Travel Guide and Driver Service Reviews - What Our Customers Say about China Discovery Service

Good morning, Tracy.

We have completed our travel in China. Thank you very much for arranging this wonderful tour for us.

You amended the itinerary 3 times according to our needs. One of the changes in the itinerary was your suggestion to add the Xingyi Fenglin Buyi Scenic Area which was an excellent recommendation. All of us enjoyed this beautiful environment, away from the hustle and bustle of the big city as well as away from the regular tourist crowds.

I understand that you wish me to provide our reviews and feedback. Here they are:

Tracy is efficient and very patient with us. Tour was very well arranged. Everything is good.

The following is what I intend to post on tripadvisor. My user name in tripadvisor is Hing2013:

“CHINA DISCOVERY - AMAZING 13-DAY PRIVATE TOUR Our group of 8 seniors have just finished a wonderful 13-day private tour to Guizhou and Guilin arranged by Tracy. From the first email, Tracy had shown her willingness to help. She had been courteous and efficient. All my requests were attended promptly. Sceneries in both Guizhou and Guilin are spectacular. Everything was well arranged. The guides and drivers in both Guizhou and Guilin were caring. Guilin guide Kenny was particularly knowledgeable. It was a wonderful and memorable trip and we all enjoyed the tour. We will book with China Discovery again and have no hesitation to recommend China Discovery to anyone who is interested in traveling in China.”

Have a good day!

Lena

Hi Jack,

We had a great time on our trip thanks.

The trip went very well (apart from a rainy day in Pingyao), with no hitches.

Guides were all excellent, and took us to some great restaurants! All drivers were good as well - all punctual and drove safely.

Hotels were excellent, with the Beijing and Pingyao hotels standing out.

We had a great time and are sorry that it's over so quickly!

Many thanks.

Steve

Hi Jack,

The tour was excellent and so were the guides (Michelle and Cecilia) and driver (Mr Wei). Both Michelle and Cecilia were knowledgeable and helpful and made our trip a memorable one.

Regards,

Lawrence

Hi Rita,

Comments from Mr Lai : No complaints, excellent tour with helpful tour guide and driver.

I totally agree that Star and Khan both were great and very knowledgeable. Khan is a very good driver and definitely made us felt very safe.

Daily start/end time comfortable as we have many days, so not that tiring with the usual daily 'long hours'.

Thanks

Yee Lan

Dear Rita,

Comments on tour arrangement:

We have had a great time in the lovely and vibrant city of Chengdu. Everything in our travels worked out well. Thanks to China Discovery and the efficient planning and support from travel agent Rita, who had put together our customised private travel itinerary which was well paced and enjoyable. She had organized everything perfectly and resolved most of our concerns promptly. The Chengdu vacation was our second China tour organized by China Discovery. Hotel stays are of above average class and were conveniently located nearby commercial centers and ‘popular food outlets. Our guides and drivers were knowledgeable, friendly and attentive to our needs. The diverse natural beauty, landscapes and snow capped view at Jiuzhai and Mt. Emei were amazingly stunning and unforgettable.

We highly recommend China Discovery to all of those who are looking for comfort and a stress-free holiday arrangement. In fact,we are already planning for another trip to China in April 2025.

K K Wee

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 Tracy,

We have just been taken to Kashgar airport by Mei. She and the other two guides have been very helpful and have also told us much about China.

The drivers have also been very good.

We have had a great time on the tour you organised.

Many thanks,

Carol & Philip

Hi Tracy,

Thank you for your reply.

Kenny is very friendly, thoughtful, knowledgable, and professional. Mr. Hwang is also very friendly and professional. We are very happy to have them as our tour guide and driver in Guilin.

My husband and I have completed the tour to Zhangjiajie, and came to Changsha yesterday evening. I want to thank you for finding an excellent tour guide for us. Adia, 黃雅, was a well experienced tour guide, very knowledgeable, friendly, considerate, and professional. We had a wonderful time in touring the magnificent Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. You and China Discovery did it again for finding us an excellent tour guide. The drivers were also friendly and professional.

Thank you again and have a nice weekend!

Best regards,

Yau-Hsin

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,

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

Hello Wonder,

I am so sorry for the delay in response. I got home four days ago and only now had the energy to reply. Yes, you are welcomed to publish my evaluation and pictures. I will send the pictures separately.

I went on a four day tour of Yucha Grand Canyon and Hukou Waterfall arranged by China Discovery. My travel consultant was Wonder Wang. I was totally impressed with the response time, the efficiency with which the trip was arranged, and the quality of accommodations along the way. The company provided a very spacious van, which made the road trip very comfortable. The driver was very good at navigating through traffic, construction, and crowds. Last but certainly not least, I had the most wonderful guide, Bruce. He was very fluent in English, probably one of the best guides I’ve had in China. He was very knowledgeable about the history and geography of the area. He was very enthusiastic about educating me on the historical significance of each place we visited. Most importantly, he was flexible and allowed me to make small changes to the itinerary. I learnt a lot from him and now I am eager to perhaps go on another tour with China Discovery. Thank you, Wonder and Bruce!

Best regards,

Emily

Dear wing zeng,

We thouroughly enjoyed our tour. Our guide Mr William Yang was very helpful and fun during our tour. Thank you to both of you. Also thanks to Mr Han our driver.

Alzan

Dear Ms. Wing,

As requested please find the survey replies:

(1) Ms. Wing, our travel consultant, was very professional and handled all our queries with patient and guided us properly to ensure a smooth trip.

(2) The car and driver at both cities were very comfortable and helpful. Special thanks to Mr. Shu, our driver at Beijing, for the lovely gift he gave us.

(3) I will definitely recommend your service to anyone planning a trip to China.

(4) Very professional service.

(5) Some of the places recommended were purely for locals and could be skipped. They did not have dual languages and were too crowded. Kindly recommend places popular and oriented to expat tourists only.

(6) If I come to China again, I would like to use your service again.

Regards,

Jaideep

Hi Wonder,

Yes, you responded swiftly and clear. Both drivers pick up and drop off were good. Our guide, Gavin was a very good guide, and driver, he's attentive, knows history well, kind and well organized. We're very happy with him. Hotels Holiday Inn Express were OK, they served good breakfast. Location might be a bit stranded but perhaps chosen because most our trips are outskirts and not inner city.

Vivi

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

Hi Rita,

Activities generally wonderful. Hotel Sunshine accommodation was Ok. Service staff was very helpful. All guides were great. We really enjoyed them. Ellen was helpful, knowledgable, and thoughtful throughout our journey. Local experience was excellent. Driver was thoughtful. Difficult driving environment was always safe.

Bibiana

你好，Wonder,

挺开心的体验感还蛮好的。导游和司机都非常好，尤其是大理和丽江的导游和师傅。

Lee

Hi Wonder,

I was certainly very happy with both the guide Sandy and the driver in Chengdu. They were friendly and helpful. The driver was careful, his car was immaculate, he lent me his umbrella and always arrived promptly. He and Sandy took great trouble to find restaurants for lunch and Sandy obtained a ticket for me to attend the opera. Sandy spoke good English, was interesting, knowledgeable and good company.

Teresa

Good morning, Wonder

We have concluded our trip in Chongqing. Jim and driver have been very responsible and caring throughout the trip.

Thanks again for your arrangement.

咱们后会有期

Ling

Hi Phoebe,

You were so helpful and responsive. I am glad I booked this adventure with you. Booking my one-day Great Wall Huanghuacheng excursion with China Discovery was worth every penny! The car ride was quite long and very comfortable. I was super grateful that there was some water provided because the climb was intense. My guide, Jack, was kind, knowledgeable, patient, and encouraging the whole time. The hike was the second hardest hike of my life but worth every moment and every drop of sweat. This was an experience I will never forget.

Thank you for your help!

Best,

Cassidy

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

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

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.

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

Dear Rita,

Thank you for your concern, at the moment we do not have the full diagnosis yet. We enjoyed the trip very much and are very happy with the services from all the guides and drivers. Will give you a more detail evaluation in due course.

Best regards,

KC Lum

Dear Jack,

Thank you for your prompt response and swift action.

Our guide, Lobsang, has taken us to 香格里拉钦仓酒店（独克宗古城店）for our last night stay in Shangri-La and we were happy with the room and it is also just 5 minutes’ walk away from the old town.

We wish to record our satisfaction with our guides, especially Lobsang, for his attentiveness, cheerful attitude and impeccable service in making this a memorable tour. We would like to thank our driver who was with us from Dali all the way to Shangri-la for his impressive driving skills, expertly navigating along the narrow roads, giving us a nice and smooth ride throughout the tour.

Warm regards,

Su Linn

Hi Evelyn,

Yes we had a great time in Zhangjiajie & Fenghuang. Great service provided by Maggie and the driver. Will certainly consider China Discovery in our future visits to China.

Lim

Hi Evelyn,

the trip in Xian is good. We enjoyed it. The guide and driver are good.

Ginny

Hi Evelyn,

We had enjoyed our trip tremendously amid a few hiccups along the way.

The cars, except the one used from Dunhuang to the High Speed Train Station for Turpan, were clean and comfortable with good air con. Drivers were punctual and cautious on the road. Bottled water was always on hand.

The hotels were generally good and our requests for a non smoking room on a non smoking floor were met without fail. However, there were guests, with no respect to the hotel rules, blatantly smoked in their rooms with the doors opened fuming the whole floor with tobacco smoke.

Without prejudice, I will comment based on our experiences with each guide.

Frank was very nice and friendly tending to all our questions providing us with a general profile of Lanzhou. He gave us a detailed briefing of where to go and how to check in for the train.

Adam, who we spent the most part of our tour with, was quite one of a kind. He suggested a change in the order of the itinerary for better time management which we gladly agreed because as the guide he should know best.

The trip to Mingshashan and Crescent Lake was subsequently rescheduled to our final day in Dunhuang before the train ride to Turpan. We finished the tour there before 11am and Adam suggested lunch before the 2 hour drive to the train station. I told Adam that our train departure time for Turpan was at 18:00 and it would be too early to get to the station. Adam's surprisingly blunt response was "why did you request a change in the departure time? You will have to wait at the station." I explained to him that we did not request any change to the train schedule. Adam then suggested that we could consider paying a fee to change our tickets to an earlier time. We asked Adam where else we could visit to kill some time before going to the train station. He proposed the Dunhuang museum for a brief visit and "casually remarked" that he had a new group of visitors to meet at Zhangye the following morning AND the car ride from the train station to Zhangye would take 9 hours. In the end, we visited the Dunhuang museum, had lunch and arrived at the train station around 3:30pm, only then that Adam told us that you had changed the tickets and paid for the changes.

Adam, to us, seemed to be a man with an agenda of his own.

We were very happy to have Umar and Xiao Wang looking after us in Xinjiang. Umar's English was impeccable and his knowledge of the place was insightful. They pampered us with fresh yoghurt and local carbonated drink to quench our thirst in the scorching heat. We truly felt welcomed and being taken care of.

The trip would have been perfect if we could have time visiting more caves at the Mogao after the standard guided tour and also more time at the Munarge Homestay to enjoy the facilities (we arrived at the hotel around 9pm).

Great that we have ticked off Dunhuang on our bucket list and another trip to China is already in the planning.

Thanks Evelyn.

Teresa

Hi Rita,

As my trip is coming to an end tomorrow, I would like to express my appreciations to the following individuals who had made my trip possible and memorable.

1) Ms Rita Jiang for helping me to plan my itinerary from scratch and in my budgeting.

2) Mr Wine Wang for being a friendly driver-cum-tour guide in Kunming.

3) Mr Andy Wang for his untiring driving from Dali to Lijiang and Shangri-La for sightseeings.

Both Wine and Wang speak good English and are knowledgeable about sightseeing attractions and local authentic food outlets. I would definitely recommend them to any of my friends and travel buddies from around the world who speak only English.

Last but not least, thanks to the Government of China for granting 15-days visa free entry to China for tourists who hold Australian passports, among many other countries. It’s timely to open up China to the world to see for themselves a modern China blended in with history-rich ancient cities, towns and villages in multi-minority communities of Yunnan Province from a tourist perspective.

Once again, thanks to Rita and her team.

Best regards,

Ping

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

Hello Rita,

Some of the most incredible sights I have ever seen are on Day1 & Day2.

Nothing was too much trouble for Bree. She took us to quiet places when we needed a rest from the noise.

We only ever waited a few minutes for our driver. He was good.

Jones

Hello Leo,

I am leaving Beijing this morning and wanted to send this note of thanks to you and your team for my amazing week in Beijing and Xian, Linda and Lily took exceptional care of me from the time I stepped off the plane until I returned to the airport this morning. I had a week filled with wonder and excitement seeing so much of China I had only dreamed about. I hope to write a formal recommendation when I get home but for now please accept my heart felt thanks for this experience.

Best regards

Joe

Hi Leo,

I found the form but couldn’t type directly on it. So, here are my answers.

• My travel consultant was Leo. He promptly answered all my questions through e-mails.

