Immersing in magical Sakura blooms in Japan!

Japan | Mar 25 - Apr 3, 2025

Our trip to Japan during spring to see the magic of Sakura blooms was a hit from beginning to the end. Kim Kim (Olivia)'s support in planning and organising the visit was superb. She was extremely professional in her role and fucntions, we could not have expected any better. There were hardly any issues, since every detail has been looked into by Olivia. Whenever there was a need for a re- scheduling, Olivia took to the task and attended to it promptly. It was a pleasure to communicate with her. Thank you Kim Kim!
What we saw was amazing, the Sakura blooms we saw in Nara, Kyoto, Osaka can only be described as magical! It was a dream come true for us! Cherry blossoms painted the gardens, streets pink and white. As the petals fall and make a mosaic of a carpet beneath the trees, one realises that it indeed is celebration of beauty and impermanance.
Most of the tour guides who took us around were simply superb! namely - Yumi in Hakone, Hector, and NIck Nonaka in Nara and Kyoto. They understood our pulse and interests, were kind and helpful, all three of them made the tour super special. We also had a very good time with the guide who took us on the 'Foodie Tour' in Osaka, where we prepared and devoured Osaka special cabbage pancake!
I celebrated my milestone birthday donned in kimino with two of my sisters, strolling in the Osaka palace garden bustling with Sakura blooms. It was turely a memorable day!
Everything was wonderful, except:
i. The day in Tokyo - our Day One of the trip in Tokyo was nothing to write home about, it was dull, lacked any charm, and the guide did not make much effort to make the day special for us.
ii. The Tea Ceremony was a total flop (which had to be re- scheduled from the original plan due to the short time gap between 2 events). Olivia managed to find a different place, however, it was was not proper, run by a foreigner wearing a kimono, and what he preached did not match with the philsophy of the Japanese tea ceremony.
Except these two, the rest of the trip is a total win - 10 out of 10.
During our ten day visit we had a glimpse of wonders Japan offers, we returned with the promise to come back!