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Testimonials

-----Original Message-----
From: Laura Wxxxx [mailto:lxxxxxx@rogers.com]
Sent: March 21, 2008 5:41 PM
To: info@laurustravel.com
Subject: RE Our trip to China

Hi Julius!
Israel and I returned today from China and I couldn't get to my computer fast enough to write to thank you !! What a wonderful country and fabulous, amazing tour!!! Thank you for the arrangements you made on our behalf and for your patience with our many nervous queries! Everything was absolutely excellent!! The guides were top rate: knowledgeable, personable, and accommodating. The hotels offered incomparable service with rooms, concierge, baggage handling and in the restaurants. The food was interesting and delicious. We will certainly be recommending your agency to others!.. And after this wonderful trip, hope to contact you someday for our return visit!!! Thanks again so much for everything.

"Xie Xie" and Best Regards,

Laura Wxxxx
Toronto, Ontario


-----Original Message-----
From: Rob Sxxxxxxxxx
Sent: January 9, 2008 11:24 AM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: Tour Comments

To Laurus Travel,

We have just returned from our Best of China trip with your company and I am just dropping you a quick note to say how much we enjoyed our tour. Although our group was too small to qualify for a tour leader your local guides were very competent and friendly. Their knowledge of their own cities and the country in general was excellent and they tried very hard to be accommodating and responsive. The hotels and food were excellent and the sites were incredible. We have already recommended your company to others and we hope that they are able to benefit from your company’s excellent service.

Sincerely,

Rob Sxxxxxxxxx and Susana Exxxxxx
Whitehorse, Yukon


-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Wxxxxx [mailto:cxxxxxxx@shaw.ca]
Sent: December 12, 2007 5:49 PM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: Tour Customer Survey

Hi Julius and Heidi,

We have completed the online survey but also wanted to send a quick e-mail to thank you both for such a wonderful trip and experience. While we travel a lot we have never participated in a group tour and can honestly say that the Laurus experience was fantastic. I do think that the smaller groups and the personal attention go a long way to enhancing the enjoyment.

I can not say enough about the added value provided by our guide Steven Shi. We could not have asked for a better guide and he looked after us from the time he met us at the airport in Beijing until he saw us off at Shanghai. Steven was at all times engaging, knowledgeable, humorous and attentive. He went out of his way for all of our group to make this trip a memorable experience. I would highly recommend Laurus to anyone considering a trip to China.

Thanks again Julius, Heidi, Steven and James.

Chris & Madeleine W.
Maple Ridge, British Columbia


-----Original Message-----
From: dbxxxxxxx@shaw.ca
Sent: November 22, 2007 7:30 PM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: China in Depth Oct 2, 2007

John was an exceptional tour leader. He was knowledgeable about every aspect of the tour, he went above and beyond our expectations. I would not hesitate to recommend John to anyone considering a trip to China. He is an incredible tour leader. Because of John our tour was absolutely perfect (except for the "drizzle" from the typhoon in Wuzhen - even that was an incredible experience). He is to be highly commended for the outstanding job he did.

Laurus Travel is to be commended for the incredible journey that we had. I can't begin to imagine all the behind the scenes work that had to take place to give us a once in a lifetime experience that will never be forgotten. I wish I could do it all over again !!

Barbara S.
Fanny Bay, British Columbia


-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxx@aol.com
Sent: November 18, 2007 7:40 AM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: China Tour Feedback

Wow, what a fabulous trip. My compliments to Laurus on a phenomenal job. On a scale of 10 this trip was a 12. I had very high expectations for this trip and they were surpassed. Everything was first class - the hotels, the restaurants, the bus transportation, the air flights and the guides. We really appreciate that you rented the larger busses so that we had plenty of room. That was appreciated by everyone.

Victor did a superb job of making sure that everything came together so that we all had a memorable trip and a great time. He was on top of everything and we didn't have to worry about a thing including the pick-up and delivery of our luggage to our room in each of the cities - what a relief.

