Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

Close up of cherry blossoms in Kyoto, Japan.

“Our arrival to Kyoto coincided with the absolute peak of the blossoms blooming. Pictures do not do justice to the explosion.” Photo: Michael Modak

Cherry Blossoms and much more…. It’s been on the list for some time to visit Japan at peak season for the cherry blossoms. We reached out to Wendy who put us in touch with Andrea and his team. As with many trips we had a major theme and some ideas on what to do. Andrea was extremely helpful in opening our eyes to a much broader set of options to consider. From his suggestions came the plan to spend about a week in the Seto Island Sea beginning at the Simose Art Gallery and Garden Villa to Setoda on Ikuchi Island to Momojima Island to the Bennesse House Museum on Naoshima to Teshima and Inujima. Each of these islands had interesting art museums and installations that were intriguing. It was good to see that on some of these islands, artists came in to purchase a building and repurpose it to a gallery in order to attract artists and visitors to these places where the population was diminishing (some islands were down to less than 30 inhabitants). It was renewal at its best. Andrea arranged all of our island travel by private boat, including a beautiful sunset cruise where we were treated to an outstanding dinner prepared by a private sushi chef. Left to our own devices we would have never discovered this wonderful area of Japan.

The timing of our arrival to Kyoto coincided with the absolute peak of the blossoms blooming. Pictures do not do justice to the explosion of the wonderful, white blossoms. The temples, the bamboo forest, and a tea ceremony were additional highlights of this portion of the trip.

Another area that we incorporated was on the north side of Japan in the area between Echizen (an area known for old style paper making and Japanese knives) and Kanazawa (which has an interesting samurai area and several old geisha districts) among other shrines and the imposing Kanazawa Castle.

Finishing up in Tokyo was a mix of museums, gardens, parks and attending a sumo practice session.

One additional note. The food was extraordinary. Andrea set us up at many Ryokans through the trip and it was a 9-course event for most evenings.

As we traveled, we got an email every evening from Andrea’s colleague Beatrice with events for the next day along with weather reports. They do a guardian angel list on What’s App of the team involved in managing the trip, and it was very useful, as we had to check on things and confirm things as we went. All in all a great adventure!

Susan Gulick and Sara Shoob next to Yayoi Kusama's pumpkin in Japan.

Susan Gulick and Sara Shoob built their itinerary around the arts in Japan.

Andrea and his team of guardian angels created a fabulous trip for us. The focus of our visit was the art and craft of Japan. Our experiences exceeded our expectations.

We began our trip in Tokyo. For three days we visited unique stores, learned about origami from a master, created our own small bonsai trees, and visited the Tokyo National Museum. Naturally we also walked across the Shibuya Crossing and were amazed at the order of all the pedestrians.

Taking the train to Kanazawa was our first independent trip on the bullet train. The process of lining up for the train and taking a seat was orderly and efficient unlike our experiences at home. Upon our arrival we went to two museums and participated in a gold leaf workshop. We also shopped at the morning market in Takayama and visited the village of
Shirakawa-go, a world heritage site.

Next we traveled like experts on the train to Kyoto. Independently, we explored the neighborhood around our hotel. We enjoyed discovering restaurants for dinner and a lovely coffee shop with delicious donuts.

Highlights in Kyoto were visiting a bamboo garden, exploring gorgeous temples, having a calligraphy lesson, dinner with a geisha in training, an authentic tea ceremony, visiting the Nishiki Market and a kimono experience. Phew! One of our guides in Kyoto actually made a video of our day together. What a lovely memory!

We mastered the greatest challenge of all on our next trip. We followed a video prepared by our guardian angels to navigate two trains, a bus and a ferry to get to the art island of Naoshima. In the next days, we visited unique contemporary art museums and enjoyed relaxing in our Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn.

From Naoshima we headed to Kurashiki, a historic city that was once a center of trade. Many shops displayed handmade crafts from the area. We visited a blue jean factory and created our own pottery under the guidance of a sixth-generation potter.

Our journey was nearing the end as we took our last train back to Tokyo. We explored a luxurious department store, visited the Meiji Shinto Shrine, learned about the craft of Kintsugi, and finished our trip with a Kabuki performance.

Outstanding guides helped us to appreciate the history and values of a culture that is very different from ours. The people are respectful of others and find beauty in everything. We are looking forward to returning soon.

View of Mount Fuji in Japan.

A hike yielded “breathtaking views of Mount Fuji—an experience we’ll never forget.” Photo: Traveler Ariadna Biete

Our recent trip to Japan in March was nothing short of extraordinary, thanks to the thoughtful planning and deep care of our trip planner, Andrea. From the very beginning, Andrea took the time to truly understand our family—our interests, preferences, and even individual needs—which made all the difference in how personalized and fulfilling the trip felt for each of us. Traveling with three daughters of different ages can be a challenge, but Andrea managed to create an itinerary that offered something meaningful and exciting for everyone.

Although we just missed the cherry blossoms, we wouldn’t have changed a thing. The mix of iconic sights in Tokyo and Kyoto, paired with off-the-beaten-path experiences in the Izu Peninsula, gave us a well-rounded view of Japan’s beauty and culture. Andrea’s recommended local guides were incredibly knowledgeable and added rich context to everything from history to food. One of the most unique and unforgettable highlights was our stay at a two-room hotel perched on the coast, followed by an amazing hike with breathtaking views of Mount Fuji—an experience we’ll never forget.

Andrea’s flexibility was another huge plus; he adapted the itinerary smoothly in response to weather changes and last-minute requests, always keeping our comfort and enjoyment in mind. Without a doubt, he added tremendous value to our trip, and we would highly recommend him to any traveler looking for a deeply customized and seamless travel experience in Japan.

Andrea Mathis' three children looking at an orangutan in Bukit Lawang, Indonesia.

Traveling with three young children in Asia means incorporating wildlife—here, an orangutan.

Andrea and his team planned our extraordinary adventure through the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and Hong Kong. We are a family of five with three young children, so it was a complicated trip to plan and execute. Andrea matched us with extraordinary guides who were always attuned to the children’s interests.

We saw tarsiers, camped with wild orangutans, swam with sea turtles, went tubing through the jungle, swam under waterfalls, and made our own halo-halo. We visited temples, churches, skyscrapers, and a rural fishing village in Hong Kong. The planning was carefully orchestrated and we always felt safe and well-cared for. Truly an unforgettable adventure!

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