Essence of China Tour

October 14, 2009 from India

Hi Grace,

We have returned to Singapore after a wonderful trip to China. China Highlights did a wonderful job. Will send you a note on our experiences along with some of our photographs in a day or two.

The Great Wall of China, Forbidden City and Terracota Warriors pits at Xi'an are all quite memorable attractions. Our tour guide at Xi An Ms. Monica was full of information. She could speak English well and explained in detail the significance of each site we visited. She would begin her talk on the site as we drove to the site and we were well informed before we reached the site. Mr. Jay was our guide in Beijing. He was pleasant, very helpful and understood our requirements well. He was a student of Philosophy and therefore had a lot more to share about the philosophical background of China and its people.

We stayed at the Intercontinental Finance Street in Beijing. This hotel was booked on our request. Though the hotel was more of the business visitor, the hotel was good. The breakfast spread was excellent and their restaurants were also good. This hotel is well located and not far off from the various tourist sites in Beijing. The rooms were spacious and even though we had an extra bed did not feel cramped. The staff were courteous and helpful. We stayed at the Sofitel at Remnim Square in Xi An. The property was good and the rooms were of a good size. We were upgraded to a bigger room. The rooms and the facilities were good. The restaurants were nice. Breakfast spread was good. The Moroccan restaurant was a surprise and a meal there was well enjoyed. The hotel staff were very courteous.

Overall the tour was well organised and we had a lovely time. We were very happy with organisation of the tour. Ms. Grace Wang who arrange the entire tour was very efficient and prompt. I have spoken to several times. She spoke very well and was very accommodative and understanding. She clearly understood what we wanted and have everything well organised. The moment I started dealing with her I felt comfortable that the tour is being organised by a professional and at no point was I stressed.

Acrobatics show in Beijing is a must. Great production and worth the money you spend on it. The Ghost street in Beijing has some wonderful restaurants and one must try out the restaurants there. The Art quarter at District 789 in Beijing is fantastic. It took me completely by surprise. The art quarter has a number of galleries show casing contemporary art. One of the best I have ever seen. 

I will share some of my photographs. I will send it shortly when I have gone through the entire set.

Thanks

Anand

October 26, 2009 from United Kingdom

Jean

Just to let you know we had a wonderful trip to China. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all and Jonathan our son really appreciated visiting all the different restaurants (Authentic Chinese cuisine in non tourist restaurants).

The most memorable attraction we visited in China is the Great Wall. All both the guides in Beijing and Xi'an were good however Ginger was very flexible adding in visits we wanted ( in particular our 15 year old ) eg to visit the Birds Nest Stadium, visiting Jingshan park and climbing to the top for views. She was very friendly, knowledgeable and organized. She also ensured we experienced as many different types of Chinese meals as possible in very different settings.

Regards and thanks again for all your assistance in putting together this really great trip for us. We will be back again some time to visit other parts of China.

Eileen

June 18, 2007 from United States

Dear Eva,

We were absolutely delighted with our trip and have already mentioned China Highlights to several of our friends. The service was excellent. The hotels were up to 4 star standards anywhere in the world and all of our internal flights were smooth and on time.

Our guides were wonderful. Each one insured that we had the very best tour of her city imaginable, but each had her own individual way of making us feel like welcome guests. The flexibility of the private tour gave us a chance to see some spectacular sights with expert guides and to spend time visiting with our son at Tsinghua University touring the Tsinghua campus and attending his graduation ceremony.

We also took a trip on our own to the Beijing Zoo, as you suggested, and saw the pandas. I can't decide on a favorite among all the amazing sights, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terra Cotta Warriors, etc. We saw so many wonderful things, but we saw them at our own pace and we never felt rushed. It was simply wonderful. Our guides all knew their cities, both history and culture, very thoroughly. Not only were they efficient in getting us around to all the hotels, airports and special sights, they were always very pleasant and gracious. We had planned to make this a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but now we are thinking of seeing more of China.

Thank you also for arranging the birthday celebration for my husband in Xi'an. He was quite surprised and delighted!

Best Regards,

Carol Schrafel

May 22, 2007 from United States

Dear Morgen,
My husband and I were very satisfied with the service afforded us during our vacation. The hotels were good quality and the trip down the Yantze was spectacular.

The guides were knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. They were courteous and spoke English that we had no trouble in communicating. They were also flexible when we wanted a change of itinerary such as the changes we made in Shanghai. The guide in Xian was most helpful when my husband needed medical attention. I would recommend your travel service to anyone traveling to China. The meals were good in all locations and the cruise line was exceptional. We took the option of a more expensive cabin on the cruise and were glad that we did.

The flights within China were all on time and comfortable. The Kungfu show in Beijing was spectacular and on the advice of the guide we also went to the acrobatic show in Beijing which was exciting and a highlight of the trip. I would suggest including the Devlopment Museum in Shanghai. It is located on the lower level of the TV tower and is a beautiful museum and I think a most on a trip to Shanghai. The trip to the Hutong in beijing was most interesting and the meal in a private home was very nice. It was enjoyable to meet a local family. The only disappointment in the entire trip was the weather. We did not see the sun for the entire trip, but this was something you had no control over.

If I were to return to China in the future, I would book the arrangements through your company.

Barbara and Peter Vaka

March 22, 2007 from United Kingdom

Dear Candy

What can I say? Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Thank you for organizing a most memorable trip for me and my family and ensuring we had a comfortable and trouble free journey at all stages. I was really grateful that you were available on the phone at all times and were supporting us along the way. It is always difficult when you are not in your home country and you made us feel very much welcome to China. I can truly say that we had a full and packed journey and a lot of the success is down to your patience and eagerness to help. You booked the train journey and I really appreciate the extra cabin space.

I would like to say special thanks to Sean in Beijing and Jim in Lhasa, both of whom did an excellent job. Please pass on my further good wishes to them.

I would like to keep your details and in future may well use your services where necessary. The kids want to go to Beijing again and this time maybe go to Mongolia!

Thanks again and best wishes.