• The tour arrangement was perfect for my needs. It was not fully packed from early morning to late evening. I had enough time to rest and recover for the next day.

• I have already written a review on China Travel Guide & Visa News group page on Facebook recommending your service.

• Overall, I think you’re very transparent about what the tour covers. You provided a detailed itinerary that was easy to follow. Other tourists with other agencies in my group didn’t get such detailed itinerary. It was also easy to contact you through e-mail and get prompt replies.

• I think the guides should give out name cards with their name and contact information. We should also be told the name of the driver picking us up at the hotel. On my last day, I was told the driver would pick me up at noon. When I checked out at 11:30, he was already there. I asked if he’s my noon pick up driver to the airport. He confirmed it. Then around noon I got a call from my tour guide, but my local phone service somehow disconnected the call. I thought I was picked up by a different driver. It was very confusing.

Holly

Good Morning Rita, feedback as follows:

China Discovery tour of China

Managed and coordinated by Chengdu Bamboo International Tours Co., Ltd

Coordinated by Rita Jiang

Tour dates: 07/30/2024 to 08/10/2024

This was a private tour, Guide, Driver and me. I chose a private tour as opposed to a group tour to be able to enjoy and immerse myself in all that visiting China has to offer. I contacted 2 other private tour companies with the same requirements asked of China Discovery. China Discovery, Rita, was the first to respond to my inquiry. A detailed itinerary was provided by Rita for my review and discussion.

Beijing, Xi’an, Lijiang, Shangri-La, Guilin /Yangshuo

Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, Ancient City, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Blue Moon Valley, Naxi Village, Shigu Town, Songzanlin Monastery, Pudacuo National Park, Li River Cruise and Reed Flute Cave to name a few sights.

3 High-Speed Train rides, 1 flight all arranged by Rita. Guides were a big help in teaching me how to navigate and understand the train stations.

All the hotels were great and choice of restaurants around hotels were good.

Visiting China was a retirement goal, and my expectations were exceeded. I recommend a private tour for touring China.

China Discovery, Rita, along with my guides, Andie, Waldner, Li, Aten and Daniel and the drivers were great. Communication was good, and the historical knowledge of guides was impressive. The effort by the group is second to none.

Gerald

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

Dear Wonder

We have returned from our holiday, and I can report that we had an amazing time. Here are our thoughts:

1. You and Vivien have been incredible from the start, very patient, quick to reply to all our questions and very good at accommodating us. The tour itself was very well organised.

2. The driver Wang 师傅was very patient and helpful with the luggage, and he was a very calm and competent driver throughout. Mary was excellent as a tour guide, very knowledgeable about Inner Mongolia, very passionate and very helpful. She was absolutely spot on with all her recommendations. Hotels were well-chosen, in convenient locations. Highlights for us include: the bonfire party on our first night on the grasslands, the spectacular show at Huanghuagou, and camel riding and sand sliding. We’re very pleased with this tour as a whole; we feel we’ve been able to visit places and take part in activities that we would not have been able to experience on our own.

3. I would like to recommend your company, Absolutely. We are also considering taking part in more tours with you in the future.

Many thanks and best regards

Ming-I

Hi Leo,

Just landed in Paris! Our beautiful trip unfortunately came to an end. We are very happy about what we did, we saw and about your organization and arrangements. Eileen, Kenny and the drivers were all very professional and kind. An amazing trip, amazing culture and most of all amazing PEOPLE.

Xie xie for everything

Laura

Dear Rita,

Back in Sydney at last!

The tour ran very smoothly and provided some special insights into the history, life and scenery of Inner Mongolia. We were met at the Hohhot Railway Station on time; the itinerary was full but manageable and unfolded as promised; the hotels were clean and comfortable; and our guide (Cherry) and driver were fun company and made us very welcome, despite the obvious language barrier. The only minor hiccup was that our tour started on a Monday and was meant to take in the Inner Mongolian Museum that first day, but museums in China are generally closed on a Monday. However, we were able to rearrange the last full day of the tour to fit in the Museum, which is well worth visiting.

I am happy to recommend your service to others.

Cheers,

Anonymity

Hi Shirley,

everything went very well with our visit. Lily was great, and took the time to make sure that we had what we needed, enjoyed our stay, and didn’t have any problems. She made herself available after hours to help us get into a show, for example. I also wanted to mention our driver Men, who was very helpful, friendly, and drove safely. I was very pleased with the service that you, and your people, provided to us. Thanks again!

Fred

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

Dear Wonder,

We would like to thank you and your team for making our trip to China so special and enjoyable. Every tour guide and driver we met were extremely friendly, knowledgeable and professional.

We had a fantastic week in China exploring some of the amazing sights as well as tasting the different regional foods.

I would also like to that you for your quick replies and ensuring we were fully aware of our itinerary and any changes.

When we come to China again in the future, we would use China discovery again and will recommend your service la to our friends.

Kind regards

Dan

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

Hi Wonder,

Apologies for the delayed reply. The tour was very pleasant! We enjoyed ourselves.

I am very pleased with the response times, and you has also gone the extra mile to accomodate our plans whenever we requested any changes.

The tour guides were very professional, open, and friendly! We really enjoyed their company. The drivers kept the vehicle clean at all times and drove comfortably. I have one suggestion regarding hotels: We were allocated to a smoking floor in our hotel in Kun Ming. I believe the experience would have been much better if we were asked of our accomodation preferences (smoking / non-smoking). I had a very sensitive nose and was sometimes uncomfortable in the room.

I would recommend the company to others.

Clarissa

Hi Rita,

Thanks for the follow up.

We are very happy with our guides and driver.

We certainly would recommend your services to people who are planning to visit China.

Maybe one suggestion for foreigners that visit China for the first time: let them know about communication and payment in China. They are done via specific Chinese app/ softwares that sometimes requires a local help (e.g. hotel help desk)

Thanks Rita,

Yves and Chloe

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

Hello Leo,

I hope everything is well with you. Thank you so much for helping me arrange the trip from Guangzhou to Chengdu. You made it very easy for me. From the fast train, to the tours and to the airport drop off. Our tour guide, Michael Wu, was extremely professional and helpful.We visited many different sites, and most importantly Michael knew exactly where to take us at the Panda Research Center to make sure we saw many pandas. My daughter and I felt very safe during our trip, and Michael was always aware of my allergy triggers. I would definitely recommend you to family, friends and fellow teachers. Our driver was also very knowledgeable and helpful.

P.S. Thank you very much for the gift. My daughter loved the plushy and the fan.

Regards,

Erika

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 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

Hu Tracy,

Yes I think overall is good. For the hotel, guide and driver and car especially we like hotel shangrila, hotel in Turpan, Guangzhou westin.

The food is ok, but because we dont eat too spicy food, so maybe limited.

But the vegetable is good.

Thank

Fentty

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

Hi Phoebe,

We are very happy with the tour.

You answered my E-mail fast and patiently. local guide and driver were excellent, we had a great time. I actually already recommended your company to 2 of my friends.

Best,

Nan

Dear April,

Sorry for the late reply. I was tied up with my pending work after the leave.

The tour is nice. We enjoy it very much.

Both the guide, Mr. Kenny and the driver, Mr Huang are nice and friendly guys. They have arranged thing well. Thanks for both of them.

Thou the visit time was not the best time, since it was raining season and some rivers were ruther flooded with yellowish water, but the generally the the scenary is amazing.

Thank you for the trip arrangement you and your colleagues have provided for us.

Best wishes for you and your bussiness.

B. Regards,

Sisendro

Good morning Rita,

We have very good time in China from 01/06/24 to 19/06/24. But it is a little bit exhausted after hiking through ZhangJiaJie. The best of all tour guides are Linda and Peter. These two tour guides show their ability to communicate with us. They care and respect us. In overall I would recommend China Discovery to relatives and friends for any upcoming China tour. We are happy for China Discovery to use our photos.

From Chris Vea, Sydney Australia

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

Hi there, feedback as below:

Wonder Wang was great to work with. All emails and questions were answered very quickly. We booked this a little bit late and provided a list of things that we would like to do and quickly got a detailed itinerary that covered everything we wanted to do. The itinerary was very detailed and we were well taken care of throughout the whole trip. During our trip we wanted to change something and this was done effortlessly. Five star service all the way!

Everything worked out great. All of our guides and drivers were extremely helpful and always on time and where they said they would be. The guides were local to the places we went so they provided us with a ton of information about everything we were seeing. The hotels were great, the trains were all great, we really enjoyed everything and it was easy thanks to the work of Wonder Wang.

I would 100% recommend this company. Everything was top notch and communication was smooth. We were never in doubt about anything to do with the trip. Again 5 stars!

David

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

Hi Rita,

Sights, tour guide, and transportation were excellent. Food was good, we just prefer western.

Jean

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

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 Evelyn

I enjoyed my tour of Qinghai & Zhangye very much. The guides and drivers were excellent throughout my tour. Thank you for all your help.

I am planning for another tour in Sep and would like to check the 11 days Best Xinjiang Landscape Tour. The last stop of this tour is Kuitan city to visit Dushanzi Grand Canyon. I would like to extend the tour to travel the DU-KU highway and end the tour in Kuga before going back to Urumqi. I will be travelling alone. Please let me know the price for such a tour.

Thank you

Paul

Hello Phoebe,

Our tour today was amazing and I really want to compliment Sandy. He was fantastic, his English is excellent, he is very knowledgeable, and did so much to make our day great.

I did not have any cash on me when we said goodbye today (my kids had cash but I did not want to take theirs away!), is there a way I can get 100 Yuan to him as a tip?

Also, is it customary to tip a driver as well?

Thank you again for such great service. Sandy is a great representative for your company.

Best Regards,

Richard

Hi Pheobe,

今天玩得很好！ 走很多，就当运动一下，天气还凉快。

现在在洪崖洞。 夜景很美。

很满意这次的行程。导游和司机都很帮忙。

Evelyn

Hello Wonder,

Thank you for the update. Everything is fine, Jackie is a wonderfull guide! She speaks english fluently and knows a lot! The driver is also good, he drives carefully in a very good car.

I enjoy my trip very much so far.

Greetings

Johanna

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 Evelyn.

We are leaving Beijing now.

We had a great time.

Peter and the driver were excellent.

Jonney

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

Hi Leo.

We have ended our private tour today with you. Thank you so much for the wonderful arrangement.

All the 3 drivers and guide are very experienced and knowledgeable. We really get a deep understanding of Xi’an, Chengdu and Chongqing.

Vincent

Hi Phoebe,

We are back in Beijing after an amazing trip to Zhangjiajie, Chongqing and Chengdu. Thank you very much for your help from the very beginning. Your partners who accompanied us throughout the trip are very helpful too. I want to single out Melody (Wang Ting) for her above and beyond services that left us with great impression. We are so lucky and thankful to have her.

You have been helping us every step of the way. Without you, the trip would be doubtful. I personally enjoy working with you and will contact you for our next trip in China. In addition, I appreciate the gift you passed to us. Thank you for being thoughtful.

Have a great summer,

Lee

Hi jack

Just to brief you up, we are enjoying our tour all the guides Aisha, Jenny, Amy and Oscar were all excellent guides. They gave us a lot of information and were extremely punctual and cooperative. Hats off to you for organising such a wonderful tour for us. We are definitely going to recommend to our friends in India. I would like to give your review on trip visor, please tell me how to do it as I want to mention your name to thank you once again, for the comfortable Car arranged by you and looking into detail to all our needs and expectations

Thank you

Nilofur

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

Greetings April,

Ryan and I had a wonderful trip to Yunnan.

Please find attached a summary or our trip and feedback for you.

Many thanks and we hope we will be able to do another trip with you.

Feedback for China Discovery Tours – Yunnan travels

Overall: April, this was wonderful trip. You and your team of guides were outstanding in scheduling each day’s activities. Ryan and I were extremely impressed by the local cultural sights, and how they highlighted the unique aspects of the various minority People’s cultures, languages, and history.

Train(s): Ryan treated us to a business class reservation for the train from HK to Kunming. The food and service were outstanding as was the train ride itself. The train from Kunming to Dali as also very satisfactory and of course all the stops were on time. Colin was especially helpful in navigating our check in and in finding some additional security checkpoints.

Drivers: Very safe and knowledgeable drivers who added insight about local customs, especially our Bai driver for Dali and Lijiang.

Guides: All our guides were excellent. Colin was very knowledgeable about Kunming and the Stone Forest although it seemed like a long drive to and from there. The restaurant for the local Duck was interesting, although we could have used more help from their staff in ordering our lunch to items we may have liked better. Other Highlights included visiting the Kunming Museum (not far from our hotel) on our first / free day there. This museum presents an excellent history and display of the “Flying Tigers” which should be of great interest to Americans – as most do not know much about the USA and China’s alliance during WWII.

Sally who is a native of the Dali area brought her personal experiences, understanding of the many minority people, and family knowledge about the region to every aspect of our tour there. Making the Flower Cakes was real highlight. Their staff and quality of the cake making was excellent.

