Wendy Wu Tours

Yes, organised tours can be pricey but when it’s your first time in India, it’s well worth it. Our Wendy Wu tour guide was knowledgeable and organised with a great sense of humour. The bus driver was so skilled at navigating India’s chaotic streets and there is NO WAY in the world we would have seen so much in the time frame we had if it weren’t… Read more ·  1

for both of them. A special shout out to Amreesh (the water boy on the bus), who kept our drink bottles topped up with fresh water, handed out lollies and always greeted us with a warm smile. The bus was always kept immaculate inside and out. We did the Inspiring India tour and found the pace to be full on but we wanted to see as much as possible and we were happy with how it all went. The hotels were more than fine. We were in India. The meals were delicious and there was always more than enough. The tipping fee that we gave to the tour guide at the start of the tour worked out great for us because we find tipping quite difficult, so it was a relief to hand over the money and let him take care of everything. Would I do it again? Absolutely.

Kerala and the Southern Highlights. This was my third tour to India with Wendy Wu. We were there October-November and had a fabulous time with great fellow travellers. The tour did not disappoint in terms of attractions. In fact I learned a few new facts about the spread of Christianity in Chennai. Hotels were all lovely although if you enjoy… Read more ·  1

an alcohol beverage do a little research of the hotels before your trip. Food as usual in India is very good for lovers of Indian cuisine. The tea plantations amazing, and informative. Our national escort Ramesh was wonderful and extremely kind. Whilst the experience on the backwaters in Kerala was wonderful, our boat accommodation was very simple. We also extended with a tour to Goa arranged by Wendy Wu. Fabulous hotel

We have recently completed a Wendy Wu Tour in Japan (Japan Uncovered), which we booked several months ago. We had a marvellous time. The tour was well planned and well organised, and went really smoothly, thanks mainly to our excellent guide, Masayo Shiraki. She was extremely knowledgeable, and obviously an experienced guide. Her English was… Read more ·  1

excellent and she was easy to understand. She shared many facts and stories with us all, thus enhancing our experience on the tour.

Masayo worked tirelessly and efficiently in the background to ensure that we had the best possible experience. For us it was sorting out our dietary needs - we had told the Wendy Wu offices, on booking, and more recently, via our excellent travel agent that we did not eat beef, and that my husband was allergic to shellfish. This, somehow, became 'we are vegan' when we had our first meal in Osaka, which we are not. Masayo dealt with this in an extremely efficient and professional manner, which ensured we got appropriate food for the rest of the tour (without her we might well have got several tofu dishes at each meal).

Masayo certainly went beyond what was required - she was there to see us off on our final day - we had an early flight to Hong Kong, and she brought us some breakfast. Our departure was before the restaurant opened and a 'breakfast bag' was not an option. It was a very kind gesture, and much appreciated.

In conclusion, we had a fantastic holiday, which was due in no small part to our fabulous guide, Masayo Shiraki.

Thanks to all involved.

We have just completed our weeks tour of China with Wendy Woo Tours and can not recommend them enough. From the moment we were met at the airport to the drop off at the port was first class. Our tour guide Ivy made our stay in China safe, interesting and informative. She worked tirelessly to make sure our holiday was perfect. All trips arranged in… Read more ·  1

advance and restaurants booked ensured we had maximum time to enjoy everything. We saw so much in such a short time but Ivy kept us going with humour and her in-depth knowledge of her country. Finished of with a beautiful Chinese song.

Our trip to Taiwan was nothing short of astonishing. The arrangements made by Wendy Wu ran like clockwork, and the accommodation, food, and transport were all more than satisfactory. The three guides allocated to us - Flora, Iris and Lewis - were knowledgeable and personable and went out of their way to ensure that our trip was memorable. In 6 days we learned and experienced more than we had ever imagined. Show details ·  1

3 and 1/2 stars. The 12 Day Jewels of Japan was wonderful if a bit rushed. The sights were amazing and we even got to see Mt. Fuji from two different angles. It is definitely not a level 1 tour. I'd say a level 2/3 in places. Some places were quite steep and people did not/could not go. The tour guide was very good. The hotels were far better than… Read more

expected except Osaka, which was tired and was in the boonies. But the food in the Osaka hotel was excellent. I'd recommend slowing things down and perhaps giving an afternoon off so people could relax or go shopping. The food was fabulous at first then repetitive. 7Eleven did a roaring trade at times. The onsens brilliant after a long day. It was well organised. I'd go again. And Kudos to our first driver who did an amazing job.

Just came home from Japan Uncovered and we were very disappointed in a few things, especially the food. Repetitive meals for lunch and dinner for the first week, meals already on the table when we arrived which were cold, got so tired of bento boxes and miso soup, rice and raw fish twice a day and then they got steadily worse, meals in cafeteria… Read more

style places and cook your own on these burner type bowls and again all sitting on the table for we don’t know how long, a few people began to go out for meals on their own, including us.

