HIGHLIGHTS OF CHINA

15 days from GBP2,149 to GBP2,449 including flights
Tripcode: ACH

Countries Visited: China

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Our Clients’ Reviews

Average Review Rating: from 19 reviews.

Susan Calvert

HIGHLIGHTS OF CHINA

Written October 2011
A fantastic introduction to such a varied wonderful country!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
It was great to see so many different sides to China - from smoggy, slightly oppressive but stunningly beautiful Beijing, to the incredible great wall and terracotta warriors, to the amazing landscape of 'rural' china, ending in the sparkling city of Shanghai. The great wall really was incredible and very inspirational moment (and literally stayed with me for days - my legs killed after stupidly deciding to climb a particularly steep section!)
What did you think of your group leader?
Very informative leader who was very good at not losing any of us ( a very difficult job)
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
don't forget insect repellent from Xian onwards, be prepared for a moderate amount of travel - a pack of cards and inflatable pillow made these journeys a comfortable and fun part of the trip (it was funny to see the Chinese people stop and watch us play cards in the airport with great fascination - in a very similar way that we had done to them at the temple of heaven!)
Is there anything else you would like to add?
There is no way you can see all of China in 2 weeks but if 2 weeks is all you have then this is a perfect way to get a great taste for the country! Stay open minded, give everything a go and you'll have a brilliant time!! :)
Kathryn Welham

HIGHLIGHTS OF CHINA

Written July 2011
It was an incredible trip in that I saw so many amazing sights and experienced a culture removed from our own. However, the number of people at some of the sites was a bit over powering, as was the amount of smog around the cities. I had not really been prepared for either.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I really enjoyed the day of cycling and caving, the sun and relative peace and space and the incredible scenery was inspiring.
What did you think of your group leader?
She was excellent. This was her first trip to Hong Kong and her first tour of this kind and yet she looked after us extraordinarily well and ensured we got good service and were safe at all times.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be prepared for the fact you will not know what the weather is like in Beijing and Xian, such is the smog. Take a pocket dictionary to point at words in restaurants. Take a trip up the tower of the Chinese bank in Hong Kong to see the view for free, but remember to carry identification to get in. Worth it!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The contrast between main land China and Hong Kong was marked and I loved having a free day to explore in Hong Kong.
Brian Helsdon

HIGHLIGHTS OF CHINA

Written May 2011
This is an exceptionally well designed holiday which enables you to see some of the main sights of China in a relatively short space of time. There is a good balance between city and country, old and new, organised events and free time. Unfortunately at times it was let down by unncessary skimping on the details. It's only this which stops my assessment being 5 stars.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Three highlights stand out. The first - and probably the best - was walking on the Great Wall of China. The second was the whole experience in the Guilin area where we were based at Yangshou famous for the limestone pinnacle mountain scenery. I loved the cooking lesson (more fun and inspirational than it sounds), the bike ride through the paddy fields to Moon Hill, and the cruise along the river Li. I enjoyed Shanghai. Someone described the city as New York on speed. They weren't kidding. It was overwhelming in a positive and inspiring way, from the sight of the telecoms tower and surrounding area at night, to walking on the Bund, to watching the groups of Chinese doing Tai Chi near the Bund in the early morning.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
I would say - especially to more mature travellers like me - be fit and be prepared for a lot of walking and lugging of suitcases over quite long distances eg from airport to coach (in Guilin) and from coach to hotel (in Tongli). Do not try and do everything, you'll end up exhausted and need another holiday to recover. Be selective about the optional excursions. Some are excellent such as the cruise on the river Li and the 'Impressions' sound and light show at Yangshou. Some, like the 'opera' in Beijing are frankly disappointing.
Pick the right time of year to go. Seeing the limestone pinnacle scenery in the mist and rain (which I did on my first visit 15 years ago) would have been depressing. Fortunately we had sunshine and warmth. We were very lucky as April is one of the rainiest months of the year.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I believe there was unnecessary skimping on some of the details. The examples below may seeem trivial and petty. However, added together, they led to an irritation factor far higher than it should have been.
This started with the welcome dinner. The Peking Duck is highlighted in the trip notes. This would have been fine if there had been enough to go round. There wasn't. And there wasn't the opportunity to order more.
In Beijing it would have been better to use a private bus rather than taxis and walking. We got taxis to the Forbidden City which must have been as expensive as hiring a bus.
In Yangshuo we were allowed one cup of coffee for breakfast. If we wanted more we had to pay extra!
The coaches, especially in Yangshuo, were decidedly sub standard. By the end I had a private joke, when arriving at a new place, look for the tattiest bus. That surely would be ours.
As the guide himself said the trip notes weren't 100% accurate. Perversely sometimes we did things because the itinerary said we should when common sense suggested otherwise. For example we arrived in Shanghai about 7pm after a long and tiring day. But because the itinerary said we should have a guided walk on the Bund on arrival that is what we did.
I think it would be better if the final dinner, a lovely occasion, was included in the price. Also, like the welcome dinner, it would have been nice if there had been enough food to go round. Some travellers felt decidedly short changed.
David Nun

