Weeks in China

We spent 5 weeks’ touring China during May - June 2010, with the help of Online China Tours. They gave us a private travel, which is my thought before, for we did not want to be herded like cattle as so often happens on other tours. Besides, Online China Tours did a great work for my trip, which I still think is the best trip I have been to.
Our 5 weeks’ journey covered the cities of Beijing, Xi'an, Lhasa, Chengdu, Chongqing, cruising down the Yangtze, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Guilin, Yangshuo, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-la and Hong Kong. Each city has unique sites and different but decilious food. There is so much to see and so little time; we wish that we could have spent longer in China. May be next time next route in China.
We started in Beijing where we met our first guide. He provided an excellent tour of many sites including the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven. One of our initial concerns was if there would be a guide to meet us at each new city and how would we recognize them. Upon arrival at each city there was always a smiling guide eager to show us their city, even when the plane arrived several hours late. Traveling alone on public transport, and not being able to speak Chinese, was never a problem.
Some of the more memorable sites were the Great Wall, so many stairs to climb; the Ding Tomb Sacred Road was very interesting and previously unknown to us; of course the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi'an, but also the Great Mosque and the history surrounding it; Potala Palace was breathtaking and not just because of the altitude; petting the Giant Pandas at the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in Chengdu was very special; the Yangtze Cruise will long be remembered as will the changes brought about by the Three Gorges Dam; the gardens in Suzhou and Hangzhou are to be envied for their beauty; meeting some Yao women while climbing up the mountains in the rain in Longsheng Autonomous County outside of Guilin was a unforgettable experience; the mountains that ring Guilin seem to spring up out of the ground like dragon teeth; the spectacular beauty of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain outside of Lijiang is unspoiled by man; the contrast of a modern vibrant Hong Kong now Chinese but with a British influence.
We started the planning of our trip with the standard tour that Online China Tours offered and modified it to suit our desires; In many cases we lengthened the time in a city so as to spend more time at each vista to get a more in depth understanding and appreciation for the culture. With Aggie as our tour advisor it was easy to tailor the trip to exactly what we wanted and we able to plan the perfect vacation. She made many helpful suggestions before we settled on the final itinerary and her thoughtfulness extended to calling and checking on us while we were in China on tour. Aggie was able to answer all of our questions before we left home and resolved the few minor problems that we encountered along our journey. If we had to do it again we would be happy to utilize online china tours and Aggie to plan another wonderful tour.
Andy&DennyJuly07, 2010