An amazing trip and great value for money!
Japan
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May 31 - Jun 13, 2024
Our trip to Japan was amazing! Working with the Kimkim team was Simply wonderful. I have not used Kimkim previously and was initially skeptical of going with an online travel agent/agency. But it was the best decision I made. My travel contact was Katie and she was prompt with communication from the very beginning and especially during my stay in Japan. Starting with planning they came up with sample itineraries based on the number of days I was planning to spend and the cities I wanted to visit. I went off some suggested itineraries on the Kimkim website and looked up the cities on travel guides like lonely planet, and worked with Katie to find the itinerary further. I visited Tokyo, Matsumoto, Kamiki, Takayama, Kyoto with side trips to Nara, Araya and Hiroshima. Katie provided me with the local guide who is very helpful in navigating transportation, especially in Tokyo and Kyoto. Booking tickets for Japan rail, including Shinkansen trains was all done by them! The hotels they booked were simply amazing both in terms of location and service. I would highly recommend using them
Hotel Reviews
A great hotel with a wonderful breakfast buffet That allowed me to sample Japanese cuisine (besides sushi). The hotel’s amenities and staff were simply wonderful. A great mid-century modern decor with a library. I have not seen a similar concept in any of the hotels I have visited in the US. The hotel location was walking distance from Tokyo Tower and subway stations. I will definitely be staying here again if I visit and reserve one day to spend at the hotel exploring there, Library.
Excellent location 5 minutes from train station, clean spacious room for our party of 3 and good breakfast buffet
A large hotel with 2 Onsens! We had a Japanese style room which was so spacious for our party of 3. The staff came twice a day to set up and remove the futons for sleeping. Had a great souvenir shop with Tax free option that was better than the one at Haneda. 3 great restaurants and the BEST breakfast buffet!
I could not have asked for a better Ryokan experience! It is a 70 year old hotel that seems small on outside but Rooms were large and convenient. The Onsen was clean but not the best Onsen I had seen on this trip ( after experiencing a hot spring Onsen in Takayama one would not opt for this “usual” style of Onsen ). The breakfast experience was so authentic! Everyday was slightly different than the next. The location was EXCELLENT.. so close to Kamo river.. watching the sunset there was unforgettable!
Activity Reviews
The tea ceremony experience was not exactly what I expected. I anticipated a traditional setup with a Geisha or a Maiko (Geisha in training). However, the tea experience we had was different from what was described in the itinerary. Instead of a traditional setting, it was held in a dry sculpture garden, where we did some gravel art meditation. Despite this, my kids enjoyed it. We were served tea and a dessert, but it felt like something I could have gotten at a local tea shop. Knowing that there were several tea houses near our hotel in Kyoto, I might have opted for a more traditional geisha tea ceremony if I had known.
I was really looking forward to visiting the teamLab Borderless at the MORI Building, but we ended up going to teamLab Planets instead. Initially, this change was a bit confusing and inconvenient since Planets was further from our hotel, but the experience turned out to be amazing. The guide informed me about the change the day before, which was really fortunate. TeamLab Planets had around five exhibits, and though it’s a smaller attraction compared to MORI, it was still a beautiful and immersive experience. Communication about the change could have been better, but overall, I was happy with the visit.
I had a fantastic time on the Mount Fuji National Park excursion. The car that picked us up was very comfortable, and the guide was great. We took a cable car up Mt. Owakudani, which offered stunning views, and then we enjoyed a pirate ship ride across Lake Ashinoko. The whole day was well-organized and enjoyable. Despite one minor issue with a driver, which was quickly resolved, the experience was memorable.
