Disappointing Experience with Asia Odyssey Travel – 13-Day China Tour
We have just returned from our 13-day tour of China, from Beijing to Shanghai, and unfortunately, I would not recommend Asia Odyssey Travel to my friends. As this was our first organised tour, we chose the agency to ensure everything was taken care of and we could enjoy a stress-free holiday. While the itinerary was excellent, the overall experience was disappointing. Itinerary: Excellent and the main reason we chose this agency. Accommodation: The hotels in Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin and Yangshuo were good. However, in Zhangjiajie and Shanghai, our rooms faced internal corridors and staff facilities, resulting in very little daylight and constant noise. The agency compensated us with better rooms at two subsequent stops, but the repeated lack of attention to room allocation left us feeling neglected. Transfers: Mostly smooth, but one flight was rescheduled because the agency could not secure our original choice. We consequently had to leave our hotel at 4:30 a.m. instead of taking the planned evening flight. Tour guides: Our experience was mixed. Our first guide in Beijing was inexperienced, but his replacement, Kevin, was excellent. In Xi’an, our guide was knowledgeable and friendly, but we later discovered that two planned activities had been skipped. Although the agency refunded us, we were disappointed to have missed experiences we might never get to enjoy again. In Zhangjiajie, Trevo was outstanding—professional, responsive and a real highlight of our trip. In Guilin and Yangshuo, our guide lacked the local experience needed to advise us on the best viewing spot for the Yellow Dragon Parade, and was absent during a key explanation on the Li River cruise. Our Shanghai guide, Rachel, was also excellent. We have chosen not to name the guides whose service disappointed us, as we believe it is the agency’s responsibility to ensure consistent quality. Overall verdict: The itinerary was excellent, and we met some wonderful guides. However, repeated issues with accommodation, a disruptive flight change and missed activities meant that we spent too much time dealing with problems instead of enjoying our holiday. We chose Asia Odyssey Travel to make our trip smooth and stress-free. Sadly, the experience fell short of those expectations. With better attention to detail, planning and quality control, this could have been a fantastic holiday. Unfortunately, we returned feeling disappointed rather than fully satisfied with what should have been a memorable trip.