Alice was especially knowledgeable about the Lijiang area, also being a native of that region. Walking the streets of old city Lijiang we had so many great experiences. Other highlights included Mufu Palace, various tea ceremonies, and the Indigo Dye shop, plus of course the Leaping Tiger Gorge.

Hotels: Hampton Inn, Guandu Hilton, Kunming – was very satisfactory, breakfast buffet was very good as was their coffee. I especially liked watching the hotel’s robot bring our neighbor’s their room service.

Dali, Ancient City Courtyard Lirenhua Resort Hotel: This was a very interesting design and old-style hotel that was conveniently located in Dali, not far from Xizhou Ancient Town and the Three Pagodas. Breakfast was good but not as good as our other hotels. Also, the breakfast room was very crowded with so many tour buses, and so many eating at the same time.

Lijiang Ancient City, DuoFu Resort hotel: room quality and breakfast were excellent, although they need a much better coffee machine, which was not able to handle the demand by the many young visitors who like coffee.

Re: money and payment, we were able to use the AliPay, although not the Tour Card. There were a few places that could accept the US credit cards and our Rmb cash as well.

April, we also want to thank you for being so responsive, to our emails, and in helping us make the many decisions about our Yunnan trip itinerary.

- Bob

Dear Jack,

The guide, Linda and driver, Mr Qin in Zhangjiajie were perhaps one the best that we have encountered our many travels in China so far. As usual, my wife and I had mentioned to Linda what we hope to do and see at the start, and she fulfilled them to our full satisfaction. She was very experienced and knowledgeable on the scenic areas. She was very helpful, honest, highly efficient and kept to the itinerary whilst being flexible with our special requests, ensuring that our trip was smooth. She was also energetic, and took us on long scenic hikes as described in the itinerary, which avoided the massive crowds. Mr Qin, was punctual, polite and a very experienced driver and a nonsmoker. He was very flexible and helpful. His 7 seater van was very clean, spacious and comfortable. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour in Zhangjiajie and FengHuang Ancient town. The hotels were as described in the itinerary. The itinerary was kept active filled with attractions as requested in our 7 day trip. We stayed mostly in Wulingyuan which is a nice town, and close to the entrance of the scenic areas of Zhangjiajie, and only 1 night in Zhangjiajie City which is closer to Tianmen Mountain. Definitely worthwhile to attend the shows in the evening especially in Wulingyuan next to Pullman Hotel, despite the massive crowds...filled with spectacles.

Best wishes,

SL

Hi Jack,

So you are back to your normal work life. The different is now when you get home from work you certainly feel married life is beautiful and nice!

In respect to the questions you asked me to respond, I would say :

a/ All the drivers were good. The vans (Toyota ?) were a little old. But the Van (new Chinese made) that took us to the Airport the last day before we left was very good and new.

b/ The Tour-guides, they are all very friendly and helpful. David's English can be better. Fiona was excellent .

c/ The hotel in Beijing and Chongqing can be a little bit better. Grand Hyatt at Chengdu was good and excellent location.

Overall it was a great trip for us. We like to thank you for your good works.

The next few weeks I'll like to discuss with you about our upcoming trip to Xinjiang in September this year.

Best regards,

Chang

Hi Amber,

Thank you for your email dated 30 April and sorry for my late response because as soon as I arrived back, I have to travel to the next city, Sandakan, my home city to attend my school reunion dinner.

It was an unexpected tour as we thought we were with a group of other tourists. The Beijing tour was led by Mr 汪浩 and the Xi’an tour was led by Me Ellen 姚盼 both were vey knowledgeable with the historical background of the places we visited, patience and accommodating especially with my wife who has a bit of problem with her leg, they both showed very good standard of professionalism. I would also like to thank both the drivers who drove very professionally and we enjoyed the ride very much. I would highly recommend your company to my friends in future. Oh before I forget, please convey my thanks to the director who ordered the lovely birthday cake for my birthday which was a big surprise.

Unfortunately, when we started our last leg from Guangzhou to Shantou the train to Shantou as cancelled so we decided to stay an extra night in Guangzhou to taste the Cantonese roast duck and “Yum Cha”

The flight back was delayed over 5 hours due to bad weather. The trip surely brought back plenty of memories despite some hiccups we did enjoyed it very much. My wife and I would like to thank you all for making this trip a memorable and experience for us.

Regards,

KhKhoo

Hi Rita

Just to say thank you for all your work creating our wonderful tour. We had a great time and really enjoyed everything.

Our guide, Kenny, was very good and friendly and our driver was excellent too. Would happily recommend China Discovery

Kind regards

Shirley Bonnet

Hi Jack,

Sorry for this late reply. I had a very busy day today running errands here and there, so many things to attend to after my return from China!

The Dazu tour was great! David was a great English speaking guide and he took care to go through with us the history of Dazu Rock & The Beishan Carvings. He was very knowledgeable, nice and friendly. Then he took us to a nearby Restaurant for our lunch, the food was good and the price was reasonable. Unfortunately we couldn't converse much with the driver as he can't speak english and our Chinese was quite limited but he was very pleasant and nice. The car was nice, clean and comfortable. All in all, we had a great day!

Oh, we enjoyed the Yangtze Cruise too ... there were a lot of activities to do on board if we chose not to join in the excursions. 4 days 3 nights just flew by so fast, which meant, we had a great time. The Officers and Staff on board the cruise were very welcoming, friendly and helpful, which made our stay very nice and comfortable.

The transfer from Yichang Three Gorges Dam Centre to Yichang East Railway Station went smoothly and without any problem. With the help of the Cruise Manager Allan and Vivian from your side, we were able to finalise the final details of the transfer. We arrived at the Yichang East Railway Station at about 13:30, with plenty of time to spare before our train left for Chongqing at 14:45.

As for the train tickets, thank you very much for your patience and your time in getting us the train tickets back to Chongqing on the 30 April, at no extra costs. It was a very great relief when we heard that!

All in all, we were very happy with your services! Both you and Jason were very professional and were there to help us with our itinerary along the way and everything went well as planned. I would definitely be in touch again when I plan my next trip to China.

Thank you again and may you have a great day!

Warmest Regards,

Kat

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

Dear Jack,

our 4 day trip to Henan with two days at Dongfeng/Mt. Songshan and two days at Luoyang was just great. It was our 5th trip with China Discovery Tours in three years and once again tailored perfectly to our ideas and interests. We could have stretched the program easily, there was so much to see, but had a rather limited time frame. The temple fair at Zhongyue Si and the peony festival at Luoyang were surprising extras. We had a very competent guide and driver who made an excellent planning avoiding crowds, tacking short-cuts and giving valuable advice.

Looking forward to our next trip with you,

best regards,

Johannes

Hi Phoebe,

Jiuzhaigou just amazing and I am happy having had the opportunity to spend to days at the park The driver and tour guide are kind and told me a lot.

I took a lot of photos at Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou. Thank you so much for making this unforgettable experience possible.

Robert

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

Hi Jack,

Big thank you to you for arranging our trip. We have had so much fun!

Leshan trip was great. It is great that we opted for the boat ride or we wont be able to see the buddha in whole.

Mount Emei was above amazing! We saw the sea of clouds on the first day and I can also view it from my room. Beautiful sunset then in the evening, we’ve got to see the ceremony arranged by the monks at the Golden Summit at the eve of buddha’s birthday!

Unfortunately, nature was not so kind to us the next day. We did not get to see the sunrise and decided not to go to Wanfoding as there just too much mist. I’m seriously thinking of going back to Mt. Emei just to view the sea of clouds from Wanfoding!!!

Sandy was super great and have done everything he can so that we have a great time.

And we absolutely adore the pandas. We were super happy!

Best regards

Elvie

Hello Evelyn,

The tour was wonderful, and very informative and ticked all our boxes.

Right from the outset you made it very easy for us with clear English communication, easy payment instructions and prompt responses to any queries or alterations to the tour that we may have had.

It was such a relief to have someone waiting to greet us at each and every airport, which took all the hassle out of landing in a foreign country with language barriers and unfamiliar ways of booking taxis etc.

Sandy, our host in Lijiang, is a kind, gentle person who is well educated and has a wealth of knowledge regarding China's history and is happy to answer any questions and share his knowledge with us. He was extremely patient with us and helped us negotiate any hurdles we may have come across. His own personal stories of his time growing up in China were such an eye opener and we felt privileged that he would share these with us.

There was an issue when booking into our hotel in Lijiang but Sandy handled this expertly for us. The hotel was in a wonderful location and had all the facilities we required. The breakfast was great. The lunches that we had during our stay in Lijiang were wonderful, an abundance of food and a vast array of plates. We were left bulging at the seams following these meals.

The driver who worked with Sandy was another great addition to the tour. He was courteous and a skilled driver, was always there waiting for us and we felt very comfortable & safe with and he fitted in well with our group.

Atn in Shangri-la was also a very skilled tour guide, who had plenty of his own stories to tell. He obviously enjoys meeting new people and is easy to build a relationship with. Atn also ensured our check in was smooth and that we were at our allotted places in good time. It was good to have the same driver as we had with Sandy.

The hotel was good, however the location meant that we weren't within walking distance of anything once our day tour had ended. There was a vast breakfast buffet but not much to entice the westerners unfortunately.

Sophie met us at the airport in Kunming and we basically hit the ground running. Sophie didn't waste time, and had us on and off shuttles with great haste. Our flight out of Kunming was delayed and Sophie was instantly organising additional sights for us to make the most of this extra few hours. She also did an excellent job of having us at the airport on time, checking us in and maintaining contact to ensure we had arrived at the correct departure gate. The hotel was in a good location, however with no air conditioning and rooms set at 27 degrees, it was rather uncomfortable and we would have preferred something a little cooler. Again the lunches were plentiful and tasty.

We would have no hesitation in using your services again, you made the whole process stress free and we are happy to recommend you to any potential travellers.

Thanks again for all your help, Evelyn, you and your company have been amazing.

Regards!

Nicki

Hello Evelyn,

I loved the trip! It was foggy so I couldn't see many mountains for the majority of Day 2 and 3 but I still enjoyed it. Day 4 was excellent at the Grand Canyon. Abbie was so kind, friendly and informative the whole time, she made the trip even better. The driver (I can't remember his name) was safe and always on time.

Regards!

Sam

Hi Evelyn,

Thank you for organizing our lovely trip to China. The itinerary was brilliant .Our tour guides Jamie and Timo were excellent and very well organized as well as being very helpful and friendly. The drivers ,Fan and Mr sun were also very attentive. We had a great time. Regards

Cahal

Hi Evelyn.

Yes. We arrived safely and touring Beijing now. Thanks for your hospitality and all the professional tour guide and driver arrangement

Lim

Hi Leo:

Thank you very much for your trip plan. I had a very good time and was able to visit all the places that I want to visit in China. I would rate it 10 out 10 and I would do it again with you in the future trip in China. I want to extend thanks to all the tour guides and drivers, too.

Alex

Dear Evelyn,

We returned to Nantong yesterday after a wonderful holiday in Yunnan. Thank you for making this possible. You asked for feedback to the following questions:

1. Email correspondence. Emails were answered very promptly and questions were answered clearly.

2. Tour arrangements. Tour arrangements were excellent. All elements of the tour were organised carefully and were thoroughly researched and arranged.

4. Opinion. We have a high opinion of China Discovery.

We would also like to thank you personally and those who guided and drove us during our excellent tour. China Discovery have provided a first class service, thank you. Could you please pass our thanks to Amy, Yak and Sophie who guided us and to Mr Yu and Mr Huang WHP drove us.

Patrick

Dear Evelyn,

Thank you so much for making further arrangements. We have having a wonderful time. Amy is a very good guide and she is looking after us very well. Mr Yoou is a great driver.

Patrick

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

Hi Rita,

Attached some additional photos you can use.

Wee

Hi Wonder,

Hi. The tour was good and excellent guide and driver.

Anna

Hello Wonder,

Thanks for the arrangement of the tour. Everything was well arranged and we have a good time. The tour guide and driver were knowledgeable, patient and helpful. The hotels provided good service and comfort. The room were spacious and clean. Will highly recommend to friends and relatives who like to visit.

Alice

Hi Wonder

Oh it was really good. Wanda was one of the best tour guides we’ve had. Surprised we didn’t need to do an “evaluation form” for her. Also the driver was the best driver we’ve ever had. Amazing how we had to wait <1 minute to be picked up from each location.

Sam

Dear Wonder

Thank you for your email. We are now back in UK after our amazing trip and we’re very happy to give you some feedback.

1. Is your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions?
You have always been very fast in replying to us…….usually within 24hours. When you were going to be unable to do so because of personal commitments or the Spring Festival, you let us know and replied as soon as possible after that. We have been impressed with your efficiency and thorough answers to our questions. When we had difficulty in finding a suitable way to pay because of very different systems in China and UK, you gave us different options and provided all the information we needed. It has been easy to communicate with you and we have been very happy with your service.

