Awesome holiday with an awesome tour company. From the moment we arrived we were totally impressed. The accommodation was great with welcoming staff who were more than helpful. The tour guides were professional and gave great advice and provided memorable experiences every day regardless of conditions. Hats off to the whole crew, except those at the karaoke, who's performance was well under par.!! Haha.
We will definitely be back for more.!!
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We had an excellent time on the Secret Tour by Powder Recon (which covers part of the resorts of the Powder Odyssey Tour resorts), and it delivered as advertised: an abundance of powder conditions both on and off piste, led by a very knowledgeable, capable, and client-focused group of guides. The Bandai area mountains are not huge and the trails not overly difficult, but the terrain is varied and the tree skiing challenging enough for most. Accommodations and food were first rate. I would recommend this trip for those looking for an authentic Japan skiing/boarding experience in a very scenic setting, easily reached by train from Tokyo.
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This was a superbly organised tour, from the very first email exchange with Luke to Yaan depositing us at the train station to travel back to Tokyo.
The weather was not in favour of those wanting to 'power powder' but Yaan and Tasu made the best of what was available. We skied a different resort each day, all lift tickets were organised, and a tour of the resort was done as the first set of runs to show us around.
The accommodation was traditional but with Yaan and Tasu explaining the etiquette we didn't cause too much disapproval:)
A great trip and we will book again.
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Overall i thought the week was awesome. both marco and marc were excellent at looking after us and taking us to the best lines on the mountain for the conditions.
Accomodation and food excellent.
Both guides more than helpful in all aspects. I know i had a great time and so did all my friends.
i would definitely like to come back!!
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As always Powderhounds your reviews and recommendations are on point. I first read about this Northern Odyssey tour here and thought it sounded like a great adventure and it exceeded all my expectations. Our friendly and super helpful guides Marco and Belhu found us secret powder stashes on most days in what was a challenging season for snow in Japan.
And thanks so much for my impromptu birthday dance party. Such a great trip can’t wait to come back again someday!
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Had so much fun last year on Odyssey tour decided to book 2 weeks back to back this year. Although the snow fall was not as good as past years, still had plenty of skiing options. Guides spread their time amongst the group so that everyone with different ability had skiing options and were encouraged - unlike some other operators where it is all about the adrenalin charged 'boys club' . In times of poor conditions (eg rain) group was consulted on alternative activities eg visiting a Sake brewery. Guides were fun, flexible and inclusive. Feedback given to company on improving pre-tour information regarding meals and travel arrangements and this has been well received. As a single female on tour, I always felt safe and included and had some of the best skiing fun ever in Japan ( have skied Japan for over 10 seasons and tried a variety of tours) . I will be booking again. Thanks Marco and Marc and Powder Recon. PS take your skins, you never know when you might get a chance to use them!
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Lot of time is scrappy tight trees with no other options due to very average snow conditions
Bus was way too small for any level of comfort, invest in some advanced driver training for guides ( safety with passengers)
Felt like we were left behind on last day while guides beat it back to morioka taking some guests with them while we were left to catch a bus and a train in the opposite direction to get back :poor communication
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Thank you Powder Recon. Everything was fantastic. The accommodation, breakfast, the hospitality shown my ALL members of the Powder Recon team and the awesome guides. Would thoroughly recommend this company/experience/ski tip. Thank you.
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We went to Myoko (via Tokyo) as a group of 13 for a week this February 2020. Most of us were first time visitors to Japan. The advance documentation and assistance from Powder Recon was excellent and this continued once there. Lodging was very comfortable, ski hire and set-up painless. Well organised with group meetings every night to advise the following day's activities. The guiding was a particular highlight with professional, accommodating and good-humored guides happy to lead us across a range of mountains and terrain. All in all this was a fantastic trip and we all look forward to returning both to Japan and Powder Recon.
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Great tour, great guides, great times!

Although mother nature didn't provide fresh snow every day our guides, Marco and Mark went to great lengths to ensure that we found some fresh lines. The guides ensured that all levels of capabilities were catered for. We were first on the lifts each morning ensuring that we got first tracks at all the fields we visited.

The tour also included some cultural aspects of touring Sake Bars , Onsen protocol, and amazing restaurants and breweries.

