Great in country experience.
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One of my many highlights was being able to explore on our own and interact with the community. Yes, seeing all the sites was truly breathe taking, however, being able to communicate and interact with the locals were a true highlight for me.
We saw so many incredible and varied sites throughout China. It was a wonderful itinerary that gave us the opportunity to experience history, nature, culture, and modern cities. We also loved shopping in the Muslim Quarter and on Jinli Street. Those were some of our favorite experiences because they gave us time to explore on our own. Most of all, we appreciated the attention and care from Kai and all of our local guides. Kai is knowledgeable, easy to understand, organized, and genuinely kind to everyone in the group. He helped make the trip enjoyable for all of us. What Could Be Improved Hotels The Beijing Laurel Hotel should be replaced with a different hotel closer to the city center. After a very long international flight and a late-night arrival, the long drive from the airport made the first night especially exhausting. The air conditioning in the rooms was also inadequate, making it difficult to sleep comfortably. We heard others in the group say their air conditioning didn’t work well too. The Holiday Inn Express hotels in Xi’an and Chengdu were otherwise comfortable, but the smoke smell throughout the hotels—including inside guest rooms—was very noticeable. This made the stay difficult for travelers with allergies or smoke sensitivities. Flights Two connections to China was draining. One connection would be better and it would improve the trip for the flight not to arrive so late at night especially when it is an hour drive to the hotel. Pacing Consider alternating early mornings with later starts whenever possible. By the end of the tour, the consecutive early mornings left many of us feeling exhausted. Lunch was often scheduled quite late, followed by an early dinner. This meant we were extremely hungry by lunchtime but then not very hungry for dinner. Better communication about lunch plans would also help travelers know when they should bring extra snacks. At the Terracotta Warriors, for example, we ate from a very limited selection of food vendors before realizing there were restaurants nearby. Some sightseeing days could be shortened slightly to allow for more downtime. For example, the mountain and irrigation system day was very long and tiring, especially with an early flight the following morning. Likewise, after spending several hours outdoors at the panda conservatory, many of us would have appreciated free time instead of continuing on to the tea farm. Overall, we had a wonderful experience and are grateful for the opportunity to see so much of China. These changes would make an already excellent itinerary even more comfortable and enjoyable for future travelers.
It is awesome. We had great experiences with culture exploitation, food experience and transportation.