At Highlights Travel (formerly Asia Highlights), we believe that the best journeys don't just take you to new places — they bring you closer to what truly matters: meaningful encounters, shared stories, and a deeper sense of place. Since 1998, we've been designing private, tailor-made trips across China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, with a focus on meaningful connection, cultural depth, and effortless travel. Our expert travel designers work one-on-one with each traveler, while our trusted local hosts open doors to authentic, personal experiences. With over 10,000 reviews and an outstanding 98.8% 5-star rating on platforms, our travelers consistently return with more than memories — they return with a deeper understanding. Our current journeys on Highlights Travel website focus on Southeast and South Asia, where vibrant cultures and meaningful moments await. Interested in China or Japan? Discover more curated journeys at China Highlights, Japan Highlights and Thailand Highlights — part of the Highlights Travel family.
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Is Highlights Travel legit?
Highlights Travel (highlightstravel.com) has a 4.7 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 266 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Travel & Vacation and its reputation is excellent. Praise is nearly unanimous, with 96% rating it 4 stars or higher; The business has replied to 100% of negative reviews; 81 of them were added in the last 12 months. Last updated 2026-10-24.
What reviewers say
AI generated
Reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Consumers frequently highlight the exceptional staff, describing team members as professional, exceptionally polite, and incredibly quick to respond to every single inquiry. Travelers truly appreciate the dedicated support in creating wonderful, tailored holiday itineraries that perfectly match their specific desires and requirements.
However, some customers also noted that while the planning phase was wonderful, they were still awaiting the actual execution of their upcoming trips. People often mention looking forward to seeing how all the organized activities, expert guides, and recommended accommodations will actually perform during their upcoming adventures.
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Responsive to our needs.
Alisa has been very responsive to our requests during these early stages of planning our 15 day trip to japan. She is very easy to communicate with.
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
That's wonderful to hear! We're so pleased that Alisa has been very responsive to your requests during the early stages of planning your 15-day trip to Japan and that you find her very easy to communicate with. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to her!
Johnny was a great tour guide and we saw many cool things. It was an overall great experience and he was very friendly and helpful.
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
That's great to hear! We're so glad Johnny was a great tour guide and that you got to see many cool things. It's wonderful that you had an overall great experience and found him very friendly and helpful!
Absolutely amazing. Johnny was the f-ing best tour guide ever. He is so knowledgeable with the history and explained all the sites so well and thoroughly. He was very accommodating and helped us understand the culture and gave us great recommendations.
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
We're thrilled that Johnny was the best tour guide ever for you. It sounds like his extensive knowledge of history and his thorough explanations of all the sites made a huge impact. We're also so glad he was accommodating and helped you understand the culture, providing great recommendations. Thank you for your enthusiastic feedback!
Johnny was an awesome tour guide for our stay in Tokyo, Japan. He did a great job of managing my crazy group and gauging when to explain history and other things, and when to be more hands-off.
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
We're so glad Johnny was an awesome tour guide for your stay in Tokyo. It's great that he did such a good job managing your group and perfectly balancing historical explanations with giving you space. We appreciate your feedback!
As always, I have had good experiences with Asia Highlights/China Highlights. Alisa of Asia Highlight was my agent this time for our trip to Japan/Okinawa and she was extremely helpful and accommodating, allowing us the flexibility in our itinerary whether it was a specific activity like paddle boarding or booking our own accommodations to help with our budget. If I had any questions, she responded right away. I truly appreciate her hard work and dedication and knowledge. Thanks, Alisa!
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
That's wonderful to hear you've had consistently good experiences with Asia Highlights/China Highlights! We're especially thrilled that Alisa was such an extremely helpful and accommodating agent for your trip to Japan/Okinawa.Thank you for recognizing her hard work, dedication, and knowledge. We'll be sure to pass on your sincere thanks to Alisa!
