Reviews

We saw the main tourist things in China, such as the wall, pandas and Terracotta warriors and had a relaxing cruise on the Yangtze river with trips from the boat, including some beautiful caves, and had talks on the boat to keep us occupied when cruising.

It was a disadvantage having to leave our hotel in Shanghai at 4.30am, yes, 4.30 am, to get our internal flight to pick up the boat that afternoon. So it was a very full-on tour. Glad I did it, and plenty of photos and good memories including evening shows.

This was the holiday of a lifetime and proved to be excellent value. Everything was perfectly planned and managed by Wendy Wu Tours, from booking onwards. The schedule was jam-packed and we were able to see so many different aspects of China and its long history, accompanied by local guides in each main region who put our experiences in context for us, and our national guide who was with us from start to finish and became a valued friend. I was truly sad to leave this wonderful country.
Photos:
Nothing can prepare you for the immensity of the Terracotta Warriors display near Xi'an.
Our evening river cruise in Shanghai was unforgettable.
A peaceful afternoon by the lake at the Summer Palace in Beijing.

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The tour was managed very well. The national guide Joe was exceptional. His professionalism, knowledge and sense of humour made the trip go very well. It was also a very good group with everybody getting on well. The hotels were good and often in good locations. The food provided was very good and plentiful. In some places however e.g terracotta warriors it may have been better to provide an evening meal rather than lunch to allow more time at the venue. Having our own private facilities on the boat trip down the river Li was really nice.

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Overall we were very happy with the service and enjoyed the holiday.
We thought the national guide, Joe , was very good in his role and was also a very nice and interesting person. He was also very helpful in facilitating the retrieval of a camera left on a coach in what we thought would be an impossible task.
The tour covered what we wanted to see although in some places we felt we could have had more time to enjoy the venue e.g the Forbidden City and Summer Palace in Beijing. Also I was disappointed not to be able to do the bamboo rafting in Yangshuo because I was 70.

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Our guide Betty made us feel like our group was a family she worked non stop to ensure all run smoothly. All the sights we visited were excellent but I felt that we could have spent longer at some the terracotta warriors as we did not get to see the Emperors mausoleum. Hotels and food were of a good quality

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Delivered all that we expected would use again

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We went on The Times Ultimate Tour of China in conjunction with Wendy Woo.
We visited Tianamman Square and the Forbidden City. We had a rickshaw ride through the hutongs, a tai chi lesson in the park, attended an acrobatic show at the theatre. We took the cable car up the Great Wall and came down on a toboggan run which was great fun. We later went to the Llama Temple.
We flew from Beijing to Xian and went to see the Terracotta Warriors and later did a bike ride along the city walls of Xian and also had a calligraphy lesson.
We travelled to see the pandas in Chengdu and also the Taoist temple at Mt Quingcheng and then on to Chongquing to go on a three night Yangtze River cruise and then on to Shanghai by bus, bullet train and flight.
Our food was fantastic and inexpensive particularly in the small local restaurants.
This was definitely not a restful holiday but a fantastic experience. We had an amazing national ******, Link Lee, who made the trip really special for us and suceeded in creating a cohesive (family) group with our fellow passengers, Link Lee being the undoubted leader. This experience has given us a thirst to discover more about China and continue our travels there. We would go with Wendy Woo again and definitely Link Lee. He is a really outstanding guide who gave tirelessly of his time and energy.

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We went on The Times Ultimate Tour of China in conjunction with Wendy Woo.
We visited Tianamman Square and the Forbidden City. We had a rickshaw ride through the hutongs, a tai chi lesson in the park, attended an acrobatic show at the theatre. We took the cable car up the Great Wall and came down on a toboggan run which was great fun. We later went to the Llama Temple.
We flew from Beijing to Xian and went to see the Terracotta Warriors and later did a bike ride along the city walls of Xian and also had a calligraphy lesson.
We travelled to see the pandas in Chengdu and also the Taoist temple at Mt Quingcheng and then on to Chongquing to go on a three night Yangtze River cruise and then on to Shanghai by bus, bullet train and flight.
Our food was fantastic and inexpensive particularly in the small local restaurants.
This was definitely not a restful holiday but a fantastic experience. We had an amazing national ******, Link Lee, who made the trip really special for us and suceeded in creating a cohesive (family) group with our fellow passengers, Link Lee being the undoubted leader. This experience has given us a thirst to discover more about China and continue our travels there. We would go with Wendy Woo again and definitely Link Lee. He is a really outstanding guide who gave tirelessly of his time and energy.

