Sinorama Gold 8 Yangtze River cruise & Imperial China Tour

[ROCruiser]

Thank you so much for posting your experience with Sinorama. We will be with them on the November 10 tour from LA (Scenic Landscapes, Rural Villages 10 Days) with the add-on cruise at the end, also a Travelzoo discount special. Your reviews were very helpful even though we will not be going to the same cities. :)

[lamchops]

Thank you so much for posting your experience with Sinorama. We will be with them on the November 10 tour from LA (Scenic Landscapes, Rural Villages 10 Days) with the add-on cruise at the end, also a Travelzoo discount special. Your reviews were very helpful even though we will not be going to the same cities. :)

 

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[T.O.Gal]

Thank you for your blog. It was a pleasure to read. We'll be going in November. After reading your blog the trip seems real now.

 

I was wondering do you recall where you purchased your chopsticks (store)? They sound like great souvenirs to bring back. Also, just wondering what were they made of - wood or ???

 

Thanks.

[lamchops]

I was wondering do you recall where you purchased your chopsticks (store)? They sound like great souvenirs to bring back. Also, just wondering what were they made of - wood or ???

 

Thanks.

 

Every stop had street vendors selling them and I bought mine at the WangFuJing shopping area in Beijing. I got a deal because I purchased 9 packs (90 pairs). The cheapest place for those types of souvenirs (coin purses, fans, etc.) was at a shop at "Water Street" in Suzhou (Venice of the East). The shop was about 100 yards on the left of the entrance past the Dairy Queen. My DW bought more to "average down" but she just likes to shop.:) At the end of the day, the price differences were not very much. When shopping, expect to pay 45-60% of the asking price in the "tour stores" and 33-45% in the street markets.

The chopsticks were wooden and not of good quality but looked impressive in it's satin sleeve. My staff was appreciative that I had brought something back at all.

[katrapp]

Thank you lambchops and greatam and others, Because of your all input and reviews I feel much better about the possibility of going. I was getting very hesitant about going because of all the somewhat bad reviews I saw.

 

I still wish there were some way to get better food. One of the main reasons to go somewhere different is to get to taste their food.

 

But I have been reading about other tours and it seems you just cannot get good food on any tour. This is so sad. It seems that the "restaurants" you go to are all for tourists and that no locals go there.

 

I am still contemplating about going. The toilets are the main drawback. I have bad knees and have never even been able to hover. When camping I always found a good tree to hang on to.

 

Thank you so much for your input. Guess I had better start walking up and down my hill to get into shape.

[lamchops]

I am still contemplating about going. The toilets are the main drawback. I have bad knees and have never even been able to hover. When camping I always found a good tree to hang on to.

 

Thank you so much for your input. Guess I had better start walking up and down my hill to get into shape.

 

My DW never had to use a squat toilet and I only did once when I over indulged in a spicey dish. It was the tastiest dish of the tour but I know better now. Moderation is the key! LOL!

 

I got an email today from TZ that the trip is discounted to $1899cdn from Vancouver. That's about $1450us so basically just over $100us a day.

Edited September 28, 2015 by lamchops

[katrapp]

Hi Lambchops,

 

I appreciate the fast reply. I am still checking into stuff and am waiting for my cousins to call me back about going. Just not too sure about going alone. I would probably not have much of a problem in Europe, but I know it could be a problem in China.

 

Last week I did get something from TZ, which prompted me to start searching for more information. And thank you for suggesting them too. :D

 

I will keep you posted.

[lamchops]

Hi Lamchops,

 

I appreciate the fast reply. I am still checking into stuff and am waiting for my cousins to call me back about going. Just not too sure about going alone. I would probably not have much of a problem in Europe, but I know it could be a problem in China.

 

Last week I did get something from TZ, which prompted me to start searching for more information. And thank you for suggesting them too. :D

 

I will keep you posted.

 

I think the single supplement is $600cdn ($450us). Being alone is not really an issue as you're with the same group throughout the trip. The only issue would be if you wandered off and got lost but that could be solved with a phone call to the guide. I told DW to not get lost and be aware of landmarks while she was "wandering" when shopping.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

Hi Nancy. I deliberately picked this travel week, thinking the fireworks on Oct 1st in Beijing will be the best ever. I might take a pass on the Wall (and the travel time to and fro) and do a personal tour of modern Beijing. I would like to see the University, and the large Silk mall, and have time to enjoy both. There may be other sights in the city that are modern wonders.

 

For what it's worth, I hope to take a tour of the Jewish Quarter in Shanghai. If you or anyone cares to do this, I will be happy to make the arrangements. To that end, I will post this note in your Roll Call too.

