Click on the underlined places to enter the gallery

China and it's people were a delightful surprise, I have been to Hong Kong several times and it's nothing like that!  The people were extrovert, friendly and welcoming.  On our first night in Beijing, Barbara my best friend and traveling companion, was dancing in the street with a smiling gentleman who couldn't speak a word of English.  The traffic in Beijing was awful but no worse than many other cities in Asia.  The pollution wasn't as bad as expected, (compared with Bangkok for example).  We didn't use the masks we had brought with us even in Xian and Chengdu where it was noticeably worse than Beijing.  The food was fabulous both in quality, quantity and variety. We never ate in tourist restaurants, in fact we were always the only westerners there.  The countryside particularly in Yunnan is spectacular by any standards

When our trip with Jasmine was over Barbara and I stayed on for a week of independent travel.  Jasmine made the travel and hotel reservations for us.  Once on our own we realized just how special the tour had been. We didn't have a decent meal until we reached William Lindesay's farmhouse north of Beijing.  Getting any sort of information was more difficult and we were unable to meet and enjoy the company of local people to the same extent.  Although small group tours are more expensive than regular tours,  they can be worth every penny if you find the right one.   I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Jasmine to anyone wanting a great traveling experience in China 

Link to William Lindesay's website   www.wildwall.com