3 weeks in China
Grace Wang, worked with us through five iterations of the itinerary to develop the best itinerary to fit our needs. Once in China, Grace kept in touch with us to make sure we were pleased along the way. It resulted in a wonderful adventure. China is beautiful. BEIJING Beijing Park Plaza - The room was what we expected. It was clean with the best buffet breakfast of all hotels on the trip. Our guide, Nancy, was excellent. Her English was good and she was a problem solver. We visited the Great Wall on a day when umbrellas were needed. As a result, the view was very limited; however, the umbrellas came in handy as a ‘walking stick’. To limit walking, we drove around Tianamen Square which saved our energy to walk in the huge Forbidden City. XI'AN Xi'an Eastern House Boutique Hotel was our least favorite. The room was very cramped for 2 people. Our guide, Susan, was very knowledgeable and very proud of her city. The Terra Cotta Warriors themselves were very impressive. I loved the dumpling making experience and the chance to peek into the average, middle-class Chinese apartment. CHENGDU Dorsett Chengdu Hotel... The room was very spacious. The hotel lacked some of the amenities advertised. Our guide, Belinda, was very caring. She did her best to make our time at the Panda Center as easy as possible. We took an electric vehicle to the closest possible drop off point but there was still a lot of walking. Our Hot Pot lunch was our favorite of the entire trip. LESHAN … Giant Buddha During this day trip, we were still with Belinda. Lots of ancient steps to climb, but it was worth it. Not only the Giant Buddha, but also a Buddhist temple. I enjoyed watching the religious rituals. DALI The Linden Centre... A wonderful experience. The setting is a magical with lots of Chinese character. We sipped beverages on the lovely terrace at sundown. How lucky we were to have Tony as our guide. Tony took us to a local market and for once I felt like I was in the China I dreamed about. Fruits and vegetables I could not identify. Meats and fish that were sold by ethnic groups dressed in traditional clothing. This is how the people shop for their food in Xizhou. Tony fulfilled my cultural need.... tie-dyeing, flower cake and Chinese pancake making, and watching the women of a school that teaches them to needlepoint with silk. Tony and our wonderful driver, Mr. Chang, drove us to Lijiang where I thrilled to find Mr. Chang would be our driver in this next city. LIJIANG The Bivou - This boutique hotel is a real gem. This is actually the first time we had dinner on this trip, Room service brought us a lovely ham and cheese toastie and a club sandwich with delicious hot French fries. All of our guides were excellent but Cindy was given the hardest task. Our agenda was full of obstacles which were difficult, especially the Spruce Meadow on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Cindy took charge. There would not be any unnecessary waiting in lines. She would ensure we had the best seats on the transport bus. We thoroughly enjoyed the Naxi Family visit. GUILIN The Jolie Vue Boutique Hotel had a perfect location. The room was spacious and the view of elephant hill was beautiful, especially at night. Our guide, Linda, was delightful. I enjoyed walking around the nearby lakes and talking about differences in our cultures. Daxu Ancient Town was the absolute highlight of my time in China. We met Mr. Zhou. He is 80 years old and is very proud of showing us his way of life. We enjoyed Yao Mountain Tea Plantation. YANGSHUO Yangshuo Mountain Retreat Hotel's setting was magical. Beautiful views. Terrific food. O We visited the Fuli Ancient Town Market and painted fans in Fuli Town A WONDERFUL SUGGESTION by our guide, Linda … I attended “Impressions Liu Sanjie”, a folk story directed by Zhang Yimou, the chief director the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Linda made sure I got the best seat in the house. Linda and our driver, Mr. Su, agreed to work late that night so I could enjoy this performance. I’m so happy I got to see this spectacular show on the Li River at night. SHANGHAI SSAW Boutique Hotel Shanghai Bund – was disappointing. Our guide, Mary, was lovely. I really enjoyed Fuxing Park. Shanghai Tower was impressive and knowing the amount of growth since 1990 was interesting. I cannot give a full review of our journey without giving high praise to all of our drivers. China is one place I would ever try to drive. The drivers were excellent… Mr. Chen, Mr. Yang, Mr. Chang, and especially Mr. Su who even took me for a motorcycle ride in a sidecar!