Vantage China

[FLMO]

I'm thinking about a 21 day trip to China and the Yangtze River with Vantage in May 2008. Anyone been on this trip?

[npphotog]

Hello FLMO - Just returned from Vantage's China and the Yangtze. May 8th to the 28th and had a GREAT time. Fantastic trip and fantastic tour company. We went with Vantage two years ago on their Holland to Hungary river cruise and were so impressed that we chose them for the China Trip. It is a very intense trip with very little down time. Only had two optional trips offered. One was the acrobat show and the other to a water town in Shanghai. Both worth it. You have to look at what's included with Vantage and then look at other companys. Grand Circle is owned by a brother who owns Vantage. Vantage has it all over Grand Circle. It was such a great trip. Walked the wall, saw the terra cotta soliders, visited a grade school (the kids were the highlight of our tour) rode a "trishaw". So many things. Food was great, if not different than chinese here in Florida. Rode a subway, a chair lift, river boat, smaller boat and a sampan, 5 internal flights in China (shortest one was only 1 hour but hot meals on each and a bullet train to Shanghai.

Willard.

[WIT]

Hello FLMO - Just returned from Vantage's China and the Yangtze. May 8th to the 28th and had a GREAT time. Fantastic trip and fantastic tour company. We went with Vantage two years ago on their Holland to Hungary river cruise and were so impressed that we chose them for the China Trip. It is a very intense trip with very little down time. Only had two optional trips offered. One was the acrobat show and the other to a water town in Shanghai. Both worth it. You have to look at what's included with Vantage and then look at other companys. Grand Circle is owned by a brother who owns Vantage. Vantage has it all over Grand Circle. It was such a great trip. Walked the wall, saw the terra cotta soliders, visited a grade school (the kids were the highlight of our tour) rode a "trishaw". So many things. Food was great, if not different than chinese here in Florida. Rode a subway, a chair lift, river boat, smaller boat and a sampan, 5 internal flights in China (shortest one was only 1 hour but hot meals on each and a bullet train to Shanghai.

 

Willard.

Willard - I am SO happy to hear you are back! Please take al lttle time to breathe fresh air and look at your photos. Then tell us what you saw. We have lots of questions.

WIT

[waverly]

Hi Willard,

glad to hear that you had such a good time with Vantage in China. We are thinking of taking a 15 day China tour with Yangtze river cruise in October. How big was your group ??

[npphotog]

Good Morning Waverly - We started with 38 but one older woman fell at the Forbidden City and dislocated her shoulder. Our tour director took her and her husband to a hospital and reset it. She had a problem with loss of feeling in that hand. She stuck it out for 10 days but they took a flight home. Our tour director took care of getting the tickets (they had to pay for them) So we then were down to 36. No complainers in the group - never been on a tour where that happened before. Very organized and very little down time.

Any questions get back to me. Willard

[terpla]

Willard my DH and I are going with Vantage to China in October. It will be our first Vantage trip but we have had 3 with Grand Circle. Vantage even took our future cruise credit from Grand Circle and we saved over $300. We had looked at Viking also but felt Vantage gave us a more hands on experience with the natives than did Viking. I also wanted with Vantage upgraded hotels and ship especially in China which is why we decided against Grand Circle. I am so glad to hear you had a very positive experience.

 

We are taking our own air since it is a direct flight from Newark and we are only paying $100 more of our own money. Their flights were not direct and left at an ungodly hour here. My question is when we get to Bejiing we have to transfer ourselves. Will we have problems with the language when we get a taxi?

 

Thanks,

 

Terry

[npphotog]

Terry - I don't think you will have much of a problem. You probably will be housed at the Presidential Plaza hotel in Beijing. They have a web site and I think you can email them. You might ask them your concern about getting a taxi from the airport. In any event make sure you use a "real" taxi from the airport. If you ask a chinese merchant in the airport after you get your luggage and get through passport control to write down the name of your hotel in chinese that would help. Then make sure you get a price for the transfer to the hotel from the taxi driver. You should make out ok. You are in for a fantastic time. Vantage does a really good job. Our tour director was Kelly Wei - she really made the trip for us. Any questions, get back to me. Willard

[npphotog]

Terry - forgot to tell you that the taxi drivers do not speak english and you will have to pay them in local chinese money. You can get money exchanged at the airport. Willard

[terpla]

Willard thanks so much. We are scheduled to stay at the Presidential palace.

I tried emailing the hotel but my emails couldn't get through. I will try again and hopefully they will get there. Great advice about having them write it in Chinese.

 

How were the hotels Willard. They sounded very good and I read mostly good things about them on Trip Advisor, but first hand experience is really the best. I am really looking forward to this trip and it will be very much like our trip to Australia with Grand Circle. We took a total of 10 flights from beginning to end but did not get a hot meal on all the flights. Did they really give you a hot meal on a one hour flight? I can't imagine it.

 

I would also love to go to Russia next summer and wonder if you have had any experience with Vantage there.

[npphotog]

Terpla - Hotels were really great..I think the lesser of them was the one in Hong Kong, the Royal Pacific. It was the oldest and I see that they have changed that hotel for next year to the Regal Kowloon. Had no problems with any hotel. Every in China flight within the country we were served a hot meal. Either rice and meat or pasta and meat. Not bad. I am sure you have many questions and I would be glad to answer anything you want to know. Email me at WillardWKrieble@ij.net. I do not want to tie up this message board. I am SURE you will enjoy China. Hope you and yours are in good shape because it's a lot of walking and climbing steps. Willard

[terpla]

Thanks again Williard and yes I am starting to get in shape with the treadmil etc. Walking the dog is just not enough. Thanks for your email I will keep it for further questions.