Exploring Life & Business with Adeline Kuroki of Savor & Soak Travel Co.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adeline Kuroki.

Hi Adeline, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always loved to travel, and I moved abroad within a week of graduating from university. I lived and worked for 3 years in China before being transferred to Fukuoka, Japan. In Japan, I soon quit my office job to start a fitness studio, and I spent my time leading group hikes and facilitating yoga and brunch events around the city to a mix of locals and expats. I met and married my husband in Japan, and when he was offered a job in Golden, we made the move to Colorado. Here, I started working for a local branch of a travel company specializing in Japan travel. While I knew a lot about Japan, and could explain to Americans what would be different on their trip to Japan, I had so much to learn about different places in Japan and how travel passes worked for tourists. There were actually so many popular sites in Japan that I had no idea about!
During covid, I stayed home with my 2 young children and when people were able to start traveling again, I decided to start my own business so that I could have the flexibility to spend time with my kids, travel as much as possible, and help others to travel too!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been tough for me to figure out the best schedule, where I have dedicated time to work and respond quickly to my clients, the flexibility to travel (my daughters and I are on the road about 5 months of the year while my husband holds down the fort at home), and time to hang out with my daughters and also to homeschool them (as the aforementioned 5 months of travel makes a traditional school schedule a bit tricky). So far it has really been a lot of trial and error, with more trial and error to come! Next year we will be based in Japan and my daughters will be in local school to improve their Japanese. I’m excited to have a bit more dedicated work time, but I’m sure there will be new challenges to navigate as well.

We’ve been impressed with Savor & Soak Travel Co., but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m the founder of the travel planning business Savor & Soak Travel Co. I specialize in planning trips to Japan, with an emphasis on creating unique, culturally-conscious itineraries. I also believe in transparent pricing, and charge a per-day trip planning fee for my time and expertise. I’m then able to provide my clients with a complete price breakdown for all aspects of their trip so that they can decide where they’d like to spend their money.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
As with so many industries, I think travel has been irrevocably impacted by AI. I’m hopeful that in the coming years, AI will lead to more equality in flight prices and hopefully less stress for everyone when looking at flight tickets. But for actual trip planning, at least for the foreseeable future, I don’t think AI is adding any benefits. With so much more technology, and so much mis-information online, I actually see more people wanting to deal with a human when planning their trip.

I’m also hopeful that the sustainable and regenerative travel trends are here to stay, with travelers focusing less on getting “that shot” in front of a famous building and more about connecting with locals, and learning about traditional methods of farming, fishing, and making traditional crafts. I have more clients than ever preferring a local foodie guide to a self-guided food tour, and requests for local shops and artisans from which to buy souvenirs.

Pricing:

• Osusume Trip Planning $200 per trip day
• Omakase Trip Planning $300 per trip day
• Conbini Consulting $100 per hour

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.savorandsoak.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savorandsoak/?hl=en
• Other: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/savorandsoak.com