Testimonials

March 2nd 2015

Dear Anna,

My experience with Go-Anna Tours (Shanghai-Suzou-Zhouzhuang) was first rate.

The communication beforehand on the booking and flight arrangements was excellent. The guide who met us at the airport was very well informed and eager to please us. We asked about acrobatic performances, and he(Snow) not only helped us to obtain tickets, but also helped us find the correct subway there and even guided us to our seats. The day of our Shanghai bus tour, it rained. Despite the rain, we really enjoyed our city tour. Our tour guide (Lisa) was very good at explaining the history and culture of old and new Shanghai, both in Mandarin for my wife, and in English for myself and other members of our small group. The extensive Yu family gardens, and the Jade Buddha temple, were very serene and beautiful. As the line to the Art Museum was very long, our tour guide showed flexibility by changing our group’s final venue to the Exhibition Center instead, where we saw model replica of Shanghai and viewed its past, present, and future in photos and exhibits. As my wife and I finished early, we opted to see the Art Museum on our own as well, which we had to hurry through (only 1 hour left) but which was very rewarding. Fortunately, the rain abated for our Suzhou- Zhouzhuang trip on Sunday. This group was twice as small: only us and one other couple – a retired aeronautical engineer who was Shangainese and his wife who was Chicagoan. We really enjoyed getting to know them on our trip. As my wife and I plan to retire in China, I was personally very interested in learning about the differences in habits and expenses between those living in Shanghai and Suzhou: housing, transportation, jobs, lifestyles, etc. Our tour guide was very good at elaborating on these things, and also in recounting the history of the area. Zhouzhuang was my favorite. I especially enjoyed the boat ride along the canal. The boat driver even sang us a traditional song as we sailed by centuries old bridges and buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The final day was our trip to the airport. Our flight had been cancelled, which you discovered and informed us of in advance on the way to the airport. Our tour guide personally escorted us through the lines and spoke to the airline staff to obtain another flight home. Because the staff had recommended that we depart early, we did not have to wait for a later flight but were able to leave on time. Again, the communication and caring of the staff was excellent.

I would definitely book with Go-AnnaTours again, and I would highly recommend others do the same! – Mr. Mark Guinan
January 26th 2015

Dear Anna,

Harbin is a great winter trip for expats living in China.

Arranging the tour with your company was very easy as you were super responsive to email and amenable to our requests. We did the 4-day tour. Especially thanks to our guide Sunny, we were very glad to be with her and to have the driver. She was very knowledgeable, professional and always made sure that everything was taken care of. Our private driver Mr. Song was excellent and made for an enjoyable trip. The lodging and food was great. This was our first trip with Ice Festival Harbin and not our last.

It’s especially important at the Snow & Ice World where there are just so many people, you’d best have your transportation pre-arranged, because it gets so cold, you don’t want to be standing outside trying to find a taxi or figuring out what to do.

Anyway, Wonderful memories of my lifetime! Highly recommend. – Andrew
December 17th 2014

Dear Anna,

It was a pleasurable tour and we enjoyed every bit of it.

Cathy was our tour guide and she took an immense effort to make our trip an unforgettable event. She is a very competent young lady who possess a very friendly and hospitable attitude.

Cathy was very punctual and took great care of us until the last minute of our departure from China. We are very Thankful for Cathy and to your Company for making our tour an enjoyable one. We would recommend your Company and Cathy to everybody in Syria who wish to tour in China. – Jihad
November 15th 2014

Dear Anna,

Now back in New Zealand we would like to thank you for excellent planning and for a most interesting itinerary.

Our hotels were well chosen, and the transportation worked well. Our guides, almost without exception, were knowledgable, courteous, and went out of their way to make us feel welcome.

Our drivers were attentive and careful despite having to deal with, what seemed to us, tremendous traffic.

It was our first trip to China and we were greatly impressed by not only the historical aspects, but immense energy of your country.

We have written a “thank you” note ” to Cathy in Beijing, David in Taiyuan and Michael in Shanghai.

Our sincere thanks. – Elizabeth and George.
October 23rd 2014

Anna, we had a great time in China, and especially in Tibet – it was the best part by a long way, although other things were good too, including the cruise.

Cruising is certainly an easy way to travel China, with everything laid on including the shore excursions, with English speaking guides.

Meals includes the hotels we stayed in and they were very good, some of the best of our trip. The hotel in Lhasa was particularly nice and the meals they provided had a great variety catering for vegetarians as well. The accommodation and meals on the cruise were top standard, and they provided special meals for us as vegetarians too which was nice. The service was excellent too.

