Nov 16,2009

Nicole and Dora,

First off I would like to apologize for waiting so long to reply. After our tour we stayed a few days in Shanghai then returned home completely worn out( a good thing actually ). Then returning to work there was a lot of catching up to do, BUT it was all well worth it !

We are very pleased with our tour only wishing you did tours in other countries. Having always traveled on our own or with family members we were apprehensive with having to deal with a group situation. Your small group arrangements were wonderful.

I have no real negative comments to make. As to the meals I found them unlike the Chinese meals here in the US. This was a little surprising but not in a bad way. Personally I like to try most different foods ( I have eaten insects in Thailand). All of the meals were quite tasty and there was always lots. A minor criticism was that most of the time the rice was served just before the desert and most people would have liked it to have been served at the beginning of the meal. I believe it is an Asian and Western cultural difference. The only other slightly negative comment about the food was the Peking Duck dinner. Most of our group found it to be greasy. I have eaten duck before and I had a similar dinner after the tour in Shanghai which I feel was less greasy and actually presented better ( it was carved at the table). As far as one meal to recommend I have the opposite reaction. I have only one part of one meal not to recommend, that is the Peking duck.

The guides were most interesting. If I had to pick a best one it would be two. The two guides in Guilin (Rebecca and Evelyn) would be my choice. I felt comfortable from the very beginning with these two guides. All the guides were conscientious and knowledgeable.

The transportation was great. One of my worries about an escorted tour was not being able to be comfortable while riding. I am rather big (6' 2 at 280 pounds) and usually find leg room on buses to be lacking. The size of the tour allowed us all to take up two seats if we wanted. There were several buses which had enough room for my legs without having to take up two seats. The drivers were great with very good attitudes. I have driven some large vehicles in my day and I was impressed with the ease the drivers appeared to maneuver those large busses in tight spaces.

I also must congratulate you two personally. I had many questions before the trip which you skillfully answered. It was a very nice experience to be able to meet you in person.

My overall comment is Thanks for a job well done and a memorable tour !!!

Dee and Dale Snyder
Raleigh, N.C. USA

Nov 12,2009

Dear Sophie/Nicole,

Meals were in general great throughout the trip. Our favorites were the Sichuan food both in Beijing and Lhasa and the dumpling banquet in Xian.

The only disappointing meal was in the Gyangtse Hotel as the “hot buffet” was cold and hence the food selection rather poor for what we expected of a hotel.

In our opinion, the food selection in Lhasa could be improved if there were more meals outside the hotel [or if this was offered as an option]. Lhasa has a reasonable restaurant range and more varied option choices (we were in a few good restaurants recommended by our guide).

The guides’ attitude during our trips and visits was excellent. All of them were always on time and were really attentive and knowledgeable.

The guides' English knowledge was very good and we had no problem communicating with them at any level. All of them were clearly very knowledgeable of the places we visited and the cultural and historical facts around them.

All cars were very clean and comfortable and the drivers very attentive.

The attitude and service of all the guides was really excellent.

We were very touched by Linda, our guide in Beijing who welcomed us with a bouquet of roses to congratulate us on our wedding.

We have to highlight the English skills of both the guides in Xian (Rita) and Shanghai (Rebecca) and the knowledge of Tibetan history and religion of our guide in Tibet (Tibet was one of the highlights of the trip).

Another highlight was the Guilin cruise on the Li river and the bike ride in the countryside (absolutely fab!)

The organisation of the trip was excellent.

All the scheduled visits were carried out as expected and the guides were very attentive and knowledgeable.

Our luggage didn’t appear on our flight from Lhasa to Xian and the agency was extremely helpful.

Best regards,

Maria & Guy