Testimonial

Dear Carol,

We just returned last night from China and although suffering from major jet lag, wanted to write to you right away and let you know how much we LOVED our tour with you all.  our guide, Sally, was by far the best guide that we have ever had on any trip!  We just loved her!!

The Hotel was beyond magnificent. It was perfect!  Our driver was safe and a wonderful driver.  We would not hesitate to recommend this tour to anyone.  And, we hope to travel with you all again in the future.

Again, this was by far, the most wonderful tour that we have ever been on  Thank you for all the wonderful arrangements that you did for us. 

Sheila and Herb

Hi Grace,

I would like to begin with complementing China highlights Grace on an excellent job on organizing and arranging the itinerary for our memorable Time in China.

Our itinerary was for 32 days that covered a greater proportion of China so the wife and I would see a wide variety of countryside and cities that also included the Chinese culture and history. It is difficult to pin point one single highlight during the tour because of the input we had during the time the itinerary was being developed with Grace and the places we went to and things we did were our choices. It was with Grace's patience and knowledgeable advice that our time in China ran like clockwork without one hassle.

All the cities were of interests to get an understanding of where China’s position in the worlds standing and Shanghai would have to the most impressive considering development only started in earnest back in 1997 and to see the financial area today. when it was just a short few years ago farm land, but it was the countryside and rural provinces that I felt most comfortable in. As the tour got under way after our three days in Beijing, we arrived in the Shanxi province Datong where I started to relax and enjoy the Chinese way of life. One thing we did notice and came to understand was the way all the driver on the road behave and have enormous amount of patients for all others that use the road to drive or walk on. Our first time to cross the road did take some time but eventually we learnt to cross as the locals did and never felt in danger whist crossing a busy road. It was the same when we were in the cars with our guide and driver, to see cars coming straight at you on our side of the road and just moving out of our drivers way just in time to allow us to continue took some getting use too and at the end of the day we did not have any incidents on the road and all our divers were safe and carefully drivers.

The Shanxi province, Lhasa, Huashan, the Yangtze and Guilin were all highlights and all that was there to see, but for me personally top of the list would have to be Huangshan and the Yellow Mountains. To have walked for an hour plus to a hotel has a certain satisfaction once you arrive high in the mountains. This is one area that should be on all the tourist itineraries and one I would recommend for anyone in this area to spend the time to at least go up there for the day as a minimum but to spend a night or two up the mountain is the ultimate once up in the mountains you start to realize that all the modern conveniences, Hotels and pathways have been brought up the mountain by hand, an amazing feat of the humans ability. The West Canyon was the highlight of the area, not only for its beauty and unusual rock shapes and formations but for the degree of physical difficulty in negotiating steep descents and assents on man made steps and for us being as young as we use to be was in itself an achievement to do the full circuit from the Xiahai hotel and back again for lunch in a little over four and a half hours. To top the day off a late afternoon fog came up billowing up from the valleys below enveloping us and the mountains around us to create a sense of mysticism that could easily be described as romantic.

Of all the guides we had whilst in China, Gerry from Huangshan was my stand out guide and best suited to guide us while we were in the park, with his polite casual carefree attitude that made us feel as if we were just more than guests in his country. One of the other guides I enjoyed his company immensely was Tony from Hang Zhou who was able to give us a mature insight into life as it was and as it is now in China while we had a relaxing stroll around west discussing history from both our worlds.

To add to the enjoyment of our tour of China, the hotels that Grace had chosen for us were all of a high standard. The top one for us would have to be The Bund hotel in Shanghai with most other following very close behind like the Bell Tower in Xian and I must not forget our second stay at Guilin Bravo Hotel was at touch of luxury for our last night in China. One of the better meals was a recommendation from our guide in Huangshan to eat at a restaurant that was very popular with the locals. That generally required having to wait for a table and was advised by Gerry to go a little earlier which proved to be good advise and managed to be seated at a table that just be vacated. One of the big pluses for this restaurant for us was that the food was all laid out on display and was given a ordering pad and only had to write down what we wanted and then wait for it arrive. The other good restaurant was in Hangzhou where lunch was arranged for us by the local guide Tony at Tianxinglou restaurant. We were able to order food that was also on display but was then escorted to a private dinning room where we had our own personal waitresses private bath room and a longing are to relax in after and excellent meal.

For me (Kathy) the highlight of the tour was Lhasa. Twenty odd years ago I read a book written by Peter Fleming called “ Seven years in Tibet “ and since then it has been a dream of mine to go there. Flying over the mountains was the most amazing sight with small villages up valleys and up the sides of mountains. We were given a wonderful welcome by our Tibetan guide Norbu, and driving into Lhasa felt like being in another world. I felt privileged at being allowed to witness the lamas and locals alike worshiping and understanding a little more of the Buddhist way of life. Norbu was such a lovely humble man and an excellent guide if wanting to know of his country and culture. The high altitude hit us the first night and lasted a couple of days, but by taking a slower pace we were able to work through it.