Zhaxi our guide to Tibet was outstanding. We really enjoyed his company, his sense of humour and his profound knowledge about so many things. There were very few questions he didn’t know the answer to – and they were more general questions. His English was excellent too and he understood straight away our little nuances and jokes. We felt very grateful for having him as our guide. Our driver in Tibet, Penpa, was a good driver too and I felt safe with him.

Our guides on the cruise were all good too, knowledgeable on their topic as you would expect. Their English was good too. The man on the Mini mini gorges tour was particularly good and told us and showed us a lot more than guides on the other sections.

All the places we visited in Tibet were fantastic. We loved all of it. There were enough monasteries though, as after a while they all tend to blend into each other. Potala Palace was excellent, and I could have stayed there longer. This was a highlight of Tibet, along with EBC. The scenery around Everest was great and even staying in the monastery guest house there was an experience. The altitude effects made it a night to remember. The drive from Lhasa to Shigatse and EBC along the lake etc was spectacular scenery too – so beautiful.

We were extremely happy with Go Anna Tours. Everything was arranged without any fuss and on time and professionally. The paperwork for Tibet, and the cruise etc was all in place and on time, and we received what we needed in the mail on time. We were even contacted while in Tibet to ensure everything was going well and we appreciated this personal touch. We have recommended Go Anna Tours to others we have met along the way. Thanks for helping us to visit Tibet and have such a great time. – Glen and Julie
september 29th 2014

Dear Anna,

What a fantastic two days. A trip for my friends and I to see Beijing for the first time. The sites we picked were the most popular and surely the one’s our guide did the most. You couldn’t tell though. Upbeat informational positive and very friendly Rock proved we picked the right tour company. We didn’t know what to expect going in. I feel that the sites speak for themselves but with Rock they echoed the loudest. He was courteous and told us all about Beijing and life in China. He brought the tour to life. Let me mention the driver. Given there was limited interaction, guess that’s how it’s set up, we couldn’t ask for a better one. Opened the doors every time and made sure we each had a new bottle of water after every stop. He was prompt; on time and in the exact spot that was expected. Recommend both. Oh. It’s hard to drive in the big cities in China compared to the busiest cities in the USA with all the bicycles and motor scooters but the ride was smooth and fast and we never once thought we were close to being in an accident.

Go-Anna Tours was great in accommodating our schedule and maximizing what we would be seeing.

Anna thanks so much for organizing such an unforgettable trip for my friends and I. We will definitely recommend your service to our families and friends. – Karen
April 16th 2014

Dear Anna,

Thank you for this nice trip. Everything was perfect, the driver was very friendly and also our tour guide was perfect and very friendly. His German language was perfect and he explained us all important things very good.

We are happy. – Martina
Janurary 30th 2014

Dear Anna,

Sorry for the delay in responding but things have been very hectic at work after CNY.

The trip was terrific if a little bit hectic due to the number of items on the tour itinerary.

In Beijing, Sherry, out tour guide was brilliant – very knowledgeable, flexible and accommodating. She really made us feel as we were part of her family. Although the places we visited were extremely busy, there was little or no delay. The driver knew how to get from A to B in as quickly as possible. The hotel, Days Inn at the Forbidden City, was adequate and appropriate and a great location.

In Xi’An, out tour guide Waldner was very workmanlike and thorough if a little frosty. Again, the itinerary was adjusted so that all places could be visited with ease. The driver was excellent even managing to obtain tickets for the Xi’An museum when it seemed likely it would have to be missed due to the queue of visitors. The visit to the site of the Terracotta Warriors was breathtaking as was the bicycle ride round the city wall. The Dumpling Banquet was that and the service was excellent.

The train rides were fast and efficient as was the flight back to Shenzhen although Hainan Airlines could do with improving their in-flight hospitality.

All in all, it was an extremely enjoyable and educating time and I would certainly recommend your itinerary and service which enabled us to see so much in what was a relatively short time.

Once again, thank you. – Richard Jozefek
December 24th 2013

Hi Anna,

I’m sorry this has taken so long! Here’s my review of our trip.

Despite our choosing one of the rare times when the “City of Eternal Spring” was experiencing winter, we had a very nice trip!

First of all, you provided great communication and suggestions for our itinerary and I was surprised to see you kept in such close contact with the tour guide during our trip. This was the first time we used a tour guide for an entire trip and I’m very glad we did. I will certainly recommend you to others!

Our tour guide, Tina, was wonderful! She was always “on top of things”, took care of much more than I expected her to, shared her knowledge and experience of the many locations we went by always providing interesting information about the places we were and answering our many questions. She knew how to use our itinerary, yet be flexible. Some of the shorter activities were switched to different days to avoid the crowds or not put too much in a day for us.

