Best of China

Traveler Reviews

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  Simon5.0•April 2025
  Led by Yelitza
  I went back in July 2019 on my first Contiki and I enjoyed every single minute of it! I experienced a lot of things,...
  I went back in July 2019 on my first Contiki and I enjoyed every single minute of it! I experienced a lot of things, from culture shock, to delicious and tasty cuisines, adjusting to life on the other side of the world. The people were also what made the trip very memorable; I enjoyed talking with them and doing things with them and by the end, I felt like we were also close to each other!! :) We saw a lot of amazing sites in different cities (Great Wall, Beijing, Xian, Pandas in Chengdu, hiking the mountains in Yangshuo, admiring the skyline in Shanghai, and so on) and even partying out until 2 am a couple of times! Jelly was a very sweet, funny, friendly, and knowledgable, and anyone would be really lucky to have as their Contiki group manager!! Once again, my first Contiki in China was very memorable and I have no regrets of it whatsoever. This is what also kicked me off traveling with Contiki in different parts of the world.Show more
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  Traveled in April 2025
  

  Reply from: Contiki

  Thanks for your awesome feedback, its great you have enjoyed this Contiki adventure we hope this will not be the last time you travel with us. Thanks for your kind words regarding the Trip Manager come back for another thrilling, life changing tour.

