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Hi just writing to thank you for an excellent time. Â When Jane first mentioned about going to Japan, as you know I wasn’t overly enthusiastic, especially in regards to the food, the cornerstone of any holiday. Â But as you said, there is more to Japanese cuisine than raw fish and noodles. Â Thanks for all your effort, Kobe Beef rocks! Thanks.
Mr and Mrs J.Milne
Auckland (Takayama Tour)
Konnichiwa! Genki?
Thanks for the great time we had, I’ll never forget that time I cracked up on the train. We certainly got some funny looks, but of all the wonderful sites we saw I’ll never forget all those suited business men on the underground reading comic books.  I don't know how many times I’ve told the story now, but no one ever really gets it. Guess you had to have been there. Thanks a lot.
Sophie Wilkinson
Middlesbrough, UK (Ancient Highway)
Please pass our kind regards to Akiko. What a laugh we had with her! She blows all stereotypes of the Japanese out of the water. Good times.
Dan and Jen Bennet
Canada (Private Tour)
Hi Russ and Yayoi, I would like to thank you and the team for helping make our trip to Japan a holiday of a lifetime. The Heartland tour, although busy, completely lived up to our expectations and introduced us to many new experiences. Our Grandchildren love looking at the photos. They were very impressed to see that Grandma and Granddad had slept on the floor on Futons. They laughed when they saw our red faces after our soak in the onsen dressed in the yukatas.Â
Keep up the good workÂ
Herbert and Valerie Â
Aberdeen (Heartland Tour)
A big thanks to Yayoi for showing us a fantastic time. Please pass our email address to here, we’d love to know what happened after the fireworks festival.Â
Rob and Judy Mutch
London (Private Tour)
Hey Russ,
Just a note to say how much we appreciated the effort you put into our time out there. Looking forward to coming next year. Good luck with the kanji!
Raymond and Andrea Paine
Glasgow (Private Tour)
Congrats to Akiko with getting married, hope she won’t be jumping into the housewife role too quickly! What would you do without her? Â Too bad, Half of Bill’s friends were wanting to join one of your tours just to meet her.
Marge Tall
Perth, Australia (Ancient Highway)
We would like to thank Russ and Akiko for contributing to the fabulous time we had on the Heartland tour. Japan is amazing, the sights, the food and the culture is like nowhere else we have ever visited. Thanks to the team for making our trip so much fun and so trouble free.
We will never forget Kyoto. The highlight for me was the geisha district. Then after an action packed day the luxury of a delicious green tea ice cream was just what we needed to revive us. Our only regret is that we didn’t have time to see sumo.We look forward to seeing you again.
Lucy and Brad
Withernsea, England (Heartland Tour)
If you're looking for a friendly, relaxed introduction to Japan and its culture then I can wholeheartedly recommend Dragonfly Tours.
Robert Shaw
England (Takayama Tour)
Thank you for such an enjoyable time in Japan. Seeing that we only had 7 days to see something of Osaka and other 'bits' of Japan, and that other operators did not cater for our specific needs and given time constraints, Dragonfly Japan Tour came up with the best possible options. What impressed us was the flexibility afforded to us by Russ in all the pre-arrival communications (which incidentally, were helpful and fast); even on tour, when we had extra time, Russ suggested 'extras' that helped enhance our daily 'adventures' (like our surprise stop in Kobe). The information provided on tour was illuminating, relating to restaurants, transport options, historical facts, shopping areas, cultural practices and traditions; however, it was never over-whelming. We're now back in Brisbane, amazed that we covered so much (but at our own pace!), ate such a range of interesting food and shopped to our hearts' content, all in a space of a week! Russ, who met us at the airport, showed us around Osaka, Nara, Himeji etc, and farewelled us in Kyoto, was very pleasant company, unobtrusive and yet always there when needed! It was great having someone so fluent in Japanese as well as English; a plus point was the good sense of humour! We'll have no hesitation recommending Dragonfly Tours to our family and friends (who incidentally, loved all the fabulous presents we brought back!)
Jeannie and David Mok
Brisbane (Private (shopping) Tour)
We really enjoyed our trip to Japan, and thanks again to both you and Mary for making it so special - the walks and the train trips were amazing, and the ryokan made us feel that we were in the real Japan!Â
George is busy looking up on Google exactly where we were - he'll no doubt be e-mailing you with the height of the place at Hakone!
