Feb 5, 2008

Hello Hebe,

Good day!

We had a wonderful trip and we're quite pleased with nearly all aspects of the trip! I'm happy to share our experience and our impressions with you...

About the guides:

Beijing...
Jason was great. Went a little fast, but we knew there was a lot of ground to cover in a short time. He was very personable, his English was quite good, and his historical knowledge informative. He also put in a LOT of long hours to make sure everything was well handled, and we really appreciated that! Overall, we had some good laughs and really enjoyed our time with him as our guide!

Tibet...
Oh... how can I fit in all the great things about Lobsang? We just adore him! He was kind, accommodating, knowledgeable, friendly and -- we believe -- the best-known man in all of Tibet! :) He and Dawa, our driver, took wonderful care of us... and I truly felt like we were being taken around as *friends*... not just clients. Lobsang was not only kind and helpful to us, but to everyone around him, which makes him a real treasure. With his gentle and fun nature, Lobsang made our time in Tibet truly special and memorable! There is no doubt that Lobsang is the *best* guide in the region!

Guilin...
Thank goodness for Angel! Thanks to her, we were able to end our trip on a GREAT note! We *really* enjoyed our time in Guilin and would have liked to have stayed longer! Angel took us to some great restaurants... understood and respected our wishes/requests... kept us engaged and interested... and laughed with us (even when we were laughing at ourselves! :)... She was friendly, conversational, fun, personal, knowledgeable and all-around WONDERFUL! I only have two regrets: 1) that I was a bit harried at the airport as we left, so I didn't give her as personal farewell as I would have liked and 2) that I didn't get her email address to stay in touch. :)

Cars:
Without a doubt, one must be a brave, brave person to drive in the cities. :)... All our drivers were good. Mr. Dawa and Mr. Winn (?) in Beijing stood out as among the best, most personable. The cars were fine! :)

---Regarding the overall service, I was extremely pleased with TravelChinaGuide.com! The pre-trip communication was exceptional, and all arrangements were exactly as stated! The guides and drivers were great... friendly, conscientious and more than qualified! Jason in Beijing was great, while Lobsang in Tibet and Angel in Guilin were truly exceptional!!!

Like many others, I was - at first - hesitant about booking our trip online. But, after contacting a number of your past clients, I felt reassured that I was in good hands. We had a wonderful trip and really appreciated the fact that we weren't two of 60 people on a bus being shuttled around like cattle. Choosing our exact itinerary and having our own car, driver and guide made a *world* of difference. Without question - I would book through you again and will recommend Travel China Guide to anyone looking to for a truly unique travel experience!

Thank you again!

Kristen M. Thomas