ALEXANDRA's Feedback on 20-Day China Tour

THE ITINERARY WAS EXACTLY AS WE HAD REQUESTED. THE MOST MEMORAABLE PLACE WE VISITED THIS TIME WAS YANGSHOU - THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE SCENERY IS EXCEPTIONAL; THE 'IMPRESSIONS OF SISTER LIU' SHOW IS UNFORGETTABLE AND WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING AS SPECTACULAR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD

THE ITINERARY WAS EXACTLY AS WE HAD REQUESTED. THE MOST MEMORAABLE PLACE WE VISITED THIS TIME WAS YANGSHOU - THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE SCENERY IS EXCEPTIONAL; THE 'IMPRESSIONS OF SISTER LIU' SHOW IS UNFORGETTABLE AND WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING AS SPECTACULAR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. I WOULD SUGGEST TO OTHER TRAVELERS THAT THEY NOT MISS THE 'IMPRESSIONS' SHOW IN YANGSHOU; THAT THEY BE PREPARED FOR A LOT OF WALKING; AND THAT THEY BE SURE TO TAKE THEIR OWN TOILET PAPER EVERYWHERE!

WE REALLY ENJOYED OUR GUIDE, FOSTER, IN GUILIN AND YANGSHOU. HE WAS VERY INFORMATIVE (WITHOUT BEING TOO TALKATIVE), HIS CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS WONDERFUL, AND HE WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO MAKE SURE WE HAD WHAT WE NEEDED. HE GOT US TICKETS TO THE SISTER LIU SHOW, WENT WITH US IN THE RAIN, WAITED FOR THE SHOW TO END, THEN HELPED US FIND A WESTERN PHARMACY TO GET SOME COLD MEDICINE – AND AFTER DOING ALL THAT, HE HAD TO TAKE A BUS BACK TO GUILIN THAT NIGHT! FOSTER BROUGHT US FRESH FRUIT, AND ON THE DRIVE BACK TO GUILIN, EVEN STOPPED FOR US TO TAKE SOME GREAT PHOTOS IN A FARMER'S FIELD. WE WOULD ASK FOR FOSTER AS OUR GUIDE AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

ALL OF THE DRIVER'S SEEMED VERY FOCUSED ON DRIVING SAFELY, AND WERE VERY FRIENDLY AND COURTEOUS.

THE HOTEL IN LHASA WAS VERY COLD THROUGHOUT - IN THE ROOM, IN THE BAR, IN THE RESTAURANT AREA - EVERYWHERE. MEALS WERE GOOD IN MOST HOTELS. GRAND NOBLE HOTEL, XIAN, IS VERY LUXURIOUS; THE GUILIN WATERFALL HOTEL HAD A LOVELY ATRIUM IN THE CENTER; WE LIKED THE HOTEL IN YANGSHOU, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT GLAMOROUS - THE LOCATION IS FANTASTIC, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS BASIC IT WAS VERY COMFORTABLE, AND THEY SERVED A LOVELY BREAKFAST.

THE FOOD, SERVICE AND FACILITIES ON THE PRESIDENT PRIME WERE EXTREMELY GOOD. THE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH BUFFETS OFFERED MANY CHOICES IN BOTH CHINESE AND WESTERN CUISINE. THE CABIN WAS VERY COMFORTABLE AND KEPT VERY CLEAN. WE WOULD DEFINITELY CHOOSE THE PRESIDENT PRIME CRUISE SHIP AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. THE THREE SHORE EXCURSIONS WERE WELL ORGANIZED AND MOST INTERESTING.

THE CRUISE SHIP WILL OFFER THE BOARDING PASSENGERS AN 'UPGRADE' TO A MORE EXPENSIVE CABIN - IT IS NOT WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY - THE STANDARD CABIN IS VERY ROOMY AND COMFORTABLE AND WE ARE GLAD WE DID NOT ACCEPT THE UPGRADE. WE SHOPPED IN A MARKET CLOSE TO OUR HOTEL IN LHASA;

WE ALSO SHOPPED IN MARKETS IN HONG KONG; BOUGHT SOME SOUVENIRS OF TERRA COTTA WARRIOR IN XIAN; BOUGHT ORIGINAL PAINTING AT GALLERY IN GUILIN. BE PREPARED TO BARGAIN WITH THE VENDORS, EVEN THOUGH WESTERNERS ARE NOT VERY COMFORTABLE WITH HAGGLING.

ONE THING THAT MADE ME GO 'WOW' WAS SOPHIE LUO'S CUSTOMER SERVICE. FOR WEEKS WE EMAILED BACK AND FORTH, FINE-TUNING OUR ITINERARY. SHE ANSWERED MANY QUESTIONS. CHINA IS ON A DIFFERENT TIME ZONE TO DALLAS, U.S.A., AND I WAS ALWAYS IMPRESSED THAT SOPHIE RESPONDED WITHIN 24 HOURS OF ANY EMAIL I SENT. EVERY TIME. THAT IS EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE.

ABSOLUTELY, WE WILL RECOMMEND CHINA HGIHGLIGHTS. IN FACT MANY TRAVELLERS ASKED US HOW WE HAD MADE OUR TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS FOR CHINA AND WE TOLD THEM ABOUT 'CHINA HIGHLIGHTS'. CHINA HIGHLIGHTS LISTENED TO WHAT WE WERE MOST INTERESTED IN, CUSTOMIZED AN ITINERARY THAT WAS PERFECT FOR US, TOOK CARE OF ALL THE DETAILS, AND WERE EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL. THE GUIDES AND DRIVERS WERE ALWAYS EARLY, THE QUALITY OF THE HOTELS WAS AS PROMISED, AND WE EXPERIENCED NO PROBLEMS OR ISSUES AT ALL, WHICH IS TESTAMENT TO CHINA HIGHLIGHTS PROFESSIONALISM.