There are three of us interested in the China Explored tour in May. and wanted some comments from previous travellers who have been on the tour or those who have been to China. The following is a list of questions that we had.
1. What is the weather like in May?
2. The tour costs $2,049 CAD, am I getting a good deal b/c it seems excessive since most of the tour consists of public transport and pretty much no meals.
3. There appears to be a lot of free time available so I would like to know approx. how much additional costs for these days I should budget for (i.e. for tranportation, entrance fees etc.)
4. Any suggestions on what to do with all the free time?
5. Comments on your experience with the "hard sleeper trains".
6. Overall general experience with the imaginative traveller.
7. Other expenses you incurred that I should keep in mind.
8. What were the accomadations like and what should I expect/not expect?
9. On a ranking scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank the China Explored tour.
10. Any other comments?
Long list of questions but it is our first time to China and we want to make sure our experience is enjoyable and unforgettable. Thank-you for your comments in advance.
P.S. We are also travelling to Vietnam and Thailand before we head to China. Anyone interested in meeting us please indicate in your response with e-mail address.
Ton
Re: China Explored
Ton
I went on the China explored tour at the beginning of November last year. I'll try and answer the long list as best as I can.
Costs: We spoke amongst our group and it was felt the costs were OKAY but for me it took alot of the hassle and uncertainty out of the logistics of travelling such a wide distance. Overall I felt that it was slightly high but a level that I could live with. Our tour leader was excellent as he knew where all the locals ate & slept if you like ie I really felt that I was getting under the veneer of the place. He gave us suggestions for each location on where to buy souvenirs, the essential sites and tours, where to get e-mail and also local tricks eg the price that we should really pay for taxis / other goods/visits. I never felt during the tour that we had much free time but then again it depended on the individual some of us liked to fill each day as much as possible while others took a more laid back approach.
Suggedstions for free time: Look at the tips given by the tour leader Cameron kin'a gave us a briefing on each city / location before arrival with a map! definite highlights for me were: The mosque whilst the mussein called out in X'ian, buying art off local art students in Beijing and X'ian, The wall and the freewire over a lake at the end (optional), the food, the photographic oppotunities on the Yangtese and in yangshuo. There really are too many to list.
Hard sleeper trains were great! Bring a sleep sheet with you. we bought supplies of noodles as advised by Cameron before the journies as the train food is ?????.
Overall Experience with imtrav: generally positive - i'm considering going to Vietnam this year - Could you e-mail me with your views etc.
others Expenses: laundry cost dependant on how much you generate. Food. Souvenirs. Film - as far as i can rememberthe Canadians on the trip all said that film was cheaper at home?? Overall the amount of extra that i spent on the tour excluding souvenirs was about 75-100 USD per week ( I can't remember exactly but it really was excellent value - especially the local beers and streetfood).
Accomodation: The standard was always comfortable / excellent. Only problem was in HKG if you were on a budget at the tour end you may wish to have prebooked post tour accomodation before you arrive.
rating the tour: It was my first tour outside North America and Europe and i absolutely loved it 11 out of 10!
Other Comments:
if you have any queries please e-mail me.
best Wishes
david.
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Re: China Explored
I think Kangsters dumping on the tour company is no way to start planning for a holiday. It won't win you friends or get you prompt answers. I traveled with Imaginative twice. On both tours it just got better. You seem to be saying they are a rip-off! Sorry mate the guys at imaginative are the best. The trips are the best value we ever experienced. We were never treated like sheep, staff leaders went way above the call of duty and at the end we felt we had done something special, twice.
Trip leaders we have endured in the past with other agents just don
Re: China Explored
I did the China Explored with Imaginative last year and had a great time - it's such a fantastic tour that really gets you to so many places. I certainly thought it was value for money. I would not have been able to get around china on my own and see so much in such a short time (two weeks) and the language difference would have made it harder.
Having someone to take you around who knows the country really well and can communicate with the locals was so great. Our tour leader gave us loads of information and directions on things to see and how to get about so we were able to fill in our free time really well. We were able to hire bikes and cycle around in various places. The fact that meals weren't included wasn't a big deal - the tour leader knew loads of local restaurants and I felt we had a really good chance to try a whole range of different local dishes all over the place.
Accommodation was simple but adequate, and I really liked the opportunity to travel around using public transport, particularly with someone who knew how it all worked!
I have had really positive experiences with Imaginative tours, and have done several with them in the last few years. I've always been really impressed by the tour leaders, their knowledge and how helpful they are. I've never been pushed into shopping on tours (which I know happens sometimes where guides make money from this) and have met lots of people from different parts of the world who have been in the groups.