HIGHLIGHTS OF CHINA

Written July 2010
This trip combined so much of the highlights of China into two weeks. It can be quite rushed at times, but we did manage to pack a lot in.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Walking on the Great Wall was a fantastic moment (different section to that mentioned in the trip notes). The scenery around Yangshuo was spectacular and the cookery lesson there was my second favourite moment. Beijing and Shanghai are great cities to have a look around. The Terracotta Wariors was another special moment.
What did you think of your group leader?
Dragon was very well organised and new his facts and history well. Organisation was also good.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you are looking for peace and quite, this might not be the trip for you. There are enormous numbers of domestic tourists in China and most of them seem to be at the exact same sight as when you are there. They also like to have their pictures taken with tall, sweaty English men! There where more optional extras than I was expecting and I probably spent quite a bit more than the suggested budget in the trip notes. All optional extras were worth it though.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would highly recommend this trip.
marilyn smith

HIGHLIGHTS OF CHINA

Written July 2010
we had a wonderful holiday with a group of lovely people.dragon our group leader was excellent.all the arrangements worked out well.would recommend this trip to everyone interested in seeing the new and old of china.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
the great wall was my best day.it took about 30 minutes for us to walk up the steps to get onto the wall !being in our 60's and quite fit, it was however an energetic walk up.when we saw how it went up and over the countryside it took our breathe away.an amazing sight.
fantastic day !!
What did you think of your group leader?
Dragon was efficient,polite,and friendly towards everyone.he carried out his everday duties quietly and effieciently.when anyone needed help or advise he was there to help.his knowledge about his country was excellent, he never hesitated to answer any of our endless questions.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
have an open mind,enjoy the people,food,and culture.
take a camera with lots of memory space .
travel light,casual clothes comfy shoes !
Is there anything else you would like to add?
ENJOY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Naweeda Saddique

HIGHLIGHTS OF CHINA

Written July 2010
FANTASTIC HOLIDAY. it was everything and more.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
too many to mention. it was a holiday of dreams come true.
What did you think of your group leader?
we were blessed with Mao. nothing was too much trouble. fantastic group leader with a sense of humour.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
do not miss the chinese opera!!
Katie Shilton

HIGHLIGHTS OF CHINA

Written June 2010
An absolutely brilliant trip which encompassed all the main sights of China and provided a broad range of sights/activities.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The Great Wall was amazing. It is well worth the extra time taken to go out to Simitai as there are a lot less tourists there than at other spots nearer Beijing.
Yangshuo was my favourite place as the hotel and town are lovely and the surrounding countryside is breathtaking. I really enjoyed the oppotunity to go cycling in the countryside and kayaking down the river as well as the cookery lesson.
The Terracotta Warriors are also brilliant - so life-like they are unnerving!
What did you think of your group leader?
Mao was absolutely excellent. Very patient and highly organised and an absolutely lovely person. Everything ran like clockwork and her English is absolutely superb. The optional activities she organised such as the three shows we saw, were all brilliant and well worth the extra money.