Reviews

Enjoyed our time during the Gems of China holiday. Saw all the main attractions that you would expect to see, Forbidden Palace and Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors and Pandas at the Panda Conservation Centre. We also enjoyed the shows that were included, especially the Romance of China show during cruise along Yangtze River which we would highly recommend. Our national guide Alice was a true Gem who treated us all as family rather than customers. Our only criticism would be that too much was crammed into each day and we would have appreciated the opportunity to spend more time shopping for souvenirs.

I booked my trip then 3 days later I had to change the date the lady I spoke to was most helpful and I didn’t lose my original deposit it was just put against the new date

The tour and guide were overall were very good. However we found the tour overall tiring. This was due to travelling/visiting sites during day and then early evening dinners, with little break or rest time in between. When arriving at the next hotel, usually about 4.00, then early dinners were frequently 7.00 ish. Single night hotel stays were the hardest, as little time to relax, unpack before going off again with an 8.00 start the next day. Most hotels, whilst being well located centrally, either didn't have bars and when having hotel dinners, finished at 8.00. After a long day, getting out into the area for a group drink, was not really possible, although many of our group wanted to venture out. It maybe our age, but most were late 60's/ early 70's. It appears Japan have an early evening meal culture, and where we did venture out, most city centres seem to be closed by 9.00. Hotels varied widely in room size and facilites. A significant number we would rate as 3* with small rooms. No space to lay out large suitcases easily. I would have liked another day in Tokyo as being such a large city there was probably more to see and experience, but to complex to navigate around alone. A lot of the sights we visited were very busy. The Hiroshima museum, Golden temple and Torres Gates being examples, which detracted from what was being seen. I would recommend getting to the start hotel, a few days earlier to acclimatise and get over jet lag, when coming in from the Uk. Our Air China flights were excellent and worth considering over the Middle east carriers, as the flight home from Shanghai is 12 hours non stop, rather that a break half way through, allowing uninterrupted sleep if you can do it. Although connections didn't always line up, giving long gaps between flights in the middle of the night, with associated time differences in Shanghai.

The lady was very good answered all questions and gave a great service

Good information given.
Booking holiday quite simple.

A remarkable - but exhausting- trip that I’m glad I took, but go in ‘eyes-open’.

Above everything else, I’m incredibly glad I did this tour. The itinerary took me to genuinely dream destinations, and visiting them independently with anything approaching the same convenience would have been extremely difficult. If these places are on your wish list, go. A tour like this is a very good way of making it happen.

There are, however, some important caveats. The pace is relentless. As a relatively young, healthy and experienced traveller, I was surprised by just how exhausting I found it, at times bordering on an endurance challenge. Wendy Wu needs to be much more candid in its literature about the physical demands. Travellers can cope with a challenging itinerary much better if they are properly prepared for it.

The overall value was reasonable, with good hotels and food, but the guiding was inconsistent. Our national guide’s English was sufficient, while some local guides were difficult or, occasionally, almost impossible to understand. Considering how important guides are to both understanding the destinations and keeping a complicated itinerary running smoothly, this really needs improvement.

I’d also like to see stronger contingency planning. Crowds, weather and ticketing problems cannot always be avoided, but they can often be anticipated. When something does go wrong, there should be a clear alternative rather than the impression that the problem is being dealt with for the first time.

One area deserving unqualified praise is Wendy Wu’s UK team. They helped me arrange the trip at the last minute, and the booking, documentation and pre-departure process were all straightforward and professionally handled.

Would I travel with Wendy Wu again? Yes. I would simply arrive better prepared for the fact that the physical demands may be greater than advertised and that the experience on the ground can sometimes lack polish. It’s a remarkable itinerary with some rough edges, but for a patient, robust traveller, the rewards are considerable.

We had the most amazing 3 weeks exploring China. We were lucky enough to be part of ‘George’s family’ and had a great group who were enthusiastic and punctual.
It’s a full-on trip with long days and quite a lot of walking/stairs so a reasonable level of fitness makes it easier to manage. Some places were very crowded but you just have to go with the flow and accept it as part of the experience.
Hotels were all fine - all air conditioned and had bottled water, toiletries (inc conditioner in most) and hairdryers in all rooms.
Food was generally good - lunch and dinner were ‘lazy Susan’ style with a good variety of dishes.
We opted for the upgraded amenity package on the cruise which gave access to a dining area with a menu and it was nice to choose a meal and be served for dinner. The drinks package was good and there was also access to a lounge with drinks and snacks.
There wasn’t the opportunity to shower/change before dinner most nights but this wasn’t really a problem - a lot depended on the traffic.
We did all the additional trips offered - would recommend them all apart from the Beijing opera (but that’s personal opinion). The night show in Yangzhou is not to be missed just for the setting alone.
Toilets - these definitely ranged from 5* to no stars!! Western style were available in most places but there was often a queue. Carrying tissues was essential and also hand sanitizer.
The trains were great - allocated seats with plenty of legroom. You had to go through airport style scanners and they randomly picked out issues. Eg. My husbands shaving gel was confiscated on the 3rd train but not the first 2 journeys. There were western toilets on the trains which were clean. It’s worth noting you have to take your suitcase on escalators to get to/from the platforms as well as carry them onto the train.
Overall it was a truly fantastic holiday with a great range of experiences and we’re glad we chose Wendy Wu.

The lady who took our booking was helpful and answered our questions. She was professional and polite

We enjoyed our trip. It was well organised and well led. The itinerary was very full, and needed a fair amount of fitness - a lot of walking and climbing of steps was required. Overall, the standard of transport, hotels and food was excellent.

Excellent organisation and national guide was extremely good.

What a fabulous tour! All our guides were brilliant, with special mention for Aimee who was with us for the whole trip. The hotels were all of a very high standard, as was the Victoria Jenner, the ship we sailed the Yangtze river on. The organization was perfect, everything went according to plan and we had the most amazing group of people to share our holiday with. We had some delicious meals in some very interesting restaurants and private houses. It really was the holiday of a lifetime and the memories will stay with us forever.

A brilliant tour to see all the "expected" sights of China, plus newer tourist locations, with Fantastic tour guides to support travelers every step of the way.

Brilliant experience and well organised especially Ruby our guide

Fascinating, hugely interesting and informative of this huge country with great guides . Hotels all very good, excellent food in local restaurants a great idea rather than hotel international food. Seeing the key sights and the natural beauty of some areas was truly wonderful. I highly recommend recommend this trip.