with 3 nights at the Mystic River Resort. Mystic River is an Eco Resort and is one of my favorite places we have ever stayed. It is rustic (there is no air conditioning) but that is really part of the experience. Our room was HUGE. We had a two bedroom villa with a balcony that was the size of most European Hotel rooms for the three of us. My dad had a one bedroom. We had two bathrooms and the furnishings were modern and lovely. While in the jungle, we did a 2.5 hour unguided canoe trip into town (we rocked it and so did my dad!). It was so much fun and then toured the Mayan Ruins with an excellent local guide.
On the second day, we toured the ATM cave, which was a once in a lifetime, amazing experience. It was very physically challenging (my dad and his friend really struggled) but it was truly amazing. We loved it!
On our last day at Mystic River, we traveled to Jaguar's Paw to do cave tubing (totally laid back) and Ziplining. We loved both the activities and had a blast.
As you can tell, this was a very intense few days with almost no down time. This was fine because the final two days (after snorkeling) were completely activity-free at Chabil Mar Villas which sat right on the beach near Placencia, Belize.
Our days at Chabil Mar were fabulous. On our first day we went snorkeling at the Belize Reef. It was beautiful. We saw rays, huge sea turtles, tons of fish and a few too many nurse sharks for my comfort. There were only a few groups there. We enjoyed it more than Australia (and we enjoyed that a lot).
For our resort days, we did have bad weather (it was the rainy season in Belize) but it did not stop us from getting a terrific swim in every day and we headed into town one day and bought a beautiful wood carving and walked back to Chabil Mar via the beach.
We also had a two bedroom villa for the three of us here but this one also had a loft that my son insisted on sleeping in. The villa was huge (slept 6) and had a full kitchen and two bathrooms. We also enjoyed our time here by watching movies in the evening and hanging out at the outside bar (great cocktails and mocktails).
All meals were included on this trip. You ate all your meals at each respective resort. The food at both was fantastic and they had great choices each day. All was freshly prepared and we never got sick of it. At Chabil Mar, it was lobster season so we all ordered some preparation of lobster each night (that is not a joke). It was amazing.
At Austin Adventures, tips are not included and being a custom trip, the situation is unique because you have different guides each day. We were advised by AA how much to tip. We brought American dollars and tipped each day. This worked fine and was actually quite convenient. There was also a 10% service charge on food. This was EXTREMELY reasonable based on the food/service we were getting. All said and done, we spent about $300 total at both resorts (that included service charges and incidentals we racked up) and only bought the wood carving in addition. We felt like we spent really nothing above the original tour price on the trip. I really felt like it was a great value for what we got.
My apprehension going in was that the trip would be too short. Because of the way the itinerary was set up, I felt like we had more than enough time and did not desire for the trip to be longer. They really load up the activities (ABDs are more spread out) so you are getting as much done in a shorter amount of time. That may not be everyone's preference but we loved it.
I was also worried about not being with a group but I will echo what lots of folks have said on this board. You save a great deal of time when you are not waiting on the group (even with awesome fellow travelers like ABD attracts). We actually liked being on our own. Also, the activities on the Belize trip could not be done in a large group. Both the accommodations and the activities themselves just would not have worked. I think that's why AA only offers it as custom.
Finally, I thought I would miss not having a permanent guide around to offer help. This was not an issue at all. This trip was so well organized that we really just had to show up and everything was taken care of. AA (and the local company, Darah, who arranges the trip) were very well known and everyone we encountered knew the details of our trip. Like another poster said about AA, we missed all the crowds and were literally touring the ruins basically by ourselves. The AA guides know exactly when to arrive.
On the country of Belize, it is beautiful with amazing history, sites, and people. We loved every minute of it. Our guides were absolutely first rate and were very well known for what they do. Our guide, Ben Cruz, for the ATM cave has been giving the tour for 17 years and is the guy you want to be with on that tour. On the downside, the roads in Belize on the Jungle portion of the tour are AWFUL so you do spend a lot of time traveling on horrible, bumpy roads but the sites made the trips worth it. All the transfers were long but that's just the nature of the country.
So, to summarize, we had an amazing trip and we will be traveling with AA again in Summer 2020. We have picked out the Austria Multisport Family and are trying to firm up dates to take advantage of their 10% discount for return travelers. To compare with ABD, our AA experience was way more active/physically challenging (perfect for us, but I would not recommend for my dad and his friend again without modifications--AA offers this but my dad was stubborn about 'doing what everyone else is doing'. I do NOT recommend that.) I think the AA itineraries are the direction we are moving because we love the more active approach. I think we also may be moving towards custom as it was so much more convenient and because of the busy-ness of the itinerary, my son did not really miss hanging with the other kids (because there was no time to hang with them).
Again, we loved it! If you have other questions, let me know.
