Kreating joyful moments for Klook Kreators' familiarization trip to Japan

A fam trip—short for familiarization trip—can feel just like a family trip when everyone bonds and supports each other. That's what our own Klookers and Klook Kreators experienced together on a 7-day trip to Japan! 

Three of our Klookers embarked on their largest-ever familiarization trip with Klook Kreators from all corners of the world. Intrigued, we caught up with them to hear about their top highlights. And while we were at it, we couldn't resist throwing in some fun, travel-themed rapid-fire questions!

Genevieve Tan

Global Creator Marketing Manager

What did our Kreators do that was above and beyond our expectations or surprised you personally?

The level of professionalism and dedication to their craft. People often look at the glamorized side of social media, but this trip, we saw all the sheer hard work behind that glamorized life that the Kreators showcase. This was my first Kreator trip and the Kreators were busy shooting the entire day. Every moment was documented continuously every day, and to watch them in action giving their all to put out good content for Klook Kreators was heartening. It left me with constant praise for them.

What key learnings can you take away from this experience?

Well, firstly, that I can be a tour guide, guiding a group of 39 pax. Haha kidding, that’s on a lighter note. 

I’ve seen firsthand how the foundation of the Klook Kreator program is built on the strong community and network of Kreators that we are growing. Despite having Kreators from 11 countries, we overcame every language and cross-culture barrier to have the time of our lives together, filming and producing content. As we continue to grow the strong community of Kreators (that is still ever-growing), these relationships are so important to us here at Klook. The Kreators are the heart of why the program exists and continues to constantly evolve to be bigger and better!

Catching cherry blossoms with a very clear view of Mount Fuji!  

🔥 Rapid-fire is on. Go! 🔥

Three things you can’t miss in your suitcase? 

My tripod, camera, and travel adapter!

One local food you could never get enough of?

Definitely sushi, I could live in Japan forever for this.

One underrated spot on your Japan bucket list for future trips?

Uji! Uji is the Matcha capital in Kyoto and it’s such a quaint little town, with stores selling all types of Matcha food, you name it, you dream it. Matcha ramen, dumplings, takoyaki - it’s a haven!

The very last meal all of the Kreators had together. So much feels!

Gerald Tan

Regional Social Media & Content Associate

How did you go about itinerary planning? 

It was a collaborative effort between the Business Development team in Japan and the trip planning team, which not only included the three of us, but also our mentors like Mildred Ang, Malcolm Koh, and Rhea Mann – who provided incredible advice and support to make the trip a success.

The main priority was for the Kreators to enjoy different experiences in Japan that they could share with their followers. They included popular experiences such as a visit to Mt. Fuji, checking out Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan, and exploring the iconic bamboo grove in Arashiyama. On top of that, we wanted to include interesting, local activities such as a temari sushi-making class, and newer attractions available on Klook, such as the Warner Bros. Studios – The Making of Harry Potter experience.

🔥 Rapid-fire is on. Go! 🔥

Was there a specific experience that pushed you out of your comfort zone?

On a personal note, the planning and execution stages of this trip really stretched me to explore different interests and skill sets that are out of my comfort zone and usual job scope.

As a traveler, I like to be flexible with my plans and time. However, planning a trip for over 30 people meant that I had to quickly adapt to be incredibly detail-oriented – down to the T!

Most impressive landmark you’ve seen in Japan? 

It has always been a ‘bucket list’ dream to drive a Go-Kart in Tokyo, and I got to do that on this trip! At one point, we drove past the Tokyo Tower – all lit up and in its full glory. I’ll never forget that specific moment. It was really special.

Best travel souvenir you got from the trip? 

This is a funny story. I actually fell and injured myself while filming content from running down the stairs of the Dream Bridge, which is a popular Mt. Fuji viewing spot. It was all caught on camera. PSA: Please be safe especially when traveling, and don’t run down the stairs - anywhere! Anyway, I got a little scar on my forearm from that fall which I affectionately tell people is a little souvenir I got from the trip.