 

Regards, Elliot

 

Do you have any info on touring the Jewish Quarter? I will be there with my son next year June - Thanks

[Julia’s Journey’s]

My DW never had to use a squat toilet and I only did once when I over indulged in a spicey dish. It was the tastiest dish of the tour but I know better now. Moderation is the key! LOL!

 

I got an email today from TZ that the trip is discounted to $1899cdn from Vancouver. That's about $1450us so basically just over $100us a day.

 

 

Thanks so much for the awesome information you provided.

I booked on Monday for my Son and I as his graduation trip for next May 30th.

The prices are the same in US and Can$ - it doesn't look like they are converting for us in the US:D but still a good deal.

 

I too am more of a DIY traveller so this will be my first 'tour group' trip so once booked I am now researching and yikes I hope I don't feel 'hoarded around' all day :D

 

I'm now starting to worry about my Son's meals as he has Crohn's and I hope there is food that he can handle without flaring and having to use to

non-western bathrooms:eek:

 

Guess I should have researched before booking:D

[lamchops]

I too am more of a DIY traveller so this will be my first 'tour group' trip so once booked I am now researching and yikes I hope I don't feel 'hoarded around' all day :D

 

There will be some herding as one does not want to get lost in a country where english use is limited. The herding is usually just at the airports and from the bus to the site with a quick orientation. You are left to explore the sites on your own so do your research.

 

I'm now starting to worry about my Son's meals as he has Crohn's and I hope there is food that he can handle without flaring and having to use to

non-western bathrooms:eek:

 

It was typical westernized chinese food at lunch and dinner with breakfast being the best meal of the day. There are western or handicapped restrooms at all the places the guides took us to. It's just whether he'll be able to "hold it" while he awaits his turn. I think my DW has IBS and she watched what she ate and utilized all western pitstops and had no issues.

 

Guess I should have researched before booking:D

 

Like any trip, just plan and miminalize the the unexpected. If my DW could do it, anyone can.

 

The group that left in late September should be home next week and hopefully they'll post their comments.

Edited October 9, 2015 by lamchops

[Jujuju2]

Lamchops, thanks so much for the detailed posts about your trip. We have been to China twice before with another company, and at prices similar to what we are paying for this one, but it is now quite some years later, and I can't quite believe all we are getting for our Travelzoo special price. AFTER I booked the trip, I realized I hadn't really done a lot of checking but was sort of relying on the integrity of being Travelzoo recommended, that this would be a good trip. After reading your account, I am now reassured. We LOVE China, and I am sure we will love it again this time.

 

Both previous trips I was also quite fearful that I would eat NOTHING for two weeks, as I am not an adventurous eater. But there was always something I could eat. There is rice. I "could" eat only rice for a couple weeks and not suffer any real consequences, but it did not come to that. That said, on our first trip, there was a man of Indian origin traveling with his son. The son confided in us that his father was having a rough time with the food. We relayed that to some other folks on the tour, and a lady said she had brought a jar of peanut butter. She offered it to the father, and he accepted, and thereafter he was a lot happier. There is usually western bread at breakfast, and a person could easily sneak out a few pieces and take a peanut butter sandwich for lunch. Bottom line: Do not go on a trip like this for the gourmet food. Ain't gonna happen. Got on it for the cultural enrichment, which will happen in plenty.

 

Hi Lambchops,

 

I appreciate the fast reply. I am still checking into stuff and am waiting for my cousins to call me back about going. Just not too sure about going alone. I would probably not have much of a problem in Europe, but I know it could be a problem in China.

 

Last week I did get something from TZ, which prompted me to start searching for more information. And thank you for suggesting them too. :D

 

I will keep you posted.

 

I failed to check the date on katrapp's post before deciding to reply to her, but she may have already made her decision or have already gone and come back. But to anybody else having doubts about going solo, I agree with Lamchops, a tour such as this one is one of the best possible ways to go solo. You will be with the same people all the time, and you will soon fall in with the group, and the group will both keep you safe and included. International travelers, especially those brave enough to go to China on a group tour, are among the kindest and most thoughtful of travelers. If you are alone, people will look out for you, even the ones who don't appear to be doing so.

 

We are booked on March 2, 2016, Charm of China, by the way. We are Americans living just south of the British Columbia, Canada, border.

[czarria55]

Hi Elliot, we're well aware of what's coming, but this was the only date we could book, so we're basically stuck with it.

We're hoping we have a guide who can be flexible and get us to the sights at the best possible times to avoid the hoardes. It would be great if they could bring us to another section of the Wall other than Badaling (or as I keep calling it ...Badabing...sorry, too many Soprano's episodes).

