Hello April!

We are in awe. Our China experience is an eye opener. We were made aware of the past & present culture, the history & the natural beauty of China. We are very happy we chose your company.

Firstly, I would like to thank you for your superb services in coordinating, suggesting & accommodating all our wishes & concerns. You responded in a very timely manner. You were very informative & reassuring.

In Shanghai, Sandra gave us an overview of Shanghai that made us realize how progressive this city is & what the future will be. Our driver & Sandra were literally glued to us to make sure we feel safe & taken cared of while we toured. Sandra took us all the way to the security gate.

Daniel Ye, our guide in Guilin- Yangshuo raised the standard higher. He should be cloned. A cheerful greeting welcomed us in our very late night arrival in the airport. He even called our hotel to make sure our room is ready. He gave us an overview of the tour program & what to expect in a timely manner. He gave us very important & pertinent information of what lies ahead ( making sure we understood the Impressions Sanjie Liu program ). It made us appreciate & understand more whatever was in front of us. He even made sure we felt & were treated like VIP’s. What a treat! He never left us alone while in his ward. He took us to our hotel, to all the places we were going to, to the train station & made sure we feel safe, taken cared of & everything is all right.

Mr. Moore the driver is equally efficient. A clean van, with water all the time, drop on & off point very exact & timely, he even makes sure we wear our seat belts.

Alina in Zhangjiajie was not like the other 2. Information was sparse. She was in the phone most of the time. Could be that she was calling regarding our affair but again info was sparse.

The driver also seemed to have other things to do. Wait time for him was longer. He took to the show, I made extra effort to make sure we would not get lost.

Vivian in Xi’an, was great. She is at par with Mr. Ye. Very knowledgeable, cheerful, took us to our hotel until we are settled. We did all the tours as indicated except for the trying of costume part. We were tired, it was raining & we were not really interested in trying them on. Our driver again was efficient, precise & timely.

Linda in Beijing was good too. Would have been better if she welcomed us & bade us goodbye at the airport but we understand that she lives far.

The program was excellent from day 1 till the end in Beijing. We learned a lot & the shows we watched were exquisite. Only in China! The museums, the sites, the Terra Cottas were unbelievable. The natural beauty, the rivers , the mountains… indescribable.

The train ride from Guilin to Zhangjiajie was not my favorite. Noisy, cramped space, overcrowded poor services. The train from Xian to Beijing was beyond our expectation. Linda took us to the business lounge & made sure the staff took us directly to our seats. Wide big seats with slippers, blankets & pillows. Unending supply of snacks & drinks & dinner was served. Upon getting of the train, our escort was by the train door & guided is thru the pandemonium of the Beijing station. Again we were taken safely to our hotel.

I hope I have somehow provided you with some feedback. I would not hesitate recommending you & your company to our friends & relatives. We might even come back.

Eloisa

Hi Jack,

My wife and I returned from our China trip yesterday. The crowds at most sites were overwhelming and something that we are not used to. However, I want to let you know that we had a wonderful time mostly due to China Discovery's wonderful tour guides!

Each guide enriched our experience with both their knowledge of the cities, sites, cultures, people, and foods. They were all prompt, patient, and engaging. They were very helpful in navigating the complexities of visiting China. My wife and I enjoyed their company and conversation greatly. I don't believe we would have had the same experience in China if we had traveled there by ourselves.

All the drivers were also very courteous, on-time, and helpful!

Unfortunately, my wife caught a respiratory illness on the Yangtze River Cruise and was quite sick at ZJJ. Our guide Tim, however, was there to assist at night and brought her to the hospital to see a doctor. Tim helped us navigate the Chinese health system, stayed with us throughout the hospital visit, and brought us back to the hotel late at night! We are very grateful to Tim's extraordinary assistance!

Although we provided a paper review at the end of each location, if China Discovery has an overall review of our trip that needs to be completed, please let me know!

Again, thank you for your assistance in all the planning prior to the trip and your quick responses to my questions during the trip. Knowing you were there to assist us throughout our journey was a great source of comfort!

Regards,

Alex

Dear Jack,

Don and I want to thank you so much for arranging this wonderful tour for us. Everything has been fantastic! A big thank you for the gifts today! The Chinese chopsticks set, the Panda Player ornament, the Panda magnet, the Hand Drawings of Chengdu and the Panda postcard with your kind words are all so lovely and meaningful for us. We will treasure them. Many many thanks!

We are so impressed with China! The accommodations, the food, and the chosen sites for us to see are amazing! We will tell our family and friends to come to China and use China Discovery!

Take Care

Sharon and Don Hildebrandt

Hi Rita,

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. You and your team have been outstanding! The guide, Liz, is wonderful, and the driver is great! It turned out to be a beautiful day today and the scenery is spectacular. We’re really glad that we added this to our itinerary. Thank you for the gracious offer of dinner. Liz was very accommodating!

By the way the guide Sunny, in Dali, is very good as well as her driver! We’re really impressed. The transportation is outstanding!

Thank you again and feel free to use my comments as a promotion of your business.

Rocky

Dear Jack

Thank you for planning such a wonderful trip for us in China. We thoroughly enjoyed your country and the people were phenomenal! The guide & drivers you set up for us couldn’t have been any nicer or professional. It was a perfect experience for us. We head home tomorrow via Japan and for some reason in Japan I’m able to send emails.

Sincerely yours

John and barbara lee

Dear Tracy,

Here is the attached evaluation.

Tracy has been very helpful for planning this trip. She responds to questions promptly and is very patient. Tour arrangements were excellent. Every step during the trip went smoothly. Highly recommend your service.

Laurence

Dear Jack,

Thank you very much for the excellent organization of our trip to Shanghai, Xian, Chongqing and the Yang Tze River cruise.

Everything went smoothly as planned. The guides provided were excellent, Timu our guide at Xian was exceptional. All the guides spoke good English and had very good knowledge of the area and the history associated.

The cruise was also amazing. The food was delicious and the scenery was really beautiful. We have no problem communicating because there are crews on board that can speak good English.

We will come back to visit other parts of China in near future.

Once again thank you from all of us.

Alice

Dear Leo,

Apologies for the late reply. Here is some feedback:

• Overall travel experience: really great! Our trip to China was one of the nicest trips we have done so far, with a good mixture of culture, nature and ethnic diversity.

• Preparation: efficient and timely communication re. changes we wanted to make to the itinerary. So a big thanks to you (and Catherine before covid) for helping us to schedule this trip! We also appreciated your help in cancelling the Tiger Leaping Gorge hike and to replace it with the Dali visit. Maybe one comment to consider: maybe it is better to recommend foreigners to avoid the Chinese school holidays from mid July to end August. Especially in the Forbidden City and Terracotta Warriors museum, it was overly crowded.

• Transportation: overall, we were pleased with the bullet trains and flight connections. We did have two last-minute changes: one was the later time of the flight from Xi'an to Lijiang (arrival in the hotel after 2am - originally scheduled much earlier) and the other one was the 11hr train from Lijiang to Guilin (originally scheduled as flight). But then again, I guess these were outside your control.

• Guides: we had good contact with all of them, despite the differences (some were better in English, others had a better history background). They also had good coordinating interaction with the drivers.

• Time allocation: we always felt that we had enough time and that it wasn't rushed. In Shanghai, we were a bit disappointed that the one day sightseeing in the largest city on our itinerary was so short (finished at 4pm), with limited explanations, especially in the French quarter. For the size of Shanghai, it felt that we could have gotten a bit more out of the itinerary.

• Food: there was a good diversity of meals for lunch. Although it was clearly mentioned in the itinerary, we were a bit surprised that lunches were not included during our days in Huangshan, whereas they were everywhere else

• Hotels: although we scheduled our own hotels, we largely followed the input from Catherine and yourself, with some changes based on internet reviews. We were very happy with all of them, with a good mix of location, comfort and design.

• Shops: the scheduled visits to local articraft stores were to the point and didn't feel like 'tourist traps'. There was only one exception: we visited a tea house in Beijing. The one we went to was not the one from the program, but suggested by our guide Jamie. In the end, we paid 1020 RMB for three small tea boxes and afterwards (when we realised the amount in Euro) felt ripped off. I would strongly recommend that this tea house is being avoided for future use (on the Visa bill, it mentions Tang Tea House, but not sure if it's the correct name).

• Tourist attractions: great mix of different things to see and do. We didn't feel like we missed out on anything. maybe consider some 'off the beaten track' recommendations? E.g. the M50 Art District in Shanghai would have been nice to go to, especially given the short day we had.

Overall, we would definitely highly recommend China Discoveries to our friends, plus would consider using China Discoveries for a future China trip. Tibet, Mongolia and Hong Kong (to only name a few) are places that we would like to visit in future.

Best regards,

Jan

Dear Leo:

We just wanted to thank you for the lovely gift you gave us, as well as arranging such an interesting and engaging tour for us.

Thanks to your kind efforts, and the expertise of our guides, we feel we have gained a better understanding of your beautiful country.

Vincent & Beverly

Hi April,

We had a wonderful time in China. Big thanks to you for patiently hearing our requirements and drafting a perfect itinerary for us.

All guides were equally good but Lilly (Beijing) and David (Guilin) were exceptional. All of them explained the history and culture very well and helped us to explore the local cuisine. We loved it.

Drivers were really good at their job. Picked and dropped us promptly on time, safely drove us to all the destinations .

Here is our rating for the stay (5 being the highest)

• Novotel Xinqiao Beijing - 3.5

• Grand Mercure Xian Renmin Square - 4

• Guilin Bravo Hotel - 4.5

• New West Street International Hotel - 4

• Sunshine Hotel & Resort Zhangjiajie - 4.5

• SSAW Boutique Hotel Shanghai Bund - 3

A small suggestion, It could have been better if there was an option to upgrade the cruise in Guilin to 4 star cruise.

Thanks again for making our trip a memorable one. Looking forward to visiting China again through China Discovery.

Thanks,

Rose

Good morning Tracy!

Time flies we are now on our last day in China. A few guides who I would like to highlight as exceptional are Mei (Kashgar), Jessica (Huangshan), Alice (Dali) and Anna (Shangrila). They are knowledgeable, good command of English, always cheerful and helpful. and provide above and beyond expectations. Alice and Anna done very good in their approach. They would give a brief introduction of places we were going and then elaborate when arrived. This set our expectations and then understanding of the places. All drivers are fine but Mr Wang from Guilin sets a very high standard.

Of course not forgetting your exceptional service as well throughout our 1 month stay in China. We escaped typhoon twice in Shanghai!

Yap

Hi Rita,

Finally I have had the time to write our review that you can find attached here.

We are also sending you our opinion on the guides and some photos.

I hope everything will be well for you.

We thank you very much for all and we'll certainly contact you again for our future trip to China.

Warm regards.

Ausilia and Cesare

Hi Leo,

We are back in our country now and enjoyed the trip very much, thank you.

Now we are wondering if you also provide ground tour arrangements for 7-8 days in Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and ShangriLa? If you do, can you perhaps give us a sample itinerary? We plan to fly to Kunming and return from Lijiang international airport.

Our thanks again and regards,

Tham

Dear Ms Wing Zeng,

Hope you are doing well!

Fast respond time and very detail and patient to answer all my questions and resolving issues. Arrangements were all excellent and we got the Huangshan and Zhangjiajie dream tours that we wanted. I highly recommend your service to any English speaking people who want to visit China.

Thanks again for all you have done to organize our fantastic China - Shanghai/Huangshan/Zhangjiajie/Hong Kong trip!

Have a good rest of your week and a wonderful weekend!!

Best Regards,

Eric Lee

Hi Wonder,

Yes we arrived on time and everything went smoothly. Thanks so much for organising the trip, we had an amazing time and we would love to come back to China in the future. The tour guides were fantastic too and we will treasure the memories.

Kind regards,

Rachel

Dear Rita,

My husband and I were on the 13-Day Beijing/Xian/Guilin/Zhangjiajie/Shanghai Tour with China Discovery from 15-27 May 2024.

Overall, we had a wonderful time on our trip.

Organisation

Everything went very smoothly, just like clockwork.

Guides

In each city, on our arrival we were met by our guide who took very good care of us.

Our guides were: Beijing- Andy; Xian - Grace; Guilin - Peter; Zhangjiajie - Nina; Shanghai - Jeff.

All the guides we had were knowledgeable about their city, its history, and culture. They were also friendly, and flexible in accommodating our requests and also showed their professionalism by always being on time in the morning and during our time with them, they were always helpful, patient and understanding.

I would like to mention that 2 of our guides (Andy in Beijing and Peter in Guilin) were excellent. Their English was fluent. It was also obvious that both took great pride in their work.

Peter was very earnest, and very clear and systematic in his explanation of what we would see and do in the places we visited and he was also extremely helpful.

Andy was the best guide we have ever had. In addition to the qualities mentioned above, we found him very energetic, enthusiastic, lively and with an amazing sense of humour. He was very flexible and really went out of his way to accommodate our requests, for example, to visit a place which was not on our itinerary, but which both of us wanted to see - a Catholic Church associated with Matteo Ricci. He knew interesting little areas and eating places to which he took us for local food and snacks. He even got us some snacks when he thought we might need some sustenance. We had interesting conversations with him and it seemed more like we were spending time with a friend rather than with a guide we had just met.

Nina, our guide in Zhangjiajie, was very sweet. Her English was not as fluent, but she was very caring, helpful, very patient and kind especially when we had to negotiate all the steps up and downhill in the mountains. She was always very concerned about how we were faring, even in the type of food we enjoyed when we told her we just wanted to try the local food.

Transportation

The cars we travelled in were very nice, clean and comfortable. All the drivers, besides being very helpful, especially with our luggage, were also skilful drivers who conveyed us safely through, often, very heavy traffic.

The express speed train from Beijing to Xian was an enjoyable experience. The train was very comfortable, and the toilets were very clean.

But the 7-hour journey on the high speed train which stopped at all the stations between Guilin and Zhnagjiajie was less comfortable.

The train itself was fine although the journey was long.

For one thing, there was a man just behind me who talked very loudly for hours on his mobile phone. I could not change seats because the train was quite full.

Then, there were 2 people quarrelling at the entrance of our compartment when we were trying to board the train. They blocked the entrance and refused to move until someone in charge of the compartment screamed (right next to my ear) for the security guard. We had to literally bulldoze our way into the train which was about to leave.

Hotels

The hotels, besides being grand, were clean, comfortable and had all the amenities we needed. The one in Guilin had a fantastic view.

In general the breakfasts provided by the hotels were also excellent.

Sights

We think China is a very beautiful country with so much history, culture and nature to enjoy. Being on a guided tour, we had less contact with the ordinary people than we would normally have when we do a free-and-easy trip. But, all in all, we had a great trip and we would like to visit China again.

So we are thinking of going to the following places sometime in October 2024, after the Chinese National Holiday in early October.

Thank you.

Loh

Hi Wonder,

Thank you so much for everything you have done for us! We will for sure, recommend you and your company to friends and family :)

Please see as follows the completed Evaluation form. We are working on a Tripadvisor review and will post in the next few days as we are now back at work!

1. Vivien was very helpful in the early arrangements of our itinerary. She answered all the questions that we had and adapted ithe agenda to our needs.

Wonder responded swiftly to all our questions. He was very patient and understanding, especially with our delays with our China visa applications. We were very appreciative and it helped lower our stress levels!

2. The itinerary was well organised and very detailed (which we liked). We got a good snapshot of each place in the short time we were there.

3. 100% we would recommend China Discovery. In fact we have already advised people we met during our holiday in China and Sangeet has posted your details on his social media.

4. Where a lot of companies lack customer service, China Discovery had it in abundance. We could not have asked for anything more.

We would like to say a big thank you to everyone at Head Office who was involved in organising our trip, you have been a pleasure to work with. Also a big thank you for all the generous gifts and the birthday cake!

A professional, knowledgable tour guide leads to a pleasant experience. What we discovered at the end of the trip was that having a good rapport with your tour guide is very important and makes all the difference. Someone who is able to listen and understand what we expect from our day (We like to go where the locals go, where the locals eat. We like to learn more about the culture and the people who live there, it is not about the fanciest restaurant or the really touristy areas).

5. Although the itinerary and the guides tell you the agenda for the day, a rough idea of the timings would be useful at the start of the day. This way we know what we are working towards time-wise, how long we have at each place, so we can respect and flex accordingly. For example if we wanted to spend longer at one place, we can then reduce the time spent in another.

6. We would be more than happy to share some photos if you would let us know what you would like them of, as we took quite a few! Any particular place? Ones with us in them, etc?

7. Of course, we would be happy to speak to potential customers!

All the best

Pikkam & Sangeet

Hi Rita,

So sorry for the long delay, I am still travelling and haven’t been on the laptop so much.

Very good tour, very happy with all arrangements. I am willing to recommend your service to my friends who also have an interest to visit China.

Thanks

George

Hello Wonder,

Our kids really enjoyed the trip. They were very delighted and thankful for the nice experiences and they loved China a lot which makes me happy because I love this country a lot as well. So thank you for your efforts to make this happen.

Lukas

Hi Rita,

都满意，没有意见。谢谢您的安排。

Fatt

Hi Tracy,

Last Friday we returned from our China trip. We saw a lot, and everything was well organized. We have never had a holiday before where we saw so many beautiful things. The hotels were in excellent condition, the guides were very knowledgeable, a big ten for your organization.

If we mention one thing, it is the total tip we paid. When we added up all the tips at the end of the vacation, we spent over $500 in tips. In addition to the amount paid for the trip, we thought this was a bit high. Although we were free to do so, it didn't feel right to tip the guides and drivers less.

Kind regards,

Judith and Jan van Dijk.

Dear Evelyn,

Thank you very much for your efforts, the outcome exceeded our expectations. Under the bottom line we are very happy about your service and the service from Chengdu Bamboo Tours. Here are some comments:

- all requests and questions have been answered pretty quickly

- all local guides and transfers have been on time, the transfers have been convenient

- the guides in general had a good skill of English and broad knowledge about the booked tours

- we can strongly recommend your / Chengdu Bamboo agency further

- we have hardly anything to improve

- breakfast facilities in the Yangtze Boutique hotel were small and quickly overcrowded

Again, excellent job - Thank you for everything!

Best regards,

Michael

Hi Rita,

I just came back for aaall my trips. Thank for this GREAT trip.

Marisol

Dear Wonder,

The tour was perfect! Tour arrangement, including the drivers,tour guides,hotels is Excellent. I would definitively recommend your company!

Wonder, thank you for everything!

Best regards,

Pablo

Hi, Wonder!

I wanted to write you as soon as I left Guilin because I had such a WONDERFUL time in China thanks to you, but we still had Hong Kong and Tokyo after Guilin, so I am finally writing you now that I am settled back in the USA.

Wonder, everything is China was amazing! Thank you thank you for ALL of your work and help in planning our trip in the mainland. I also appreciate your ease and willingness to make changes at the last minute that suited my family the best. It all worked out perfectly. Each tour guide was phenomenal: Yu, Cindy, Jim and Peter. I would highly recommend all of them. Each city was so different and we learned so much at each location. The history was so fascinating. My sister is already saying that if she goes to China, she is using you. Haha.

I will most definitely write a glaringly positive review on Trip Advisor about you and China Discovery as well as each of the tour guides (the drivers were all great also). You all deserve the praise and may your company continue to stand out. You are the best and thank you again on behalf of my whole family on making this trip so amazing and memorable.

Take care,

David

Hello Wing

Thank you very very much for all your support and arranging for our family a wonderful and memorable trip in china.

I will definitely send my feedback once i go back to my country on 19th.

Regards

Ahmed

Hi Rita,

We very much enjoyed our tour. The guides, Hu, Wendy and Timo were on time every day and eager to assist us in any way possible. We had a mixed group of English and Chinese speakers, so the guides were patient in explaining to both groups as needed. They were also flexible to adjust to our needs.

The accommodations and meals were top notch.