The itinerary was excellent and the trip was incredibly easy. Everything worked so well. I know what kind of preparation has to happen to make that occur. Laurus has done a phenomenal job of demonstrating excellent service, first rate quality of all accommodations and tremendous value for the money. These truly differentiate you from the competition. We travel a lot, two to three months a year for many years, and we have never been as impressed with a group as we have with Laurus.

We also appreciated the small group size. For two weeks we were with 16 people and 5 people joined us for the last week. We were very fortunate on this trip that from the first day everyone on the tour group really clicked. We thoroughly enjoyed one another and we all had so much fun on this trip. We were laughing all the time. As a matter of fact, many of us have been e-mailing and we are missing not being on the trip. Many of us would have liked to just keep on going.

Many of us so enjoyed this trip that we would like, as a group, to get together and do another Laurus trip. I would therefore appreciate it if you would send me information on the other tours that you provide. My husband and I are very anxious to travel with you again soon. Our congratulations to Julius and the other Laurus personnel who have created a vision of travel that excels in today's crazy travel environment. We were treated like royalty and we had the best time on this trip. We made a lot of memories on this trip that will be with us for a very long time. Our thanks to all at Laurus who made that happen. We look forward to the next trip.

Linda & Bob L.
Manhattan Beach, California
Laurus Travel China tour group photo


-----Original Message-----
From: rayxxxxxxxx@sympatico.ca
Sent: November 5, 2007 4:55 PM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: Tour Feedback

Amanda was fantastic!! She made the entire trip very enjoyable and worry-free. She read the group dynamics extremely well and she has an excellent sense of humour. She took care of every last detail and was always responsive to suggestions and comments. Your company should be proud to have her working with you as she serves the customer above and beyond!!! Excellent job Amanda!!!!!

We will keep wonderful memories from this trip, the experiences of excellent tours that continued to "wow us" with each site we visited and a great group of people that we now consider good friends. We have already recommended Laurus Travel and this tour to many of our family and friends. Overall this is an excellent tour and one we will never forget!!!

Ray C. & Madeleine M.
Ottawa, Ontario
Laurus Travel China tour group photo


Steven Shi was the best tour guide we have ever worked with. His strengths were: very smart and informative about China, fabulous attention to detail, cared for every person's wishes, sought out special experiences tailored to our group, conveyed that he wanted us to know and understand China beyond the typical tourist. These are just SOME of his strengths. Our group simply LOVED him and felt that our trip was extra special because of Steven's warmth and skills. He has no equals!

...Great service, great price for what we got, a guide who had no competition. When we talked with other tour groups we concluded that Laurus deserves our praise and loyalty. I will certainly be sending friends and colleagues your way!

Thanks, Julius!

Prof. Kate S.
Williamsburg, Virginia


-----Original Message-----
From: patricia.e@xxxxxx.com
Sent: October 23, 2007 11:33 AM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: Tour Feedback

TOUR LEADER
Stephen is an asset as a Tour Leader. He may not be a 'joker' or a 'show man' like other leaders, but he is kind, attentive, efficient and very very patient. He made the tour the success it was. I also appreciate the fact that Stephen is a bit of an intellectual with a love of history. I could have listened to his commentary and his insights on China forever. Stephen really works hard to accommodate all his guests and he is extremely responsible and respectful. I am very thankful that I had Stephen as my leader.

LOCAL GUIDES & DRIVERS
Again, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the local guides. They all spoke English extremely well and provided interesting commentary. As for the drivers - sitting in the front of the bus - I was very impressed by their skill in maneuvering those big buses.

HOTELS
Actually all hotels exceeded my expectations. I have travelled in Asia before (i.e. India, Vietnam, Malaysia, etc...) and I did not expect the 5* hotels to meet North American standards. I was pleasantly surprised. The hotels chosen were all of the highest standards.

FOOD
The food was very good. We ate too much.

IMPROVEMENT TO ITINERARY
Yangtze cruise could be one day shorter (although going up river that may not be possible). Also perhaps more time in the country between big cities to clean out the lungs.

MORE COMMENTS
I am an experienced independent traveller used to doing things on my own. I chose the highlights tour in order to get a taste of China because I knew I could never see so much in 18 days by myself. I was right. This tour met or exceeded my expectations. Everything went smoothly and the organization was impeccable. Although I don't usually like to be led about in a group - I must say that it was nice to be taken care of and to travel in style.