 

I did find a review from someone who traveled the same week last year, and they said it wasn't as bad as they expected, so we're keeping our fingers crossed.

 

Nancy: we have booked a Sinorama tour for Oct.1-12 this year, after finding an amazing deal via Travelzoo. I have read lamchops wonderful recounting of his experiences and am more eager than ever for this trip. I just wondered what your experience was going during the national holiday in October? Thanks!!

[nansi]

Hi Christie,

For what it's worth, there were pros and cons for this week.

They changed our hotels to locate us away from the city center to avoid some of the traffic jams. They also got us up extra early to get on the road and avoid the traffic and crowds.

They brought us to a less frequented part of the wall (not Badaling). No crowds when we arrived but by the time we left it was a mob scene. This turned out to be one of the steepest parts of the wall to climb and once we made it up to the first tower we were exhausted. Some of the younger folks went further on up though. Coming down was a little scary with so many people, but we just hung on to the railing and took our time. An interesting plus was that there were many people from rural China on their vacation, and they were in AWE of us; for many of them, we were the first Westerners they'd ever seen, so we became celebrities of sorts (they took lots of selfies with us). The younger ones speak pretty good English, so we had a lot of personal encounters and interesting conversations with these very friendly people. This actually happened everywhere we went in China and it really enriched the whole experience. The fact that it was Holiday week brought a lot of the rural folks in, which normally you wouldn't get to meet (because they'd be working). So I have to say this was a BIG plus! At the Summer Palace, four of us got off the beaten path and climbed the hill into the woods where we found hundreds of people all singing in unison. A couple of the women in costume gave us red scarves and we joined in the dancing. It was amazing!!

The other really good thing about this week is that the majority of factories are shut down and the air quality is GREAT! We had crystal clear BLUE skies in Beijing (2 weeks later they were all wearing face masks again). We had only one day of rain the entire trip, and luckily we spent it inside the museum in Jingzhou anyway. The temps were perfect...not too hot and not too cold. As far as the crowds: very crowded at the Terra Cotta site; you had to push your way in to get a spot along the wall to be able to see them in the first pit. However if they noticed you were a Westerner, they actually gave you their spot at the railing. Tiananmen Square is so big it didn't feel crowded, and the Forbidden City was virtually empty due to the fact that the govt. is limiting visitors to 80,000 per day. By the time we got there at 4pm it was deserted and we had the whole place to ourselves. Temple of Heaven grounds were crowded, but not that bad, since it's a huge sprawling site. And the rickshaw ride into the Hutong started out great, but after the time it took to "visit" a family, it was a chaotic mob scene coming back out. Our driver was yelling at everyone and we were afraid violence would ensue...he was pissing everyone off who was walking and fists and voices were raised. Our guide finally told everyone to get off the rickshaws and walk instead (which we were very happy to do before someone got hurt)!

By the time you get off the cruise portion, the Holiday is over and you'll have the everyday "normal" traffic and crowds (in Shanghai and Suzhou). Normal for China that is lol.

So go and enjoy. Your schedule may get switched around (ours did a lot), but you'll see everything listed on your itinerary, and maybe even some that aren't (like the Olympic City in Beijing). It's truly a once in a lifetime experience!

Nancy

[czarria55]

Nancy, Thank you SO much for this. It helps a lot to hear another's recent experiences. It also reinforces to me that we picked a good time to go. I think as long as our group (there will be six of us, all 60+) keeps a positive attitude and goes with the flow, we should be fine.

 

We are so excited. If you can think of any other words of wisdom or insights to share, please feel free to post here or email me @ czarria57@gmail.com.

 

Thanks again!

[nansi]

Nancy, Thank you SO much for this. It helps a lot to hear another's recent experiences. It also reinforces to me that we picked a good time to go. I think as long as our group (there will be six of us, all 60+) keeps a positive attitude and goes with the flow, we should be fine.

 

We are so excited. If you can think of any other words of wisdom or insights to share, please feel free to post here or email me @ czarria57@gmail.com.

 

Thanks again!

 

The majority of our group were 60+ and everyone did great! You'll be fine. Have a great time!

[czarria55]

Hey Nancy!! I just realized we are NEIGHBORS!! Your profile lists you in Cape Coral. We are in Lehigh Acres!! Maybe we can meet up sometime & share more of your experience?? If you like just email at the above email @ we'll go from there. Small world! 😎😄

[jill1349]

Hi all and thanks for all of the information. We are booked on the September 7 Focus on China tour (a TravelZoo deal). I'm guessing the itinerary is similar to many of the tours described here. Couple of questions:

 

1. Do you actually go into the palace at Forbidden City or just observe from the outside?

 

2. How is dinner dining on the ship? I thought I read it was all buffet but is it open seating or do they have an early and late traditional style seating.

