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Customer reviews of Laurus Travel’s Japan and South Korea tours
Google review posted in October 2024 by Gladys L:
“As seniors with medical conditions, we cannot handle long tour days in a group, so we asked the staff at Laurus Travel to arrange a private driver and guide for our customized trip to Japan.. The driver/guide, Shin, was very knowledgeable and communicative about information on all the places we visited, sharing the history, importance and difference between Buddhism and Shintoism. He was thoughtful and considerate with our limitations, customizing the schedule to suit our needs. He had umbrellas for rainy days and a portable folding stool in case we needed to rest where there was no resting place. As we boarded the boat to cross the lake at Hakone, he told us to look for seats marked for disabled people. I am grateful that Laurus Travel staff found us such a respectful, knowledgeable driver and guide which made our trip not only comfortable, but successful.”
Hello Julius,
I’m sorry neither Robert nor I were able to meet with you on Saturday evening at the Tokyo Dome Hotel. Both of us had a busy day and didn’t see your message until later in the day.
Speaking personally, I enjoyed the Best of Japan trip, especially with you along to provide history and context for the sites we visited. Sue Yamamoto took good care of us, gave us a resident’s perspective on Japan and was enthusiastic.
The hotels were excellent and, except for Tokyo Dome Hotel, were located in neighborhoods with good restaurants nearby. Perhaps it was just me, but I didn’t like the restaurants immediately adjacent to the hotel. While there, we chose to eat dinners in the hotel which proved to be expensive.
I felt the day trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima Island was a long one and didn’t give us time to really explore the Hiroshima Museum. But I appreciate that, what was previously listed as an optional tour, was included as a part of our itinerary.
Wishing you continued success,
Forrest R
Portland, Oregon
It was a fantastic trip and we look forward to another trip with you. I already miss Japan, Julius and our local guide Sue.
To recap, the things we really liked about Laurus:
- Sue Yamamoto is the nicest, friendliest, happiest person I have ever met. We loved her. She really added to our enjoyment of Japan.
- Julius really knew what he was doing — he was on top of everything and always had a backup plan. We felt completely at ease in his hands.
- You did a great job taking care of our dietary restrictions at every meal.
- We liked the interesting mix of restaurants. The tiny family restaurant at the end was great.
- We travel to see as much as we can and to soak in the local culture — not to shop. Although some on the trip complained about this, we appreciated that you didn’t stop much to allow shopping and instead maximized our experience in Japan.
- Overall, it was just a great experience.
One issue that I had mentioned:
- The museum at Hiroshima was overcrowded. They let in far more people than they should have. In the main area, we were packed together like sardines. There was no going back, and the way forward moved very slowly. It was an absolute fire hazard, and a bad situation for anyone with claustrophobia. This may have been an anomaly, but I would suggest that if this is a regular occurrence you should warn people about these conditions.
I hope this helps.
– Mike K
Gambrills, Maryland
[ Read Mike’s fascinating travelogue at http://kolodny.net/japan ]
From: Marshall S.
Sent: Sun 2023-04-30 3:32 PM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: 14 day Best of Japan April 3-16, 2023
On a scale of 1 to 5, this tour is 5. It exceeded my expectations.
Julius, you are a thorough professional — always prepared, composed and informed. Thanks for an excellent introduction to Japan.
I enjoyed all the local guides. At the end of my trip Hiro was particularly kind and supportive seeing me back to Tokyo.
Hotels were all good and comfortable. Breakfasts were excellent. In Kanazawa the room was small, but fine. Grand Bach in Ginza was extremely comfortable and the location was excellent for exploring Ginza.
Food was consistently very good. Many meals stand out as excellent: lunch meal in Ginza on the first day, Takayama lunch, French meal in Kyoto, final meal in Osaka. I also really enjoyed lunch at the Art Museum in Kanazawa — even though some said the fish was over-cooked, my meal was great and I loved seeing the architecture of the new museum. The 7-11 grab and run meal at the Miyajima train station was a real Japanese experience ; ) and the ice cream stop that afternoon was pure genius — just what everyone needed!
Timing was consistently good. I like museums and could have spent the day at The National Museum in Tokyo. I will likely never return to the Tokyo Tower, but worthwhile to visit once for an orientation to the scale of Tokyo.
Look forward to taking another tour with your company. In particular I am interested in visiting Xian and the Mogao grottos.
Marshall S.
Calgary, Alberta
From: Pat Bog–
Sent: Saturday, May 6, 2023 1:10 PM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: Japan and South Korea, April 3 2023
We have recently returned from the Japan/South Korea tour. We were very fortunate to have Julius Yan as our tour leader! He is extremely knowledgeable, organized, engaging and totally dedicated to ensuring that everyone had a memorable trip. Prior to booking we were initially disappointed to learn that the tour had been shortened in Japan and South Korea had been added as an option. I must say we truly enjoyed the South Korean portion of the trip and were glad to have had the opportunity to go there. Japan was beautiful and the tour provides quite a variety of experiences. Everything from Mt. Fuji and the cherry blossoms, to sushi making, temples and shrines and some of the most beautiful gardens you could ever hope to see. We have traveled with Laurus before (to China) and would not hesitate to recommend them. The hotels, sights, and guides exceed expectations! Thanks Julius.