The other memorable trip for me was in the Shanxi province Datong, seeing the Yungang Grottoes. The sheer size of the Buddha’s carved into the rocks and what lay behind them was so interesting. From there with our local guide Belinda, we drove to Hengshan to see the hanging temple, which again was such an interesting sight to behold and a must see in the area. I saw so many fascinating sights that have left a big impression on me. The Chinese people were all friendly and my husband was a big hit with the ladies with many photos taken. Just too finally add, Belinda was a fantastic guide, and again I would highly recommend her with a very kind personality and her knowledge of her province was excellent.

Thank you China highlights for organizing such a trouble free and memorable trip.

Kind Regards

Colin and Kathy

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

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

Hi Candy,

Prior to this October 2009 trip, my last visit to China was in 2006, and one of my stops was the Shaolin monastery. I bought some souvenirs for my grandson, who is into martial arts. His comment was “you went to the Shaolin monastery and didn’t take me”. I promised him that one day I would take him.

His last visit to China was in 1994 when he was 7 years old. I decided to prepare a trip in which he would visit the monastery and as many sights as possible in the 16 days that he could devote for the trip. This was a “working trip” that did not allow for much relaxation. I prepared a non-stop, tight schedule and presented it to your Miss Candy Wei. This was my 11th trip to china, and I was aware of the rigors of scheduling. Candy did a fantastic job of working with me, and when there was a connection problem or flight cancellation, she patiently helped me through the changes. She is a WOW and was there when I needed her, even during the trip. When in Guilin, candy graciously met my grandson, Jared and I for dinner and we enjoyed a very good conversation. By the way, thank you for the dinner.

Finally, I prefer a private tour with a guide and driver rather than a group tour. We still get to meet some people, but do not miss the group tour when there is usually someone who will be late, not prepare for the new country they are visiting and unknowingly insult a local person. A private tour allows me the chance to set the pace and make changes, if necessary.

Without a doubt, the holding of a 1 year old panda bear at the breeding and research center was tops and will be one of the most exciting moments in my travels, which began in 1957. Already, people marvel at my photos.

The guides were all pleasant, knowledgeable, and attentive to our needs. All of the connections between cities were made timely. Especially our transfer from the 3 gorges dam to Wuhan where we picked up a flight to Xian. It was impossible to fly out of Yichang with the schedule. It was my biggest worry, but it went quite smoothly. The promptness of the guides helped to make our tight schedule easier.

Among all the hotels, the four seasons in shanghai is tops as far as I am concerned. I stayed there in 2006 and rate their steak house as the best dinner for westerners. The other 5 star hotels were true to their rating and were terrific in all aspects for our brief stay in each of them.

There was a wow at the Shaolin monastery as Jared was picked along with 2 other men to come on stage and work with one of the students, during the martial arts exhibition. The audience chose Jared as the winner and after the show, took pictures with an elder monk of the monastery and some other students

I have spoken to many people, shown many pictures, and told many stories of my trips to china. In fact, one person, after hearing stories and seeing pictures, spent his honeymoon in china. He and his wife were thrilled with their trip.

However, I think people should prepare themselves by reading about china, knowing in advance of the historical places as well as the modernization of the hotels, airport and planes, roads and shopping. Each city has its own night life, sights and sounds. A trip should not just be confined to the major cities, but stops to a smaller city may give the traveler an insight to the other part of china. I like to meet people who are not caught up in the hustle and bustle of the large city.

I have attached a photo of holding a panda bear, so far, everyone who has seen the picture are “green with envy”.

Barry

Dear Karen

Thank you for everything. We had a wonderful trip through China and had had a very good time indeed. It was very nice meeting you in Guilin at your main office and talk to you personally for the fist time (face to face). You did a very good job organising the whole trip. The guides were always there on time, the drivers were all driving safely and the hotels were always ready with 1 twin and 1 king size rooms. If there were any delays in the flight schedules you were always aware of it and tried your best to solve the problem.

I really appreciated your organisation and help.Working as a travel agent myself years ago I do know what it means . Here i would like to give my comments in details.

The cooking  class was just such a wonderful 'Wow' experience with only about 11 people and a very nice special location. If there will be hundreds ..... like  on the cruise - it won't be so nice anymore. Same thing for the Panda keeper program, because it was only us & this gives you the feeling that it is really special ....... The hiking on the Great  Wall is great again, because you get to see the wall for a long time and with a very nice view ...... If there would be thousands of tourists again, it will be not the same anymore. We could definitely enjoy the Great Wall in a very peaceful and natural environment. The paper cutting as such was not really so impressed.... however it was very nice to talk to the friendly lady, asking her about her life in the hutongs and get to feel the real life - This was the 'Wow'-effect in this attraction to be able to get in touch with the local families living in the hutongs. If we have to rate these attractions - I would say 'Cooking Class' &  'Hiking on the Great Wall' were the best!!