The trip to the miso factory and the wasabi farm were a waste of time and we were getting tired of shrines, castles and temples. We did see some lovely places like Mr Fuji, the volcano, the snow monkeys, the memorial at Hiroshima. There was a lot of walking and steps and a lot of long bus trips and we were exhausted by the end of the trip.

We upgraded to Premium Economy for our flights and got Cathy Pacific but only got Premium Economy from Melbourne to Hong Kong and then economy to Japan with two stops. Coming home was economy from Japan to Hong Kong and then Premium Economy from Hong Kong to Melbourne. For the extra we paid it was totally not worth it as the planes were old and nowhere near the standard of Qantas or Singapore Airlines.

We found the hotel rooms to be quite nice and clean and the beds were quite comfortable which was a good thing as we were exhausted every night.

Our tour guide Yakari was excellent and very helpful and spoke very good English. Japan is a very clean country and the people are lovely and everyone is so respectful.

We really don’t think we got good value for money with Wendy Wu and are unlikely to use them again.

wonders of China My Wife and I finished a tour last week with 27 other Happy tourists Our tour guide was Ivy what a fantastic and wonderful person she made our tour so organized and enjoyable was like a big family Accomadation and 3 meals a day were 4 to 5 star our local tour guides and bus drivers excellent what a team we toured all sites… Read more ·  1

that were on our schedule plus some extras was a full on tour from morning to night start to finish we enjoyed every minute thanks to Ivy and her local team Wendy Wu you are lucky to have such a great PEOPLE WORKING FOR YOU

Just returned from Japan uncovered in August and I loved every minute. I am a solo traveller 65yr old female and felt safe and included in this great tour. Japan is fascinating and very beatiful, our tour leader U-Kari was very knowledgeable and spoke perfect English. Her love of her country and her job shone through. I would recommend this tour… Read more ·  1

to anyone ..but you have to be fit enough to climb many steps and walk a few klms per day. I am from a hot climate so didn't mind the heat but it definetley was affecting others from the colder climate. I would love to go back to Japan in the cherry blossom season just to see the contrast. Tanya S

Japan by Rail – We have just returned from Japan by Rail and found it an amazing cultural experience. We are both in our late seventies and found the whole trip a rewarding experience. Our guide was excellent and at times went out of his way to ensure the whole group enjoyed every activity. There is some walking, which we were informed of in the program, but this allowed us to embrace the culture more than any bus tour or cruise. Show details ·  1

Angkor to the Bay – I have recently returned from a Wendy Wu Tour to Cambodia and Vietnam. Had a wonderful experience thanks to the tour guides who looked after us. Sokhoeun Bout in Cambodia was a mine of information and such a lovely warm person. In Vietnam our tour guide Duc had has work cut out looking after the bunch of Aussies and Kiwis in the group. I feel I… Read more

have seen Vietnam from bottom to top with many memorable highlights along the way. Would travel with Wendy Wu again. I little more free time or down time would have been appreciated. Julie Y , Blenheim, NZ

Vietnam and Cambodia - highly recommend – Just returned from a Wendy Wu tour of Vietnam and Cambodia. Our guides Duc in Vietnam and Sokhoeun Bout were excellent. Both gentlemen were efficient, funny, caring and flexible. The bulk of our time was in Vietnam and Duc certainly went over and above his role to be helpful. The tour was excellent. I would have liked a bit more free time to… Read more ·  1

explore here and there and I found the drink choices ie beer and coke or sprite at some restaurants a bit limited as I don't drink either so had to stick with water, but having all the meals provided was excellent. Drivers were good also. I would certainly go on another Wendy Wu tour after experiencing this tour. Congratulations Sokhoeun and Duc on a great job and Wendy Wu organisation for the tour.

Not value for the money charged, Japan Uncovered – Misleading re a level 1 tour (Japan Uncovered). Way more extensive walking and stairs up/down at almost all locations. We would suggest if you have any mobility issues (knees, hips, walking etc) then this tour is probably not for you. Could not believe the Osaka welcome first night where we walked and traveled by train to get to some far away… Read more

restaurant. It also involved getting several lifts at the station. Because of the group size it required 3 lift trips to move the group each time. We also had to do this in reverse to get back to the hotel, arriving around 9.30pm. As well most people had just arrived that morning/afternoon (some about 6pm that night) and did not get much sleep/rest on the plane. Wendy Wu, what on earth are you thinking, why not a drink and a small meal in a local nearby restaurant to welcome everyone. We were up and on the bus at 7.50am the next morning. Not a good start to our tour.

Many reviewers have already commented about the disappointing traditional Japanese cold repetitive food on various Japanese tours. Have to agree with them. The only thing warm for us was the miso soup and sometimes the rice. We had hot tempura once, the rest of the tempura was cold. Sometimes we would have western style food or a serve yourself smorgasbord which was amazingly tasty and enjoyable.

On one occasion, on our return to the hotel from a traditional (cold) Japanese meal, about 10 people headed off to the family mart shop to get a sandwich and a piece of fruit for dinner.

