Hold my seat
Looking out of an aircraft window at bright cloud tops in early morning light

Every trip starts at a window.

Group tours from Malaysia to Japan, Norway and New Zealand.

Hold my seatSee the trips

Leave the planning on the ground.

First stop, Japan.

35.4° N, 138.7° E

Illustration of Mount Fuji above a town, with cherry blossom in front of a red pagoda

Sakura season, with Mount Fuji behind the pagoda.

35.4° N, 138.7° E

Japan

Japan · 35.4° N, 138.7° E

Bullet trains, bamboo and a lot of blossom.

  • 90 daysNo visa needed for Malaysians
  • Late MarchWhen Tokyo usually starts to bloom
  • ePassportLook for the chip symbol on the cover
Illustration of a white bullet train crossing a viaduct below Mount Fuji.
The Shinkansen, Japan's bullet train, across the Fuji foothills.
Illustration of an old Kyoto lane at dusk, with paper lanterns along wooden houses.
Kyoto's old lanes, lit up after dark.
Illustration of a path through a tall bamboo grove in early morning light.
The bamboo grove at Arashiyama, Kyoto.

Paperwork

SAS Travel & ToursBoarding pass
VISA
Not needed for Malaysians, for stays of up to 90 days.
PASSPORT
Must be an ePassport. Look for the small chip symbol on the cover.
BEFORE YOU FLY
Register on Visit Japan Web. It's optional, and it makes arrival faster.

Checked [TBC: date of final check before launch]. Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

When the sakura comes out.

Cherry blossom moves north through Japan every spring. Tokyo usually blooms in late March and early April. Nara and Himeji bloom around the same time. Hiroshima can start in mid March, the Fuji area in early to mid April, and Hokkaido, in the far north, not until late April and early May.

The dates shift every year, so nobody can promise a bloom on a given day.

[TBC: confirm SAS sets departures from the official forecast published each spring.]

Source: Japan National Tourism Organization.

Hiroshima,mid March to early AprilNara and Himeji,late March to early AprilTokyo,late March to early AprilYamanashi (Fuji area),early to mid AprilHokkaido,late April to early May
  • Hokkaido, late April to early May
  • Tokyo, late March to early April
  • Yamanashi (Fuji area), early to mid April
  • Hiroshima, mid March to early April
  • Nara and Himeji, late March to early April
Illustration of Mount Fuji reflected in Lake Kawaguchi at sunrise, with cherry blossom on the shore.

A day on this trip.

[TBC: one real day from the client's Japan itinerary, written as times and places.]

  1. Morning: [TBC]
  2. Prayer: [TBC: where and when]
  3. Lunch: [TBC: restaurant, and whether it is halal-certified, Muslim-owned, seafood or vegetarian]
  4. Afternoon: [TBC]
  5. Back at the hotel by: [TBC]
  6. Pace: [TBC: easy, moderate or full]
Illustration of fallen cherry blossom petals floating on a castle moat.

Food and prayer, planned before you fly.

Japan has halal restaurants, but fewer than you're used to, and most of them are in the big cities. Prayer rooms are the same: easy to find at airports and major sights, harder out in the countryside. So we plan around both before you leave.

Muslim-friendly and fully halal aren't the same thing.

Here is what each meal on this trip is:

MealWhat it is
Breakfast[TBC]
Lunch[TBC]
Dinner[TBC]
On the flight[TBC: airline and meal type]
Prayer[TBC: built into the day, and where]

Japan

[TBC: trip name]

[TBC: days and nights]

From RM [TBC: ground price] per pax

From RM [TBC: price with flight] per pax

  • Departures: [TBC: months]
  • From [TBC: price per person]
  • Deposit [TBC: amount]
  • Group of [TBC: minimum to maximum]
  • Tour leader speaks [TBC: languages]
See dates

Sakura season, with Mount Fuji behind the pagoda.

35.4° N, 138.7° E

One last look.

One last look.

Early April. The sakura starts to fall in Tokyo.

Early April. The sakura starts to fall in Tokyo.

Same week, it's still aurora season in Lofoten.

Illustration of the northern lights above a snow-covered peak and fjord, with red fishing cabins on the shore

Northern lights over the Lofoten Islands.