Patricia E.
Montreal, Quebec

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-----Original Message-----
From: skip [mailto:skip.axxxxxxxxx@shaw.ca]
Sent: October 19, 2007 10:58 AM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: 12 Day Best of China

Overall, this was an outstanding trip and we would not hesitate to strongly recommend Laurus Travel to anyone considering a trip offered by your company. Thanks for a job well done Julius and we look forward to our next trip with Laurus Travel.

Best regards,

Skip A.
Calgary, Alberta
Laurus Travel China tour group photo


-----Original Message-----
From: Bernice Axxxxxx [mailto:beaxxxxxx@yahoo.com]
Sent: October 21, 2007 1:04 PM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: Great Trip

Hi Julius-

We just wanted to let you know that we really enjoyed our recent trip. Any changes that we would recommend would be very minor. The 26 days flew by as we encountered many fascinating sites and experiences. As you promised, the hotels were very comfortable, and more than met our expectations. We feel that our tour leader, Howard Zhang, was significantly responsible for our wonderful vacation. He always seemed genuinely concerned about our comfort and safety. Additionally, he helped us to better understand the culture and was always available to answer questions or help with any issues. You are indeed fortunate to have such a hard-working, loyal, and talented tour guide in your employ. We also feel fortunate to have travelled with him.

We would not hesitate to recommend Laurus Travel to anyone planning a trip to China.

Bruce and Bernice A.
Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

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Laurus Travel China tour group photo


From: jloxxxx@xxxxxxx.net
Sent: October 5, 2007 1:23 PM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: Tour Feedback

Victor Li is an exceptional guide. His charming personality made everyone feel very comfortable as he led us on a fascinating trip that was punctuated by his extensive knowledge and quick wit. He has an incredible ability to anticipate people's needs and wants. His smile never faltered even when he was faced with some inconvenient and inconsiderate requests from members of the group, which he quickly fulfilled while seamlessly continuing with the well-planned itinerary. His winning and adaptable style made a good trip an outstanding one and because of him I will highly recommend your company to my family and friends. Victor is an asset to Laurus Travel.

Janice O.
Rockville, Maryland


Sent: August 21, 2007 7:08 PM
To: Laurus Travel

We have never been "tour" people, but Laurus Travel has converted us. The tour was thorough, well organized and ensured we saw all the important sights without feeling rushed. We particularly like having a small group to travel with. We also like the idea of giving our tour leader a suggested amount for the tips up front for the local guides and drivers - makes it much easier during the tour - we don't have to constantly think about that aspect of travel. Please feel free to use us as a reference - our entire family enjoyed the trip and highly recommend Laurus Travel.

Thank you.

Leena J. & John V.
Ottawa, Ontario

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From: Carla J [mailto: cjxxxxxxxx@wi.rr.com] 
Sent: August 16, 2007 11:00 AM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: Tour Customer Survey

I have been on many guided tours, and Amanda was without a doubt the best tour guide I have ever experienced. She is extremely competent and has excellent people skills. She is very fun, knowledgeable, and really went out of her way to be helpful to us... I can't praise her enough.

I have been raving about my tour to everyone who will listen. I hope to travel with Laurus again. I literally found you by googling, and it was my best Google search ever. I have already recommended you to others and will continue to do so.

Carla J.
Kenosha, Wisconsin


-----Original Message-----
From: l. gerald [mailto:jlxxxxx@yahoo.com]
Sent: July 30, 2007 7:31 AM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: July '07 China Trip

I'm just returned from my Imperial China tour, which included 3 days in Tibet, and to say the least, it was an incredible experience!

First, all of the tour guides, especially Amanda, were terrific! All were always ready to accommodate any request asked of them. They were extremely knowledgeable, charming, and well prepared.

Next, the accommodations were solidly first rate, especially the Sheraton in Shanghai, which was exceptional. All of the hotels, even in the far away locations in Tibet were clean, and the hotel staff provided spectacular service (again with the Sheraton in Shanghai being exceptional.)

