Firstly, let me start with the positives. Dealing with the office in the UK was spot on, with everything running smoothly on that front. In addition, all the hotels were good, with bigger rooms than expected. The beds were comfortable, the showers powerful, and the hotel staff very courteous. The trip content was as stated, and the transport was efficient in order to get from A to B. The drivers were very professional, and always greeted you with a smile. The days could be long, but this is what you expect on a trip like this, and on occasion, there was insufficient time to see everything you wanted to see on the day. Unfortunately, these days, most tourist venues are crowded, with long queues at times, resulting in less time to enjoy the attraction. This is a compromise that has to be accepted if you want to travel.
Now onto the issue that really spoilt my holiday, and that was the food. As previous reviews have stated, if you don’t eat seafood or fish, then this trip is not for you. I saw this a little too late, as I eat neither, prefer my meat to be on the lean side, and as my wife tells me, I can be a fussy eater. To be fair, every venue was informed that myself and one other didn’t eat seafood, and this was taken into account each meal. On the first evening at the welcome dinner, we were served with a seafood bbq cooked on open coals, and a separate fire was used in order to cook meat for myself and my fellow meat eater. So far, so good. What followed was set meal after set meal after set meal, both for lunch and dinner. During the whole trip we had 2 buffet lunches, and no choice with any set menu, other than take it or leave it. Each meal seemed to be a variant of the one before, and in my opinion, the food was low budget aimed at tourist groups. I fully understand that it is impossible to give 28 people a big choice of menu when time is limited, but surely it is possible to offer at least a couple of options at meal times. This is an expensive trip, and I expected some choice and better quality food. For example, the Genghis Khan lamb bbq was a joke. By definition, a bbq is held outdoors and the food cooked on an open fire. Not this bbq, as it was held in a private room and the food was cooked on a hot plate by you. No problem cooking my own food, but when the lamb is stringy and sinewy, of poor quality and very tough to eat, then I lose my sense of humour. What should have been a culinary highlight was hugely disappointing. What is especially galling about the food on the trip is that the street food in Japan is great. It is tasty, reasonably priced, and readily available. Same with the restaurants. Good food can be sourced easily, and it compares very well with prices in the UK. I know this because I gave up on some group meals pretty early in the trip and bought independently when possible. Great steaks, lovely burgers, and even the snacks at the convenience stores are tasty. Having paid for an expensive trip, it would have been foolish not to spend a little extra on food in order to bypass the substandard meals on offer. I get that I am in Japan, where they do things differently and it is only correct that one should be immersed in all aspects of their culture etc. However, when it comes to eating, the composition and nationalities of the group should also be considered. It should also be noted that the lunches are whistle stop affairs which usually take place in large restaurants/food halls that cater to many coach trips at the same time. Dinners are better from a venue point of view, are more intimate, and have more time allotted to them. Having said all that, and to conclude, the food aspect of this trip was very disappointing indeed.
It is also stated by Wendy Wu that an English speaking guide will be provided for the trip. Whilst this “was” the case, the guides command of the language was poor, and her understanding of it when you spoke to her even worse. This was not a major issue for me personally, but it was for others. There was very little off the cuff information given about the country etc, and anything we were told about a temple or shrine was simply read to us via the internet. Consequently, it just became easier to do this yourself the night before in your hotel. It also became apparent very early in the trip that the guide was not used to dealing with a large group, and she became aggressive at times, and was easily frustrated. A good guide is a huge asset on a trip of this nature, and can make it or break it. Whilst our guide was able to get us from A to B every day with out losing anyone, it did appear as if she was out of her depth on a long trip with a big group of people. It should be borne in mind, however, that it would be difficult for her to deal with Aussie, Kiwi, American and pommie accents on a continuous daily basis. A better understanding of the English language is a must have for any guide on this trip.
Would I use Wendy Wu again? I don’t think so. They came highly recommended by my sister who had been to China with them, but the food was the deal breaker for me. In future, I will pay more attention to previous reviews, as alarm bells should have been ringing for me before I booked this trip, as this was a major issue also brought up by others.