Hanging out with Yazmin Aziz from Malaysia and Jax Reyes from the Philippines!

Hannah Chiu 

Senior Marketing Associate

What was the most meaningful/memorable cultural exchange experience you had with our Kreators and/or merchants?

Traveling around with a group of Kreators from 12 countries with different social and cultural identities provided many opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and enduring memories over the week we spent together. One of the most memorable moments that reflected this was our Opening Dinner.

Sharing food has brought people together for a long time and this dinner was no different. It was our first night in Osaka and everyone met for the first time at an Izakaya at Umeda Sky. I can’t lie and say I wasn’t a tad bit nervous when the Kreators started arriving. With a group that size with a wide range of ages and personalities, there is usually a high possibility of clashes. 

But we were pleasantly surprised that from the get-go, they were already sharing tables with Kreators from different countries, sharing stories about their travels before arriving in Japan and reacting to the different courses of dishes served to them. Some Kreators, who had been to Japan many times, were able to share their knowledge of some of the dishes with others who had never traveled to Japan before. 

Instant bonding and newfound friendships were such a highlight for the Klook staff. The dinner ended with Francisco from our Japan Business Development Team, who shared his story as a global citizen, introduced us to some Kansai highlights and capped off by teaching us a traditional Japanese way of showing gratitude. 

Hey Siri, play Tokyo Drift

How do you think familiarization trips such as this help bring our mission of “bringing the world closer together through experiences” to life?

Famil trips encourage cross-cultural connections among our Kreators who can share their shared experiences with their audiences which highlights the connectivity of diverse cultures, inspiring their audiences to embrace diversity and explore new cultures and destinations.    

Although the itinerary was jam-packed, it also allowed for a far-reaching range of shared experiences our Kreators could bond over. There were so many moments on the trip which was a reflection of this, such as the surprise and pure awe of seeing Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms from our tour bus for the first time on the trip, to the massive adrenaline rush from the Flying Dinosaur at Universal Studios Japan.

Although we all experienced similar activities on the same itinerary and had collective reactions, the Kreators’ diverse backgrounds and lived experiences meant that their storytelling from this trip was told through their unique lenses empowering more genuine content. 

With Alex and James from Down Under and Lexi and Raheem from the US 

🔥 Rapid-fire is on. Go! 🔥

Travel mishap you can laugh or reminisce about? 

Things can often get lost in translation when overseas. In this case, it was a misinterpreted hand gesture turned into an emergency lockdown at the Making of Harry Potter in Tokyo.

We were checking out some of the interactive displays but before we even made it in the queue, we found out we had to scan a QR code to collect our photos after. Easy right? The staff motioned towards a sign to scan, and one of the Kreators (who must not be named) thought the QR code was faulty and pressed it. 

Suddenly the emergency alarm for the entire complex went off, the lights turned on and people started panicking and running. Both embarrassed and slightly stressed, he tried to explain to the security and site manager what actually happened. 

Spoiler alert: the situation got resolved in the end but red buttons became a running joke for the rest of the trip. 

One place in Japan you’d revisit? Why?

Kyoto! There are so many cool food joints, cafes and off-the-beaten-track walks around the areas that I would love to explore more of. We only spent a few hours there as part of a day tour so I’ve got a teaser of the place which has left me wanting to go back for more. The soy matcha latte we drank there still lives rent-free in my mind sometimes.  

Best travel tip you could give those traveling to Japan for the first time? 

This will sound biased but having the Klook app on my phone was a lifesaver. I'm quite a spontaneous traveler so I hadn’t planned my itinerary after the Kreator famil. Being able to book Shinkansen tickets and experiences on a whim (and in English too!) took a load of stress off my shoulders. 

Those airport express trains also saved me a bunch of bucks compared to catching a taxi. I was also surprised that the airport train from Osaka to Kansai airport was the special Hello Kitty train I’ve seen go viral on Instagram. 

Inspired to connect with travelers worldwide?

'Klook' through our openings