The food provided on the tour was always excellent, well prepared, and plentiful! I was especially pleased with the optional offerings provided throughout the course of the tour. We saw the Chinese Opera, an acrobat show, and a wonderful dinner theater. I would rate the value received for the cost of this tour as exceptional. I have been on ten escorted tours around the world and I would rate this tour as the best! Everyone concerned upheld the highest standards of excellence throughout my Laurus tour experience!

Jerry L.
Wallingford, Connecticut

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-----Original Message-----
From: Bev & Einar Cxxxxxx [mailto:cxxxxxxx@telus.net]
Sent: June 30, 2007 10:56 PM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: China in Depth

Dear Alan and Julius,

We would like you to know how much we enjoyed the 22-day China in Depth tour. Our experiences exceeded our expectations in almost every respect, whether it was transportation, accommodation, food, or venues visited.

We appreciated the conscientious and knowledgeable service provided by your local tour guides, all of whom were excellent. Although everyone deserves our commendation, we were particularly impressed by Sherman for his professionalism and his very good command of the English language; Howard for his local and historical knowledge and his enthusiastic manner; but particularly we express our thanks to Linda, our Suzhou guide who gave us outstanding service as noted in the following anecdote.

On Day 9, upon reaching the Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to fly to Yichang, we realized that a recently purchased silk tapestry had been left behind in the Suzhou Sheraton Hotel lobby 80 km away. Linda contacted the hotel by cell phone, but no one had seen the tapestry. We assumed that it was lost. Linda, however, said she would go to the hotel on her return to Suzhou, and if lucky enough to find it, she would forward it to us.

Imagine our surprise on Day 19 when we arrived at The Great Wall Sheraton in Beijing to find a very carefully wrapped parcel containing our "lost" tapestry. Truly this was an example of outstanding service by Linda.

Many thanks to all of you at Laurus for providing us with a wonderful tour.

Sincerely,

Bev and Einar C.
North Vancouver, British Columbia


-----Original Message-----
From: Doug & Eileen [mailto:demxxxxxx@cogeco.ca]
Sent: May 31, 2007 6:30 PM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: China in Depth, May 3

Dear Julius,

We are just back from our 3-week, "China in Depth" trip May 3-24. We found it a very well-planned, well-paced, and well-priced trip. The last-minute upgrades you added were a real bonus! Our tour leader, John, was wonderful. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable, but he is conscientious, kind, thoughtful, and always helpful. He is a real gem in the tourist business. Our trip encompassed not only the history of China--a rich history stretching back over 5000 years, but a clear overview of the present China and a glimpse of the future. We were in awe of the pace of development in today's China.

It became clear, that your goal was to make our trip memorable, and to make us, as clients, feel very special and pampered. The "extras" that you included were unexpected and we appreciated each and every one!

Thank you--all of you--for a fabulous holiday and great memories of China.

Doug & Eileen M.
Peterborough, Ontario

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Sent: April 24, 2007 4:40 PM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: China Tour Feedback

Hi Alan and Julius,

Just want to say thank you for the marvellous 20 day tour of China your company provided my mother and I in March. It exceeded all our expectations in every area! We have travelled extensively, with many different tour companies in the world, and would put your company right at the top! Our tour guide, Amanda, was also superb. She was professional, knowledgeable, helpful and fun to be with. I will always recommend you first for travel in China. Many, many thanks for making my mother's 70th birthday in China so special. May your business continue to prosper as it so deserves.

Ezria J.
Victoria, British Columbia


Sent: March 30, 2007 3:12 PM
To: Laurus Travel
Subject: Re: China Tour Feedback

Hi everybody at Laurus. We just got back from our trip to China and would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for a wonderful time. Our guides (Grace, Sherman, John, Amanda) definitely were the reason our trip was so successful. they are a wonderful bunch of people who are hard working and a pleasure to be with. We will never forget them. The drivers were amazing. I have such respect for those guys. Always polite and prompt. We felt like VIP's!! China is a wonderful country and we couldn't believe how comfortable and at home we felt. It was hard to leave. But we are already thinking of going back and exploring the southern area. Again, thank you.

Dennis & Dayle P.
Penticton, B.C.
p.s. we are telling everyone to book with Laurus travel.