The drivers in each town were also very professional and courteous.

I would recommend your service to anyone who would like to visit China.

Thank you for your help in coordinating our family trip to China.

Joe

Hello! Leo

Our trip was beyond wonderful. Everything was so thoroughly organized, the tour guides were incredible (especially Linda in Beijing, Kimi in Xi'an, and Kenny in Guilin), vehicles and drivers safe and comfortable, and hotels centrally located in each city, comfortable, and clean. The sites were all wonderful and there isn't one I wouldn't recommend. My mom and I have both fallen in love with China and appreciate yalls help and support during our trip (especially with all the snafus of losing my passport and getting sick). I will definitely recommend yalls services to family and friends, and when I come back to China will be contacting yall again

Rachel

Hi Tracy,

Sorry, didn’t respond to you earlier. Since the China trip, we are trying to catch up with everything that we held off for month.

Here is the list of our ranking of each Tour Guides we had in each city.

Guilin - Sharon

Beijing - Linda

Shanghai - Liqi

Zhangjiajie - Nancy

Xi’An - Lily

All the Tour Guides and Drivers provided the service that we needed. Our family really appreciate their hospitality and enjoyed our visit in China. Everyone was an excellent representative of their city and an ambassador to the visitors. They make us proud as a native Chinese, who have excellent command of the English language. The professionalism and knowledge on each city’s history is outstanding. I know our kids have learned a little more about Chinese historical facts and their heritage. For those who speaks Cantonese, Grandpa is very thankful.

Above all we rank Sharon in Guilin as the best of our guides along with the driver. Sharon was very attentive, detailed, and caring of our group and especially grandpa who’s over 90 years old. In addition, she was very open to exposing us to local cultures and food. We thought she went above and beyond her duties and responsibilities.

Overall, thanks much to you and to the China Discovery team for a very memorable trip.

Kin

Mr. Leo Li,

I can't express enough what a wonderful time we had in China. You made me look like a superstar to my wife and sister-in-law. All of the guides were wonderful; especially Eric in Beijing and Evan in Chengdu. Evan knew EXACTLY when and where to take us to get the best views of the pandas! Eric seemed to take a lot of pride in his city of Beijing and wanted us to see and try everything. He was very nice, accommodating and generous. He bought us many street snacks just because he wanted us to try them!

All of the excursions you had scheduled were outstanding. There wasn't one that we said we could have skipped. The ones that were particularly great were the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Terracotta warriors, pandas, and one of our favorites was the cooking class at the museum in Chengdu. The museum tour guide was a delight and an excellent instructor. We really enjoyed Liqi and Shanghai.

The hotels were all just great. They really were nice. It was hard to pick a favorite. The Buddha Zen Hotel was very nice and in a great location but the breakfast was a little weak. Probably the worst of the trip but still acceptable. The hotel in Shanghai was first rate with the absolute best breakfast of the trip.

All of the train and plane transfers went smoothly. We had no problems meeting our guides at each location and no problems boarding to go to the next city.

We felt comfortable with all of the drivers. The cars were all clean and comfortable. Traffic in your cities is HORRIBLE. I could never drive in China! I had a hard enough time just making sure I didn't get run over by a scooter when I was walking!!

I think that about sums it up Mr. Leo Li, Thank you again for making this trip a once in a lifetime experience for my family. And throughout the planning process, you were extremely helpful and always responded promptly. I know we made quite a few modifications to the trip but you didn't seem to mind at all. Thank you for that.

Take care sir,

Kelly

Hi Wonder,

The tour is great,we enjoyed it very much,as well as the cruise.

I could like to thank you for this wonderful tour of ours. Everything is just perfect,you as our consultant, you are really great, you really did your best to arrange it the way we wanted.

The tour guides and the drivers are friendly and courteous, they are really good in what they are doing.

The accommodations are nice and clean,location is good, hotel's staff are nice and helpful.

Definitely we will recommend your company to any of my friends who is planning to visit China, and me and my daughter are planning for another tour.

Thank you so much.

Sincerely

Ruby and Gigi

Dear Leo,

It’s good to hear from you. We had the best travel experience in China. Your local guides were all excellent and highly professional with extensive experience as guides.

Laurie, Mike, Derek, and Jessica are all top-notch tour experts. As a native of their regions, they are very knowledgeable in local as well as all Chinese history and culture. Their Chinese and English discussions are clear, concise, and comprehensive on local traditions, customs, and landmarks. Their restaurant recommendations on local cuisines are delicious. We are very lucky to have such a delightfully accommodating team! We deeply appreciate your outstanding planning and itinerary, and we will return to visit China.

We found the business-class tickets very beneficial, and the BC Lounge were highly effective in making our travel smooth and worry free, e.g. we did not have to wait in line as the attendants escorted us to the train car directly.

Also, it would be helpful to recommend some travel related apps, i.e. WeChat, Alipay, GaoDe (map guide), Didi or other taxi. It was difficult for us to access American apps in China, such as Google, E-mails, etc. Hotel Wi-Fi were not reliable.

Let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you!

Fondly,

Yolanda and Eric

Hi Ms. Wing,

We are back home. Here is a response.

You were exceptionally responsive in all matters and a pleasant person to work with.

We are a little slower than thirty years ago, so one or two items were canceled in consultation with our local tour guides. We liked the flexible arrangement allowing this modification. I am willing yo recommend your service to my people who also have an interest to visit China and I would like to use your service of I come China again.

Thanks once again for your attention to detail and hard work. We wish you great favor and peace.

Cordially,

Don Kammer

Hi Tracy,

We are still recovering from our 21 day trip. We have thousands of photos and videos to go through, and we are still processing in our minds everything that has happened. My family and I will have lifelong memories of amazing experiences. This trip has allowed my children to discover their cultural roots as Canadian-born Chinese. Thank-you for arranging the trip for us. This would not have been possible without China Discovery's experience and your expertise in designing custom tours. We went to amazing sites, learnt about the rich history, experienced Chinese culture and art, tasted the variety of regional foods and talked to locals. This was exactly what I was hoping for. We would not have had the ability to see and experience all this without your exception guides: Kevin, Kai, Ben, Julia, Peter, and Julin. Your guides and drivers made us feel at home and minimized our stress.

Best regards,

David

Hi Evelyn,

We enjoyed Suzhou and happy with May and driver.

On train to Beijing was absolutely pouring in Huangshan this morning… What an adventure!

Thank you for organizing the trip. We enjoyed it very much.

Tim did not get us to fill out a form but wanted to say we really enjoyed having him as our guide. He was one of our favorites along with Andie.

Sin

Hi there,

We are writing to thank Mr Wang for working with us from the planning phase to the final reality. He responded to my emails quickly, listened to me and answered my questions patiently and clearly. He even suggested altering our trip plan to avoid the huge crowd due to the May Day holiday, and thank goodness, we did change our plans.

During this 23-day trip, we were taken care of from the moment we arrived in Kunming airport to the last minute we were dropped off at Beijing Train Station. All tour guides and private drivers were professional and personal. All made our travel life so much easier.

We highly recommend Chinadiscovery, especially Mr Wang, to our friends and anyone that is interested in visiting China.

Thank you, Mr Wang, for all your hard work and patience helping me planning this grand trip that will last a lifetime. Hopefully we will talk to you in 4 years when we plan a trip to visit northwest part of China.

Sincerely,

Phyllis and Larry

Hello Tracy,

I had no time to write.

Both tours were very good.

The hotels were very very good with good location.

The restaurants – most of them had very good food. Not all of them looked very very nice but it was good enough. On the second tour it was better espiecialy in Shanghai. The restaurants should be organize close to the place where we visit. Driving 40-60 minutes to the restaurants wan inconvinient.

Bus – very good, no problems at all about quality. The only problem was long time that we had to wait for the bus everytime in Beijing and Xian.

Guides:

Jamie in Beijing – very good and very helpful. He was really taking care of us.

The girl in Shanghai on the first tour – was ok, but he was very shy and had problems with time mannagment.

Jimmy in Shanghai – he was very well organized but not so helpful and he was money oriented

Bruce in Xian – he was good and helpful, quite good organized.

One more ime thank you for your help and whole organization.

I will come back to you with request for qotation for our classical tours.

Best regards

Wojtek

Hi Rita,

Sorry for the late reply.

Yes, I enjoyed my trip to China very much. The tour guide and driver are amazing and very professional.

Thanks to them, my trip with my family has been very pleasant and this made us wanted to visit the other parts of China again

Please see below my comments.

The tour arrangement was good and adequate pace for our family. I would definitely recomment your service to my friends and family who wished to join a more private tour in China.

Perhaps can add on services to recommend dining places (and assist to make reservations) prior to the trip as there are limited platforms outside China for us to make reservations. For me and my family, we take our dining seriously and would like to enjoy local food. We enjoyed our time, especially in Xi'an, as our guide brought us to places she has patroned for food and went extra miles to recommend good dining places in Xi'an. We love her recommendation.

Thanks and regards,

Finn

Dear Tracy,

Sorry for the late reply! I’ll just start saying that we absolutely loved the trip and China. It was one of the best trips we have ever done. Your country is beautiful and fascinating. I can’t wait to visit again!

You are very helpful and professional. The tour was tailored to us and our interests, day by day. The guides were also flexible in accommodating our requests day by day. We were never taken to tourist traps. The restaurants were clean and the guides would help us order based on our dietary preferences.

We were really happy with China discovery, in all aspect of the trip. You were very good in organizing the tour based on our preferences and accommodating our requests. You were also very kind to recommend we change our visiting time to after the May national holiday. The guides in all cities (Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Shanghai) were very knowledgeable and looked after us very well. It felt like travelling with a friend! I am willing to recommend your service to others!

Best wishes,

Nura

Hi Tracy,

Trip was great. Ran very smoothly. Our guides were all knowledgeable and could speak a decent amount of English. Our ranking of guides, even though all were good, are 1) Kai 2) Kenny 3) and 4) Lily. Even though we have Lily as the last, she was great, singing traditional folk songs and taking pride in her work on educating us on the area and the traditions/history. Kai was just outstanding. His English and knowledge of history were top notch.

We gave our feedback to each of the guides in their cities. Hopefully you received those.

We’re not big shoppers so we enjoyed a little extra “free time” in places, like Guilin, to hit the pool and just relax in between big itinerary days.

The only complaint we had was in Zhangjanjie where our hotel wasn’t by anything at all. We had a day we needed to find dinner and our hotel restaurant was closed to a private conference. We walked a bit to find something but ended up buying cheap stuff at the small market next door. Would’ve been nice being closer to town where multiple options are available.

Overall, such a great trip and well run by you and your company. Thank you very much for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. So glad we got to do it, even if it was 4 years later than planned….

Thanks,

Mike

Greetings Rita

We are now back in Hanoi after a very enjoyable China Discovery Tour.

It all worked very smoothly. Your tour guides were good and well informed.

Regards

Ted

Hi Jack,

First of all we would like to thank you whole heartedly for planning such an amazing trip to China for us! We have had a truly magical time - our tour far surpassed our expectations in every way. The itinerary that you put together completely met our needs and encompassed everything that we wanted and more.

The guides (and drivers) were all brilliant and we have very much enjoyed talking with them. The guides were all fun, knowledgeable and fluent in English. We were initially concerned that having guides with us all the time would be stifling, but that was not the case at all!

We would like to give a special mention to our visit to Yunnan where our guides William, Sofia, Lee, Amy and Aten looked after us. We loved Yunnan - one of our favourite parts of the trip was our cruise down the Li River, our stay at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat and the hike in the Longji Rice Terraces. Thank you to William who helped to make this so special.

We have also loved seeing the Pandas in Chengdu, the Terracotta Army in Xi’an and of course the Great Wall at Jinshanling. Please pass on our thanks to Peter for hiking the 6k with us - another highlight of our trip!

We have been amazed that we have been able to see so much of your beautiful country without it feeling too rushed or overwhelming. The places that we visited were all incredible and there is nothing we would want to change.

The accommodation for the most part was excellent; we did feel that the e-outfitting hotels in Lijiang and Shangri-La were not so great but this is an observation and not a complaint. We were not staying long enough to complain but if we were doing the trip again this is one thing we would consider changing.

The transport worked really well. All of our drivers were great and the transfers by domestic flight and high speed train were well timed and easy to navigate. Some of the transport hubs are HUGE and it would be very easy to get a little lost! Having a clear meeting point at each station could be helpful.

Thank you once again, it really was the trip of a lifetime! I am very happy for you to use all or some of my comments.

Thank you so much,

Mary & Steve

Hello Rita,

Yes we are home safely after an enjoyable, busy 3 weeks travelling around China.

Thank you for putting together such an interesting tour. The time passed so quickly. Had we not been on a 3 week time line I would have added a rest day every 3-4 days. That would have been a good addition.

The hotels were all lovely. I liked those that had a bath best, because after an energetic day walking, one could soak the muscles and rest for a while.

We loved travelling in the trains. Thanks for organising the comfortable upgrades.

I am glad our guides met us at the stations & dropped us off though. The stations are huge and finding the right platform was made easier with the guides help.

We had minor problems.

1. Shanghai- There are 2 exits and we went to the wrong one. However we rang the guide and then we found one another.

2. Another, was when we missed the transit sign & walked the wrong way following the crowd. Fortunately Bruce noticed & helped us get to the right place so we could get the connecting train in time.

3. My seat was already taken on one of the trains. I was advised by the conductor to walk through the train to carriage 8, get off, and get on again. There were 2 trains joined together. I wasn’t sure if the train would wait for me as they only stop for a minute! Fortunately the staff were very helpful getting me off, and getting me on again. They seated me next to Bill.

The tourist attractions we visited were outstanding. Everything we saw was worthwhile. We loved the spectacular Stage Shows.

We loved the cruise. We made new friends, had a lot of shipboard fun. The concierge and other staff were lovely.

Our guides were friendly, helpful and really good company.

We are happy to see how well China is going with trains, stations , roads, housing. National Parks and environmental protection. Good job!

We would recommend your Tour Company should anyone ask . We were very happy with everything.

All being well, we will return to do the other half of the original trip.

Here are some happy photos from Our enjoyable time visiting China.

Yours sincerely.

Carol & Bill

Good morning, Mr Wang,

Larry and I returned home safe and sound, and are trying to recover from a very long exciting yet exhausting trip to China.

Thank you for working with us and making this grand trip possible, and precious gifts you sent to us.

All the tour guides and private drivers at each destination were wonderful. They were professional, courteous, flexible, personal, and easy to work with. Our shout outs to tour guides Vicky, Even, Delia, and Mike, and drivers Mr Lu (DaLi,LiJiang, Shangri-la) , Mr Tan in Chengdu, and Mr Fan in Beijing.

During the 23-day trip, Larry and I covered lots of grounds. For personal preference, we chose to skip Orange Island in ChangSha. We walked down 999 steps instead of taking the escalator in TianMenShan. Due to the weather, the ride to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountains was canceled. Due to my brief sickness, we skipped the SMT Great Wall. Larry got senior discount in Stone Forest. As suggested by several tour guides, I am writing to you to see if we would get the reimbursement for the service we didn’t use during the trip.

Thank you again for your patience, time and knowledge planning this wonderful trip with me.

Sincerely,

Phyllis

Hi Rita,

Nina was helpful, considerate, kind, knowlegable, a very nice person.

Bibiana

Hi Evelyn!

1-day Suzhou trip was great! Jeff is a wonderful guide.

Cynthia

Hi Evelyn.

We are leaving Beijing now.

We had a great time.

Peter and the driver were excellent.

Jonney

Hi Wonder!!

We will send you more detailed reviews/comments later but so far the tour has wildly exceeded all of our expectations, for which you and our wonderful guides and drivers deserve so much credit!! In addition to all of the sights on our itinerary and the fantastic acrobatic show we saw in Beijing and the extraordinary light show we saw in Guilin, we were also fortunate enough to have Linda recommend to us the AMAZING Shu Feng Ya Yun Sezchuan Opera show last night, just a short walk from our hotel, which was one of the best shows we have ever seen!! The shadow puppets and mask-changing were especially incredible! And yes we did receive yesterday the BEAUTIFUL gifts you sent us - thank you so much - we love the pandas and will treasure them always!

Zazi

Hi,

the trip was amazing. China is really something different that I imagined, of course in a positive way. Places that we have visited were really worth seeing. In general I have nothing to complain about. Hotels were really comfortable. The food was very good. Transportation between cities was also comfortable, especially the trains. Of course the amount of transfers was large and every second day we had to unpack and pack again but it was inevitable according to the amount of places we have visited. (to me it was not necessary to sleep in Yangshuo, we could easily return to Guilin the same day to avoid sleeping in different hotels for just one night). Guides were also very helpful and gave us a lot of information. Special thanks to Jenny from Xi'an. I think she was the best of all guides and had a lot of patience to answer all of my questions. Please find attached some of our photos (I believe You want the pictures with us-tourists on it not the one with just the landscapes) Thanks a lot. If You have any further questions do not hesitate to contact me.

Mazurek

Feedback as below:

MR. Wonder Wang was very responsive and helpful. He answered all our questions immediately and provided recommendations, too. He was flexible with our travel plans and was very patient with any changes requested. He was a pleasure to work with.

Tour arrangement with driver and tour guide was great. Pick up to anf from Airport and tranfer to/from Hotels was easy. Guides were very imformative. Travel arrangements for trains and internal flights went smoothly and the guides helped us with check in for all flights, hotels and trains.

I already recommended your company to friends and family. They will contact you once they decide on a trip to China.

Thank you fora great trip and for excellent arrangements!

We look forward to another trip to China to visit the rest of the beautiful country.

Dina

Hi Rita,

Thank you for your kind assistance in organising the private tour for my group.

Firstly, I must said you are very responsible and trustworthy. As this was the first time we got China Discovery to arrange the above tour,

Highly Recommended for your reliability and the excellent service provided.

It was unfortunate that our trip coincided with China May Day holiday as most places of interests were crowded.

My personal opinion, the program could have been better spaced out especially for seniors.

The train from Chongqing to Xian arrived almost at midnight and we reached hotel about 1am. The departure from hotel to see the Terracotta the next morning was 06:30am. Too tight, we barely had 4hrs of sleep. It would be better if the visit to the Terracotta is in late morning or early afternoon. Unfortunately, my wife and I were unable to join the visit to see the terracotta as we find it very tiring after the long train journey from Chongqing. Had to give it a miss.

However, we did enjoy the Beijing tour very much especially with your guide Mr Jackson Liu. He was very cheerful and knowledgeable. Also very helpful.

Overall it was a very enjoyable trip and will definitely recommend my friends to seek your assistance if they are planning a China trip, My wife and myself will definitely engage your services in the near future for our next China tour.

Thank you again.

Regards

Alvin

Hi Leo,

I just wanted to say a big thank you to you and your team. We had a great time in China and we can’t wait to come back.

The last 4 of us are now at the airport waiting for our flight back to London. Everyone says hi and thank you.

Regards

Olu

Feedback as follows

Leo from China Discovery orchestrated every detail of my journey to China with finesse and expertise. Collaborating with him was an absolute delight; his responsiveness and attentiveness were remarkable. He not only promptly addressed all my inquiries but also proactively suggested tailored recommendations, ensuring our itinerary perfectly suited our preferences. What truly set Leo apart was his swift and seamless execution of necessary changes. Whether it was adjusting our schedule or accommodating last-minute requests, he handled everything with efficiency and grace.

Thanks to Leo's meticulous planning and the unparalleled hospitality of our guides and drivers, every moment of our journey was wonderful. From bustling city streets to serene countryside landscapes, we were captivated by the beauty and diversity of China.

In retrospect, our trip to China was not just a vacation but a transformative experience, made possible by Leo's service and the seamless coordination of China Discovery. We are filled with unforgettable memories created during our time in this extraordinary country.

Thanks

Bhopan

Dear Wonder,

In Datong we forgot to give a comment on the service there.