Totally recommend this tour for those that are keen for POW.
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We've previously experienced the "Bandai Tour" with Powder Recon a few years ago (then called "Secret Tour"), because we couldn't get a booking on the Northern Odyssey Tour, because it books out months in advance!!....so it was a must do for our Japan 2019 trip. So in February 2019, we spent a week with Powder Recon in Myoko (also see Waz@Oz review under Myoko) before joining Powder Odyssey.....YES....2 trips back to back.
We believe that Powder Recon provide the best value for money / best experience tour you will find. They provide for a cross section of Ages and skier or boarder ability. The Powder Odyssey Tour had the best guides; one was a French Canadian instructor and one a Japanese local telemark champion (thanks Alexi & Hiro....you are legends !!) as well as one of the senior staff of Powder Recon as terrific support (Thanks Dan !!). The Tour accessed local ski-fields around Morioka followed by the terrific Resort at Aomori-Springs. The skiing was excellent; the ski-guiding was first-class with safety at top of mind; the accommodation was terrific with Onsens and great food.
This was my 4th trip with Powder Recon and we are booking with them again for 2020 and beyond .
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Myoko (Akakura Onsen) still retains an authentic feel so that visitors will have a great "Japan" experience. We first went there in 2014 (it had few Westerners then) and re-visited again recently in February 2019, with "Powder Recon", who we highly recommend to anyone. Powder Recon are long term residents of Akakura, have their own Office-Cafe, have a mix of Western & Japanese local staff, and so they know the area better then anyone.....they even have their own Lodge. They have a "we can help you with anything" attitude, but are conscious of your safety and pay attention to your skiing ability. My wife didn't want to do more adventurous skiing one day, and she was guided individually (thanks Maria!) on piste runs. You will experience great value for money, with their all inclusive packages, but the flexibility to go out and mix up your dining in nearby local restaurants and bars, from Japanese to Korean (and Western) cuisine to choose from. We prefer the half day guiding they offer as it allows you the flexibility to mix who you want to ski with in the afternoon, after having been shown around the ski-resorts....and it brings the fee they charge down considerably from other Tour operators. We've toured with many different guides and Tour Operators, and even though we have done all the Tours that Powder Recon provide, we are doing them again.
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Fantastic tour, cant say enough about Powder Recon and the team. We hardly lifted a finger the entire trip and they got us to the best powder over the week. The guides knew where the hidden powder spots were.
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I enjoyed the Bandai Odyssey experience.
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What a great trip. It was our first trip to Japan for my wife and I and this trip was fantastic. We stayed in great hotels/resorts with the best japanese food and we were the only westerns at each ski resort everyday. The guides Ray and Vaughn were excellent and they took us straight to the good powder stashes everyday. It was a great trip and was run very professionally. We went to a different resort everyday so everyday was a new day to have fresh tracks and it was great to see the real japanese culture. If anyone is looking to do a trip to japan I HIGHLY RECOMMEND POWDER RECON!!!!!!!!!!! Great value for money without a doubt.
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My son and I just spent a week with Powder Recon in Myoko. It was an amazing trip. The Lodge was comfortable and had a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. The guides were all excellent at finding hidden stashes of untracked powder, even days after the last dump.
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Last week I was lucky enough to join our guides James, Vaughn and Miashta for the epic ski experience that is the Powder Recon Odyssey tour.

All of us on the trip remarked at how well organised it was. The group was a really nice match. The accommodation, transport and agenda were all first class. All of the guides went out of their way to ensure all the guest had a great time catering for every request with enthusiasm and a good dose of charaima.

The resorts selected to visit made the most of the weather conditions which we encountered throughout the week which was fantastic. The best part of this however was the depth of knowledge the guides had with regard to the mountain. For example choosing a resort which benefited from the high winds dumping the snow into certain tree sections. Avoiding long hikes and flat sections as well as avoiding the lines which are known to annoy the mountain patrol and lead to a clipped lift pass.

This tour is well and truly off the beaten track and a real insight into the Japanese ski scene outside of the influence of western culture. Highly recommended.
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Staff was great, without exception. Snow was abundant. Terrain was mediocre at best. The combination of mediocre terrain and limited lifts doom this to a mediocre experience at a high price.
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/totally awesome, couldn't recommend enough!
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I recently got back from skiing for a week with Powder Recon in Alts Bandai. They are awesome, and so is the place. They have several guides that will take people to the places that suit their skill level and they make sure that everyone visits all the places. I went to Alts Bandai, Inawashiro, Nekoma and Gran Deco. I loved loved them all.

When I got there I realized that my skill level was way below what is probably their average customer, but they were accommodating and we also had a guide (Bonnnie, who is super nice, professional and I am grateful that she took me down places I would have never gone down on my own) that took us down the runs and not through the trees. If you are a skillful skier this must be an amazing experience because the staff really knows the area and seems to be really on top of taking good skiers to interesting places. For those of us who stayed on piste, sometimes they are completely empty. The place is not crowded at all, not even on weekends.

The hotel is also wonderful. Theres a buffet for breakfast and dinner with great variety, but it does not change. The place is not touristy so maybe there is less English than in other places, so sometimes you need to think about being understood, but the staff is very nice. The onsen is amazing, and when you are done there's a freezer with delicious popsicles outside.

There is no need to bring much clothes because the hotel gives you a robe and pants that you can wear while you're in the hotel.

I have nothing but good things to say about the place and the company.
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