Testimonial

Hello Sunny,
We enjoyed our tour and our tour guide, David, very much, and look forward to recommending your tourist agency to our friends for future trips. In addition to the tour activities, David arranged tickets for evening preformances, saw us to our seats, and also recommended / made reservations for convenient places for dinner afterwards. He put his personal commmittments on hold, to assure we would first be OK and have pleasant evenings in Beijing. David has a very good English vocabulary. It was very easy for us to ask questions and for David to express his own thoughts.
Regards, Liz Dodge

From Maria-Anna, Reinhold, Bailee and Bonnee Jung New Zealand
26. January 2009
Management for China Highlights ( copy to Candy ) We have been home for just a few weeks. Our daughter is doing well. Now that we all had a rest we can finally write to you and express our thanks. China Highlights has been organizing our trips through China for the last three years. Candy, our travel advisor, is a wonderful capable young woman. Her knowledge of the handiest and reasonably priced Hotels to stay and the most important places to see made her invaluable for us. She booked planes, trains and automobiles for us and always got us where we wanted to go. In December 2008 our family was in dire need of assistance – not for a holiday this time, but for a family emergency. Our older daughter was gravely ill in Gansu Province and our younger daughter was studying in Yunnan Province. Because of Candy’s fast work booking a plane and a car, our younger daughter was able to be at her sister’s bedside inside of 12 hours. Unfortunately our Travel Insurance was less than efficient and neglected to provide a translator for some visa issues that arose but, once again, Candy came to our rescue. She organized a translator for us inside of a couple of hours and with her help we solved our problems. We wish to thank Candy and China Highlights for handling our difficult situation with speed and efficiency. China Highlights is not only a great place to book holidays but also a place where we found help in a desperate situation.
Yours sincerely
The Jung Family from New Zealand

Dear Morgen,

We can't say enough good things about all of the wonderful sights that we saw as well as superior service we received from everyone at China Highlights.

BEIJING (Population 14 million)

Day 1

We left Chicago for Beijing via Shanghai on an American Airlines flight.

Day 2

We arrived in Shanghai about 2:30 pm local time and had a 7 ? hour wait until our flight to Beijing departed. We claimed our luggage and found an airport motel where we rented a room for 4 hours. It was good to take a shower, relax and watch TV until it was time to have something to eat and check-in for our Beijing flight. We arrived in Beijing at 11:00 pm, claimed our luggage, and met our guide Nancy who was waiting to greet us and present us with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. Our luggage was loaded in a waiting car, and we sped off to our hotel, Raffles Beijing Hotel. After we were checked in, we said goodnight to Nancy and eagerly headed to our room. We had a gorgeous, deluxe room with a wonderful king-sized bed with down pillows and duvet. The bathroom was huge and had the largest, softest towels ever. This was our favorite hotel on our trip to China. We had no trouble falling asleep.

Day 3

Today was a free day—we had nothing scheduled. After a wonderful breakfast at the hotel, we set out for a walk on Wanfujing Street which is close to the hotel. This is a shopping street with the Oriental Plaza Mall, so there was a lot to see on our walk including the world’s largest Mac Donald’s. It was definitely high end and not a place to look for souvenirs, but it was fun. We found a Parisian bakery where we ended up having lunch. It didn’t take much to tire us, so after lunch we headed back to our hotel for a nap. Later we headed back to Wanfujing Street and walked to the very end where the famous Night Market is located. The Night Market is a street lined with food stalls that sell all those unusual edibles—snake, scorpions, starfish, and things I couldn’t possible identify. We decided not to sample anything. We had dinner at the hotel, and then went to sleep early.

Day 4

We met Nancy in the hotel lobby at 9 am and headed off for our tour of Beijing. Our first stop was Tiananmen Square. There were long, long lines of Chinese people waiting to see Chairman Mao’s tomb, but we did not join them. After Tiananmen Square, we walked across the street to the Forbidden City. There was a lot to see with a lot of stairs, but we made it. We also walked along the water surrounding the Forbidden City to meet up with our driver. We had lunch at a local Chinese restaurant and agreed that the food was fresh and delicious. In the afternoon, we toured the Temple of Heaven. It was a good day to learn about the Chinese emperors and their customs. We then went to a Chinese teahouse for a Chinese language lesson with a local professor. I doubt that we have enough days left in our lifetimes to learn Chinese! After our day of walking and climbing stairs, we had the famous Peking Duck for dinner. The ducks are specially raised for this meal, basted with a special sauce and then roasted in special ovens.