2. How is tour arrangement, including the drivers,tour guides,hotels,etc?
Tour Arrangement: The itinerary was so interesting, varied and well planned. We were able to visit the famous places in your country such as Tian’anmen Square, The Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors etc but also places that are less well known to people in the West. All the journeys between cities were carefully arranged and the timing was good. The train journeys were excellent but we found the stations a little confusing, particularly Wuhan. It would have been really helpful if the Guides could have come into the stations with us as we speak no Chinese. Sally in Yichang helped us enormously by writing out in Chinese all the information we needed in Wuhan. We were able to show this to a member of station staff who helped us find the train. It was a very busy 10 days and it might have been good to have a little more ‘free time’ but then we would not have seen as much!
Tour Guides and Drivers: The drivers were all good and helpful. We found the Buick cars quite difficult to get in and out of, particularly from the back seats. The Guides were all great and their English was extremely good. Jack (Beijing), Johanna (Pingyao) and Timo (Xi’an) were fantastic. Their knowledge about all the places was incredible and they were able to explain it all well. They were helpful in explaining and ordering lunch and in understanding our needs eg finding an ATM. They were also flexible in helping with problems eg when our friend needed to see a Chinese Herbalist. We enjoyed talking with the Guides very much.
Hotels: The hotels in Beijing and Xi’an were very good. David and I liked the hotel in Pingyao because it was different and less Western. However, we’re sure that some Westerners would not have liked it and it might be good if you told guests in the itinerary that this was a more typical Chinese hotel. There was no Western-style coffee at breakfast there. The Yangtze Gold cruise ship was ok but we saw much smarter ships on the river. The cabin and facilities were acceptable. We can see that the ship mainly caters for Eastern guests and their cultural expectations which we were happy to accept for a few days but it would be worth noting that Western guests like more flexible dining times, better entertainment and a greater sense of luxury. As all the ports where the ship stopped (except the final port) were deep in the gorge and there were many steps up from the river, this should be noted in the itinerary as some people would not be able to climb up.

3. Would you like to recommend our company?
We would be very happy to recommend China Discovery.

4. Points that your company might find helpful for Western guests.
• It is VERY expensive for Westerners to use their mobile phones abroad so most travellers prefer not to make or receive calls. They do not have wifi unless they are in a hotel etc so communication with Guides is difficult when travelling etc. Western guests might be advised to have a VPN or buy a Chinese SIM card. They might also be advised to download WeChat for easy communication.
• We do not use Alipay or WeChat in the West so this is an unfamiliar way of paying/transferring money. However this is essential in China as most places do not accept western credit cards.
Thank you.

With very best wishes

Sue and David

Dear Wonder

Thank you for arranging our holiday in China which was both educational and extremely enjoyable. I address the questions you ask on behalf of Jean and myself; I expect David and Sue will respond separately. I am not the photographer in the family. Jean will select some photographs to send you.

1. Is your travel consultant of our company fast enough to answer your E-mail and patient enough to answer your questions?
You always fully answered our questions overnight UK time so we had the answer the following morning. You were equally prompt when we were in China.

2. How is tour arrangement, including the drivers, tour guides, hotels, etc?
The tour arrangements were excellent, as were all the guides. Jack in particular was outstanding. The one criticism we would make was I your guide in Wuhan, with whom we had no contact, should have given you better advice to pass on about our the layout of the station at Wuhan. We didn’t realise on arrival for some ten minutes that arrivals and departures were on different floors in the manner of an airport. We ended up cutting it extremely fine to catch the train. We could well have lost it if you had not had the foresight to ask Sally to give us questions in Chinese which we took to the service desk.
The accommodation was excellent., although it might be advantageous to advise clients that the hotel in Pingyao is a historic building ,which is full of character but lacks the amenities of a modern hotel which they may prefer. The one disappointment was the boat, which was in need of refurbishment. While the quality of the food in the buffets was good, it was seldom other than lukewarm. There was a very limited range of equipment in the gym. It was difficult not to feel envious of passengers on Victoria Sabrina which we accompanied downstream.

3. Would you like to recommend our company?
100% - without hesitation. I am sure you personally will be approached by our friends for assistance when they visit China, which we will encourage them to do.

Thank you again for your arranging a memorable holiday.

Best wishes

Barrie

Hi Vivien,

Thank you so much for arranging such an enjoyable trip! It was just right for my elderly sister, not too exhausting, Michael , the tour guide and the driver, Mr. zhang were both very caring and understanding! Pushing my sister in the wheelchair !

The biggest surprise for our whole group was the VIP welcome from Anshan school principal, staff and the little students received us with a warm welcome, followed by a visit to ancestor’s home and meeting with our cousins and aunts!

We thanked Michael for his amazing organization abilities and care!

Meanwhile please take care and keep up this good work.

We also enjoyed the Anshan Fort visit in YongAn and the Zhongshan rd stroll in Xiamen as well as Gulangyu!

This is a very memorable trip for my elderly sister, my niece, my brother , Michael and his wife Jenny . Lucy and I both love the village meal in YongAn and Anxi!

Thank you so much, Vivien for handpicking these wonderful venues to visit!

Warm regards.

Vivien Lee

Hi Vivien,

tks for the well and comfortable arrangement during my trip in Xian.Your tour guide and car driver is very pleasant and I do like to thank them for their service rendered.Once again thank you

Lee

Hi Tracy,

My husband and I had a great time in Yunnan. We enjoyed every place we visited and the food we tried. The guides are knowledgeable and thoughtful. Drivers are professional and reliable. The itinerary is efficient with a lot of culture elements combine with beautiful sceneries. We are very happy with the entire trip.

Thank you for making this arrangement for us.

Best regards,

Crystal

Hi Tracy,

The tour you put together for us was great, we got to see the major sites. We really enjoyed gubei water town and wished we had more time there.

The ski day was luckily sunny and the kids had a lot of fun. It's their first time skiing so we didn't really know what to expect. It turned out well.

Driver Mr Hu and Guide Jamie were super patient with us. My kids sleep very late so we start everyday around 9am. They were very flexible and catered well to our needs.

Celestine

Hi April,

I loved everything about the tour and everyone that helped me along the way.

Here's some comments and photos:

China Discovery provided exceptional service in customizing our trip to Guilin, Yangshuo, and Longsheng in late February 2024. April, my travel consultant, was responsive, helpful, and friendly, addressing all my questions and needs promptly. Our tour guide, Steven, was not only friendly but also adaptable to our needs and the unexpected weather conditions (there was a cold front during our trip) without the need for me to ask. His food recommendations for our meals at every restaurant were superb and we got to taste not only the local specialty but also what the restaurant is known for. Last but not least, Mr. Young, our driver, ensured our safety with his steady driving.

Cheers!

Wendy

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

Dear Jack,

Apologies for delayed feedback because we were busy travelling in Jan and Feb. We have just returned to HK yesterday night. Pls find attached our comments.

1. Yes, fast and helpful responses to queries via WeChat and whatapps.

2. The tour arrangements were very professionally delivered as stated in the itinerary by our guide and driver, who were courteous and friendly. The pickup and transport were timely and safe.

3. Yes, willing to recommend. Had mentioned to our relatives and friends who enquired.

4. Very professional and helpful.

Leong

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 Vivien,

Happy New year !!

We're back in Australia. We enjoyed our China trip with lots of nice memories & photos.

Our guide in Beijing ( Justin ) was excellent. Justine can speak very good English, very friendly, informative & always helpful. Even went out of his way to help us with our big luggages onto the train. Very happy to have Justin as our guide.

Bill

Hi Wonder,

My review for the tour:

1. Travel consultant Wonder Wang is very fast to respond to all our queries and gave us good advice on our routing and timing of travel. He planned a very good itinerary for us based on our budget and where we wanted to go. He also helped us to locate the Liu ancestral hall in Huiyang though it was not part of our tour. We did manage to locate it and are very grateful for his help.

2. The tour arrangements were very smooth and met all our requests. The itinerary was well planned and moved seamlessly through all the places we wanted to see. All the tour guides met us on arrival as scheduled, they spoke excellent English, and were very flexible to rearrange the tour schedule in accordance with the weather conditions. They also adapted to our mobility situation and assisted us with getting up and down steps, and in and out of the vehicles. The drivers drove safely, no speeding and on schedule for our connections to the next destination at the train stations and airports. Bottles of water were provided throughout the tour. Hotels were good, and the rooms were non-smoking rooms as we had requested. They were located conveniently close to restaurants so we could have our dinner at our own pace.

3. We would highly recommend China Discovery and certainly would travel with them again in the future. They took care of every detail, and we had a fantastic time without any stress or worry over travel arrangements.

Thanks again for arranging everything.

Billie

Hi Vivien,

How are you? Hanna & I arrived back in Sydney last Thursday. We would like to thank you for all the help you gave us for the trip. We got to see what we wanted. We were able to experience and at the same time explore the cultural aspects of each city. I would highly recommend your company for future China travellers.

Andrew

Hi Vivien,

The experienced was great , the iteneray are all amazing , we love the snow town village very much , the ice festival , the ice sculpture , Volga Manor , Sophia cathedral etc. Our driver and guide are all friedly and accommodating, I will recommend discovery china definitely with my ftiends. Sharing you some of our photos.

Mercado

Hi Mr Wang,

Thanks! I had a weekend away to Xi’an, China to celebrate my birthday. It was an exciting weekend and it was certainly something off the beaten trail for most of my friends. The itinerary you have suggested provided good coverage of the city’s rich history. From the fascinating Terracotta Army to the City Walls to the sacred Mount Hua, to the Muslim Quarter to the Drum & Bell Towers, there’s an interesting story from every historical era in Xi’an. I managed to hike up Mount Hua from North Peak to West Peak, but I didn’t get to do the dangerous plank walk as it was closed.

The hotel Eastern House was very accessible too with food places within steps and its proximity to the Drum Tower is a plus. The room was very clean and comfortable.

At this point, I have to quickly mention our amazing tour guide Betty Jiao Yan who was assigned to us as part of our private tour package. She made our time feel so very special and I wonder if Xi'an would have been as awesome without her. She had such a positive and caring nature and when we had to say goodbye, we felt very sad. It was strange to miss a guide after only knowing her for 5 days! Luckily we still keep in touch on WeChat. Our driver Mr Ma was very polite, punctual and accommodating, making our travel a pleasant experience

Anne

Hi Rita,

In response to your enquiries, we had a wonderful experience with the tour arrangements in both Guilin and Yangshuo. Both the tour guide and driver were very professional and handled the arrangements well.

I am surely recommending any friends or relatives who are interested in travelling to China in future to use China Discovery. Also, will be looking at other destinations for ourselves too.

Thanks once again for the wonderful experience.

Kwan

Hi Rita,

Tour arrangement goes accordingly. We have completed as per itinerary. The local tour guide & driver did a great job. Tour guide (Jim)/Driver (Lu) - Wulong/ Fairy Mountain tours express their further service by sending us to have dinner at downtown as our Hotel in Fairy Mountain is out of the way. Tour guide in Zhangjiajie (David) are very knowledgeable and polite. Lastly, thanks to you (Tour consultant), who has try your best to monitor our train arrangement when our berth are not together. Wulong to Zhangjiajie and Zhangjiajie to chongqing. you managed to get us together (with my hubby) on last min. We really appreciate it.

Jessie

Hi Leo,

We were very satisfied with all your arrangements & your drivers & guides. You have shown that you are totally reliable & responsive to all our requests, & a real asset to your company !

We are tempted to explore further into China & we will definitely be using your services again in the future.

Catherine

Dear Leo,

Thank you for your postcard, elegant gifts (chopsticks) and setting up a hassle free travel for the group.

Attaching a couple of photos as promised from the previous email feedback request. Let me know if you need any specific pictures (there are too many to choose) :)

Everything was well arranged, orderly and relaxing. We specifically love the lunch at Wenshufang and Qiang village, relaxing hot spring at Le Meridien, the breathtaking scenery at Bipenggou, and the spectacular culture opera show!

The sky view from Hilton Canopy over Tianfu Square was also magnificent.

The website on China Discoveries is so informative together with Ellen's tips and suggestions, we can venture to some places outside of our itinerary during free time, covering some of the interesting uniqueness at the locality.

The driver, Da ge and Ellen our group only had praises. There were no negative comments from me and the group.

We hope to work with you on our next year end ski trip, to Zhangjiakou.

Meanwhile, we wish you and your family a HAppy Festive Holiday! Take Care! Thank YOU!

Edward

Hi Tracy,

My knee is fine

Almost like a miracle.Doctor is amazing.This is a feedback from the entire trip

First of all you are awesome

The guide: Sophie is 8.5/10, Daisy 10/10,Athien 8.5/10,Sandy 8.5/10

Driver: kunming 9/10, Dali Lijiang shangrila 9/10 but I would give him 10/10 because he went all out to help with my knee

Definitely will be back next year with china discovery. Thanks again for all the extra help.Really appreciate it. You and the people make china discovery a great company .

