Travel Reviews from Schools and Customers
- Customer's Name: Eduardo Fuentes
- Traveled with us in: November 2019
Thank you Lee for having me received at my arrival in Yangshuo. It was very nice to meet you. The boat trip was pleasant. Our guide yesterday was knowledgeable and very helpful. We celebrated my birthday by climbing to half of the moon peak and biking our ways. It was Great!
Eduardo
- Customer's Name: Lisa from the U.S
- Traveled with us in: October 2019
Hi Michael:
Our trip covered three regions, multiple cities over a span of three weeks. It was gratifying to witness the huge progress taking place in China in these regions, especially the rise in living standards. Shanghai is a world class city, and super cosmopolitan and Suzhou is as charming as charming can be.
Deng, our guide in Suzhou, was professional and mature, had excellent English communication skills and provided us excellent service on both days.
All the pick up and drop off staff people were very helpful and sensitive to our ‘senior’ needs. They had made our train riding experiences less nerve wrecking.
Thank you for making sure we were taken care of at the train stations.
I have recommended you to many friends in the past years. I had introduced my sisters to your tours!
Lisa
- Customer's Name: Rita from the U.S
- Traveled with us in: October 2019
Dear Michael,
Thank you so much for organizing our recent tour. It was certainly above and beyond what we expected. I would also like to thank you for dinner and taking the time to personally meet us. The sights, the guides were outstanding.
I have passed your information on to our partner in Hong Kong and hopefully some business will come your way. I will do a review on trip advisor, please let me know if there is another site you would like me to visit
Best regards,
Rita Smith
- Customer's Name: Nimal Koswanage
- Traveled with us in: September 2019
Dear Mr. Lee,
Our trip was wonderful and I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to you for making it a memorable one. Your personal involvement, taking all the necessary care and attention to detail made this tour a comfortable and a relaxing one. Needless to say all the arrangements with regard to guides/transport/train and hotels etc. were splendid.
We were very happy with all the guides who seem to know what their job entail. What we liked most was their punctuality which was exceptional and also their willingness to accommodate us with our needs, change of plans and so on readily.
Once again a very big thank you for all your efforts.
Kind regards,
Nimal
- Customer's Name: Yaakov from Israel
- Traveled with us in: August 2019
Hi Leon.
I want to thank you again for planning, organizing and executing our trip.
The guides were such a huge help. Their suggestions on how to fill our free time, fulfilling our needs even when they were a bit extreme (like our diet needs), they hit exactly on our trip preferences, they helped us even with the small things like borrowing umbrellas from the hotel and all this with a smile. Their knowledge exceeded the topics of our trip that they were able to answer our questions that arose from our curiosity.
Our most memorable free time was walking through the Muslim quarter to the south gate via the bell and drum towers in Xian at night. This was recommended by our lovely guide Marvin (she did advise us to take the subway, but we preferred walking).
The most memorable attractions on our itinerary and the ones that made us say a big WOW were Zhangjiajie national park and Longsheng rice terraces. Both sceneries were breathtakingly beautiful.
My family and I would recommend and already are recommending your company to friends and family and already posted a recommendation on Tripadvisor.
You are welcome to use this letter and publish it along with my name and nationality.
Have a great week. Thank again.
Yaakov
- Customer's Name: Mrs Yong from Singapore
- Traveled with us in: August 2019
Dear Leon,
I write to thank you for the help and patience you have demonstrated, in responding to my queries and clarifications, when I book this trip.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express my husband’s and my heartfelt thanks to our guide in ZJJ, David. He is caring and takes good care of us during our trip in ZJJ ! We appreciate the kind gestures he did by ensuring that we have water, food etc and when we checked into the hotels, he also see to it that we are settled in before he left for the day.
It was a very insightful and enjoyable trip!
Our unforgettable one is about Bamboo raft at Yu long - Yangshuo..You also will satisfied with all their services and arrangement use this travel agent as I already got it..
Regards
Mrs Yong
- Customer's Name: Juliani
- Traveled with us in: June 2019
Hi Carol,
We all really satisfied with our 10 days China trip to 7 cities..
Chengdu.. Leshan... Ermeishan... Fenghuang.. Zhangjiajie.. Guilin.. Yangshuo..
And all our itinerary was very good with 3 great tour guide (Chengdu,Leshan,Ermeishan) by Mr. Kevin...then ( Fenghuang and Zhangjiajie) by Miss Bree then (Guilin and Yangshuo)by Miss Christina.
Our unforgettable one is about Bamboo raft at Yu long - Yangshuo..You also will satisfied with all their services and arrangement use this travel agent as I already got it..
Thank you,
Juli
- Customer's Name: Antenor Leal
- Traveled with us in: May 2019
Dear Carol,
As you know our trip is finishing. Tomorrow we will live to Singapore. Everything worked very well. The schedule was perfect. The guides have made an excellent job.
Brazil may be a wonderful market to your company. Do you have a representative there? If you are interested in development of Brazilian market I can help you in all steps.
Many thanks
Antenor Leal
- School Name: Berlin British School
- Traveled with Leon & CET in: March 2019
- Tour Leader: Ms Lucy Dearden
What did Lucy Dearden say about our service:
Dear Leon,
On behalf of the Berlin British School, I would like to extend a big thank you to yourself and your team at China Educational Tours. We had a fantastic experience and were really pleased with the itinerary you designed for us. Thank you so much!
Lucy and the students at Berlin British School
Ms L Dearden
- Customer's Name: Mrs. Gloria Yu from Roosevelt Middle School, USA
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: March 2019
What did Gloria Yu say about our service:
Hi Carol,
We had a great time and really enjoyed seeing many great places in China.
Thank you for sending William from Beijing and Fiona from Hangzhou, we really appreciate their professionalism and they both spoke good English and explained details very well. They gave interesting history and stories about the places we visit. It was very entertaining. Our group really appreciate them.
We loved all the sightseeing places we had chosen on the itinerary. They are all very unique and interesting places and have so much characters. I would say especially The Great Wall and Olympic Park in Beijing, boat ride in West Lake Hangzhou, Terra Cotta Museum and The Wall in Xian, The Bund and TV Tower in Shanghai.
Best,
Gloria
- School Name: QSI Shenzhen
- Traveled with Leon & CET in: March 2019
- Tour Leader: Cameron
What did Cameron say about our service:
Hi Leon,
It was a great trip! I am keeping the paperwork and have an idea the school will want to do this trip again next year. Thanks for the planning you did to help us.
Cameron
- Customer's Name: Frank from USA
- Traveled with Leon & CET in: August 2018
What did Frank say about our service:
Hi Leon,
Thanks for following up.
Jack was fantastic. I've been taking students to China for eight years, and Jack was one of the best guides that I've had. He was very personable, flexible, and knowledgeable. I would rate him 10/10.
I'd be happy to be a reference and speak with other customers. I also appreciate how quickly you were able to respond and accommodate our tour request.
I will definitely use your service again next year.
- Customer's Name: Eleanor Shia
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: July 2018
What did Eleanor Shia say about our service:
Hi Michael
We had a great time. Thanks for all your efforts.
The tour guides in each city were really good. Tony in Hangzhou seemed to be the most experienced and engaging of the guides. Ken and Smile were both very flexible and good problem solvers. Lily in Nanjing was a nice person, but seemed to be a little more introspective. All the drivers were great as well.