Day 5

Today we set off to see the Great Wall. En route we stopped at a cloisonné factory to see how this enamelware is made. The pieces were all handmade and involved many steps. The finished products are indeed lovely. The drive through the countryside to the Wall was a contrast to the city. Even though we rode a chair lift to the top, we had a long uphill climb to the chair lift and a lot of stairs after the chair lift to the wall itself. We had a gorgeous, clear sunny day, so we had great views of the wall as it wound around the mountain tops. It is an incredible sight to see. We headed back to Beijing after our visit to the Wall and had a Chinese massage which included a foot massage. Clark said afterwards that he never wanted to put on his shoes again. We had dinner and then went to the Kung Fu show. It was a great show and very entertaining.

Day 6

This morning we headed to Beihai Park. We had to enter the park through a narrow shopping street that sold all sorts of food, clothing, etc. We stopped at a bakery and bought some dried sweet potato chips and fried won tons to snack on. The park is lovely with lakes, bridges pagodas, and a respite from the city for the Chinese. In the park were a band playing and many Chinese singing along with the music. We got on rickshaws for our tour of the Hutong that contain 4 sided courtyard houses averaging 300 years old. Originally they were inhabited by a single family, but now house several families and are a coveted area in which to live. We had lunch in one of the hutong where a resident chef prepares meals for tourists. The food was good, and it was certainly a unique experience. After lunch we had a Chinese knot tying lesson. We were “not” good at tying knots, but it was fun nonetheless. In the evening we went to a Buddhist vegetarian restaurant where the food was supposed to resemble meat and fish. It was O.K. and a unique experience but definitely not our favorite meal. Day 7

Today we leave Beijing for our next stop, Xian. We have had wonderful weather in Beijing, but today the smog has settled in. We say goodbye to our wonderful and most favorite tour guide Nancy. She certainly helped us fall in love with Beijing.

GUILIN, CHINA

Day 1

After disembarking our ship in Chongqing, We visited a local museum there and then headed to the airport for our flight to Guilin shortly after noon where we were met by our guide Lily. We checked into the Sheraton Guilin where we had a lovely suite overlooking the Li River and a lovely park. We then took off to visit the Reed Flute Cave which is very interesting and illuminated. The Chinese love to light things up. We had a light dinner at a restaurant near the hotel and then went back to our room to rest for a while and clean up. In the evening we took an illuminated boat tour of the lakes surrounding Guilin. We even got to see the cormorant fishermen. The cormorants are tethered to the boat and have a snare around their throats so they cannot swallow the fish. This way the fisherman can have the birds spit out the fish. It was a beautiful evening since the pagodas, many bridges and fountains are all colorfully lighted.

Day 2

We got up and went for a walk in the park across from the hotel. The Chinese are up early practicing their Taiji and dancing, so it was fun watching them. We crossed the street to get back to the hotel, and no sooner had we stepped on the driveway, Clark’s knee gave out. He limped back to our room and took pain meds he had brought with him. Also he had brought a folding cane that came in handy. We were supposed to go to the Longii terraced rice fields that day. When we met our guide, she wasn’t sure what we should do since it is a long climb up the mountain to the top. We decided to head out anyway and see what the day brought. The area is home to both the Yao and the Miew ethnic tribes. We stopped at a Yao village where Ruth was quickly surrounded by the local women selling bracelets. These women were half her size and dressed in traditional clothing, each of them vying for her attention. After buying 2 bracelets, our guide shooed them away. After we arrived at the base of the mountain, our guide informed us that we could be carried to the top in sedan chairs. We told here we were interested in doing that since there was no other way we would get to the top. So she went off to negotiate with the sedan chair porters. We got to the sedan chairs and both sat down in one. At that point there began some heated conversation between our guide and the porters. Once the porters got a look at the “big guy”, they wanted more money. O.K.—what else was there to do. Next thing we knew we were lifted up by the porters and carried up this long, narrow winding staircase to the top of the mountain. I think each of us uttered silent prayers that we wouldn’t suddenly plunge down to our demise. It took us an hour to reach the top. Once there, the views were incredible and something we will never see again. A third of the way down, there is a village with several hotels and restaurants. We had lunch at one of the hotels, and that was delightful. In that area, they cook rice inside bamboo over charcoal grills, so we got to try it. It was very nice. It was a 2 ? hour drive in each direction, so when we got back to the hotel, it was time to rest and have Clark take more pain medication. We had a nice buffet dinner at the Sheraton and were even given a complimentary bottle of wine to enjoy.

