2002 Customer Reviews

"Yes it was my intention to further brief you on our observations with the tour. On the whole things were pretty well organized although there appears to have been an internal lack of communication.
It had been our clear indication that we wanted to spend a maximum time at the Imperial palace and not to be rushed through. When we went there it was very soon clear that this would not be the case and that the driver had been arranged to pick us up at 11:00 at the northern gate. Earlier we had indicated to our guide that we wanted to see the permanent exhibitions at the palace only to be told that there werent any. On the day itself we had to adamantly insist that this was what we wanted to do and which exhibitions we wanted to see. This was reluctantly agreed to because she was not sure whether a deviation of the standard tour was permitted. Generally if we wanted something that was not preprogrammed down to the level of having a cup of coffee when the opportunity presented itself, opposition was encountered.
The visit to the Beijing Art Museum did not eventuate as your Beijing office did not find out where the museum was nor whether it was open or not. This lead to further frustration so we had to reorganize our schedule and went that afternoon to the Temple of Heaven and the next day to Song Qingling House which was interesting within itself and we would otherwise not have seen, however that does not alter the fact that the organization left something to be desired.
It was only on discussing with the manager the arrangements for visiting the Taoist Temple and our request to see a geomancer that it became evident that no proper attention had been given to our request. Ultimately after some discussion this matter was remedied but only after resistance had been overcome.
Similar rigidity we experienced with the venue for the lunches. These were not chosen with respect to the itinerary to be taken and we would have to back track after lunch to visit the next part of the tour. Such additional unnecessary travel is not appreciated particularly when the restaurants are typical tourist stations with little Chinese character, we could eat in such establishments in any country in the world. The only lunch that was memorable was the one that we had at the Beihai Park but this was after we made our feelings about the chosen venues clear.
In a situation where one organizes what is in effect a private tour, we do expect flexibility and to have our expectations met and it would be advisable that after arrival in China the local office takes the trouble to go through the schedule in detail to know exactly what is expected such that it can make the appropriate arrangements. Our observation is that these were not quite to our expectations.
Having lived in overseas countries for many years now, we know that it is often difficult to get staff that is proficient in English and in this case also we would suggest that Barbara needs to put in a concerted effort to improve her language proficiency as often questions were not understood and answers did not give the required details.
However all-in-all we had a very memorable experience by visiting Beijing and its exceptional sites with the weather cooperating to a large extent with only some dust at the beginning and again at the end of our visit. "

Yes it was my intention to further brief you on our observations with the tour. On the whole things were pretty well organized although there appears to have been an internal lack of communication. It had been our clear indication that we wanted to spend a maximum time at the Imperial palace and not to be rushed through. When we went there it was very soon clear that this would not be the case and that the driver had been arranged to pick us up at 11:00 at the northern gate. Earlier we had indicated to our guide that we wanted to see the permanent exhibitions at the palace only to be told that there werent any. On the day itself we had to adamantly insist that this was what we wanted to do and which exhibitions we wanted to see. This was reluctantly agreed to because she was not sure whether a deviation of the standard tour was permitted. Generally if we wanted something that was not preprogrammed down to the level of having a cup of coffee when the opportunity presented itself, opposition was encountered. The visit to the Beijing Art Museum did not eventuate as your Beijing office did not find out where the museum was nor whether it was open or not. This lead to further frustration so we had to reorganize our schedule and went that afternoon to the Temple of Heaven and the next day to Song Qingling House which was interesting within itself and we would otherwise not have seen, however that does not alter the fact that the organization left something to be desired. It was only on discussing with the manager the arrangements for visiting the Taoist Temple and our request to see a geomancer that it became evident that no proper attention had been given to our request. Ultimately after some discussion this matter was remedied but only after resistance had been overcome. Similar rigidity we experienced with the venue for the lunches. These were not chosen with respect to the itinerary to be taken and we would have to back track after lunch to visit the next part of the tour. Such additional unnecessary travel is not appreciated particularly when the restaurants are typical tourist stations with little Chinese character, we could eat in such establishments in any country in the world. The only lunch that was memorable was the one that we had at the Beihai Park but this was after we made our feelings about the chosen venues clear. In a situation where one organizes what is in effect a private tour, we do expect flexibility and to have our expectations met and it would be advisable that after arrival in China the local office takes the trouble to go through the schedule in detail to know exactly what is expected such that it can make the appropriate arrangements. Our observation is that these were not quite to our expectations. Having lived in overseas countries for many years now, we know that it is often difficult to get staff that is proficient in English and in this case also we would suggest that Barbara needs to put in a concerted effort to improve her language proficiency as often questions were not understood and answers did not give the required details. However all-in-all we had a very memorable experience by visiting Beijing and its exceptional sites with the weather cooperating to a large extent with only some dust at the beginning and again at the end of our visit.

