Okay, I've now had some time to draw breath and recover from the wonder Inspirational China holiday I recently went on with JustYou. I know the China holiday is a popular trip and has been reviewed several times already, but thought some people out there might appreciate a comprehensive up-to-date review for easy reference. So here goes...
Firstly, from my own perspective, this was my fourth holiday with JustYou, having previously done the Pyramids and Nile Cruise, Spirit of India, and Argentina & Brazil tours, so I generally knew what to expect in terms of procedure and organisation. Even so, this was a slightly new experience for me as I was on the special Manchester departure, and so for the first time I was able to meet all of my fellow travellers at the outset rather than requiring a connecting flight first. We had our own executive lounge at Manchester airport which was the ideal setting to start getting to know one another. Although I was in plenty of time, I was actually the last our our 17-strong group to get there and I found everyone happily chatting away to one another as though they'd been friends for ages. It's not easy to wander in as a complete stranger into a group situation like this, but everyone was welcoming and included me in straight away. And there was a real buzz of anticipation as we speculated on what lay ahead of us. No sign of nerves from anyone... We were all quickly becoming friends and looking forward to having a great holiday together.
Our flight was long, with a brief changeover in Doha (Qatar) and when we arrived in Beijing the crowds trying to get through immigration seemed huge and chaotic, but we had the skill and experience of our JY Tour Leader Susan Hussain to shepherd us all through safely and more quickly than would probably have been the case if we'd been left to our own devices.
As detailed in the itinerary, following the day of our arrival the holiday basically comprised of three full days in Beijing, 2 days in Xian (pronounced 'She-Ann'), 2 and a half days in Chengdu (pronounced 'Chong-doo') and finally 2 and a half days in Shanghai. Because of the vast size of China, the journey between each city was done via aeroplane. Beijing to Xian was about 1hr 20mins, Xian to Chengdu was 90mins, and Chengdu to Shanghai was about 2.5hrs. There is of course the option of an add-on cruise along the Yangtse River, but I didn't go on that myself so won't include it in this review.
The things JY take you to see on this trip are many and varied, and we packed a huge amount in. Days therefore tended to be long – departures in the morning were typically around 8am (meaning you had to be up out of bed by at least 6.30am), evening meals tended to be around 6:30pm, although on a couple of occasions they were a little later.
The four hotels were all of a very high standard, and had a big selection of western food available for breakfast. Lunches and dinners (which were all provided, making this holiday exceptional value) were nearly all Chinese banquets, with the dishes served on a 'lazy susan' (rotating disc) from which you help yourself, with water, beer or tea to drink (no wine unless you paid extra). The meals typically included chicken, fish, pork, tofu, green beans, aubergine and boiled rice. Beef was less commonly seen, as were noodles. Different regions of China have different cuisine, so in Xian for example we tended to get dumplings a lot, whereas in Chengdu the dishes were sometimes a bit spicier. There was always a good selection, but be warned – the dishes come in a seemingly random order so sometimes you can get the rice or the soup last of all. And it was always watermelon for dessert! Every meal was in a different restaurant, some very nice with staff in colourful traditional costumes, some venues far more bland.
http://www.cwtc.com/cwtc/office/eoffice_three.html depicts it, and the beige building in the foreground is the hotel). Well, there was a nice bar/lounge on the 80th floor which some of us tried in the evenings. There's no entry charge, but drinks are expensive (a Tsingtao beer was in the region of £10) – but for a bar with a nice relaxing atmosphere, live music (not loud) and unbeatable views of the city, the cost was justified in my opinion. And the peanuts were free!
The other three hotels seemed a little bit nearer to things if you wanted to venture out on foot, but all were on busy roads and you have to be very careful when crossing – as our guide said, traffic signals in China are regarded as just a suggestion to the motorists!
