Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

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74 Reviews

4.6 out of 5

Reviewed November 2014

Imperial China Yangzte River Cruise

This trip covers many miles, many modes of transport, many different activities and many memorable sights. The itinerary is quite full without feeling too rushed. There is a good mix of history, culture (both new and old) and scenery. Overall it’s good value, enjoyable and an experience I wouldn’t want to have missed.

Most Inspirational Moment

The highlights on this trip were numerous - these included cycling on the city walls of Xi'an against a hazy red sunset, gazing out from the watchtowers of the Great Wall, sampling a wide variety of fresh, delicious Chinese food, watching Pandas chomping contentedly on bamboo just a few metres away, chilling out with the friendly locals in the parks, and the endless rows of terracotta warriors, each one unique. A personal favourite was an early morning wander along the streets and canals of Tongli, a water town that retains its old buildings, traditions and charms.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Jenny, worked tirelessly to keep everyone in the group happy and make sure all their needs were met. She was full of energy and positivity to make it the best trip she possibly could. She was knowledgeable, patient, and able to appreciate and even join in our British sense of humour!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't bother taking US dollars - there are plenty of ATMs and we didn't need dollars at any point. There are many optional excursions on this trip, most of which are very good and add to the experience, but you may end up spending more than you bargained for!

Reviewed October 2014

Imperial China and Yangtze River Cruise

This trip has a packed itinerary and takes in several of China’s most well-known sites. If you enjoy sightseeing and have an interest in Chinese history, culture and scenery then I would certainly recommend it. You should be prepared for some days where there is a lot of travel and also for some early starts, but they are included for a good reason (e.g. to see the pandas early while they are still awake, get to the Great Wall before large crowds of other visitors turn up etc.). With China having so much to offer you can’t possibly see everything in the time available, but I felt that the organisers had made excellent use of the time and it’s hard to imagine that we could have done a lot more than we did. As well as the main itinerary there are also a number of excellent optional shows and activities for those who want to experience even more!

Most Inspirational Moment

It's hard to pick out one specific item that was the best, but for me the highlights included seeing the Great Wall at first hand, the Summer Palace in Beijing, Xian walls and Great Mosque, seeing the giant pandas so close, and cycling/boating while surrounded by the stunning scenery around Yangshuo. Also, if you get the chance, see the Shanghai acrobat show- it's awesome!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Kris (Chris?) was excellent. As well as being well-organised, ensuring we were all ready when we needed to be and dealing with any problems or complications that we encountered, she was also full of interesting information about the various places we visited. She also made sure that at mealtimes my girlfriend, who was the only vegetarian among us, always had something she could eat. She certainly enhanced my enjoyment of the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you bring some imodium because there is a good chance of getting an upset stomach at some point. Chinese trains have hot water dispensers, so it's also worth bringing a plastic cup/beaker for tea/coffee. I'd read up a bit on China and Chinese history before the trip, and I found it enhanced my enjoyment because I had a better understanding of what we saw.

Fiona Mitchell

Reviewed September 2014

Excellent tour of China's major sites (ACE)

This tour was very comprehensive, taking in many of China’s top sites. This does mean alot of travelling between points but what you see definitely makes up for that. The hightlight for me in Beijing was the Great Wall appearing on a steep ridge. Onto Xian the scale and individual details of the Terracotta Warriers amazed everyone. Seeing the Giant Panda’s so close and active by being first visitors of the day was brilliant. This is busy trip with optional shows in the evenings and stunning Yangshou a chance to improve your Cooking, Cycling and Calligraphy skills!

Most Inspirational Moment

Crusing down the Yangtse surrounded by mighty cliffs, the excursion on smaller boats up the side gorges ending up being rowed in wooden boats was an adventure

Thoughts on Group Leader

Chris (Christened Panda by the group) was fantastic with 15 years experience she made the sometimes complex journey on trip smooth

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a robust cup for overnight trains (there are 3) and a wheeled case as China's stations are big and in the centre of cities often a trek to the bus. If your a big city fan think of booking additional sites in Shanghai to relax after the trip.

