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

My husband and I want to thank you for the wonderful trip that we experienced with your organization. There was very little that we had any complaints about and even then, it was not so much of a complaint as a recommendation. All aspects of the trip from the hotel transfers, to the meals, to the flights within China, were well organized and made as easy as possible for all of us. Please feel free to use any information that we provided for your testimonial. The main reason that I wanted to visit China was to see the Terra Cotta soldiers and your company and guide handled that so well. I WILL REMEMBER THAT FOREVER! There are a lot of unknowns when you book a tour like this online and you really do not have much to rely on for information on the business. Your company provided the trip of a lifetime that I was so hoping for. I would recommend your company to anyone thinking about making a trip to China. It isn't often that people can say that they have truly had their dream come true, but you made mine happen.

We were given a comprehensive tour of the major siteseeing spots. We enjoyed seeing it all. The only observation that I might present was that the first two days were so loaded with things to see that everyone was pretty exhausted by the 2nd evening. With Tienneman Square and the Forbidden City and the temple in one day, and the underground tomb and The Great Wall on the 2nd day, the distances walked were pretty overwhelming especially with "jet lag". Maybe it could be broken up just a little different. We loved the Jade Factory and the Pearl factory.

The meals were good for the most part. There were really only two disappointing meals with both of them being in Shanghai. We pointed out the problems to our guide Cherise and she was going to let the company know. There were two meals that stood out for us. One was lunch in Xian on the 2nd day there and also lunch on our full day in Shanghai. Both of those meals were excellent. The Peking duck dinner was special also, but my husband and I were almost too tired to eat it.

All three of our guides, Cindy in Beijing, Julia in Xi'an and Cherise in Shanghai were excellent! Each in their own way went above their duties to give us the maximum amount of enjoyment from our trip. Cindy made sure that we had some time to shop because that was the request of some of the members of our group, Julia took us to a local home which was very enjoyable and enlightening and when we told Cherise that we were interested in some suits being made she made some arrangements for us and even called us after she had left us to make sure that we were satisfied.

The transportation was excellent, comfortable and clean. Our driver in Beijing was especially attentive and made sure that everytime we got off the bus he was there to assist us.

I am also attaching one picture that I have right now. I will forward more later.

Thank you again,

Patricia and Larry Lentzner

Hello Tina and Maggie,

There are so much to see at each city, I think Travel China Guide did a wonderful job planning and scheduling events for each city. I know we didn't spend too much time per each sighseeing spots. However, i believe tourists understand we have tied schedule and lots to see so If people wants to have more time, they have to sign up for a longer tour. I think your company is doing a great job.

I think all the meals are great. There were always foods left over and most meals were very tasty. In Beijing, the restaurant "Happy Buddist" was not my favor because the service wasn't good. Also, my daughter doesn't eat meat and I wish the arrangement for her could have been better.

Our favorite resturant for the one that our guide took us in Guilin. Lu was our guide and she took us to a noodle/dumpling restaurant that is a local favor. It is 5 minutes from the hotel. It was the best meal. Our group enjoyed it very much.

We love all the guide. They are all great guides. Cars were always clean and driver always there on time. No problem at all. Ruth from Xian was exceptionally good. She was always there checking on us during meals, very knowledge about Xian. I learned so much about Xian from our guide, Ruth, I felt like I took a history lesson. Our guide "Du" from Beijing was great too. He is funny and entertaining. Our whole group enjoyed his funny stories and we sing on our bus to and from sightseeing. Please thanks all the guides for us. We have a memorable trip and they made a hugh difference.

you can use my email address for reference and testimonial column. Finally, from the time I booked our trip both Tina Wang and Maggie Ye were always helpful with our questions and always responded back to us within 24 hrs. We enjoyed working with your company and will look forward to booking our next trip with Travel China guide.

Christine

Hi Nicole - what a delight to have been able to meet you and Ruby while on our trip - which was truly memorable. I will also send a set of some of our pictures.

A valued component of your tour is that it is truly international (in our group of 13: 6 from the US; 2 from Tunisa; 3 Chinese via Philippines; and 2 Pakistan). You should market this as another reason to choose your group, as too oftern there are only us tourists in a group, which isn't as good. The diversity of participants truly enriched the experience unfortunately too often Americans in large groups can be too demanding - and embarrassing. Good timing for most - for the guides knew what we needed to see and how long it would take. Like the Forbidden City - it was so huge and yet Mr. Du got us through it all in a meaningful way, which also made me glad we didn't spend more time at Tian'anmen Square. I liked the way Du let us have some time (right length) to roam alone to see what interested us and wish that Mark had done that more with us.

Many meals seemed so similar, but I understand and the family style is a good way. More variety of vegetables would have been nice (Mark arranged for us to have eggplant one night - delicious!) Dumplings and Peking Duck Dinner (I make it also and was delighted to see how it is prepared), also the lunch on the Li River cruise was delightful - We were expecting a poor one and were pleasantly surprised. Our group also purchased additional items to try.

All the guide were all conscientious. Mark's language skills were not as good as the others, but he was very knowledgeable and worked hard to meet our needs (IE: He arranged for my daughter to meet an artist in Yangshuo - but unfortunately she wasn't feeling well and we therefore couldn't spend much time with him). They were all extremely knowledgeable. Echo had the best language skills and therefore was able to share more information. Each guide provided specialized information as needed, which was truly appreciate... For example, Durbin Du told us about the nearby garden in Beijing, which we walked through when we got to our hotel - a delightful way to stretch our legs after a long flight from the US.

