WildChina Tour Operator Review Request

My wife and I are planning a 3+ week trip of a lifetime to China. Choosing a tour operator is a daunting task as you all know. We have been in contact with certain agencies which appear to stand out above the rest. We have read all there is to read on TripAdvisor and are leaning to going with WildTravel. Besides the fact that they might be charging more than other companies, does anybody have any input regarding the service which they provide? Most importantly does anybody have ANY negative comments?

WildChina Tour Operator Review Request

I traveled with China Highlights last year, they arranged a good tour for me. Their site is http://www.chinahighlights.com/

Can you show us the web address of Wildtravel? some of us may know it.

WildChina Tour Operator Review Request

Please be aware that the vast majority of tour companies, no matter where they are based, use the same on-the-ground group tour subcontractors in China. Your brand-name operator will likely decide the hotels and city itinerary, but the on-the-ground operators in China do the rest. A few very premium priced tours go on their own.

You want to invest your travel dollars with a firm most likely in your own country so if things go wrong, you can recoup your funds. Try getting a refund from a foreign company if you have an honest difference of opinion. Of course, make payments by credit card, no matter the surcharge if any. Do not wire money/write checks to anyone, as you have little recourse if the operator disappears or appears to be fraudulent.

Sobesparky says ';A few very premium priced tours go on their own.'; That%26#39;s essentially what to expect with WildChina. They do sometimes need to make some use of local guides, but they don%26#39;t let them pick the hotels and restaurants, make all of the decisions, or stop at those tourist-trap factory shops.

WildChina is a legitimate company, and I am pretty sure it is registered in Hong Kong. It has changed ownership, so I can%26#39;t be sure quality is the same as a few years ago.

They do their best off the normal tourist track--not much point in going with WildChina to see all of the things every other tour group will go to.

Also, since they go off of the beaten track, some of the accommodation may be spartan, if full of charm.

Thanks for the insight. I appreciate the comments.

Thanks so much. WildChina remains at the top of my list.

We toured 18-20 days with WildChina. I%26#39;m pretty sure we went to some ';off the Wall';(pun intended) places.

Destinations almost exclusively enjoyed by the ';locals.';

Some of their jaunts can be physically challenging,

so your age and physical condition are important.

Reply with your age and physical condition, and we%26#39;ll give you some hints. John %26amp; Sandy

Thanks so much for responding. My wife and I are both 60 years old and in decent physical shape. Actually we%26#39;ve both been trying to get in better condition in anticipation of the rigors facing us on this journey. I%26#39;m running one mile a day and my wife is doing whatever wives do. Any thoughts would be most appreciated. We%26#39;ve already sent WildChina our deposit.

Paul and Sandy

Los Angeles, CA

We flew into Beijing. My only recollection of the airport was that the arrival hall was a bit drab.

We got yuan from an atm before leaving the arrival hall. No hassle in clearing immigration,customs or baggage claim.

Immediately upon leaving the hall, we saw our guide holding a card with our name. Quickly into the parking garage, and then as we drove away, a shock, this place is really modern! We stayed in one of the old fashioned courtyard hotels-only ';round eyes'; were guests. Those in the know take advantage of the really modern hotels closer to the action. The food is good, you will get tired of five spice flavoring. Breakfasts in the modern hotels are as good as you will get anywhere. Where your itinerary matches ours, we may give you some suggestions. We had a guide and a driver in each city. By the way, there does not seem to be any city in China with less than 10,000,000 people.

After Beijing we did Xian, then Chengdu and finally

Guilin. OMG don%26#39;t miss Guilin! After Guilin, we traveled to Hong Kong which at that time was not serviced by WildChina. NPR, (National Public Radio), was in Chengdu during the earthquake. They were using WildChina. I know, because I recognized our guide, Phillip. All of the guides have anglicized names. where our trips correspond, we can share some tips. Speaking of which, expect to tip you guide and driver about 100RMB each per day.

You will read horror stories about counterfeit money, we had no problems, even in the remotest of areas. By chance, I had purchased at Office Depot an key chain size uv flashlight, for what purpose?

All Chinese currency fluoresces under uv light, even the Chinese were not aware of this. Getting around on your own will not be difficult. There is a magazine like our Go Do or Whats On in Beijing.

Find where it is you want to go in the magazine and show the address to any taxi driver. Taxis are really reasonable. In Beijing, avoid the opera and martial arts shows, but the acrobats are a must see. EVERYWHERE YOU GO-AND I MEAN E V E R Y W H E R E- YOU WILL BE BOTHERED BY PEOPLE, OF ALL AGES, HAWKING THEIR GOODS. THAT%26#39;S LIFE IN CHINA AND DON%26#39;T BE INTIMIDATED. Its like going to the beach, you are going to get sand in your shoes. Also all prices are negotiable. If you like something, ';don%26#39;t like it too much.'; The salesperson will tip a price in a calculator, you then tip in a ridiculously low price, and you haggle. Regardless you%26#39;ll have paid too much. Our trip with WildChina was truly memorable. Sandy %26amp; John