REVIEW OF ESSENCE OF JAPAN, APRIL 2107
We were on the The Essence of Japan journey that began on April 23, 2017. This was our 4th Tauck tour and though overall our trip was wonderful…in part because of our independent adventures…and the other fellow travelers lovely, warm, and engaging, there were some issues and problems that tainted our experience and will now make us reconsider future travel with Tauck. I know this is long, but read on…..
• Upon our arrival in Tokyo’s Narita Airport on April 17, we were supposed to be met and transferred to our hotel by a Tauck representative. No one was there and we were left, exhausted from our long flights, to ‘punt’. I called the emergency number for Tauck and spoke with their on-call Tauck Representative, who said that she would see what the issue was and call me back. She didn’t. About an hour or so later, a lovely, apologetic woman arrived and transferred us to our hotel. For sure, the Tauck Rep should have been there on time to meet us and given the screw up, she should have had the decency to call us back. As an aside, we did receive compensation from Tauck for the tardiness in our transfer and though that was the right thing to do and appreciated, it does not negate the impact of being ‘forgotten’ at the start of the trip in a foreign country with a major language barrier.
• For one week prior to joining our Tauck group, we independently traveled to Hiroshima and Naoshima…and are we ever so grateful for doing the research and listening to the recommendations of others who pointed us there! These were truly highlights of our journey and I am, quite honestly, astonished that Tauck does not include Hiroshima for its historical nature and Naoshima for its artistic bent. Both of these destinations surely warrant being included on the itinerary.
• Our Tauck Tour’s ‘lowlights’:
o Tour Guide Booklet: Our Tour Director provided us with a booklet of the day-to-day itinerary. This was all well and good, but it didn’t provide any history of the location, shopping, options for free time, etc. On past Tauck tours, we received daily printouts with that information and much preferred that approach.
o Surcharges for ‘an extra salad’ and Pellegrino: It’s a long story, but a friend traveling with us was charged 600 Yen when she requested an additional salad for lunch instead of a rather inferior main course. I was also told that requesting Pellegrino at breakfast or lunch would be surcharged as well. Our Tour Director said that this is policy in Japan and though he did subsequently pick up the charges for the Pellegrino, this was ridiculous, ‘not in Tauck style’, and should not happen.
o The Tokyu Hotel substitution for The Nikko: The Nikko was listed on all our paperwork, as well as the tour booklet that our Tour Director distributed on Day 1. The Nikko is rated the top hotel in Kanazawa, while the Tokyu is way down the list. It was only a day or so prior that we were told that there was an error on the printout and that we were staying in the Tokyu instead of The Nikko and also told that sometimes the group stays at one hotel or the other. First of all, the Tokyu was not listed anywhere on Tauck’s website or in print as an optional hotel in Kanazawa. Secondly, if this change was made, we should have been notified sooner. And third, and above all, the Tokyu is not comparable, to say the least, to The Nikko, but is more in keeping with a substandard Holiday Inn.
o Hand Sanitizers on the buses: On all other Tauck trips, there were hand sanitizers on the buses, but not on this trip. As it turns out, one of the travelers came down with an awful cold and it pretty much ran through the tour group. I’m not sure that the sanitizer would have helped prevent some from catching the cold, but certainly it wouldn’t have hurt.
o Meals: With a few of exceptions (Nobu, lunch at Jardin Paul Bocuse, Shabu Shabu at Shabuzen, and the dinner at Tobira Onsen), the lunches and dinners were inferior. The last dinner, at Ueno Park, which consisted of disgusting canapés, watered down wine, and an inedible dinner, was simply horrible, so much so that I ate nothing and munched on rice crackers back in my room. In Japan, a country rich with wonderful restaurants, incredible chefs, and delicious food, this should not happen. I can only assume, however sadly, that the choice of meals and food is financially based to give Tauck, not us, the best bang for the buck.
o Food Choices: Japan has many ‘must try’ dishes and regional specialties…Tendon, Teppanyaki, Yakitori, Okonomiyaki, Gyoza, Donburi, just to name a few….and though we did have some sushi, a shabu shabu lunch, and several kaiseki meals, we would have hoped to have been able to try some of the more traditional Japanese specialties.
o Sumo Wrestlers: Sumo is something not to be missed in Japan….BUT to thrust two, sweaty, gross wrestlers literally in our faces during our meal, was repulsive. Also, the Sumo Wrestlers were merely a demonstration and we all were looking forward and expecting a real Sumo Wrestling Match.
o Departure: We were provided with a transfer to the airport but NO assistance once there because we left two days after the tour ended. The travelers who left at the conclusion of the tour had assistance at the airport and though I know it might be tough to accommodate later departures, I believe that this is something Tauck should endeavor to provide to all travelers.
o Tokyo Itinerary: The sushi making lunch at Egami Cooking School, Day 2, was substandard. Perhaps it was a bit of fun to see and try to make a sushi roll, but the roll was our lunch...mine was not good…and it was accompanied by pita bread and lettuce on the table. Such a weird combination of food, none of which was very good.
o Tokyo Itinerary: Taiko Drumming Lesson, Day 2, took 1.5 hours. If we had many days in Tokyo this might make some sense, but given all the fabulous things to do and see in Tokyo, we should not have spent it beating a drum. I felt that this was childlike and used as a ‘filler’.
o Tokyo Itinerary: Edo Museum. Simply…a waste of everyone’s time. Again, Tokyo has so much more to offer and we remain perplexed at this inclusion on the itinerary as well.
o Tokyo Opportunities: We had one day in Tokyo prior to the tour and then stayed on a couple of extra days. Had we not allocated this extra time, we would have gone home missing the truly spectacular and interesting areas of Tokyo. On our own, we toured the Tsukiji Fish Market, Daikanyama, Shibuya, Omotesando, Ginza, and Harajuku, and cannot understand why Tauck chooses to take its travelers to the Edo Museum, Sushi Making, and Drumming lessons instead of visiting and exploring some of these areas. In my opinion, Tauck ‘missed the mark’, site-wise and food-wise, and diminishing the Tauck travelers’ Japanese experience.
o Wine/Beer with meals: In all honesty, I’ve never quite comprehended Tauck’s policy of ‘no wine, no beer included’ at most meals. Most of us truly enjoy a glass of wine with our meals, especially while on vacation, and I, as well as my husband, don’t quite understand why Tauck does not include wine and beer at lunch and dinner. For a tour that is high-end and high-priced, this should be a no-brainer inclusion.
• Our Tauck Tour ‘highlights’:
o Our Tour Director: Funny, cordial, and professional.
o The Mandarin Hotel, Tokyo
o The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto
o Lake Ashi Cruise: Great weather day, too!
o Hakone Open Air Museum
o Traditional Tea Ceremony in Kyoto
o Sanjusangendo Temple in Kyoto
• The Best of Japan….for me, at least…on our own:
o Traditional, authentic Ryokan in Hiroshima
o Hiroshima
o Naoshima and staying at The Benesse House
o Attending a Yomuri Giants Baseball Game
o Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo
o Exploring Tokyo on our own: Daikanyama, Shibuya, Omotesando, Ginza, and Harajuku
o Kyoto on our own: Philosopher’s Walk
o Meals eaten ‘on our own’ and off of the Tour
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