On numerous occasions the time allotted for a site visit was way too much, with most people back to the meeting point/bus about 30 minutes before the allotted time. If we arrived early for lunch, the restaurant was not ready for us, hence the need to fill in time. Hotels in most cases were about 3 stars. Two hotels had a step of about 200mm plus to get into/out of the bathroom. Downright dangerous and so easy to fall in the night/dark. These bathrooms were prefab with plumbing underneath I suspect, hence the need to be raised up so far.

There were some enjoyable aspects on our trip, but we would rate it overall 40% good, 60% disappointing .

All in all, disappointing and definitely NOT value for money. (We have raised some issues with our travel agent)

Bad and Misleading advertising – Just got back from a Week in Japan tour. Wendy Wu were very misleading to some passengers amount of walking done on tour., which caused stress to them It is also clear they don't read previous reviews about cold repetitive food Hotel in Osaka had beautiful dining room, but the sadist hotels room I had ever been I Iterinery was good and… Read more

guide very good I doubt I will travel with them again I tried to contact them to discuss these matters, but they did not show much interest

Angkor to the Bay – Just came back from Angkor to the Bay, highly recommend guides, Soccun and Kym, whole trip was great, musician on ship in Halong bay was excellent! Show details

A China Experience – This is the first Wendy Wu tour which my husband and I have done. The overall experience was absolutely fantastic, from the food to the sights and evening entertainment. Lisa our tour guide attended to all our needs. She was friendly, polite, knowledgeable and a great communicator. Wendy Wu is very lucky to have Lisa as an ambassador. We will definitely do more tours in the future with Wendy Wu Show details

Great Itinerary for Japan by Rail but let down by the quality of one of our three guides – We did Wendy Wu Japan by Rail and although many aspects of the trip were good we were let down by having three different guides; the middle one who was hopeless as a guide was the guide with us for the longest period of time. It was only when we had the third guide that we started to be told about Japan and its people. The third guide was kept… Read more

very busy answering questions and in many ways he saved our trip from being quite a waste of money. The guide who was hopeless did not have strong English, struggled to do translations when we were participating in an activity such as fan painting and seemed to lack the knowledge about his country beyond knowing the population size of each city and prefecture. He could not explain what a prefecture actually is. He was good at getting us from A to B, on and off trains but he was not a tour guide who increased our knowledge of Japan, its people and culture, the food, religions, their lifestyles and what makes the people of Japan so polite, helpful and welcoming. He would not allow us to stop to get a drink mid morning and mid afternoon which was almost distressing for some in the group when breakfast was very early and lunch was not until after 1.30pm. He always took off at a pace and failed to look back and check for his group, moving quickly through crowds can be challenging. We have travelled extensively around the world, both in tour groups and independently and this is the first time we have been let down by the standard of a tour guide. The food tended to be repetitive although it improved as we went further north with the exception of the meal on the last night at the Sapporo Brewery which was an extremely disappointing meal. We really enjoyed being able to see so much of Japan and would have liked an extra night in Sendai, Hakodate and Sapporo. The cherry blossoms were at their peak up in northern areas but we had minimal free time to enjoy them. More free time built into the schedule would make this a more enjoyable tour. I have put some time between our tour in April and writing this review to make sure I was writing a review that was not just driven by disappointment. We were fortunate to travel with a lovely group of people from Australia, UK and NZ, that leaves us with many positive memories.

Fabulous – Our 16 day Wonders of China tour was fabulous! Such a great experience, and a real education. Our tour guide, George Pu, was amazing with his care for us all and his knowledge and love of China. The one down side was the food. Eating Chinese food, basically the same food for both lunch and dinner, didn’t go down well with some, and because all… Read more

meals were included in the cost, there was usually no other option available. The cruise that we were a bit dubious about, was a highlight of the trip, providing a great opportunity to get together with the rest of the tour group, and plenty of shore excursions. The western style food was also very much appreciated. Be prepared to spend much more than the $300 a week (as quoted in tour documentation) for optional extras. However, it was our decision to do the extra tours, and we have no regrets about the extra cost. A couple of extra days added to the tour would have been appreciated. It was go, go all the time, and I would have liked a little more free (shopping) time. Definitely an extra day in Shanghai at the end, but you could easily add an extra day.

Worst tour – I’ve enjoyed many tours, at all price levels, however Wendy Woo Discover Japan tour was extremely disappointing. Despite the tour being expensive the hotels were all 3 star except the last one which was 4 and there were no double beds for couples. The sights after the first few days were repetitive and boring, comprising mostly of temples and… Read more

gardens. On the two occasions we skipped the tour we found fabulous places to visit and enjoyed great food on the street and local restaurants. The Japanese food for lunch and dinner was unappetising, poor quality, served cold and much the same at every meal. Long walks to get to the restaurants exposed us to the heat and the rain. The only redeeming feature was our guide who was very good (hence the two stars).

Magnificent China - amazing – 22 days with Raymond, Jack, Sally, Sam and Troy as our national and local guides and a wonderful crew of tourers was an amazing experience which we would highly recommend. China surprised and overwhelmed at every turn. Show details