Start to finish 5* service - I would recommend this company over any other for tours in Asia!
Start to finish 5* service. AMBER who was our office/booking contact came back to every email with speed, efficiency, politeness and a good understanding of what we had asked. Amber produced completely customised itineraries for me and my Mother, taking into consideration all of our preferences, capabilities, limitations and preferences. (My Mother is 70 and has bad knees and eyesight issues). We had specific priorities to take part in crafting sessions and experiences, and to see lots of Japanese gardens and Autumn foliage, especially the maples. Of course we also wanted to see all the usual highlights, and make it down as far as Hiroshima for historical learning opportunities. Amber was able to create the perfect itinerary, and for about the same price as a tour with 30 people on a bus, we got PRIVATE door to door drivers, a personal guides JUST FOR US TWO, and complete control over our itinerary, which the guides readjusted on the fly for us to help us get the most out of each day! It was like being a rock-star, or an ambassador! The hotels were all to a high standard, with both local and western options for breakfasts. We were able to experience a night sleeping in traditional Japanese style on Tatami mats, a private Onsen hot bath and a Japanese banquet presented in our spacious room! Amber organised all the craft experiences we wanted - gold leaf work, Kintsugi, Calligraphy, Washi Paper Making, Calligraphy and a cultural performance show. Our guides KILAN and YUYA were both polite, accessible, friendly and knowledgeable (Yuya especially so with a degree in history!). They were able to answer all of our plentiful questions, and were happy to talk about all sorts of subjects, even more awkward ones. We like to learn about a countries social, economic, political, penal, health, environmental, and cultural systems as well as just the tourist information. One point I must make is that being Vegetarian in Japan is extremely difficult. Being Vegan is almost impossible. Our guides tried to be as helpful as possible, and did point out some excellent, little known places where I could eat vegetarian and my mother could still have meat - but it should be known that for experiences such as the Japanese banquet in room - you need to let hotels know ahead of time, sometimes WEEKS ahead of time. DON’T leave it until arrival and check in to let the hotel know - and be proactive about asking the guides to do the same. Otherwise you will spend a lot of time walking around trying to find restaurants that may or may not still exist! The guides always came in to help us check in if there was anything to book or organise (meals / onsen baths etc) - but sometimes, on the night is too late. Other than that - I cannot fault ANYTHING that UME did for us. From constant WhatsApp communication, to meeting us on the platform from each train, to sending images, links and maps so we could find things we needed to. It was complete, considerate and comforting service from start to finish - very welcome in a country where culture shock and language gaps are abundant! The pacing of the tour was perfect too - we never felt rushed - had plenty of time at each site and had time to relax and recover between busy days. I would recommend this company over any other for tours in Asia!