I haven't used a travel agency in nearly 10 years until I tried to put together a trip to China on my own. We are easy, flexible travelers and it has been easy to plan our trips and make reservations via internet. But this time for my bucket list trip to China, I was converted. I phoned Elysian Tour once I saw the interesting tour programs on their websites. Steven answered my phone. It was a lengthy call but Steven was very patient and helped clarify our travel goals. When I balked the first arrangement, it was soon refined and modified to fit our time and budget.

The trip was fantastic. China is stunning and has it all. We travelled extensively from big cities, to towns and rural areas; from mountains to rivers. We loved the custom trip and the local cultures we experienced with the informative local guides. Though not a photographer, I like making photos. My tour guides in Beijing, Guilin, Zhangjiajie and Yellow Mountain were very helpful, always pointing out the best shooting angels for me. The minor disappointment was the weather on Yellow Mountain that we failed to see the sunrise. But the sea clouds after the rain was stunning. Our travel consultant Steven checked on us throughout our trip and was prompt in his responses to any queries. Taking the tour is indeed stress free, worry free and enjoyable without worrying about anything since everything is taken care of by the professionals. We loved the modern part of Shanghai but specially appreciated the traditional residence preserved in the French Concession, showing a clear scene of old Shanghai of 1920s or 1930s.

I'd leave the Terracotta Army at last to talk about. The two of us spending almost 3 hours in the museum tells everything about how amazing and unbelievable this underground troop is. We were amazed at its scale, quantity, craftsmanship and history. Our knowledgeable guide Helen brought the whole thing to life that we had a clear understanding of why the 8,000 life sized figures that we had been looking forward to seeing for years were made. I would not hide the truth that I bursted into tears once I saw the army in Pit 1. And I truly feel grateful for the hardworking archaeologists who have been working on putting the broken pieces back together since 1974 when they were discovered.

Tons of thanks to Elysian Tour for this fantastic trip!