Pat B & Jim P
Jacksonville, Florida
Our 14 day – Best of Japan tour was simply “the best” and then some. We had a spectacular time while visiting a place I had dreamed of for many years, on our 30th wedding anniversary. Our guides and our tour mates were a joy. I look forward to future journeys with Laurus Travel and would highly recommend them to my family and friends.
Elizabeth R
Miami, Florida
Just a quick note to add our voice to those who may have given their assessment of our recent tour.
It was outstanding and definitely exceeded our expectations.
We have recommended Laurus to our Canadian friends living in Japan to promote the tour to their visitors. And we will warmly commend Laurus to our Canadian contacts.
Many thanks for making our visit to Japan so memorable.
Best wishes,
Michael and Margarita K
Ottawa, Ontario
Hi Julius,
In case I don’t get a chance to say it in person, I want to thank you personally for a wonderful introductory trip to Japan. I know that I speak for the four of us when I say that we have thoroughly enjoyed this trip from start to finish and we are very grateful for your personal service and the extreme care that you took at every turn. Miki was the best guide we could have wished for – so knowledgeable and so candid – a delightful person.
We will be very happy to recommend Laurus Travel to our friends, acquaintances, and colleagues in the Canadian civil service.
Many thanks again and I hope that we will have the opportunity to travel with you again in future.
Sincerely,
Donna H
Ottawa, Ontario
I had an amazing time, of which I must congratulate you, Mickey and your team at Laurus Travel for making the trip so very interesting and enjoyable. The travel within Japan was painless – hotels, food, sightseeing, and friendly Japanese people was all excellent. I also found our group to be so interesting, full of information about travels to various countries, fun and so very friendly to me being “The odd man out” so to speak, making me feel very comfortable.
I am still full of memories of my trip to Japan of which I will treasure.
Many thanks for such a happy trip.
Best wishes,
Catherine K
Goldens Bridge, New York
Kathy and I really enjoyed traveling with you in Japan. You and your colleagues did a great job organizing and conducting the tour. You personally are a deep font of interesting information and contributed so positively to the fun and success of our adventure. I am looking forward to receiving your ideas on future trips (as we discussed in Japan).
All the best.
Tom B
Lawrence, Kansas
After exhaustively researching tours to Asia we decided to book a trip to China with Laurus. Several months prior to the trip we added on the 13 day Japan tour as it was a short flight away. This back to back was a leap of faith as we booked with Laurus based on reviews, the website and our interactions with Laurus. We made the right decision! The tours exceeded our expectations.
The tour of Japan was wonderful. Our guide Addy stayed with us for the entire tour and she was terrific. She didn’t just provide information, she kept us interested and even used sang with a samurai puppet. We were on the go all day long. The hotels were quite nice and centrally located. Most of the restaurants were small local places and the food was delicious. Highlights of the trip included meeting with a geisha, who spoke perfect English, visiting Nara and seeing the sika deer and going to Shirakawa-go.
Without any reservation I would highly recommend Laurus. They are genuinely concerned that you are given the best quality tour available at a reasonable price.
Maureen S and Larry L
Boynton Beach, Florida
As repeat customers (first to China, and now Japan), we recommend Laurus to other people interesting in exploring Asia. We have found the guides to be well-informed; the accommodations, excellent; and the service, high-quality. We were very fortunate to have met Julius Yan, the owner and founder of Laurus, on both of our tours. He traveled with us in Japan, and greatly enhanced our experience there. He is extremely dedicated to providing an outstanding and personal experience for his clients. He is well-versed in Asian history, and provided cultural and historical perspectives that added depth to our experience.
Suzanne B and Mark S
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
We arrived home yesterday safe and sound. Thank you for a wonderful tour in Japan!
Based on what we heard from our friends about their trip to Japan with your company last year we knew we had picked the right company in choosing Laurus Travel for our own Japan vacation. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Your company delivered as promised and then some. There is no doubt in our mind that we received superior value for our money. Upon checking with the others in the group, we learned that our fellow travelers all felt the same. Laurus Travel should be proud of itself because this is the opinion from a bunch of seasoned travelers who have gone on tours with a large number of tour companies.
Thank you again for a wonderful trip!
Janice and Sheldon R
Calgary, Alberta
I am writing to thank you again for a terrific tour of Japan; Peg and I could not have been happier with any of the many aspects of the tour. We made memories that will last a lifetime (of course, at my age, that’s not terribly long)…
Thanks much,
Art S
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Logistics were perfect! Pace was perfect! Tours were great and not too rushed, allowing enough time for everyone to go through. I also liked the ‘on your own’ meals spread out throughout the trip. In fact, we look forward to booking another trip with you next year!
Nilima S
San Francisco, California
Hi, Julius and Miki – thank you both for an amazing holiday – and thank you for a very educational exposure to Japanese Food, Culture and Geography – not to mention History +++ !
I have captured some of the moments in about 2000 pictures ! I have put the best 300 or so up on a link that is easy to access. Photos can be downloaded with a right click on the mouse and saved.
Thank you both again for a wonderful two weeks!
John and Eimear M
Edmonton, Alberta
We are recently back from our 14 day Best of Japan Tour and want to commend Laurus Travel on an amazing experience. We thoroughly enjoyed our two weeks with Julius and our tour mates. The sights we visited gave a good overview of Japanese culture and history, the hotels were all nice and well located, and the variety of food we ate (and often cooked for ourselves!) was delicious! We would highly recommend Laurus Travel and hope to travel with them again someday.
Susan and Mark J
Anchorage, Alaska