Thank you for all your help with my visit. I completed a customer satisfaction questionnaire that I passed to Linda, my guide, at the end of my tour in Xian. The questionnaire was very complimentary about your service - Linda was an excellent guide and although my delayed flight due to the fog had an impact on what I could visit in Xian, everyone was very helpful.

Thanks again though for all your assistance - I had a very interesting and enjoyable holiday and I cannot wait to come back to China again.

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.

I am very pleased with this tour. Everything has been very nice, well organized and planned. Thank you for your service!

EVERYTHIGN INVOICED WITH TRAVELCHINAGUIDE HAS BEEN VERY FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL. ALL FOOD HAS BEEN EXCELLENT. GUIDE AND DRIVER WERE BOTH FANTASTIC. I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMEND TRAVELCHINAGUIDE.

Many thanks. The trip at the Yangtze River was really great, we enjoyed it very much and you and your company people did a very good job. We send our good wishes for the holiday season to all of you. Best regards.

Dear Nancy, I have enjoyed my trip to China very much. Many thanks for your excellent service. There is actually nothing what I could suggest to be improved. You provide a very good service and I was very satisfied at any point of time. Without organized travelling and a guide on someones side it is very difficult to travel in China for someone who does not speak Mandarin. I certainly will recommend your organization further. Good luck and success. Best regards, Sandra P.S. My best regards to my guide Holly.

Thank you so much for helping me to have a wonderful visit. I was quite pleased with your arrangements, particularly with your guides and drivers. The only thing I would change is that I would not take the meals as part of the tour package so I could have a larger choice of places to eat, particularly the local places. However, I am probably not the typical traveler in that regard.

The guides in Guilin (David Wei) and Xian (Jessie) were both outstanding. Their English was excellent (and easy for me to understand) and they spent a lot of time telling me about Chinese culture, etc. which made my visit much richer and my understanding of your country much greater.

I was very impressed with your agency and will not hesitate to recommend you to my friends. I was particularly impressed that you take the time to meet me and with all of the information available from your web site. I now have wonderful memories and pictures that I have been sharing with my friends.

Thank you very much

We had a splendid time in China - certainly one of the best if not the best tours weve ever had. China as a country is truly amazing! It is blessed with a lot of natural wonders not found anywhere in the world. Its people are amazing and its development as one of the greatest nation in the world is truly outstanding.

We wish to thank you for making all the arrangements to ensure that we have a pleasant and very memorable trip to China. Your guides are all very professional, very knowledgeable, well versed about the different sights and places of interests, and most importantly, very helpful. We are lucky to have chosen you as our tour coordinator. Thanks for your assistance. Now we know we have a partner in China whom we call rely on for tour assistance. Keep up the good work!

Just write to thank all of the staff in TCG. You really made my vacation memorable, both when I was making the reservation and when I was making the tour. Your staffs are excellent, and helped me to make the reservations quick and easy.

The guides I met through the tour are professional and knowledgeable. The cars you offered me are very clean and comfortable and your drivers are also excellent.

The hotels and the meals are also very very good, especially the dinner are wonderful!

Thank you, travelchinaguide for our unique and unforgettable China tour!