The last time I went to the tour, I booked a great trip to the various onsens or hot springs in Japan. This time round, I’m looking for great deals for my honeymoon at the end of the year. My friend went to Greece, and some suggested New Zealand. Any suggestions?

Before you decide on the tour package, check for the hidden charges such as fuel surcharges, taxes, and add-on day tours. I went with my friend on a very cheap tour to Chiang Mai before, and we had to pay 500 baht per person to go to each location, such as going to the borders between three countries, and a visit to the Karen hill tribes. So the best deal may not be that great.

In addition, my trip to Korea was filled with lots of visits to shops and stores where the tour guide could earn commission. The photographer with us tried to take photos of us, which he would charge $8 per photo. One family had to pay more than $300 for the photos because they did not know about this.

At the same time, some tours may fail to materialise because not enough customers book them. If you happen to be on such a tour, you may have to change your plans. Check whether there would be any refunds if this happens.

You may also decide whether you want to see a lot of different places, or you want to enjoy each place at your own pace. Do check with the agencies what languages the tour guides would be speaking in. On my last trip to Japan, the local tour guide could barely speak English and Mandarin. It so happened that most of the tourists on my coach came from English-speaking backgrounds, so when the man tried to lapse into Cantonese, he lost almost all of us.

Enjoy your trip! 

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