I am finally back and organized enough to write my summary of the Austin Adventures Western Belize Family Trip. This was a custom trip so it was just our party of 5 (my dad, his friend (both in their 70s), me, my husband, and my son (10). This was truly one of the best vacations we have ever had and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
The trip started in the Jungle with 3 nights at the Mystic River Resort. Mystic River is an Eco Resort and is one of my favorite places we have ever stayed. It is rustic (there is no air conditioning) but that is really part of the experience. Our room was HUGE. We had a two bedroom villa with a balcony that was the size of most European Hotel rooms for the three of us. My dad had a one bedroom. We had two bathrooms and the furnishings were modern and lovely. While in the jungle, we did a 2.5 hour unguided canoe trip into town (we rocked it and so did my dad!). It was so much fun and then toured the Mayan Ruins with an excellent local guide.
On the second day, we toured the ATM cave, which was a once in a lifetime, amazing experience. It was very physically challenging (my dad and his friend really struggled) but it was truly amazing. We loved it!
On our last day at Mystic River, we traveled to Jaguar's Paw to do cave tubing (totally laid back) and Ziplining. We loved both the activities and had a blast.
As you can tell, this was a very intense few days with almost no down time. This was fine because the final two days (after snorkeling) were completely activity-free at Chabil Mar Villas which sat right on the beach near Placencia, Belize.
Our days at Chabil Mar were fabulous. On our first day we went snorkeling at the Belize Reef. It was beautiful. We saw rays, huge sea turtles, tons of fish and a few too many nurse sharks for my comfort. There were only a few groups there. We enjoyed it more than Australia (and we enjoyed that a lot).
For our resort days, we did have bad weather (it was the rainy season in Belize) but it did not stop us from getting a terrific swim in every day and we headed into town one day and bought a beautiful wood carving and walked back to Chabil Mar via the beach.
We also had a two bedroom villa for the three of us here but this one also had a loft that my son insisted on sleeping in. The villa was huge (slept 6) and had a full kitchen and two bathrooms. We also enjoyed our time here by watching movies in the evening and hanging out at the outside bar (great cocktails and mocktails).
All meals were included on this trip. You ate all your meals at each respective resort. The food at both was fantastic and they had great choices each day. All was freshly prepared and we never got sick of it. At Chabil Mar, it was lobster season so we all ordered some preparation of lobster each night (that is not a joke). It was amazing.
At Austin Adventures, tips are not included and being a custom trip, the situation is unique because you have different guides each day. We were advised by AA how much to tip. We brought American dollars and tipped each day. This worked fine and was actually quite convenient. There was also a 10% service charge on food. This was EXTREMELY reasonable based on the food/service we were getting. All said and done, we spent about $300 total at both resorts (that included service charges and incidentals we racked up) and only bought the wood carving in addition. We felt like we spent really nothing above the original tour price on the trip. I really felt like it was a great value for what we got.
My apprehension going in was that the trip would be too short. Because of the way the itinerary was set up, I felt like we had more than enough time and did not desire for the trip to be longer. They really load up the activities (ABDs are more spread out) so you are getting as much done in a shorter amount of time. That may not be everyone's preference but we loved it.
I was also worried about not being with a group but I will echo what lots of folks have said on this board. You save a great deal of time when you are not waiting on the group (even with awesome fellow travelers like ABD attracts). We actually liked being on our own. Also, the activities on the Belize trip could not be done in a large group. Both the accommodations and the activities themselves just would not have worked. I think that's why AA only offers it as custom.
Finally, I thought I would miss not having a permanent guide around to offer help. This was not an issue at all. This trip was so well organized that we really just had to show up and everything was taken care of. AA (and the local company, Darah, who arranges the trip) were very well known and everyone we encountered knew the details of our trip. Like another poster said about AA, we missed all the crowds and were literally touring the ruins basically by ourselves. The AA guides know exactly when to arrive.
On the country of Belize, it is beautiful with amazing history, sites, and people. We loved every minute of it. Our guides were absolutely first rate and were very well known for what they do. Our guide, Ben Cruz, for the ATM cave has been giving the tour for 17 years and is the guy you want to be with on that tour. On the downside, the roads in Belize on the Jungle portion of the tour are AWFUL so you do spend a lot of time traveling on horrible, bumpy roads but the sites made the trips worth it. All the transfers were long but that's just the nature of the country.
So, to summarize, we had an amazing trip and we will be traveling with AA again in Summer 2020. We have picked out the Austria Multisport Family and are trying to firm up dates to take advantage of their 10% discount for return travelers. To compare with ABD, our AA experience was way more active/physically challenging (perfect for us, but I would not recommend for my dad and his friend again without modifications--AA offers this but my dad was stubborn about 'doing what everyone else is doing'. I do NOT recommend that.) I think the AA itineraries are the direction we are moving because we love the more active approach. I think we also may be moving towards custom as it was so much more convenient and because of the busy-ness of the itinerary, my son did not really miss hanging with the other kids (because there was no time to hang with them).
Again, we loved it! If you have other questions, let me know.
Last edited:
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