Hope the rest of the season goes well for you, and as we said we will be happy to be used as a testimonial any time - your organisation worked really well!
Cheers,
Lorna Ferguson
Fife (Private Tour)
Hi Russ, here’s some soundbites for your testimonials section:
"I would definitely recommend Dragonfly Tours for anybody considering visiting Japan. My wife and I went there for our honeymoon and Russ arranged a semi-guided tour specifically for us with a full itinerary for ten days. It was a great set-up -Russ would spend a couple of days with us in each new city helping us orientate ourselves, while being shown every great attraction, interesting hidden little side streets, the best places to eat etc. We were then free to explore by ourselves for a couple of days before moving to the next city - and Russ was at the other end of the phone if we needed his advice. This was exactly how we wanted our honeymoon to go and Russ and his team arranged exactly that. Russ was friendly, knowledgeable company throughout, and it was great fun spending time with him.
Thanks again guys, it was a blast!
Angela and Adam
Pettifer
Essex (Private (Honeymoon) Tour)
Dear Russ,
A sincere note of thanks for providing us with the perfect introduction to Japanese life, culture and history. We felt we achieved so much in such a short time. Small group tours are definitely our preferred way to travel now as your tour opened our eyes to so many interesting and challenging options, without the high cost of some packaged tours.
Our holiday with you gave us so many wonderful memories, not to mention a lot of laughs - we hope that our performance with you in the karaoke room never makes it on to the web!
Perhaps the best recommendation we can make is that we want to do it all again, with you - exchange rate permitting!
Best wishes,
Michael & Marian
Brisbane, Australia (Ancient Highway)
Thanks so much for the photos Russ - they were great. I promised you an
endorsement for the website if you want so here goes: Our family had the
great pleasure & privilege of having Russ as our tour guide on a private
extended version of the Ancient Highways tour. We had an amazing time -
Russ took care of everything, warned us of the dos and donts of being in a
different country, adapted to our needs and wishes and generally made sure
that our trip was perfect. I would not hesitate to travel with Dragonfly
Tours again and have already highly recommended it to many people. Thanks
again Russ for a sensational family time we will never forget!!
Brenda Keyser & Peter Murdock and family.
Canada
For many years I have wanted to go to Japan in cherry blossom season and Dragonfly Tours helped me live my dream. It was a stress free holiday as everything was done for me and if I wanted advice or wasn't sure about something there was always someone to help. My holiday was everything I dreamed it would be, thank you Dragonfly
Caryn Hogar.
Queensland, Australia
An excellent tour, at the right pace and which encompasses all that Japan has to offer.
Cathy Wall.
England (Heartland Tour)
I wanted my visit to Japan to be the holiday of a lifetime, so I spent some time
researching all the available tour options on the Internet. I was drawn to Dragonfly
Tours as their tour group numbers were limited to 8 and I thought this, combined
with their flexible approach to the itinerary, would help to make the holiday a more
"tailor-made" experience to suit me.
As I am a vegetarian, I thought Japanese dining might be a difficulty but this was
never a problem & I enjoyed some of the best meals ever.
The holiday surpassed all my expectations and Russ's wealth of local knowledge and
his anecdotes together with the tour's regular use of public transport ensured we
came away with a much deeper understanding of the country, it's people & history.
I would sum up the holiday in one word. Outstanding."
I wish you both all the best for the future.
Take care of yourselves
David Fogg
Nov 2010 (Heartland Tour)
Hi Russ,
Here is the testimonial for the website:
Japan is like an onion, and you need someone guiding you while you try to
peel it as your eyes water. Dragonfly is the perfect host, with Russ being a
Westerner who is fully in love with Japan and who lives there not as an
expat, but as someone who the French aptly describe as an autochtone. Seeing
the country through his eyes was wonderful and truly unforgettable. We
would not have thought of a better introduction to Japan.
Steve and Galina Imrie
May2010
The Dragonfly Tours experience was definitely a positive one. I've been wanting
to go to Japan for quite a few years now and it was even better than expected. I
can safely say that I will return again, but in the mean time I'm going to try
and take some Japanese lessons. I loved the whole experience, from the sights to
the culture and traditions. So when I'm back in the country (3-4 years) I'll
defo give you a ring so we could meet up and have a few rounds of sake
Iain Roy
Edinburgh
A lovely trip. It did involve some early starts and lots of walking but we enjoyed a whole range of Japan old and new, cultured and modern. A wonderful 30th anniversary gift to ourselves.
