Hi Bruce,

Back home, and all went well. Thanks for checking up on us; even for the parts that were not included in the package. Everything was seamless with no major issues. This is obviously the result of great planning and execution on your part.

Special note for your reference. We arranged for a trip to the Panda Base, and a mountain with a Tao temple on top (about an hour away from Chengdu) all done on the same day. The travel office at the Sunshine Hotel quoted a price but was unable to execute the plan, so we took a walk over to the Water Hotel and the Assistant Manager, by the name of Viince, did a fine job for us by providing a car/driver and service at a better rate and we had an excellent experience.

Stay well.

When we return to China we'll be in touch.

Ray
June 3, 2012

Jthollo Reviews Tibet Discovery on Trip Advisor:

“Experience of a lifetime”

We took the 8 day train trip tour from Beijing to Lhasa with Tibet Discovery Tours.

We had started planning our trip for April in November and corresponded with Tibet Discovery Tours via email with Bruce. Emails were answered promptly and with detail on all aspects from help with obtaining our Chinese visa to exactly what was included and what changes we desired. Every thing was customized for us, from 3 star or 4 star hotel to adding on an extra day in Beijing.

Our tour guide in Beijing was excellent- YoYo. As a couple with a private guide we felt we had the best possible tour of Beijing. We did all the 'tourist' sites as advertised (Great Wall, Forbidden City, etc) plus YoYo customized other stops such as tour of a Chinese herbal pharmacy.

Tibet Discovery had a lot of difficulty in obtaining soft sleeper tickets on the train in early April due to a heavier than usual demand. When they did get tickets we were in 2 different compartments. With the help and authorized bribe money from YoYo, she was able to have another passenger switch with us just before the train left. We did not want to travel apart, and after riding the train it was a good thing that YoYo was able to get us together. Bruce and YoYo were on the phone together all throughout this. Had we not gotten the same compartment Tibet DIscovery Tours was going to pay for another hotel in Beijing, and fly us to Lhasa or fly us to a stop of the train for the next day. I felt Tibet Discovery did everything in their power to make things right, which they did.

The train trip is an adventure. Not overly comfortable (washrooms on occasions were down right horrible). BUT, the scenery is never ending and we were somewhat "celebrities" and we made many friends, communicating with our limited Chinese. We survived no ill effects with altitude as the highest point of the train is over 5,000meters, dropping down into Lhasa. About 1 in 4 passengers were throwing up with altitude sickness.

We loved Lhasa and found walking around was very safe. Inexpensive restaurants were harder to find and order from than Beijing.

Tibet Discovery tours was only ever a phone call away and when unexpected, non-controllable issues arose, Tibet Discovery handled the situation. I would use them again with no hesitation.

Jthollo
May 26, 2012

Dear Bruce,

Thanks. We had a wonderful trip and was very impressed with your travel service. There was a knowledgeable guide to meet us every step of the way. The trip went smoothly without any problems. Of note, we really enjoyed Autumn in Shanghai. She is probably one of your best people in your travel company. We will recommend your service to our friends.

Also, I am developing a travel website at www.whatsgoingonworld.com and will be soon featuring photos from our trip to China. If you have a website link and banner ad for advertising your company I will be happy to include with the information from our trip at the new website.

Thanks again,

Tom Wakefield
May 25, 2012

Dear Bruce,

We are arrived in Kathmandu. My health goes better now.

For details and feedback from the trip we do it from home. This is after the 20th of May. I can call you from my office. If it is further necessary we can do it by E-mail. From my side to you: If you have in future travellers from Germany you can give me her phone number and I call them in case of any doubts.

Thank you for your assistance and the message that we get money refund by PayPal.

Kind Regards,

Ulrich
May 23, 2012

Dear Laura,

I want to thank you for all the work you put into our trip. We appreciate that you kept in contact throughout and were there to help with some of the problems we encountered.

Need to mention here that the guide from Nepal was great. He was helpful, informative, interested in us. He was able to get us to Kathmandu under very trying circumstances. When we were leaving Dhulikel we found out there was a country-wide strike. The people were not allowing any transport by car throughout Nepal. The guide was able to convince the people that Jody was sick and needed to get to the airport.

The kids had sticks and were very threatening but cooler heads prevailed. Most of the people let us thru because we were tourists but for a while we felt very threatened. The guide was very calm and composed which enabled us to get to the city and our hotel safely. Because of the strike we missed visiting the town of Bhaktapur but we had a good time in Kathmandu nonetheless.

Over all the trip was good. Again, thanks for everything.

Arthur
April 30, 2012