The vehicles were very good, very clean. The driver in Beijing was new and understandable was slower to get to destinations - but did so safely, which is more important.

Our hotel and location in Beijing was perfect!!! Each morning we took walks in the corridor garden (that Mr. Du told us about) connecting with Tian'anmen Square and hutongs in the area. We were delighted to spend time in Yangshuo, even though it wasn't as long as originally planned. The trip to the village, past rice paddies was a highlight of our trip.

OTHER COMMENTS:
1. It would be best for each couple to give their own evaluation of each section of the trip. When the group only had on form for mark, it was unfair to him, as there were many differing options.

2. Guy suggested having cooking demonstrations or tours through a kitchen - which would be a great idea. After the terracotta army tour, when we have lunch there was a window to view the noodle making, which was fascinating and could have been elaborated on.

3. Many thanks for splitting up the group - 13 was a delightful size and we were very compatible.

4. I will send you the set of 209 pictures representing may of the aspects of the tour (culled from about 1500 my daughter and I took).

5. All the guides should have a way to be identified (Du and Echo had flags and Nancy had a flower, but Mark didn't have anything and, although we didn't have to deal with as many crowded situations, it may have helped.)

6. The value (cost compared to all that was provided) was exceptional! I will refer friends to your company. We liked that everything, except the driver/guide tips and two meals were included. And we liked having the flexibility to choose our own dinners in Shanghai and Yangshuo.

7. We liked learning about the three areas - Beijing = political capital; Xian = Historical capital & wheat/noodle belt; Shanghai = financial capital and we were s very grateful to spend some time in the more rural area of the Li River (one of the key reasons for initially choosing your company - I've always been enamored by the karst mountains). I really didn't think we'd be able to see so much in the 12 days we had - and your tour went way beyond our hopes and dream.

Carolyn

We felt the time at each spot was appropriate. Our guides were very accommodating if we desired more time for shopping or sightseeing. I did enjoy when the guides talked about the history of the location but also included what what going on today like the industry that supports the city, etc. Most guides did that.

The meals you arranged were all fantastic. The meals on the cruise were not as good as the ones you arranged. Your guides always asked for the groups food preference when they ordered. As an example if we wanted spicy foods, vegetables, etc. There was always a good mix to satisfy all tastes. We also liked going to the local places. I was very excited that I finally learned to use chopsticks!!! I am now a very big fan of Chinese food and will be incorporating that type of food in my diet at home.

I was impressed with the skill of the drivers. They were all very focused on their jobs and got us to where we needed to be in a timely, safe fashion. All the vehicles were clean and in good repair.

Our guide in Shanghai was very helpful. That was the last stop on the trip and the culture in Shanghai is very "western". Many in our group had certain things they wanted to shop for instead of going to a museum. Our guide (JJ) did a good job of helping people get to where they wanted to go and was very patient when we were a bit late in getting to our bus when we were distracted by shopping.

Our guide in Lhasa was very good. Bimba was very aware of our needs in adjusting to the altitude and left us time for rest in the schedule. The culture in Lhasa was very different and Bimba made us feel very at ease. He seemed to know a lot of people in the town and was extremely knowledgeable about the area.

Our guide, Judy, in Chongquig took us to the Opera House which was not on the tour. That was a very good place to go and you may want to include that in future schedules.

Echo did a great job for us in Xian. She gave us a lot of information about what was going on in that area currently.

Overall, our experience was amazing. I would highly recommend your travel company to anyone. I had checked with two other tour providers here in the states. They never responded to any of my questions or followed up. You answered my e-mails very promptly and completely. The payment methods you provide are very convenient. The guidance you provided for someone like me who rarely travels abroad was outstanding. The tour you offer is one of the best values when you look at what you get for what you pay. Your tour provided a look at China in the past and in the present. The two home visits we had were very interesting and enlightening.

Feel free to use any of my comments.

Loved the diverse group I traveled with. All of the sight-seeing tours were very nice. Sometimes we went a little fast and it was difficult to get a picture without fear of loosing sight of the guide due to the crowds.

The food was excellent and a bit overwhelming. Too much! We felt like we were wasting so much food by the end of the meal. One dinner I skipped because I was so full, we had ate an entire meal on the plane and it was almost 9 PM. Another time we went to lunch right after eating on the plane. Maybe check to see if we've already been fed or offer smaller meals. So a little less food and a little more to drink. I only wanted part of a beer then maybe some water or soda. By the end of the meal, many of us were still thirsty but the 2 drink limit was already met. And some restaurants counted 2 small glasses as the 2 drink limit while others counted 2 bottles or cans as the 2 drink limit. There were so many great restaurants that it is hard to recommend one.

I was impressed with every guide's English. I really appreciated having a local guide once we were in some of the more remote areas. It made it much more meaningful. Rose in Beijing was so passionate about China and her city. She made it exciting for us and really brought the importance of the history to life.

These drivers should get a medal! Traffic all over China is very scary, the drivers handled it with ease.

I didn't realize what a difference a local guide makes. As we were in the junk going down the river surrounded by the mountains around the Yangtze River our guide began to sing local folk-songs. Her voice echoed off the hillsides and made us feel like we were living a hundred years ago. Knowing her parent's home was 2 more hours deeper into the mountains made the landscape come alive. Real people make the local culture more of an experience than something just to look at. Visiting the local home in Tibet really took me to another time and place, like I was living in a history book.

We ran into several people that had booked through Viking Tours - they offer the same tours. I told them that TravelChina was MUCH less expensive for the same thing; No, a better tour!