Jan 18,2009

Good afternoon Flora and Lily,

We are back at work now and the China trip is but a memory! Overall we had a great time. We do have some suggestions for you company to think about and make comment to us.

Firstly, all the guides and drivers were good.

Tina, Mr. Soo and Mr. Yu in Beijing were good. We did feel that they were rushing us a bit at times. We ended up not going to 2 dinners when we went back to Beijing as we were too tired. Tina's English was good and she explained things very well. The hotel was fantastic and the variety of meals that Tina took us to was incredible. The train trip to Xi'an was great. Our railroads could learn a lot from yours! The train was modern, smooth, clean, comfortable and having our own compartment was great. We also had a great sleep on the very comfortable beds.

Carol and Mr. Li in Xi'an were absolutely excellent. Carol's knowledge of Xi'an and spoken English was exceptional. What a gem, you won't want to loose her! We only wish she could have been with us the whole trip! Nothing was rushed, nothing was too much trouble and her assistance to me when I was feeling every one of my 60+ years was great. The hotel was very good, and the meals that Carol took us to were unbelievably good and various. The flight to Harbin was great. So easy and comfortable.

Linda and Howard in Harbin were good, but I did find getting into and out of Howard's car (a Citroen) very difficult as it was so small. Howard was an excellent driver in the icy conditions and we didn't feel unsafe at any time. It was a pity that Linda wasn't a local, as we missed the running commentary that we got from Carol and Tina. Her knowledge of Harbin was not very good. Howard, being a local, was a great help in getting us to shopping areas that we wanted to go to. The meals that we had with Linda were also fantastic and varied. Again the train trip back to Beijing was in a clean, comfortable, smooth, modern train. The eight hours passed very quickly and the scenery was spectacular.

Now for my recommendations.

ALL guides should have a University English degree, as Carol has.

ALL guides should be locals of the city they are conducting tours in.

There should be a minimum size for the vehicle that the tourists are transported in. The car in Beijing and the people mover in Xi'an were great.

It would be great if each guide gave the tourists a map that could be marked with a high lighter pen of where we were being taken. It would be a great keepsake.

I have tried to be very constructive, as the trip was great overall, and we would not hesitate to recommend your company to our friends when they want to go to China. We will definitely be using you the next time we come to China, hopefully in 2 years time.

Keep well, the 2 of you. Thank you for all you did for us. Your service is second to none. I was also great to meet you Flora.

Best wishes for the New Year of the OX on 25th January.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Best regards

Trevor & Julienne.