Jane Chim
Leeds (Heartland Tour)
Thanks for the tour, although at first I was a bit hesitant about the groups age range, it turned out VERY enjoyable. Each person was interesting and kind.
Good luck with the future tours!
Jessica Gloor
Hokkaido, Japan (Takayama Tour)
Hi Russ,
Here's testimonial thing...
*Just writing to say a massive 'THANK YOU' for a really wonderful holiday
with Dragonfly Tours. Japan is an amazing country and travelling with
Dragonfly completed the whole experience. I particularly enjoyed the wide
range of activities offered on the tour; from walking to visiting shrines to
relaxing on the beach; which meant that every day was unique and special. I
also found using public transport greatly enriched my experience of Japan,
even if I did get travel sick! I would highly recommend Dragonfly to anyone
as it provides a very friendly and comprehensive experience of Japan, the
quality of which is far richer than would be possible in a larger group with
a big tour agency. Thank you for such a great time :)*
It's 15oc and raining in England so winter clothes are out already! Hope
you've managed to sort out your field, we have arrived home to more apples than it is possible to know what to do with.
Jo
**
HIf you want to experience Japanese lifestyle and culture, Dragonfly is the tour operator to use. Small and dedicated to customer service Dragonfly enhanced our personal experience.
John and I have no regrets and greatly appreciate the effort that was put forth to satisfy our desires.
Dr. John Mann and John Mann Jr.
Louisville ( Private Tour )
Hi Russ, just a line to say a big thank you for our wonderful holiday.
Lee and I feel we did so much and saw so much of the way the Japanese live and work; what a great, well organised and clean country.
We thought you were a great guide and made it so interesting for us, we’ll defiantly recommend Dragonfly Tours to every one who asks.
Judy & Lee Jackson
Hertfordshire
For a first time visit the tour gave a very good cross-section of Japanese life, culture and history. Akiko was informative and enthusiastic throughout the trip making the tour an experience well worth the money.
June West
Bristol, England (Cherry Blossom Tour)
Hi Russ
Hope you are good and still busy in your garden.
Please could you add the following to your website:
“What can I say apart from WOW – fantastic holiday, wonderful country, and brilliant
guide. The tour was very well organised and even though it was busy it was well
worth it. I saw and did so many new things, and using public transport was an
excellent idea as you get to see all the little things you wouldn’t see on a tour
bus. It was also good to go to places that were off the normal tourist route. The
accommodation was very good, and nothing was too much trouble. When I went off on
my own a phone call from Russ checking that I was ok was totally unexpected but much
appreciated. I would definitely recommend this to anyone, and would certainly like
to return to Japan. The other 2 couples on the tour were good company and helped to
make the holiday so enjoyable. Thanks Russ.
Take care
Karen
A great tour showing the real Japan and its culture. Enjoyed the company and the input from personal experience, this also showed in the arrangements which were timed to avoid the crowds.
Kay and Joyce
New Zealand ( Cherry Blossom Tour )
Trip of a lifetime!
Laura and Phil
Lubeck, Germany
As for a testimonial
Russ, you run a very professional operation. Your communication with us
which started with us booking 12 months before we traveled was regular and reassuring, before, during, and after our trip. Even as regular travelers we were amazed by Japan, every day brought new and enjoyable experiences. Our guide Kunie was a constant delight and saying goodbye was like parting from an old friend. You might be a Scot but you've put together a wonderful Japanese travel experience. It will be a pleasure recommending your tours to our friends. We wish you every success and look forward to returning to see the rest of Japan.
Kind regards
Norman and Margaret Owens
Sydney, Australia
Hi Russ,
As for publishable comments it is quite simple. There should always be a "secret
ingredient" in every holiday to make it magic and you, Russ, were it. Dragonfly were
a great group to go with because we saw the insiders point of view and you were so
helpful right from the word go. Every success to you.
Cheers, Peter M.
England
Testimonial Diane
Our Heartland tour of Japan with Russ was one of the best vacations we've ever
taken. We learned so much about Japan and saw more than we ever expected. If
we return to Japan we will take another tour with Dragonfly tours (and Russ).
Diane Corbett
USA ( Hearland Tour )
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