67.9° N, 13.1° E

Norway

Same week, it's still aurora season in Lofoten.

Norway · 67.9° N, 13.1° E

When you can see the lights.

  • 90 daysNo visa for Malaysians, in any 180
  • 11 pm to 2 amWhen the lights are usually strongest
  • SeptemberTo mid April, over the Lofoten Islands

In northern Norway the aurora season runs from late August to late March. Spring and autumn usually bring the most activity. Over the Lofoten Islands you can see it from September to mid April.

Nobody can promise the lights will show.

Clear skies and the sun's activity decide that. We plan [TBC: number] nights above the Arctic Circle to give you more chances.

Source: Visit Norway.

JFMAMJJASOND
Arctic CircleLofoten Islands67.9° N, 13.1° E

An aurora night.

The lights are usually strongest between 11 pm and 2 am.

  • 21:00[TBC: dinner, where]
  • 22:00[TBC: how you go out to look, by coach or on foot]
  • 23:00 to 02:00The best hours to watch.
  • [TBC: what SAS provides for the cold: thermal suits, boots, a packing list]
Illustration of the northern lights overhead, seen through snowy birch trees.

See and do.

Illustration of cod drying on wooden racks on a snowy shore at dusk.
Cod drying on wooden racks on the shore.
Illustration of the northern lights seen through the window of a fisherman's cabin.
The aurora from inside a rorbu, a fisherman's cabin.
Illustration of red fishing cabins at Reine in the Lofoten Islands at blue hour.
Reine, a Lofoten fishing village, at blue hour.

Paperwork

SAS Travel & ToursBoarding pass
VISA
Not needed for Malaysians. Up to 90 days in any 180 days.
AT THE BORDER
Expect to register under Europe's new Entry/Exit System.
ETIAS
Europe's new travel permit isn't running yet, and its start date isn't confirmed. Check its status before you travel. [TBC: confirm SAS will check and tell each traveller.]

Checked [TBC: date of final check before launch]. Source: Visit Norway.

Illustration of a road along a fjord between snow banks at twilight.

Food and prayer in the Arctic.

Here is exactly what we arrange on this trip:

MealWhat it is
Breakfast[TBC]
Lunch[TBC]
Dinner[TBC]
On the flight[TBC]
Prayer[TBC]

Norway

[TBC: trip name]

[TBC: days and nights]

From RM [TBC: ground price] per pax

From RM [TBC: price with flight] per pax

  • Departures: [TBC: months]
  • From [TBC: price per person]
  • Deposit [TBC: amount]
  • Group of [TBC: minimum to maximum]
  • Tour leader speaks [TBC: languages]
See dates

Northern lights over the Lofoten Islands.

67.9° N, 13.1° E

One more look at the lights.

The lights over Lofoten.

The best hours for the lights are 11 pm to 2 am.

The best hours for the lights are 11 pm to 2 am.

Half a world south, it's morning in New Zealand.

Illustration of pink and violet dawn clouds above Lake Taupo, snow-streaked volcanoes across calm water and a wooden jetty with a rowing boat

Lake Taupō, with the Tongariro volcanoes across the water.

38.8° S, 175.9° E

New Zealand

Half a world south, it's morning in New Zealand.

New Zealand · 38.8° S, 175.9° E

Seasons run the other way.

  • From NZD 17For the NZeTA, on the official app
  • DecemberTo February: summer, the busy season
  • NZD 100The levy most visitors pay with it

New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere, so its seasons are the opposite of Japan's and Norway's.

Summer is December to February, and it's the busy season.

Autumn, March to May, is quieter. Winter is June to August, with snow on the volcanoes south of Lake Taupō. Spring is September to November, and brings more rain.

The route.

Three stops on the map, in the order the line runs. [TBC: the client's North Island route, in order]

  1. RotoruaGeothermal valleys and steam. About 80 km by road to Taupō.[TBC: nights]
  2. TaupōLake Taupō and Huka Falls. Tongariro is across the lake.[TBC: nights]
  3. TongariroSnow-streaked volcanoes. [TBC: distance from Taupō][TBC: nights]
Lake TaupōRotoruaTaupōTongariro

New Zealand

  1. JanSummer
  2. FebSummer
  3. MarAutumn
  4. AprAutumn
  5. MayAutumn
  6. JunWinter
  7. JulWinter
  8. AugWinter
  9. SepSpring
  10. OctSpring
  11. NovSpring
  12. DecSummer

Source: Tourism New Zealand.

