I was going to China for two weeks, and as my journey was partly business, partly leisure, I was looking for a company flexible enough to put together a really tailor-made tour. From the start, Odyssey proved to be just what I needed. I filled out the personalized form on the website, and Maggie Yang
contacted me less than a day after. She suggested useful tweaks to my planned itinerary. From that moment on, communication was always positive, smooth and efficient.In total, I went from Chongqing to Chengdu and back; from Chongqing to Xi'an; from Xi'an to Shaolin; and from there to Beijing. All of these trips were by train. Now, I had never taken the train in China before, and I had heard some scare stories about how difficult it can be... But Maggie made it a breeze, booking and sending the tickets to me, and explaining in detail how to read them and how Chinese railway stations work. My first guide in Chengdu, Jim Xu, was wonderful! He was very knowledgeable and particularly welcoming. While he was only to take me to see the famous Sichuan opera, he went "the extra mile", as he also advised me on out-of-town visits (Qingchengshan, Dujiangyan, etc.) and actively helped me to book tickets at the best rate. Thanks to him, I made the most out of my time in Chengdu.A friend joined me in Xi'an, and we opted for seeing the city by ourselves, without a guide. (Another sign of our tour's flexibility here.) Conversely, we chose to visit the Shaolin Temple with a guide chosen by Odyssey Tours, Jerry Ma. He picked us up at the station, greeting us with good humor, much-needed cold bottles of water, and a wealth of information about Luoyang, Dengfeng and the Shaolin Temple. He made sure that we took the most out of our brief visit there. By the way, Dengfeng was the only city where we stayed at a hotel booked by Odyssey and not on our own; and I must say that it was a very good choice. The hotel was well-situated between kung fu schools, and minutes away by car from the dazzling Shaolin Zen Music Ritual show recommended by our guide.Let me add that when I had a problem with a hotel I had booked on my own (i.e. not through Odyssey) in Beijing, I contacted Maggie, who was able to sort it out. I much appreciated the personal attention I received throughout the trip as needed, and the swift response whenever I had a question or issue (24/7 service)!In sum, Odyssey Tours provides highly personal and flexible service, very useful pre-travel advice on practical matters such as local transportation, tip rates, etc., and has extremely clear, professional and friendly communication – by email, by phone, by mobile chat. After this excellent experience, I'll definitely go back to Odyssey for more Asian journeys! :)
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