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  KatherineStebbings5.0•September 2019
  Led by Yelitza
  I love love LOVED this trip! I didn’t know much about China beforehand so went in with no expectations and was...
  I love love LOVED this trip! I didn’t know much about China beforehand so went in with no expectations and was thoroughly blown away. Our itinerary covered everything that I wanted to do in mainland China and then some! For example massive bucket list tick with The Great Wall, but then to toboggan our way back down was something that I’ll never forget. Seeing the Terracotta Warriors and visiting the Panda sanctuary were two more highlights for me, especially as we had fantastic local tour guides educating us and answering our questions at each and every location. That being said, my favourite destination on the trip was Yangshuo, which was somewhere I had never heard of nor seen photos of before, so if I had ever attempted China without being in this tour I would have majorly missed out! That was the destination where I felt we were privileged enough to get a feel for the real China and their people. Speaking of, I personally found the Chinese to be wonderful, friendly, welcoming people. In my experience other Asian countries have been far less open to tourists. I’m Caucasian and yes, I had locals taking photos of me, but they were never rude about it or grabbing me, there were often lots of charades involved or broken English attempts but whenever I said yes to a photo the people were so grateful - and who wouldn’t want to spread that kind of joy?! I also did not find China to be at all crowded - they’re constantly developing and creating larger open spaces for their population, I’ve felt more crowded in London. We even rode the metro at peak hour in Beijing and Shanghai with no trouble at all. As for the mannerisms that you may have heard about e.g. spitting, farting etc, I also did not find that very prevalent or confronting, and even if you do - it’s part of the experience right? As for my experience of being within a tour group, I honestly could not have had a better one. This was my 4th contiki and the best group I’ve had thus far. We were a small crew of 16 (which I welcomed after 50 in the US), we weren’t just typically all aussies (about 50%) or all girls (about 50%) and 11 of us were each independent travellers so everyone mingled together really well*. We had some big nights of parting, and we had some chill nights of staying in and playing games, everyone was happy to stick together or split up and just do whatever they desired. As wonderful as the people on my tour were, our friendships would not have flourished so much if not encouraged by our exceptional tour leader Jelly. Jelly as a tour manager was second to none, and as a person is one of the kindest, sweetest people I know. Jelly made herself available to answer questions before I had even stepped on my flight to China (what do I pack? Is there internet? Ah!). Once the tour started her day sheets were full to the brim of educational info about what we were seeing that day, optional extra things we could do in that location that she recommended, transport info, ATM availability, and just cute fun facts about China for us to remember. She was always happy to answer questions, listen to our terrible jokes, and have us follow her in the only free time she got, like the herd of sheep that you become on tour. Jelly even came out and partied with us, truly sacrificing all her free time and sleep, she was a genuine member of the crew whilst maintaining a level of professionalism so we knew we were in safe hands and could go to her if or when we needed. She facilitated opportunities for us to mingle and make friends in the beginning of the trip, and now even months on she still chats and checks in with us and answers our questions regarding other tours (especially ones she runs that we all hope to go on). *in reference to our group all mingling, we did have one exception. The single scathing review on this page was written by our group latecomer who I believe proved Jelly to be a true saint that we are not worthy to have on this earth. Jelly was always composed, professional, and inexplicably patient whilst facing this person’s outbursts of rudeness, racism and cultural insensitivity. For this person to make such horrid statements about Jelly after all that Jelly did for them is simply abhorrent behaviour. Anyway. I sincerely hope that those of you reading this do decide to book this tour. I had the time of my life in this beautiful country and the more people who experience it, the more we can alter the poor perception or simple lack of education people have of China. You never know, you may be lucky enough to have Jelly as your tour guide. If so, my question to you is, are you ready for this Jelly?Show more
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  Traveled in July 2019
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  Ash5.0•September 2019
  Led by Yelitza
  I was quite apprehensive about travelling to China. I had no idea what to expect. Before I arrived I got an email...
  I was quite apprehensive about travelling to China. I had no idea what to expect. Before I arrived I got an email from the guide, Yelitza (Jelly). Her email was so informative and instantly put me at ease. It was warm, fun and had helpful things to know before our arrival. From the time the tour started Jelly was positive, knowledgeable and engaging. The tour overall was a lot of fun. We stayed in hotels, ate at home stays, had fun adventures and were given pointers on all the good places. The local guides were also fantastic. Jelly took time for each of us and made the experience so much better than I thought it could be. Especially the Panda Party! This was my first Contiki and I have already planned my next one. My next guide has some pretty big shoes to fill. Do yourself a favour, suck down some ‘fire water’ and book this trip if you’ve ever been curious about China, black and white bears, big walls, buried soldiers, mystery street meat or delicious dumps.Show more
  Traveled in July 2019
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  Thashveen5.0•September 2019
  Led by Yelitza
  China Adventure was my best trip so far. Contiki drafted an excellent itinerary which covered the vast cultural...
  China Adventure was my best trip so far. Contiki drafted an excellent itinerary which covered the vast cultural richness of the country from the history and fascination of Beijing (the Great Wall, Ming Tombs), the ancient walled city of Xi'an and the terracota warriors, the fasicinating and cuteness overload of Chengdu at the Panda Research Center, the 'out-of-this-world' scenery of Yanhshuo and the impressive Shanghai and its skyline. The highlight of the trip was however, by far, the trip manager Yelitza who was the epitome of professionalism, fun and human encyclopedia! She made the trip memorable in so many ways and will definitely do the rest of Contiki Asia trips with her! She reached our before our trip started to give us excellent tips, made sure to spend individual time with everyone to get to know them personally, was resourseful throughout the trip to make it as comfotable as possible. The accomodation was good, I was dreading the overnight train but it ended up being quite comfortable and fun night. I highly recommend signing up for all the optionals - I would thoroughly have regretted having missed any of them. The transport (coaches and flights) were spacious and high standard. It was a small group trip - 16 people - so it was easy to get to know everyone (except one - see below) - who were beyond amazing and looking forward to meeting and travelling with them again. I would also like to talk about the 1 star review below posted by American (written on Sept 19, 2019 - Jessica Rachel) who was on the trip with us! Although she is entitled to her opinion, they are absolutely not true and do not reflect the Group's views on Yelitza, as reflected by the thumbs down. Jessica was extremely rude, racist, not respectful of fellow passengers. She was late every single day at every single stop and we had to wait for her or go look for her, she would belittle fellow travellers and locals, she would never listen to instructions. I recommend anyone with common sense to ignore her review! To end on a possitive note, don't waste any more time! Book your trip!Show more
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  Traveled in July 2019
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  Louise5.0•September 2019
  Led by Yelitza
  This tour was amazing, one of the best experiences of my life! Yelitza Perez, Jelly to us, was the most amazing...
  This tour was amazing, one of the best experiences of my life! Yelitza Perez, Jelly to us, was the most amazing person I've ever met. She really made this trip, she was kind and funny, she knew all of these amazing places to take us during our free time. She really tried her best with a difficult girl in the group, she was professional and handled it with absolute grace. Could not recommend her enough, I will definitely be booking another tour just for her to be my guide!Show more
  Traveled in July 2019
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  American1.0•September 2019
  Led by Yelitza
  I took a trip to china with this organization. I went on their china adventure tour. DO NOT TRAVEL WITH COMPANY TO...
  I took a trip to china with this organization. I went on their china adventure tour. DO NOT TRAVEL WITH COMPANY TO CHINA! Especially with YELITZA she was a horrible tour guide and was so unprofessional and made it super uncomfortable for multiple people. I was kept up multiple nights in a row and went to her to find a solution. Instead of dealing with it privately she told everyone in the group and told people I was giving her a hard time...I had to hear this from members of my group before I left and after the trip. You were a bully and you really made me feel awful. I also thought it was unbelievable that she refused to add me to the Facebook page that everyone was part of afterwards so I couldn't connect with anyone. I was originally part of it and then was taken off. She did not allow me to get any of the group pictures and to this day refuses the respond to my messages to add me. I paid for a trip and an experience that I wasn't fully able to partake in because of Yelitza Acevedo Perez. She treated me like shit, made me feel so bad about myself and turned the group against me. This was the most unprofessional tour leader I have ever traveled with. I went to thailand with them and thankfully didn't have the same problem. I paid a lot for this trip and lost out on a great experience because Yelitza was so immature. I even tipped you and brought you out for a drink to try to make things more comfortable and you still talked shit and made me feel bad...you were such a bully. There's a lot more that I will add as I think of it. This Leader is such a bully. I want to make sure others understand how unprofessional you are I would never treat my customers with such disrespect. I'm disgusted your behavior and actions. Yelitza Acevado Perez made me send her a photo of my feedback as well and then got scared and didn't respond. I shouldn't of had to let you see my feedback that was confidential. The entire thing was weird like she knew she was going to be called out and got scared. . I would never be this mean but I understand respect and either they don't know how bad this leader us or they do and do not care. Get me my photos and don't alienate someone from an entire group. Your awful. I feel bad that you had to make me feel so bad...NEXT TIME RESPECT everyone...Dont exclude people from an entire group. For those reading this I'm sure this is not the first time so please speak up. Yelitza Acevedo Perez aka Jelly don't do this to someone again! Don't talk shit, don't waste people's time or money...if you don't like your job don't bully people.Show more
  Traveled in July 2019
  

