Odyssey Travel Consultant Sandra Huang’s Home Page

Unfortunately due to time we were only about to spend 1 day here which was not enough. If you are going to China Guilin is one of the most beautiful places to visit and relax and I would recommend trying to spend a few days here if you can. We were extremely please with our tour. John Zhang our guide was the best. He managed to fit in as much as he could in the little time we had however nothing ever felt rushed. The Reed flute caves were spectacular and John was very informative and knew all the best photo spots. The trip down the Li river was a highlight for us. It was so beautiful and peaceful. We loved every moment of it. John took us to some great local places to eat and made sure that we ordered food we would like and that we were never hungry. We learnt so much about Guilin and it's culture. Johns English was excellent and he really went out of his way to make us feel welcome and make sure that we had the best experience possible. He was very generous and passionate about Guilin. If you are looking to do a tour I recommend Odyssey tours and asking for John Zhang as your guide. Definitely stay a few days as so much to see and do and you will not be disappointed. We can't wait to go back

As part of a larger private tour with Odyssey, our guide was waiting for us when we arrived on the bullet train from Beijing over an hour late. Ms. Nancy Song was simply the BEST guide we had throughout our 11 day tour. We met as strangers and left as friends. Nancy's English was excellent, her knowledge remarkable, and she was kind and fun to be around. She entertained our children (ages 10,13 & 15) and kept an eye out for my mother who was over 70. The cold water was a blessing on the hot days. And our driver was super as was the van - it even had a table for the kids to play cards on.

Our tour began the next morning with the Terracotta Warriors which was a highlight my eldest son, a history buff, was looking forward to. Nancy took the time to tell the history of the site and allowed us all the time we wanted to watch, take pictures and explore. Afterwards, she brought us to a wonderful lunch and then help my boys bargain for souvenirs. Afterwards, we visited the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and again Nancy was full of stories that made the history of China come alive. Afterwards, our driver delivered us to our hotel to freshen up before a night show, The Tang Dynasty Dancing Show & Dumpling Dinner. It was fun and the dumplings were delicious. Nancy not only helped us find our seats, but took the time to inform our waitress that we did not want anything spicy. This allowed us to try the different dumplings without worrying about what's inside. In addition, she helped the boys who where not attending the show with directions to Muslim Street which they thoroughly enjoyed.

We stayed at Skytel Xian which was an average hotel; but in a fabulous location within an easy walk to the Bell Tower and the Ancient City Wall.

The next morning we visited the Ancient City Wall early before it got too hot. The idea of riding a bike along the wall looked like fun, but it was just too hot and humid the day we were there. Afterwards, we headed to a local family's home and learned how to cook dumplings and make noodles - the kids loved this. The lady who owned the apartment was gracious and the lunch was delicious. Again, I believe Nancy had discussed with the owner our preferred tastes, so we loved all the food she prepared. Seeing an actual apartment and meeting the owner was a wonderful experience that I would highly recommend. Afterwards we went o the Shaanixi History Museum which was interesting but too busy being a Saturday. Before we knew it, our time in historic Xi'an was over and we were off to the airport heading to our next destination.

If you are looking for a travel company, I would highly recommend China Odyssey and especially Nancy Song while you are in Xi'an.

After taking the bullet train from Ningbo to Beijing, we were met by Ms. Yoke and taken to our spacious van to be transported to our hotel by Mr. Ai. Both our driver and guide were outstanding! Mr. Ai was always on time, smiled and delivered us safely to our destination and Ms. Yoke was kind, knowledgeable, shared a wealth of knowledge and had an great grasp of the English language. We could not have been happier!! She also always had water for us to drink which was a blessing with the hot weather.

Our first morning began with a tour of Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City. We were amazed at how big the place was, it kept going and going! Be sure to have your walking shoes and camera ready - lots to see and we loved learning the history thanks to Ms. Yoke's wonderful stories. After lunch, had a Rickshaw Hutong Tour which was very interesting. Note, you will need extra tip money for this so be prepared. We felt it was worth the expense and fun to see how average people lived. Our tour guide here was good but harder to understand. Afterwards, we saw the Temple of Heaven which is beautiful and ended the day with the Legend of Kung Fu which my teenage boys really enjoyed.

