Laurus Travel

10/14/2026

Travelling to China or Japan This Fall? A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way

With October well underway, the fall travel season for China and Japan is in full swing. Many Laurus Travel guests are packing their bags and preparing to depart for these two popular destinations in the coming days and weeks.

Besides packing and reviewing travel documents, getting familiar with immigration and customs procedures should be part of your trip preparation.

Both China and Japan offer online systems that allow international visitors to submit their arrival information before departure. China's online arrival card and Japan's Visit Japan Web can help simplify airport formalities and save time upon arrival.

To make things easier for our guests and other travellers, we've prepared two practical guides explaining how these systems work and how to complete the required information:

China Arrival Card: https://laurustravel.com/general-information/china-arrival-card/

Japan Visit Japan Web: https://laurustravel.com/general-information/visa/visit-japan-web-a-guide-for-travellers-to-japan/

Both services are free, and advance registration is recommended.

Happy travels from all of us at Laurus Travel!

10/11/2026

Laurus Travel exhibited at the Vancouver International Travel Expo yesterday at the invitation of the Indonesian Consulate General in Vancouver. Below is the featured tour at our booth:

https://laurustravel.com/southeast-asia-tours/best-of-indonesia/

10/08/2026

The Takayama Spring Festival, also known as the Sanno Matsuri, is held annually on April 14 and 15 in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Ranked as one of Japan's three most beautiful festivals, it marks the coming of spring and is the annual festival of the Hie Shrine.

Check out the short video based on footage filmed by our staff early this year (2026).

09/29/2026

Good morning from Bangkok!

After a hearty breakfast, we are on the way to Ayutthaya, a historic island city and UNESCO World Heritage Site located 80 kilometers north of Bangkok.

09/28/2026

Escape the Canadian Winter: Visit Sri Lanka

For Canadians looking for a sunny and warm destination this winter, Sri Lanka deserves serious consideration. This tropical island is home to an impressive concentration of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including ancient cities, Buddhist temples, historic fortifications and extraordinary natural areas. Add lush tea country, scenic mountain railways and beautiful tropical landscapes, and there is much to experience within a relatively small country.

Our latest article explores some of Sri Lanka’s highlights and Laurus Travel’s 12-day Sri Lanka Discovery, travelling from the Cultural Triangle and Kandy through Nuwara Eliya and Ella to Galle on the southern coast.

Read more about our Sri Lanka vacation packages at https://laurustravel.com/sri-lanka-vacation-packages/

09/24/2026

🍁 Japan Autumn Foliage Tours 🍁

🍂 Japan autumn foliage tours offer a very different experience from the better-known cherry blossom season. From mountain regions to historic cities, autumn brings brilliant shades of red, orange and gold, along with generally comfortable temperatures for sightseeing.

🍂 The autumn colours move gradually from north to south and from higher elevations to lower areas. In many popular destinations in central Japan, including Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara, the best colours often appear in November, although the timing varies from year to year.

🍂 Read full article at

japan autumn foliage tours highlighting enchanting fall colours viewing in Tokyo, Kanazawa, Takayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima...

09/19/2026

Rick, your bubble tea is here😂

This is a drone delivery requested by one of our guests in Shanghai today.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

09/10/2026

Enjoying a tea break, Chinese style.

09/06/2026

How to Choose a Tour Company: Why Online Reviews Don’t Tell the Whole Story

Choosing the right tour company can make the difference between a memorable journey and an expensive disappointment. With hundreds of companies competing for your business, online reviews may seem like the obvious place to start.

Reviews are certainly useful, but they should not be the deciding factor.

The number of reviews a tour company has can be influenced by its size, the age and habits of its customers, how aggressively it solicits reviews and even how easy its preferred review platform is to use. A company with thousands of online reviews is not necessarily better than one with a few hundred.

Instead of simply counting stars and reviews, look more closely at what you are actually buying.

Read full article at https://laurustravel.com/2026/09/06/how-to-choose-a-tour-company/

08/03/2026

Why the Right Travelling Companions Matter

The success of a group tour is rarely determined by the itinerary alone. More often, it is the people you travel with who shape the memories you take home.

Travel companies spend considerable time choosing hotels, restaurants, local guides and transportation because they know quality matters. Yet one important ingredient is often overlooked: the compatibility of the people travelling together. Even the finest itinerary can be overshadowed if a few participants are habitually late, unwilling to cooperate, demanding of special treatment or simply difficult to get along with.

When travellers return home disappointed by a group tour, they sometimes conclude that group travel is not for them. In many cases, however, the problem is not the concept of group travel. It is the way the group was assembled and managed.

Read full article at

If you ever wonder why the right travelling companions matter so much to your group tour, here are the reasons...