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The national tour guide Addison is an asset to the success of the tour ... his dedication ensured that our experience was memorable , action packed , well organised and amazing adventure he is a credit to the company , he is well informed , hard working , generous , proud of his peers , assertive and a true gentleman. Natalie ( my eldest daughter aged 28) and I arrived in Shanghai ,,, One of the tour guide was waiting for us at the airport .. welcoming us to china with a great big smile. Allow me to explain in brief an introduction to our adventure known as "the glories of china" . being in such a large country as china plus I don't speak Chinese I believed traveling with Wendy wu tours would be a sensible option . At the hotel we was greeted by our national tour guide Addison , the communication between the guides is amazing , he welcomes us to china stating he is pleased to meet us , he gives us our room key with an invitation to meet for dinner in a hour . From leaving the taxi to arriving in our room took maximum 5 minutes. Addison had checked us in ready for our arrival , he had porters ready to help with our bags , taxi door open by the doorman , lift door open by someone else .. we feel like royalty. We meet for dinner just a short walk away from our hotel the restaurant staff great us welcome us in offering us drinks (Chinese beer is very similar to lager ). The arrangement for meals is Addison orders a selection of dishes which is shared with our new travel buddies , we will affectionately become known as the Addison family 16 in total . Our first dinner is only 8 due to others arriving late evening .. this was perfect all the dining tables are circular most with a lazy Susan ( turn table ) in the centre so here we are sharing a new experience , culture , food and practising chop sticks with strangers !!! It was fabulous food fabulous people . After our long journey from Home to Shanghai ( 23 hours) the thought of going out to sharing food and pleasantries with strangers over dinner was not on the top of my to do list .. it's an amazing introduction to china . Brilliant evening. We are here slap bang in the middle of the Chinese New Year 2018 celebrations.. our first port of call is the the old town and yu gardens .. did I say there is a population of 26 million in Shanghai ??? Well there is !!! and I believe they was all there with us in the old town !!! What an amazing atmosphere, sights , smells , music , .. we get our first understanding as why it's a must to book on a tour . We don't join queue's we go via VIP entry on all of the excursions ( apparently Wendy wu is a very powerful woman across china and well respected ) everyone aim to please us. Shanghai known as Paris of the east with modern skyscrapers , European style mansions intermingling with shikuman buildings presents a blend of cultures modern and traditional. The old town of Shanghai where cobbled streets are lined with traditional shops selling herbal medicines, handcrafts, tea and an array of snacks .. the yu garden is the home to jade rock , goldfish ponds, pavilions, dragon walls and plants. We also go to the Silk museum, a walk around Shanghai up to the 88 floor of Jinmao tower , a ride on the maglev trains and a night cruise on huangpu river fills up a very good day .. We are driven to zhujiajiao it's a water village ( think Venice ) built on an old canal system alley ways , stone bridges, temples. We take a boat ride (Chinese style gondola ) . In and out of sights that take you by amazement at every turn . From here we now go to people square do some exercise with the locals, visit Shanghai museum finally finish the day with an evening stroll along the bund. Next day we fly to Guilin we check in to our hotel named waterfall-located on a lake. This location is breathtaking the lake has the sun ( red ) and moon ( gold ) pergolas. Our hotel becomes a waterfall daily at 9pm . ( the wall of the hotel just flows and flows water from the roof top down past the bedroom windows ) The seven star park with the mountain back drop is what makes Guilin beautiful countryside. After another tasty dinner we went for a beer or two on western street in an Irish bar . Today we cruise the li river to Yangzhou stunning scenery .. check in our hotel ready for our liu sanjie evening open air show on the lake .. the back drop is the stunning mountains , the performers are the local farmers their families and town folk . The show is directed by zhang yimou the creator of the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony. Absolutely amazing !!! A day with the local farmers land and their homes , they cook us a very tasty lunch, have a photo taken with the fisherman's two cormorants. Enjoy an hours reflexology massage feet and shoulders . Out for dinner drinks and dancing on western street . A very cultured day visiting the pearl museum , explore the sun and moon pagodas on for lake , connected by an underwater tunnel . Another night in an Irish bar there seems to be one in every town in china !!! Today we take flight to Xian visit the wild goose pagoda ( the only building that survived one of the strongest earthquakes in world history ) a night at the theatre enjoying a Tang Dynasty dancing show after sampling a feast of traditional shui jiao dumplings in comes a birthday cake !!!! My new travel Addison family and the restaurant staff sing both English and Chinese version of happy birthday .. 🥃🎂🥃.. Ok how do you describe the terracotta warriors ... one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century . I could go on and on and on with all the facts and the sheer amazement of the site however it would never prepare anyone for the experience . In the afternoon we walk the city wall ( china likes their walls ) of Xian giving us a birds eye view over this fantastic city .. followed by admiring the lights of Xian on the tang ever bright night walk marvelling at the fountain light show outside the big wild goose pagoda . I stand in the middle getting soaked from the spray totally freezing now .. shower bed fabulous . Today we travel to Beijing on the bullet train experience a rickshaw ride through the warren like hutongs ( homes ) we visit the locals part take in exercise in the park . Eat with them in their homes , very kindly they prepare a feast for all of us . Today we rise early putting our best foot forward to walk/climb the Great Wall of china !!!! Over 700 years old I find it a strange experience like I'm in a dream the day is bright blue skies visibility is perfect the climb is steep however it's a must do temp -3 c. On route to summer palace we have a photo stop opportunity at the famous nest and cube Beijing Olympic stadiums. Call in at the jade museum. I strike the massive Buddhist bell in summer palace a former holiday retreat for Qing emperors . After feasting on dinner we go to the Kung fu show/story. Is it possible to see and experience more ??? Tiananmen Square , temple of heaven , forbidden city topped off with an evening on feasting on Peking duck .. is just a brief of my last day on the tour . Sorry the blog is lengthily I have not include all my experience as it would be a book .

