Testimonials

Overall I thought the pre-trip information was very good. If you read it carefully most questions were answered. A number of things I heard people complaining about were mentioned in the travel information. I think you should mention that laundry can be done daily on the ship more prominently, I would have bought less clothing with me than I did if I had have known how efficient the service was. Also, I would put more emphasis on renting the wetskins on the ship. Mention that they are very warm as well as keeping you dry, and the fact that if you rent them you save space in your luggage plus if you don't already have the appropriate gear it will save you a lot of money. The likelihood of rain/sleet/snow at the marathon should also be mentioned more prominently. My clothing worked well, but I hadn't planned for rain when I chose my headgear and gloves. The toughness of the course can't be underemphasised.

We were truly impress with the amazing level of detailed organization on such a grand scale, the hotels A+, food, I don't believe anyone will complain about not having had enough to eat. I am now trying to loose the 10 or 12 lbs I gained. The river cruise was so relaxing, peaceful and very scenic..... Sorry I can't think of any one thing I liked the best. oops, I take that back. Our MT guide Scott was AWESOME. I found myself observing him on several occasions, and I am convinced that he posses a certain quality about him that is exceptional only to those who truly love their job and people in general. To be able to deal with so many people and all the different personalities without once showing any level of annoyance is to be commended.

Thom, the amount of hard work that you, your staff and the crew put in, made this dream trip become a reality! Thank you for the wonderful memories and new friendships that were made. Looking forward to my next adventure to bring me one step closer to the Seven Continents Club. 

This was the best event I have attended with Marathon Tours. EVERYTHING was well organized from pick up at the airport, transportation to and from the airport, and all throughout the trip. I very much appreciate how well the trip/event was, how organized the trip was, and how much fun we had. This is definitely a trip I will attend again in the future. 

Thom & Co. deliver the goods. We are discerning travelers, comfortable and competent on our own for several decades, but whenever Marathon Tours offers an experience which matches our interests we sign up. We have visited the Antarctic and Madagascar, among several other tricky and interesting destinations, under Marathon Tours' aegis. In addition we have availed ourselves of unrelated tour operators and, as mentioned, struck out on our own (mostly) from time to time. No other travel arrangement service provider has even come close to giving us the wonderful, some would say life-changing, experiences that we have lived along with Thom and his team.

I must say that our One Ocean staff really helped make this trip fun and eventful. They had great personalities, a love for their job, and a passion for this journey. They worked very hard day after day accommodating our needs. Bill and Jane did an excellent job as well. 

Everything was planned perfectly. Nicole and the Marathon Tours staff did a fantastic job in communicating everything that was needed, such as tips about getting to the hotel from the airport, places to visit, and what to expect about the race registration process.

To be honest I booked through Marathon Tours because it was the only way I could get entry to the marathon. So I was amazed by how much I enjoyed the tour - I had no idea so much was included like the day tour and the lunch, and the function at the Park Hyatt. It was so easy and well organised and excellent value for money.

Seriously, everything was top notch. The Hilton was in the perfect location and I like that it was so close to the Shinjuku train station, The lunch on the city tour was amazing with the unbelievable views of the city. I was so glad I did the snow monkey tour. The lunch experience and the monkey park were perfect. I really can't thank the Marathon Tours staff enough for the outstanding trip.

I liked the extension. The hotel was in an ideal location, our tour guide was excellent, and I liked that we broke up the temples with a tea ceremony and sake museum. I like the time we had to do some shopping in Kyoto and liked the shrine at the top of the mountain.