We would most definitely recommend the company to our family and friends. From the flexibility of planning to your great communication to knowledgeable and friendly tour guides/drivers.
Eleanor Shia
- Customer's Name: Karla Taylor
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: June 2018
What did Karla Taylor say about our service:
Ni Hao, Michael,
As we are recovering from our jet lag, we must thank you for all you did to make our trip to your beautiful country a wonderful experience. From the hotels to the food and your terrific guides, we felt well cared for throughout our trip. The coordination in each city from first greeting to when we left was amazing. The highlight was getting to meet you personally and walking around Guilin, even if it was in the rain! Thank you so much for dinner that evening and for your gifts. Your best gift of all was your help in putting together a trip for us that will always be a special memory. We are already telling our friends that if they know anyone planning to visit China they should contact China Educational Tours!
Xie xie!
Best Regards,
Karla Taylor
- Customer's Name: Seymour Morris
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: May 2018
What did Seymour Morris say about our service:
Dear Michael,
Again Susan and I wish to thank you for organizing such a fine tour for us. It ran by so smoothly – especially inter-city connections (loved those ‘bullet’ trains), the guides were all very good and the hotels were all within our comfort range. Meeting you for dinner in Guilin was an unexpected pleasure for us. We believe you have the right personality and business philosophy to be very successful in your business endeavour. It felt a bit odd to be sending thousands of dollars to a stranger in another hemisphere, but we would not hesitate to recommend your services to anyone who wants the most out of a China tour.
I promised to relate to you some reflections on the trip, and here they are. Please keep in mind that I am a very experienced traveller, not typical of Western tourists going to China, so my views are idiosyncratic and more critical. Overall it was truly a wonderful experience. Nevertheless, there were inevitably a few rough corners and disappointments, mostly my own fault for lack of preparation.
1. I honestly wonder if viewing the Great Wall was worth the time and effort. I refer to the struggle to drive in and out of Beijing and the endless climb just to reach the base station of the cable car. Ultimately, geography limits the extent of the wall being seen. I appreciate the history and enormity of the site but perhaps it can only be properly viewed by helicopter.
2 Another slight disappointment was that one could not enter any of the pavilions of the Forbidden City – one might only fight through the elbows to peek into an opening here and there. In view of the huge numbers of tourists I realise that interior access is impossible. I still wonder what those pavilions are like inside.
3. In Shanghai we saw only the area of the French Concession adjacent to the restaurant, not likely for its interest but for convenience. (We made the choice of an over-priced German place and had the worst lunch of our trip.)
4. In 2 days at Suzhou and Tongli we were treated to 3 gardens. Unfortunately that was one too many. Gorgeous as they all were, in our minds they are merged into one large green blur. My fault.
These comments might seem like a lot, but in fact they did not materially detract from the wonderful arrangements you made for us. To mention all the good memories would simply take too long. As I recall, it was you who suggested we include Luoyang, one of the highlights. We were most impressed by China and I would finally like to add that when we needed help there were always people eager to assist (with whatever level of English they could muster).
Thank you again.
Seymour Morris
- Customer's Name: Gary and Irene Gregson
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: May 2018
What did Gary and Irene Gregson say about our service:
Dear Michael,
We hope this message finds you well and happy.
We are writing to let you know how much we enjoyed our recent trip to China that was organized by you and your company, “China Educational Tours”.
All the sites that we visited were wonderful and the guides were ALL very knowledgeable and helpful. We were taken care of by both the drivers and the guides. They went out of their way to make our vacation memorable.
It was especially nice of you to take the time to meet and take us to dinner. It was just another “touch” that made the trip so enjoyable.
It is without hesitation that we will recommend your company to any friends who might be thinking of travelling to China.
Once again, thank you for providing for a wonderful time.
Sincerely,
Gary and Irene Gregson
- Customer's Name: Steve Lewis
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: April 2018
What did Steve say about our service:
Michael,
We all want to thank you for such a perfect tour through China, your company OVER delivered at every turn of the trail and every bend in the river. Every guide was on time waiting for our arrival with a driver of incomprehensible skills! We felt the guides were more friends and family than paid employees. Please tell us how we can best help let others know of your great company. Are there one or two web-sites you could suggest for us to leave our positive feedback? We all truly enjoyed dinner with you in Guilin and your generosity to pay for all out dinners was very unexpected. I think Guilin should be visitors first choice to see the wonders of China.
With appreciation
Steve, Joann, Margie and Gerry
- Customer's Name: Mervyn Brown from Australia
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: April 2018
What did Mervyn Brown say about our service:
Hi Carol,
It was good to hear from you and we are very happy to help with feed back. We had a wonderful trip and it is difficult to point to one thing but I think the learning curve about China was tops for me. This is a direct result of the excellent guides and their always interesting chats. The right amount of information sprinkled with plenty of fascinating stories. I have been talking about your country ever since I returned. The format of our itinerary was excellent. Beijing and Xian: history. Guilin, Yellow Mountain, Hangzhou and Suzhou: scenic beauty. Shanghai: modern China.
We will pass on your company details to friends and acquaintances who are interested in China and when Merv gives a talk on his trip to China to his "Men's Club" he will definitely refer to China Educational Tours.
We are happy to share some photos of the trip on your website and to share our memories on Trip Adviser.
It was special to meet you and thank you for taking the time to share a meal with us.
Best wishes,
Dorothy.
- School Name: Roosevelt Middle School, San Francisco, CA
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: March, 2018
- Tour Leader: Cathy Chen
What did Cathy say about our service:
Hi Carol,
I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since we returned from China. I wanted to thank you again for all your help as we planned the first 8th grade Roosevelt Middle School (RMS) China trip. The feedback we received from the students and chaperones about the activities, your guides, etc. were excellent.
If you have other schools in the United States who are contemplating using your tour company, feel free to have them email Alex or myself as references.
Please take care. I will talk with you sometime in late 2019 to plan for RMS China Trip 2020. You'll have other main contacts for the two earlier trips. Thank you!
Cathy
- Customer's Name: Michael Fogerty
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: April 2018
What did Michael Fogerty say about our service:
Hi Michael,
All the tour guides were great. Each one had their own style and input. We especially liked Dream's bubbly personality, Lee's down to earth approach and knowledge, Jane and Kris's flexibility, Peter, Jerry and Alvin had great passion for their city and knowledge of the cities history.
I have already started recommending to anyone that will listen, your service and support was great. All the extra touches were great: the cycling on the wall in Xian, the dumpling making in Beijing, the cooking course and cycling in Yangshuo. One interesting addition could be the trip to the Longji rice fields, making that a 2-4 day hike around the various villages. Lots of people like ourselves enjoy adventure activities that involve fantastic view, exercise (hiking) and discovering different cultures.
Thanks again Michael.
See you
Michael Fogerty
- Customer's Name: Su Yin Yu
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: April 2018
What did Su Yin say about our service:
Hi Carol,
The trip overall was good.
William, the tour guide assigned was very detailed and helpful especially to my old aged parents.
Will definitely go by China Educational Tours for my next trip.
Many thanks for all assistance given.