We were very satisfied with both. The driver was also very polite. May was an excellent guide with good English and knowledge of the history. Many thanks to her. She earns the number 5!

So far we are very happy with the trip.

Kind regards,

Urs and Ingrid

Good morning,

I would like to compliment you on the perfect organization that made our trip perfect and unforgettable: the guides were punctual, prepared and very helpful, the very kind drivers, the perfect hotels. everything went in the best way...you made us fall in love with China, we will return soon with our children! Thank you

Sara

Dear Rita,

Good morning. Sorry for my late reply.

Firstly, I was safely back to Shanghai in mid night of last Saturday.

We really enjoyed the travel to Chongqing. Thanks for your every arrangement!

Regards,

Daisuke

Dear Wonder,

you might WONDER that we put no claim on today’s hotel room. We are very happy, it’s one of the best hotel room with a wonderful view. Enjoy the evening.

Urs and Ingrid

Dear April,

We are home after the trip of a lifetime and whilst Kathy as the lead will send in the feedback form, I just wanted to say a BIG Thank You to you personally, and of course your team, for organising and arranging our tour which went seamlessly, and exactly to the plan you put together.

The tour guides were brilliant as were the drivers, and you were always available with prompt responses when needed.

We will certainly be recommending China Discovery to our friends, and are already thinking about our next trip to China.

谢谢

Graham and Judith

Thank you Rita.

We are very sad that our trip is coming to an end. So far we have had a fantastic time and seen and done some amazing things.

I had a bit of spare time on the high-speed train so came up with this to help your customers. Up to you if you want to use it or make any adjustments (but I think it would be most helpful once people have booked) it reads as follows...

As part of your journey around fascinating and spectacular China, you will most likely take one or more of China Railways High Speed Trains.

These trains are both fast and efficient, enabling you to cover great distances quickly and in comfort.

You may be required to board the train without the assistance of a guide. This may occur depending on station regulations.

The following is suggested as information for travelers. Please note that this is not a definitive guide, as there may be differences depending on station and location, and may be subject to change.

First and most importantly, there are plenty of clean toilets at the stations, and the trains also have Western toilets in each carriage.

Whether you travel First or Second Class is up to you, but there is plenty of leg room in both classes. All trains are non smoking.

AT THE STATION.

Once at the station you will be required to go through security. You will need your passport for this. Your passport is linked to your ticket. We recommend wheeled suitcases or suchlike as luggage trolleys are not provided. Please note that your main bag will travel with you on the train. Unlike a plane where certain items can travel in the hold, prohibited items will be confiscated. Eg. Knives or souvenir swords.Check ahead for prohibited items to avoid disappointment.

You will need your passport, the train number, carriage number and seat allocation for your journey. This will be provided by your guide or on your itinerary. It will also pay to know your departure time.

There are departure boards in multiple places in the stations. These will link your train number with a boarding gate.

Your trains details will be in one of 3 colours.

Yellow: information stage

Green: boarding stage

Red: departure stage.

In order to run efficiently the trains do not wait. Please be in the correct place ready to board. Depending on the number of train carriages, there may be 2 boarding gates. Eg. 4A and 4B. These will correspond to the carriage number. Don't panic if you get it wrong, but it may result in having to walk a little further on the platform to get to your carriage.

You will need your passport to leave the station to go to the platform. There are lines for self check-in and another for passports/ assisted check-in. This may be detailed overhead, or look for the person manning the assisted check-in line. Use this line to proceed to the platform.

PLATFORM / TRAIN

If no train in platform: There are markings on the ground showing the approximate carriage location. You should wait there. If in doubt you can ask for help.

If train is at platform: Check the train number on the side of carriage.(in case two trains either side of platform)

Find your carriage number and board. Seat numbers are clearly labeled. Place your big luggage overhead. Some trains have additional storage at carriage end. Do not store drink bottles overhead as they may leak, due to cabin pressure.

Depending on the length of your journey some basic food may be available (cashless transactions.) You can take your own food if you wish. Hot water is also available on board.

Enjoy your safe and comfortable journey. Be sure to take in the scenery as you travel.

ARRIVAL

Not all train services may terminate at your destination. The next station is shown on a display at both carriage ends (in English also) . Knowing your arrival time will further assist you in getting off at the correct station.

If you are being met at the station your previous guide should give you directions where to meet, as the stations are normally large with multiple exits. You can also have your next guides name and phone number if you wish. You will need your passport again to exit the station terminal, at the manned checkout line.

Depending on the station layout you will be met at the terminal exit, or the arranged location. Your happy, smiling guide will have your name on a signboard to welcome you, and be ready to assist as required.

Dave

Dear Wonder,

we checked in and the room is really GREAT.

Regards

Urs and Ingrid

Dear Rita,

Thank you for organising our tour.

We are satisfied with the service, especially day 1 tour in Beijing.

The guide was very professional and we enjoined the tour.

Wish you many more successful tours.

Best regards

Katarina

Hi Rita,

I am very happy with the tour arrangements. Each tour guide looked after me very well and made sure I was comfortable and my needs were met. The tour guides were on time and the cars for transport were clean and safe. We had quick entry to tour sites and tour guides were very knowledgeable on subjects and were able to answer any questions. If I had any issues, the tour guides could provide advice and help to resolve the issues.

I am very happy to recommend the services of China Discovery. I had no issues with the tour and I was very satisfied with the amazing experience. China Discovery put me at ease and gave amazing access to China.

I would recommend having a meeting point in each location on arrival and send a photo of the meeting point to the guest. My tour guide in Xian sent me a photo prior to arrival at the city, and it made things very easy. It’s also good especially if you have issues with your mobile and you cannot make calls. Shanghai has many difference arrival halls, with a photo it makes it easy.

Please pass on my thanks to the tour guides James in Beijing, Candy in Xian and Mark in Shanghai. And also thank you again Rita for sorting out the tour. An amazing experience and a lifetime of memories. I will recommend China Discovery to others and give good review on trip-adviser soon.

Ronnie

Hi Evelyn.

Yes we are on the train now.

We really enjoyed Luoyang. I've always wanted to visit the Shaolin temple and really enjoyed the Kung Fu class.

Joe our guide was very good too.

The hotel room was great but the breakfast needs improvement. Joe made sure they supplied us with some extras for breakfast as there was not much variety.

Yes we really liked Datong as well thanks. The tour was informative and the attractions really interesting.

Jonney

Hi April,

1. Yes, April is very helpful and answers our enquiries promptly.

The tour arrangements are able to be tailored to our interests.

Yes, we definitely will recommend your services.

April, assigned drivers and tour guides are friendly, helpful and accommodating. Even on the last day, Adam was there to ensure a smooth departure back home. We can perceive that China's discovery is committed to ensuring customer satisfaction. Tim, despite being a younger guide with less experience, made commendable efforts to ensure our tour was satisfying. He is good at taking nice photos for us. Jessica was an exceptional tour guide, her knowledge and enthusiasm truly enhanced our experience. Henry ensured our Shanghai tour was fulfilling for the day.

Hee

Dear Rita,

we are back from our trip in China, and I have to say the overall experience exceeded our expectations! We saw so many wonderful things and sites, and our days were so relaxing and interesting, we are already planning to be back soon.

I will add below my comments to the specific points you mentioned, but as a general comment the whole organization was great, all the four guides we met were very professional, well prepared and extremely kind. We appreciated very much the tours they guided us through and their attitude. All the drivers were extremely sharp and professional, and the cars very comfortable.

We are altogether very happy with your services, and we will surely contact you again when we plan our next trip to China (I guess this time we will focus on the Beijing / Xi’an area to see the Great Wall and the terracotta army).

Thanks so much for your kind support and also for your flexibility when we had to postpone our trip last November. That was highly appreciated.

Kind regards.

Laila

Dear Wonder,

we had a great time here with a nice guide. She promised us, that her English will improve during the coming years.

Thanks and a good start into the coming week.

Regards

Urs and Ingrid

Hi Leo,

The trip was overall well planned. We enjoyed the various places of interest and fantastic local food. Small hiccups were quickly resolved and travel was comfortable. Tour guides were knowledgeable and helpful. We will recommend to our friends and family.

Pei Ying

Hi Rita,

Sorry for the delay, I thought you might like to look at this review and see if you would like to use it.

I have also included some photos that you can use if you want.

Review as follows...

If you are reading this review you are probably wondering should I use China Discovery and is it legit. The answer to both is a definite yes. Coming from New Zealand my wife and I along with our 16 year old daughter did a 28 day trip. We tailored our itinerary (with the help of Rita) and had a private tour. It was all fantastic and super organized. We loved the flexibility that our tour gave us. The local guides knowledge ensures you get the most out of each day and gives you a great insight into the area and local lifestyles.

I would highly recommend them for anyone who wants a great time traveling in China. We certainly did. Many thanks to Rita and all the guides who made our trip so awesome.

Cheers Dave, Tracey and Amber.

Hi Wonder,

Overall our tour are good arrangement

Citra

Hi Wonder,

Just to thank you for defraying postage in sending the jacket I left at Xian hotel to Shanghai hotel. Please send my regards and my appreciation to Sally in managing the jacket to Shanghai.

Apart from her help to send the jacket, Sally has been a wonderful guide not just for Xian and Terricotta warriors but also as we discovered she’s very knowledgeable in China’s history. We had lengthy conversations and I’ve learned much from her.

Regards,

Steven

Hello Jack,

Jason, the guide in Chengdu was excellent. Highly recommend him. Cathy in Shanghai, Yolin in Zhangjijai and David in Chongqing were also good.

I suggest that for future clients please include Tibet Museum in the itenrary. It is very close to Potola Palace. We were able to spend an hour there. Requires at least 3 hours.

The lunch provided by the guides were generally good. Two of our party are vegetarian. The guides could order appropriate dishes for them.

I would recommend your company and you to our friends for their China travel needs

Also a quick question. Can you arrange Tibet Permit for Indian Passport holders?

Ashok

Hi Vivien,

Good evening Wonder. My wife enjoys one of her most memorable tour today. Suzhou is indeed a place NOT to be missed whenever you are in China. I will definitely provide the feedback once I am back to Malaysia later this week. Once again, many thanks for the arrangements and most of all, the support given to us when I lost my backpack yesterday.

I thank you and Rose for your dedication to look for my missing back. We indeed have a good afternoon with Rose before the good news arrived.

Kam

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

Dear Wonder,

Thank you for reaching out to us.

We got back to the UK yesterday as scheduled and without any issues.

The whole china experience was flawless and only made possible because of your diligent help with the exceptional pre-travel support and meticulous itinerary arrangements.

A special thank you to Jackson, Aria and Laurie, they were outstanding at their jobs, punctual, knowldgeable and genuinely cared about our experience and were very interesting people to get to know. The included lunch was an excellent addition to the tour, giving us an opportunity to experience local foods we might not otherwise have tried, this also allowed us time to spend time with the guides and learn about their lives, families and customs / traditions, and aspirations. The choice of hotels and their locations could not have been better, the city to city arrangements were perfectly arranged and executed by the local tour companies / guides / drivers.

Thank you so much for making our one in a life time adventure possible.

I would certainly recommend your company to anyone planning a private bespoke tour to China, we believe we got great value for money and so glad we didn’t pick a standard group tour, as the private attention we got was worth every penny.

Kind Regards,

Santosh

Hi Tracy,

We made it to Beijing! Bailey in Shanghai, Jessie in Xi'an and Lilli here are great guides and have looked after us very well, thanks.

We are now on our way to Tianjin to catch our cruise so say goodbye after a wonderful week in China! Thanks for the lovely arrangements and we hope to return soon to see more of your rich and interesting modern, but historical, country.

We'll be in touch after we get home to Perth on 30 April.

Best regards,

Barry

Rita,

Everything was fantastic.

Regards

Noel

Hi Tracey,

I have been well and on a cruise in Japan.

The tour in China was superb, I enjoyed each and every moment, all of the guides were great and helped me with the trains. Thank goodness I had your contact those couple of times I or the guide was in the wrong spot for pick up! But that’s part of the adventure.

I would have like to have had more time or a short trip in Shanghai at the end just to see the highlights like the Bund.

I was disappointed with the pandas in Chengdu as I thought they were in the wild or semi wild and not in the zoo, however that is my fault for not asking the question before hand or doing more research.

Thanks so much h for looking after me while I was in China, I felt very safe, secure and will come back again.

Nicola

Dear Wonder,

Should you be interested whether we arrived good, yes we did! We enjoyed the first week with Jack.

Regards

Urs and Ingrid

Hi Leo.

Just to say a big thank you - we had an incredible trip and amazing guides throughout. Thank you for your help and support. We will be back in touch if we visit China again!

Tom

Dear Mr. Leo Li,

Thank you for arranging our wonderful China Discovery tour.

China is Amazing!.. It's a living legacy of the ancient, old, new and ultra-modern. Your english speaking guides always arrived at the right place and time and helped us understand the local sites, and your drivers expertly navigated the crazy traffic and toured us around safely.

From Beijing to Shanghai and everywhere in between, rickshaws on cobblestone roads to high-speed trains on elevated rails, China is full of cultural contrasts and lovely people.

Thanks for making our China vacation possible.

We appreciate you and your team’s support.

Xiè xie to China Discovery!

David and Mariann Steele

Good Morning, Wonder.

We are on the train to Guilin now. We had a good but short visit in Chengdu. Ellen managed to show us all the attractions as per our itinerary despite the rain. We enjoyed the delicious lunch Ellen took us to very much.

Ellen gave us a survey to fill out but unfortunately we lost the survey form this morning. If it’s still required please email me a new form at your convenience.

Thank you.

Rex

Hi Wonder,

We have just finished our first day tour in Xian.

Our tour guide Gin is great. We enjoyed very much the visit and the delicious lunch she provided.

Thank you. We will be in touch.

Rex

Dear Wonder,

After returning from our magnificent and wonderful China tour I would like to share our impressions with you. If you want you can use our comments as testimonial for you as well.

My wife and me took on March/April (at this time the different sites are not overcrowded and the climate is comfortable too) a 21-day private tour through China (mainly in the South) organised by Wonder, China Discovery. Wonder is an ideal travel consultant. He is highly competent, absolutely professional and flexible. Exept one also the local tour guides and drivers were very engaged and trusty. For travelling within China we used mainly the very efficient, very fast, comfortable and very punctual high speed trains. The selection of hotels (location and comfort) was also good. So, we were able to carry out our tour, which was quite ambitious and strict for our age (71 years), well. Only under these conditions you can have a pleasant tour through China. We can highly recommend China Discovery and personally Wonder. - Antal from Hungary, April 2024

Information just for you. The best English skills among the local tour guides had Derek (Hangzhou), Vicky (Dali), Bruce (Xian), Lobsang (Shangri-La) and Lisa (Luoyang). Jenny (Kunming area) was not really good. For example on the first day we could reach and see the sunset at the rice fields only because of our initiative and pressure. Otherwise we would have missed it. Attached I send you a few photos, which you can use if you want.

Finally I have a request to you. Would you please send me a China map with our travel route marked? (Beijing - Shanghai - Huangshan - Guilin/Yangshuo - Kunming - Stone Forest - Yuanyang/Hani rice terraces - Jianshui - Dali - Lijiang - Leaping Tiger Gorge - Lhasa - Luoyang - Beijing). I hope it is possible and I thank you very much in advance.

Antal

Hi Wonder,

Thank you for the update.

We have had a great first day touring in Beijing today. Jack is taking good care of us. We appreciate having him accompanying us in Beijing.

Please keep in touch during our visit in the coming weeks.

Rex

Hi Tracy:

I finally recovered from the long flights and the 12 hour-time difference with Florida. I first of all would like to thank you for such a great job before and during my trip. You answered all of my questions and gave me peace of mind since I was traveling all by myself so far away from home. Alipay was a great suggestion because it not only helped with paying for just about anything but also kept us in touch throughout my trip with their chat feature. The trip you put together for me was exceptional, and along with some of the optional tours we added, and the cruise ship you picked made for a superb experience.

The hotels were very good, well located and clean, I was just a bit disappointed that most of the staff in the majority of hotels, even at the front desk, didn't speak English, but I was able to communicate through translation apps. The guides were excellent, their English was very good, they were very knowledgeable, attentive, flexible, and very helpful; what I'm very thankful for is that whenever I had train rides they helped me all the way into the train car, with my luggage and finding my seat, that meant a lot because without knowing Chinese I surely would have missed the train or gotten into the wrong one, they also gave me instructions as which way to go once I arrived to my destination to meet the guide. I particularly enjoyed Linda, Kenny, the guide in Chongqing, and Eileen. The vehicles and drivers were also very good.

The cruise ship couldn't have been better, the staff and local guides with the exception of the very last one (I already contacted the cruise ship regarding this issue) were friendly and very very nice. There were very few non Chinese-speaking passengers and I felt that the cruise director made sure to take care of us at all times. They had shows, optional tours and activities that I enjoyed thoroughly.

The only flaw was the last night in Xi'an, the Airport Hotel was actually NOT within walking distance so I needed to take a shuttle which was provided by the hotel and had a little difficulty communicating with the driver to give him the instructions as to where I needed to be dropped off, but I made it!!!

I will be glad to recommend your company. I loved my China trip and if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't think twice about contacting you and China Discovery!!!! Well done Tracy!

Best regards

Celica

Dear Ms. Jiang,

We are so pleased with your China tour and are so thankful for all your help.

All the tour guides and drivers have been excellent and we felt very well taken care off.

We felt very safe and therefore could enjoy the tour without any worries.

Not only did we see a lot we also learned a lot about China, the country, the people, etc.

I think it is of great benefit to participate in this kind of a tour, first of all we did not have to share the tour guide with other persons, so we could ask all the questions that came to mind. Also that there was no shopping as a part of the tour was a plus.

Thanks again for a wonderful experience

Rosemarie

Hi Leo,

The following are the answers to the Evaluation Form:

1. Yes – Leo was so fast with answering emails, we think he does not sleep. Very efficient. A great travel consultant.

2. The tour was well planned, everything was perfect.

3. Yes, we will recommend your tours and will use again when we are in China.

4. The company is very good. They deliver what they promise and are efficient and well organized.

We want to comment on our guide Mark and our driver, Mr. Wong. They were both fantastic! Marks English is excellent. He is very smart, knowledgeable and has great ideas on how to conduct the tour. He was fun to have as our guide. Mr. Wong is a great driver and we felt safe with him behind the wheel.

Ms. B

Hi Rita,

Greetings from Malaysia. Thank you for your email.

We enjoyed the tour very much and are satisfied with all the arrangements from the guide picking us up at the airport, the itinerary, transport arrangements between Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou and the shows recommended. Both Seven (Shanghai, Suzhou) and LuLu (Hangzhou) were excellent guides, very friendly, approachable and knowledgeable.

Definitely will recommend your services to my relatives and friends. We hope we can visit China again.

Nothing to complain about, only that our visit is too short!

Susan

Hi Ariel,

Its was great. We love Seven. She is the best. Super love this trip. We love our guides so much. Especially Jamie. He is the greatest! He knows his way around and can even take us inside attractions by skipping the lines. He also stay with us to help us get dinner and help us Didi back to the hotel even if it is beyond his tour schedule.

Flery

Dear Evelyn,

We are back in England. I write to thank-you for your excellent organisation of our holiday. Everything went smoothly, although we hit a spell of very cold weather .Each of our guides was outstanding and your itinerary made sure that we saw the best that was on offer.

With warmest regards,

Nicholas

Hi Rita,

I am very satisfied with your arrangement of my tour in Hangzhou The tour guides and the transportation are done professionally. I definitely will recommend your services to others. Your service is excellent and I don’t see any need for improvement. Thank you very much for your good work. Wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

George

Thank you Jack,

it was good. I enjoyed all of the stops. The only thoughts I have is that some of the transfer days felt like lost days (like Guilin-ZJJ and ZJJ-Shanghai) and it would be better to do early travels and tour the same day (like the Xi'an to Guilin day).