Day 3

 Today was the day for our cruise down the Li River to see the beautiful karst peaks, bamboo groves and picturesque farms. It was raining when we started out, but the rains stopped after a bit, and it was quite nice the rest of the day. We sat at the front of the boat and had lunch served to us. The river trip was why we scheduled a stop in Guilin, and it was lovely, but we were thrilled to discover that there was so much more to see in the area. In the afternoon, after we returned to Guilin, we went to the China Highlights headquarters to meet Morgen. Morgen was the agent that Ruth communicated with over the internet to plan our trip. The two were in communication with each other for over a year. The two of us were delighted to finally meet fact-to-face. We had tea with Morgen and were even presented with a lovely gift. In our estimation, China Highlights did a marvelous job, and we always felt that we were treated like royalty. In the evening we went to a Minorities Show (China has several groups of minorities). It featured costumes, song and dance of the local minorities. I think we were the only Westerners in the crowd. At the end of the show the cast threw out “good luck” decorated balls, and a woman behind me caught one. She presented it to me despite my protestations. The Chinese were so gracious towards us.

Day 4

Time to leave Guilin and fly to Shanghai.

SHANGHAI CHINA

Day 1

Once again we were met at the airport by our guide, Rainy who would show us the wonders of Shanghai. After checking into our room at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, we set off to do some sightseeing. We walked around the Bund area which is along the Huangpu River. The West side of the river has buildings dating from the colonial period, whereas the East side of the river has just been developed within the past 20 years. Then we headed to the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. There is an amazing model of the city of Shanghai and what it will look like in 2010 when the city will host the World Expo. We had a lovely dinner after our sightseeing and got to try Shanghai’s famous Hairy Crab which was quite delicious.

Day 2

We again had a great breakfast at our hotel. The Grand Hyatt is a very upscale, business hotel. The hotel lobby is on the 50th floor of the building, and our room was on the 58th floor. The views from the lobby were quite spectacular, especially at night when the surrounding buildings are all lighted. Our first stop of the day was at the Jade Buddha Temple where there is, of course a famous Buddha made of jade. Next we went to the Yuyuan Garden and afterwards wandered around the nearby market. The Yuyuan Garden was originally the residence of a wealthy family, and it is quite a treat to walk around. The market is adjacent to the Garden and has a myriad of shops selling goods aimed at the tourist trade. It was fun to bargain for several items including a 2nd suitcase in which to take our purchases home since we were only allowed one suitcase on the flights within China. There was a Starbuck’s in the market, and Ruth satisfied her coffee craving. We stopped for a delicious and plentiful lunch where we had sharkfin soup with crabmeat. After lunch, we had a walk along Nanjing Road which is an upscale shopping street. Then we headed to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. For the first time in memory, Clark was bothered by the height. Our tour guide, Rainy had made a reservation at a nearby restaurant for us, but we were really tired after such a full day of sightseeing and walking. So, we came home, showered and rested before heading for the hotel restaurant. Clark had a hamburger with fries, and Ruth had a pasta dish. The Western food was a nice change from Chinese food.

Day 3

 We were met by our guide for Suzhou and our driver. It was a 2 hour drive to that city. Suzhou is a city of canals and lakes. We climbed a bridge for a view of Tiger Hill and the Panmen Gate. Next we toured the Garden of the Master of Nets which was originally the home of a wealthy Chinese family. Suzhou is also famous for its gardens. We went to a local restaurant for lunch where we enjoyed Suzhou Mandarin Fish—yum, yum. Before cooking the fish, we were shown a bucket that held our live fish. After lunch, we went on a canal cruise through the waterways surrounding the old section of the city. There are homes on both sides of the canal, and it was interesting to watch life going on around us. Our last stop was the No.1 Silk Factory where we got to watch silk production and silk quilts being made. The traffic back to Shanghi was very heavy, and it was quite late in the evening by the time we arrived back at our hotel. It was nice for us to just have dinner at the Hyatt. We sat at the same table as we did the previous night, and enjoyed the same friendly waitress and bus boy. Clark was delighted to be able to order ice tea, and Ruth was happy with a glass of Chilean chardonnay.

