Japan pre-departure show | Wendy Wu Tours

Japan pre-departure show | Wendy Wu Tours

Hello and thank you for joining us. My name is Karma Keller and today I’m going to be joined by some of my colleagues and we’re going to get you prepared and ready for your upcoming tour with Wendywood Tours. [Music] Now joining me is our assistant team leader of operations, Nicole Elgen. Thanks Nicole. Thanks Karma. Great. So now we’re going to run through what you can expect to receive from us and when. So when do they expect to get some documentation from us? Yeah. So approximately 3 weeks prior to departure, we will send edocs with attachments of the final documents as well as uh physical documents sent by post. Great. And what can they expect in those documents? Yeah. So the physical documents look like this. Everyone will receive a travel wallet and inside that you will see some luggage tags, a pen, so some merchandise, a final itinerary including a hotel list, your final flight tickets and a travel guide to your specific destination. So the itinerary will look something like this. On the front you’ll have your name and you also find the Wendy Wour’s emergency contact number if needed. So, inside in the first few pages, there are some local emergency contact numbers which you can find as well and your travel guide looks like that. If you just scan the QR code or go to the website at the bottom, it will take you on to our website and our knowledge base which has specific information to your destination. Thank you. And if passengers are getting a visa as well, if that is um required, they can also expect to find that in the final documentation. That’s right. Thanks so much for that, Nicole. Great to have a little rundown of what everyone can expect. Thanks, Karma. Joining me now is our team leader of operations, Holly McKenna. Thank you for joining me, Holly. Thank you for having me, of course. And we’re just going to go through some of those frequently asked questions you might have, starting with entry and visa requirements. Yes. So, most of the destinations we go to do require a visa. If you do need a visa, it will be included in your final documents package. Now, for Australian passports, it’s already included in your tour cost. If we need any additional information from you, we will reach out about 6 to 8 weeks before you are due to travel just so we have everything ready for you. If you have a passport that is not from Australia, then please contact us to let us know and we will let you know if there’s anything different that might be required for your trip. In terms of entry requirements, cuz sometimes some countries do have entry requirements that are different to a visa. Usually, it’s a form that you have to fill in online. All that information is available on our website. Just go to the destination you’re traveling to and look for entry requirements. Now that can change all the time so do keep an eye out but we do update that that website regularly. Great. Nice and easy. Yes. So tell me a bit about the electricity on tour. Most of the countries we travel to will use one of two types of plugs. So the first one is type A and that is the two parallel um flat pins which is common in North America. So if you have been to America or Canada for example, you may have one already. The other is type C which are the two circular pins which is common in Europe. Um but because this can be different for every country or you might be going to several destinations with us. We always recommend taking a universal travel adapter just to be on the safe side and you can use it again then. Yeah, they’re definitely very handy things to have. I’ve been caught out before. So, you want those um universal adapters for sure. Absolutely. And tipping, how does that work on tour? So, tipping is customary in most of the destinations we visit with the exception of Japan. And we do understand that many guests aren’t really familiar with a tipping culture. So, we’ve made it easy. So, we have what’s called a tipping kitty. And now how that works is that every guest on your tour will pay a set amount to the national escort on day one. The national escort will then use that collected amount to do all of the tipping for you. So they will tip the local guide, drivers, any kind of incidentals along the way. So that means once you’ve paid on the first day, you don’t need to worry about it anymore. You don’t need to carry any extra cash or anything like that. It’s taken care of. Perfect. That is ideal. And tell me, when will passengers know exactly what tipping amount they have to pay? Uh, so the tipping amount does vary depending on where you’re going and for how long. And the final tipping amount will be available on your final documentation. Great. Now, I know a lot of passengers have certain dietary requirements that we um need to adhere to. So, tell me, how do we deal with those ones? Sure. So, if you do have any allergies or dietary requirements, best to let us know as soon as you can if you haven’t already. Of course, there are going to be some destinations where certain dietary requirements aren’t as familiar. So, for example, vegan or celiac are probably the two that come to mind most. We will absolutely do our best to accommodate as best we can and we’ll let the restaurants know, your guide and so forth. But as soon as you can let us know the the better so that we can ensure that you are well catered for. Nice. Now I’m sure everyone is getting ready for their trip already thinking