Willie

Hi Tracy,

The trip was really wonderful. The guide David has been very nice. He is very knowledgeable about the local history and whereabouts, speaking good English. He has also been patient with the slow pace our family needs to walk. He has also happy to offer assistance, especially when one of the members of the group had forgotten her bag in the hotel room after checkout.

The driver has also been great. He drove safely and efficiently. He was also helpful in arranging luggages in the car.

Overall, I am very impressed with the trip. Thanks a lot for your organisation and arrangement.

Bernard

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

Dear Tracy,

I would like to thank you for arranging this trip which was truly appreciated. The services provided were excellent. All the guides and drivers were very professional and helpful. The Century Victory cruise can be rated top of the line. Will ask you to book our next trip in China again.

Best regards

Yu

Hi April,

This is our feedback of the trip.

Beautiful and memorable trip to Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang with tour arrangement by April Zou from China Discovery!

We just returned from our family trip to Hunan. Our tour arrangement by April Zou from China Discovery was absolutely wonderful. It all went smoothly and safely. April was really professional and she communicated promptly and was always available and meticulous with the details. The schedule was all followed through very smoothly with no disruptions. She even helped in liaising to help my son locate his lost bag from the rail station lost and found. The tour guide David Niebai (nickname “Nearby”)and driver Xiaoluo for our Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang tour were really very experienced and professional. David was very knowledgeable and very helpful and made our tour a comfortable and comprehensive one. His recommendations on the scenic spots as well as food were great. We had a beautiful experience seeing different sights and sceneries, trying new adventures and tasting interesting and delicious food. The driver was attentive and careful in driving and very experienced. Both tour guide and driver were non-smoking as well as the car which was rather new and smoke-free which exactly met our request. Everything was in good timing and to add to that, thank God, the weather was great and since it is not peak season, there were no crowds. Really thankful for this joy-filled memorable trip with China Discovery.

Joanna

Hi Jack.

A very big THANK YOU to you and your team for the excellent arrangements you made for me and my husband's vacation in Guangzhou and Guilin.

Everything went smoothly with totally no glitches - the prompt pickup and dropoff at the airport and train station, the beautiful hotels that you booked for us with hassle-free check-in/check-out service, the visits to the interesting tourist attractions, the great lunches (portions are huge!), our first ride on the HSR and the therapeutic cruises along Pearl River and Li River.

Thumbs up to the professional and superb service offered by our driver 江羿师傅 and tour guide 江智玲小姐.

江师傅 is a safe driver. He is always early when picking us up and offers very good suggestions of places to shop and eat. 江小姐 is friendly and approachable and extremely knowledgeable. They both took very good care of me and my husband.

Will definitely book your services again when we next visit China.

With warmest regards

Yvonne

Hi Leo,

My Summary Comments:-

I must admit it is good fortune to be able to work with Leo to plan and arrange a short tour of preferred sights which I have not done before or to revisit from my previous visits around the Guilin area. Leo’s unfailing promptness to respond to my impromptu emailed enquiries and queries is commendable and helpful to effortlessly facilitate a fulfilling itinerary.

I have now completed a comfortable and absolutely satisfying three days trip with helpful and friendly guides and drivers and comfortable transport together with pleasant hotels accommodations.

Thank you Leo and also to your Chengdu Bamboo International Tours Co.Ltd.

Sum

Hi Rita!

We thoroughly enjoyed our Beijing and Datong trips arranged by you! Both the drivers and guides are good. The cars are clean and do not smell of cigarette smoke. The guides for Beijing, Jamie and Datong, Miller are friendly, interesting and very knowledgeable. We can feel their passion and pride for their jobs.

The tour arrangements was smooth and of course, I'll strongly recommend ChinaDiscovery to my friends and family should anyone need a guided tour within China! Thank you for your help!

Li Chin

Hi Leo,

Thanks for arranging a great trip. The places visited and time spent in each city was just right. The guides and drivers were excellent. The train arrangement was just as expected. We highly recommend this itinerary for anyone who is looking to experience Uighur food and culture.

Suat

Hi Tracy

Hotel- we loved the size of rooms, swimming pool and staff were very friendly

Driver- very smooth driving

Guide- very knowledgeable! 1 small thing I have to criticise is his photo taking technique is not that good.

We enjoyed of course Terracotta Army but kids really enjoyed making terracotta! Really good experience!

Schedule was perfect!

Finally thank you for organising perfect holiday!

Aya

Hi Tracy

We are at the airport now. We had a great time. Tibet is truly a unique place. Everything was great. Our guide was very patient with us and knowledgeable. We are very happy with him. The driver was also nice. Always smiling. Just driving a bit too fast in the mountains. Though after we asked him he was much better.

Hotel location is perfect. Just beds are a bit too hard. Beside that really everything was great. Also we think the way the tour was planned was perfect.

Roy

Hi Tracy

Sorry for my late reply. I am now back in Hong Kong.

I am very impressed by your efficient arrangement of the tour, where the essence of Yuntai Mountain has been shown during the tour. Many thanks for this.

The tour guide Jimmy has been very great. He has very good knowledge of the Chinese history and local culture. He also has a good command of English. He has also shown me a very good restaurant at Yuntai Mountain where I had lunch. I would like to thank his great efforts in accompanying me throughout the tour, walking the trails in Yuntai Mountain, and showing me the various spots of interest in the scenic area.

The driver Duan (hope I have not mis-spelt his name) has been great too. Very punctual for the pickup, and I would also like to thank him for his safe and efficient driving.

Overall, I am very impressed. Hopefully I will have another opportunity to have another tour arranged by China Discovery.

Thanks

Best

Bernard

Hello Leo,

For the guides all were great. Knowledgeable and helpful. One snag was our flight from Urumuji guide misread the flight we were to be on . I told her the correct one but we were directed to an earlier one Ted 8.25 instead of 9.55. Small matter. We just had to check out very early . Most highly recommended. Drivers were fine, patient and know their routes.

Sights were interesting and well arranged. Lunch mist did they best to meet to our requests. Hotels all ok. Grand Mercure was the best.Kashgar’s if it was one of the best was very chaotic especially at breakfast time.

That’s all.

Regards,

Ms Ong

Hi Wonder,

thanks, the trip was really nice! Jerry & our driver were super and the sights were great, too!

A big thank you for the good organization to you, too!

Best regards,

Buntha

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 Tracy,

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Xinjiang. Almost every hotel exceeded our expectations. Wenwen even had her own room in two hotels.

Hemu village is a performance of the local community with light refreshments provided, not a home visit.

Karamay was having a sandstorm when we arrived so we did a drive through some Yardangs using the van so we didn’t see the famous formations.

Enjoyed the trailer at Sayram Lake but the weather was cold and rainy the night we arrived which limited our chances of seeing the Milky Way.

I will try and attach some photos to this email of the Potala palace, Lhasa street scene, Jokhang temple and monks at Drepung Monastery.

We had fun at the attractions at the Grand Canyon on our last day.

The weather again prevented us from going through the mountains. The pass was actually closed.

The driver 王师傅 was excellent, becoming part of our group. Always getting us snacks and fruit and joining in on our conversations

Our guide, Ayisha, was great. Given she is of the local Muslim community, her insights were invaluable in providing us with first hand knowledge and experience of what being a minority in Xinjiang is like. Plus she could speak several different languages prominent in the area.

Bob

Hi,

Thank you for making all the arrangements for my family! We all had a wonderful time exploring Sichuan. All the guides are very professional and helpful, and the drivers are all very safe.

Zhiying

Dear Mr. Wang,

My trip was excellent and perfectly organised. Travel consultant was prompt in replying to my emails and patient enough to answer all my questions. Whole trip just happened exactly as per itinerary shared in advance. Tour guide was excellent, speaking fluent English, with excellent knowledge of the sites visited and able to give detailed explanations on all of my questions. Driver was very professional, his driving during the entire trip was pleasant despite heavy traffic through XiAn city.

Velimir

Zeva,

Visits were very well organized including flexibility according to the weather and our requests. All hotels were great and at good location. The twin bedroom has 2 big beds, which made it even more compartable. We had some of our favorite meals in China. Good job Linda! Always smiling and energetic. She took care of us and listended well to our quests. Amazing! Great knowledge of history and culture. Great cars as well. Very comfortable. Special thanks to the driver who took us to Fengdu. Very calm and professional.

Paola

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,

Please do thank the guides and driver for an absolutely wonderful tour! Joe was so knowledgeable and Shane was just outstanding today. I felt so genuinely cared for. Thank you again for understanding and trying so hard to help with Erika's train etc. Really appreciate it!

Tina

Hi Rita,

Please know I enjoyed both your guides. They had different strengths but both made me feel welcome, taken care of, and satisfied.

I have already recommended your service to a woman I met in Kunming

Thanks

Karen

Dear Zeva,

We had a wonderful time in Beijing as well! Besides the rainy days and hot day we enjoyed the tour. It was a very well planned tour and very interesting! My favorite was the Forbidden city!

Linda as a great guide, knowledgeable and understanding as I was traveling with teenagers. She was also very happy to help with other thinks like dinner reservations and other recommendations. Very nice!

Now we are looking forward to Beijing!

Thank you very much for the treats and additional items for the tour. The lama temple was worth visiting and we enjoyed the boat ride at the summer palace.

I am glad we came early as the Air Asia checkin line was extremely long and disorganized. We just made it to the gate on time for boarding!

Thanks again!

Giovanna

Hi Leo,

Thank your for arranging.

Generally the trip is good. Minus the hot weather :)

The tour guide and driver gives good service.

Carmen

Hello Zeva,

We enjoyed our first visit to Xi’an and Bruce was wonderful! Very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and his English was great! We also very much appreciated the driver and the good car with air conditioning, as it was extremely hot!!

Now we are looking forward to Beijing!

Giovanna

Hello Wing,

Greetings from Japan. We had a wonderful and enjoyable adventure in Beijing and Hong Kong. Maggie and Jin (driver) were generous and extraordinarily considerate and kind. I hope to revisit Shanghai and will definitely let you know. I will apply for a visa next time. Thanks for all of your help along the way. If you have a format for feedback, please send me it. All the best, Steve.

Steve

Hi Leo,

I am quite happy with the Luoyang trip. Guide & Driver are all friendly & enthusiastic. Joe is professional & helpful.

I will come back (maybe in autumn) for the Yungang Grottoes. Once I fix my schedule, will ask for your help.

Thanks & Best Regards,

Listyani

Wonder,

My parents enjoyed it very much thank you! Haven’t heard the details though because I haven’t met them yet.

Kim

Hi Leo,

All in all I want to say that the trip was really nice and well organized.

Guides very professional, Lily as well as Cathy shared a lot of useful information for the various tourist spots.

The program was very tight and fully packed with beautiful spots, so it was a little stressful sometimes.

But actually we wanted it this way, so for us it was ok. During the long drives and train rides we usually slept and recovered.

So, depending of the purpose of the trip, which was to get to know as many places as possible, it was perfect.

Looking forward to the next trip organized with you!

Take Care

Bjoern

Dear Vivian,

I am at a loss for words to express the immense joy I experienced on this extraordinary trip, encompassing the enchanting destinations of Beijing and Guilin. From start to finish, the journey was an absolute triumph, leaving me with a profound sense of fulfillment. I am delighted to affirm that the trip was an unparalleled success, achieving a flawless 100% rating in every aspect. Your exceptional skills as a trip organizer shone through, as you stood by our side until the very last moment, ensuring a seamless and unforgettable experience. I am truly grateful for your unwavering dedication.

Please convey my heartfelt appreciation to Smaily for her exceptional work. She went above and beyond to make every moment memorable, and her efforts were truly outstanding. Her profound knowledge, unwavering commitment, and tireless efforts to showcase the very best of each destination made the entire trip an absolute delight. Without a doubt, she deserves the highest accolades and recognition.

I must also commend the driver, whose gentle and respectful demeanor added a touch of grace to our journey.

Reflecting on the overall two weeks in China, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of awe and wonder. The meticulous planning and flawless execution by China Discovery Tour left an indelible mark, and it is without a doubt that you, Vivian, were the shining star behind it all.

With deepest gratitude,

Mohammed

Hello, Vivien!

Thank you very much for the tour!!! We're really grateful to you, the guide and the driver.

We finally got home safe though already early in the morning. Thank you again for organizing this wonderful journey for us!

Katya

Tracy,

The tour has finished. I am very happy with the guide/driver. He us patient, knowledgeable, fast, and has very good friendly relationships with many people

Later this year I would like to take additional tours in Western China with your agency. Please, send me a link to what rours are available and where.

Ilia

Hi Tracy,

It was very good.

Kai is a very very good guide, I just can strongly recommend him!

And Mister Fan, the driver, also did a very good job, all the pickup service was very smooth.

And so do you, because you helped me with everything so good.

Hello Wing,

The tour was excellent. Timo and Zhou were excellent guides and drivers.