Overall I really enjoyed the tour of China and am considering returning to see Tibet.

Thanks

Gibran

Dear Wing,

Apologies for the delay in writing to you. We have been very busy since our return and China seems like a long time ago.

Thank you so much for all your help in making sure that our trip was truly magical.

As first time visitors we were very much in your hands and your advice was invaluable.

The accomodation throughout was excellent and the breakfasts always had a good selection. Transport was always comfortable with tickets and admissions well arranged.

The guides were very attentive and helped us to navigate through the culture and history as they showed us around. I would particularly like to mention Angela. Her knowledge and enthusiasm kept us going on some long and quite tiring days.

I think our favourite moments have to be on the river and that charming hotel Yangshou Mountain Resort. I have enclosed a morning picture from our room. Quite beautiful.

We are now preparing for Christmas with the family so again very busy.

Wing once again we thank you and your team for arranging a marvellous adventure, I'm sure we will return.

With very best wishes

Jane and Jon

Hi Wing,

thank you again for your help! Overall I’m very happy with your company.We are very happy to recommend your company to others!

Julie

Hello Wonder,

I am finally back in L.A. after the amazing and breathtaking views of our memorable China trip!

I am writing to thank you for your efficient and gracious service, and special thanks for taking the time to meet with us in Chengdu and the choice of such a beautiful souvenir for all of us. You sure have showed us a great example for excellent Customer Service.

Once again, we thank you very much for being so patient, answering all of our silly questions and explaining all that we need to know. You are Mr. Wonderful!

It was truly a great pleasure working with you, your professionalism and experience have been a great asset in planning my trip and I look forward to doing so again in the near future, hopefully in 2024. And, I can assure that you will be highly recommended to all my friends and family for their future travel needs.

Meanwhile, wishing you good health and happiness for years to come! Take care!!

Best Regards,

May

Dear Wonder,

We had a great trip and enjoy the different places we went to. In Beijing we liked the hotel Double happiness hotel and it’s location, great access to local restaurants, coffee and craft beer bar. Andy the guide was very good and he took us to another neighbourhood after the Forbidden city. The great wall was also a hit. We also went to a show in the evening.

Xian was very interesting , a bit crowded around the terracotta museum , interesting history around of the city wall Ivan was a good guide too, we liked the spicy food and we also visited a show.

Zhangjiajie was the most beautiful place, Linda the guide took good care of us, we walked a lot and the place is very beautiful with the mountains and valleys.

Guilin was also nice the river tour was great, also beautiful ,you should always recommend people to do the first class booking. We also took the bamboo raft , nice.

The same goes for the train travel 2:nd class is really crowded and not comfortable, always recommend 1:st class. The difference in money is not much.

Shanghai was as expected, we went to an underground market area and the French concession which we enjoyed.

Also the guide Eileen was very nice and helpful.

In all we a bit surprised by China how green the cities were and people nice, we had a great time and enjoyed the sights seeing. We also liked to stroll around local markets in Beijing, Xian and Guilin, so thank you very much Wonder we had a great time and very good service from all of you

Best Regards

Mats

Dear Rita Jiang,

Thanks for your message. We have just landed back in Santiago and we are a bit "out" at the moment. We will come back again to you with some photos and more detailed comments. Now, just a summary: it was great, everything run smoothly and we are very happy to have arranged the travel with you. The problem with the hotel was just a human, understandable mistake and anyway it was arranged very promptly and well: the new room was also very good and the Maria´s guidance in Beijing was outstanding. The only "black spot" on the whole tour was the room in Shanghai: the hotel was great, very well located, breakfast very good, but the room they assigned to us was old, small and not in accordance to the hotel category. I think it was even small for a single person and the shower was just an old fixed thing inside the bathtube with cheap plastic courtains. I guess that is more a failure of the hotel itself, but we wanted to let you know. Anyway ,we had a very good time in Shanghai.

Jose

Hi Tracy.

Thank you for the thoughtful gifts. We had an amazing time in Chengdu and Jen was a fabulous host!

Lori

Hello Rita!

We have received your gift and the postal card!! That was so nice of you, and pandas so cute, thank you so much!

We are having an amazing trip so far. Thank you for that as well!

Best regards,

Javier and Leyre

Hello Jack,

I had a great time in China and thank you for the help that you and your guides gave me on my holiday.

Everything was well planned and it was reassuring to know you were there making sure it all went to plan.

I cannot wait to come back and I will need someone to look after me again and I shall be in touch.

Thank you

Jim

Hi Tracy,

I’m only just back home today, the trip was amazing and we had a great time visiting your country. If I come back I will definitely be contacting you again. Thanks for everything Darren and Linda

Darren

Hi Wing,

Feedback as follows.

1. Our consultant from China Discovery- Ms Wing Zeng provided excellent service and responded promptly with our enquiries. Ms Wing Zend always provided detailed advice and suggestion to ensure our visit to China was successful.

2. The tour arrangements and Ms Wing Zeng local knowledge of the worthwhile attractions ensured we visited tourist sites that showcased China.

3. We can Highly recommend China Discovery as tour consultants and also highly recommend Ms Wing Zeng as a consultant

4. Discovery China provided a first class service and acted professionally at all times.

Brian

Hi Rita,

The ship is fabulous so far and thank you

Dominik

Hello Leo

I have just come back to Brisbane.

Thank you very much for organizing such an enjoyable trip for us. I have been to China many times, this is the best trip for me.

The hotels were very good (except for maybe 1). The food was excellent and the guides were very friendly, knowledgeable and patient with us.

The places the guides took us to were very interesting and beautiful...full of history.

I would like to say a special thank you to the guides who made our trip so enjoyable...

Joe - very knowledgeable, patient and looked after us very well.

Ben - helped us get porridge when a few of us were sick with food poisoning.

Frank - loved his humour and knowledge of Lanzhou. Also very helpful with helping us use the washing machine on the last day.

Sally - she is so helpful and made sure we were warm. Also very helpful in rearranging pour trains to Jiayuguan.

Aisha - very good knowledge about the places went and arranged good food for us.

Siddiq - very helpful, good sense of humor and we enjoyed his company very much.

Cathy is also very good and knowledgeable, very passionate about being a guide. She gave us good tips on how to go to the nearby market in Dunhuang and Turpan.

Once again, thank you very much Leo and thank you to China Discovery for such a memorable trip.

Adrian

Hello Rita,

We had a great trip and we just reached home 30 minutes ago.

Yogesh

Hello Tracy,

Thank you very much for the very well-organized vacation. Everything went very smoothly, good hotels and good guides/drivers.

We liked China very much; it was beautiful ….

Regards,

Jan and Krystyna

Hello Phoebe,

Everything is perfect! Lorry is great, she has anwers for all my questions. She is very helpful with all the things and patience.

Jacob

Dear Leo,

Thank you so much for your response.

I have completed the review and attached some photos.

1. Is your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions?

Our travel consultant was Leo and we found him absolutely amazing! He answered every email and question in very good time and he always reassured us with any worries we had.

2. How do you comment your tour arrangements?

Everything was very well arranged, we didn’t have to worry about anything as Leo had made sure we had all the information we needed as well as the contact details of all our guides. All of the tours went very well!

3. Are you willing to recommend our service to your people who also have an interest to visit China?

I would definitely recommend this service especially for someone who has never been to China before.

4. Your general opinion on us?

We had a great experience with China discovery, the tour guides were incredibly friendly and had a lot of knowledge. We went during golden week which was incredibly busy but the tour guides, especially Linda during our Beijing trip, went above and beyond and were excellent at making sure it didn’t affect our trip.

5. Do you have any suggestions on improving our services?

At times it may have been nice to have some free time in some of the attractions because it felt rushed but otherwise we really enjoyed ourselves.

6. Can we use your comments of our service, the photos or other images that you took on the tour for our websites, brochures, marketing and publicity? If yes, could you please send us some of your photos by E-mail?

Yes.

Claire

Hi Jack,

My Review as follows:

Unforgettable China Journey with Outstanding Organization!

I recently had the incredible opportunity to travel through China, with Jack as our wonderful organizer. From bustling cities to serene landscapes, each step of the journey was seamlessly organized, ensuring a stress-free and immersive experience.

Jack’s attention to detail was second to none. Flights, hotels, and cars were arranged flawlessly, with every aspect meticulously planned and executed. The accommodations were splendid, offering comfort and luxury, and our transportation was always reliable and punctual, making our travels smooth and effortless.

The local guides arranged by Jack were knowledgeable and friendly, providing insightful narratives and histories of each destination, enriching our exploration and understanding of the beautiful and diverse Chinese culture. Despite the extensive itinerary, every site and activity was thoughtfully scheduled, allowing ample time to savor each experience fully.

An extraordinary highlight was Jack's unmatched flexibility and problem-solving skills. Unforeseen changes and deviations in the itinerary were handled promptly and efficiently, ensuring our travel plans remained uninterrupted. This adaptability offered peace of mind and allowed us to enjoy the trip without any concerns.

In conclusion, traveling China under the excellent organization by Jack was an unparalleled adventure. His commitment to excellence, profound expertise, and personal touch made every moment memorable. I wholeheartedly recommend Jack's services to anyone seeking an unforgettable journey in the breathtaking land of China. Thank you, Jack, for making our China trip an exquisite and flawless adventure!

Viren

Dear Mr Wonder Wang

My wife and I wish to thank you for organising a very enjoyable holiday for us in China. All the guides and drivers were good. The cruise was also good and the service is excellent.

Thank you once again.

Best Regards

Kar

Hello,

Overall, my trip and travel to China from 9/1/23 - 9/17/23 was very nice and satisfying.

Thank you all for the travel arrangements, especially the Yangtse Cruise.

I am now already back in Los Angeles USA. Hopefully, I will be able to travel to China again next time.

Thank you so much.

Madiana L.

Hi Leo

still not adjusted but should be 90% in a few days, on the local guides no complaints, top three Jamie Wang Beijing total knowledge of Chinese history asked him tough questions he gave honest answers , number 2 Seven Shanghai again total knowledge , we became friends, number 3 Sarah Chengdu so young and enthusiastic cares 100% wish we could have spent more time with her. On hotels you made very good choices only one I would change was the Intercontinental Tibet which my wife wanted to stay in , problem far from center of town, we chose not to do some sites because we had seen before on previous trips, that’s what great about private tours we can change itinerary, Leo you provided great service thank you.

Gene

Hi Leo,

Overall our trip is very convenient, all the trip went smoothly, the guides are helpful. However if you need me to choose which city and guide services i prefer, i think like beijing the most and for the guide, Linda and the driver Li. They're super kind, me and my mom are more comfortable with them

For the cars , i think both are great. They are very spacious and super comfortable. Even our car in shanghai had a back massage and heated seat feature, very very convenient.

Overall my trip with your company's services are very satisfying

Helena

Hello Wonder,

I am very well - very refreshed after the trip to China. Hope all is well with you.

Of course, please see my feedback below. Also attaching some photos for you as well. Happy for you to share these on your websites too.

Thank you once again for making the necessary arrangements for the trip. We hope to visit China again soon!

Best regards,

Jasmine

Hi Leo,

I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to be in touch.

I have been travelling around Asia and Europe since the middle of June and have finally returned to work in the UK.

First of all, I would like to thank you so very much. Your planning of my trip was absolutely impeccable. The hotels were absolutely fantastic, the locations were brilliant and the service in all hotels was also great. The only one which was a little out of the way was in Shanghai, although for me it was perfect.

The tour guides were brilliant in all 3 locations I visited and their knowledge was excellent. The drivers were always on time and did their utmost to make me feel comfortable and hydrated in the heat!! I do think next time i come to China i will come in the spring or autumn when it is a little cooler!!

I am going to leave a trip advisor review for you and your amazing tour company. I have already told my friends and family and my parents are now thinking of planning a trip!

Leo, thank you so much. I have travelled the world and I can categorically tell you China was my favourite country of them all and I will be back!!

My kindest regards and I will be in touch in the future for another trip.

Jack

Dear Tracy,

thanks for reaching out! Yes, we came back safely and full of new impressions - it was a truly spectacular trip!!

I would like to provide more detailed feedback when I have a bit more time, but just to say already now, we were really really happy about all the organisation and the support, especially from you personally!!

Best regards,

Matthias

Hi Rita,

I would like to thank you and your team for a wonderful time in China. Jeff and Jessica were great tour guides and provided us with enjoyable experiences. One recommendation would be to provide a little more information for the overnight experience when staying on the mountain. A brief explanation that a small backpack with a few items for the overnight would be helpful in preparing for the mountain.

The hotel accommodations were excellent and the drivers were professional and timely.

Shanghai: We met Jeff in the morning and planned to visit the Yu Garden but it was not open because of scheduled maintenance on Mondays. We were able to visit the Yuyan Bazar and the Jade Buddha Temple. Jeff assisted us in the purchase of an item at the bazar. Jeff treated us for drinks at Starbucks for compensation for not being able to visit the garden. Walking on Nanjing Road and the Bund was a great experience. In the evening Jeff took us for our evening river cruise and were amazed with the lights displayed on the buildings throughout the cruise.

Huangshan: Even though it rained most of our time on the mountain we were able to have spectacular views when the sun peeked through the clouds. The walking experience on the paths were phenomenal and provided stunning views. Jessica was fantastic as our guide throughout this portion of our trip. She checked in with us to ensure we had everything we needed and also helped us with questions about the hotel and dinner. She escorted us into the train station and ensured we were at the correct gate. She was absolutely lovely.

I would like to thank you for your input and guidance in preparing for an amazing experience in China.

We would highly recommend China Discovery to anyone.

I have attached a few pictures.

Steve

Hi Wonder,

Thanks for being fast and patient. Very good service and taking care of us well. Likely to visit next year and will be in touch.

Any way, we are happy overall in this tour.

Calvin

Morning Leo,

My wonderful touring journey with my sister ended today.

We had a grand time and also tiring coz is summer too hot at time...40degree, besides co-insight with school holidays.

Any way, we are happy overall in this tour.

Sharine

Dear Rita,

I have just arrived back home in London from China. I just want to say how absolutely incredible the trip was, and how grateful I am for all the work that you put into making it happen.

Thank you so much for organising it (especially with my changes!) and helping me along the way in such a kind and helpful way. From the very first day I contacted you, the quality of your service has been unbelievable.

I will definitely be travelling with China Discovery again.

Thanks for everything,

George

Rita,

Thanks for a great trip except for the rain. We are flying to Dunhuang today for a family weekend with my business team

Steve

Dear Tracy,

Up to now everything worked perfectly. Thank you for all your support.

All was good in Xian.N ancy met us in Yichang, and so did the guide in Xi’an, who - good surprise - speaks a very good Italian (he is a long time teacher at the local university, and an archeologist).

Gift received and appreciated: many many thanks from my wife (and me). The best gift has been your perfect organisation of our trip: we encountered no problem at all: I will give your reference to my friends when they plan to visit China.

Everything was OK in China, so we are very happy to have been there, and I thank you for your help; specifically, we must say that everything you planned went ok.

Giorgio Garuzzo

Hello Ms.Wing,

Everything is OK.Every places are interesting and glad to see modern China. Happy to see my wife’s grand relatives native. Especially your guide Adam is very helpful due to my wife suffering knee pain with using wheelchair. Helping wheelchair person in hilly and steps area today is not easy.

my Xiamen vacation trip is completed. We’re appreciative your helpful guide Adam and driver. My wife and daughter happy today visit places. Especially thanks to you for your perfect arrangement, today flowers and traditional dress are appreciated

Hi Rita,

We’re home. I appreciate everything you did for the arrangements. The itinerary, accommodations and guides are all top-notch. Our favorite guide is Jack… and Qi, and timo, and Steven. Did I mention each one? Hahaha. We had a wonderful vacation in China.

Lyn

Hello Echo,

I just arrived back in Wenzhou. I wanted to say thank you for all your help. I greatly appreciate all you did for me. Thank you.

Toby

Hello Rita,

Hope you had a good weekend.

Well, my time here has come to an end and I have had "THE" most amazing trip; and seen so many wonderful things in China that I would never have been able to do without your help. The itinerary that you put together for me was perfect and fantastic. Thank you so so much. Every hotel was delightfully comfortable and just right after each full and busy day. The breakfasts were delicious and catered for many different tastes.

The guides and drivers were all increadible. So obliging and flexable....willing and able to meet our every need, politely, patiently and professionally.

I will strongly recommend China Discovery as a tour agency of choice.

Many, many thanks; wishing you only the best throughout this difficult COVID period and the future.

Warmest Regards

Ceresa

Hi Vivien,

Very nice trip. Thanks.

Ashley

Thanks Leo for organising this trip. We had good time;

Huangshan: we loved the place but felt sad that this was not the right season for it.. So while booking you can just inform us on the same.. I had checked the weather before going, I knew it was raining but I thought it like shenyang rain.. Light.. Not that heavy.. So if possible just give an info on that to people..

Driver and vehicle: good

Guide: very good

Hangzhou: good place.

Driver: very rude. Not even accommodating a small requirement of stopping at a supermarket.

Guide:Very good.

Shanghai and around: good

Driver: Kind and helpful.

Guide: very friendly, helpful and good.. Appreciate that she helped us for booking food online..

Guides were supportive at all places.. Thank you!! But again a feedback for your company: Try being little flexible when you are doing a customized trip. Customized trip is not just booking hotels or car. Clients need more flexibility in terms of everything when we know we are paying more than just for the trip expense

Hi Tracy,

We are back comfortably. Thankyou for organising the nice trip.

Hello Ms. Wang

Thank you for your support.

Trips were very good.

Especially thanks for guide Jack. He was very good preparatem and helpfull.

Kind remide
Bralewski Dariusz

Hi Riley,

Thank you! The Great Wall was phenomenal.

Hi Wang,

All were perfect, thank you so much for your help. Hotel and staff were great and friendly. Room was great and service in club lounge perfect (afternoon tea, snack, breakfast,...)

Flowers and cake were prepared very well with fruits, wine, and also decoration. Was a great weekend, thank again.

Hi Wonder

I hope things are returning to normal for you and that the impact in your business of covid-19 has not been too depressing. Please forgive my tardy response, for which there is no excuse!

I flew from Shanghai to Saigon just 3 days before the flights were banned and managed to spend a great 4 weeks travelling through Cambodia and Thailand as well as re-entering Vietnam in Hanoi and touring back to Saigon for a week returning to UK on 22 February, where I completed 2 weeks of self isolation with my wife. As you will know we have been locked down for 9 weeks now so life is very different to how it was before I left for China back on 12 January! I have inserted my answers to your questions below and hope they are helpful to you.

1. Is your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions?

Wonder Wang, at China Discovery, was very helpful and responsive to my questions and needs and I felt supported and safe in a strange land, especially during a period of uncertainty when I lost key documentation and needed to ensure its replacement before I left China, and also during a time when many around us were conscious of the emerging coved 19 pandemic (Mid to late January 2020).

2. How’s the service of the tour guides during your whole tour?

Very attentive and knowledgeable. Maybe it’s my age (67) but at times I found understanding their English a challenge but they were all patient with me and would repeat their explanations when I asked them to. 

3. Would you like to recommend our company?

 I have no hesitation in recommending China Discovery to anyone looking for a bespoke trip to the land of Wonder that is China.

Thanks again for all you did for me during the China leg of my trip. I had a wonderful time.

Take great care and best wishes

Simon

Thanks Mike;

Our hearts go out to the people of China. We sincerely hope that the situation in China, and the rest of the world gets back to normal soon.

We sent a package of N95 masks to one our tour guides several weeks ago, as a small token to show our appreciation for her efforts while we were in China, and to show our concern for the well-being of her family.

Thanks very much for sending the information and suggestions about dealing with the virus. We are starting to experience many of the same problems that the Chinese people faced when the virus first started to spread, and your suggestions will be most helpful.

Best Wishes,

Rick

Dear Wing!

We are very glad that everything is OK with you and hope all your colleagues and families are healthy!