Regards: Su Yin
- Customer's Name: Allen
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: Febuary 2018
What did Allen say about our service:
Hello Michael,
Our tour is over and I would like to say that everything was perfect. The guides spoke perfect English, were knowledeable , concerned and flexible. The itinerary was just right and timed perfectly. I will recommend you to everone.
Thank you,
Allen
- School Name: Leongatha Primary School
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: 2017
- Principal: Rob Higgins
What did Rob say about our service:
Hi Michael,
Sorry this has taken so long but travelling is such busy work and we both decided today to have a quiet day and catch up on a lot of things.
The guides in each city were very good, helpful, friendly and very supportive. What impressed me the most is they were able to give just the right amount of information for our group. When we first did these trips the guides tried to give too much information and the children lost interest. This time all the guides kept it short and relevant. A particular mention to Windy in Xi’an, she was excellent. Having a WeChat account meant that I shared contacts with each guide and they were able to assist at all times.
Your charges are incredible, service is 100%. I always feel safe travelling to China because I know I always have a support network behind me if I need assistance. Having WeChat to communicate directly with you and the local guides is just about essential.
- Customer's Name: Wayne and Janine Grincais
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: July 2017
What did Wayne and Janine Grincais say about our service:
Hi Michael,
Sorry it’s taken me a couple of weeks to get back to you. I had opened the email and then forgotten about it until I remembered today.
Our tour was excellent in every aspect; all the tour guides we had were excellent and had good knowledge of the local area. The guides were great to talk with and to learn the culture and different customs of china and its people, I don’t think and part of the itinerary was more memorable than any other part, yes the great wall and the terracotta warriors were great but so was every other part of our tour. I would recommend China Educational tours to any Australian’s and our friends. On our tour we had total trust in the guides who provided valuable information on thing we could do after their official tour had finished each day. We managed to learn simple tourist words in mandarin and our guides and drivers became friends while we were with them.
We would be more than happy to speak to any Australian tourists who are thinking about using your company, Our experience can re assure them that they are using an excellent service by using China educational tours. We are happy for you to provide out contact details should one of your prospective customers wish to speak to some one who has completed a tour with you.
There are no suggestions that I would make to you about changing our tour, I think we got it just right, my only feeling is that maybe we tried to fit to much in with the time we had, if I had our time again I would cut down on the time spent on some of the tour to allow us more time to explore. Thank you Michael for your time and advice in putting out trip together, we hope to see you in your home town next time we come to china and after being there once we will return to this beautiful country.
Regards,
Wayne and Janine Grincais
Tour from 9 July 2017 to 21st July 2017
- Customer's Name: Stephen and Sarah
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: June 2017
What did Stephen and Sarah say about our service:
Hi Michael,
As you probably saw from the feedback forms we filled out at the end of each tour, we found Cactus in Beijing and Darcy in Shanghai to be EXCEPTIONAL!! Both had a lot of knowledge about and passion for their respective cities. We thoroughly enjoyed them.
We will absolutely recommend CET to everyone we come in contact with. The communication between you in the office, the planning, connections, guides, transportation, hotels, meals provided were all excellent.
Even though we are horrible at Chinese yoyo, awkward in Tai' chi, slow at making dumplings, we thoroughly enjoyed the cultural experience "extras" that made it a much richer cultural experience for us. So these would be our recommendations of things to keep when planning for others. (The Chinese acrobat show that Cactus recommended in Beijing, and the Tang dynasty dance show Lily recommended in Xi'an were also nice cultural additions. And we loved that both audiences were 95% Chinese!)
What this tour did for us was help remove many of our cultural stereotypes about China. The Chinese people we met on the tour, in the streets, and at restaurants at night were so friendly and actually curious about us as well. What China has accomplished in the past 20 years is unbelievable.
Thank you Michael and team, from guides, drivers, local teachers, and office staff for giving us such a positive experience.
All the best,
Stephen and Sarah
- Customer's Name: Elisabeth yates
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: June 2017
What did Elisabeth say about our service:
Dear Carol,
At last we are home and sorted so that I can reply to your email.
1. All of the Tour Guides were excellent. They had excellent command of English and very good local knowledge and also knowledge of Chinese History. They were flexible in rearranging activities.
2. From your first reply to my email we were extremely impressed with the professional way that your company was run. The planning of the itinerary for us was impeccable, there was always someone to meet us, the guides were extremely caring and professional and were able to be flexible in the itinerary . We have already been recommending your company to others.
3. Carol, your choice of hotels was very good and we felt comfortable in them.
We would again like to thank you for your excellent organization. We really enjoyed our trip of a lifetime.
Very best wishes,
Elisabeth and Rodney Yates
- Customer's Name: Richard & Liz
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: May 2017
What did Richard and Liz say about our service:
Hello Michael,
Sorry it’s taken us a while to reply, we have been catching up with our children and grandchildren and had to wait until we got home to get something with a keyboard so it is a bit easier to type.
We really enjoyed our China tour. All the arrangements you made in the planning process went like clockwork. This as quite complex with flights and trains but there was time on each occasion, and were always met as planned. our hotels were good, and in good locations that enabled us to wander and explore ourselves in the free time we had.
More importantly when there was a hiccup, as with the driver in Chengdu it was dealt with promptly and efficiently. Thank you so much.
We lo received excellent value for the money we spent.
Kind regards,
Richard & Liz
- Customer's Name: Margaret Cook
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: April 2017
What did Margaret say about our service:
Hi Carol, We touched down in Sydney about an hour ago.
Firstly would just like to thank you again for planning our trip to China. We had a wonderful experience the guides, drivers, hotels, food at the restaurants daily all exceeded our expectations. Also we would certainly recommend your company to any of our friends who might be thinking of a trip to China.
Margaret, Craig, Paul and Sue
- Customer Name: Steve and Sally Kimball
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: Sept. 2016
What did Steve and Sally Kimball say about our service:
Hi Michael,
Just wanted to thank you and China Educational Tours for the dinner and gift of the tea service set that was provided to us in Shanghai. Candy and the office in Shanghai found a really good Italian restaurant for us that was within walking distance to the hotel.
Sally and I thought that our trip was wonderful and we had a fantastic time seeing everything that you had setup for us. We will recommend your company to anyone who is looking to come to China, as we think that you have a great service oriented company and look out for your clients.
We loved the mountains of Zhangjiajie and Lee. She was great and took good care of us while walking the glass sidewalks thousands of feet in the air, dodging the monkeys that wanted a snack, as well as setting up a show at night for us.
Thanks again for the trip.
Steve and Sally Kimball
- Customer's Name: Katie Kermond
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: Aug. 2016
What did Katie say about our service:
Thank you again Michael so very much - you and your team where fantastic and made our family holiday one to cherish for a long time to come !!!! We would highly recommend you to all.
Katie Kermond
- Customer Name: John Barb Dickey
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: May 2016
What did Steve and Sally Kimball say about our service:
Our guides were very pleasant. Mark in Xi’an had good knowledge.
Most Memorable-
John loved - The Great Wall
Despite the heat and humidity - I loved the bike ride in Yangshuo. It showed many things you might not ordinarily see. I also liked the extra cruise we took at night with Jane in Guilin and the evening cruise with Bella in Shanghai. The lights were amazing and fun! Summer Palace was beautiful.
We both loved the rice fields. That hike and delicious lunch was a highlight.
