Vio Travel

Hi James, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your family's trip. I appreciate it and am glad to hear that Kyoto was one of the highlights of your trip.

I wanted to follow up on a few of your comments regarding the guides, as I would love to better understand your experience. The guides we selected for your trip are among our most experienced partners, so your feedback is especially valuable.

For example, during the TeamLab and art museum visit, Hiro-san was sharing insights about both the modern art exhibits and the architecture of the building to help provide additional context throughout the experience. In Kanazawa, your guide has also received many positive reviews from past travelers.

Of course, I understand that every traveler has different expectations and preferences, and sometimes a guide's style may not be the right fit. I also understand that Barbara felt some discomfort during parts of the experience and was unable to continue the tour. If you're open to sharing a bit more detail, I would really appreciate it. It would help me better understand what happened and allow me to have a meaningful discussion with the guides and our local partners.

Regarding the ryokan stay, I completely understand your comments. Looking back, I wish we had discussed it in more detail during the planning stage. The ryokan was incorporated as part of the cultural experience of Japan, for you to experience the traditional Japanese hospitality, cuisine, and accommodations for a night.

Thank you again for your honest feedback. I value it, and it helps us improve both our planning process and the experiences we provide. I look forward to hearing a little more about your experience so I can better understand your perspective and share your comments with the team. I’ll be in touch directly soon.

Warm regards,
Leny

Hi Terry, welcome home, and thank you for sharing your feedback!

I'm so glad to hear you had a great trip and that the knife-making experience and gold leaf chopsticks were some of your favorite activities. It’s also wonderful that you enjoyed seeing all the beautiful woodwork around Takayama.

I'm happy that four of the five hotels worked out well for you. Thank you for your honest feedback about the Hyatt Kanazawa. Kanazawa is a smaller city with fewer hotel options, so I chose it for its boutique style and location, but I'll definitely keep your comments in mind for future trips.

As for the drivers and lunch, I understand why that felt a bit strange. In Japan, guides and drivers usually eat separately and take care of their own meals, so that is completely normal. In some ways, it's similar to tipping—while your gesture was very thoughtful and appreciated, it isn't generally expected as part of the local culture.

It sounds like you had a wonderful time exploring Japan’s rich history and culture, and I’m glad the local guides were able to share their knowledge, stories, and insights along the way to bring each destination to life. Experiences like these often help create a deeper connection with the places you visit.

It was a pleasure helping you plan this trip, and I’d be happy to help with your next adventure whenever you're ready!

Warm regards,
Leny

Hi Elizabeth, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lovely feedback and experience with my team and me.

Most of all, I'm so happy that I am able to help bring this mother-daughter trip to Japan to life and create memories that will stay with you both for a lifetime.

It was also a pleasure working with you throughout the planning process and getting to know both you and your daughter along the way. Thank you for trusting us with such a special mother-daughter trip.

Wishing you both many more wonderful adventures together, and hopefully, our paths will cross again in the future. I would be happy to help curate another meaningful trip for you and create even more special memories along the way.

Warm regards,
Leny

Hi Julie,

Welcome back home! I hope you're recovering nicely from the jet lag.

Thank you for the opportunity to help plan your short family adventure to Japan. It was a pleasure working with you in planning this trip, and I'm so happy to hear that you had such a wonderful time together.

Thank you as well for your kind words. Knowing that the activities matched your children's interests and that the trip helped create special family memories means a lot to me. I understand how daunting it can feel traveling to a country where you don't speak the language, especially on a first visit, and so far from home. I'm happy that I was able to make the planning process less stressful and help introduce a few experiences that may not have otherwise been on your radar.

Thank you again for placing your trust in our team and me. I hope this was the first of many adventures to Japan, and I would be pleased to help with your next visit whenever you're ready to return.

Warm regards,
Leny

Hi Ceri,

Welcome back home!

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I'm pleased to hear that the arrangements were generally executed as planned and that communication throughout your trip was smooth and easy.

I want to apologize again for the delayed driver. Following our investigation with the local partner, we were informed that a significant traffic accident had affected the route that morning, resulting in the driver arriving approximately 30 minutes late. While I completely understand your frustration, I would note that such delays are quite rare in Japan, where punctuality is generally held in very high regard. In fact, the same partner successfully handled your station pick-up and drop-off in Kyoto for your NINTENDO Museum visit.

While the accident and resulting traffic disruption were outside of our control, I agree that a clearer explanation should have been provided at the time of the delay. For that, we apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding.

Regarding the activities, I appreciate your comments about their suitability for children. The experiences incorporated are based on the interests shared, family suitability, and availability. I completely understand your point regarding the lengthy introduction during the ramen experience, as younger travelers are often more interested in the hands-on portion. This is valuable feedback, and I will share it with our partner for future consideration. It would also have been helpful to receive more feedback during the planning process regarding the level of child-focused engagement you were seeking, as this would have allowed me to explore alternative options or tailor recommendations more closely to your children's interests and expectations.

As for Fushimi Inari, it is certainly one of Kyoto's most iconic attractions. However, it is also one of the most crowded sites in Japan, particularly during peak travel periods. When designing itineraries, I try to balance famous landmarks with overall enjoyment, comfort, and pace, especially for families traveling with children. Rather than focusing solely on checking off well-known sights, my goal is to create a more enjoyable and less crowded experience. That said, I appreciate that it may have been something you would have liked to include, and I could have highlighted it as an optional visit.

Regarding value, I would respectfully note that my role extends far beyond simply booking tours. The service includes researching and designing a customized itinerary, recommending accommodations and experiences, coordinating with multiple suppliers, managing reservations, arranging transportation logistics, making adjustments throughout the planning process, and providing support before and during the trip. While much of this work happens behind the scenes, it is intended to create a seamless travel experience and save travelers a significant amount of time and effort in planning a complex trip independently. This approach has been reflected in the experiences of many of my past travelers, who have shared positive feedback not only about the destinations they visited but also about the planning support, recommendations, and assistance provided throughout their journey.

Thank you again for your honest feedback and for trusting me with your family's trip. I appreciate the opportunity to have helped plan this trip, and I will certainly keep your comments in mind when working with future families.

Warm regards,
Leny

Hi Nima,

Thank you, and welcome back home!

I'm so happy to hear that you had a wonderful time in Japan with your family. It was a pleasure helping plan your trip, and I hope you came home with many great memories.

I’m sorry to hear that you felt the Osaka food tour fell a bit short of your expectations. I’m currently reviewing the feedback with our local partner, particularly regarding the guide's engagement and overall experience. I’ll be in touch with you directly.

That said, I hope the overall trip was a great experience—from exploring Japan's culture and sights to enjoying some shopping and quality time with your family.

Thank you again for trusting me with your Japan adventure. I would be delighted to help you plan any future trips to Japan whenever you're ready to return.

Take care, and I hope to hear from you again soon!

Warm regards,

Leny