I would like to commend Albee for being very friendly and readily available for question. I like the fact that she was asking what I thought about the itinerary she made and to just contact her directly if I want to change anything. The itinerary was more than what I expected but unfortunately, I have to postpone because of personal reason. But I know I will contact her somehow in the near future.
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
We're so pleased that Albee was so friendly and readily available to answer your questions. We understand that personal reasons can sometimes lead to postponements, but we're delighted to know that her excellent service has made you confident in reaching out to her again in the future. We'll be here to help whenever you're ready for your next adventure!
Alisa, one of the employees who has been helping to sort mine and my friends trip, has been brilliant every step of the way. Even when the trip had too be pushed back slightly due too exams was it no issue and Alisa sorted it all for us. Everything with the planning of the trip was made to be easy for us and was brilliant.
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
That's absolutely fantastic to hear! We're so glad that Alisa has been brilliant every step of the way in planning your trip. We truly appreciate your feedback and will be sure to pass on your kind words to her!
I've contacted Asia Highlight to see if they can come up with an itinerary for Hokkaido Japan. I've known the company as China Highlight and took a prolonged trip in China a few years ago. The trip was a great success mainly due to the company's quality and professionalism. Anyway, Alisa from Asia Highlight got back to me right after my initial request to get specific details of my idea of the tour. Very promptly afterwards Alisa returned with a beautiful itinerary. Sadly enough I couldn't go ahead with the trip, but I'll always remember Alisa and the quality service Asia Highlight keeps providing. Igal
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
Thank you so much for sharing your positive experience with Alisa and Asia Highlights. We're thrilled to hear that our company's quality and professionalism continue to impress you, just as they did during your successful trip to China a few years ago.
We sincerely hope your plans will allow you to travel in the future, and we would be absolutely delighted to help you make your Hokkaido dream trip a reality then.
Alisa Liu helped plan our 2 week trip to Japan last month and it was flawless!! She is sincerely attentive to the smallest of details. She was always keeping in touch up to the day of travel from the US. She had provided us with excellent transfers and guides that were on time and highly knowledgeable. This was our second time using Alisa for an extended vacation. She helped us go to China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand which was also flawless!! Please remember Alisa Liu for your next trip to Asia because she is a 5 star planner!
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
We are thrilled that Alisa Liu planned another flawless extended vacation for you, this time to Japan! It's wonderful that you highlight her sincere attentiveness to the smallest details and her consistent communication leading up to your travel. We're also very proud to hear that the transfers and guides she provided were excellent, on time, and highly knowledgeable.Thank you for your positive feedback!
My vacation to Japan was awesome and memorable. Everything that was planned on itinerary was executed in a timely manner. Our drivers and tour guides was great in Toyo Kyoto and Osaka. I would definitely book my travel with Asia Hoghlights again. Thank you Alisa.
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
We're so glad your vacation to Japan was awesome and memorable. It's fantastic that everything on your itinerary was executed in a timely manner, and that your drivers and tour guides in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka were great.
Thank you for your kind words and for saying you'd definitely book with Asia Highlights again!
It was a pleasure working with Albee who made the process smooth and easy. She developed an itinerary that satisfied all our needs and was customized to suit our travel dates and the sites we wished to visit.
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
That's wonderful to hear! We're so pleased that working with Albee was such a smooth and easy process for you. It's fantastic that she developed a customized itinerary that perfectly satisfied all your needs, travel dates, and desired sites. Thank you for your kind feedback!
We just finished the first leg of our Japan Trip! We had Alan Tan as our tour guide in Tokyo! He was such a pleasure! Our trip was perfect because of Alan. He always go out and beyond to make sure we are enjoying and that we covered as much as we can see and enjoy in the area. He is very knowledgeable and made our every trip easy breezy. He was our guide for 4 days in Tokyo to Mount Fuji and Hakone. We loved him and miss him now. Definitely recommend! Shout out as well to Alisa our tour agent for planning so well our trip and Alan for executing it perfectly!
