Extraordinary Journeys vs Remote Lands (2026): Which to Book for Families, Japan, Southeast Asia and Remoter Asia

Book Extraordinary Journeys for a family trip to Asia, for Japan, where its 14-day Aman itinerary starts at USD 33,000 a person against Remote Lands' USD 48,100, and for the classic Southeast Asia routes at or below Remote Lands' prices; book Remote Lands for rarer countries, a company with its own offices in Tokyo and Bangkok, and private-jet or yacht trips. Prices, people and terms were read at each company's own pages on 25 September 2026. This page compares who each company suits; it is not a scored ranking.

Verified 25 September 2026 · extraordinaryjourneys.com · remotelands.com · Travelstride · Trustpilot · Tripadvisor · Luxury Travel Advisor · prices and terms re-read at source

When is Extraordinary Journeys the better choice for Asia?

Extraordinary Journeys is the better choice for families, for Japan on price, for the classic Southeast Asia routes at or below Remote Lands' prices, and for travellers who want to stay with the company they used for an African safari. Founded in 2008 as an Africa safari specialist, it has sold India since 2014 and Southeast Asia since January 2025, and its Asia page now carries more than 30 itineraries of 8 to 21 days across nine countries, from USD 4,800 to USD 50,000 per person.

The strongest case is value in Japan. Both 14-day itineraries name Aman Tokyo and Aman Kyoto; Extraordinary Journeys' route adds Azumi Setoda and four days aboard guntû, the 19-guest floating ryokan on the Seto Inland Sea, and still starts USD 15,100 a person below Remote Lands' Classic Japan. For families, its Asia list names the trip type outright: the Japan private family tour through Tokyo, Kanazawa and Kyoto, a family trip to Thailand with interconnecting rooms, villas and babysitting, and one to Indonesia with a treasure hunt for children aged 5 to 12.

When is Remote Lands the better choice?

Remote Lands is the better choice for rarer countries, for a company with twenty years in Asia and its own offices in Tokyo and Bangkok, for private-jet and yacht trips, and for India on price. It sells 38 countries and territories, from Japan and Vietnam to Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Oman and Papua New Guinea, where Extraordinary Journeys sells nine. Its February 2026 letter counts more than 65 full-time staff in New York, Bangkok, Tokyo, Dubai and Milan, and it has run Aman Jet Expeditions for Aman since 2013. In India its 14-day Classic India, from USD 17,800, costs about 40% less a day than Extraordinary Journeys' 11-day Golden Triangle tour.

Which is cheaper, Remote Lands or Extraordinary Journeys?

Extraordinary Journeys is cheaper in Japan and slightly cheaper in Vietnam, Remote Lands is cheaper in India, and the two are level in Bhutan, on the from-prices each company publishes for trips of 11 to 15 days. The test: each company's own itinerary pages, read on 25 September 2026, per person; the per-day figure is our own division of price by days.

Two things move these numbers. Remote Lands charges a non-refundable USD 500 planning fee that counts towards the trip and takes a 35 to 65% deposit, with the balance due 90 days before departure (its FAQ); Extraordinary Journeys' deposits are non-refundable and its final invoice arrives about four months before departure (its terms). And a from-price is a floor: ask each company to quote the same hotels, the same guiding and the same flights, in writing, before comparing totals. Our Japan operator index shows what the leading Japan specialists charge for comparable trips.

Which is better for Japan, Remote Lands or Extraordinary Journeys?

Extraordinary Journeys costs less for comparable Japan trips and is planned by a 2026 Condé Nast Top Travel Specialist, Chris Craigo; Remote Lands has a Tokyo office and a Tokyo-based Japan general manager. The test here is what each company's Japan trips contain, who plans them, and who is in Japan if something goes wrong.

Neither company publishes a Japanese phone number for travellers, so ask each who you would call in Japan and when. Before a first trip, our JR Pass guide and Tokyo pre-arrival checklist cover what an operator usually leaves to you.

Which is better for Southeast Asia, Remote Lands or Extraordinary Journeys?

Extraordinary Journeys matches or undercuts Remote Lands on the classic Southeast Asia routes, with a lead specialist on both the Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast lists; Remote Lands has sold the region for nearly twenty years, from a Bangkok office, across ten countries to Extraordinary Journeys' five. The test is what a comparable route costs, who leads the planning, and time on the ground.

For a first trip on the classic loop of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, the two are closest, and Extraordinary Journeys' prices sit at or below Remote Lands'. For Myanmar, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore or Brunei, only Remote Lands of the two sells them. Season matters more than the operator here: our month-by-month Southeast Asia guide and 14-day luxury itinerary set out the weather and a route to price with either company.

Which is better for a family trip to Asia?

Extraordinary Journeys is the stronger fit for families: its Asia list includes family trips to Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, North India and Bhutan and a family circuit of Southeast Asia, while Remote Lands, which plans family trips too, builds its brand around rarer destinations, private jets and yachts. The test is what each company's own itinerary lists offer families by name, read on 25 September 2026.

Extraordinary Journeys' family trips in Asia include the Japan private family tour (Tokyo, Kanazawa and Kyoto, 13 days, from USD 16,000), a 17-day family trip to Southeast Asia through Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam from USD 9,500, and family trips to Thailand (14 days, from USD 9,500), Indonesia (12 days, from USD 9,500), North India (17 days, from USD 24,000) and Bhutan (12 days, from USD 22,000). Its founders are a mother and daughter, and family safaris run through its Africa list too. Our family and multigenerational operator index covers the wider field.

Three planning rules for booking a luxury trip to Asia

1 · Compare the same hotels, not the same country. Both companies list Aman Tokyo and Aman Kyoto on their 14-day Japan trips, yet the from-prices differ by USD 15,100 a person; send each the same hotel list and dates before comparing totals.

2 · Ask who answers in the country, at 2am. Extraordinary Journeys includes a travel concierge on every trip and states 24-hour in-destination support; Remote Lands has staff in Tokyo and Bangkok. Ask each for the name and number you would call.

3 · Ask where the deposit sits before you pay it. Remote Lands takes 35 to 65% up front plus its USD 500 planning fee; Extraordinary Journeys' deposits are non-refundable. Neither publishes a trust account or bond, so ask in writing; our guide to deposits and payment terms explains what to look for.

What changed for these two companies in 2025 and 2026

Extraordinary Journeys moved into Southeast Asia and Indonesia in 2025, and Remote Lands marked twenty years in Asia in 2026.

9 January 2025. Extraordinary Journeys announced Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos (Luxury Travel Advisor).

2 April 2025. It added Indonesia, with private riverboats in Borneo and phinisi yachts around Komodo, as Lauren Jafry described them (Luxury Travel Advisor).

26 February 2026. Remote Lands marked twenty years, with more than 65 full-time staff across offices in New York, Bangkok, Tokyo, Dubai and Milan (its letter).

2026 lists. Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 Top Travel Specialists include Lauren Jafry and Chris Craigo of Extraordinary Journeys and, by Remote Lands' count, Catherine Heald for a twelfth time; our Condé Nast specialists page explains how the list is compiled.