The drivers were courteous and drove well. Especially in the Dongchuan Redlands, with very wintry weather and icy roads, the driver took great care to insure our safety, communicating with other drivers in the area to know the road conditions.

I know now that this is also a way my daughter and I can comfortably travel ourselves in the future. Thanks so much, I hope to have more opportunities to travel with you soon! – Linda
November 15th 2013

Dear Anna,

We arrived back home safely, and are trying to get over jet lag! Bronwyn was back at school today. She was telling her classmates all about China!

We can never thank you enough for the wonderful work you did and all the effort you put into making this trip so special for us! It was all we wanted and more.

Xie xie!! – Susan, Kroy, and Bronwyn
November 12th 2013

Dear Anna,

Here are our comments and feedback and we are happy for them to be used on your website.

Trip organisation:
We sent an outline agenda to Anna at Go-Anna Tours and were very surprised and happy when she immediately came back to us with a fully laid out tour agenda incorporating all of our thoughts and suggestions which almost exactly met our needs. From then on Anna’s responsiveness as we firmed up our plans was excellent and she was extremely helpful in guiding us through our decision making to ensure all was in place for our arrival. She listened well to any concerns we had and she organised everything perfectly for us. I have no hesitation in recommending Go-Anna to future travellers.

Overall tour assessment:
Our 10 day trip went without a single problem or issue. All transport, hotels, tours and guides met or exceeded our expectations. We particularly enjoyed the fact that the trip was personalised for our needs so we could maximise our time at the the places we enjoyed most. The guides were fantastic, knowledgeable and helpful and very accommodating. China is a vast country, with so much to see, so its easy to take on too much and as a result not enjoy the experience as much. We felt that Anna guided us to an agenda which maximised our experience so we had no stress and she had the right people on the ground to take care of us and to ensure we learned so much about this wonderful country.

Travel:
All our flights and trains were booked via Go-Anna and everything went without a hitch. Our guides even escorted us right to our train platforms and offered to stay until we departed.

Trains:
We elected to use trains where possible but we later regretted taking a 9 hour train journey from Beijing to Shenzhen. It was too long a trip by train and would have been better to fly. Booking first class on the trains was the best decision as it was comfortable. We expected to have power outlets on the trains for our ipads and phones but they did not exist. Food on trains was fine but tourists may need to be warned to plan their own food as there was not much choice and the amount of food offered was minimal. Usually for meals in China the portions are too big but not on the train.

Tours:
We had so many highlights during our trip that its hard to pick a favourite but the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors were truly outstanding. We went at a very quiet time of the year so even though it was quite cold it was really nice to be able to explore such iconic sites at our leisure. Our drivers kept us on time and safe despite the chaos of Chinese traffic for which we were thoroughly grateful. Without exception they were patient and kind and willing to be flexible to our needs. However it is the guides that really make a difference to a trip like ours and so I can only express our sincere thanks to Waldner and Justin who were both exceptionally good to us and shared their extensive knowledge with us to add colour and context to our experience.

Xi’an:
Loved the Terracotta Warriors. Amazing place, well laid out and easy to see everything. Waldner was knowledgeable and took us through everything easily and again it was fun. Felt we learned a lot and really enjoyed ourselves.
Xian, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, City Wall and Muslim Quarter. Interesting tour, good pace and Waldner made it all interesting and fun. City Wall was the highlight and we were able to walk it by ourselves for as long as we wanted. Tried street food in Muslim quarter at Waldner’s suggestion and liked it.

Beijing:
The Great Wall was absolutely fantastic. Justin walked with us to the top (all 1500 steps!) and took it at our pace, encouraging us all the way. We were glad we did not have anything else to do after doing the wall as the walk up and down and the tour up there were for us quite strenuous.
Peking Duck Dinner was good but it came a bit soon after a big lunch. But it was best to do that time for traffic reasons. We had expected it to be more of a Banquet environment with lots of people there so found it a little less of an experience and just a quiet, quick meal together. But the food was good and we were able to really understand the whole tradition.
The Hutongs were one of our highlights and the local guide (Emma) was wonderful. Great sense of humour and because she herself lives there she was able to cover the realities of real life there to us. The visit to one of the houses was excellent and the lady there was really nice to talk to and willing to answer all our questions. Very good to learn so much in such a nice way.