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
That's absolutely wonderful to hear! We're thrilled that the first leg of your Japan trip was such a success, and that Alan Tan made your time in Tokyo, Mount Fuji, and Hakone perfect.
Thank you for your high recommendation of both Alan and Alisa. We'll be sure to pass along your glowing feedback to them!
Nothing is as reassuring as having your tour arranged from the port of entry to subsequent ports and finally your port of departure. From transportation, to transfers, to reservations (accomodations and attractions) to meals, all coordinated by professional guides who speak your language. That is exactly what we got from Asia Highlights. And our TA, Albee Ning coordinated all of that for us. Thank you so much for giving us a very pleasant and memorable experience. I wholeheartedly give you a five star rating for this. Warm regards
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-21
Dear John,
That's wonderful to hear! We're so thrilled that Asia Highlights provided such a seamless and reassuring experience for you, from port of entry to departure.
Thank you so much for your heartfelt five-star rating and for sharing that you had a very pleasant and memorable experience!
Best regards,
Customer Care Team
Alisa organised our 15-day trip to South Corea and Japan perfectly. Guides, drivers, places of interest and food.
It couldn´t have gone better.
We will recomend AsiaHighlights and Alisa to our friends
Thank you
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
That's absolutely wonderful to hear! We're thrilled that Alisa organized your 15-day trip to South Korea and Japan so perfectly, covering everything from guides and drivers to places of interest and food.
Thank you so much for your high recommendation of Asia Highlights and Alisa to your friends. We truly appreciate your trust and kind words!
Alisa our tour operator really stayed on top of things. She helped plan everything and even helped change things last minute when needed. She was always responsive, and engaging and really helped navigate our three city trip nicely: Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Then back to Tokyo and out to the airport. Super helpful and great experience
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-27
That's wonderful to hear! We're so pleased that Alisa was such a fantastic tour operator for your three-city trip to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. It's great that she stayed on top of everything, helped plan your entire journey, and was even able to accommodate last-minute changes. Thank you for your feedback!
Once again I have returned here to make my travel wishes come true. I am loyal to Albee who always does her best and makes everything run smoothly. I ask for a lot, but she gives me more every time! I cannot wait for this newest adventure to start!
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-21
Dear Jennifer,
It's wonderful to hear you've returned to make your travel wishes come true with us again! We're thrilled that Albee consistently goes above and beyond to make everything run smoothly and exceed your expectations.
Thank you for sharing!
Best regards,
Customer Care Team
Asia Highlights provided a interesting itinerary. We were able to see many interesting historic and natural sites. Our guide, Kunki Syo was very informative and patience with us. Much thanks to him.
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-21
Dear Ken,
That's great to hear! We're so pleased that we provided an interesting itinerary and that you enjoyed visiting many historic and natural sites. We're especially happy that your guide, Kunki Syo, was very informative and patient. Thank you for your kind thanks to him!
