It was a fantastic holiday and an experience I will never forget.

There were so many magical moments - walking on the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors and watching the pandas at the breeding centre being just a few.

Our tour manager Rob Sharp was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and made the whole trip so easy.The local guides that accompanied us at each stage (David - Beijing, Mervyn - Xian, Alex - Chengdu and Agnes - Shanghai) were all enthusiastic and enjoyed teaching us about their city/country.

The food was lovely and there was always plenty of choices. Hotels were all of a high standard and rooms very comfortable.

The people on the tour were great, with a wide range of ages from 23 to 71 and such unique characters that contributed to an amazing experience.

If anyone is thinking of doing this tour I would not hesitate to recommend it.

If anyone has any questions i would be more than happy to try and answer them for you.

Jayne :thumbup:

Glad you enjoyed it - it does look fantastic. I'm doing the same trip on Sept 9th & would appreciate any tips such as how many Yuan you took/spent, any packing tips (I always take too many clothes & end up not wearing them all so am trying to cut down!). I am hoping not to have to take dressy things, makes it easier for the living out of a suitcase scenario! At the moment Beijing looks hot & Shanghai wet. How did the weather vary in Xian, Chengdu & on the cruise? Any other thoughts would be much appreciated!

Marilyn

Hi Jayne

Glad you enjoyed it - it does look fantastic. I'm doing the same trip on Sept 9th & would appreciate any tips such as how many Yuan you took/spent, any packing tips (I always take too many clothes & end up not wearing them all so am trying to cut down!). I am hoping not to have to take dressy things, makes it easier for the living out of a suitcase scenario! At the moment Beijing looks hot & Shanghai wet. How did the weather vary in Xian, Chengdu & on the cruise? Any other thoughts would be much appreciated!

Marilyn

Hi Marilyn,

After reading some of the other reviews before I went I purchased some packing cubes (got mine from Amazon but i'm sure other retailers sell them) which worked really well for me. I put shorts/cropped trousers in one and t-shirts in another for daytime wear and then just took two pairs of evening trousers and a couple of tops for evenings in another. This meant that I didn't need to unpack everything and could just take out what I needed for each day (I also packed some travel wash and it was easy to rinse things through ready to wear again). There are a few nights when people dressed up but smart casual was acceptable (there were a couple of nights when we didn't make it back to the hotel and went straight out to dinner. Packing some body wipes in your handbag to freshen up is a good idea). Comfy shoes are a must - there is a lot of walking and many steps!!

We were lucky with the weather, it was dry and humid and we managed to miss the rains through the main part of the tour (apart from one evening when it was torrential and we were stuck in a Beijing traffic jam for 3.5 hours!!). It did however rain for the duration of the cruise so packing a lightweight waterproof is a good idea.

As for spending money I took £300 of Yuan and then used my debit card to get more out as needed. There are ATM's in the lobby of a couple of the hotels but the guides will show you the nearest one if not (I had informed my bank before leaving). Tipping is advised at 10 Yuan a day for the drivers (who do an amazing job - wont scare you but it does appear very hectic!!) and 20 Yuan for the local guides. You can pay by credit/debit card at the silk & jade factories and then you just pay for drinks/gifts etc so the amount you need is dependent on what you wish to buy. On the last day in Shanghai our TM took us to a department store that was filled with genuine fake goods and for that he advised cash only so we didn't come back to any nasty surprises!

I'm sure that you will have a fantastic time and I hope I've managed to answer your questions.

Jayne x

Hello again JaneyW. I've put a few pictures on my facebook page if you want to see them. Unfortunately I can't find the contact sheet Bob did for us so if you want more pictures send me a private facebook message.

Hi John,

sorry, not on facebook but I have the contact list and will e-mail you shortly. It was an amazing holiday and I thank you and all of my fellow travelers for making it an experience to remember.

Jayne x

Marilyn

I've also done this trip (Oct 2014) and it's busy but you will have a super time.

One other packing tip that I've picked up from a few years of JY trips is that, instead of taking new or favourite clothes, I go to a charity shop and get a selection of t-shirts and sweaters etc. Then, instead of ending up with a suitcase full of dirty washing that you have to haul round at the end of the trip, I simply discard used items as I go along. That way, I've made a small donation to charity, I have more space in my case and, if it does get lost in transit, I haven't lost any clothes I value.

The downside of having more space in the case, of course, is that you end up buying more clothes and souvenirs as you go along but, hey, that's what holidays are for:thumbup:

Happy to help if you've got any other questions

Mandy

Hi Tracy

I've also done this trip (Oct 2014) and it's busy but you will have a super time.

One other packing tip that I've picked up from a few years of JY trips is that, instead of taking new or favourite clothes, I go to a charity shop and get a selection of t-shirts and sweaters etc. Then, instead of ending up with a suitcase full of dirty washing that you have to haul round at the end of the trip, I simply discard used items as I go along. That way, I've made a small donation to charity, I have more space in my case and, if it does get lost in transit, I haven't lost any clothes I value.

The downside of having more space in the case, of course, is that you end up buying more clothes and souvenirs as you go along but, hey, that's what holidays are for:thumbup:

Happy to help if you've got any other questions

Mandy

Hi Aelb

I'm going on the China tour this October and wondered if you could tell me what sort of weather you experienced?

Thanks of the packing tip, I will consider that.

Nicki