Joe Truelove

Reviewed September 2014

Great holiday

My 17 year old son and I thoroughly enjoyed our holiday to China. Over 20 days we visited most of the principal attractions of the country. The accommodation was good, the food was great and we had a very busy and active holiday together with the chance to have a rest and complete break too.

Most Inspirational Moment

I really enjoyed cycling and then walking up to Moon Hill near Yangshuo because we travelled as a small group of five with our guide through rural China rather than being in a big City or town all of the time. We walked up to the Great Wall and cycled the city walls of Xian (although this was not compulspory).

Thoughts on Group Leader

William did a very good job of keeping us all to schedule, locating our transport, making sure we didn't get lost. His greatest contribution was almost certainly ordering delicious meals for us twice a day. (He only ordered the belly pork once).

Advice for Potential Travellers

I didn't need to use my sheet sleeping bag on the overnight trains- we had clean laundry on all three nights. There was a towel in every hotel, the only place we didn't have a towel was on the trains. The food was great, plentiful and cheap- they have lots of KFC, Haagen Daas and MacDonalds if you really can't cope with Chinese cuisine every day. The breakfasts were the most mediocre but did include bacon, eggs, toast and other western style dishes. The raincoat I took with me was surplus to requirements- it was August and hot every day and everywhere- there were a couple of thunderstorms which we narrowly missed. Get used to the idea of "squat" toilets, you will need to use one at some point.

Rosanne Broome

Reviewed July 2014

Imperial china and Yangtze cruise

An amazing trip, non stop wow factor. It was everything I thought it would be. The tour leader was excellent and looked after us really well dealing with all our needs along the way. The itinerary was hectic but enabled us to cover a lot of ground can’t recommend it enough.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army. Had the wow factor big time and hard to take it all in.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Great lady very helpful, friendly and knowledgable, lucky to have her.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Travel light and don't expect china to be like home, be open to experiences and enjoy enjoy !!!

Robyn Crighton

Reviewed July 2014

Imperial China and Yangtze river cruise

The whole trip was fantastic and our guide Alan was brilliant . I did all the included and optional trips and excursions and enjoyed them all. There were so many highlights and a great mixture of types of highlights and activities. We had great warm weather on the April excursion date. Another 1-2 days in Shanghai at the end would have been great. A busy trip with lots of variety.

Most Inspirational Moment

Terracotta warriors and great wall of china

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alan was a fantastic tour leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

consider staying on for another 1-2 days in Shaghai

Ruth Adams

Reviewed May 2014

Cannot Recommend This Trip Highly Enough (ACE)

This was a busy trip with some slow relaxing days thrown in during the cruise and on the overnight train journeys- giving us a chance to catch our breath. Because we packed so much in, we saw highlight after highlight. I would highly recommend a trip to China to see a country in the middle of drastic changes- so much vitality is unmistakable.

Most Inspirational Moment

The most inspirational trip was likely seeing Tai Chi and dancing in the parks on a constant basis......as for the sightseeing- probably Leshan with the Giant Buddha and the park surrounding it- despite the crowds.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kris Cheung was absolutely fabulous as a trip leader- kept her cool, and kept us moving forward......made us feel comfortable, and had a ton of information for us. I really enjoyed travelling with her.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for the busy periods knowing it will be off-set by the slow periods......throw yourself into the trip, and enjoy the food......I am afraid that is one thing I really miss! Try it all- be adventurous......you only live once!