Thank you so much for your kind attention and very useful information, which will be shared with our relatives and friends. 

We are OK but at the moment we are in self-isolation at home because of the quarantine measures and looking forward to coming back to normal life.

Keep safe and healthy.

Have a nice day,

Elmira and Nick

Dear Wing,

We have been wondering how the wonderful people we met are getting through this crisis. We are glad to hear that you are well. We hope that you and your family and friends can stay healthy.  

We are well and are living near our son and his family who can help us. My sister in California said that no one is allowed out of the house except for food shopping or something necessary in order to live. Last week 3.3 million people applied for unemployment benefits in our country. So many businesses are closed.  

We hope to travel again and will contact you when it is again possible to see other countries.

Sincerely,

Deborah and Steve

Dear Wing Zeng,

Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness in providing the very useful information on Covid-19. It is greatly appreciated.

All our family are well and in good spirits despite the unprecedented times we are living in. We are now in lockdown in Ireland until at least Sunday 12th April. It is difficult but we hope it will save lives and contain the virus.

We also hope there will be a medical breakthrough soon to eradicate the virus.

Thank you again for all your kindness.

Take care and stay safe and well.

Regards,

John

Dear Wing,

So sweet of you to get in touch. It's a very difficult time for everyone. I'm glad you are returning to some normality in China. We are so lucky to have taken and enjoyed our trip last year.

Wishing you continued good health and luck for the coming year.

Kind regards

Tamesha

Hi Vivien,

Thank you for your kind letter. I hope that you and your family are well. 

I can imagine how difficult it is for travel industry to go through this crisis. 

How long Wuhan has been under the lockdown? Are there any effective medication against the virus? 

We are now in a total lockdown. We’ll see how the UK will be effected by that. It is difficult for everyone. 

Stay well and healthy.

Best wishes, 

Nana

Hi Vivien,

Many thanks for your email, kind wishes and guidance documentation.

I will read with interest and forward to my family.  

I hope you and your family were not affected with COVID19 and it is good to note that it appears to be coming under control in China. 

Here in the UK our figures are gaining momentum and we have just moved into the “stay at home” phase with guidelines and key restrictions.

On a positive, we have very fond memories of our time in China last year and are so pleased we were able to visit.  We wish you and our tour guides all the best, continue to keep safe.

Kind regards 

Carol and Bill

Hello Vivien,

Thank you very much for your warm wishes and for sending this information. It is an interesting read and it does very much agree with the advice we are getting here in the UK. Yes, we are well but as we are in the early stages of the pandemic here in UK it remains a worrying time.

Of course, we have also been watching the situation in China and are pleased that things seem to be moving back towards normal. Our daughter Stephanie who works in Fuzhou was at home in the UK for a month following the outbreak and the closure of public schools in China after the New Year celebrations. She intended visiting for just one week but while she was home the outbreak spread around China and so she remained here. Her school have started teaching on-line and she has been able to do that.

Hearing that the situation was starting to get better in China, she was anxious to return and so she left home on the 15th of March. Unfortunately, she arrived in Haikou, en-route from Hong Kong to Fuzhou, and was caught by the 14-day quarantine for passengers arriving in China that started last Monday. She is now one week into her enforced stay before she will be allowed to fly to Fuzhou. However, although obviously a bit lonely, she is well and quite comfortable in the hotel, and is able to continue her on-line teaching. She is due to continue her travel next Tuesday, 31 March, and is now looking forward to re-joining her colleagues. And it does seem that she left here just in time as we are now starting a period of lockdown.

We do still have flights booked for a future visit to China in May but we have not made any plans yet because we do not know if we will be able to travel. If we can travel then we will contact you nearer the time to help with bookings – no doubt it has been a very quiet time for you recently.

It is a very difficult time for everybody. We are doing our best to heed the advice, as no doubt you have done. Thank you again for your message and we send you our very best wishes for the future.

Sincerely,

Chris & Jude

Dear Wing Zeng,

Great to hear from you.

Thank you so much for the lovely e-mail and the attached document on the prevention of coronavirus. It is greatly appreciated.

We are delighted to hear that the epidemic in China is over and life is slowly resuming to normal. We wish you the very best of luck and success in the future.

Italy today now has more deaths than China.

In Ireland the situation is very serious and there is a partial shutdown at present (schools, universities, crèches, pubs, restaurants, shops, hotels etc.) and other people are advised to work from home. It is likely further restrictions will be put in place during the coming days. A full lockdown of the entire country is a possibility.

We are confined to home at present and have advised our sons and grandchildren not to visit us for the foreseeable future. We are able to get out for a walk weather permitting but don’t interface with any people.

The current situation is expected to continue for a number of months.

We take each day as it comes and there is no doubt this situation will end. The question is when.

I do hope that there will be a breakthrough soon to eradicate the virus.

I’m the meantime we are following all the key guidelines issued by the Health Authorities.

We hope to be able to get back to Shanghai

as soon as possible and we are very disappointed we won’t be there as planned on 29th March to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary.

As soon as normality resumes when the virus is eliminated I will contact you to rearrange our trip to Shanghai.

Thank you again for your kindness.

Best regards,

John and Catherine

Hi Echo,

First my wife and i are very concerned about you & family plus our guides and their families due to the coronavirus.

We had a fantastic time in China just a few months ago.

1. Our travel arrangements were PERFECT! It was an affordable vacation yet for only a few dollars over base cost we were able to upgrade to Hainan airlines and 1st class high speed trains,

Plus our hotels (when the front desk is an actual luxury desk you sit at checking in - you relax and know your stay will be so nice!)

We were met on time by friendly staff in each city.

Our local tour guides were great! Each different but good. 

We have recommended your tour company many times as we discuss our trip and show our pictures. Everything went very smoothly. As we exchanged emails our perfect vacation developed so easily. 

Improvements? Not many. The tour locations, transportation, lunches, drivers & guides etc... were great!

2 things- our guide in Shanghai wanted to tell us so much. She was worried about the time too much. For her, the other guides, and the travellers - please send a simple intro guide lesson for us fo read and take with.  So many dynasties, rivers, canals, rocks, pagodas etc...to learn. 

Also, the shopping stops were very nice and also affordable. 

But, if wasn't until our last morning that i discovered a souvenir shop. To buy tshirts, key chains, refrigerator magnets, etc..  This is an important part of travel as the "themed" location shops dont carry items forg all the friends and family back home.

Also in Xian we had expected fo visit the ancient mosque along with the muslim street.

Thank you for a wonderful trip.

Hallo Lily,

Last year, with my cousin Roberto Bergoglio and his wife Anita Maletto, I had with 'China Discovery' a nice holiday in China.
We remember well the beauty of the country and the kindness of our guides. 

We are now very sorry for the bad news from China and we hope that all of you is well. 

We are sure that these difficult moments will soon be over.

Cheer up!

Franca Bergoglio

Hi Wendy,

If I get a chance I will put something on Tripadvisor but I can give you the responses to your questions.

1. Was your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions? 

Yes very happy with the contact we received and the booking of tours.

2. How was your tour? Are you satisfied with the tour we arranged for you?

I was very happy with the tour. I think in Shanghai the hotel was in a poor location and didn’t have the services the other hotels had. If I had known I would have paid extra for a better/ better location hotel.

Hi Vivien,

Arrived in Yangon!  We had a great trip in China.  Thanks for everything!!!

Hi Wendy,

Thank you Wendy so much for organizing our wonderful trip to China you made every thing fun and easy. All the arrangements worked out perfectly without a problem. We had a fantastic time and enjoyed all the sights and sounds and attractions. We really appreciated our tour guides they were exceptional and the drivers and pre-organized tickets made the trip easy. Could you pass on a special thanks to Anne, Alison, Tina and Eric who made our family feel very welcome and gave our trip a warm and personal touch.

Thanking you Jenny and family :-):-):-)

Dear Ms Zeng,

So I am now back home in England and already I am very much missing China!

Overall my tour was excellent and I would be very happy to recommend your company to my friends and family.  In fact I have already done so

Here are my comments about the tour in more detail:

Xi’an 

The train connection went smoothly and I was met at the station by my guide, Crystal

Hotel: The Holiday In Express was good, clean and friendly.  The location is excellent because it is right in the centre of the city.

Guide and driver: Crystal (and the driver) were excellent. Crystal was very well informed, very friendly and great company.

Tour: The places we visited were interesting and I really enjoyed seeing the terracotta warriors.

Beijing

Again the train transfer went smoothly, apart from me arriving at the wrong exit at the station (which you sorted very quickly - thank you!) Having your number for emergencies was a really useful on that occasion

Hotel: the hotel itself was good, clean and comfortable.  I just found the location a little “isolated” and would have preferred somewhere a bit more downtown, near the centre.

Guides: 2 different guides for the 2 days. I have already messaged you about Yuly who I thought was excellent. Informed, patient with the difficult tourists and good company. The guide on the 2nd day was also very good, well-informed and good company.

Tour: Beijing was incredible if very cold! I thoroughly enjoyed all the places we visited and found the guides to be well informed. The Great Wall was amazing!

Shanghai

Again the train transfer went smoothly and I was met on time at the station by the guide.

Hotel: the hotel was warm, clean and comfortable and well located near the railway station and the metro.

Guide: Frank was well-informed, well organised and fun to be with.

Tour: the tours were interesting and well organised.  I felt I saw the best parts of Shanghai

So overall I was very happy with the tour 

I should also add that your itinerary was very comprehensive and I constantly referred to it on my travels.

My only suggestion would be to include a link on how to use the Metro because the first time is confusing (or did I miss that link)

I am happy for you to include my comments in your marketing and I am also happy for potential customers to contact me if they want more feedback before they book.

I took over 900 photos but I have included my 3 favourite photos as they remind me that I have been to these 3 iconic places in China.  I am happy for you to use my photos

Thank you again for organising the tour, Ms Zeng

Best wishes,

Chris

Hi Mike,

I am writing to thank you and your staff for arranging a wonderful vacation for my family in China. We really enjoyed our time in China learning about your country.

Each of your tour guides and drivers were friendly, knowledgeable and very professional. They treated us like we were part of the family.

Thanks again, and Happy New Year.

Rick Valek

Dear Lily,

Happy new year!

Hopefully this whole year will see you & your entire family in blessings and happiness! 

Kindly find here attached our evaluation form of the trip.

Many thanks again and hope to keep in touch with you!

1. Is your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions?

* Yes. Lily was very quick to respond all my inquiries by e-mail or WeChat. She was flexible, accommodating, and informative too. We had quite a lot of requests and changes on our itinerary, and she managed to give us best services. On our last day there, she even came to see us and sent us off at the airport :)

2. How do you comment your tour arrangements? 

* We enjoyed the arrangements in general. Our activities stick to the planned itineraries.

3. Are you willing to recommend our service to your people who also have an interest to visit China? 

* Yes, sure.

4.  Your general opinion on us?

* We enjoyed your services overall. No major complaints whatsoever. The guides were patient too. Shout out to Mrs. Tutu who accompanied us until late night! :)

5. Do you have any suggestions on improving our services?

* Maybe you could try adding more variations for the meal menu. On our last days we found ourselves bored with the same menu servings. In Chengdu we also requested for a Japanese dinner recommendation but in the end we didn’t manage to get any (there was one Japanese restaurant near our hotel but it was too small to accommodate the 17 of us).

6. Can we use your comments of our service, the photos or other images that you took on the tour for our websites, brochures, marketing and publicity? If yes, could you please send us some of your photos by E-mail?

 * Sure. You may use our group photo pictures (if you have none, Lily can ask me on WeChat).

7. We sometimes have requests from potential customers who would like to inquire from or our ex-customers.  May they contact you for advices?  _______

* No problem. They may contact me on patricetan@outlook.com

Warm regards,

Patrice

Hi Lyn

Thank you for helping us with the tour. We really enjoyed it and would recommend you highly.

 

Wonder

Thank you for the Christmas greetings. Thanks for your help. We had a very unforgettable experience during our stay there. Warm regards.

Emilie

Hi Jack,

Sorry to the late reply. Sandy supposed to send you the feedback and I didn't know she still hasn't done yet. Or she will send you in a few days.

That's a great tour. For such short time, I can see both Huangshan and Zhangjiajie. The tour guide at both area is great, friendly and knowledgeable. Hotel is good. Only one thing that the meal included in our tour was not that great, a lot of vegetable but not enough meat. We love meat and most people live in US love to eat meat.

Next time you can have some suggestions that we stay one more day to explore a little bit of Shanghai even though we all have been travel to Shanghai. Every night we went back to shanghai so late. We only can go to the bund to take picture and then come back to sleep.

Lastly, we are very appreciate your arrangement, we can see what we want to see. Thanks a lot. I definitely will recommend you and your company to my family and friend.

Toni

Hi Leo!

My apologies for taking such a long time in getting back to you. We had a wonderful experience, and I have told my friends back here in the US to take the tour the way we did if they ever decide to go to China.  I think the only helpful note to possibly relay to future tourists is to have Apple Pay set up.  It is not too used here in the US, so I do not have it set up and a lot of the local places only took Apple Pay.

Otherwise, the tour stops were great, we really enjoyed all of our guides - I want to be friends with all of them!

Please let me know if you have anyone that needs to reach out to me that is considering the trip. I would be happy to share my positive experience.

Thank you,

Molly

1.) Your travel consultants were very prompt in responding to us. Both Ashley and Wonder were very clear in responding to our requests for information, and both did well in addressing our questions and concerns. We especially appreciated the changes in accommodation they made for our trip in Xian, where our accommodation had to be changed. We appreciated the efforts they made and are generally satisfied with the results. They were also very patient in explaining everything to us, and we had very little confusion regarding the details of the trip.

We want to give extra credit to Kai, our guide in Beijing, who was not only helpful but caring. We thoroughly enjoyed our excursions with him, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace. He is truly the best guide in our entire tour, and we hope all guides in the future can be as knowledgeable and caring as him.

Our general opinion of your tour company is generally positive, as your tour is a fresh idea compared to the usual Chinese tour operators we encountered in the past. Your focus on spending more time on the historical and cultural aspects of China and not pressuring tourists to do other activities (ex: shopping) is very refreshing, and allows us to appreciate the areas we visit more. We hope there are more tour operators in China who are willing to operate this way in the future.

Wing - 

Thank you very much for the emails and I apologize for the delay. First off let me say that we have traveled to over 30 countries with our children and this trip was among the best organized we have experienced.  The people were extremely welcoming throughout China and it all started with us working with you at China Discovery.  We knew that November is not the ideal month to travel due to the colder weather but that did not detract us from a wonderful vacation.  Here are some additional answers for you below:

 (1)  How do you like our tour arrangements and are you willing to recommend our service to your friends? 

Your services were exceptional! I appreciate your prompt responses to our questions and you were always willing to help. Since I have returned from China, I have already spoken with someone who is interested in touring China next year and I have strongly recommended that they ask for you: Wing Zeng at China Discovery for support. 

(2)   Do you have some suggestions for us to improve our service?

That is difficult to say. All tour guides we experienced spoke English very well and we enjoyed their company. Typically the tour guide is vital to the success of the vacation and we liked all them all which made everything great - Special thanks to our guide in Yichang who found an incredible restaurant on the way to the Yichang restaurant / The food we had was wonderful.

(3)  If you come to China again, would you like to use our service again?

Without a doubt! I will always recommend China Discovery and recommend they specifically ask for Wing Zeng. 

Please send this to the leaders of your company.  Thanks again and let me know if you have any further questions. 

Rob

Hello Riley, 

Thanks for reaching out, I can certainly share some feedback with you.

Transportation Services: Overall transportation services were good quality, the size, type of vehicle and driver were good and that's the kind of service I was expecting. Really appreciate your fast response when we needed to arrange transportation services from one day to another. Having you as a WeChat contact made the difference. The most important thing was that every single time the driver and vehicle was on time and with a printed sign with my name on it. I appreciate you having my flight information and taking care of times, arrival information etc. This worry-free experience is very important to me. The only not so positive thing to share was maybe not related to you or the driver but the two times we were picked up at the airport we had a long walk to reach the vehicle. When you are traveling with large group of people, many kids and a lot of lugagge this is difficult.

Tour in Shanghai: I have nothing but positive things to say about the guide. Her knowledge about the places we visited were amazing she had a vast amount of information to share, every single detail about the places we visited she mastered the details and we as a tourist value this a lot. I appreciate that you understood my VIP request travel to the river. When we get there we had a special place on the boat that made the difference. My people were pleased with this. Please recognize the work the guide did that day, working with a large group of latin american people including kids is difficult I admit but she was so kind and professional that I admire her. Even when we were in the bus driving to our destination she was sharing so many facts about Shanghai that we gladly received.

Happy to share this feedback to you and I hope you find it useful

Manuel Torres

Hi Rita,

Good morning. We reached our home safely. All thanks to you and your team for organising such a wonderful trip. Starting from planning, implementing, and executing it. We dint face any problem anywhere while traveling or while inter changing the between stations. I would like to thank each one of you for taking care of us. I would like to highlight few things which made me speechless. 

Security: 

In the entire trip we didn't face any problem. Either with baggages or any other property. Everything was secured. 

Comfortablity: 

Spacious cars were provided all over the trip and we were very much comfortable. 

Special Thanks: 

To you and team for organising . 

And Mis. Tina and driver at Beijing and Mr. Johnny and his Driver at Xian, were very truthful and treated us like a family. Such a wonderful experience with them made our Journey to China remarkable. 

We would like to Visit China again in near future to other places Visiting Yiwu market. 

Best Attraction out 5 which we felt the Best 

1. Zhangjiajie

2. Xian

3. Beijing 

4. Shanghai

We went to optional activities in Beijing, Xian, Zhangjiajie, and Gulin. The best activity was at Xian. We loved the performance the most. 

Once Again

Thank you soo much. 

Harika

Dear Echo,

Thanks for your email. Anne's knee has now recovered and she has been able to resume her visits to the gym this week.

I have paid the outstanding bill for the Shanghai airport transfer in $USD via PayPal

Thanks once again for all your assistance in setting up our trip and then helping us with the transport variations whilst in China.

It was a pleasure doing business with you and China Discovery

Best wishes

Russell & Anne

Hi Johnson,

Hope this email find you well. 

My family and I have returned to Sydney after 6 weeks of travelling! I want to thank you for arranging our 25 days China tour which we have really enjoyed. The itinerary was good although a bit tiring! 

China was amazing and your service in organizing and trouble shooting while we were there was greatly appreciated.

On reflection, we realized the highlights during our tours were the cities where we had a good guide and driver.

FYI the guides in SuZhou (Sarah), Guilin (Summer), Kunming (Jessie) and Lijiang ( Susan) and Chengdu (Jane) were all amazing. Their English and knowledge were very good. They made these cities/ places come alive for us.

Alan in Hangzhou took us to the best restaurant and ordered the best lunch we had in 25 days. Again a memorable city for us

On the flip side, Dali which was a beautiful city but we did not enjoy mostly because our guide ( Shirley) does not speak English well. We could not understand her narrative or explanation most of the time. The guide in Wuhan ( Jennifer) was very unhelpful, was on her phone most of the time unless we asked her questions. For e.g. The highlight of Wuhan to us was the yellow crane tower but she did not even bother to walk up with us  ( and gave us 20 min to go up and come down) As we all could not read Chinese , it made all the beautiful artworks, poems and historical significance a complete loss to us! At the Eastlake, again a beautiful area she rushed us in and out because she said we did not have enough time but we ended finishing the day around 4 ! As you know she also ignore us during lunch so I had to send you the complaint myself! So Wuhan to use was the least enjoyable day.

For your reference, I think you have to ensure the guides you provide to any group you organize speak good English and are experience and helpful.

Overall, I think it was a great tour and your service is excellent from start to finish. I will certainly recommend you to my friends and hope to organize a Silk Road tour with you  in the near future !