See and do.

Illustration of steam rising from geothermal pools near Rotorua at dawn.
Steam rising from the geothermal valleys at Rotorua.
Illustration of Huka Falls, with blue-white water rushing through a rock channel.
Huka Falls, near Taupō.

Paperwork

SAS Travel & ToursBoarding pass
VISA
Not needed for Malaysians, but you need an NZeTA before you fly.
NZeTA
From NZD 17 on the official app. Valid for 2 years. One for each person in your group. The app can apply for up to 10 people at once.
TOURISM LEVY
Most visitors pay a NZD 100 levy, charged with the NZeTA.
[TBC: whether SAS applies for the NZeTA for you, and whether it is in the trip price.]

Checked [TBC: date of final check before launch]. Source: Immigration New Zealand.

Illustration of green hill country in early morning mist, with sheep far away.

Food and prayer, meal by meal.

Here is what each meal on this trip is, including the ones that aren't halal-certified:

MealWhat it is
Breakfast[TBC]
Lunch[TBC]
Dinner[TBC]
Remote stops[TBC: seafood, vegetarian or packed halal meals]
Prayer[TBC]

New Zealand

[TBC: trip name]

[TBC: days and nights]

From RM [TBC: ground price] per pax

From RM [TBC: price with flight] per pax

  • Departures: [TBC: months]
  • From [TBC: price per person]
  • Deposit [TBC: amount]
  • Group of [TBC: minimum to maximum]
  • Tour leader speaks [TBC: languages]
See dates

Lake Taupō, with the Tongariro volcanoes across the water.

38.8° S, 175.9° E

Visit other paradises

Arashiyama
Japan

[TBC: one line from the client]

Destination list to confirm

[TBC: See the trip][TBC: Ask us on WhatsApp]

Destination list to confirm. These are stand-in pictures from our own stills.

Pick a month. See where it's good

Drag along the line, or tap a month.

  • Japan

  • Norway

  • New Zealand

SAS departures in March: [TBC: from the client's departure list]

Seats left in March: [TBC: seats left, only if SAS can keep this accurate]

Seasons from the Japan National Tourism Organization, Visit Norway and Tourism New Zealand.

Hold my seat for March

Trips you can book

Japan

[TBC: trip name]

[TBC: days and nights]

From RM [TBC: ground price] per pax

From RM [TBC: price with flight] per pax

  • Departures: [TBC: months]
  • From [TBC: price per person]
  • Deposit [TBC: amount]
  • Group of [TBC: minimum to maximum]
  • Tour leader speaks [TBC: languages]
See dates

Norway

[TBC: trip name]

[TBC: days and nights]

From RM [TBC: ground price] per pax

From RM [TBC: price with flight] per pax

  • Departures: [TBC: months]
  • From [TBC: price per person]
  • Deposit [TBC: amount]
  • Group of [TBC: minimum to maximum]
  • Tour leader speaks [TBC: languages]
See dates

New Zealand

[TBC: trip name]

[TBC: days and nights]

From RM [TBC: ground price] per pax

From RM [TBC: price with flight] per pax

  • Departures: [TBC: months]
  • From [TBC: price per person]
  • Deposit [TBC: amount]
  • Group of [TBC: minimum to maximum]
  • Tour leader speaks [TBC: languages]
See dates

You could plan it yourself

Plenty of Malaysians plan Japan on their own, and do it well. A group trip is for when you'd rather not: when you're taking your parents, when you want every meal checked before you sit down, or when you want one person to call if something goes wrong.

  • One payment, in ringgit.
  • A tour leader who speaks [TBC: languages], with you from [TBC: where the leader joins] to the flight home.
  • Every meal listed on the trip page, with what it is.
  • [TBC: "No shopping stops." Only if true on every trip.]
  • One number to call before and during the trip: [TBC: phone and WhatsApp, and hours].

