I recently went on a 9 day Chamber of Commerce tour of China (Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou %26amp; Shanghai) with Citslinc. While the tour was stated as a 9 day tour, there were only 6 full days in China. Citslinc does deliver what they say they will deliver, but there are several things worth knowing if you plan on taking one of their Chamber of Commerce tours:
You will have a 6:00am wake-up call each day and will leave the hotel at 7:30am. You will not return to your hotel until approxmiately 9:00pm. This early start is even the case on your first day after the long flight and jet-lag. We also had a 3:45am wake up call on the day we flew from Beijing to Shanghai. The group arrived at our hotel this evening at 9:00pm...a very long day!
You will stop at 2 - 3 ';factory tours'; or other selling venues each day. This will take up 3 - 5 hours of each day. When not being sold ';stuff'; at gift shops, you will be sold ';stuff'; on your bus or at restaurants.
Meals will often be at the ';factory tour'; restaurant - this is typically a restaurant above or adjacent to the gift shop. Your group will sit in a large room with other tour groups. You will not be eating in restaurants where locals eat.
The daily schedule is firm. It is not easy or convenient to leave the tour to go out on your own.
There are ';optional'; extra tours on many days. While they are stated as optional, it is not convenient to not go on the optional tour. If you choose to not join the optional tour, your best option could be to wait on the bus.
Citslinc ToursWe travelled in October 2008 with the Citslinc Chamber tour, (Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou %26amp; Shanghai), and completely agree with all remarks of RJG2007%26#39;s post. I wish I had read this prior to departure. The trip was strongly impactful and what I saw/learned changed me possibly forever. I remain extremely appreciative of the country%26#39;s pride and loyalty. I appreciate my Western lifestyle more and continue to be embarrassed by the American practice of complaining and undermining our leadership in the face of greater advantages than many worldwide people enjoy.
Expecting this trip would have more of a business audience flavor as it toured commerce and was organized by the Chamber of Commerce, we found some of our group members were somehow surprised at the ';commerce'; flavor. Each day incurred at least one personal sightseeing event, but I do recommend travelers understand this is an educational and commerce related event. While patronizing the host factories and promoters of this obviously subsidized high value trip is encouraged, it is not required, and this is not a personal sightseeing trip with lots of discretionary shopping. I bought a beautiful and expensive embroidered framed wallhanging and was assured it was sized for flight carryon. It was too large at checkin and was smashed by the baggage handlers. Consider shipping and don%26#39;t necessarily trust the ';carry on'; or ';safe packaging'; language.
I believe the key to traveling well on this trip is ';expectation.'; The value is amazing. Know that you will be exhausted during and after the trip. Know that you will have very little free time and very little opportunity to disconnect with the tour. Know that even with a global cell phone and Internet access at all hotels (we enjoyed FABULOUS hotels), the lack of free time and time zone difference make communications with the US difficult. Even on the bus, you will have very little opportunity to read, perform work or have discussion. The tour guides keep talking, and our bus bounced a bit much for reading.
Our tour guides gave an ongoing rehearsed presentation on history, economic development and commerce, but weren%26#39;t able to answer questions in any meaningful way. To hear their perspective and their values was among the most impactful trip experiences. Don%26#39;t miss it, but to have your questions answered, I suggest doing your own research beforehand. The language barrier was difficult although not an issue unless you separated from the group. The optional trips were not optional. Some weren%26#39;t offered at all. Those that were offered either offered option to participate or stay on the bus.
We took our last day in Beijing for ourselves and skipped the bus tour. Our tour guide was very displeased and tried to ';bully'; us from doing so, but I%26#39;m thrilled we separated. We cabbed to the Olympic village, subwayed back downtown and found solitude, familiarity and Americanized service/food at the Hard Rock Beijing. We then walked around on our own and got the feel of the population and lifestyle in Beijing. The subway was overcrowded and for a moment scared me as people continued to pack in. What really impressed me was the calm and courteous manner in which people shared little space without pushing, violence or creating discomfort for others. We also separated from the tour our last day in Shanghai, although KFC%26#39;s chicken sandwich did us no favors and we lost time due to stomach illness. I understand McDonald%26#39;s and Pizza Hut were ok according to others in our group. Please expect to grow tired of the tour food. You may lose weight. Breakfast was typically the best meal of the day, so don%26#39;t skip it.
You will be pushed out of typical comfort zone more than expected. It%26#39;s worth it, but don%26#39;t expect a ';vacation.'; As a business person with clients in the cities we explored and opportunity to do more business in China, I am glad I took this trip. There was an opportunity to present your business prospectus to Chinese local government, but not all tour members knew of it. You will also need to prepare in advance, so ask your Chamber beforehand if this is of interest.
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