Thanks again

Regards

Sharon

Hi Wendy,

We have just returned home today from our month away and, rather belatedly, I wanted to thank you so much for the lovely scarf and gifts you sent us to Chengdu.

Our Chinese trip was absolutely perfect and we loved it.  For your information I will give comments on the guides:

Chengdu – Yijia

What a lovely girl, a pleasure to be around, incredibly innovative and helpful, beyond the calls of her job. She helped us get SIM cards for our phones, told us about the Opera near our hotel, even joined us for the panda workday.  Am not sure about how much knowledge she has but it was certainly enough for us.

Chengdu – Shani

First whole day in Chengdu.  She was very nice and knew her history.  Very informative about the Temples.

Xian – Vivien

We didn’t get off to a good start with her unfortunately as, although the driver was waiting for us at the station, she had been delayed with other clients and was 45 minutes late.  After our initial anger and seeing how upset she was we all settled down and I have to say she was incredibly knowledgeable and most informative. The next day, when we went to the Terracotta Warriors I don’t think we could have been with a better guide.  She was excellent.

Guilin & Yangshou – Lona

What a pleasure this guide was and so informative.  She certainly knows her history of the sites she took us to.  Very dedicated and we thoroughly enjoyed being with her.  I think she was the absolute best.

Shanghai – Tracy (I think)

A different caliber entirely.  Arrived late but with lots of excuses and no apology!  She was fine when we got going but her English wasn’t up to that of the others, nor was her knowledge I think.

Beijing - Kai

Probably the most well informed of all the guides we had, and a charming person.  He was most caring and happy to share his knowledge of all the sites as well as impart information about life in general in China.

Pick-ups were all excellent, with good and careful drivers. All in all we had a wonderful time in China and thank you so much for arranging it all so well for us.

We will certainly recommend you to our friends and if you need us to give recommendations to future clients, we shall be happy to do.

All the Best,

Candy & Laurie

Hi Wendy 

Apologies for the late reply been busy in the office.

1. Was your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions? YES We appreciated your assistance and updates

2. How was your tour? Are you satisfied with the tour we arranged for you? YES we were looked after both by Kiki and Eric 

Kiki helped Dylan in the yellow Mountains to overcome his tiredness and helped him achieve the extra walk into the valley 

Eric looked after us and when Dylan left his stuffed Koala in Beijing arranged for the hotel to courier it to Shanghai and arrived within 24 hours 

3. Do you have any suggestions on improving our services? Not really 

Regards,

With Our Kind Tour Guides

Dear Lyn Wang,

Just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed the Tour you scheduled for us. It was really great having the tour guides and drivers at each location to make sure we were on schedule and were able to get to the next location on time. We could not have done nearly as much of the tour on our own.

Each of the four (4) tour guides was very helpful and fully knew their area. Sherry in Chongqing and Bailey in Shanghai were outstanding.

I took many pictures so it will be a few days before I can edit and load them on my computer. When I do, I will send you some of the highlights.

It was a great trip and we certainly will recommend your Company and specifically Lyn Wang to anyone we know that plans on going to China.

Thanks again for a Job Well Done.

Bet wishes, 

Joseph

Dear Lyn,

Delighted to see your email. Yes, we are both fine and I must say that our China trip worked out extremely well thanks to you. Right from the word go, you have been so helpful and prompt in all your responses. Your advice was great and the choice of places to visit was just right. We do appreciate your help mid-way in getting our room in Novotel, Beijing, changed. All our tour guides – Yoyo in Beijing, Fiona in Hangzhou and Melody in Shanghai were very polite, friendly, helpful and flexible. So were the drivers too. Please covey our heartfelt thanks to all of them. Our thanks are also due to Mark who picked us up when we landed in Shanghai and Tina who was there to pick us up, help us with ticketing and drop us off twice at the Shanghai Railway Station. The weather was good throughout and everything went exactly as planned. Without doubt, we will recommend you and China Discovery to our friends. In fact, we have done so to many already.

Many thanks again and warm regards from both of us,

Lyn Wang,

Thank you for your email. We have enjoyed this trip tremendously. We want to give a special thank you to Sheri in Chongqing. We thought she went beyond her duties to insure we were well taken care of. All guides were very informative and helpful but we thought she went beyond her duties to insure we were well taken care of. Also Bailey in Shanghai was excellent. We really liked Shanghai. 

Aside from experiencing language barriers which was difficult for us at times, we had a good experience. I’m sure Mr Weichman will send you a followup once we arrive at home. 

Thank you,

Superlative team and organization

Review of China Discovery

Our group of 7 toured 3 weeks across China from Shanghai to Tibet. It was to be the trip of a lifetime, and it was. In my due process to search for the best itinerary and TA for us, I found Leo Li of China Discovery. Compared to other top in-China TAs, CD and Leo Li gave me everything I wanted including the best price for the desired itinerary. None of us were strangers to China. I was born there and had been there 5 times since, while the others had toured the capital cities but never the remote regions of Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Tibet.

We were always prompted met with a guide as soon as we left the airport security area; we were transported in clean mini-vans with plenty of bottled water. It was always door-to-door everytime. We would be dropped off at one end and after the tour, the mini-van would be waiting for us at the other end -- no backtracking. Nothing was ever stolen or missing in the secured vans. The many guides we met were always courteous and spoke varying degrees of fluency but always well-informed. One even held my wife's hand as she walked slowly on icy pathways in Huanglong National Park.

Their pricing was reasonable -- better than if I booked myself. We stayed in not only elegant country inns, but also at Pullman, Sofitel, Shangri-la, and Grand Hyatt.

I have nothing but praise for Leo and his team. He is easily accessible 24/7. That is really necessary in China. His English is flawless, his personality infectious. We met him in Chengdu. Ask for Leo Li.

Date of experience: October 2019

Dear Lily,

We have now returned to Australia after the holiday you organised for us in The Guilin and Hunan areas and are happy to provide some feedback on the service you offered.

1. Is your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions?

Lily was efficient and polite and always got back to us within 24 hours of our contacting her.  She was very patient, particularly when the first trip we planned had to have major changes made due to our personal circumstances.

2. How do you comment your tour arrangements? 

The tour was everything we expected.Timing was excellent and the attractions we visited were beautiful. Your country has spectacular scenery.

Some things are worth mentioning:

• The Guilin Park Hotel, while comfortable, was not really 4-star. The bathroom was very old, with mouldy wall tiles.  We would not recommend this hotel to others, although the location was perfect and the exterior and foyer looked beautiful.  The restaurant was uninviting, and the bar was not operating at all.

• The One Art Hotel in Ping’An was superb, and the family operating the business were very friendly and welcoming. This hotel is highly recommended.
• If we had our time over again we would have liked 2 nights in YangShou.  It was a lovely town and small enough for us to wander at our leisure
• The bike ride along the Yulong River and then to Moon Hill and The Banyan Tree was great fun
• There were long car trips involved in our visit to Fengshuan.  Perhaps we could have made a return trip from Zhangziajie by train and then flown from Zhangjiajie to Shanghai.
• Steven was an excellent guide and he provided advice as to where we should eat for our evening meals. He also suggested things for us to eat.
• Kevin was good, but perhaps not as helpful as Steven. He tended to rush us past things we wanted to see and we often had to ask him to slow down. 
• It was difficult for us to order from restaurants in the Zhangziajie area.  There was very little English spoken – and I had not downloaded a translation service to my phone before I left.  I was not able to access this once I was in China as access to Google was blocked

3. Are  you  willing  to  recommend  our  service  to  your  people  who  also  have  an  interest  to  visit China?

We certainly are. This is the second time we have used your service and have no complaints whatsoever.  It is an excellent service and Lily is a pleasure to deal with.  We only wish we could have met her personally to thank her.

 4. Your general opinion on us?

5 star!  Well done

5. Do you have any suggestions on improving our services?

2 suggestions: 

Perhaps you could advise future customers to download translation app before they arrive.

Your guides could have with them a simple menu in Chinese/English that customers could refer to when in a non-English speaking restaurant. 

6. Can we use your comments of our service, the photos or other images that you took on the tour for our websites, brochures, marketing and publicity? If yes, could you please send us some of your photos by E-mail?

See attached photos

7. We sometimes have requests from potential customers who would like to inquire from or our ex-customers. May they contact you for advices?   

Yes, of course.

Thank you once again for a wonderful itinerary,

Warm regards,

Lovely Villages and Beautiful River in Hunan and Guilin

Hi, Jack, that what I want to put on Trip Advisor, please read and let me know if it is something you expected.  Also if you can advise me what was that place in Xi’an I am writing about I will put it there.

10 days semi-private tour

10 days tour with the group of 6 friends was totally amazing, it was perfect combination of physical activity, information to process and just moments to enjoy.  Out of all included and optional activities I want to highlight just two special moments in Xi’an and show on the Li River in Yangshuo.

Whith basically all-time rain our visit to Xi’an was bright, interesting and full of surprises thanks to our wonderful guide Timo.  It started late in the evening when we arrived in the city and was taken to…I don’t remember name of that place, but it was a long street filled with lights, decoration, different activities, lots of people, some in traditional cloths and etc.  And the next day, after seeing the Terracotta warriors, City wall and other place of interests there was another surprise for us. One person in our group had a birthday and what he got as a gift from our tour company was creative, unique and above our best dreams (don’t want to go into details in case somebody else wants to celebrate birthday in Xi’an).  The only thing I regret about is we did not tip our wonderful guide enough. Tip recommendation was at the very end of our confirmation letter and none of us bothered to read it to the end until the mid of the tour.  We used our best judgment, and as it turned out it was not that good, he deserved much better. 

And show in Yanhshuo – I have no words to describe it, have never seen anything like that before, definitely worth seeing it even under the rain (theater does not have a roof).

So many great picture, so much great moments to remember!

Hi Lyn,

Please ignore this mail. We’d a great time with Caroline today, yesterday we just had some misunderstanding. 

She was very nice with us, considering that we wanted to change the program in Shanghai.

She made her best to satisfy our needs, and we’d a wonderful time togheter.

I want to thank you because our trip was wonderful in China!

Everything worked perfectly, and we sastified all our desires.

Unfortunately we didn’t receive your present in Chengdu.

We’ll prepare a wonderful review for China Discovery and your job.

Thank you so much for everything!

Best

Wing,

We had a great time in China. Thanks for such a culture packed itinerary 

Below is the evaluation sheet from the confirmation letter

There is one thing in shanghai I need to bring up. I paid 720 rmb each for our Disneyland tickets. It turns out the shanghai tour guide bought 1 regular (standard) and 1 senior (selected) ticket for us. The senior ticket is 200 rmb cheaper than the regular ticket. Should I get a refund? I found that out at the entrance when the ticket checker keep checking my birthday on the passport and not my daughter’s. I asked her why and she said I have a senior ticket.   Please let me know

1. Is your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions? Excellent. Ms Zeng responded to all my requests in a timely manner during the planning phase and during our trip

2. How do you comment your tour arrangements? It was more than expected. The trip to Chengdu introduce us to Chinese culture that we were not aware of. We are still talking about the face changing performance we attended. 

3. Are you willing to recommend our service to your people who also have an interest to visit China? Absolutely. I have been telling my co-workers about the private tour we had.

4.  Your general opinion on us? Very responsive and very familiar with the Chengdu area.

5. Do you have any suggestions on improving our services? better tour guides in Shanghai. however Ms Zeng was able to re-mediate the situation

6. Can we use your comments of our service, the photos or other images that you took on the tour for our websites, brochures, marketing and publicity? If yes, could you please send us some of your photos by E-mail? I am sending a few pictures of the pandas. A baby, an older one eating lunch and the forgotten red panda. These are pandas that we actually saw

7. We sometimes have requests from potential customers who would like to inquire from or our ex-customers. May they contact you for advice?  yes

Thank you China Discovery for an excellent tour

If we decide to visit other areas in China we will definitely engage your service again.

Giant Panda and Red Panda

Dear Wing Zeng,

We have just returned to Ireland after an INCREDIBLE trip to Beijing, Xian and Shanghai. The tour guides and drivers were SUPERB and gave us a fantastic experience for the duration of our time in China. We will always treasure the great memories from this UNFORGETTABLE trip. China is such a beautiful and vibrant country. It was our pleasure to experience such a fantastic time in your wonderful country.

Thank you so very very much for all your great help and organisation in arranging an unforgettable trip for us.

It is GREATLY appreciated.

Regards,

Hi Wonder!! How are you!!

Sorry for the late response, it has been a bit more time demanding coming back home than I expected!!

We will gladly write a review in trip advisor. Actually Rubi and I worked on a review for you that you can find below, it is written both in English and Spanish if that helps you with the Spanish speaking countries. Also for your information we are sending you our comments of hotels and guides, but that is for you only.

Wonder Wang was fantastic since day 1, he always replied very quickly to our multiple emails and questions. He worked in record time to provide us with a perfect itinerary that adjusted not only to our wishes, but as well to our budget.

As many customers have pointed out, thinking of paying for your trip to a chinese company many miles away could be nervewracking. Nevertheless, you have nothing to worry about, we did the payments through paypal and Wonder and China Discovery fulfilled all our expectations, always going the extra mile.

As an example, once our itinerary and plane tickets were booked, the Chinese government informed that the Forbbiden City was going to be closed in order for the 70th Anniversary preparations. That was very sad, but Wonder informed us right away appending the official communication and with lots of new proposals for us to choose from. Kudos Wonder!!!

Both the guides and drivers were fantastic, they took us to really nice places for lunch with plenty of food and gave great recommendations for our dinners. The vehicles were impeccable, and they always greeted us with water bottles. Thank you Jack in Beijing, Lucas in Xian, Lee in Guilin and Nini in Shanghai.

We have nothing but gratitude to Wonder and China Discovery they managed to make our trip a hassle free no worries holiday, in a challenging country. Definately we will be booking our future China trips with them.

Wonder Wang fue fantástico desde el día 1, siempre contestó rápidamente todos nuestros correos y nuestras dudas. Trabajó en tiempo record con nosotras para poder lograr un itinerario que fuera perfecto, que no sólo se ajustara a nuestros gustos y deseos si no también a nuestro presupuesto. 

Como todos lo han dicho, el pensar en pagar vía paypal a una empresa china a tantos kilómetros da nervios. Sin embargo, no tienen nada de que preocuparse, Wonder y China Discovery cumplieron todas nuestras expectativas!!! y siempre fueron más allá atentos a nosotras y a lo que pudiera pasar. 

A modo de ejemplo, cuando ya habíamos organizado todo nuestro viaje, el gobierno de China informó que la Ciudad Prohibida estaría cerrada por preparativos para el 70 Aniversario. Wonder inmediatamente nos comunicó esta triste noticia, adjuntando el comunicado oficial y con miles de propuestas de visitas. Muy bien resuelto!

Los choferes y guías fueron espectaculares, los lugares a donde nos llevaron a comer deliciosos y sus recomendaciones de lugares de cenas muy buenos. Los vehículos siempre estuvieron bien cuidados y limpios. Todos los días nos recibieron con botellas de agua. Excelente atención!! Gracias Jack en Beijing, Lucas en Xian, Lee en Guilin and Nini in Shanghai.

No nos queda más que agradecer a Wonder y a China Discovery por permitirnos disfrutar inmensamente de nuestras vacaciones, resolviendo todo lo necesario. Definitivamente para nuestros siguientes viajes a China buscaremos a Wonder Wang de China Discovery sin dudarlo.

Now Wonder about your questionnaire, yes you can give our contact details to customers. And finally here are our personal comments on hotels and guides for you:

Beijing:

Jack was a fantastic guide, he knew a lot, he always had great information to talked about. He took us to great places to eat and gave the most wonderful recomendations for dinner. We had a great time with him! 

Sunworld hotel: excellent location, rooms are ok, it is true it is a bit old hotel, but staff was great, the room was clean and of good size for 2 people for a couple of days is good. For this hotel our only concern was the restaurant, it is not big enough for the amount of guests, so unless you wake up really early, it will we difficult to find a place to seat at rush hour. Food choice was good and ok for a couple of days.

Xian:

Lucas was really funny, he had cool fun facts and made the visits were interesting. He also took us to really delicious restaurants and was very attentive to us and our needs. He knew the museum was going to be crowded so beforehand he showed us lots of great pictures and information of the most representative pieces on his ipad so we could appreciate them calmly. We loved that!

Xian Park Hotel, was one of our favorite hotels, room was large and clean, staff was really attentive and the breakfast was great with lots of options to choose from.

Shanghai:

Nini was really sweet and kind, she explain lots of interesting things about the chinese culture and about her and her family. She was our first guide so we didnt know what to expect. We found it odd that on the museum she took us to the top floor, explained to us one jade piece and then left us on our own to explore the museum. We didnt know if this was what we could expect from the guide, but Lucas did it different because he stayd with us through the whole visit to the museum and explain the most important pieces which was nicer than us going alone. The restaurant she took us was nice, clean and with lots of food although it wasnt the best of our trips the other restaurants were tastier.

Sunrise on the bund: our first leg of the trip we thought the hotel was great, the room size and bathroom were great, the breakfast was amazing and the staff very attentive. We thought it was a bit far away, although metro station was close. What shock us the firs time was that one of the beds had holes and hairs between the mattress and the sheet. But our last day the room was better situated and had no problem with the linen. 

Guilin:

Lee was such a nice guy, he was very attentive, he taught lots of cool things and took great pictures of us!! he took us to really nice restaurants and was very helpful with everything we needed.

Guilin park hotel: from our perspective it is not possible to compare the Guilin Park and the Sunworld as the same category 4 stars. We think the Guilin park must be a 3 stars or less. Or maybe it was just bad luck for us the room we were in. The staff was attentive and the location was good. For us the problem was the room, the carpet was dirty, the wallpaper was coming off on several places, the bathroom had damp and mold on ceiling and on the shower, the tv only had 1 channel in english. All the corridors and the room next to us smell awful of cigarette. And the breakfast had very little options and was not nice in taste, we actually bought some food and decided to have that as breakfast for the second day instead of what was offered in the hotel. 

We decided not to bother you with this during our trip, because at the end we knew that we had a tight budget and the first thing we decided to do was to pay less for hotels, and because we could survive it for 2 days. But if we were going back to Guilin we now know that we will be willing to pay more for a better hotel.

If we were to go back to all the same places we will certainly stay at the same hotels except for the one in Guilin, as we say for us it is very far from a 4 stars.

Finally Yangshuo Mountain retreat: was everyhing we wanted and more, rooms were great, food was excelent as well as service!!!

Well Wonder I hope all of this information is good and useful for you.

Once again thank you for everything and we will keep in touch!!

Did you like the mezcal??

Regards

CHINA DISCOVERY (CHENGDU CHINA): chinadiscovery.com Highly recommended.

The itinerary ; 16 days private tour in Shanghai Hangzhou Guilin Zhangjiajie Xian Beijing and group tour Yangtze Cruise (13^th Sept to 28^th September 2019)

If there is one word that best describes the flow of our 16 day long tour to China , the word is SEAMLESS. Our tour operator China discovery (based out of Chengdu China) were simply awesome. Right from the time we landed to the our last day they ensured we were cared for and made all efforts to make the trip memorable. It all started with an email to Leo Li (Representative at China Discovery). I’m sure he practices meditation coz he never lost his cool answering the several questions we had and innumerable changes we made before landing. He replied to my queries even whilst on his personal leave….that’s dedication. He guided me on the dates. We would have landed during golden week and that would have been a challenge with the local holiday crowds. Leo was also empathetic when we lost our perfumes, hairspray and swiss knife to security at the railway station in Xian (bear in mind you cannot have these if you are taking the bullet trains). He arranged to pick the confiscated items from the railway authorities and ship it back to us in Dubai. The level of service is par excellence. Having travelled extensively I can vouch for China discovery for the extra-efforts they put in to make it a great experience.