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-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Sxxxxxxxx [mailto:xxxxxxx@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 11:11 PM
To: xxleavenworth@xxx.com

Subject: Laurus Tours

Greetings,

We took the 18 day China Odyssey Tour in October [2006] and it couldn't have been better. My wife and I have traveled a lot but never in a group. From the moment we arrived in Shanghai until we left Beijing we were treated royally. Our tour guide was exceptional and the local guides equally so. Accommodations were excellent and all the tour busses clean and roomy with good local drivers. The pace was about right and with few exceptions due to flight delays, we saw everything promised in the tour brochure and more.

I can't think of a thing to be negative about this tour and the company. They are the best and I don't think you could go wrong with them.

Dick S.
La Canada, California


I would like to say that our trip [China Panorama, Sept 13/06] was fantastic! It exceeded our expectations. The local guides were very knowledgeable and they went out of their way to make sure our questions were answered. At times the English was a little rough but we managed to communicate. I would say that all the guides with the exception of Helen (I think that was her name) in Chengdu were excellent. In Helen's case I felt she just wanted to get our tour over as soon as possible. Our marathon race to view the Pandas then the rush to the museum left us feeling that we didn't really get enough time. Perhaps the long day and high altitude from the day before added to our unpleasant experience with Helen. We were very happy with our sightseeing stops and the time allotted at each one. The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain cable car ride was breath-taking, as was the Stone Forest. The Yangtze River cruise was the highlight, beautiful scenery and wonderful crew. One recommendation I would make with this tour is to switch days for the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain sightseeing. With experiencing the lack of oxygen and a late night flight everyone was pretty exhausted. I would definitely recommend this tour to everyone. It was well organized and we felt that it showed us how diverse the people and the country is! Please feel free to use us as a reference.

When I was looking for a China tour I'd talked to our local travel agent who was unable to get what we wanted. I started looking on the Internet and discovered Laurus Travel. I knew nothing about Laurus other than what was on their website and their record with better business bureau. So I very nervously decided to take a chance they were legit and booked our trip. When we got off the plane in Shanghai we were met by Edward who was picking up another group and he waited so we could get a ride to the hotel. I knew then I'd picked a good travel service. So if you have clients needing recommendations please feel free to contact me. I'm saving the best for last. Our guide John who spent the 24 days with us. This young man is an asset to Laurus Travel! John patiently guided us and provided us with an endless supply of information! Thank you for your helping hand on the numerous steps and making our trip a wonderful experience! We enjoyed getting to know you and your country.

Margaret & Harvey B.
Smithers, British Columbia

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Excellent tour [China Odyssey, Oct 9/06]. We came away from it thinking very highly of Laurus. I don't know how this group got put together but the chemistry was great and added immeasurably to the pleasure of the tour. We would like to visit China again.

Duff & Shirley S.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan


Hi Julius!

Ross & I returned from our trip to Beijing etc. a few days ago. I want to tell you what excellent staff you have in China!!

Laurus Travel China tour group photoWhen we got off the plane, Lucy was right there with the banner saying "Laurus Travel". She was just excellent the whole time we were there. She took great care of everyone and it was clear that everyone thought she did a super job!

The local guide for Beijing was Leon. He was just wonderful!! You may have already heard that one of the ladies on the tour took ill and had to be admitted to the hospital. It was in the evening but Leon came back to the hospital to translate for her sister and for her. That is just top notch service! We can't say enough about what a good guide Leon was!

If you have anyone who needs a reference for your company, please feel free to use our names. You can be sure that we will be recommending your company to our friends.

Beth & Ross H.
Whistler, British Columbia


Everything about this trip [China Highlights with Hong Kong, Oct 6-23, 2006] was outstanding especially the tour leader Harry. He was the most accommodating person I have ever met. The hotels were by far the best hotels of any tour I have been on. I have told everyone about your service and they can hardly believe the things I have told them as they have never experienced such service. I want to thank you for the most enjoyable experience I have ever had.

