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What travelers are saying

"First, let me say our tour guide Tomomi S. is hands down THE best tour guide I’ve ever had - knowledgeable, fun and made great efforts to ensure that we were comfortable and happy (MTSobek tour guides are independent contractors. Tomomi also works for other Adventure/Tour companies) Secondly, Japan is beautiful, clean and the Japanese people are very welcoming. The hiking in the national parks was amazing. It could have been a truly five-star experience if MtSobek had not cut corners so egregiously. The website said (at the time) group tours are 5-22 people. The tour gets canceled if the minimum is not met. When I paid there were TWO other people booked-a mother and daughter duo. Shortly before our departure date I called to see if the tour would be cancelled. I wanted my money back but Mt Sobek was “pleased to say that the trip would not be canceled”. In other words, I could not get a refund. At the last minute a guy named Matt signed up so there were four of us. Five days into the trip Matt left and took a train back to Tokyo. I said to him “You realize Mt Sobek is not going to refund you”. He said, “I don’t care, Mt Sobek scammed us.” With tax, the tour costs $11,645 for 13 nights. For that price there is an expectation that the accommodations Mt Sobek chooses would be decent and clean. We all fully expected a ‘traditional Japanese experience’ which often means no private bath and 8 out of the 13 nights we slept on futon mats on the floor. However, Mt Sobek consistently booked us in the cheapest Ryokans (hotels) in each area in which we travelled. Most of these hotels were unclean and very out-dated. One Ryokan they booked us in was listed on a hotel website for $40 USD/night when there were much nicer accommodations nearby for $100 USD/night. (The Japanese yen is way down, the luxury Park Hotel in Tokyo was $200 USD/night. A comparable hotel would have been about $800/night in Austin.). We were the only people staying in several hotels that accomadated many more people. The most egregious example of MtSobek’s booking the cheapest rooms is when we were booked at a large traditional ski lodge at the base of a spectacular mountain. It was beautiful on the website but had two very different wings. One wing was modern, clean and beautiful with simple beds. The other wing was very old (similar to a cheap Motel 6 that had not been updated since the 1970’s). The carpet and bathrooms were disgusting and like many of the Ryocans where we stayed the futon mats seemed as though they had not been cleaned In 30 years. Only after our tour guide checked us in did we realize we had been booked in the cheap rooms. I asked Tomo why. Immediately someone from MtSobek reached out to me and said, “gosh, I’m sorry you did not realize you were going to have a traditional Japanese experience”. Really? “Traditional” experience depends upon one’s budget. In the US, “traditional” to some people may be the Marriott, a Motel 6 or the Four Seasons Hotels. We were paying for a Marriott experience and received the one-star Motel 6 experience. Upon arrival in Tokyo I expected to be met at the airport by a driver (as many tour companies do). However, several days before our arrival dates in Tokyo, MtSobek sent an email telling us how to locate taking a city bus from the bustling Tokyo airport. That is interesting if you do not speak Japanese. MtSobek cleverly uses great photography and elaborate descriptions of the national parks and the hiking while using terms like “traditional Japanese experience with tatami-mat sleeping” to disguise sub-standard accommodations. At one point we were looking on-line at the very hotel where we were staying and did not even recognize it from the website pictures. The hiking was amazing. The group size was disappointing with just the three of us. I would absolutely recommend a hiking tour through Japan, just not with MtSobek."

What travelers are saying

"After careful research I chose this group to take 14 of my friends to Pamplona to experience the Running if the Bulls!! Throughout the process Toby was there to answer any and all questions I had for my group. Once we arrived everything was organized and communicated well and had an amazing experience from start to finish! If you are looking for a tour group to use I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this company and it’s employees!! Thanks again for such a great trip for me and my friends!!!"

What travelers are saying

"I got to arrive just when the whole coronavirus thing exploded! I was the last foreigner this agency received as they closed borders in India!... the truth is that super well everything, helped me a lot and solved problems that were coming out during the journey like closing points of interest, museums, restaurants, Etc! The guides I had amazing, spoke very well Spanish and English... Mohsin, the driver I had for the longest driving very well and was very kind! I really appreciate everything you did for me, I had an amazing experience Thanks to Sabi and the whole team Contes Asia."

What travelers are saying

"Bhutan experience was awesome! We had 2 days “home-stay” or B & B in our terms and this was fantastic. The home-stay was located in the proximity of another cliff monastery on a smaller scale to Tigers Nest. The entire experience is making us ache for a return trip to Bhutan only longer to include a trek!"

What travelers are saying

"I got to arrive just when the whole coronavirus thing exploded! I was the last foreigner this agency received as they closed borders in India!... the truth is that super well everything, helped me a lot and solved problems that were coming out during the journey like closing points of interest, museums, restaurants, Etc! The guides I had amazing, spoke very well Spanish and English... Mohsin, the driver I had for the longest driving very well and was very kind! I really appreciate everything you did for me, I had an amazing experience Thanks to Sabi and the whole team Contes Asia."

What travelers are saying

"I did this trek with my husband Troy and we got vivid experience with the team of Peregrine. They are professional for this trek and organized everything as per our requirement. We would like to highly recommend this trekking company and our guide Chetup."

What travelers are saying

"Me tocó llegar Justo cuando exploto todo el tema del coronavirus! Fui la última extranjera que esta agencia recibió ya que cerraron fronteras en la India!... la verdad es que súper bien todo, me ayudaron muchísimo y resolvieron problemas que fueron saliendo durante el trayecto como el cierre de puntos de interés, museos, restaurantes, etc! Los guías que tuve increíble, hablaban muy bien español e inglés... Mohsin, el conductor que tuve por mayor tiempo manejaba muy bien y fue muy amable! De verdad les agradezco muchísimo todo lo que hicieron por mi, tuve una experiencia increíble Gracias a Sabi y todo el equipo Contes Asia. I had to arrive just when the whole coronavirus thing exploded! I was the last foreigner this agency received as they closed borders in India!... the truth is that super good everything, they helped me a lot and solved problems that were leaving during the journey such as closing points of interest, museums, restaurants, Etc! The guides I had amazing, spoke very well Spanish and English... Mohsin, the driver I had for the longest time drove very well and was very friendly! I really thank you so much for everything you did for me, I had an amazing experience Thanks to Sabi and the whole team Contes Asia."

What travelers are saying

"It is a difficult job to make everybody happy all of the time, but you ladies do a superb job. We were definitely off the beaten path, and when following that path there are sometimes unexpected surprises, but every bump was handled beautifully."