All tour guides spoke good English (Trust me you need one). I would like to mention KAI (Our guide in Beijing). He is an excellent story teller. Got us hooked to the history of China (Wish I had someone like him teach us in School). Then there were the other guides who gave us enough time as required, never overdoing the information bit. Answering the never ending questions we threw at them.

Our only setback during the trip was missing The forbidden city tour. The site was closed earlier than expected; as preparations were on for the 70^th National Day. However we were re-imbursed by the tour operator.

China has something for everyone. We chose the more scene route. Avatar mountains of Zhangjiajie are surreal, the rice terraces of Guilin, the Li river cruise , the lake city of Hangzhou and the Yangtze cruise were all a delight to experience. We insisted on a no-shopping tour.

Food can be a bit of a challenge to a few . Chinese food although popular may be quite different than how its made in a foreign land. If you are a vegetarian , pls specify this to your tour operator to help them guide you.

Hotel rooms were comfortable and locations were perfect. We could wander around the happening streets in every city and enjoy a dinner and a drink whilst taking in the local experiences.

People of China love to take pics with foreigners and its fun to share a smile , a laughter or even a hug with well-meaning individuals. Chinese parents encourage their kids to speak in English. So do indulge in a bit of a chat with the little one’s .

Tips :

When visiting China , ensure you give it at least 2 weeks. It’s a huge country, with every city/town/village offering different experiences.

Keep an eye out for what you cannot carry on train journeys or risk prohibited items getting forfeited.

VPN : Buy it to stay connected.

Have an offline app to translate your language into Mandarin (This is a BIG help)

Do not take offence if the Chinese don’t smile back at you. They are not being rude. It’s just my understanding that they do not know what to make of your smile. They do not understand your intent or it could be that they simply don’t smile often. They are lovely people if you get to know them .

Do not pack in too much for the day. Every location has lots to see, so a lot of walking. Shortlist your choices and finish the day at around 5 or 6 p.m . This way you are ready for the next day.

China will surprise you in ways you weren’t expecting.  This middle kingdom is indeed a sleeping giant as Napoleon Bonaparte rightly put. The country has had a remarkable growth economically. They have adapted to change .The transportation systems are super-efficient , the development in tourism is surprising and all these changes while keeping its traditions and culture alive.

China fascinates.

Hi Wendy,

I hope you had a good National Week.

When we said goodbye to our guide Gila we thought we had lost our feedback form. However when we unpacked in Shanghai we found it. So I have attached photos of our feedback. I will try and also post it.

We had a brilliant time in Chengdu. Gila was a wonderful tour guide so please thank her for her hard work. After Chengdu we went to Xi’an and Shanghai and are now in Beijing. We are really enjoying time in China - it’s an amazing country.

Many thanks,

Hi Lily,

Back in India and I wanted to thank you for all the arrangements and tour planning you have done.

I have enjoyed every bit of the tour, guides and car drivers were all good and helpful. Must say Shanghai has been the best interms of everything. The hotel, their service, city and the experience everything was the best.

Beijing was also good and pleasant. It would have been more fun if the hotel people were more customer oriented. I had to struggle with room and air conditioning of the room everyday. I would suggest you choose another hotel for other customers.

But overall, I loved the trip and have lovely memories of all the places visited. Will plan next visit again through you.

Thanks again and much appreciate your efforts.

Regards,

Dear Johnson,

We are safely home, settled into our normal life and it is with great pleasure that we respond to your request for feedback.

1.    Is your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions?

I can not recommend Johnson Wang highly enough. He was incredibly prompt and patient with my numerous emails, and super helpful in allaying concerns or accommodating specific requests. 

2.    How do you comment your tour arrangements?

From my initial enquiry, until completion of our tour 12 months later, Johnson ensured that every detail of our tour was thoroughly met. The tour arrangements exceeded our expectations!

3.    Are you willing to recommend our service to your people who also have an interest to visit China?

There are multiple tour companies and travel agents offering very cheap packages for China tours, but we are so pleased we chose to contact China Discovery and negotiate a package that met the travel needs of each of us, and that made our experience in China feel exceedingly VIP compared to the travel stories we have heard from our friends who chose the cheaper deals. We would only recommend your services, as every detail from the communication, guides, drivers, itinerary and special touches are what made our tour so incredible!

4.  Your general opinion on us?

Admittedly we had some reservations about creating, booking and paying for the tour entirely online, as there are too many stories about dodgy agents and fraudulent companies, but China Discovery (& particularly Johnson Wang) were exceptional to deal with, reassuring and very trustworthy. I give them a 100% recommendation!

5.    Do you have any suggestions on improving our services?

The recommendations for optional activities was appreciated, but as the expectation between Western and Chinese culture is so different, I think a suggestion of dress code for each activity would be a good idea. 

For example, in Western or European culture the dress code for an Opera is formal, but in China it is casual, so we felt a bit silly when we dressed up very formally but then had to walk 30minutes to the venue and everyone else was wearing casual clothes.

6.    Can we use your comments of our service, the photos or other images that you took on the tour for our websites, brochures, marketing and publicity? If yes, could you please send us some of your photos by E-mail?

Of course.

Our China Trip in Beijing, Xian, Shanghai

Hi Vivi

We just want to thank you so very much for organising our trip. We are now back in Shanghai all safe and sound.

Everything went so well. We really didn’t understand the Beijing busyness but honestly the trip was a success and we have you to thank. We hope you have an amazing golden week and we look forward to keeping in touch for future trips. Thanks again.

Hello Catherine,

First let me apologize for the length of time getting back to you.  As soon as we returned home on September 17, following our twenty-two day cruise from Shanghai to Sydney, my wife had to go to the doctor with a strained hip muscle.  I stopped all my activities for almost a week to help her as she could barely walk.  Then on the 26th we had to fly Phoenix, Arizona to attend a "Celebration of Life" memorial service for Myrna's brother-in-law who died while we were gone. We didn't return until the 29th.

Finally I am able to respond to your request for information about our China Discovery Tour.  Here are our comments:

1. You, Catherine Liu, our Travel Consultant, were excellent in answering our E-mails and definitely patient enough to answer our questions. We were very pleased with all you did to make our time in China a wonderful experience.

2.  Our tour arrangements were very good although we were under the impression that the same people would be on our tours each day.  Picking up different people at different stops each day took more time from touring than we expected.  

3.  We definitely are willing to recommend your service to people who are interested in visiting China.  We have already been doing so.

4.  Our opinion of your service is very good. The explanation of our China Discover Tour we received before booking was very thorough.  Our hotels were excellent. Our tours were very informative.  The guides were very good.  The people that met us and/or helped us at the airports and train stations were very helpful. Without their help we would have had a great deal of trouble.

Our only problem was when we arrived in Beijing from Los Angeles.  We were not met upon arrival and had to call to find out what to do.  Evidently the person who was to greet us, and take us to the hotel, went to the wrong exit gate.  He did find us after receiving a call from your office.

Our tours were generally very good although we did not get to stop at Tian'anmen Square and our long walk through the Forbidden City was in the rain.  We were able to avoid a 1-2 hour wait in line at the museum in Shanghai because of our age.  The others in the group were quite unhappy to have to wait in line so long. 

We were disappointed in the 2nd class seating on the Bullet Train ride from Beijing to XiAn.  It was extremely crowded.  We had to store our large bags in the next compartment and put our smaller bags between our legs for the entire trip.  Out suggestion would be to book 1st Class or higher tickets rather than 2nd Class train tickets.

Highlights of our China Discovery Tour were our visits to The Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Warriors, XiAn and the Pudong and Bund areas of Shanghai. 

5.  A suggestion would be to include a dinner at a Hot Pot restaurant.  We did this on our own in XiAn with the help of our guide.  It was a great experience. Also, unless you can get immediate entrance into the museum in Shanghai, you should eliminate this stop.

6. You can use our comments.   As to photos, we have not separated them as yet but will email some at a later date.  I have yet to start on my article but will notify you when it is published on-line....probably not for a few months.

7. You can have potential customers contact me at 501-922-1101 or by email at Chuck@TheTravelingGuy.com.

Catherine, again I apologize for the delay in getting this information to you.

Regards,

Hello Mr Li

we really enjoyed our tour in China. Hotels in Beijing New World Bejiing Hotel, Sofitel in Xi'an, Sofitel in Chengdu and Grand Meridien in Shanghai were super (meet our expectations).

As for the train it has change a lot in 20 years and you were right it was alright and efficient

Our guides were Sally in Bejiing, Iris in Pingyao,Crystal in Xi'an, Kevin in Chengdu and Caroline in Shanghai. The four first one asked us to complete a form for evaluation of their services we gave them back the form with our comments, we really like them and what we saw

We liked the visit of the hutongs in Beijing, the forbidden city, the summer palace, the temple of Heaven, the great wall and the Ming tombs. Crystal in Xi'an took us on a place between the bell tower and the drum tower it was really a good spot for pictures; when we went to The Terra cotta museum it was raining heavily but she help us find good shoes cover

Chengdu also meet our expectations, the Panda research base, the Jilin street,etc

As we told Iris in Pingyao the bathroom in the hotel was dirty and the food were not good but Iris and the driver were very nice. We liked Pingyao

As for Shanghai heavy rain and smog made it impossible to visit as planned, we were told that Yu garden was under renovation.

We would be pleased to recommend China Discovery

Best regards

Dear Ashley

We arrived home in one piece - thank you!

Yes, we had a wonderful time in China - thank you for the effort that you put into making our tour excellent.  I have sent you a few photographs by a separate email and I give you permission to put these and my evaluation on your website, provided my email address is not included.

1.  Our travel consultant was very quick in replying to everyone of our emails. An email sent one day would be replied to the next.  Given the 7 hour time difference - we were delighted with this aspect of the service. Every question I asked was immediately answered to our satisfaction and we were left in absolutely no doubt that all our requirements would be met. 

2.  All our tour guides were excellent.  They were informative and knowledgeable and easy to get on with.  We would particularly like to mention that Candy (Beijing), Timo (Xi’an) and Smiley (Guilin) were exceptional.  However, all our guides looked after us very well.  After I fell over badly (in Xi’an) Timo and Smiley went out of their way to ensure that I was able to get about easily, offering support where necessary.

3.  I would absolutely recommend your company to anyone.  The service we received from the date of our first enquiry was exceptional.  I cannot recommend China Discovery highly enough.

Thank you Ashley, for arranging everything so thoroughly - David and I really appreciated your efforts.  As stated in my email attaching the photographs - I give you permission to include my evaluation - but would appreciate it if you ensure that my email address is not published.  Should anyone wish to contact us to ask any further questions, please could you ask them to direct any enquiry through you and you could then forward their query to me.  

Best wishes

Hi Vivien

Here we are!

I definitely want to tell you about our holiday but we are a bit busy in Hong Kong at the moment. Will contact you again soon. Thanks so much for organising it.

Our China Trip in Chengdu, Suzhou, Guilin, Shanghai

Good Morning Lily

Thank you for your email on Tuesday.

Yes, we are back safe and sound in our own country after spending a most exciting time in yours.

We wish to make the following acknowledgments:

• Your contribution to the itinerary and to the attention to detail was flawless. You are the best!
• The Invitation Letter from Karen Wang was a work of art and I could see by the expression on her face that the China Embassy official was impressed. I had no difficulty with our visas.
• Every schedule with tour guides and drivers was met and we did not have one anxious moment. We would like to mention in particular the cheerful, non-English speaking driver who took us to the Zhangjiajie airport for the flight back to Shanghai. His service was especially noteworthy. We are very grateful to all our guides and drivers.
• All the hotels were excellent - better than expected.

Thank you again, personally. Without you, and your excellent service the thing would not have happened.

With our best regards

Don and Shirley.

Sorry Lily I made a little mistake...

That non-English speaking driver who who deserves special mention was the one who drove us from the Bullet Train at Chongquin  to the cruise ship.

He made sure that our bags were secure on board and saw us safely installed on the ship before he said good-bye to us. Top marks to him!.

Best

Jack,

Below is a copy of a review I have submitted to Trip Advisor - my wife and I had a fantastic time in China and your company delivered everything promised at a great price, and the guides were fantastic.

I'm a meticulous vacation planner and while the pre-planned packages available from various tour companies were good, none specifically met what my wife and wanted to do on vacation. I did some research on where to go and what to see and we originally were going to do 12-13 days to include some trips into the rural areas to see some scenery, etc. We ended up limiting the trip to the three big cities and received bids from multiple tour companies based in China. China Discovery stood out in the quality and completeness of their responses and had the most competitive pricing. The reviews on Trip Advisor were also very positive and helpful. 

We ended up booking 8 days in China with visits to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. We had a list of everything we wanted to see and China Discovery made it happen -- an advantage of booking a private tour is that you can go and see what you alone want to do. (We booked our own air travel to and from China using miles earned on an airline)

In Hong Kong I was not able to find a private guide -- they are all group tours. The buses are designed for around 30 people and we had 10 in our group one day on a Lantau Island tour (fantastic) and just the two of us the next day (Victoria's Peak, Aberdeen Fishing Village/Stanley Market -- avoid it, just find a way to go to Victoria's Peak). 

In China private tours are the only way to go. Why? You are only as fast as the slowest people in your group. And when it was just the three of us (us plus guide/driver) we were much more nimble at getting through crowds and we were in a car or minivan, not a bus, for driving around. The tour company gets the tickets for everywhere you are going so you don't have to wait in line. And we were able to customize portions -- like no Shanghai Museum, but add Tongli water town and a night cruise in Shanghai. Add high-speed train instead of plane between Shanghai and Beijing ... with first class tickets. 

I read reviews of the hotels they had chosen to put us up at and all got good to great reviews -- and they lived up to expectations. Note: you can ask for different hotels if you want higher quality or different location -- a China four-star is Western three-star, etc. The Regal Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong was 2 1/2-3 star compared to the other two hotels. Food was average -- I had to teach the cook how to do Over Easy Eggs. The Yangtze Boutique Shanghai was fantastic -- huge room and great service -- 4-4.5 stars! Beijing hotel was the Ramada Park Plaza Wangfujing that was also great ... 4 stars. Food was great at both Shanghai and Beijing hotels. Breakfast at the hotels was included every day and lunch on most days which was in local Chinese restaurants. Extra expenses were tips for our guides and drivers, dinner, snacks, souvenirs, taxis -- we ended up spending much less than anticipated in this regard.

We had different guides each day in Hong Kong because they were group tours, then a guide + driver for the Shanghai area and guide + driver for the Beijing area. All of them spoke English well and were able to answer questions that we had. They were all very knowledgable about the subjects of each tour and even got into nitty gritty details. We were VERY impressed. At meals we would talk about all sorts of things -- especially about how we all lived and family, things like that. The guides had no problem taking photos of us with our phones and never hurried us along if we wanted to take additional photos or video. 

We happened to encounter an annual holiday when we were in Shanghai -- with millions of people pouring into the city to celebrate -- and then rehearsals for a 70th anniversary of the PRC parade and celebration in Beijing shut some roads and attractions. Both could have really thrown a monkey wrench into our plans, but the guides were adept at rearranging the schedule to our advantage to avoid crowds and juggle going to sights that were open.

What did we see? Each line is what we did in a day
Hong Kong -- Lantau Island tour (4 sights to see) .... rating A
Hong Kong -- HK Island tour ... rating C (avoid as Aberdeen Fishing Village doesn't exist, Stanley Market is OK if you want to shop for clothes, artwork and souvenirs, and you are forced to do a Jewelry Factory Tour that is really a way to try and get you to buy some jewelry, only Victoria's Peak was good on that tour)
Shanghai -- Yu Garden, the Bund, Nanjing Road (shopping), World Financial Center (100th floor observatory), nighttime cruise ... rating A
Shanghai -- Tongli Water Town (has canals like Venice) ... rating B (very touristy, but still interesting)
Beijing -- The Mutianyu Great Wall, the Ming Tombs ... rating A
Beijing -- Hutong Tour/Rickshaw Ride, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven ... rating A
Beijing -- Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City ... rating A (the Square is kind of meh, but the Forbidden City more than made up for it)

One piece of advice save the Forbidden City for last ... it is so impressive it may make other sights seem much less interesting. 

Everything China Discovery promised, they delivered at a reasonable price.

Dear Lyn

We would like to thank you for arranging such a wonderful tour of China.

We commend you for having taken great pains to arrange such a magnificent tour, by providing all the comforts and needs in a foreign country.

The tour was memorable in quite a few aspects. Sight seeing and the services of the guides were superb.

The accommodation was first class except for the Sheraton in Guilin.

The food was exceptional. We were very much worried about the availability of vegetarian food, but whole group was totally gratified with selection of restaurants by the guides.

Regarding the tour guides we would like to single out three exceptional ones. Yo yo in Beijing, Wady in Xian and Maria in Shanghai. All three were very informative, friendly, fluent in english and took care of all our needs in superb manner. We wish we had an opportunity to meet with you in Chengdu and express our gratitude to you in person for arranging this wonderful tour. We will definitely recommend you and your company to all our friends.

Thanking you

Sincerely 

Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin...

Hi Vivien,

Sorry for the delay.  You are right, I got back from vacation and was very busy at work.  I also took time to sort through the many photos that I took while on vacation so I could include some in the response to you.

I will send you separate emails for each tour guide and photos so that you can see what photos go together.

We really enjoyed our tour of China with your company.  The hotel accommodations were quite good and met our needs.  The vehicles that we rode around in were very nice and comfortable rides.  The food that we ate at the hotels and restaurants was all very tasty and enjoyable.  We feel that with your tour we saw the best things to see in each of the sites and saw the most of what could be seen in China with only 1 week’s time.  We even got to do some things that were of special interest to us like getting a family massage and seeing some shows.  The bullet trains were also fast and efficient to get us from place to place.  The tour guides all spoke very good English and were knowledgeable.  Our private tour was very well planned out and everything was taken care for us so we only needed to enjoy our vacation.  Thank you so much for your help in planning our trip.  This was a trip of a lifetime for us and we will all remember the good time that you helped us to enjoy.

 

Beijing

Forrest was very attentive to our needs and was efficient in getting us to the places that we were to visit and made sure that we got priority access and did not need to wait in line.  He picked us up early and on time for our visit to The Great Wall and made sure we had plenty of water to drink.  When it was hot out at Tienanmen Square, he bought us all ice popsicles to cool down which we appreciated.  He also gave us the most relevant information about each site that we visited.  We wanted to go to a Chinese Herbal Medicine shop and he found one for us.  He also acted calmly and quickly when the vehicle we were in was involved in a minor traffic accident.  Forrest quickly called us a cab so that we could get to our last destination before leaving so that we did not miss the rickshaw ride. 

 

Xi'an

Vivian was a warm and engaging tour guide that like to tell us about the places that we were visiting.  She was also very accommodating in answering our questions and paying attention to our specific needs.  She made us feel comfortable as we visited the different sites in Xian.  On the second day we all wanted to get a massage and she made a special effort to look up a local place where the whole family could get a massage together and she took us there which we really enjoyed and appreciated.  We also got to go see a Chinese dinner and theater show.  Vivian arranged for the driver to pick us up and take us back to the hotel after it was done.  We enjoyed her company and conversation as she led us to the various attractions that we saw.

Shanghai

Laura was a very experienced tour guide and she gave us a lot of detailed information to all of the sites that we visited.  She also changed the schedule around while we were in Shanghai to maximize the amount of time that we had at each place and to avoid the crowds.  She was very accommodating and knew the best places to get family photos.  On the last day before we left, she found us a good restaurant to have lunch at.  Our son was going to college at NYU Shanghai which was the purpose of our trip to drop him off.  Laura arranged transportation for us to get to the campus for Move-In Day, and the same driver picked us up after we were done to drive us to the airport.  We really appreciated Laura’s attention and suggestions, including taking us to see a Chinese acrobat show.