We had two very outstanding tour guides. Lola in Guilin & Sandra in Beijing. The whole family took Lola right in their hearts. She was very flexible and explained a lot of things to us. The two girls also had a very good time with her .... probably because she was closest to them in age and they were talking together and exchanging thoughts and experiences like friends. Sandra was as well very flexible and had a broad knowledge about all the sights we visited and gave us always very good information about the places we were visiting but also general information which was very usefull in Beijing.

The hotels we enjoyed most were the Hotel Renaissance in Shanghai and the hotel Crown Plaza in Beijing. Both of them were western 5 star hotels with very comfortable beds, good service and a broad variety of western and eastern dishes at the breakfast buffet. The location of the Crown Plaza hotel was excellent and the Swimming Pool of the hotel Renaissance had an amazing view over the old city of Shanghai. About the most outstanding meal - it was definitely the self prepared dinner during our 'Cooking Class' because the whole thing was fun,  really 'Wow' and we definitely had a very good time and all the meals were of course super fresh and very delicious!!!

Almost everything we did was not to be missed for us but this is very individual ..... If you like cooking the 'Cooking Class' is not to be missed .... if you like hiking the 'Hiking on the Great Wall is not to be missed ..... Hopefully we will have another opportunity to travel to China. As it is such a huge country with a long and diverse histiory.

Best wishes,
Esther

Dear Virginia

Thank you for your service and the bookings you made for us. I have no hesitation in recommending your service to anyone travelling to China.

As you know we (my wife and I) had a 25 day trip to China. China Highlights made a number of resrvations for us including the Yangtse Cruise and several domestic flights. No where did we have any trouble. Everything went smoothly despite the fact that we travelled on our own without a permament guide. We only had local guides in some places

The highlights of our trip were Guilin and Lijiang. The old city of Lijiang and Shue are just breathtakingly beautiful with streams flowing through the old cities and flowers adorning the side streets. The little shops sellings arts and crafts and a host of restaurants with out-door seating added to the beauty of the place.

Guilin is very beautiful especially at night. It was rather relaxing to spend the evenings in the pedestrian mall behind the Sheraton Hotel. The day trip on the river Li in a small personal boat was well worth the time.

We would have liked to spend an extra day in Dali and visit the mountains. Perhaps we will do so next time.

The Stone Forest near Kunming is majestic and awe inspiring. It is worth spending a week doing the Lijiang-Dali- Kunming circuit.

Beijing is an impressive city and the Terracota warriors near Xian are well worth the trip.

We will send you pictures of our trip once we have sorted them out.

Lastly, people every where in China were friendly and easy to talk to. The air services were efficient, on time and comfortable. The food varies a lot and depends on one's taste. We like the Shechuan cuisine.

Thanks again.

Yas and Hemu

Dear Sunny,

The tour was indeed a wonderful autumn program for us. My wife & I would extend our thanks for your kind assistance & services.

The most memorable attraction was Huangshan scenic area. All guides were excellent (knowledge & attitude), but two of them to be particularly mentioned: Doris, Mei Li  (Huangshan) > very kind, attentive, helpful.Rainy, Liu Lei (Shangshai) > pleasant communication

Hendra Gany - Indonesia

Hi Sunny,

I felt the most memorable attraction was the village of Hongcun. I really enjoyed the Yellow Mountain area. The others on the trip most enjoyed the Terra Cotta warriors and biking on the city walls of Xi'an.

The most outstanding guide was Christina in Xi'an. She really knew what to do and when. Everything went completely seamless with her, and she obviously adjusted things when we understood what we wanted. Also, she did the little things right, like including us when ordering food and changing the schedule to suit our needs and desires.

The food was fantastic. The places Christina took us to in Xi'an were great. We liked the food in Huangshan area as well (the food on the mountain wasn't great, but my understanding is we went to the best restaurant on the mountain). The food in Hangzhou was OK, and I think it could have been better. 

The biking on Xi'an walls. The villages near Huangshan (Hongcun and Xidi). Terra Cotta warriors. Some of the food was really, really good, too. The acrobats in Shanghai were amazing (we did the show ERA)

I'd really recommend Yellow Mountain and the area. It was what I think people expect from China, but don't find in the big cities. Also, taking the time to hit the sites in Xi'an beyond the Terra Cotta Warriors.

We had a fantastic trip and greatly appreciate all of the help from you and the guides at China Highlights. I don't think the trip would have been possible if you wouldn't have helped coordinate major sections of it.

Thanks!

Jeff

Hi Sunny,

Anna in Xi'an. She was very knowledgeable and her English was very good. We also liked our guide at the Panda Research Center very much.  The panda keeper experience was incredible.

The hotels and meals were all very satisfactory. Our favorite hotel was the Bell Tower hotel in Xi'an and the best lunch was on Thursday 10/2 after visiting the Terra cotta Warriors.

Also a suggestion-Add a space on your reservation form for personal information, so that your clients can provide their airline frequent flyer program numbers. For instance, all 3 airlines for this trip were members of the Star Alliance group which would accept our Delta FF program number.

It's easy to include FF numbers when the airline reservations are booked, but more difficult to get them added into the record after the fact.

Best regards,

Liz Dodge