Trip of A Lifetime
We recently returned from a trip with China Cultural Tours, visiting six cities (Beijing, Luoyand, Xian, Guilin, Yangshuo and Shanghai) over twelve days. We told CCT the highlights we wanted to see and Lydia (we love Lydia) took care of all of the details. As you can imagine we were quite apprehensive dealing with an agency in a foreign country where we did not know the culture, speak the language or have any clue as to the meaning of the written symbols. Lydia provided the perfect itinerary and patiently put all of our many concerns at ease. Upon arrival we were immediately met at each location by a guide and a driver without ever having to look for them or call. All of the guides were friendly, informative and spoke English very well. We were delivered to our hotels and assisted by the guide with check-in. A time to meet in the morning was set (our choice and never too early) and the guide was always in the lobby waiting. When it was time to move to the next city our guide took us to the airport or train station, purchased our tickets, and stayed with us until we boarded. Every hotel was top shelf. Spacious rooms with all the amenities and large breakfast buffets of both American and Chinese fare. Hotel locations were perfectly located in the city within a short walk of many shops and restaurants. We ventured out each evening and never felt threatened or uncomfortable. In fact, you will find that the people are fascinated by you, especially the children, and may want to take your picture! Every day our driver dropped us off at the entrance to each attraction, including restaurants, and promptly picked us up when we were done. There was a lot of walking so you will be very grateful that you are not on a large bus tour waiting in line, in the sun, for who knows who that is missing. Our guide was with us at all times, including lunch, where we suggest you let them help you order. The food was fabulous and beyond plentiful and in twelve days we did not have one thing we did not enjoy. Overall, China Cultural Tours provided an incredibly organized and well planned trip. We can honestly say that we would not have changed a single thing. We never had to wait for our guide or driver and we never felt rushed. A special thanks to our guides Majorie in Bejing and Fei in Shanghai. They went above and beyond and we just wish we could take them home with us. Thank you!