Aloha Echo,

We had a wonderful time on our tour through the four cities in China.  All of our tour guides were excellent each with their own special talent.  Our first guide, Forest in Beijing was extra attentive and flexible working around our special circumstances, traveling with my “special needs” granddaughter.  He was also extremely knowledgeable about Beijing and the attractions that were included in our tour.  His assistance at the train station also made our transfer to XiAn less stressful.  Waldner in XiAn was full of humor.  Unfortunately, my son was pickpocketed at the Terracotta Warriors Museum and his cell phone was stolen.  That caused a period of negative emotions during our stay in XiAn.  Waldner also assisted us at the train station to make the transfer less stressful.  Gila in Chengdu really went out of her way to allow us an authentic “taste” of Chengdu.  Gila also helped us check in at the airport for our flight to Shanghai.  Nanette in Shanghai was also very helpful when we got a late start to the airport.  She assisted us through baggage check to see us off in good time to make it to our flight.

The tour guides’ assistance were also valuable because of the minimal English that is spoken or understood throughout our travels through China.  I was quite surprised that even in the hotels that were booked for us, the staff’s ability to communicate in English was very limited.

The hotels that were included in our tour were very nice.  The location of the hotels in Beijing and Chengdu were exactly what I like with dining and shopping immediately surrounding the hotel.  The location of the Xian hotel felt a bit less comfortable. 

I would definitely recommend China Discovery to my friends and family if they are planning to visit China.

Thank you very much!

Dear Tracy,

Of course I Will write the positive review on Tripadvisor!

It was also a pleasure for us to travel with your Company and discover the Great Country that China is.

All the guides were very helpful and nice, especially Shanna from Chengdu and also Jennifer (Shanghai) and Amanda (Yichang).

It is a pity that we couldn´t do the excursion to Macau but…maybe next time. As you know, we did an additional excursion on Tuesday morning visiting Luntau Island. We needed to pay additional 3240 HKD to Cecile and push her a little bit to visit all the venues but it was finally good decision.

Best regards from Spain!

Hi Mike,

Here are my answers below.

1. Is your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions?

Mike was excellent with communications through out the whole process of deciding and finally accepting the proposed tour. He was very good with the questions we asked and provided excellent and thorough information at all times. Very quick at answering our questions.

2. How do you comment your tour arrangements?

Tour arrangements were excellent. Everything was as expected from the confirmation letter. Guides were there to meet us at the correct places and times. Drivers were fantastic to cope with the amount of traffic on the roads. Hotels were top class and in areas that were easily accessible to what we wanted to do at nights or in spare time. Flights and trains were very good. The service that the guides provided was excellent. All guides communicated clearly and were easily understood and they understood our questions. Their knowledge of subjects on the tour and on China was outstanding and they were willing and able to give us a personal view of China as well. Drivers were very safe and provided us with safe transport where ever we went.

3. Are you willing to recommend our service to your people who also have an interest to visit China?

Would have no hesitation in recommending your service to any body who is contemplating a visit or visits to China. Your service is outstanding.

4. Your general opinion on us?

Very professional, easy to communicate with, exceptional guides and drivers, travel consultant provided us with first class service. Booking a service online sometimes comes with thoughts of what if things go wrong or do not work as easily as they should, especially with a language barrier. However, we had no worries with your service as it was very professional even down to communication with us and the guides when something needed changed. We were fully informed.

5. Do you have any suggestions on improving our services?

From a personal point of view, we would suggest that train rides are all booked with first class seats as the added costs would not be great in the overall cost. We believe that most Western travels would appreciate the little bit extra comfort and room. With your guide evaluations, you could easily email forms prior to tour starting so that we can fill them in and return email at completion of each segment of the tour. Sometimes getting the form just before you finish with the guide does not give you much time to fully think about the feedback especially if it was only for transfers from train/ plane to next boat.

6. Can we use your comments of our service, the photos or other images that you took on the tour for our websites, brochures, marketing and publicity? If yes, could you please send us some of your photos by E-mail?

We have no problem with you using our comments or images if they suit your needs.

7. We sometimes have requests from potential customers who would like to inquire from or our ex-customers. May they contact you for advices?

We would be happy to offer our advice if needed.

China Travel in Beijing, Xian, and Guilin

Hi Leo,

Thanks for your email. We had a great trip in China and thank you for meeting us in Chengdu!

Of the various guides, the best guides were Laura (in Shanghai) and Smiley (in Guilin / Yangshuo). They both chose excellent restaurant, great ambiance, very good selection of food and also gave us choices. They both made us fell very much at home. I would highly recommend them. Smiley’s English was excellent and very much fun to talk to. She even made an effort to take us to clean rest rooms as she knew my wife was very particular on rest room cleanliness.

Eban in Chengdu was good as well, but it was a short meeting with him. 

Willy was fine in Xian and was helpful during the trip. His English was excellent! One area of opportunity for him is to become a better listener. He has great communication but sometimes does t listen. 

Lily in Beijing is an excellent person, but her English can be improved. Many a times we could not understand what she was saying and we had to keep asking her to repeat. She was very good with the kids. She gave us local Beijing candies (very kind of her) and the kids loved it. Also on the food in Beijing, I wish it was as good as other places. The quality of food was not great compared to the food we got in Shanghai/ Guilin/Chengdu which was great! Also the restaurant ambience was not very good. But lily was great. May be this is an area for improvement for Beijing section. Better selection of restaurants. 

Overall an excellent and memorable trip

Also thank you for taking the time to meet with us and for the great time we had chatting with you! Also thanks for the gift. 

Thanks

Good Morning Lily,

Just wanted to let you know that we are on our way to the high speed train station in Changsha to catch our train to Shanghai now and it appears we are back on track to catch our international flight to Tokyo ! Thank you so much for all you have done to help. One question for you. Am I correct that you have arranged an English speaking guide to pick us up at the train station in Shanghai to take us to the airport for about 10:00pm? Please confirm and if so, let me know the name and number for the guide. And since we will have about 2 hrs and 30 minutes between, would it be possible to do a short drive tour to see Jinmao Tower or the Bund before going to the airport? Please let me know if this is a possibility to arrange. Many thanks! Jen

Hi Lily, sorry I missed your call. I was at the ticket counter getting our train tickets and all is good. Thank you for the info on Shanghai and I understand completely. We will meet the driver at the South Exit - that is perfect! Thank you again for all your help and I will update you when we arrive in Shanghai! Have a great day!

Hi Lily, we have arrived in Shanghai, met our driver and are now on our way to the Pudong Airport!

Hi Leo,

Here is my review. I will likely post it on TripAdvisor to help other tourists out so they know what to expect. Let me know if you would like anything edited (such as the Wire Transfer vs PayPal part) if you find it harmful for your business. My intent is to describe my experience to other Western travellers that may have similar fears about booking a trip like this.

Thanks for all you did. The trip was both flawless and amazing.

I took a 2 week personalized vacation with Chendu Bamboo tours through China. I wanted to put some thoughts down to the TripAdvisor community as I had a lot of reservations going into it, and I hope my review will help clarify some of the items that I was uncertain of.

First, while I researching, I determined that I wanted to do a custom tour as none of the packages that I saw had everything I wanted. The towns I chose were Beijing, Xian, Dunhuang, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai. I submitted inquiries to multiple companies and ChinaDiscovery came back to me promptly with a very comprehensive tour that was detailed and in line with my expectations. The scary part of communicating my requirements was that it had to be done mostly through email, although the company was also quick to Skype call me to handle some of my more advanced questions.

If you decide to book a tour like this (and you are firmly in the middle class) this is and expensive endeavor. For you to pull the trigger, you can expect 4 big expenditures. First, you will need to put 1/3 balance down on the trip to reserve the reservation. That 1/3 was placed through PayPay, and the Paypal account that I placed it to did not look anything like the business I was dealing with. It was scary sending the money to such a strange account, but in the end, the transaction was fine. One point of confusion...you may research and book through ChinaDiscovery, however the invoice then turned into (in my case) Chengdu Bamboo International Tours Co, Ltd. I don't fully understand the relationship, but it was legitimate, although a little confusing of why the website said one thing, but the actual contractor that was doing the work said another. Another scary thing came later when I was asked to pay the remaining 2/3 balance, I was requested to do so via wire transfer. Again, a scary endeavor which I felt I would have no protection if the company was not legitimate. So fearing loss of funds, I reached a win/win compromise to use the Paypal account again (with Visa) to submit the funds. Once I received confirmation, the company executed the hotel, train and plane tickets flawlessly, communicating the reservations about 1 week later.

In short, my fears were unfounded.

You will also have to handle 3 other expenses. First, and not surprising are your international plane tickets, which I handled shortly after the deposit. But the 3rd and 4th were not known. As a US citizen, I needed to get Visas for myself and the family. A Chinese Visa costs about $160 per person, and to get it, you must carefully submit a form to the Chinese consulate in a designated region of the country. Because I delayed doing this, I needed to do expedited service. And because the form is brutal and requires you to send your passports to the Chinese consulate, I enlisted a visa expert (CIBT.com) in order to get in processed. Long story short, about $1K later, I received the last of the passports back from the consulate with about 2 days to spare. 

The other warning, since all the trips have drivers and tour guides that take you around, you are advised (not mandated) to give them tips. Unfortunately, there are no guidelines given or direction of how much to give. I spent time researching on the internet what were fair tips for always outstanding service. Now, 1 week after the trip, I still have no idea if I tipped fairly, generously or cheaply. But, calculate 2 weeks and 2 persons a day, you can calculate that it will cost you hundreds of dollars or thousands of Yuan.

Last warning to give about going to China...you'll need cash. Only some (not most) banks and stores are hooked up to the Visa and Mastercard system. This means, (1) you may need to search for the right bank to get cash in China in order to withdraw funds and (2) the vendors that you'll see only will take your cash. This caused some stress the first couple of days as I had trouble finding a bank that worked.

Now...for the good stuff. Once prepping for all that, the trip that was designed by Chinadiscovery (or Chengdu Bamboo Tour Company) was pretty spectacular. The guides were beyond great, and did a truly amazing, amazing job of being everything you would want as a tour guide. Prompt, flexible, funny, sometimes motherly, sometimes brotherly, open, honest, kind, insightful, human, knowledgeable and ...simply great. Each one in each town was different...but each of them took such pride in their cities/country that you are given a great gift.

The hotels were as good as it gets as well. Breakfast was included in all hotels...some food good, and other food great. The hotels were within walking distance to all the good things. For Beijing, 15 min walk to the Forbidden City. Shanghai? 5 minute walk to the River and 20 minutes to The Bund. I could go on, but the accommodations were really good. Combine that with flawless execution of all travel arrangements, it made for a stress free trip. The lunches were all Chinese and again, and food ranged from good to great. They always gave our family of 3 too much food for one sitting, and I felt embarrassed about leaving so much food behind.

In Beijing, our guide took us through Tienanmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, The Great Wall, and Temple of Heaven (among other places). When she took us to the train station, she insisted in walking us down to our seat on the High Speed railway car. When I asked if that is the company policy, she said 'that MY policy' (to ensure her clients get to where they are going). Amazing. We reached Xian for a day and Zoe gave us great insights of the growing city, the crowds, and life in China. Then onto Dunjuang, where Lily and her driver rearranged the schedule to ensure that we saw all the Silk Road sites. The schedule changes included her and the driver starting at 6AM (after we were picked up at the airport 10PM the night before) in order to ensure we saw everything. Then in Chengdu, Cherry helped so patiently with my wife's shopping at the Panda sanctuary. And in Guilin, Kennedy was awesome describing the land and China's ethnic minority. The insight for the rice fields and rivers were wonderful. We ate probably the best Chinese food of the trip in the fresh country air. Then finally, to Shanghai, where Zack was truly a joy, and one of the friendliest and enjoyable people I have ever met in my life. The city of Shanghai was amazing, and my son enjoyed it tremendously.

Two things I would do over if I could. First, I would plan to take it in June, not late July. We had to compete with the rest of China, which has summer break at this time. As a result, the places were packed with China tourist going to the same sites, which made the crowds a bit much. Second, I would have also altered the trip to spend 1 less day in Guilin and 1 more day in Shanghai. Other than that, I would not have changed anything.

Our Customized China Trip

Hi Wonder,

I will email you some of our pictures when I get back to US, so I don't have to use too much data in China.

1.     Is your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions?

Yes, most definitely. Mr. Wonder Wang is very responsive and patient. He even answered my questions at night time China time. He is extremely helpful, even helped us extended our hotel in Shanghai. I highly recommend Mr. Wonder Wang.

2.     How’s the service of the tour guides during your whole tour?

All of our tour guides were very good, especially Smiley in Guilin. She was very friendly, knowledgeable and flexible. She went above and beyond her duty. I recommend her highly. Bailey in Shanghai was also very friendly and knowledgeable. Even after her duty was completed, she wanted to help us looking for a taxi. 

3.     Would you like to recommend our company?

Most definitely. 

Thank you for all your help, Wonder.

You are very helpful.

Hi Wendy,

Thanks for your email.  We arrived back in the Netherlands last week, immediately back to work so quite busy. Need another holidays.  :-)

Kindly find our reply to your questions below.

I have given our review on Tripadvisor and will recommend your company to our friends and family.

To give you some feedback on the hotels we stayed in this trip:

- Novotel Peace Beijing - Great location, very comfortable with connecting rooms, great service, great choices for breakfast, acceptable good quality

- Novotel SCPG Xian - Great location, very comfortable with connecting rooms, great service, great choices for breakfast, acceptable good quality

- Somerset Chongqing - Location ok, very comfortable, great service (change our room promptly due to broken aircon), limited choices for breakfast, acceptable ok quality

- Santo Domingo Wulingyuan - Great location, very comfortable, limited choices for breakfast, quality is not good at all.

- Sunrise on the Bund Shanghai - Location can be better, very comfortable but no connecting rooms, great choices for breakfast and acceptable good quality

Hope the above helps.

Thank you again for the great service and memorable trip.

Best regards

Hi Vivien,

I am writing to thank you for our wonderful trip to china. All the guides and drivers were great and taught us a lot. Our hotels were in good positions with our favourites being sunrise on the bund in shanghai and the Tianyuankui hotel in Pingyao. The others were a little dated and a bit too much alike. Thanks again for a great trip.

Hello Ms Lyn

We are enjoying the tour. Everything here is so big and beautiful. 

Our colegue is ok.

We didn't recipte any money except for the lunch from Ms Amanda.

Now we are in Pudong Airport. 

Thanks 

Hi Tracy,
The trip was incredible! I will definitely recommend China Discovery for traveling adventures in China.
Here are our guide rankings in order.
1. Dolma - Lhasa

2. Judy - Zhangjiajie

3. April - Shanghai

4. Kelly - Xi'an

5. Randy - Beijing

Thanks again for your help during this adventure, greatly appreciated, Tracy! 

Best regards,

Hi Lyn

BIG THANKS for your support and coordination in making our China Trip wonderful. Just returned this morning covering all written in the plan across three cities. The guides were wonderful - supportive, accommodative and knowledgeable and the plan well paced.  Share our thanks and regards to all three - Helen, Kelly and Fergie.

Travel was very smooth and done seamlessly.  

Sure would recommend you and China Discovery anyone trying to visit China.

Best Regards

Hi Catherine,

Below is my Feedback.

1.    Is your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions?

Yes.

2.    How do you comment your tour arrangements?

Excellent throughout. The itinerary was perfect and the guides went out of their way to look after us. I really liked how they helped with photographs of me and Joe.

3.    Are you willing to recommend our service to your people who also have an interest to visit China?

Yes.

4.    Can we use your comments of our service, the photos or other images that you took on the tour for our websites, brochures, marketing and publicity? If yes, could you please send us some of your photos by E-mail?

Yes.

 

Traveling Beijing & Shanghai

Dear Johnson, 

Please see my feedback under each question.

1.    Is your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions?

Yes. My travel consultant Mr. Johnson Wang was courteous, responsive, and fast to answer all our questions. We totally relied on him for everything. He informed us on any last minute changes, how to get Chinese currency economically, and provided documents required for Chineses visa and trip itinerary accurately. 

2.    How do you comment your tour arrangements?

The tour was tailored to meet our needs. The four of us had specific departure and return dates. We couldn’t find any China tours in the USA to fit our needs, China Discovery was able to assemble a private tour for us. We had a van, a driver, and a local tour guide in every city. Our schedule was flexible. We didn’t spent any time at unwanted gift shops. We were able to fully enjoy Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, the beautiful scenery, and interesting history of each site we visited. 

3.    Are you willing to recommend our service to your people who also have an interest to visit China?

Absolutely. We will be happy to recommend China Discovery to our friends, neighbors, and relatives. 

4.  Your general opinion on us?

China Discovery was there to provide excellent services. They were able to solve any issues quickly. We were relaxed and happy during our trip. 

5.    Do you have any suggestions on improving our services?

The tour guides were excellent. If they can improve their English speaking skills a little bit more, it would be even better. Our first guide had excellent knowledge in history, but he speaks a little too slow. The second guide had excellent English speaking skills, but his voice was low. It’s hard to hear him well when we sat at the back row of the moving van. 

6.    Can we use your comments of our service, the photos or other images that you took on the tour for our websites, brochures, marketing and publicity? If yes, could you please send us some of your photos by E-mail?

You can use my comments on your services.

Hi Vivien,

The trip to China was amazing!  We all had a great time and my kids still talk about it daily and say they wish they were back in China. The tours went perfectly as planned, tour guides were waiting for us as promised at each airport / train station and each morning before each days activities.  The drivers were reliable and courteous.  

The Zhangjiajie portion of the tour was a favorite. I don't think we could have navigated that area on our own without China Discovery.  Our tour guide, Lily, was wonderful and my 6 year old son really enjoyed her.  In fact, they held hands during many of long hikes.  The driver was great as well as my other son was sick one day and the driver had no problem driving him and his father back to the hotel (half hour away) after lunch, while the rest of us enjoyed the afternoon's activities.

We enjoyed the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian. Tour guide Waldner was very knowledgeable with perfect English.  

In Beijing, the highlight was definitely the Great Wall.  We choose to go in the afternoon as tour guide Eric gave us the option and said the afternoon would be less busy. He was absolutely correct and we felt like we had the Wall all to ourselves as to our surprise and delight there was hardly anyone there.  Eric was funny, knowledgeable and accommodating.

Thank you Vivien for arranging the tour for us. I appreciate all your help and prompt replies. It was such an easy process to book the tour.  Once I get some of the pictures from my family, I will send some your way.

Hi Wendy,

My deepest apologise for my late reply. We have just been very busy since returning to Australia.

Firstly, yes we received the refund. Thank you, much appreciated.

To answer your questions;

1.       Was your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions?

 Yes, very much so. Wendy was very prompt in replying to our questions, even while in China through WeChat. 

2.       How was your tour? Are you satisfied with the tour we arranged for you?

The tour was excellent. Everything we dreamt it would be and more. All of our guides were exceptional and made the visits to each location enjoyable and memorable.

3.       Do you have any suggestions on improving our services?

Some places we would have liked to have stayed longer and/or maybe had a free day to look around on our own once we knew what was there. Maybe suggest some free days. This would have been good in Beijing, Xian and Shanghai. We had an extra day in Beijing although if we had our time again we would have had that on Day 3 and explored the Hutong area more. In Xian, we would have liked to explore in the centre of the old city more (maybe have hotel closer to centre). In Shanghai we could have walked around the Bund area for a whole day.

Knowing about a good online map service would have been good when exploring on your own. In Australia we use Google Maps and you cannot get lost. Not having that available in China, I was not sure what was a good online Map service.

We absolutely loved our tour and all our guides. Wendy, you organised a great tour and we would definitely recommend you and your services to our friends and family.

The Great Wall was definitely our highlight, especially as it has been a childhood dream. So happy we went to Jinshanling section. Absolutely glorious day!!!

I have included a couple of photos that you can use. I will also get onto Trip Advisor and add a review.

Thank you so much for organising this fantastic holiday. We look forward to coming back someday.

Best regards,

In Front of the Bird's Nest

Brook and Andie Walking on the Great Wall