Dear Brenda,

First, let me say that this was a wonderful experience!! This China tour was everything we had hoped it would be . . . and more. Also, it was great to meet you in Xian.

The meals were all very good. The breakfast buffets in the hotels were extensive . . . everything you can imagine. The food was fresh, well-prepared, plentiful, and with many choices.

The local restaurants for lunch were all very good. The restaurants were clean and comfortable, and the food was fresh, well-prepared, and plentiful. At every meal there were many different kinds of foods so that we were able to taste much of the local food. I cannot choose only one meal to recommend since every meal was special in some way.

The shows (Peking Opera, Tang music/dance, and Shanghai Acrobats) were very enjoyable . . . and we had the best seats!! The Peking Opera was "The Monkey King" Journey to the West. Since we have read the book, this was particularly fun.

Our guides were wonderful! We felt that each one treated us as special guests. We were always promptly met at the airport or train station. Upon leaving each location, our guide escorted us either on to the train, or through ticketing at the airport. Everything was taken care of for us. The guides were all very personable, and we had a lot of fun with each one.

All of our guides spoke very good English. There was never a problem in communication. All of the guides were very knowledgeable. My husband and I have travelled extensively, and my husband was a History teacher. We asked many questions . . . and the guides were able to answer all questions. In each location, the guide gave us an introduction to the area, and gave us a great deal of information about the places we visited.

Tina is very sweet, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. Her English is very good. She welcomed us to China and made us feel at home. She went out of her way on a long rainy day to make sure we saw the Nine Dragon Screen at the Beihai Park. The driver here was very capable, safe, and the car was clean and comfortable.

Helen was our next guide. Helen was very knowledgeable. Although all the guides were knowledgeable, Helen was probably the most knowledgeable about the history of China and the sites were visited. Our driver was very capable, safe, and the car was clean and comfortable.

Jerry met us promptly at the airport. Jerry also spoke very good English and was knowledgeable and friendly. The driver here also was capable, safe, and the car was clean and comfortable. Jerry stayed with us until we were at our seat in the train.

Joey met us at the train station in Lanzhou. Joey is very knowledgable and enthusiastic. Since it was too late to go to the museum that day, he took us to a wonderful park. Joey is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Gansu province.

The next day we had David as our guide. David was very interesting. He is a very personable young man who spoke very good English, and is also very knoweldgeable and enthusiastic. Our driver for this part of the tour was exceptional. He was a very safe driver, the car was always clean and comfortable, and he made many stops for us to take photos. He occasionally made very good suggestions for photos. We were pleased that he was our driver for a long part of the tour.

On return to Lanzhou, we again had Joey for a guide. He is very capable, and, like the other guides, he treated us as special guests.

Next was Kevin who also was great. As the other guides, he was knowledgeable and fun.

Joy was waiting for us as we stepped off the train. Joy also is very capable, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and fun. Her English is very good. The driver also was very capable, safe, and the car was clean and comfortable. We wanted to see a local show near the hotel. Joy came back that evening, helped us purchase the tickets, and escorted us to our seats. Although this was not on our itinerary, and we told her she did not have to come back, Joy came back anyway to be sure we got the tickets and were able to see the show.

John met us in Shanghai. Although we only had half a day with John, we visited all the sites that we wanted. John also was knowledgeable, friendly, and spoke good English. The drive also was very capable, safe, and the car was clean and comfortable.

Our last few days in Shanghai on our own were great. John called us the night before we were to leave to confirm the time for the next day. He was at the hotel promptly and we were off to the airport.

Each and every guide made us feel special. Each was knowledgeable and was personable and friendly. Each guide also went out of his or her way to make sure our China visit was a special experience. Your guides are very special people! They are wonderful embassadors for China. We learned a lot on our visit, and saw many places. China is a beautiful country, and the Chinese people are warm and friendly.

We would be pleased to suggest your travel agency TravelChinaGuide to anyone planning to visit China.

This email is too long to put in the testimonial column of your website. In the next few days I will send another email, much shorter, and send some photos.

Thank you all for a wonderful experience!!!!

Helen & John Laitinen