1. Without hesitation we would recommend your company.

2. Your service was exceptional.

3. We are already planning to visit Inner Mongolia later this year. We’ll be in touch. Thanks Dave and Debbie

Hello Tracy, dear China discovery team,

1. My travel consultant, Tracy, was very fast and patient and very kind to answer my questions.

2. The arrangements have been done, in the way we prefered, to our satisfaction.

3. Yes, I would recommend your service to friends.

4. General opinion is that it is quite expensive to book a tour, but it is also worth it. Specially for foreigners who don't speak or read Chinese language. China discovery did a good job to arrange things in a proper and convenient way, listening to clients wishes.

5. No Suggestions

6. You are allowed to use my comments and pictures.

Kind regards

Hi Wonder,

Yes, it was a little unfortunate. But Jack handled it very well, he gave us good advice re how to navigate the Forbidden City, and met us at the Exit Gate. The lunch was very welcomed and we appreciate the gesture.

Heading home shortly. The trip was excellent. Jack and are driver were superb.

I definitely will leave good reviews. Ellen was also a very professional, kind and knowledgeable guide, I couldn't have wished for a better one.

Many thanks for arranging the trip, we will recommend it to family and friends.

Kind regards,

Hi Jack

Hotel was perfect, which I also wrote you earlier - just the kind of place, we wanted. With charming atmosphere, friendly staff, lovely location in the hutongs and varied breakfast buffet

Our guide - Kai - was like a walking encyclopedia ;) His knowledge about Beijing and Chinese history in general was almost overwhelming. So, a little advice to Kai would be to let go of his role as lecturer and allow for a bit more conversation and dialogue. Otherwise, it can be difficult to take all the information in if you are not allowed to talk about it Lastly, our driver, Mr Gin, was always on time and a very responsible driver.

The amount of time spent at the different sights was also well planned. Except we could have spent more time at the Summer Palace

Hi Jack,

Thank for our trip. Well organised. Driver & guide were super ! We have been lucky to have a sunny weather and the lantern festival! And not toooooo cold, only if you compare to the week before !

Helene

Hi Rita,

everything is very well happening today, it's a fabulous day we are now on the return to town, it's perfect The driver and the guide are very good.

Frederic

Vivien,

Good morning! Yes-everything fine. Yesterday it was wonderful-nice weather! The Hilton is a nice hotel. Staff can speak limited English-but they are very helpful. Rooms are a bit noisy because walls are thin.

Natascha

Dear Echo,

First of all we want to share with you that has been an amazing trip, one that we will not forget. We definitely loved it! Going into detail: :

• Guide: Gary was outstanding, he had a very positive attitude and he had never lost the smile although travelling with kids can be challenging. He was willing to help beyond his responsability, flexible when needed and passionate about his job. Simon, was a good guide and help us when asked for his support although it was a bit difficult to understand. The only thing that it could be improved was that when we went to Dunhuang for the private dinner in the desert, nobody spoke english there and Simon didn't come with us so it was a bit difficult in the beginning.

• Driver: He was good and drive very safely.

• Hotel: Generally speaking all the hotels were ok but the hotel in Dunhuang was not really what we understand as a 5 star hotel (breakfast was very chinese, no decent coffee, issue with the heating, no english,...). Hotel in Jiayuguan was very good although the rooms were a bit small. Hotel in Zhangye was very good, they had a lot of details (our family room was customize for kids, little presents every day in the room, dinner was very nice and they had the best coffee of the 3 hotels in the breakfast, they try to speak in english).

• Hotel: Generally speaking all the hotels were ok but the hotel in Dunhuang was not really what we understand as a 5 star hotel (breakfast was very chinese, no decent coffee, issue with the heating, no english,...). Hotel in Jiayuguan was very good although the rooms were a bit small. Hotel in Zhangye was very good, they had a lot of details (our family room was customize for kids, little presents every day in the room, dinner was very nice and they had the best coffee of the 3 hotels in the breakfast, they try to speak in english).

• Hotel: Generally speaking all the hotels were ok but the hotel in Dunhuang was not really what we understand as a 5 star hotel (breakfast was very chinese, no decent coffee, issue with the heating, no english,...). Hotel in Jiayuguan was very good although the rooms were a bit small. Hotel in Zhangye was very good, they had a lot of details (our family room was customize for kids, little presents every day in the room, dinner was very nice and they had the best coffee of the 3 hotels in the breakfast, they try to speak in english).

Cristina

Dear Vivien,

Please let me give you more detailed feedback on the Silk Road trip:

1) Driver in Xining was outstanding, very attentive and also supported for check-in etc. So definitely recommend for future. The driver for the second part was also very polite and a very calm driver.
2) Guides:
a. Shawo was very knowledgeable and could provide lots of information. Probably based on her professional background working in university.
b. Lisa was very passionate about her job and anyone who wants to know details about Chinese culture should go with her.
c. Andy was from my pov the least engaged guide. For logistics he organized everything well and no problems. For the cultural parts he could provide information, but I personally did not perceive him as too motivated or passionate about guiding. So for groups who just want the logistics done, he’s fine. He did share some personal insights on how Dunhuang changed from his childhood to now which was super interesting.
d. English level of all guides was soso.

3) The Badain desert was my personal highlight extremely impressive nature and really great Jeep drive through the desert! Our Jeep driver was the best, I would always recommend him again for further tours! Second highlight were the rainbow mountains both for sunset as well as sunrise in the morning. To make this happen, the Kaoshan tents are necessary as it is so close by walking distance.

4) The national geologic parks were also interesting ad the nature was different in different spots, a guide who has more geologic knowledge would have been desirable.

5) Mati Temple was way too crowded. Dunhuang desert was also very touristy and crowded, so not the scenery I would have wished for.

6) Hotels were very good standard, I was actually surprised of the level offered!!! In Jiayuguan a bit dirty, but overall good. I did not like the mongol yurt in the Badain desert though, if it is basic standard, I would have wished it to be less touristy, but it was yurts, yes, but all else was just mass tourism. Something I know now I just have to accept. I had hoped for a remote small local touch experience, which it definitely wasn’t. Also, there was a group partying with loud music and fireworks in the morning. So I would prefer a hotel (and I now learnt it even exists) in the desert as the local experience is not given anyways.

Norma

Good morning Leo,

yes, my trip was great, I had a great time. The guide and the driver were both very nice and very cool. The guide had lots of knowledge, she said a lot of things to me that I didn’t know. I’m hoping to plan a trip to Xian later this year so definitely be messaging you again. I totally enjoyed the trip they were both very very gracious and very cool.

The sites we went to see I was very happy for that time frame going early was better consumers less people and we gotta walk through everything pretty quickly and get everything done that we needed or I want to get done pretty quickly so it was also very very helpful and are going to chairman chair was a guide that can get through the lines are very very good very helpful，so really enjoyed I like everything that we did it was very much what iwanted so thank you guys again.

Inga

Hey Wonder,

Sorry for the late reply but the trip was awesome for us! I think we both had a good time. The only thing I wish that maybe was different was the grasslands, we thought we’d see more sparse land rather than an organized villa kind of thing. Otherwise the rest of the trip was great, our driver was awesome and timely and Herry was also super sweet and got everything organized perfectly for us! We really got to know him. Thanks!

A friend of mine wants to book Inner Mongolia, so I’d like to share your contact. Can you add me back?

Aleia

Hi Vivien,

赵先生很周到。 (Driver in Chengdu)

May was a great guide. She got us incredible access to the pandas, she was flexible in accommodating our wishes, she chose a perfect place to eat on the last day, and she was very enthusiastic about Buddhism.

We'll send you our full feedback on Guilin as soon as we get to Zhangjiajie. So far, the Li An hotel, and especially the Caledon room, was SPECTACULAR!

感谢您帮我们安排这次去旅游！回家了我们继续想到那些好日子，好玩的时刻。

Adam

Good afternoon, Vivien!

We had a great trip to Ningxia (Yinchuan and Zhongwei). The tour guide, Mavis, was very nice, efficient, and helpful. We appreciated her flexibility about making slight modifications to the schedule based on how my group felt. Sometimes my friends wanted to sleep later because of drinking so much delicious wine the day before, and Mavis helped to make adjustments as needed.

The driver was also very good and safe, which we appreciated.

Attached please find some pictures, including landscapes. It’s beautiful, right?

Thank you for another excellent tour.

Best regards,

Jeffrey

Dear Vivien,

Now at the end of the tour please let us give you a bit of feedback:

• The tour locations and sightseeing fully meet our expectations.

• The hotel accommodations meet our expectations. The locations were chosen very well.

• The tour guides were all very friendly and tried hard to provide good service.

• The lunch arrangements ranged from very satisfying to others just bare minimum to some not good at all. In our case the request for vegan food was not understood by some tour guides and certainly not by the restaurants. They all seem to be surprised by our request? You indicated prior to the trip that vegan food would be “no problem” We were hoping for at least some (vegan) local food which is usual really no problem anywhere in China, but that didn’t happen.

• From the company standpoint a simple request for vegetarian or even vegan food seems to be beyond your capability. The communication in that regard needs to be improved and you need to work on that going forward.

A suggestion from our side: If your local hotel partners cannot provide 4 Star breakfast arrangements (and we understand that) than don’t offer breakfast within the tour package but rather make it optional so that people may go out and find their own food. (specifically for the local brand hotels)

We certainly would have been served much better with that option.

As a summary: We had a wonderful trip with great sites to visit, very good and ambitious tour guides and safe drivers. We would gladly recommend your tours to others without food restrictions.

We would like to thank you for your and everybody involved for the great preparation and flawless execution of this trip. We are very grateful for this wonderful travel experince and with your permission we will contact you again for our future travel planning.

Please take this as a compliment and feel free to share this information with your management and others as you wish.

Respectfully

Paul and Heather

Hello Vivien!

All was great- super trip, very professional, Nick and the driver were extremely friendly and helpful.

Thank you for your service!

All best.

Martyna

Hello Tracy,

Good morning. I completed a form for Aten. He has it, but I can share with you as well. I was very satisfied with the service from you, from him and the driver.

Yes, I did. Shangri-La and Yubeng are very special places. I hope to come back again.

Geoffrey

Hi Zeva,

Greetings from a warm Yangzhou. We have had another wonderful day and said our goodbyes to wonderful guide Alice and great driver Mr. Fu. Mr. Fu drove us safe around and always very helpful. We have been very happy with Alice who have guided us through a lot of lovely sceneries, showing us great places around Guilin and Yangzhou. Finding great food for us and meeting every one of our needs during our holiday. She did her guiding, so we felt very relaxed but still got a lot of information. We would give her our best recommendations. She had forgotten the paper for us to fill in today - therefor this long chat.

We are looking forward to staying here the next three days. Thank you so much for your help - you have been great. We will be ready in the lobby Monday morning at 11 o’clock to leave for the airport. We are - again - super happy to travel with China discovery.

Christina

Hi Wonder,

The trip to Xian and Luoyang was great. It helped us to know what to expect on the long trip and what to prepare. Excellent: drivers, guides & tours. The arrangements were efficient and timings good. We enjoyed the balance between tours and rest. The hotels were good. Only 1 disappointment: we could not keep the entry tickets to the Warriors. Kai explained the reason but I wish we had known. Those tickets were important souvenirs for us so we would have paid to avoid Kai having to use the ticket to claim the expense. Thoughts for the next trip: we will need the guides help to get food for the meals not catered for in the trip. For example, on the river cruise where can we buy food/snacks? Will there be a shop and restaurants on board? Will all the hotels have a kettle to boil water? And finally, could you tell me if any of the hotels have a swimming pool or gym facilities? These are not essential so it's ok if not but we will pack according.

Gillian

Hi Lyn,

Please find hereunder our assessment about our trip in Qinhai:

1. Program: it was well made:

- Qinghai lake and Chaka lake were as expected. We liked them and liked the road trip, with a little disappointment because we were hoping to enjoy the wild nature and instead we had the feeling to be in Disneyland for the two main attractions.

- Kambula Park: beautiful! It was beyond our expectations. We really had the wild nature for ourselves with no tourists and breathtaking landscapes.

- Bingling Cave-temple: fantastic! It was the highlight of our trip. We didn’t expect such a marvelous combination of natural settings and buddhist statues and carvings, It was raining with few tourists. We were soaked to the bones but we enjoyed every moment.

- Visit of Wutun and Longwu monasteries. Wonderful! No tourists. Thanks to the guide who knows the monks in Wutun, we could have a private visit, possibility of taking pictures, explanations of the different paintings and statues,…

- Visit of Ta’er monastery: it is a must! However, because there were so many tourists, many things that we could do in the previous smaller temples were not allowed (taking pictures,…). If I have to choose, I would choose the smaller temples. However, the museum of butter sculptures in Ta’er is extraordinary, much better than the one we visited last year in Labrang.

- Visit of museum of Tibetan medicine and civilization: good. The world longest thangka is really impressive. The other elements of Tibetan art, medicine, utensils, … are interesting.