Summary:
We found China a great place to visit. Using personalised tours helped take the stress out of travel there but also allowed us, through our guides, to learn about real life there as well as the vast wealth of history and traditions. All of the places we visited exceeded our expectations and we were able to pack a huge amount into our short time there. The trip was a huge success and Go-Anna contributed greatly to,that success. We would like to thank Anna, Waldner and Justin for their responsiveness, knowledge and kindness. They ensured we had the trip of a lifetime. – Brona
July 15th 2013

Dear Anna,

The whole trip was spectacular. I would advise using the train instead of air travel due to the long delays and also because we got to see some great scenery by train. I think the journey from Beijing to Xian by train was very relaxing. We saw the real countryside as we went past. Our hotel in Beijing was super but really the service in all the hotels was excellent. Our guide in Beijing was Justin. He was so conscientious and went out of his way to ensure we were safe and comfortable. I would highly recommend him to any westerner travelling to Beijing. Our other guides were great and very knowledgeable but Justin was superb. The itinerary you made out for us was also so suitable and we left China with a real knowledge of your history, customs and culture. I am now back in school teaching my class of 8-10 year olds. We are at present doing a project on China. We had a chopstick competition last Friday to see who could use the chopsticks I brought them from China. It was wonderful to see how quickly some of them have achieved dexterity with them. The photos I took have really opened the eyes of the children to your wonderful country. One of the children said to me last week ” I can’t wait to grow up so I can go to China”. It just went too quickly, Anna. We will recommend your travel agency to anyone we meet who wishes to travel to China. A huge thank you for all your help. – Fionnuala
May 2nd 2013

Anna,

I must say that it was a great day, well good day. Linda was a great tour guide, she was there to give information and tell us about everything but not always there in the way when we wanted to talk or move away and look at something else. The bike ride on the wall was good even if the girls are sore today. The dumplings were great! They were among the best we have had in China,a really good dinner. The driver was great too, attentive, smooth and we felt very safe on all the roads. Thank you for your help, it was a good day. – Alex
April 20th 2013

Hello Anna,

Thank you for your email. I am finally back into the groove in Australia.
I would like to say again thank you for the wonderful trip you organised. Every detail was taken care of, we felt assured and comfortable at every transfer and pickup and the flights and times you organised were most satisfactory.
I also appreciate you seeking feedback; you provided a very comfortable and open environment in which I was able to give you honest, and hopefully, worthwhile feedback. Thank you for your suggestions about places to visit and also the information about the market at the end of our stay.
I had promised my children I would buy some goodies and that last trip to the markets enabled me to fulfil my obligations.

It was an absolute pleasure to have you as our organiser, and if we, or any of our friends are interested in travelling to China you will be our first choice and recommendation for a tour organiser. – Susan and Roger
March 30th 2013

Good evening Anna

We have just returned from Xian.We have had a really great time.
The flight was very good, on time and choice of food on the flight.Jenny met us and MrWang took us to our hotel.
The 5 star hotel was absolutely fantastic.Looked very impressive from the outside and inside as well.Easy walking distance to the town.The staffwas all lovely and helpful.
We spent the first evening walking around the town. By the evening, we were too tired to eat out so we had room service.It was excellent. They even brought a table with table cloth, napkins etc into the room.
The room was very comfortable and because it was 5star it included toothbrushes, razor blades, shampoo etc…We didn’t really need to bring toiletries with us.

The breakfast was excellent. Good quality and choice of food.My daughter liked the western food especially!Jenny met us and took us to the warriors. The weather was cold but sunny. We were so lucky.Jenny is very knowledgeable and her English is very good.The food at the Terracotta Army was good. We are still trying out Chinese food but the buffet meant that there was something to match our taste.

We then went on the bicycles around the city wall.This was fantastic. The views and the weather made this feel really special.We then went to the Bell Tower and the Muslim quarter and to be honest, we would have liked more time there. It was fascinating. It’s just that we ran out of time…!But we did have a long time at the Terracotta Army site, and we were on our bicycles for an hour and a half.

The evening was brilliant. The banquet was an insight into the local cuisine. So many types and too much for us to eat!The entertainment was good and fun in parts.Then Mr Wang took us back.

The following day, today that is, we went to the Pagoda Temple.We had a fascinating guide. We were there a long time. It was really interesting. He painted our names on rice paper…for free!

Then it was time to go to the Airport.Jenny made sure we were all organised and she left us to get lunch at the airport.The return flight was good. No choice of meal but no complaints really.We have had a really good time.Jenny is so lovely. She made it personal.The driver was safe.Which isimportant…polite.

Having a personalised tour, all organised for you, with all the meals and entrance fees paid for has been a very stress free way to see this part of china and also to tour around.We will definitely use you again in the future and recommend you to others.It has been really brilliant.Thank you so much.

Please pass on our sincere thanks to Jenny and Mr.Wang. – Sandra, Matthew and Anna Hobbs.