And I really like their combinations of organised things and free time, so you get the most out of your trip and can do the things you want yourself, or just relax occassionally.
Ton, I understand it when you say you want to make the most of your first time to china. Well I reckon you couldn't go wrong if you did this trip with Imaginative. I really enjoyed it and think it was money well spent, and good value at that!
Maureen
Scotland.
Re: China Explored
I think you misunderstood the intent of the questions. First it was to get an opinion from travellers who had been on the trip in order for me to form my opinion and as a basis to make my decision. Secondly, it was meant to help me budget my expenses. Sam, I do not think you read my questions correctly as that is what they are, "questions" not opinions.
Re: China Explored
David,
Thanks for your response. About my thoughts on Vietnam, sorry I can't help you b/c I haven't been there myself. But I have heard it's a great place to visit.
Re: China Explored
Re: China Explored
Dear Ton,
I would like to answer your questions in relation to the China explored tour.
1- May is one of the best times to visit China. The North will be warm without being too hot and in the South, you may experience some wet weather but the rain should not be too heavy.
2- On this trip you will be mainly using private buses. There are only a few times that you would be travelling on a public transport as part of the tour. You will also be travelling on a cruise boat, which specifically caters for travellers who want to experience the beauty of The Yangtse River and the 3 Gorges. The cost of the tour would be reduced greatly if we used ferries along the Yangtse river, but then we would not be able to see the 3 Gorges as most of these ferries travel through this area at night time.
3- The trip is designed to take you to the main sights, but we have allowed some free time so that you can visit many other sights in each town. Your tour leader will provide you with all the information you will need to see the things that interests you. Your tour leader will let you know the most efficient way to get to each sight and how much each sight will cost. We suggest that you bring with you US$45 for the sights listed in the itinerary and I would suggest that you budget another US$15 to US$25 for any other sightseeing that you may want to do.
4- I suggest that you have a look at the trip dossier for some suggestions on what to see in each town. The trip dossier can be downloaded from our website or you can type the following in your web browser - www.imtrav.com/dossiers/aace.pdf
5- Hard sleepers are quite comfortable. The carriages are partitioned into open compartments, each with six berths. A corridor runs along the side of the carriage so people are always wandering around and stopping to chat. I personally travel on hard sleeper when travelling around China, so that I can chat with the local people. I love finding out about their lives, where they are going and for what reason. It really gives me a great insight into the Chinese people. We do recommend that you bring a sleeping sheet with you.
6- One of my roles at the Imaginative Traveller is to read all the assessment forms at the end of each trip, and I am very pleased that the vast majority of people who do this tour return home with very fond memories of China and the way the Imaginative Traveller has assisted them in getting the most out of their time in China.
7- It really is up to you on how much you spend in your free time. Meals cost around US$3 to US$6 per person but you can certainly spend much more than that if you go to fancier restaurants. There is also a great array of souvenirs available. Most are cheap and tacky but there some that are very good quality but much more expensive. Rolls of film for your camera are available, 35mm and APS are now commonly available and the prices are comparable to prices in the West.
8- The hotels used on this tour are simple hotels. What we mean by this is that they have comfortable and clean rooms with ensuite facilities, television, hot water for tea and coffee and a telephone. You will be accommodated in twin rooms, sharing with a friend or another traveller of the same sex. Our hotels are centrally located so that you can get to interesting sights with great ease.
9- The China Explored tour is one of our most popular tours and always receives great reviews for people who have been on this trip.
I hope that this has answered all of your questions. Please feel free to ask me any other questions you may have. I hope to see you in China this year.
Kind regards
Alf Exposito
Destination Manager- Far East
Re: China Explored
Hi kangster,
I did the China Explored trip back in September 2000, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, it may seem expensive, particularly once you've added on the cost of flights to and from China - but you need to bear in mind the lengths of the train journeys involved. The journey covers a lot of ground, so it's not surprising that the costs of all those trips mount up!
Also, as other people have commented, the cost includes coaches to ferry the group between train stations and hotels, as well as covering the cost of the Yangtse cruise... plus, you get the services of both the Chinese guides and the Imaginative Traveller guide. I admit, I have only been on the one journey with ImTrav, but the guide I had was absolutely superb. As others have commented - they are full of good suggestions about where to eat, and what to see at the various stops along the route.
So, as for filling free time, you probably won't be wondering how to spend it once you get out there... more likely, you'll be trying to prioritise which of the guide's recommendations you're going to have time for! As for budgeting for free days, it's generally pretty cheap - admission fees will work out at about C$2 at the very most. A really good dinner at an expensive restaurant in the Muslim Quarter in Xi'an will set you back C$8... but you'll get away with a lot less than this.
[I'm guessing a bit at the exchange rate there... it's about