Beijing & Guilin Combo

November 7, 2009 from United Kingdom

Hello Penny!   Virginia forwarded your e-mail to me, and I am happy to reply.   We actually just finished our tour

yesterday, and are now in our son's house in Macao, re-grouping while we decide what to do next.

I can tell you that we thoroughly recommend China Highlights!   We could not fault their service, and all requests

for changes made as our tour progressed were met unfailingly and promptly.   Tour guides met us punctually at each

airport with large signs which we could not miss.   Guides were helpful and drivers safe, although I must say

driving in China is quite crazy!

We asked for de luxe hotels, and they certainly were!  My wife is quite insistent on high standard hotels, and she

had no criticism.

With respect to food, the Chinese lunches are quite enormous - we found we had hardly any appetite for an evening

meal most of the time!   Guides asked us for our preferences, and most took us to excellent local restaurants where

we were able to try loacl dishes chosen to our preferences.   Really very good.   Only our Guilin guide was not so

good in this respect, taking us to a restaurant chain, which was adequate but not up to the standard the others chose.

If you are following our trail, I do not think you will be disappointed.   We enjoed the standard tourist spots such

as the Forbidden Palace and the Terra Cotta Warriors, but, for us, Yunnan Province and, in particular, Lijiang was

the star.   If you are going to Lijiang, ask for Janice as your guide - half Tibetan, she is a sensitive and

informative guide.

Enjoy China!

Best regards,

Alastair Sharp

October 18, 2009 from United States

Dear Michael Hu, 



Andy and I had a wonderful vacation in China.  I definitely want to go back and see more of China. Thank you for making it a memorable time.



The Great Wall at Jingsaling was the most memorable attraction we visited and Pingyao came in second.

Henry and Lois, our tour guides were both very good. They were professional, knowledgeable of the historical sites and accommodating.



Regards to hotels, Shanxi World Trade Hotel and Sofitel in Xi'an, we enjoyed the most, they had the nicest accommodations. We did enjoy our stay at the Pingyao Interantional Financiers' Club. It felt like we went back in time. The Huahui hotel was clean, though not much options except for hotel food. Breakfast was over crowded. Too many tour groups at hotel, not enough space for breakfast and could not keep up with the hungry crowd standing in line for breakfast. Not much to do in the evening.



Regards to suggestions, Wutaishan is nice but would rather spend a night in a town that was more things to do in the evening. Offer as an option to visit the Ancient City Wall as the last stop of the day. It's a long bike ride around the wall and did not want to go it as our first stop and be tired and hot. 



Best Regards.



Kim