The second day we headed to the Great Wall (Mutianyu section) which was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. We couldn't have asked for a better day - blue skies with a slight breeze. We rode the cable car up and took the toboggan down (this may cost a little extra). Throughout the day, Ms. Yoke taught us about the history of China and was able to keep our children entertained. She took special care of my mother who is in her seventies, insuring she had places to sit and rest if needed. Be prepared to walk up and down hills and stairs; but so worth the effort!! Afterwards, we had a wonderful lunch, saw the Chang Tomb and took pictures at the Olympic Bird Nest. It was a full day!

Our final morning, we visited the Summer Palace and enjoyed a relaxing boat ride. Afterwards, they brought us to the train station for a bullet train to Xian. Before Ms. Yoke left, she insured we were well taken care of and set up with the Red Hats (cost $150yuans; but well worth it if you have lots of luggage).

It was Sandra at China Odyssey that help create this eleven day trip - and she did an amazing job!! They do live up to their saying... "You are never alone in China"

My father (62) and I (31) have just finished our tour in Beijing. We have spent the last 4 days here.

Our guide Kurt and the driver Mr Pien made the trip for us. Nothing was too hard or too far. They were flexible and accommodating.
Kurt would recommend local restaurants and dishes, and trust me, he was always right.
We saw wonderful sights, breathtaking views and the real Beijing.
With Kurt's knowledge and excellent english we were able to understand much more about China's rich history.

If you want to come to China do it with Odyssey and ask for Kurt.

Such a short time in this amazing city,but Nancy certainly made it one to remember!! From the Terracotta Warriors to the night markets....Nancy went above and beyond any expectations we had,making our holiday one we will never forget.....thank you again Nancy and China Odyssey Tours...would recommend this to everyone wishing to travel to China...

What a vibrant young man and perfect English with a great sense of humor add to that his knowledge of every place he took us to! We met him in Guilin, went down the river and overnight in Yangshuo after an amazing cycle tour and the most awesome show on the water that evening, the next day we visited the reed flute cave, I can honestly say I have never seen anything more beautiful!! Thanks Li for making our time there so special.

We travelled for 3 weeks with China Odyssey tours throughout China and Tibet. It was a wonderful experience! Our private guide in Chengdu..Catherine, was wonderful and made our stay perfect! We stayed at the Sofitel which was excellent and well situated. Our day trip to see the Pandas was one of the highlights of our trip! Thank you Catherine and Odyssey for making our trip so memorable!

Our whole trip to China and Tibet was booked through China Odyssey. Our 3 days in X'ian did not disappoint. Our guide Mr Lee and our driver made the whole stay wonderful! The Wyndham Grand was the best hotel we have ever stayed in, in over 30 years of luxury travel....worth it just for this amazing hotel! Of course our main purpose in visiting was the Terracotta Warriors which were marvellous but we will definitely return to this beautiful city to explore more! Thank you China Odyssey and Co!

We had a wonderful time in Xian with special thanks to our amazing tour guide Nancy! She want above and beyond helping us every step of the way and was incredibly informative about the sights, city and history. We saw amazing sights in Xian including the Terra Cotta Warriors, biked the Ming Dynasty Walls, had a dumpling buffet while enjoying the Tang Dynasty dancers and music, Xian History Museum, the Buddhist temple and Muslim market. We loved the city and had a great time getting to know Nancy and appreciated all of her help and expertise in the city! Thank you for making our trip a trip of a lifetime!

Many thanks to Odessey Tours, Wendy Li, our guide, and Mr. Young, our driver, for a most memorable trip to China! They guided us through Guilin, the unforgettable rice terraces at Longsheng, and the breathtaking beauty of the tranquil Li River at Yangshuo. The hotels chosen for us were excellent: Guilin Shangri-la, LiAn Lodge Longsheng, Banyan Tree Yangshuo. We're looking forward to our Odessey trip next year to Beijing & Shanghai!