We would DEFINITELY recommend you for all the things you said. I appreciated your calling me early and saying " you had our back" too. That is an American term! I felt your support the entire time and appreciated it.
You have good people and a beautiful country. I enjoyed watching the grandparents care for the darling, sweet children in the parks and streets.
Barb Dickey
- Customer's Name: Vicky & Charles
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: Apr. 2016
What did Vicky say about our service:
Our driver, Mr Lei, was a very good driver; he was friendly, helpful and very professional. The vehicle was always clean and comfortable and we all felt very safe.
The whole tour was memorable and we enjoyed all the activities. The Bamboo Rafting and the Cormorant Fisherman were special. We also enjoyed the Bullet train ride to Guangzhou.
We will be happy to share our photos with you and will send you some as soon as possible.
Yes, we would certainly recommend your company to our friends and colleagues. We cannot think of any thing that could improve our experience. We were very happy. I think you provided us with all the activities that we had asked for and the hotels were good.
- School Name: Lowanna College
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: Sep. 2015
- Assistant Principal: Joel Blythman
What did the participants say about our service:
"Great work guys. Your guides were really good easy to get along with and full of good information on each city and its surrounds. ".
- Customer's Name: Melissa Kinsinger
- Traveled with CET in: Aug. 2015
What did Melissa say about our service:
For sure, the Great Wall was a favorite. It's absolutely stunning (as you know) and was worthy of the time it takes to get out there. We would have even enjoyed spending more time out there. We loved the visit through the Hutong area and time spent with the local family in their home. We enjoyed speaking with the owner and his sister - they heard we were musical and asked us to sing before we left. We did and it was so fun!
In Beijing, we also loved the Summer Palace. It is beautiful and quite a different feel than some of the other palaces we saw. The duck restaurant (not the one you'd listed as it was full, but one that Lili booked) was the BEST Peking duck I've ever had.
Guilin is beautiful - the Reed Flute cave is so unique, what an experience. Also, the day trip out to the Long Sheng Terraced Rice Fields and minority villages was a highlight also. We enjoyed seeing the houses of the Long hair (? I forget the name) group and hiking and then eating at a restaurant with an incredible view.
Honestly Michael, I cannot think of any way that this trip could have been better. You thought of every possible thing we would need to know/be aware of. Both Lili and Jennifer were amazing - we loved them. Not only were they our guides for the week, we consider them to be our friends and part of our family. If we are ever back in Beijing or Guilin, we definitely want them to be our guides :) There was nothing that we can think of to make it better. Every detail was accounted for, every comfort considered, and the service we received from EVERYONE in your company was top-notch.
- School Name: Orbost Secondary College
- Traveled with CET in: Mar. 2015
- Leading Teacher : Darlene Steed
What did Darlene say about our service:
Once again I would like to sincerely thank you for the wonderful experience that the staff and students had in your beautiful country. The students are still excitedly telling people of their travels and are keen to return to China.
Jerry was a fantastic guide and provided great leadership and direction in his role. All the very best to you and your company and I hope that we can meet some day and continue taking groups to China with your assistance.
- Customer's Name: Debbie Yue at Roseville Travel
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: Mar. 2015
What did the group member say about our service:
"All the guides are very knowledgeable about China's history and were able to respond to the various questions. I really think this was the best China tour I've been on. It included old and new, big and small, trains, planes, boats, and coaches. "
- Customer's Name: Yolanda Tsang with family
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: Jul. 2015
What did Yolanda say about our service:
Once again, thank you again for a great trip. We had a fantastic time and everything went smoothly. My favorite guide was in Beijing and Jessica in Guilin. I liked all the tour activities. I would highly recommend the tour and will forward your information.
I loved all the hotels, in particular the setting in Guilin.
I appreciate it and thanks again for all your hard work. We all had a fabulous journey!
Take Care,
Yo
- Customer's Name: Susanne from Swiss
- Traveled with us in: October 2019
Dear Leon,
I would like to thank you for the excellent organization of our tour in China recently.
Everything went very smooth and the guides were all very professional.
We had a great time to see various Highlights of China, but also some interesting glimpses in everyday life!
And we are all very thankful that you were able to change the flight to Beijing one day earlier, that was really perfect!
I will definitely recommend your agency to my friends.
Best regards
Susanne
- Customer's Name: Jean from Australia
- Traveled with us in: October 2019
Hi Leon,
I very much enjoyed my trip. The guide was enthusiastic and knowledgeable and good company.
The weather was good on the morning of my stay up the mountains so I saw a good sunrise. The most the day before actually meant less people so was fine.
The train system was very efficient but having your guide explain what the numbers on the ticket meant and what would happen made it all very easy.
Thanks for organizing the trip.
Regards
Jean
- School Name: Paynesville Primary School
- Traveled with us in: September 2019
- Tour Leader: Kerry Walters
Hello Michael,
I am writing on behalf of our group to thank you so very much for planning our visit to China.
Our itinerary was fantastic and it allowed us to see the great history, beautiful culture and modern highlights in China. We did not encounter one single problem with our planned travel or activities. Every part of the tour was well organised and carried out by your amazing guides with friendliness, enthusiasm and detailed information.
We felt very safe in China even when out exploring by ourselves. The Chinese people are so kind and helpful.Your service is first class and we felt very special when being guided around by your staff. The choice of restaurants was exquisite and our group were continually surprised and delighted with each dining experience.
The memories of our visit will last a lifetime.
Thank you very much.
Kindest regards,
Kerry Walters
- Customer's Name: Linda from the U.S
- Traveled with us in: September 2019
Dear Michael,
I just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our holiday to Guilin and the surrounding area. We really appreciate how you put together our itinerary so quickly. Jennifer, our tour guide, was delightful company and we could not have navigated our trip without her. She is so knowledgeable about the area and the culture of China. We learned so much from her and we enjoyed how she shared her experiences with us. Our driver was also wonderful. He was cheerful every day, an expert navigator, very careful driver. We always felt like we were in good hands.
It's hard to choose what our favorite activities were, because we enjoyed them all. The rice terraces were amazing. Not only are they beautiful, but also an amazing feat of hard work and engineering. The food we ate on the mountain, was probably some of my favorite since coming to China. It was simple fare that was cooked and seasoned well. The hotel was clean and comfortable and had a delightful exotic feel. The photo opportunity with the fisherman was a great deal of fun. He was quite a character, and we got some wonderful photos. We also enjoyed the tea and Guqin experience. I thought we had a nice mixture of physical, mental and restful activities which we really needed.
Once again thank you for putting together a wonderful holiday for us on short notice. We have shared your contact information with several of our colleagues and we will certainly contact you again if we are able to take another vacation while we are in China.
Best regards,
Linda and Mike Mallabone
- Customer's Name: Jacqueline Jones
- Traveled with us in: August 2019
Lee,
We had an amazing time we have travelled extensively and we both said this was the best trip we have ever been on. I was a bit dubious about an arranged trip as I thought it might be tiring but I can’t say enough good things about the arrangements the guides were always on time the hotels were very good we couldn’t believe what a wonderful time we had.
Jackie
- Customer's Name: Arun from India
- Traveled with us in: August 2019
Leon,
First of all, thanks a lot for an excellent itinerary; this was a very memorable trip.
Yu Garden and the Bund was the most memorable attraction. However, I must admit - each city had its own attraction.