Reviewed January 2014

IMPERIAL CHINA & YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE

Astonishing sights and experiences, very tiring, generally well organised but some small changes would make it even better.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Great Wall - seeing the unrestored section snaking along mountain ridges into the far distance. Terracotta army, of course, and three gorges cruise relaxing. In Yangshuo walk up to and views from "Moon hill", the water show (even in pouring rain) and cooking course well worth doing, and mud caves fun! Tongli lovely.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Unfortunately she had a cough/cold and was perhaps below par.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1. Take an umbrella - for sun and rain.2. Take throat sweets / cold cures - practically everyone got a sore throat / cold, possibly due to extreme range from 40 degrees heat to air con to heavy rain! (Don't let this put you off!).3. Fleece / cardigan required for air con on trains. Sleepers remarkably comfortable and a good laugh (our group gelled well) but do take a sleeping bag liner and pillow case. Last train grubby but not horrific.4. You can buy water, wet-wipes, etc etc, from local shops no problem.5. We had no problem getting money out of ATMs.6. We found the hotels ok to very good.7. It has to be mentioned; toilets apart from in hotels very variable - on trains varied from ok to needing sluicing down (on last sleeper train). At Mt Emei they were beyond description (but we were there on a festival day so crowds) and a short walk into the woods was much preferable.

Reviewed October 2013

IMPERIAL CHINA & YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE

Not unequalled, but equal first with a wonderful holiday we spent in New Zealand.

Most Inspirational Moment

For us, there were many great moments on this trip:Walking on the Great Wall. Interacting with ordinary Chinese people in theTemple of Heaven Park. Seeing Red & Giant Pandas (and baby giant pandas inthe nursery). Cycling and kayaking in Yangshuo. Very varied and interestingregional Chinese food (most meals had eight or more different dishes).Chinese cookery in countryside outside Yangshuo. River cruise through Yangtzegorges.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Jenny was practically perfect in every way. She looked afterus like a mother hen, dealt with difficulties very effectively and accommodatedpeople's wishes for changes to the trip (where these weren't mutuallyconflicting).

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the Trip Notes carefully. Take your own roll of toilet paper and keep afew sheets on you. Take your own antiseptic hand cleaner and keep it handy.If it rains, the rain can be very heavy: either accept getting quite wet (notactually that bad) or take truly waterproof clothes. If you buy an umbrellalocally, open it and try it before handing over cash.

Reviewed October 2013

IMPERIAL CHINA & YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE

Extensive trip around a fascinating country, with great food and activities

Most Inspirational Moment

I was looking forward to China as a country, but for me it was the giant pandas, the food (no water chestnuts, bean sprouts or prawn toasts in sight), the western influences in a communist country, the scenery and the shopping, Emei Shan, Three Gorges locks, the transport, the buildings.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Anson had us very organised, kept us well fed and on time. He was receptive to altering times if group wanted half hour less somewhere to give us more time elsewhere, and was very keen for us to enjoy our holiday in China.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Trip notes are largely accurate. There are opportunities for laundry in several places, plenty of ATMs, meals generally didn't cost more than six pounds for food and a beer, weather was hot and humid, hotels about Exodus average - some better and some less so but evens itself out over the trip. Overnight trains are an experience and fun, sleeping bag liner needed for the longer third trip. Plenty of camera memory needed. The travelling wasnt particularly tiring overall, but it was nice to have a few days in one place e.g. on the boat or Yangshuo. It did feel a bit touristy at times, but that's what we were. Food was great, and the shopping. There is lots of luggiing luggage about, often at stations with no escalators, so travel as light as possible, and leaves room for the shopping bargains, especially in Yangshuo. Like Cuba and Peru, if you see something and know the price you want to pay for it then buy it, as you may not see it again. The Dong Fan hotel in Beijing is within walking distance of Tianamen Square, about 25 mins, and there the buses are cheap and plentiful. Olympic Park is simple to get to from the hotel on the metro from Tianmanen Square as its not included. The optional trips are dear in comparison to the rest of the holiday, acrobats ok, music and dumplings - food great, music ok, Sechuan opera - very good, Yangshuo - light show ok, lazy boat raft - great, cycle ride - exilerating! (walk to Moon Hill - not worth it), free trips from the Yangzte cruise - walk to ghost village (?) not worth it, chill on the boat, Three Gorges yes. A busy fascinating country....

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