CHINA TOUR- GUILIN
We had just completed our visit to Guilin as part of our 16-day tour of China, organised by China Culture Tour. Due to our time constraints, Nora Zheng, our travel consultant, expertly selected the places best suited to our interests. Our Guilin tour guide, Mike, was a local and very experienced. He enthusiastically explained the sites we visited and recommended excellent places for meals that were both delicious and good value for money. The places we visited included the Li River boat cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, biking in the Yangshuo countryside, West Street (known as the "global village"), Reed Flute Cave, and Yao Mountain Tea Plantation. The accommodation we stayed in was Jolie Vue Boutique Hotel (rated 4 stars). It offered stunning views of Elephant Trunk (Elephant Hill Park) and the surrounding hills from the 7th-floor restaurant. The hotel is centrally located, within walking distance of the pedestrian street and the Sun and Moon Pagodas. Surprisingly, the hotel was not crowded, and there were plenty of tables available during breakfast, with an outdoor veranda for taking photos. The staff was very friendly and always willing to help. Regarding the bike ride in the countryside, we initially hesitated due to the number of scooters on the path and roads. However, Mike quickly adapted the plan and took us on a walking trip through the countryside instead, which was much more enjoyable. We also found the visit to the Tea Research Institute very interesting. It covered the tea production process for various types of tea, the grading system, and the medicinal effects of different teas, such as caffeine-free teas for nighttime and teas beneficial for cholesterol levels. We've been told by friends who have visited Guilin that it is a must-see destination in China. We had seen photos, but this is a place that must be experienced in person to truly appreciate its beauty. We only wish we had more time there. We have found China Culture Tour to be an excellent tour company, and we've mentioned how well they planned our trip in our previous reviews. The high level of service continued throughout the tour. Before Guilin, our previous destination was Chengdu. After searching many places for a soft toy panda for our daughter (who loves pandas), we found one on display in a shop, but it wasn't open yet. We asked our tour guide Leah whether we could return to the shop to buy the panda, and she said, "Absolutely, no problem!" We were able to purchase the panda, which turned out to be the last one in stock. It seemed like the panda was meant for our daughter—wasn't it? However, as we were heading to our next destination by train, we realised that the bag containing the panda was missing. We immediately called Mike to see if he could help find it. We also called Leah in Chengdu to ask if she could help us get another panda from the shop. She replied right away, saying she would go to the shop and try to buy it for us. Meanwhile, Mike returned to the station to help locate the missing panda. To our surprise, he managed to find it—left at the baggage-checking station! Shortly thereafter, Mike sent us a photo of the parcel with the panda, which he arranged to have delivered to our hotel in Zhangjiajie, our next destination. This experience is a testament to how well this company treats its clients. Nothing is too much trouble. Our tour is closely monitored, and Nora checks in with us regularly to ensure everything is going smoothly.