about that packing list and and what to pack. So first of all, what’s the luggage restriction on tour? So our luggage restriction is 20 kilos for your main luggage. So your suitcase, your international tickets might say something different. It might even be 40 kilos for example. But we do ask that you stick to 20 kilos for the tour itself. The reason for that is a lot of our tours have a domestic flight or a train sector and that is the limit on the plane or the train for those internal flights or um transport. And also you need to be able to uh move the suitcase as well sometimes. Um, so 20 kilos for your main luggage, a day bag of course as well. Um, there’s no restriction on the day bag for your sunglasses, your sunscreen, water bottle, whatever you might need on a day-to-day basis. And packing lists, is there somewhere we can direct them to find out that information? Yes. So, we do have packing lists on our website under each destination. So, please do refer to that. Um, of course it might be different as to whether you’re traveling in a colder month, a warmer month, if a bit more rain might be expected. So basically we always recommend layers, but please do refer to the website for more information. Yes, it’s definitely very detailed that packing list there. So it’ll give you a lot of good ideas of what you should be bringing. Yes, that’s right. Though I will mention that uh most of the places we visit there are some religious places, museums, temples and so forth. So definitely a shaw or something that’s going to cover your shoulders and uh your knees as well. Yeah, that’s some great advice. Really important. Thanks, Holly. Sure. Uh so one of the most common questions we get on um before touring is can they bring their medication into the country and vaccinations that they should get to get prepared. What do you have to say about that one? So with vaccinations, the staff at Wendy Woo Tours are not medically trained. Uh so we can’t really give you any advice on that. We do recommend that you speak with your GP, your doctor about what they recommend for you. In terms of personal medication that you might need on a daily basis, for example, you can get a supporting document from your GP that lists uh what you need and you can just take that with you in case you get any questions. Perfect. And once the passengers arrive in country, what can they expect? They’ve arrived at the airport. Who are they going to be looking out for? So once you collect your luggage and you clear through customs, there will be someone standing there with a sign that says Wendy Woo Tours and you just go up to them and they will direct you to your transfer. Nice and easy. Very. And if you are arriving late and are missing that first night’s welcome dinner, which is where you will get the um the tour briefing, don’t worry. What can they can expect for that? So the tour guide will give you a briefing every day anyway. So, if for whatever reason you do happen to miss that welcome dinner, don’t worry about it. You’ll get all the information the following day. And tell me, who can they expect to be traveling on tours? Oh, so many different types of people. So, our classic group tours are a maximum of 28 with an average passenger number of 20. And then our go beyond range, that’s a maximum of 18 with an average of 14 people. Now those people are usually from Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, but we do sometimes have guests from other parts of the world uh that also speak English. So really a really good opportunity to make friends from everywhere. Definitely. You I’m sure you will make a lot of friends. Yes. Well, thank you for your time, Holly. I appreciate it and I hope it helps all of you get prepared for that next trip. Thank you. Our friendly national escorts are the best in the business. They are all born and raised in the destination you’re exploring. So, there’s no one better to tell you more about the local culture, traditions, and way of life. They are with you from the moment you arrive to the second you leave, taking care of you every step of the way. Their passion and insider knowledge will transform your tour into a truly unforgettable adventure. And joining us again we have Nicole. Thanks for coming back Nicole. Thank you Karma. So we’re going to be running through some frequently asked questions specific to Japan. Beginning with the currency and payments. So the currency in Japan is the Japanese yen. It is still a largely cash focused society. So we recommend taking a mixture of cash and cards for payments. Uh cards are still widely accepted in the major cities. Great. And look, I know food is one of the big highlights of Japan. So, can you tell us a bit about what they can expect in regards to food on tour? Yeah. So, the Japanese cuisine is uh very diverse um largely focused on its presentation. So, you will find lots of fresh seafood. Uh breakfasts are a buffet style at the hotel. Lunches and dinners are a bit more traditional. So, your food will be served might be in a bento style or in individual plates. Um, you might get to experience low tables where you will sit on the floor on tatami mats. Uh, so that’s a nice little experience. Yeah, very traditional. I think it’s good to to get those experiences while you’re away. That’s right. And I know that most of our Japan tours do include a bullet train um service within the tour. So, can you tell us what passengers can expect when that happens? Yeah. So, for any bullet train journeys, your luggage