The free time that we had for shopping and enjoying the local cuisines. The itinerary had enough of time for us to take a break from the long walks during the day.
The guide (Ocean) at Shanghai was the best. His passion for the job was clear in the way he articulated the history of the structures and the monuments that he showed us. Considering our dietary restrictions, he also made minor changes to the itinerary to accommodate our needs. And, considering that the trip to Shanghai was at the end of the trip, it has left a lasting impression on the overall trip.
It was amazing to see that the China had so much of a cultural heritage and that it had taken so much effort to preserve it. And at the same time, the city of Shanghai was also much technologically advanced. It had the best of both the worlds.
Regards,
Arun
- Customer's Name: Colin and Graham from New Zealand
- Traveled with us in: May 2019
Dear Leon Long,
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for our recent trip to China organized by China Education Tours. Your guides were totally professional and competent and lovely people. They certainly enhanced the enjoyment of our trip which made it absolutely fantastic.
I would like to thank Celine, Helen, Jason and Jennifer for making it a wonderful trip.
The focus of our trip was to go to Zhangjaijie, and what a magical place it was. Our experience there was stunning and enhanced by our wonderful guide Tan Chi aka Nikky. Her love of the mountains and knowledge of the place was incredible. She made our time there a once in a lifetime experience.
I would like to thank you, and your team for making our trip smooth, fun and faultless.
Please forward this email to your guide with our thanks for making it such a wonderful trip.
I would recommend China Educational Tours to anyone without hesitation
Colin and Graham
- Customer’s Name: Michelle Fischer from Australia
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: April 2019
What did Michelle Fischer say about our service:
Hi Michael,
We had the most amazing experience in China and all the tours and guides that you provided were wonderful.
I would highly recommend you company and particularly you for all the help that you gave us. It was daunting when we first started to plan this trip but you went above and beyond for us, especially with our change of plans from a flight to a train trip at the last minute. For that alone you get my highest recommendation.
Absolutely loved the trip to Yellow Mountain. It was perfect. Our guide Tony was very knowledgeable and nothing was too hard for him. He was willing to walk with us and show us the best places to take photos - even when on the first day it was cold and wet. Sue in Xian spoke English very well and helped Bernadette a lot when she got sick. She knew all about the areas we visited and answered all our questions.
Michelle Fischer
- Customer's Name: Ms. Varsha Singh Sondhi
- Traveled with Lee & CET in: March 2019
What did Varsha Singh Sondhi say about our service:
Hi Lee,
China Educational tour is a highly recommended company for china tours. Lee Li thank you for the prompt response each time I wrpte to you. Susie thank you for being a great guide and friend, we enjoyed the tour as well as the help extended at the train station was indeed very kind!
Varsha Singh Sondhi
- Customer's Name: Ms. Emma Lindell
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: March 2019
What did Emma Lindell say about our service:
Carol,
King Kong was our tour guide in Beijing. He was punctual, friendly and very helpful. We found King Kong to have good English language and was able to provide lots of useful information about Beijing, the history of the sites we visited, local cultural details and give us ideas to plan our evenings in Beijing. Kris was our tour guide in Shanghai. Kris was late to meet us at the train station due to him dropping off other visitors to the airport. Kris was punctual at all other times, friendly and helpful. Both guides were flexible with what we wanted to do in the tour which was very good. They were able to add additional items and change the times at each location if requested.
The hotels were very well placed centrally and close to amenities and public transport which made it very easy for us to explore outside of the tour times.
The lunches provided by the tour guide were of very high quality and variety and we were delighted with the options.
Emma
- Customer's Name: Marlene Breytenbach from South Africa
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: September 2018
What did Marlene Breytenbach say about our service:
Carol,
I would like to say thank you for an unforgettable tour.
We enjoyed every second.
EB was always on time and has great knowledge about China.
The hotel was amazing.
The lunch restaurants were clean and the food of top quality.
The driver was good.
The chosen attractions were breath taking.
I will definitely recommend your company to friends that want to go to China.
Marlene Breytenbach
- School Name: New Zealand Cultural Awareness Trip – High School Students
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: 30 June to 9 July 2018
- Tour Leader: Murray Cameron
What did Murray Cameron say about our service:
We want to thank China Educational Tours (CET) for arranging our 10-day adventure in Guangxi Province. The high school students from New Zealand (NZ) are studying Chinese as part of their school curriculum. The students had an opportunity to travel to China to help enhance their language skills, cultural immersion and to learn about one of China’s 56 minority groups – the Dong people.
CET and the NZ group helped to support a small Dong minority village school – cleaning a building that was to be prepared and used for a special summer program, as well to help bring some of the students out to the city – Guilin, a popular tourist destination for local and overseas visitors.
Learning through immersion
The students from NZ was able to interact and meet with the local villagers in the Dong area, where they were given an introduction of a tea ceremony, see their local cultural performance and their beautiful architecture that is unique to the Dong people – their buildings made without nails – the Drum Towers that brings the community together, and the old ‘Wind and Rain Bridges’ – that connects the villages to one another.
A glimpse into the lives of village primary (elementary) school students
For many of the children living in the villages, some in very remote areas, it may be their first time to interact with foreigners. Many of the children live with basic facilities at home and are looked after by their grandparents. This is due to their parents migrating to other provinces in search for work to provide support for their families. For the children, it is very heart breaking to be separated from their parents and the only form of communication is by phone. During the Chinese New Year Festival, parents will make the long journey to travel back home to celebrate this important festival with their families. This would be the only time the village students would get to see their parents – once a year.
The children are all very hard working and do their best at school in hope for better opportunities. When they grow up they understand the importance to provide and give support back to their parents, knowing the sacrifice their parents are making for them.
Traveling out – learning and interacting
Together all the students travelled by high speed train to Guilin. For the Dong Chinese students, it was their first time to travel to the city and by high speed train. CET helped organised various activities in Guilin and Yangshuo. The group visited Elephant Trunk Hill – the famous landmark of Guilin, walked around one of the lakes, motorized bamboo-rafting along the LiRiver, hiking up Moon Mountain and cycling around the Yangshuo countryside. It was a jammed packed itinerary but enjoyed by all.
The last day CET arranged with McDonalds to organise a farewell party. What was meant to only be approximately an 1.5 hour party, ended up to be over a 3-hour party, which was also enjoyed by the McDonalds staff. The students were able to visit the kitchen to see hands-on the full operation. They were able to make their own burgers and ice-cream which was a highlight for them.
Thank you Carol Guan for your dedication and hard work to put together the Cross-Cultural Awareness Trip for us. We look forward to continuing our partnership and visiting you again later in the year.
Murray Cameron – New Zealand
July 2018
- Customer's Name: Christopher Becker
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: June 2018
What did Christopher Becker say about our service:
Hello Carol,
I was most pleased with the offering of your company and have already recommended it to co workers. I will answer your questions in detail at a later date. I will sort through my 1000+ pictures I took and my many videos ( I hope to write a blog about our trip.) and forward some for you site as well as feedback/comments and suggestions. I will also add comments to TripAdvisor, once I get my footing back at work.
It was very nice to meet you for dinner and I have to say it is this personal touch that your company adds that added to the exceptional adventure we had in China.
