Thai Tour To China

[apetley]

Wifey wants to treat her mum and dad and lucky me to a trip to China for 5 days.

Has anyone else been on any of these tours?

Would you recommend them?

One of the reasons I ask is that my wife has already been told that it will be extra for me as I am a farang. Part of this I am assuming is because of the increased visa for China. What the rest is I am yet to find out.

The tour is all inclusive, that is flights, hotel, meals and tours.

What I do not want is to get to China and then be asked more for all the tours when they see my white face. Is this likely?

Thanks for reading, Andy.

[LaoPo]

Wifey wants to treat her mum and dad and lucky me to a trip to China for 5 days.

Has anyone else been on any of these tours?

Would you recommend them?

One of the reasons I ask is that my wife has already been told that it will be extra for me as I am a farang. Part of this I am assuming is because of the increased visa for China. What the rest is I am yet to find out.

The tour is all inclusive, that is flights, hotel, meals and tours.

What I do not want is to get to China and then be asked more for all the tours when they see my white face. Is this likely?

Thanks for reading, Andy.

If the trip is booked and paid for, everything included, you don't have to worry about paying extra for -in China- tours just because you're white. I suppose you will be provided with 'vouchers'.

I'm surprised however that your wife has been told that 'it' will be more for you because you're white.....strange; who told her ? The travel agent ?

Where are you going ?

LaoPo

[lannarebirth]

The other thing you should know. A lot of China tours have prearranged "shopping stops". I think the tour operators get kickbacks from the shop/factory owners. In my experience, the prices charged at these shops/factories are multiples higher than what you could buy the same goods for elsewhere on your journey. Usually there's about a 3:1 salesperson to customer ratio to help encourage your buying. I won't take one again.

[cmsally]

My neighbour just came back from a 1 week tour to China (SW) from Chiang Mai. They seemed to enjoy it.

I think they knew pretty much everyone on the tour though (there were a lot of people) so that could make a difference.

[apetley]

Thanks for the quick replies.

The tour is not booked yet.

Wife has just made an enquiry so far.

The travel agent in BKK told her that my fare would be more once she knew I was farang. Some of the increase could be explained by the increased China visa cost some could not.

The package my wife is interested in is 5 days 4 nights in Beijing.

All the usual sights Great Wall, Palaces, Temples etc.

I have heard about the shopping trips on other so called tours too, have to ask the agent about that.

Thanks again.

[samran]

just go to another travel agent who won't charge you extras, apart from the Visa.

Apart from that, if my parents and friends experience is anything to go by, be prepared to spend 15 hours a day with 30 of your new best friends in a bus being sheparded around from waking up until bed time. Thais love that stuff but if you have any desire to just wonder off and take things in at your own pace, forget about it.

Alternatively,pay more for a tour which doesn't do the shopping. The cheaper the tour, the more likely shopping is involved.

[LaoPo]

Thanks for the quick replies.

The tour is not booked yet.

Wife has just made an enquiry so far.

The travel agent in BKK told her that my fare would be more once she knew I was farang. Some of the increase could be explained by the increased China visa cost some could not.

The package my wife is interested in is 5 days 4 nights in Beijing.

All the usual sights Great Wall, Palaces, Temples etc.

I have heard about the shopping trips on other so called tours too, have to ask the agent about that.

Thanks again.

My advice ? Follow Samran's advice and DO NOT pay extra with a BKK agent just because you are a Farang; IT'S ABSURD.

Just book the flight trip and hotel included and arrange your own trips with a private mini bus for the 4 of you. Don't take tours with large busses; they're a PAIN...!!! You can arrange a minibus from your hotel (or a limo) and you're also more free to go where YOU want to go; but prepare in advance.

Just book the hotel with breakfast included and arrange you own lunches/dinners; very very cheap and very good too in thousands of restaurants.

Google 'where to go in Bejing' and you'll find out.

1. you need one day for the Great Wall and one more attraction on that same day

2. You need one day for Tiannamen Square and the Forbidden City

3. Take a tour also along the Olympic attractions (Birds nest and Swimming palace)

edit:

If you're in BKK ask your wife to go and book with a travel agent in China town...

LaoPo

Edited February 21, 2008 by LaoPo

[apetley]

Thanks again for the advice.

You've certainly made my wife put her thinking head on for this one!

[WilliamIV]

Can anyone Recommend a Tour Agent please?

I would like to take a similar 5 day trip to Beijing

Thanks

Bill

[apetley]

Hi Bill.

Wifey just told me that she got some info from 'tourthai71', phone 02-713-1837, 081-827-8145

[skettios]

How about prices, does anyone have any hard numbers? This sounds like something my gf and i would be interested in.

[Wombat6]

I hate regulated tours...I did my own thing 12 months ago.....booked a trip ex Bangkok on Air Asia to Xiamen in China. Cost for return flight per person around 2500 Baht + Taxes. Require Chinese Visa. You can book online for Hotels with prices ranging from approx. 1200 Baht a night. Xiamen is an island just off the coast of China (Connected to the mainland by a causeway ) and between Taiwan. It is quite a large modern city with many places of interest to visit. There is plenty of info on internet. The view from Pizza Hut on the 24th. Floor of a building overlooking the Harbour is fantastic.

The climate at Christmas when I visited was very pleasant, and the people are friendly. It seemed a very safe place to walk around in the evening. Taxis are cheap. Not much English spoken so a local map to indicate where you want to go is handy( Addresses and map can be d/loaded from Net.)

[pavlo]

GO MAN BEFORE ITS TOO LATE

I HAD MINE IN YEAR 2005 WHEN WAS STAYING IN KRUNG THEP FOR ONE YEAR.

WANTED TO GO BEIJING, CHINA AND I BOOKED MYSELF TO GROUP OF THAI'S.

WELL DID NOT KNOW THAT TIME THAT I WAS GOING TO BE ONLY FARANG,

BUT THAT WAS HILARIOUS.

NO EXTRA FEE OF ME BEING FARANG, THEY EVEN PRINT ON MY TICKET THAT AM THAI

YES THERE WAS MANY 'SHOPING' SIGHTSEING BUT THEY NEVER TRY TO SELL BY FORCE.

JUST SMILE AND LOOK AROUND AND ENJOY. THEY REALLY SHOW YOU EVERYTHING IN

ONLY 5 DAYS, SOMETIMES YOU EVEN FELT LIKE YOU WORKING, BUT ALL YOU SEE AND

GET REALLY GOOD FOOD, DRINKS WAS FREE ON TABLE TOO - BEER & WHISKY,

I DID NOT HAVE GF WITH ME SO I WAS ONLY GUY WHO COULD DRINK ON DAYTIME

MY AGENCY WAS OWNED BY CHINESE AND THE PRICE WAS SOMETHING LIKE 15 000 THB,

INCLUDING EVERYTHING.

BUT THE BEST PART WAS THAI GROUP, WE HAVE SO MUCH FUN TOGETHER

NEXT TIME WHEN STAYING IN KRUNG THEP LONGER TIME AM SURE WILL MADE SAMEKIND OF TRIP AGAIN

AND OF COURSE WITH THAI GROUP

HERE IS THE AGENCY I USED, GET THE INFORMATION ON THEIR ADD IN BANGKOK POST:

TCL INTER TOUR Co

5/105-6 BANGRAK CONDOMINIUM ( 6TH FLOOR), CHAROENKRUNG 63 RD,YANNAWA, SATHORN

PHONE +66 2 211-5055

WWW.SPLASHASIA.COM

Edited February 25, 2008 by pavlo