  Reply from: Contiki

  Thanks for sharing your feedback here; we really appreciate hearing from all of our travellers. We're surprised and concerned to learn of your experience with our Trip Manager, especially as all of our team members are selected for their professionalism and welcoming personalities. Furthermore, our representatives are fully trained to provide the amazing trips that Contiki has always been known for. Nevertheless, we have shared your comments with our Operations Department for their knowledge and consideration, to establish that this is not something any of our travellers encounter in the future. Having said this, please do have a look at the Contiki contacts page on our website, where you will find the post-trip links that you may wish to contact. In the meantime, we hope you were still able to take home some great memories from your time spent on the China Adventure, and we hope to have the chance to restore your impression of Contiki in the near future.

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  NaeemChoudhury5.0•August 2019
  Led by Yelitza
  This tour was absolutely incredible, and made a million times better thanks to our Trip Manager, Jelly! The itinerary...
  This tour was absolutely incredible, and made a million times better thanks to our Trip Manager, Jelly! The itinerary was jam packed whilst allowing for free time everywhere we went. The tour allowed us to explore massive cities as well as some smaller beautiful towns. Jelly was incredible before, during and after the tour providing support, answering questions and always being so positive and cheerful throughout. She dealt with everything so calmly and professionally and was always wonderful to be around. She had plenty of knowledge on just about everything, what to do, what places to hit up etc. Truly a fantastic tour with the best possible trip manager!Show more
  Traveled in July 2019
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  Kaela5.0•August 2019
  Led by Yelitza
  This tour was everything I hoped it would be and more! Checked just about everything I wanted to do in China off my...
  This tour was everything I hoped it would be and more! Checked just about everything I wanted to do in China off my list, made amazing friends (we're still messaging each other), and grew as a person while learning so much about the culture and the people. Our trip manager, Jelly, made ALL the difference! She either knew the answer to everything or found the answer as soon as possible. She handled everything with grace and so much positive energy that it hyped all of us up as well. This was my first time doing a solo trip with a tour company, and I can definitely say I will be doing it again!Show more
  Traveled in June 2019
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  Frank4.5•August 2019
  Led by Yelitza
  Yelitza was an incredible tour manager. I never felt like anything unexpected happened, or that we were never in good...
  Yelitza was an incredible tour manager. I never felt like anything unexpected happened, or that we were never in good hands. This was my first tour I've done, and all the worries and concerns I had were gone once I saw how personable and responsible she was. She was always cheery and personable, always prompt, and was always available to answer questions, no matter what they might be and who they might come from. The tour itself was very busy, and I felt hit all the great spots to see in China in one fell swoop, with it slowing up more in the Yangshou and Shanghai regions, just in time for people to get some rest after the extremely active beginning parts. The transportation included inter-country flights, an overnight train, and the high-speed train line, so we got to sample a little bit of everything, and all the transports were clean and safe, including the buses. The hotels, other then one case which is apparently closing anyway, were actually much nicer then I expected. They were a variation of normal hotels, resort hotels, etc, and the rooms were large, and the showers in almost all of them were the really fancy walk in ones. Each provided a buffet style breakfast with a decent selection, and all of them were in pretty convenient locations for getting around town during free times. The provided meals were all family style, mostly simple fare. They did their job at feeding us, nobody ever went hungry, but they weren't the most flavorful things around. Special shout out to the goodbye meal though, which was at a really nice BBQ place in Shanghai that was delicious.Show more
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  Traveled in July 2019
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  James5.0•May 2019
  Led by Yelitza
  Amazing experience that was worth every penny! Really well organized so that all the major sites could be seen in a...
  Amazing experience that was worth every penny! Really well organized so that all the major sites could be seen in a relatively short space of time. Accommodation and included meals generally very good, and Jelly even made the effort to prearrange my meals to accommodate my diet (thanks, Jelly!). Jelly was the best trip manager to see this awesome country with; superb organisation and highly professional while being fun and friendly. Despite the apparent high cost given the length of the tour, there is so many inclusions that the tour still represents excellent value for money. Overall a really positive experience and I would love to revisit China, and use Contiki for my next tour.Show more
  Traveled in May 2019