My Review on trip to Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Guangxi, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Shanghai with China Discovery

Hello Rita,

I appreciate the services provided by China Discovery and would like to share my feedback on the tour.

I will comment on each city;

Beijing - We really liked James, the tour guide. He was very attentive, quick, and efficient in helping us avoid the huge lines at the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China. The driver was also very attentive and friendly. The only inconvenience was that we had lunch in the area near the entrance of the Great Wall of China, and the restaurant was located in the passage through those tourist shops where we are "encouraged" to buy expensive items like stones, jewelry, etc. We ended up buying items somewhat forcefully. The food at lunch was good; luckily, we arrived early and the restaurant was empty and quiet. The hotel could have been better; compared to the others, this was the worst. The restaurant had a strong smell of food and frying. Great location though. At the train station boarding for Xi'an, James was very kind and waited with us until he made sure we safely boarded the bullet train.

Xian- The city is nice, but the stay was short, so everything felt very rushed. The tour guide, Bruce, was very polite, helpful, and had great knowledge of local history. I think he went into too much detail in his historical accounts. I value the guides' knowledge and the way they convey historical facts to us, but I believe that in this case, during the visit to the Terracotta Warriors, it was a bit tiring, with too many details. The Muslim Quarter was interesting; we should have had more free time for souvenir shopping. Lunch was reasonable. The hotel was very good, with good accommodations and location.

Guilin - We loved Guilin; the city is beautiful, peaceful, and surrounded by stunning nature. I believe it should be part of any travel itinerary in China. The guide, Helen, was by far the best of the tour. She was very nice, polite, helpful, always concerned about our comfort and needs. The other guides were also good, but Helen was special. She had a great sense of humor, we felt very comfortable with her, and we had a lot of laughs. The hotel was excellent, with an amazing location for a leisurely walk around the lake. The boat tour at night on this lake is a must-see. I also highlight the incredible cruise to Yangshuo Town, equally unmissable. Helen insisted on the Impression Liu Sanjie show, and it was truly a fabulous spectacle. Back in Guilin, she accompanied us until we boarded the bullet train.

Zhanggjiajie - A city of lush natural beauty, with stunning landscapes. An exhilarating experience! The guide, Lee, was very sweet, polite, and helpful. She was very quick, attentive, and smart about the visiting times to the parks to avoid long lines. She took so many great picturs of us, so nice of her. The only downside was on the last day; we had a long free time until we caught the flight to Shanghai, and we couldn't make the most of that time. We had a coffee and waited to go to the airport. The hotel was very good and in a great location!

Shanghai - What a pleasant surprise Shanghai was! We didn't imagine so much modernity and beauty, especially at night. We were enchanted! A city not to be missed. Laurie, the guide, was great, polite, and helpful. It's a pity our stay was also very brief. I think it was a mistake of the agency or the guide not to suggest the night boat tour along the river. Excellent hotel, the best of all.

Back in Beijing, our guide Mary seemed to not have much knowledge of the English language, but since we had only a few hours before our departure back to Brazil, it wasn't a big problem. I would like to emphasize that she was very polite and attentive. We almost had a problem during boarding because the driver dropped us off at the wrong terminal, and when she checked on her phone about our flight to Paris with Air France, she said it had been canceled. We were concerned because a cancellation would have been notified to us by the airline well in advance. She saw that we didn't agree with the information, so we asked her to check somewhere else and also insisted that we were at the wrong terminal. She quickly went to gather more information, and we took the airport bus to terminal 2. Everything was fine, and we boarded without any problems. This incident did not change our perception of China Discovery's service. Unexpected events and small mistakes happen, and we understand perfectly.

One observation would be regarding the lunches. It would be advisable, at least on some days within a long 10-day tour, to offer some options of Western food. After long days of walking at the visited sites, we appreciate a calm lunch or dinner with good drinks and different food options. We enjoy Chinese food, but after several days, we miss Western food.

Sorry for the long text, and I hope these comments help. Likewise, I will definitely recommend China Discovery. We appreciated the exclusive and high-quality service offered.

Lenise