Beverly W.
Desert Hot Springs, California


My husband and I are seasoned travellers and we have had the opportunity to visit many wonderful places all over the world. We were new to the group tour idea, and we had a few reservations going into it. Quite honestly, we had a wonderful time and met some great folks on our trip. Because the country was so large, the impeccable planning allowed us to see most the sights we wanted to visit. The itinerary was one that kept us very busy, which we liked, so there was not a lot of wasted time, waiting for the group to catch up. We were lucky enough to have Alan Yuan with us on our trip, and his attention to customer service was excellent. I would highly recommend this trip to China without hesitation and would be pleased to provide additional information to someone who is considering the trip. Job well done.

Linda and Dave H.
Toronto, Ontario

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Last summer [2006], I took a group of 18 students to China from the University of North Dakota. I asked Laurus Travel to make many of the arrangements for us and I was extremely happy with how smoothly everything went. Julius and the others at Laurus worked with us to get everything we asked for and we had no problems at all on our trip. The students loved our guides and thanks to Laurus Travel, our trip was a huge success. I can't recommend this company highly enough!

Dr. Colleen Berry
Assistant Professor,
University of North Dakota


Laurus Travel China tour group photoComment on Leader:
An outstanding leader; we would go on any other trip with him. Laurus would do well to use him to his fullest extent. His personal interest in the clients was impressive, and he made us feel safe, independent, and knowledgeable. He listened to our interests and needs. We can't say enough good things about John Ma. He took initiatives to make our trip better such as calling you about our extra time between flights in Chengdu. We could not have asked for a better trip and travel company to deal with. We are most satisfied; thank you for all you planning, support, and pleasant dealings.

Fred and Nancy B.
Los Gatos, California


Stew and I really appreciated the value we received for our time and money on your tour. It was a wonderful experience. I recommend your tour without reservation to anyone who expresses an interest in travelling to China. Please feel free to give our names as references.

Marg and Stew B.
Georgetown, Ontario


Laurus gets our highest recommendation. Dollar for dollar, personal care, the best of people taking care of us every minute of every day. From the office, owner, staff; you made this trip a memory of a life time. The sensory overload was incredible at times but we would do this trip again anytime....after recovering from the jet lag anyway. Bravo to Laurus. And Julius...You showing up at the dinner was an extra treat. The personal touches never ended.

Arthur L. and Janet C.
Vernon, British Columbia

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-----Original Message-----
From: 
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2005 5:15 PM
To: info@laurustravel.com
Subject: Tour Customer SurveyLaurus Travel China tour group photo

Harry was exceptional! He made the difference from our trip being excellent to it being outstanding! The fact that Harry had lived through and could tell us stories about the Cultural Revolution and the student protests in Tiananmen Square made this trip much beyond our expectations! The sights, activities and hotels were first rate. Harry was the cream on the crop!

We were very very pleased with our trip and would highly recommend Laurus Travel to anyone considering a trip to China. In fact, I have already written an entry on the frommers.com message board about our trip with your company as it was on the Frommers site that I found out about Laurus Travel. Your company put together an exceptional small group tour and we were thrilled to have had the opportunity to experience China with such a wonderful group of 8 people. Thank you Julius! It was also a pleasure to meet you in Beijing!

Cheri P.
Woodstock, Ontario


I was absolutely delighted with this trip. We have traveled extensively in North America and Europe, but never in Asia until now. I'm a history teacher and I taught world history for years, and to be able to see so much of China and its history in just a few days was remarkable. Many, many thanks for organizing an outstanding trip - and that's especially true because it was so reasonably priced!

Charles C.
New York, New York


-----Original Message-----
From: Denise C. [e-mail deleted]
Sent: June 9, 2005 8:07 AM
To: info@laurustravel.com
Subject: Letter of Recommendation

Good Morning Julius,

I just want to let you know we truly enjoyed our trip to China on the 24-days China Special [May 9-June 1]. Attached is a recommendation letter for you to post on your website, if you wish. Peter and I felt this venture was worth every penny. I will recommend Laurus Travel to all my friends who wish to travel to China.