More to come,
Christopher Becker
- Customer's Name: Bronwyn Thomas
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: June 2018
What did Bronwyn Thomas say about our service:
All Guides were excellent. All different but equally as good in their own way. Sunny in Beijing, Tiffany (Sue) in Xi'an (we were met by Jenny at the station but she explained that another Guide would meet us the next morning), Jennifer in Guilin and Summer in Shanghai. Their English proficiency was good and they were very knowledgeable. We were easily able to build a comfortable relationship with them and get to know them as people (important to me as I am a "people person"). They were able to understand us as people and our particular interests and make adjustments and provide additional information to suit.
The Drivers we had in all were excellent and went out of their way to be friendly and there seemed to be a very good relationship between the Guides and Drivers. They were safe and patient and did not take risks. The Driver in Guilin was excellent and negotiated the trip to the rice terraces with exceptional skill, particularly when we saw 3 vehicles (one a small tour bus) which had slid into the side of the mountain on our trip. So pleased we were in his care!
- Customer's Name: Debbie Cowell
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: May 2018
What did Debbie Cowell say about our service:
Hi Michael,
Firstly many many thanks for the lovely evening we spent with you in Guilin. We thoroughly enjoyed it, and made Guilin such a personal experience. We made it back safely and it took a couple of weeks to get back into life and reality at home.
Our overall experience with your company was excellent, above our expectations. Breaking it down we were very happy with all the accommodation (got spoilt with a couple) Breakfast was average in Beijing , but well above average in all other hotels for the star rating. Lunches at most of the restaurants were really good and all drivers were very courteous and did a great job with the traffic. The bullet trains were comfortable and fun, and the internal flights fine. Two of our guides were excellent (Frost and Jane ) and made the places visited so much more enjoyable because they were so interesting, informative and great fun to be with. In saying that Peter was good (obviously he is having a few issues with his knee) and Jenny was good also, though came across a bit bored at times. I hope you don’t mind me being honest!
Being our first trip to China, we didn’t factor distances very well. In hindsight we probably put too much into our itinerary and could have spent longer at certain sites. (Our planning, not yours) Looking at the overall experience, we believe the holiday was great value for money for the service, experience and convienience it provided us, ( tickets, pickups, local knowledge) It has certainly given us the desire to come back some time in the future and we would be more than happy to provide positive feedback for potential customers as a reference.
Hope our thoughts are helpful and everything continues to go well for you.
Cheers
Debbie & Nigel
- School Name: SCYO, Sunshine Coast Youth Orchestra
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: April 2018
- Tour leader: Christian Pegley
What did Christian Pegley say about our service:
It was a great trip, thank you for all your help and support!
Tour Guides - Generally helpful, happy and informative.
Food - Fantastic and plentiful. Lots of choice.
I'd like to thank you for being available when I needed to call. It was a successful tour and I hope it was enjoyed and memorable for each member of the SCYO group. Let me know if you need more information on any of the above, or if there's something I've missed out.
All the best,
Christian Pegley
Head of Music Tours (Australia)
- Customer's Name: Nick from Australia
- Traveled with Leon & CET in: April 2018
What did Nick say about our service:
Hi Leon,
I just wanted to take the opportunity to say how much we enjoyed our China vacation. The Guides we had - Nancy, Frances and Darcy all did a great job and made our vacation very special.
Thanks again, I will be sure to give your company good scores on TripAdvisor.
Nick
- Customer's Name: Tze-Miin
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: April 2018
What did Tze-Miin say about our service:
Hi Michael,
We had a wonderful holiday in China. It was a truly amazing experience and we give credit to your planning and organisation.
We will definitely post 5 stars and good feedback for China Educational Tours. Linda in Beijing, Rocky in Xian, Bai or Belle in Chengdu and Sophie in Shanghai are EXCEPTIONAL! In fact, all the guides have their good points.
Also, my husband is already planning the next trip to China. ;) He wants to go to Guilin, Hainan Island, Quandong etc. If you have any standard itinerary, you could send it to us to look at. Please don't go to a lot of trouble as we have not decided where we want to go yet.
Thanks Michael.
Regards.
Tze-Miin
- Customer's Name: Glenn Varley
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: April 2018
What did Glenn Varley say about our service:
1. The tour guides were all great. Very nice and friendly people.
2. Memorable attractions were pretty much everything.
Absolutely loved everything about Zhangjiajie and the Guilin Li River cruise was fantastic.
3. Yes. We would definitely recommend your company to our friends. Everything went exactly to plan and we had very few problems.
Glenn
- Customer's Name: Dorothy Brown & Mervyn Brown
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: April 2018
What did Dorothy Brown & Mervyn Brown say about our service:
Hi Carol,
It was good to hear from you and we are very happy to help with feed back. We had a wonderful trip and it is difficult to point to one thing but I think the learning curve about China was tops for me. This is a direct result of the excellent guides and their always interesting chats. The right amount of information sprinkled with plenty of fascinating stories. I have been talking about your country ever since I returned. The format of our itinerary was excellent. Beijing and Xian: history. Guilin, Yellow Mountain, Hangzhou and Suzhou: scenic beauty. Shanghai: modern China.
We felt safe and well looked after while in China. When our driver did not turn up in Shanghai to take us to the airport we were impressed with how quickly the problem was solved and with the pleasantness of the new driver which eased our anxiety.
We will pass on your company details to friends and acquaintances who are interested in China and when Merv gives a talk on his trip to China to his "Men's Club" he will definitely refer to China Educational Tours.
We are happy to share some photos of the trip on your website and to share our memories on Trip Adviser.
It was special to meet you and thank you for taking the time to share a meal with us.
Best wishes,
Dorothy.
- Customer's Name: Bob and Sandy
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: March 2018
What did Bob and Sandy say about our service:
Dear Michael,
Thank you for your help in visiting your country, China. Putting a person to a name was appreciated while having our delicious dinner with you in Guilin. So pleased we took a nighttime walk around the lake to view the beautiful scenery of the walkway and the bridges.
Guilin
All the areas we visited were excellent guided by Jessica. Jessica gave us a clear understanding of many interesting facts in this area such as the vegetation, culture, ethnic groups and their way of life. Many facts such as the manufacturing of cars, licensing, traffic which we wouldn’t have even thought about were explained. The food at the rice paddies was excellent with the best beans we’ve had. The lunch (which we had read was not up to some people’s standard) on the river cruise was delicious and enjoyable. The cooking class with Linda at Yangshuo was excellent. The visit to the marketplace was educational with regards to the different foods offered.
Xi’an
Plenty of history here. Terracotta Warriors were very interesting. Unsure of why we didn’t see the film at the cinema there though (should have asked). Shaanxi Museum was a bit disappointing. I have read how busy it is (and it was), six people deep and able to view the priceless artifacts between heads and shoulders of the crowd. For us a day visiting the Terracotta Warriors, City Wall, and the Muslim Quarter would have been enough.
Luoyang
We hadn’t realised how fantastic this area is. The grottoes (looked just like the photos we’d seen) and Shaolin Academy were very fascinating. Lisa was a delight and even organised masseurs to massage our weary muscles after a gruelling day.
Beijing
This area was amazing, so much history. Our guide, Marjorie, is a well educated young woman who kept us informed on many facts about the city and its people. She made sure that we ordered something different and unique to the area at lunchtime, all the dishes were delicious. She went out of her way to find out questions we asked (nearest supermarket, places to visit for certain things, how to take the subway). She also organised tickets for an early evening show (The Golden Mask). Not only did we see historic sites we got a chance to experience snow (something for us as we live in the subtropics).