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Every minute of the tour is fabulous 👍😎👍

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The booking process & pre holiday information were good. The national tour guide Britney was brilliant - knowledgeable, supportive & good fun. We enjoyed seeing the sights, walking, hiking and cycling. We had a wonderful holiday

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Very enjoyable holiday with good food, great company & wonderful tours. Highlights included hiking on the Great Wall & visiting the Terracotta Warriors

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Our national guide Kevin was outstanding- really helpful and informative

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Yangtze cruise excellent and comfortable. A highlight, as was the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall.
Suggestions for improvements:
- shorter time at shopping opportunities
- more time at wonderful Shanghai Museum
- night tour at Xian should not be optional extra, but part of the tour

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Our guide Jason was tireless and every day worked long hours. He was always cheerful, helpful and polite. He was excellent. The visit of the Chinese president to locations we were due to visit threw our schedule into disarray but he reorganised everything at short notice and we saw everything we should.

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Very interesting covering the iconic terracotta warriors and the Great Wall but also shows, museums, amazing parks, maglev train trips, boat trips. Such a wide range of Cinese Experiences. Also interesting to hear about life in China from our guides.

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The tour was superb, with excellent organisation, everything on hand when it was needed, and personal attention from our tour leader when necessary. Christian was an excellent leader, and we had no criticisms. I have slightly restricted mobility, and very much appreciated Christian's care whenever there was a potential difficulty. He was such a pleasant and cheerful companion and the whole group enjoyed his company.

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The tour was comprehensive and well planned, with a glimpse of many aspects of China. We particularly enjoyed the Terracotta Warriors and the Yangtse Cruise, but all the sections were full of interest. The size of the group was perhaps too large - 18-25 would have been easier to manage.

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Overall a good tour, Garry had an excellent sense of humour but there are Tour timing issues that need to be reviewed. Local guides can improve the experience and would expect they guide not lecture on the coach and prior to visit and eat into the viewing time without escourting us around. GW of China visit could have been much better by going to Badaling an easier access but not selected as it was easier for the coach driver to park where we stopped. Also FAR too short a time at Terracotta warriors and Pandas and needs to be seriously reviewed as they are the main stars of the tour.

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TIPS are not a Chinese way of life yet Wendy Wu demand tips up front in cash US dollars = 24 x £90 ! We suspect these so called 'tips' are their Fees for self employed guiding services and not a tip. Other German guests on the Yangzee cruise had not paid any up front tips as demanded by Wendy Wu, this is an American way of service not Chinese! Food in some local restaurants were excellent but many meals were processed in large 'tourist style' restaurants offering low quality ingredient meals.They had better meals on offer but must have been down to how little Wendy Wu paid.

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The national guide, Ryan, was very good, listening to the views of the group and sorted out any problems that occurred (There weren't many)

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A lot of travelling which was tiring, but that was expected. Everything went smoothly but at times too quickly. More time should be spent at certain highlights such as The Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors and Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

Meals are now served in local restaurants instead of 'tourist' restaurants and is much better, but the local guides, who select the restaurants and menu should listen more to the wishes of the tour group, especially when selecting the menu. We got the impression that the local guide in Shanghai, Steven, was selecting the cheaper items from the menu. This was sorted by Ryan.

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For younger people, mainly over 65 on our tour, the walking and steps were just too much for us, and we are active folk. So many were complaining of the walking and too many flights.

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Again China has too many steps 493 on one trip, we were warned and \I thihnk 3 couples went. Definately for folk under the age of 65 years.

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Great our guide Link Lee was very good!!

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Very crowded but well organised would recommend to others

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We had a superb experience from our initial booking phone call until we arrived home after the holiday of a lifetime. Staff at Wendy Wu were always helpful and efficient. It was great that they arranged our visas for us and the cost of this was included in our trip. All tour guides were very professional and keen to please. I would definitely recommend Wendy Wu tours to my friends and family.

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An amazing trip that we will never forget. We saw so many of the key sights that we wanted to. Highlights for me included cuddling a baby panda at the Breeding centre in Chengdu, seeing the Terracotta Warriors and stunning scenery on our Yangtze River Cruise. I definately recommend the additional excursion to the Shadow Play Gorge 'Tribe of the Three Gorges' and the pea pod boat trip along the Wu Shan Valley. Our tour group consisted of 29 people ranging from 30 - 82 and we all got on really well like a big family. This trip was certainly worth the years of saving that we did in advance.