Check us before you pay us

Ask any travel agency for these. Here are ours:

  • MOTAC licence: KPK/LN [TBC: licence number]
  • MATTA membership: [TBC: MATTA number]
  • Company registration: [TBC: registration number]
  • Office: [TBC: address]

Check our licence on the MOTAC site

A price far below everyone else's is a warning sign, wherever you see it.

Who you'll travel with

[TBC: the names, photos and roles of the tour leaders and office team, and the languages each one speaks.]

Office: [TBC: address]. Come and see us. [TBC: opening hours]

How booking works

  1. Choose your trip and a departure date.

  2. Tell us who's coming: adults, children and rooms.

  3. Pay the deposit online to hold your seats. It's [TBC: amount or percentage] per person, paid through [TBC: payment provider].

  4. Get your confirmation by email, with your balance due date and what happens next.

  5. Then: [TBC: pre-departure briefing, when and where].

What the deposit does

The deposit holds your seats on that departure. It's [TBC: amount or percentage] per person. The balance is due [TBC: number] days before you fly.

Each departure needs [TBC: minimum] travellers to go. If a departure doesn't reach that, [TBC: what SAS does, for example a full refund or a move to another date], and we'll tell you at least [TBC: number] days before it was due to leave.

Airline refunds follow each airline's own rules, which we don't control.

Hold my seat

If you cancel, this is what you get back:

When you cancelWhat you get back
[TBC][TBC]
[TBC][TBC]
[TBC][TBC]

Questions

Not here? Ask us when you hold your seat, or on WhatsApp: [TBC: WhatsApp number]

Hold my seat

Entry and food

Do I need a visa?

Japan: no visa for Malaysians for stays of up to 90 days, as long as you have an ePassport. Norway: no visa, for up to 90 days in any 180. New Zealand: no visa, but you need an NZeTA before you fly, and most visitors pay a NZD 100 tourism levy with it. Rules change, so [TBC: confirm SAS re-checks entry rules before every departure].

Do I need ETIAS for Norway?

Not yet. ETIAS, Europe's new travel permit, isn't running, and its start date hasn't been confirmed. Check its status before you travel, or ask us.

Is the food halal?

Every trip page lists each meal and says what it is: halal-certified, Muslim-owned, seafood or vegetarian. Muslim-friendly and fully halal aren't the same thing, and we'd rather you knew which is which before you pay. [TBC: SAS's halal commitment for each trip]

Where do we pray?

[TBC: confirm prayer times are built into each day] In Japan, prayer rooms are easiest to find at airports and major sights, and harder in the countryside. [TBC: arrangements in Norway and New Zealand]

Paying

How much is the deposit?

[TBC: amount or percentage] per person, paid online through [TBC: payment provider] when you book. It holds your seats on that departure.

Can I get my deposit back?

It depends on how close to departure you cancel. The full table is on every trip page and in your confirmation email.

When do I pay the rest?

[TBC: number] days before departure. We'll email you a reminder [TBC: when].

What isn't included?

[TBC: per trip, for example travel insurance, tips, the NZeTA and levy, and the single room supplement]

The group

What if the group doesn't fill up?

Each departure needs [TBC: minimum] travellers to go. If it doesn't reach that, [TBC: what SAS does], and we'll tell you at least [TBC: number] days before departure.

How big is the group?

[TBC: minimum and maximum per departure]

Who leads the tour, and what language do they speak?

[TBC: leader names and languages] They're with you from [TBC: where the leader joins] to the flight home.

Are there shopping stops?

[TBC: answer only if it is true for every trip]

What to expect

Will I see the northern lights? Will the sakura be out?

We can't promise either, and nobody honestly can. The sakura moves with the weather, and the aurora needs clear skies and the sun's activity. [TBC: confirm SAS picks departure dates from the official forecasts and season windows]

How do I know you're a real, licensed agency?

Check our MOTAC licence, KPK/LN [TBC: licence number], at motac.gov.my/semakan, and our MATTA membership, [TBC: MATTA number]. Or visit our office at [TBC: address]. Any real agency will show you these.

Hold your seat

Choose a trip and a date. The deposit holds your place while you get everything else ready.

Hold my seat

Seats left: [TBC: only if SAS can keep this accurate]

Adults are 12 and over. [TBC: confirm child age]

2 travellers x [TBC: deposit per person] = deposit today

Hold my seatWhatsApp[TBC]