2 Day Hangzhou
Booking: The trip booking experience was exceptional. Coco Yang is the agent we worked with and she was very responsive. Since we wanted a two-day tour just for Hangzhou, she customized one for us. The process from proposal and quote to purchase was very smooth. Only hiccup we had was receiving our train tickets (G type from Shanghai to Hangzhou). They were sent under my travel companion's name which we did not expect and weren't aware of, since I was the only person communicating with ChinaHighlights. However, upon calling Coco (on a Saturday, by the way) she helped our receptionist find our delivery within the hour. Trip: Our travel guide was Gerry, who was also very responsive. We had quite a bit to do and see and he was excellent at giving us time to explore, ask questions, but still keep us on track. Day 2 was our favorite as we were able to visit a tea farmer, who is also a tea ceremony teacher. She was absolutely charming and delightful. Again, there was only a minor issue that I think is more something to be aware of: on our first day we visited the team museum. We went to a tea ceremony there and afterwards were very pressured by the ladies working there to purchase Polyphenol supplements, even after declining multiple times. Obviously this is not under the control of China Highlights, but if you go to the tea museum, please be prepared for this. We didn't experience this at any other time during the trip.