Melissa Kruse

Provided great advice and service. Responded quickly to my questions.

Melissa was fantastic, and we feel like we couldn't have done this trip without her! Neither of us had ever been to Japan before, so there was a lot of culture shock that she helped to prepare us for. She helped us to anticipate things we didn't even realize would be issues, like how to navigate (and pay for) the trains, museum entry tickets that would need to be purchased months in advance, and so much more. She prepared us well for our journey, and each day we had a clearly delineated plan on Fora that we referred to frequently. This time we also used the Fora app, and it was so nice to have an outline of our day already laid out ahead of time. Melissa was so patient with us during the planning process, and helped us to create an experience that checked all of our boxes. She even helped us to plan seats during our train travel to give us the best chances of seeing Mount Fuji, which is tricky this time of year (and we did get to see the mountain, thanks in no small part to these efforts!). She was responsive when we reached out mid-trip with questions, and made us feel like we were never without support if we needed it. We will definitely use her again. Cannot recommend Melissa Kruse enough!

From start to finish, the planning was completely seamless. I didn't have to worry about a single logistical detail; I just got to show up to Portugal, and enjoy every moment.

Melissa has now booked two trips for me. One for my 40th birthday and one for this trip. I really like working with Melissa on trips that feel a bit out of my comfort zone or with destinations that don't have english as their first language. Melissa's communications are clear, consistent and she really listens to the type of trip you're looking for. She also does a GREAT job of making sure all of our accommodations and tours feel local and immersive. On this trip specifically she had us work with one local company, Guiding Galapagos and they were far from on 'island time.' They were prompt to everything we did, helped us navigate many transfers and check points and also provided us with quality equipment. Melissa was completely available the entire trip even though she was personally traveling and was able to help us in real time when our flights got cancelled and we needed to reschedule some of our activities. She remains excited for us throughout the entire planning process and will give advice when asked for it but it never feels like she's pushing us to do things on a trip just because its something you should do (ex. on this trip, there was a 9 mile volcano hike that I'm sure was beautiful but when we said no, she didn't push for us to keep it). I will absolutely be using her services in the future.

Melissa was great to work with and made my trip to Japan seamless from start to finish. She helped plan my itinerary across Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka, and every detail was thoughtfully considered. Including her suggestion to do Hakone between Tokyo and Kyoto which was the more relaxed part of the trip I needed as a break between big cities.

What really stood out was how she went beyond just listing destinations. She mapped out beyond just the highlights, handled all the logistics, and shared suggestions /recs I never would have thought of on my own. Navigating Japan can feel overwhelming, but Melissa’s knowledge of things like the train systems and each city made everything feel easy and completely stress free.

I especially loved the hotels she recommended. The Kyoto hotel was perfectly located and added so much to the overall experience. Her bar and restaurant suggestions were also great and ended up being some of my favorite moments of the trip.

If you’re planning a trip to Japan (or anywhere!), I can’t recommend Melissa enough. She truly elevates the experience and ensures you can just relax and enjoy every moment.