2012-12-01 Matt Herring from USA

Tourist nationality: USA

Tour itinerary: Beijing, Xi’an

Tour Reviews:

Chase,

Sorry for the late reply. I have been rather busy since I returned. I will try to answer as best as possible.

1. For the most part, the guides did an excellent job. They were very knowledgeable about the places we visited and extremely polite. The individual on my 2nd day in Beijing even stayed and waiting with me at a hotel till my driver came to pick me up to go to the hotel. This was not necessary but she was being nice. As for the shopping, the only time I felt pressured to shop or buy something was when I was by myself in Xi'an. While in a larger tour group, I did not feel pressured to buy anything. Honestly, I don't mind going to shops like that. It beats buying souvenirs off the street.

2. The driver service was good. The drivers did an excellent job navigating the streets and traffic. They were also very friendly even with limited amount of English speaking skills.

3. I don't remember exactly all the meals I had, but my favorites are the small restaurants we visited. I was interested in trying "real" Chinese food while there as it is hard to come by authentic Chinese food in the States. The meals in Xi'an were especially good as the tour guide took me to a place for breakfast after I got off the train. The breakfast was filling and delicious. 

4. The Ibis hotel in Xi'an was the best. You did a good job setting me up in decent hotels for not that much money. The Ibis hotel was the best because it was very clean and they were very accommodating; helping me getting the internet to work among other things. 

5. You can use me as a reference or use my comments. I don't have any of my pictures on this computer. If you would like me to write more or send a few pictures, I can later on.

Thanks

Matt Herring