ACE Imperial China & Yangtze River Cruise

Hello there.  I will be on this trip and am also taking an add on prior to the tour (only 1 day for me though).  I'm travelling by myself so I look forward to touring with awesome people while expereincing the wonders of China.

where is your add on to?  We are going to Datong and getting over the jet lag?  Are you staying in the group hotel?  We are two single women so it is great to hear that we aren't the only ones on our own.

Datong sounds like a great add on, especially if you are going to visit the Hanging Temple.  My add on is an extra day in Beijing so I can go and see the White Cloud Temple.  I assume everyone is staying in the group hotel once the tour starts but I will be checking in to the group hotel a day early for my add on (I was not sure exactly what you were asking there).  In the interest of getting to know one another before we meet on the first day of the tour (which is what I assume the Departure Lounge is for) may I ask who you and your friend are and where you will be coming from?  My name is Mitchell (or Mitch if you would prefer) and I am a 21 year old from Canada who is going on this trip to celebrate finishing my undergradutate degree at university.

Yes we are visiting the Hanging Temple amongst other places (Yungang Grottoes, Huayan temple, Shanhua Monastery, Nine Dragons Screen and Yingxian Wooden Pagoda ).  We arrive in Beijing on Tuesday 15th and stay in the group hotel Dong Fang Hotel, Beijing.  We then go to Datong for 3 nights and are back in the Dong Fang Hotel in Beijing for night of Saturday 19th.  So have the extra night before the main group arrive.  So if that is where you are staying the chances are that we could meet up to have a pre get-to-know you drink or two!

Are you living in the UK at the moment or coming from Canada?

My name is Debbie.  I am in my 50s from England and trying to visit as many places on my wish list as possible while I am still in a fit state to do and enjoy it.  My friend is an ex-colleague named Pirjo who comes from Finland.  This is my second Exodus trip - thoroughly enjoyed the first one!

Sounds like a great bit of extra sightseeing.  I will be arriving in Beijing on the afternoon of the 19th and staying at the Dong Fang Hotel.  The idea of spending the evening getting to know my fellow tourists sounds like an excellent way to start off the trip (effects of jet lag notwithstanding).

I do not live in the UK and will be departing from my home in Canada to go on this trip.  I heard about the Exodus tour company from a travel agent and chose it based on the fact that it visited the places I wanted to go and was in my price range.  I am glad to hear that your first tour with Exodus was good enough for you to become a repeat customer since it bodes well for this trip. 

Hi

We are doing the above trip but I wonder if we will be doing the first part of the trip with you all, we stay at the Dong Fang to start. I too am trying to do all the far away places I can before I retire and don't have as much cash! Barrie is already retired and our daughter(23yrs) is coming too as she says she has always wanted to do China. It will be her first real sightseeing holiday as a grown up, hope she stays the course- she use to hate sightseeing as a child.

All being well we arrive on 20th in Beijing with the rest of the group , although we booked from Manchester independently. Just about to get our visas - can't believe how close it is now.

Hello Jane and Barrie (and daughter),

You raise a very interesting point regarding the possibility of our two tours being together for the first part.  I just checked the descriptions for both this tour and your's and the itineraries seem to be the exact same up until we take a train to Chengdu and you fly to Guilin on day 6.  The fact that both tours start on the 20th and have us staying in the Dong Fang also seems to support your idea.  It seems quite likely that you are correct, so I look forward to touring with you!

I checked with Exodus and they say that whilst both tours do start the same way, both groups stay in the same hotel etc they each travel separately with their own guide.

Our tour guide is Emma we have just been told, and it looks like both tours are full so there should be quite a number of us together in the evenings. I am sure we will all meet up at some point. That is one of the good things about these kind of trips - you have other people to talk to in the evenings. We had great fun in Jordan with Exodus last October, and the previous year we went with Explore who do similar trips. Look forward to seeing you soon and enjoy Datong(wherever that is!)

Mitchell would you like us to drop a note in your box at the hotel in Beijing when we get back from Datong so that if you are up to it we can meet up for a drink/dinner or whatever.  Is your last name a good Dutch name - Bouwsema?  I'm leaving home on Sunday so if you get back to me by Saturday evening then I can leave the note.

Look forward to meeting you next week (I think I can say that now).  So exciting - this time next week I'll be in Datong! 

Hi Debbie.  That sounds like a great idea.  My flight gets into Beijing around 2pm that day so I should be at the hotel sometime after that.  Yes, my last name is Dutch, nice work identifying it correctly.  Look forward to meeting you next week as well.  Have fun in Datong! Nine days left for until I leave for China too!

Not that much of a sleuth really.  I have spent many years of my life (probably around 20 in all) living in Holland and speak Dutch.  So cheating really!

 When we get back to Beijing I'll get a note put in your box giving you our room number.

 Now only 4 days!