Day 4

A week before leaving on our China trip, we decided to add two more days to our itinerary. I had some hotel points that enabled me to get a room at the Westin on the Bund. It was a good choice because we could walk to the Bund, and it was a short taxi ride to the Yuyuan Market. Our room was every bit as nice as the one at the Hyatt, but the view was not as spectacular. After lunch at Shanghai Uncle, we set off to the market to do some shopping. It was fun just walking around the market and taking all of the sights as well as bargaining for qifts to take bak home with us. Ruth managed to get directions to Starbuck’s so she could satisfy her coffee craving. We also walked from the hotel to the Bund along the river after shopping. Day 5 We were met by our Hangzhou guide and driver for our day trip. It was another 2 ? hour drive to our destination, but we enjoyed the scenery along the way. Our first stop was the Six Harmonies Pagoda which is surrounded by a lovely park. It was good to walk and stretch our legs after the long car ride. Next we went to the 9 Creeks and 18 Gullies park. This also was a lovely park where we could walk and enjoy the scenery. We tried local food at a restaurant on West Lake and took a walk around the area afterwards. Then we boarded our boat for a trip on the lake itself. Our last stop was the Meijiawu Tea Plantation. The tea grows on terraced fields and is lovely to see. We had green tea which is nothing like green tea back in the US. The tea leaves float on top of the tea and are eaten along with drinking the liquid. The leaves taste very much like spinach and are the source of the antioxidants. I’m not sure that this will become part of our diets. We had a long drive back to Shanghai, but the traffic was not as bad as it was returning from Suzhou.

Hi Rebecca,

Our Trip to Xian was great. We really enjoyed all the sight seeing things we did. Not really anything about the tour i would change. Echo and our driver, Mr Lee, were both great and Echo had a great knowledge of the area. We really enjoyed how we could arrange the tour to suit our pace and what we felt like attempting on the day. Thank you for all you help with arranging the tour. I will definetly recommend this service to anyone i know travelling to Xian in the future.

Thanks again Rebecca,

Nicole

Dear Michael,
Thank you very much for the Christmas card you sent - I got it when we came back from the Philippines/Hong Kong/Macao trips last Jan. 05, 2009. I wish you the best for the year 2009 and beyond; to your company and associates as well. Our guide Chas in Hong Kong is good . He is more articulate and very knowledgable about historical facts. He is also very caring - directing our steps all the way. He never left us until everything is in place. And We both enjoyed YMCA and Disney Hollywood Hotel; Disney standard is obvious anywhere in the world. We were able to visit a lot of places although the time spent on each place is not to our maximum pleasure since we need to get to the next one, else we will not finish the itinerary for the day. Transportation was not a problem; parking as well. How I wish there was more that 24 hours in a day and spend more time shopping. I have recommended your company to my friends. It's just a pity that economic conditions in the USA (and elsewhere in the world, I guess) is really bad that my friend is deferring vacation plans in the near future.
God bless.
Filomena

Hi Rebecca,
I just wanted you to know that my daughter and I returned from Harbin. we had a wonderful time and good tour. Our guide Rachel was excellent and tried hard to make sure we had a good time and were comfortable. We didn't see many American tourists there and will spred the word about how fun Harbin is. Thanks for your help with this tour.
Brent

Dear Rebecca,

we had a wonderful time in China. Your country is really beautiful. We were very pleased to meet Vivianne who was a perfect guide for our family. Our last meal in Guilin was one of the highlights of our trip! Many thanks for the organization.

Best wishes,
Georges

Dear Sunny,
I have just comen back to work after our trip, I would like to say thanks to you and China Highlights for the wonderful time we had in China. Organization of the tour was excellent and we did not have any kind of problems during the journey. I would advice China Highlight to my friends in future. Please forward our thanks also to all the tour guides that we met on our journey. In particular I would like to spend a special appreciation to Tony Tang from Guilin, he is very passionate and competent in his work.
Thanks again I wish you a wonderful year.
Andrea

Dear Candy,
I am sorry to kept so long to answer your email but with work and holiday I was a little late and getting back to you. 1. The most memorable attraction would be in Xi'an the terracotta figures and the museum 2. The most outstanding tour guide was Vivian in Guilin, she was helpful, knowledgeable, enjoyed what she was doing, and listen to us with what we wanted and needed in our trip. She is someone we would request again. If I could list a second person it would be Leigh. 3. The best hotel Guilin Bravo Hotel the quality of the hotel was excellent and so was the location. 4. I would recommend your company to my friends or colleagues and I have. 5. I would tell the customers how much climbing happen on this tour. This was the best trip I have made and the guides and drivers were part of that. It was very comfortable and the guides not only knew what they were talking about but enjoyed their job.
Thank you

Dear Karen,
We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in China, it is a very beautiful country and nearly all of the guides were very keen to pass on any information about the places we visited. We especially enjoyed the Mountain Rice Paddy fields and also biking in Yangshuo.Jenny in Guilin, she was just so enthustastic and nothing was ever a problem for her. We really felt Jenny was also a highlight to our visit to China. And all of the hotels were all most enjoyable, clean, very central and and had everything that we needed.
Thanks again,
Viv