Program : Shanghai – Beijing – Jinshanling – Pingyao – Xi’an – Luoyang – Zhengzhou – Guilin – Ping’an – Yangshuo – Guangzhou
Hello Stéphane,
We’ve been back from our trip for a few weeks now. Everything went very well and we were generally very happy with the organization.
Here are some notes to give you feedback.
- Very well organized transportation, drivers on time, clear instructions, and trouble-free train travel. The train option suited us, and I’m glad we opted for two night trains. It was well-suited to the family (four per compartment) and saved us two long daytime trips.
- We were greeted, in addition to our driver, by a French-speaking guide upon exiting the Luoyang train (while he was managing another group).
- Very friendly: he explained the train tickets the driver gave us, gave us tips for visiting the caves and the Shaolin Temple…
- Hotels in Shanghai, Beijing, and Ping’An were clean and met our expectations, well-located, no complaints.
- The one in Xi’An (Gudu Impression Zuoyouke) is of a much higher standard: also well-located, newer, with a personal touch, attentive staff, and very nice amenities.
Disappointing points:
- Having to fight in hotels in Shanghai and Beijing to get connecting rooms even though we had discussed this together:
- Shanghai: They finally looked (and found) but we had to insist.
- Beijing: Categorical refusal because there were no options, and according to them, it hadn’t been requested.
- A shame because, especially at the beginning of the trip and in a hotel of this size, the children were not very reassured.
- The driver in Xi’An wasn’t very ‘customer-oriented,’ unlike all the others.
- Hotel in Yangshuo: A little older than the previous ones, but that didn’t bother us because the room was clean, the family room was available, and the staff was very nice (the only ones who actually spoke English!) and attentive. On the other hand, it’s certainly quiet compared to the city, but it’s also very isolated (45 minutes on foot/ferry).
- The path isn’t lit at night, whereas you can find squashed snakes during the day. It’s difficult to tell if it’s the right path without lighting, and you have to cross some unsettling corners: you pass through the middle of a scrapyard, almost a dump, then the edge of a farm with howling dogs, you pass by buildings whose construction has stopped but not finished…
- I think you should warn customers that they have to take a taxi to avoid this very unpleasant impression. In daylight, it’s less unpleasant, but still not great.
Regarding our program:
- Shanghai: We could have had an extra half day (if I had better managed the outbound flight days), but we did the main thing.
- Luckily, we left by train because a typhoon was forecast and all flights were canceled!
- Beijing: Forbidden City, Hutong District, Tien Square, Temple of Heaven Park: Everything is superb, and we had a little rain on the first day, but blue skies on the second day (who dares to talk about pollution?). We would have needed an extra day because we didn’t have time to visit the Summer Palace and the modern city, and we had little time to wander around.
- Jinshanling: I hesitated with the more classic area of the wall for the kids’ toboggan run, but no regrets because we saw a corner that was certainly more authentic, wilder, and with fewer people. It was a beautiful day there too. Xi’An: Lots of people at the Terracotta Army (I did it in winter without anyone there, I was surprised!). Wild Goose Pagoda, old town… very good, good timing, very hot too.
- Longmen: We liked the caves site less: lots of people, intense heat (due to the season), and a tedious aspect because we had to “find” all these Buddhas (some very beautiful).
- We would have ultimately preferred more time at Shaolin (perhaps also because we had already seen Buddhist sites outside of China).
PingAn: Certainly touristy, but very pleasant, beautiful, and relaxing. - Yangshuo: It’s really a tourist town, like a seaside resort in France, if I may dare to make the comparison.
- We went to Xingping for a cruise departure, and the town still seemed a little more “authentic” and quieter. The region is superb, we took a cruise on the Li River (very touristy, but so beautiful), a scooter ride on the isolated trails… great
In short, in the end, a very nice trip (I had no doubt about it), a good performance from China Roads, the next stop will be Yunnan but not immediately!
Best wishes,
Sincerely,
Caroline