Our travel from city to city was perfect. We had no stress at all travelling and our guides were excellent at making sure we understood the process of going through a station or airport. The trains were excellent and found very little difference between first and second class (seats and leg room just a little bit more in first class). Would definitely recommend this way of travelling. Thank you for your help in getting our tickets for the train from Shenzhen to Guilin and having them delivered to our hotel in Hong Kong as it would have been difficult to secure these from out of the country.
Every meal we had was delicious. No complaints at all about the food.
The best hotel was the one in Luoyang. Fantastic staff, white gloves, food, appearance of the whole hotel was top notch. All the others were very good also.
The information about different customs and beliefs you sent us before we arrived in China was very helpful. When we did come across a different custom we were aware and had no complaints.
Thanks again Michael and now we’ll try to figure out how to make a comment online.
Cheers
Bob and Sandy
- Customer's Name: Rosemary Cotter
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: October 2017
What did Rosemary Cotter say about our service:
Dear Carol,
Thank you so much for all your help and support during our trip. It was a wonderful experience for us. I have travelled internationally before but never have travelled through an agency. I have shared with many of our friends and family how easy it was working with you and your associates. Your making these excellent arrangements allowed me to concentrate on my daughter and our family and support them as we experienced this return together. It was life-giving for us.
I have included a copy of the review below. If you have anyone who would like to speak with someone about a trip like ours, please do not hesitate to refer them.
Peace--
Rosemary Cotter
Wonderful Family Heritage Tour
Our family wanted to travel together to visit my daughter's orphanage and finding site as well as experience Chinese people and culture. Carol from China Educational Tours helped us plan our trip from Guangzhou to Beijing providing domestic transportation and city drivers and translator/guides in each city. They proved to be one of the highlights of our trip! They were knowledgeable about their area and its history and able to make recommendations about restaurants. They were also willing to engage with us and talk about their lives so that we could learn more deeply what it means to live in China today. Carol was also able to arrange for us to visit with two families who welcomed us to tea, and provide experiences hiking, biking and taking classes in Chinese cooking and Tai Chi. After spending a day with us, one of our guides recommended a change in our schedule to include a tour that we had not thought of. No problem--arrangements were made and we had a wonderful time.
I highly recommend this agency for their professionalism, knowledge and flexibility.
- Customer's Name: Tanya Bizon
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: July 2017
What did Tanya say about our service:
Hello, Michael!
I’ m so sorry it took me so long time to reply! Yes, I had a great time and experience in China, and I would love to share my pics and feedback with you! The tour guides were basically pampering me! Very attentive and super creative and flexible. It was great!
I definitely will recommend your company. You are the best! When I read your reviews on Trip Advisor, they were all excellent and it actually scared me off a bit- they were too good! However, I wholeheartedly support them all!
Thank you for a great trip and experience! I felt so much loved in China because I am Russian :) I didn't realize the Chinese loved the Russians so much. I even had a chance to talk to some older people in Russian about Russia. They were older singers in a park in Beijing. Great memories!
Tanya
- Customer's Name: Renee Hurst
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: July 2017
What did Renee Hurst say about our service:
Hi, Michael!
We had a fabulous tour, and I would highly recommend your company to anyone planning a tour of China. From the initial planning stage to the actual tour, your service couldn't have been better. We were impressed by your flexibility, and the tour went off without a single hitch -- with the exception of several flight delays, which you couldn't control. In fact, thanks to our amazing guide in Yichang, we ended up grateful for the delay. Instead of dropping us off at the airport at the scheduled time, she suggested a foot massage that turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. (I'd recommend that you offer all our guests that option!) The fact that you took time to meet us for dinner while we were in Xi'an shows your commitment to your guest's satisfaction and to the best possible service.
Honestly, I can't say enough good things about your company, our guides and our trip. It was fabulous, and it would be my privilege to serve as a reference.
Thank you for the trip of a lifetime!
Sincerely,
Renee Hurst
- Customer's Name: Eileen Coristine
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: June 2017
What did Eileen say about our service:
Hi Michael,
Our tour guides were both friendly, welcoming, helpful, great problem solvers and flexible. They were also able to tell us a great deal of information about their city and the sites we visited.
We enjoyed the days that we spent with Shirley in Beijing so much. She gave us great advice on where to have our evening meals and helped us out in many ways. Shirley also told us a lot of information about China, and we learned about what it is like to live and work in Beijing, too. With Shirley, we shared lots of laughs, while she did her best to introduce us to Chinese ways and she was always willing to answer our questions.
I definitely would recommend your company to anyone travelling to China. Planning a trip to China is quite different from other countries because of the visa requirements and the planning that has to be done in advance. I was so pleased with the way I could ask questions and your patience in answering the same questions more than once (or twice). The tour was amazing, and I felt that I got great value for the money it cost. Everyone I dealt with was trustworthy and so helpful. My family loved the flexibility, and especially in Beijing we did need some problem solving. Everything was looked after and everything went smoothly thanks to China Educational Tours.
Best regards,
Eileen
- Customer's Name: Lauren & Alyssa
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: May 2017
What did Lauren and Alyssa say about our service:
Hi Michael,
I had a wonderful time on my China trip. I felt that with each city, it kept getting better and better (could be because of the cultural shock that I first experienced when I arrived but got used to as the trip went on). Alyssa laughed because the longer I was in China, the more assimilated I became in terms of style. At the end of our trip in Hong Kong, she actually stopped to take a picture and couldn’t find me when she looked up because I looked too much “like everyone else”. You could say that I definitely felt like I was fitting in and having a good time despite the language barrier.
I thought that for the amount of money that the tour costed, it was very good value. All of the transportation, accommodation, as well as full-day tours were included in a private setting and I did like how it is advertised that the guides do receive a base salary and it is not just on tips. All the guides were very good and always on time and prompt as well as easy to see at the airports/train stations when we arrived. They were also flexible with our schedules, always allowing us to take our time with the activities and not sticking strictly to the time schedules. I liked how on the schedule of activities, they were flexible with the days we did activities (for example, it was pouring the day we were supposed to go to the rice terraces with Jane so we switched two days to accommodate for the weather). Also, in Beijing, Momo suggested swapping some activities so that we could have more time since some were more en route than others. This allowed us more free time at the end of the day to explore. Something else that I really appreciated was how you met up with us and treated us not only to dinner, but also gave us a gift and also gave us a nice tour around Guilin. It made it seem very personal and it was just very kind of you. Another major advantage was that you could arrange the flight to Hong Kong from Shanghai.
Cheers,
Lauren
- Customer's Name: Heather and Karen Gardiner
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: April 2017
What did Heather and Karen say about our service:
Dear Michael,
Sorry about the extensive delay in responding to your email.
You organised a wonderful tour for us, and we thoroughly enjoyed it, although I was a little underprepared for the physicality of it all, but the guides were all very aware of my limitations (I carry a stick) and did all they could to make things easier, they were fantastic. It was circumstance that led us to begin in Beijing and that meant, that as each leg came along it was less physical and I could really enjoy the amazing trip on the Yangtze and the incredible gardens of Shanghai and Suzhou, that was an amazing way to finish, and the bullet train return to Beijing, was perfect.