 

We plan to arrive a few days early. We can't decide whether to hire a guide or navigate on our own? We would like to be on our own but since we don't speak the language am somewhat concerned. Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

Thanks again for all of the help and looking forward to reading more reviews between now and September.

 

Jill

[czarria55]

Hi, Jill. I'm hoping someone - lamchops or nansi, maybe - will respond to your questions. I'd be interested in the answers as well.

 

Also, since you are going about a month ahead of us (we're doing the Oct. 1 Focus on China tour - that was an AMAZING Travelzoo deal, huh?), perhaps you'll be so kind as to post some reflections/pointers/highlights/pros & cons, etc. for us? Your experiences with Sinorama are also appreciated.

 

Very excited! Look forward to hearing & learning more. I'm trying to learn a little mandarin in anticipation. ☺️

[lamchops]

Couple of questions:

 

1. Do you actually go into the palace at Forbidden City or just observe from the outside?

 

You get to go into the forbidden city but not allowed into any of the buildings. There were areas that were roped off and you can get a peek.

 

 

2. How is dinner dining on the ship? I thought I read it was all buffet but is it open seating or do they have an early and late traditional style seating.

 

One dinner seating each night at assigned tables and every meal but the last one (I think) were buffets. Food was adequate but not like ocean cruises.

[Ouoat]

Reading conflicting accounts of the dress code for cruise nights. Do women really have to pack a dress/skirt? Could a women wear slacks and a nice blouse and a man wear a golf shirt and slacks and not feel out of place?

[lamchops]

Reading conflicting accounts of the dress code for cruise nights. Do women really have to pack a dress/skirt? Could a women wear slacks and a nice blouse and a man wear a golf shirt and slacks and not feel out of place?

 

After reviewing many of my pics, I am usually in a "nice" golf shirt and dress slacks. I couldn't find one pic with me wearing a dress shirt but I know I brought a "wrinkle free" one. The women definitely dressed better than the men but it wasn't "party wear". You will be fine with slacks and a nice blouse.

[jill1349]

Lamchops, thanks for the information on the Forbidden City and the dining on the ship. I am still a bit confused about the tour to the Forbidden City. You mention you were able to look into some of the buildings but not able to go in.

 

The guide books appear to indicate that there are buildings and halls and such that are open to the public (with paid admission) inside the walls of the City. If this is accurate it sounds to me like the Sinorama tour will take us inside the walls and let us walk around but not inside the actual buildings. Any clarification is appreciated. If this is true we may want to visit during our free time before the tour starts so we can actually go into the buildings.

 

Thanks. Jill

[celebration15]

I'm booked on one of their trips in Nov of this year. There was an online deal offered through a travel discounter that we just couldn't pass up.

 

Sinorama is a big travel agency with offices in Vanc, Toronto, Montreal and a couple of places in Europe. They've been around since 1969. They also own (?) a couple of the Yangtse river cruise boats.

 

I too wasn't able to find too much regarding reviews but if you do a search for youtube videos, you will find a couple. No one had any complaints.

 

I'm going with a friend and two other couples, so will definitely have a good time. China was on my bucket list, but not too near the top. However when the deal came up we jumpoed at it. I would have liked to incorporate more of Asia, but when you start to add on additional air and travel costs it took away the value of this trip. We'll be gone 15 days.

 

I'm not a big "tour" person but this seemed a good start and a good way to experience China for the first time.

 

Linda.

 

Linda, we are planning the same trip this year, the first week of November 2016. Can you tell me what your weather was like on the Yangtze and what dates were you on the Yangtze? Thanks!

[lamchops]

Lamchops, thanks for the information on the Forbidden City and the dining on the ship. I am still a bit confused about the tour to the Forbidden City. You mention you were able to look into some of the buildings but not able to go in.

 

The guide books appear to indicate that there are buildings and halls and such that are open to the public (with paid admission) inside the walls of the City. If this is accurate it sounds to me like the Sinorama tour will take us inside the walls and let us walk around but not inside the actual buildings. Any clarification is appreciated. If this is true we may want to visit during our free time before the tour starts so we can actually go into the buildings.

 

Thanks. Jill

 

I don't remember any of the buildings allowing tourists to enter and roam on their own. There was free time allowed inside the Forbidden City and we peeked into some buildings but I don't have any photos of DW or myself "inside" a building. I would check to see if your book is a reprint as things may of changed since Beijing held the Olympics.