2. Hotels:

- Wanda hotel in Xining: top hotel. Excellent. The second night with the upgrade to executive floor, it was really good.

- Hotel in Chaka: correct for Chaka. Breakfast: no western food, not even coffee. We are used to western breakfast.

- Hotel in Linxia: correct. Breakfast not too good but better than in Chaka

- Hotel in Xiahe: below our expected standard: room too small, breakfast of bad quality, including the Chinese food!

- Sofitel Xining: top hotel. Excellent!

3. The car: Renault Koleos. A bit old, small and under the standard I expected, but overall correct.

4. The people:

- Driver Han: very helpful, a bit bad tempered sometimes but overall good.

- Guide Lee: excellent. I really like his knowledge of Tibetan culture and religion, he could answer all my questions on any subject (I have a lot and I usually exhaust my guides). His friendship with the monks in Wutun was great. He is definitely one of the best guides I ever had!

Conclusion: I am very satisfied with your arrangement.

Best regards

Andre

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 Lyn,

Sorry for my super late reply, but tomorrow we are leaving again, so I was and I am busy unpacking and repacking. Our trip in Inner Mongolia went very well and we are satisfied of the service provided.

The driver and the guide were kind and professional. For us it was the first time we travelled with an organised tour and a tour guide and the experience has been very positive. So, for sure we'll do it again in the future.

Thank you for your support and have a nice weekend!

Sara

Hi Riley,

And I like our guide and driver so much. Very nice, helpful and cool people.

And by the way – we have the best guides and driver! The most important part is not only that they conduct themselves professionally, but as very kind human beings.

David

Hi Riley

Thanks again for your help with booking our trip to Chengdu, we had a lovely time!

Everything was very well organised. The airport transfers and drivers for the rest of the weekend were always punctual and helpful. 

The hotel was comfortable and although not super modern, the room was plenty big enough and catered for our needs. The kitchen was also useful. Breakfast at the hotel was good with enough choice and staff were quite helpful. The location of the hotel worked pretty well for us too.

Our tour guide Jane was lovely. She was very patient and helpful with our two young daughters, particularly the older one who asked her lots of questions! She was helpful in buying our tickets and ensuring that we were able to navigate the city and its sights. 

All in all we had a very good trip and would recommend China Discovery to others.

Thanks and hope this helps

Lindsay

Dear Riley,

Thank you! I was confused. Glad it’s all taken care of. Jenny is a great guide and Hui a great driver. We are enjoying our time here. Just wished we had an extra few days. Lots to see!

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 Rita,

Fabulous trip to Zhangjiajie. Thank you so much for organising a brilliant itinerary. We loved everything. Our guide Lily was exceptionally good. I would recommend using her again. The driver also excellent.

Hi Jack,

It was awesome! You guys are very organized and Shirley and Mr. Wang were incredible! Thank you so much. I appreciate all of you.

Hi Tracy,

It was good. Bruce was knowledgeable and helpful. Car was good and the driver was driving safe. Terracotta Army was a great experience. We also went to the Han yangling. That was ok but no must-see. Thanks

Good morning Jack,

Lee was excellent. Very personable, very professional. Your drivers were very good. The pace of the trip was good. We enjoyed seeing both reconstructed and old wall. It gave us a much better appreciation of the work to not only to build but to maintain as well .We would caution that knowing in advance what sections of the wall are closed would be helpful. The second day it seemed we spent more time hiking in the brush than visiting the wall itself. Plenty of water and bathroom breaks were offered. Li was very knowledgeable about the wall and history. He gave us information in the van and allowed us to enjoy the wall without interruptions. Great job on his part The water town hotel was very enjoyable. The room was clean, air conditioner, and felt traditional but clean and new. Li did a great job of preparing us and getting us through the security points at the square. The local farmhouse restaurants were decent and the people very kind.

Xi'An: Tomi was good. He had a less engaging tour so our interaction with him was less but still enjoyable. He accommodated our request to spend time with friends that were in the area as well.Muslim street was very small and not as unique as I thought it would be.The bike ride along the city wall enjoyable. Better first thing in the morning or late afternoon. It would have been too hot for a mid-day visit.We stayed at the W in Xi'An. Great place to stay. I would visit that property again. We ate dinner at a new Turkish restaurant called The Chill right outside the hotel. Would recommend.Warriors was amazing. Tomi's knowledge very much appreciated. We were two and half hours early to the airport so timing was a bit off.All said, we would definitely use China Discovery again.

Hi Leo,

Thanks for your email and apologies for not getting back to your earlier but its been a busy return to Beijing.

Verity and I were extremely happy with our tour with Bree. She and the driver went above and beyond waiting for us at the airport until the early hours of the morning as our flight was delayed.

In relation to Bree, she was a great guide. She obviously knew her stuff, was friendly and expertly navigated us around the sites. What we really appreciated was Bree taking us to places that were a little bit out of the way to take us away from the crowds so we could experience the spectacular scenery and views without too many people around us.

In relation to the tour and the schedule, we were really happy with the places on the itinerary and the time we were able to spend at each. Throughout the trip we did not feel rushed nor that we had too much time at any place and were really happy with being able to walk around some really beautiful places.

The choice was hotel was good as it meant we were close to the park which meant less driving in the morning and we were happy with the room.

In addition, the support we received prior to and during the trip from you and Bree was greatly appreciated. We have already passed on the details for the tour and your company to several friends of ours and we are already looking at when we could reschedule our Huangshan trip.

In relation to the Huangshan trip, we were wondering how much notice you need before booking? For example, if we decided on a Monday to do the trip, could we start it on the Friday of that week? We recognise that you require time to lock in hotel bookings, guides, tickets etc. but were wondering how much time was required.

Thanks once again for all your help.

Cheers

Marko

Hey Rita,

I have arrived back in Wuxi and heading back to Suzhou now. Thank you for arranging another great trip. The weekend was very enjoyable. The guide, Nick, was friendly and helpful as was the driver, Mr Tang. The hotel was nice, very comfortable and clean. I really enjoyed Xiamen.

Dear Echo 

Sorry for my late reply but I passed the evaluation form to Johanna, did you get it? We love Yi De hotel very much including its restaurant. Johanna and the driver are very nice and helpful too.

Now my husband and I are planning for the next trip and we would like to seek your help also ~ private tour for two, Zhangye/Jiayuguan/Dunhuang, for about 5-7 days, during the period between May 18 and May 28, and we will fly from Beijing. I think May is good season for visiting these places? Your thoughts/proposal is highly appreciated.

Thanks and regards

Amanda 

Hi Leo,

Sorry I didn't respond sooner, this has been a busy week! Sylvie and I had a great trip and we agreed the service was excellent. On the boat, all the crew were very helpful, especially Momo and Billy. We really appreciated how well everyone looked after us. The guides we had on the boat and in Zhangjiajie had great English. We really liked that David in Zhangjiajie looked at the weather forcasts to decide what would be the best activity for the day. He knew a lot of less visited areas, which made for a more relaxing and enjoyable visit, even when the park was more crowded. The driver was one of the best I've had in China, though we did have to wait around for him to arrive sometimes. I don't know how much control you have over the boat,but there are a couple suggestions I have.

-On the excursions, it would be helpful to have a translated document of some of the important information about the place. I don't expect an entire spoken translation of everything that is being said, but it would have been nice to have more information at the dam and on the 3 Gorges boat ride, as there was a lot being said in Mandarian and most of it wasn't translated. Just a simple handout, even just using something like Google Translate, would have been nice.

-There were a couple of times another boat docked directly next to ours, which made it impossible to use the balcony or really relax in the room because our "neighbors" were too close and too loud. That's all I can really think of now. Like I said, the service we received was excellent and I would definitely recommend the trip to others. Thanks again!

Hi Wendy,

The driver and the guide are really great, we were really happy with their service.

Hi Echo 

We had a great holiday in Guilin. A place we would like to revisit before leaving China. 

The hotel in Guilin was quite good. Spacious room with a lovely view and a great bar. The breakfast was mostly Chinese, but we still haven’t found a hotel with great western breakfast yet. It was okay - but not amazing.

The hotel in Yangshuo was more simple but the service was good and the surroundings were amazing. I could imagine that it would not be so good if it was colder since the room wasn’t isolated. There was air conditioning/heating so it was okay for this season. I think it will be great in to sit outside by the river in the summertime. 

The guide was nice and friendly and so was the driver. But my husband couldn’t see out of the windows in the car since he is quite tall. So he missed out on the beautiful scenery when we were driving. 

On the Li River Cruise we sat at a 6 persons table - we would have preferred a 4 persons table - but otherwise it was a great trip.

Best regards,

Sanne

Hello Rita. All great thank you. star is a great guide.

No worries at all. It’s an adventure hahaha. Star and Mr Zhou are super nice and they are taking well care of us.

Hi Rita,

It was very good

The driver very good

The guide was awesome

Totally recommended (the whole trip)

Hi Riley,

Amazing. I absolutely loved it

Both hotels were perfect and each of the stops were great

Loved the 4* cruise on Li River

I added Silver cave and the show that evening that Steven helped arrange

We also did the bamboo raft ride on saturday

The driver took as to all the locations. 

There was no 10 mile bus tour. 

On Sunday we went to Banyon Tree park, climbed moon hill and then tried a new location. The cable car. Again I paid Steven to help me get ticket for this.

We did not have time to visit the family farm.

Completely loved every experience.  Climbing both moon hill and the peaks at the cable car place was a lot of work but very fun.

Steven was a great guide. Nice balance between history and information and allowing me to just experience.

Our driver was great as well. Felt very safe

Would recommend both.

Hi Wonder,

Our trip has ended and it’s time to complete the evaluation form.

We found China Discovery on line while looking for a reputable company in China to plan our holiday.

After contacting Mr Wonder Wang ( through online email and WeChat ) we found his level of support, information, communication, patience and understanding to be very professional. He was quick to respond to all our questions and accommodating in all our requests.

The tour arrangements were to our liking. Wonder worked closely with us to determine our touring preferences. The transport schedule was not too strenuous, the tours we encountered were interesting and our accommodation was to the most very comfortable.

As far as recommending China Discovery, we would be happy to introduce anyone keen in touring China to this company.

Our tour was conducted in the early part of the year under the curtain of COVID and in the midst of Chinese New Year. Wonder and the guides helped us with all our medical requirements and arrangements and a holiday that could have been disjointed flowed with out any problems.

Wonder gave us contacts to all our guides and they were accessible and helpful.

The drivers who accompanied the guides were also friendly and safe.

The guides were all good - supportive, jovial, attentive and knowledgeable.

The best in our opinion were May, Michael and Steven.

Our accommodation The Gran Melia was very good in Xian and the nearby area was interesting to explore by foot in our free time - the park area across the street from our accommodation and Grand Tang Mall nearby.

The Sofitel in Chengdu was comfortable, the breakfasts were wonderful and the assistance we received from their restaurant manager for dinner one evening was exceptional. The only negative was that the hotel was a little dated.

Our stay in Le Meridien Emei Mountain Resort was very nice.

Our stay in Old Town Lijiang at The Ivy Garden was located well. The hotel had a traditional appeal. We arrived at night so we were surprised at how cold the room was. There was a heater on but not adequate and extra linen should have been available.  There was no choice given for breakfast and it was not to our liking.

The Gurong Boutique was very comfortable and breakfast was minimal but nice.

The Cachet Hotel in Kunming was kind enough to change our room because of ‘smoke odour‘ and it appeared to be an upgrade.

Their kitchen staff were helpful and made us a basic breakfast pack to take on the fast train to Guilin.

The Shangri-La in Guilin was a wonderful stay with a beautiful view. The breakfast and dinner selections were vast and very tasty.

The Amari in Yangshuo was comfortable and well placed. The small ‘fairground attraction’ outside our window was slightly noisy up till about midnight.

All in all, the entire trip was an amazing experience we both enjoyed immensely.

We found it helpful when the guides would initially state what our plans were for the day ahead and go through the itinerary so we were reminded and understood.

Occasionally we did not do something on the schedule and it wasn’t clearly explained to us why not, for example the Pearl Museum and also the option we had to make a terracotta soldier.

We understand that some venues were closed because of COVID / Chinese New Year and in these cases we were informed and alternative arrangements were made.

We were blessed with good weather, good organisation, wonderful guides, good drivers and a beautiful and interesting country to explore.

Thank you to Wonder and your diverse team, we would definitely look at using your company’s services in the future.

Kind Regards

Mario and Angela Crivelli.

Hi Riley,

Great, you guys run a great operation Riley. I am very impressed with the Bamboo company and how long has the company been around? A long time right?

Steven in Guilin was reliable and gave great information and insight about the history of the place and the tourist attractions. I feel like they were there to help me and very kind. The driver was also kind and I like the 7-passenger vans.

Sandy in Chengdu was just as helpful and kind, awesome and knew a lot about the area as well. Gave a ton of information and the driver was helpful too. more driving there in Chengdu for sure. That giant Buddha is massive and so amazing. crazy that humans actually built that, doesn't seem possible, they were so clever with building it.

