Great tour company - Gave us an amazing trouble free holiday in China!
Lydia planned a comprehensive, amazing 15 day holiday for us and her communication was thorough & timely both before and during our holiday. Nothing was too much trouble for her. We arranged to meet her in Guilin to personally thank her. A delightful young lady with a passion for her job and her country. Thanks again Lydia. We chose 4 star accomodation which was good quality & centrally located. The smaller hotels were superior to the larger ones with the best ones being Mountain Retreat in Yangshuo (river views) and Aroma Tea House (in Guilin across from the lake). Cars were clean and the drivers safe & punctual (Mr J in Beijing treated us like royalty!); water provided and lunches included, with menu suggestions from the guides meant we tasted local specialities - simply delicious. The highlights were Guilin, Li River cruise and Yangshuo. Spectacular scenery and our guide Mike was top class. Such a friendly funny guy who went out of his way to make our stay memorable. Nancy, our Beijing Guide was also wonderful. Young, enthusiastic and so knowledgeable. An absolute delight. All the main tourist attractions (Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, Tianamen Square, Forbidden city etc) were great and the guides ensured easy access & at times that suited the crowds and hot weather. The Yangtze Cruise was good and the Three Gorges are well worth seeing but the cruise boats no longer go through the locks (disappointing) and the service on board was lacking at times (due to lack of staff that spoke english, and a tendency to give priority to the Chinese on board). This was of course out of China Culture Tour's control. We travelled in China on local airlines and bullet trains. The guides assist with tickets and checkins so it took all the stress out of travel. We wouldn't do China without an English speaking guide! Overall our holiday was trouble free and an amazing experience thanks to the excellent service, planning and guidance of Lydia at China Culture Tours and their wonderful guides and drivers. We will be back!