The hotel rooms were well stocked, and most had free wi-fi and a selection of different plug sockets including UK-style ones. Beware though, the hotels use cards for getting into rooms and you also have to put the cards into slots to switch the power on in your room. So if you want to leave something charging in your room you have to remember to use one of the special 24hr sockets or else leave your keycard in the slot (hope that makes sense).
The weather, we found, could be as changeable as the UK. Going in September, it was always warm, never dipping below 20 Celsius. At times it was clear and sunny, at other times cloudy, and we did get some sustained spells of rain. The local guides are flexible with the itinerary though and they will juggle things around if necessary to ensure you get the best possible experience. So we enjoyed Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in glorious sunshine, for example, as well as during an afternoon when there were fewer people around (apparently those sites can get very crowded). It can get quite humid too – I noticed this particularly when I was up on the Great Wall and commented that perhaps the holiday's name needed to be changed from Inspirational China to Perspirational China!
The cities are huge and still expanding fast – plenty of buildings can be seen under construction. Obviously everything is in Chinese but you will see a lot of signs in English, too. Roads are busy but not too chaotic like some countries. Everywhere is really clean thanks to the many efficient street sweepers. There's almost no graffiti, and no pigeons! Few beggars are seen. Here and there at some of the tourist sites you will get some street traders trying to sell you various items including postcard packs, fridge magnets and various small toys. Usually if you're not interested they will leave you alone, but if you show some interest they might get a little more persistent. Nothing too bad, though.
The Chinese people are generally well behaved and friendly. They have certain traits which we would consider rude but which are perfectly normal to them, such as pushing in instead of queuing, sneezing/coughing without covering their face, or spitting in the street. Some places you visit have tourists from other parts of China who have never seen foreign people before, so you will attract a lot of curious looks and may even take on celebrity status if one or two of them are brave enough to ask if they can take a photo of you. If you find a way to break the ice, you will find the Chinese love to interact with you and are all nice people. It certainly felt safe at all times to walk around on one's own, I never felt intimidated, but obviously be aware of potential dangers such as pickpockets, always possible in crowded tourist spots anywhere in the world, and obviously don't walk off with anybody you don't know as it may be a scam.
I wondered if, being a communist country, China was be strict and oppressive, but it seemed surprisingly laid back to me. Police presence was low and unobtrusive. There are some security checks to go through when entry certain high profile sites, but these were generally routine. They do seem to be very fussy about cigarette lighters or matches though, or indeed anything resembling them. You may sometimes have to take electronic items (cameras, iPads, batteries) out of your bag to be scanned separately. One or two security checks were waived completely once the local guide explained to the officials that we were in an organised tour group. One advantage of going with JY!
Toilets, as you may have gathered from other reviews, can often be of the hole-in-the-ground variety, but there are usually some western-style ones available all the places visited on the trip. The situation does seem to be improving. Carry toilet paper with you as there's not always some available, and also take plenty of hand wipes/gel as even things such as the money can be a little dirty sometimes. I don't thing anybody on our trip suffered from any tummy trouble though. A few got some insect bites, but there weren't plagues of mosquitos around. You shouldn't need to take any anti-malaria medication, just use repellant.
Use of cameras and camcorders was not restricted, except (understandably) for the live stage shows or inside temples. Taking pictures of soldiers or policemen is not advised either. A couple of the stage shows did permit still photography, provided no flashes were used.
Of my four trips with JY, this tour definitely had the least free time. After the first day, there was virtually no proper free time until the final day, unless you either (i) missed out on some of the excursions, or (ii) cut into your valuable sleeping time by getting up earlier than necessary or staying up late. The odd hour or half-hour you got here and there was needed for a refresh or to quickly change before going off out again. Of course, you get time on your own at each site to wander around and explore, but sometimes even this felt a little rushed. The plus side to all this, of course, is that we packed a huge amount in, and once back home you forget the hectic pace and instead just remember all the fantastic places you experienced.
And the Manchester departure option got a definite thumbs up from all of our group - more please, JY!