你好 Lyn,

一月十五号晚上我回北京了，我在黑龙江的时候玩儿的很开心了！风景特别美，所以我想发一些照片给您看一下那个地方的风景。如果我有机会的话我还要去，谢谢！

我觉得什么都好，都很顺利。导游和司机的性格也好，谢谢！

Sincerely,

Millicent Thapa

Hi Wendy,

Yes, We had a great time. Hotel was perfect. Warm rooms, comfy beds, good enough breakfast. Van was very comfortable. Guide was a nice guy. Driver drove safely. I liked that we were given options for meals. All attractions good but would have liked to see more of the city described on day two. The shopping street part was after sunset and we walked and walked - too much.

Overall, very happy with the trip and will recommend it to friends.

Hi ladies Dan,

I had a great trip to Chengdu. We enjoyed all the sights and trips that you planned for us and May was an excellent guide. Always punctual and extremely attentive and helpful. We learned a great deal about the history of the area and she is a lovely person to be around. Our driver Mr Deng was also great we never felt unsafe on the roads. We loved seeing the giant Buddha and going to the Golden summit as well as Dujiangyan which was impressive and beautiful. The hotels selected were also very comfortable. We loved Sichuan food and May took us to wonderful local restaurants where we always ate too much delicious food! Mapotofu(hope I spelt it right) chicken is my favourite!! Hot pot was spicy!! All in all a really wonderful trip. Chengduese people are friendly and lovely. Thank you for organising such a great trip. We would definitely recommend you to others. Happy New year!

Hello Wonder!

I am so very sorry for taking so long to get back to you!  It was such a busy week last week, that every time I sat down to write to you, I kept getting distracted and having to focus on something 

So, first, it was a wonderful trip!  Of course, we wished that COVID didn't interrupt some of our itinerary.   . . . but even with the pop-up-health-concerns in Beijing, we felt very well taken care of.  We really appreciated the fact you frequently checked in and kept us updated.  In addition, we believe Linda was probably the best person to be on a tour with during a health scare, because she took care of us like we were her little kids.  :)   In English, I told her I felt like she was our "mother hen," always making sure we were taken care of!  She also always picked THE BEST food.  One could tell that she has had a number of western tourists before, because she also always tried to find food that not only represented Beijing, but that would also fit with our western palate. :)  

Also, when we went to the Great Wall, we completely lucked out: there was no one there!  For a great part of it, it was as if the Great Wall was our own private wall! :)  Definitely amazing.  Definitely memorable.  Many of the tourist sites were like that: due to COVID fears and the cold, they were nearly empty.  For the western tourist, the emptiness made the tourist sites even more memorable.  :)   Linda provided great context.   It was very cold, but Linda was a trooper -- always trying to make sure we saw what we wanted to see!  

I will say, even the Beijing Public Hospital, despite being a very busy hospital, went fairly smoothly, all things considered.  So, hey, now we can mark that off our list of things we have done in China. :) 

Hotel was nice, but due to Covid, many of the amenities were shut down.  Breakfast was superb, though! :)  Also, Mark and I were trying to be safety cautious, so we did not explore outside the hotel much. There was a lot of extra app scrutiny, which I'm sure you can imagine.  Also, people seemed very nervous. 

Linda also stayed with us all the way until we boarded the train.  She was very thoughtful and considerate.  Our driver (Mr. Lee), was also very kind and considerate during the entire trip.  He was very quiet, but we felt like we were safe in his hands. 

Bruce, in Xi'an, was also fantastic.  Such a different personality, but perfect for Xi'an.  He was enthusiastic about history (great for Mark), and had a passion for the food in the Muslim Quarter (great for me!).  You know, one day, your company should consider incorporating a food tour in Xi'an.  The food is so different than anywhere we've been in China . . . and so tasty!  In a way, I bet Bruce could run the food tour!  By the way, riding the bikes on the wall was a nice extra touch.  We didn't expect that!  Thank you for arranging.  Mark and I would have never thought we would have enjoyed it so much, but we definitely did!  It was also fairly empty. . . and with the sun setting, it was quite magical. 

Sheraton in Xi'an was also a very nice place to stay.  Great choice! :)   

We really enjoyed ourselves, Wonder.  Thank you for picking great tour guides, checking in, adjusting our itinerary, and making sure everything worked smoothly.  In fact, we enjoyed ourselves so much that Mark and I have already started thinking of our next trip!  

Mark and I will have some additional leave coming up in May.  Mark has gotten approval, but I haven't yet.  Either way, we are thinking of a fairly large trip, that would at least include Chengdu (definitely including food-related itinerary) and part of the silk road (the Qinghai to Gansu trip).  I particularly am interested in the grottoes and the desert.  As we get more details/approvals to take leave, we will let you know.  Of course, we will want to work with you, since you are our favorite tour organizer! :) 

Thanks for checking in!

 

Take care, 

Keena (and Mark)

Hi Lily,

Everything is very good! Hilary is marvelous. The driver is also great! Thanks for putting a very good tour for me and my husband.

We want to express our formal thanksgiving to the fantastic vacation in Harbin with Hilary and the driver. Thanks also to you and all planning. We appreciate very much the great job you all did to make our special vacation unforgettable!

Hello Tracy,

Everything is awesome. Both driver and Hilary are great.

Hi Riley,

Both the driver and guide were perfect. would recommend them. the villages were really nice especially Dali. hotel were nice. however the itinerary could have been a bit less touristic and more authentic. trip was good but would have been even better if more adventurous (sleeping in remote villages for example). thanks for asking. have a great day

Hi Riley,

The tour guides were both excellent, the drivers too. I have no complaints.

My Beijing tour guide is an excellent storyteller and my Xi'an guide was very friendly and helpful.

Hi Tracy,

Yes, we are back in Guangzhou where it is much warmer than Beijing!

Feedback:

Hotels – both hotels were excellent; the staff were very helpful, breakfast was very nice and the rooms clean and well maintained. The hotel in Beijing just won as they upgraded our room when we arrived to a King double.

Guides/Drivers: Edward was good in Harbin, even though there is obviously less to talk about than if he was in Beijing. He was always on time, very helpful with buying tickets, showing us around and he took us to a great restaurant for our evening meal in the city. The driver (sorry, can’t remember his name) had a good car and drove very carefully in icy conditions.

Kai really made the trip for us. He was very knowledgeable, kept us very interested in all of the history that Beijing has and told an excellent story – on top of being very organised, very helpful with the health codes and so on. Mr Jao the driver was punctual, very helpful and as a team they worked very well. I would recommend them to any of my friends who were going to Beijing.

Activities: it was more difficult to fill two days in Harbin, especially as it was so cold. The snow sculptures were impressive, the ice sculpture park truly amazing and the tiger park (which I was a bit worried about) was more acceptable than other animal attractions I have been too (and there were lots of tigers!). Apart from that, we enjoyed the walk down the ‘Russian street’ but the cathedral was a little underwhelming and we visited the old part of town at a very quiet time of day.  

On the other hand we could easily have spent more time in Beijing; Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace were places where we could have spent much more time exploring, but the highlight was the Great Wall which was fabulous. If we ever get back to Beijing we will definitely go to another stretch for a longer walk. Sadly for the tourism industry, but good for us, it was nice to not have too many people there as well.

Overall we had a great time; everything was well organised, pick ups were punctual, we got to see some of the top sights in China and would definitely consider going back to Beijing in the future. Thanks for all your efforts as well (flight cancellations, letting us know about the situation in Beijing), everything went really smoothly and we will definitely consider getting in touch with you again about future trips.

Hope that you have a prosperous New Year

Best regards

Martin and Debbie

导游和司机人都还不错， 导游能详细介绍当地情况， 司机对路况也很熟悉， 景点值得下次再去。

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 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 :-):-):-)

Hi Wendy

Yes, home safely thank you. Could I tell you before I respond to your queries, it was a wonderful, brilliantly organised trip, thank you so much.

1.  You were always prompt with responses to any queries and clarifications. Your suggestions were carefully considered and you accommodated our requests effortlessly.

2.  The tour was simply great. Beijing - Kai as guide and driver Mr Ho. What a find with Kai! His English was perfect; his knowledge was exceptional. Kai constantly volunteered information and explanation without having to be asked. The restaurants he took us to for our lunches were fabulous - very fresh, freshly cooked and spice level to accommodate our palette. He was also very considerate towards my sister who is older and less mobile than us, always looking out for her, assisting with her bag etc. You have a real gem with Kai. Mr Ho and the vehicle were also fantastic. The van was very clean and comfortable. Mr Ho was also very helpful with luggage. If there needs to be a simple suggestion for the future, perhaps a low step to assist customers into the van would be helpful. Kai provided us with bottled water each day, without being asked.

With regards to the itinerary in Beijing, I should have included an extra day to see the Ming Tombs. As we had a full free day at the end of the holiday, I did organise a private tour for this reason, and it was great. The Great Wall - I chose the option of the cable car because my sister has mobility problems. 350 metres of steep cobbled ramp way, plus approximately 100 steps of varying heights (from 10 cm to 45 cm in height) were extremely challenging for my sister and she would have missed this amazing place had Kai and my partner Tony not been so kind to her and physically assisted her. Perhaps a bit of a misunderstanding on our part Wendy, as this was certainly not disability friendly! 

Xi'an - bullet train was great except both the conductors and the officials at the exit gates in Xi'an, wanted to see our tickets! I showed the itinerary to them, but Kai told me later that perhaps I should have also shown our passports? Never mind, we got there! Crystal and driver Mr Hou(?) were also great. The vehicle was clean, however smaller than in Beijing and a little more difficult for 4 people to be comfortable. Again, a low step would be advantageous for customers to access the van more easily. Crystal was very knowledgeable and both were helpful. The museum and the warriors just have to be seen to be believed. The theatre restaurant in the evening was technically the best I have seen, anywhere. A wonderful experience was Xi'an. Crystal provided water each day without being asked.

Harbin - flight was good. Guide was Karl but the driver was never introduced to us. Karl's English was not very good and his understanding of us and our questions was quite poor. A very pleasant and nice young man however. We had breakfast early in Xi'an, then nothing until we arrived in Harbin late in the afternoon. The itinerary stated we would tour the ice lanterns after dinner, but Karl did not understand we had not yet had dinner. Finally he understood us and took us to a local cafe where we had one choice only for our meal (it was very good though) and then we headed to the park. Excellent sculptures, we had seen nothing like this before. The snow sculptures the next day were simply quite stunning. Wonderful, talented people. The ice and snow festival in the evening was unbelievably spectacular. The vehicle was not really acceptable I am sorry to say. Very cramped and quite dirty as had not been cleaned after previous customers. There were used tissues and empty water bottles in the van. We had to ask Karl for water, and he went to a store to buy some. When I realised the Tiger Park was not on our itinerary I was very disappointed as I thought I had included this. Karl arranged this for us for Y600 and we appreciated this.

On our last day in Harbin we had Celine as our guide and she, like Kai, was brilliant. Excellent English, offering information constantly. The ice swimming with the locals was extremely funny as the older Russian women really made it very entertaining and fun. On our leisurely way to the airport she was told our flight was now leaving 1.5 hours earlier than scheduled and no one had been told. We received royal treatment by Celine who sped us through check-in and waved us off just in the nick of time! Thank you Celine. I think she may also have checked the van as it was cleaned that morning and we hope she realised that it was not us who left rubbish in the van. Again a low step would be helpful for customers, particularly as the floor became very icy and slippery and was problematic for us.

I arranged a private tour of the Ming Tombs on our last holiday day and I realise we could not have included this on our original itinerary due to time constraints. This was really worthwhile, so I would definitely recommend this to other customers Wendy.

3.  Suggestions? Low step for each van please, especially where it is icy. In Beijing if time is as limited as ours, perhaps suggestion of Ming Tombs in place of the Sacred Way?

Wendy, a great holiday with so much included. Both Kai and Celine are wonderful. I will put review on TripAdvisor as soon as possible.

Dimity Simes

Dear Mr Leo,

Apologies for the late reply as I'm very busy lately.

Overall, I and my family are very satisfied with the tour. We learnt a lot about interesting things in Zhangjiajie from Kevin, not just the natural scenery, but also the food, arts and culture. The schedule was not too packed, and Kevin assisted us well during the trip. The driver is also very nice. Thank you very much for arranging a memorable tour. 

Best regards,

Niko

Hi Wendy,

We made it home safely.  I thought both Helen and Kelly did an amazing job.  They made our visit to China wonderful.  They were always on time, professional and very knowledgeable.  I was impressed that they escorted us from the moment we arrived to the moment we left the train station or airport.  They made sure that we were secure and had everything that we needed.  The drivers were professional.  This whole trip couldn't have gone smoother.  I would and already have recommended your services to friends.  I am very happy with everything.  

As far as the travel consultant. I felt that you were very easy to communicate with and were very responsive.  

I don't have any additional suggestions.  This was a great experience.

Thank you,

Ann