will be transported separately to yourself on the train. So, your guide will um always give you a warning as to when you need to prepare and pack a overnight bag. So, the overnight bag should be enough to last you for a whole 24 hours until your luggage arrives at your next destination. Fabulous. And in regards to transfers, can you tell me a bit more information? I know they work a little bit differently in Japan. Yes. So, um, on arrival in Japan, your English speaking assistant will greet you at the airport, uh, will show you to where you need to take your transfer and give you a ticket, um, and also advise which stop you need to to stop at. So, it does work a little bit differently. Transfers are shared and may not be with other Wendy Woo travelers. It just depends on your arrival time. All right. Thank you for that information. And I know in this day and age really important how to keep in touch while you’re traveling. Can you give us a bit of advice? Of course. So Japan is nice and simple where uh it is easy to access connecting with relatives back here and friends. Uh Wi-Fi is widely available in most public places. So you can rely on that. You can also uh purchase a SIM card at the airports or most convenience stores in Japan. Their other alternative would be an eim. Great. Well, thank you so much for all this information. It has been very handy and much appreciated. It’s been great. Thank you. So, you might be wondering when’s the best time to visit Japan. Well, Japan is honestly wonderful year round, but I’ll give you a quick rundown on what you can expect in each of their seasons. In spring, the temperature is warming up and cherry blossom is in full bloom, so it’s a beautiful time to visit. The summer is Japan’s holiday season, so this is the best time to witness some of the country’s unique unique cultural festivals and experience the locals enjoying their time off. In autumn, you’ll find it starting to cool down again, and towards the end of autumn, you can witness those glorious displays of colorful foliage as the trees shed their leaves. Then in the winter, Japan offers a great white Christmas experience and it’s the perfect time to warm up in a Japanese oncense spa. So, if you do get to the airport and you find that your flight has been delayed by, say, 15 20 minutes, please don’t worry about it. Our local team are keeping an eye on everyone’s flights and they’ll adjust the transfer times accordingly if they need to. What we do need to know is if it’s majorly delayed, say more than 30 minutes, or if your flight has been cancelled, or if your flight number has changed. So, for example, you were boarding flight SQ123 and that has changed to SQ125. That is something we do need to know so that the team in the city you’re heading to, the transfer can be uh checking the correct flight and rearranging the times as necessary. Now if your flight is cancelled, the best person to speak to first is the airline representative in whichever airport you are in. They will be able to let you know first and foremost which flight you will be reaccommodated to. Okay. So once you have the new flight details, please do let us know. Now those emergency contact numbers are in your final document. So, your detailed day-to-day itinerary, usually page three or four, you’ll have two emergency contact numbers. The local team for the destination to which you are traveling and then the Wendy Woo Tours 24/7 emergency assistance line. Now, that 24/7 line is man 365 days a year. So, it doesn’t matter what time it is, where you are, someone will be available to answer. and then we’ll be able to contact the local team and rearrange your transfers if necessary. Perfect. So when a passenger arrives in destination, maybe they get to the arrival hall and they can’t find their transfer. What should they do? Okay, so great question. If that is the case, then please firstly call that local number for the country you are in at the time. they will be able to either direct you to where the transfer is waiting for you cuz I’m sure they’re looking for you too or uh they can bring someone to find where you are. If again you still can’t get through on that number for whatever reason, that 24/7 Wendywoo number is available as well. Great. And if they’re having any issues on tour, who should they reach out to? Oh, definitely the national escort or your local guide first. uh they’re going to be your best point of contact if you’re in the hotel and the aircon isn’t working, something along those lines. Speak to the front desk. Your guide is always there to support. Uh but anything that’s happening while you’re on the ground, definitely your guide is your best support network there. Great. Thanks, Holly. Sure. So, we love to get your feedback and throughout the tour, you will be given surveys and a survey when you return so that we can gather that feedback. But of course, if you’ve got anything else to tell us, want to share your photos, your share your experiences, please do. You can give us a call or you can email our customer relations. That’s right. Yes. So, the customer relations team is customer relations windywours.com.au. There’s also those details again in your final documents and a link to our survey as well. And any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you. Thank you for joining us today. And I do hope you found this video helpful. Of course, you can reach out at any time via email or telephone if you do have any other questions. And I wish you a happy holiday.