The hotels were all fantastic, the guides and drivers, were very very thoughtful and considerate, a couple of the drivers had vans, and I had a little trouble getting up such a big step, but they mostly managed to park on a guttering which gave me a little step up. I have talked up your company to such an extent, that I have been asked if I get a kick back on the trip, but your professionalism with all your emails, your itinerary, every part of your operation was exemplerary, and I have no hesitation in recommending you and your company to everyone.
Thank you once again,
Heather and Karen Gardiner
- Customer's Name: Leong Becky
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: November 2016
What did Becky say about our service:
Thanks Carol,
They are very happy , no complain at all. They told me if I ever need testimony, they can vouch for me.
Thanks so much Carol, Hope the new year brings more business.
Becky
- Customer's Name: Sunny Lau
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: Sept. 2016
What did Sunny say about our service:
Hi Michael,
I want to express my gratitude! Thank you so much for organize the trip for us! With prompt emails and helpful suggestions, you did an excellent job at planning our tailored trip to Guilin. I was very impressed with the level of service and professionalism in the planning of our trip. You are professional, very responsive, and thoughtful. Your pricing is fair. My only regret was I didn't get a chance to meet you in person when I was in Guilin.
The trip was indeed very memorable and enjoyable, we had a fabulous experience. Our guide and driver were fabulous, knowledgeable, flexible and always eager to help.
I am already thinking about my next China trip and I will definitely want you to help me organize and planning again in the near future.
Again, thank you very much!
Sunny
- School Name: Lehi High School
- Customer's Name: Damon Macdonald
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: Jun. 2016
What did Damon say about our service:
We had a great experience with China Educational Tours in Guilin and Yangshuo. Michael and Carol took care of us as we biked around town and visited a 300+ year old residence. The next day we took a short bus ride to a farm and made sticky rice cakes, planted potatoes and made baskets and tofu. Our group of 39 students split into 3 to learned taichi, traditional water-painting, and Chinese cooking.
We also visited the Reed Flute cave, and saw the breath-taking views of the 'Avatar' mountains in Zhangjiajie with our guide Victor. The guides were very flexible and able to adjust schedules and activities to the weather and accommodate our needs. This was a great learning experience, and the guides are outstanding.
Students from Leihi High School:
Harrison Craner: "Best tour guide out of all 5 we had. They took amazing care of us. any problem that happened was take care of very quickly and well. "
Jonah Cox: "China Educational Tours is a fantastic cultural and natural experience. The Chinese culture is eye opening sparking new ideas and worldwide tolerance. The scenery is simply breath taking, beautiful beyond compare. Definitely one of the greatest experiences you could have."
Joshua Comer: "I finally feel like the reality of learning Chinese has sunk in. I've learned what it's like to actually speak Chinese now and I've been motivated to learn more."
- School Name: Leongatha Primary School
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: 2011,2012,2013,2014, 2015, 2016
- Principal: Rob Higgins
What did Rob say about our service:
Another fantastic trip which is made so easy because we know that everything is so well organised by your company. I can concentrate on our students and our program knowing that the organization implemented by China Educational Tours will be 100% spot on. We look forward to continue this partnership.
As feedback on our guides the guides in Beijing were fantastic, it was great to catch up with Gerry as well. The guides in Shanghai were good, not as good as the Beijing crew, but they sure worked hard to assist us.
The Hotel in Beijing was much better than last year’s hotel. The location was superb. The only weakness was the variation in rooms, some were large and some very small but we loved the location so that will be fine.
What did the Parent Participants say about our service:
"On this, my second trip to China, I was thrilled with your tour! The addition of The Summer Palace and Xian made for an extra special time for both my child and I! The tour guides and drivers were fantastic. Everything ran like clockwork and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Thank you!"
- School Name: Mirboo North Secondary College
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: Sep 2015, 2016
- Principal: Karen Lanyon
What did Karen say about our service:
China educational experience were extremely well organized and professional. The guides were informative and entertaining to both the adults and the children. The guides provided by China Educational Tours were first rate.The busses were all clean and I always felt safe whilst traveling.
- Customer's Name: Liz Godwin
- Traveled with CET in: Dec. 2015
What did Liz say about our service:
Sorry not to have emailed you as soon as we returned home. I had intended to do this but soon became involved in family commitments. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to both Hong Kong and Shanghai. The most memorable day was the tour of Suzhou and Tongli town. This tour of a smaller village was enjoyed by all my family members. However, we did enjoy every day organized.
The tour guides were excellent and provided extensive information about each venue and communicated in English clearly. They were friendly and easy to communicate with. Both guides provided detailed information about the place we were visiting and also helped us learn some Chinese language.
The organization of each day was excellent and your tours were easy to access which I have told family and friends already.
Thanks for all your assistance in the planning of our family holiday and if I was to travel to China in the future I will contact you to help me plan the trip.
- School Name: Paynesville Primary School
- Traveled with Michael & CET in: Sep. 2013, 2015
- Principal: Tony Roberts
What did Tony say about our service:
The highlights were the Great Wall and the bike ride around the wall in Xian.
Guides were good. IN Shanghai – Sophie took us out on the first night to The Bund, Nanking Rd and a boat cruise on the river.Sophie asked me if the group would like to do anything – Sophie and I planned it and then I presented to parents. Winnie was fantastic how she collected us in the morning from the train station in Xian and then had breakfast ready at a nearby hotel. Good toilets etc and money machines located next to the hotel.– the group loved this from her.
Mark in Beijing was the most knowledgeable guide and with every hour my group liked him more and more. He loved questions and he knew a lot of interesting facts and information.
In Summary – the guides were all good. Sophie has the best manner with people – and children in particular. (My group loved her). Her bus driver was very nice and his bus was lovely.
- School Name: Tarago Educational Community
- Traveled with CET in: Mar. 2015
- Principal: Jennifer Prout
What did Jennie say about our service:
From what I could see you were very well organized and covered all bases really well allowing for us to have a great experience. Considering we didn't want to do, we had the most amazing time ever! Just being there to experience the Chinese culture was amazing. I thought "Pan", the tour guide in Shanghai was amazing, if possible it would be awesome if he could be with us for the whole trip. Thank you for inviting us to experience 'the ways of life in another country'! Well organized and executed tour - thoroughly enjoyable.
- School Name: Yarram Secondary College & Neerim District Secondary College
- Traveled with Michael in: Mar. 2013
- Principal: Wayne Chester
What did Wayne say about our service:
We had a fantastic trip and the students really enjoyed themselves.
The guides were terrific. Jerry did a wonderful job with us in Beijing. He was very easy to work with and his knowledge of the places we visited was very good. We all enjoyed his company and he made our trip very enjoyable.
We also really enjoyed the Royal Phoenix Hotel. The staff were excellent, the rooms were excellent and we really enjoyed the breakfast. It is in a great location and we would definitely use it again.
- Customer's Name: Terry Barnes
- Traveled with Carol & CET in: Dec. 2015
What did Terry say about our service:
We loved the last three days and will remember them, Lily, Mr Lai and yourself for many years to come. We will also think of you whenever we use your very thoughtful gift.
With best wishes and many thanks again to you and your excellent team, and very success for your growing business,
Terry