Best regards,
Customer Care Team
We originally planned a trip to Myanmar and Vietnam for three people. Our travel coordinator, Claire Wong, was responsive and professional. She put a lot of effort into creating the initial itinerary. Then the unexpected happened. An earthquake hit Myanmar 3 weeks before our scheduled arrival. Our scheduled point of entry, Mandalay, was at the epicenter. The airport in Mandalay temporarily shut down. We feared the military government's tight control over the media would limit real-time, uncensored damage reports. So we decided not to visit Myanmar. We asked Claire to create an alternative itinerary, but she did not. Instead she kept urging us to wait and see how the Myanmar situation would develop. We repeatedly requested that she devise an alternative plan. Still she kept insisting that we stick to the original plan. Finally we stopped seeking assistance and planned our own 6-day Thailand itinerary. We completed our 6 days in Thailand and then flew to Vietnam for the Asia Highlights portion of our trip. Upon arrival in Vietnam we encountered another obstacle. We arrived as the country was preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its reunification. Top government officials and foreign dignitaries were in Saigon for the celebration, and heightened security measures were in place. Our hotel was in a high-security, restricted zone. For several hours each morning, neither pedestrian nor motor traffic was allowed to leave or enter the restricted zone. The first day we could not leave the secured zone, and our tour guide could not enter the zone. So our morning tour was postponed. The final day in Saigon we relocated to a hotel outside of the restricted zone. Otherwise we would have been unable to get to the airport the next morning. We planned this trip 8 months in advance. There was constant communication with our Asia Highlights travel coordinator. It is hard to understand why such a large celebration and its potential impact on our travels was never mentioned. The rest of the trip went well. Our guide (Phuoc) and driver (Mr. Hoang) in southern Vietnam were great. Phuoc is a knowledgeable guide who enjoys sharing her knowledge of Vietnam's history and culture. On one occasion we tipped a boat driver, and she insisted that we needed to tip more. I did feel that was inappropriate. Tipping is discretional, and a guest should never feel pressured by a company to tip more than they have already given. Otherwise Phuoc's service went above and beyond expectation. Our guide, Henry, in central Vietnam was not so good. He rushed through the sites. We talked more about American culture than Vietnamese culture. I enjoy two-way cultural exchange, but our time spent answering questions about America far exceeded our time spent learning about Vietnam. I recall walking through a UNESCO heritage site in Hue. A solo traveler doing an audio tour kept pausing to listen at the designated stops. I could see her looks of interest and amazement as she listened intently to her audio. I kept wondering, "What is her audio guide saying? She has stopped 4-5 times already, and we have not stopped once to discuss anything." Instead we walked quickly through the complex answering questions about American singers, American food, American movies, etc. It was the first time I ever felt that an audio tour would have been a better option than a personal tour guide. We had a different guide (Tan) for the bicycle farm to fishing tour in Hoi An. He was great. Our tour guide in Hanoi was great (name forgotten). I was pleased with all of the chosen hotels and the Halong Bay cruise operator (Orchid Trendy cruise). It was a good trip. I just cannot rate it a 5 star experience because despite communicating clearly and repeatedly that Myanmar was a non-starter, our coordinator never provided assistance creating an alternative itinerary. And I feel the travel company dropped the ball by failing to mention the 50th reunification anniversary. Our hotel concierge described it as "the largest celebration in my country's history." So how was it not on our travel coordinator's radar? We were less upset that tour times and hotels had to be changed. We were more upset that we left Saigon the day of the official celebration. We missed out on a once in a lifetime opportunity. We would have planned to stay an extra night in Saigon had we simply known about the celebration beforehand.
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-21
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback about your recent trip to Vietnam. We sincerely appreciate your patience and for highlighting both the positive aspects and the areas where we fell short of your expectations.
First, we deeply apologize for the frustrations you experienced with the Myanmar itinerary changes and the unforeseen disruptions in Saigon due to the 50th reunification anniversary. We acknowledge that our communication should have been more proactive in addressing your concerns about Myanmar and in informing you about the celebration’s potential impact. This was a significant oversight on our part, and we regret that it affected your experience.
We’re glad to hear that despite these challenges, you enjoyed your time in Vietnam with guides like Phuoc and Tan, who provided insightful cultural experiences, and that your accommodations and Halong Bay cruise met your expectations. However, we’re truly sorry that Henry’s guiding in central Vietnam did not deliver the depth of local history you anticipated. Your feedback is invaluable, and we’ll use it to improve our training and coordination.
Thank you again for your honesty. We’re committed to learning from this and ensuring smoother, more transparent planning for all our travelers.
Warm regards,
Customer Care Team
Asia Highlights
We had a great time in Tokyo. Our tour guide Kimura was knowledgeable and helpful. He shared many stories about local places. We definitely recommend him to anyone.
Reply from Highlights Travel2025-05-17
Thanx for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear that Kimura made your time in Tokyo enjoyable with his knowledge and storytelling. It’s wonderful that he brought local places to life for you.
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