Thank you Laurus Travel,

Denise C.
Coquitlam, British Columbia

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Laurus Travel China tour group photoWe just completed our 18 day tour [China Odyssey, May 18, 2005]  with tour leader David Cheng. Everyone on our trip had a great time, and David made everything interesting and humorous for us... He Deserves a big raise! Attached is a picture of our group.

Thanks,

Paul M.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


Laurus Travel China tour group photoHi Julius,

Just want to let you know how much we enjoyed our trip with you to China. It was absolutely amazing. To see so much in 17 days [China Odyssey, April 13-30/05] without feeling 'hurried' was incredible. The local guides were very personable and informative and we got a good overall picture of this diverse country, and your extra 'anecdotes' just added to the overall understanding we now have of China. We would also like to thank you for providing such excellent hotels and restaurants, for changing the itinerary so we could see the sunrise over the Great Wall and for that wonderful trip down the Yangtze River on the Katarina, all done at such a reasonable cost. But most of all we would like to thank you for being our tour guide, for your patience, your good humour and your illuminating insights into the way China is today. This is a trip that will linger long in our memories. 

Thank you,

David and Marjorie D.
Kingston, Nova Scotia
ps. We are already starting to save for another Laurus trip in the near future!


Just a short note to tell you how I feel about the Oct. 6-23, 2004 China Odyssey tour I was on. In one word it was GREAT. The hotels were all first rate, the transportation and bag handling were handled with absolutely no problems, the food was excellent - varied and interesting but always delicious. It was a good thing that I struggled a bit with chopsticks, otherwise I would have eaten far too much.

The tour was very well planned to let us see as much as we possibly could in the time we had. I’m not used to such an active level of sightseeing, but I can’t think of a single thing I would have been willing to miss.

It was certainly a pleasure for us to have such a small group. We were always able to sit at the same table for lunch and dinner, and there was a nice amount of space on the small busses we used. I think it is worth a small premium to travel with such a small group, as I am sure the experience is very different when the group size is over 20 or so.

One of the best features of our tour was in having Linda Tan as our guide. I cannot imagine having anyone better suited for that strenuous job. She has an excellent knowledge of all the places we visited, a good sense of humour, lots of energy, and great dedication to making the tour a complete success. I felt that Linda took special care of me as I was by far the slowest and most out-of-shape of the group - but I guess everyone felt that they got lots of care and attention from Linda. In addition, Linda’s willingness to talk about her personal life, her family and her education gave this tour a dimension far beyond just looking at the sights. 

Thanks for a great trip!

Robbie R.
Toronto, Ontario

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Just a note to let you know what a great time I had on the Laurus Silk Road Tour! The whole trip was great -- the hotels, the food, and the sights were all terrific. The guides and drivers were helpful, knowledgeable and thoughtful. I'm telling all of my friends to book their China trips through Laurus Travel. Please feel free to use my name as a reference!!

Jan B.
Columbus, Ohio


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From: joyce Robertson [e-mail address deleted]
Sent: Sunday, June 13, 2004 9:22 PM
To: info@laurustravel.com
Subject: Customer Feedback

People think we are getting a commission from you as we have told anyone who ask that they should use you if they want to go to China! Thank you so much for arranging everything for us. We had a great time!

Joyce R.
Malvern, Ohio

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From: Tania G. [e-mail address deleted]
Sent: Sunday, May 23, 2004 12:27 PM
To: info@laurustravel.com
Subject: Tour Feedback

The trip was all that we had hoped for and much, much more. We would like to thank you for all your help and look forward to recommending Laurus Travel to all our friends! 

Tania G.
Ottawa, Ontario


Laurus Travel China tour group photoI can't describe what a wonderful trip we had in a short note. We had an amazing time. Every day was filled with a new adventure and the time went by so quickly that I can't believe we were on a fifteen day excursion. It would be very difficult to choose a specific highlight of the trip but the fact that we climbed the Great Wall of China was very much one of the highlights of our lives. We fell in love with Linda Tan. She is an excellent tour guide. She is very dedicated to her job and has so much knowledge of all the sites that we visited as well as a lot of fun to be with. The flexibility built into the trip and just enough free time to be able to get out and visit spots on our own made this a perfect 15 days [Oct. 15-29, 2003]. I'm sure a lot of planning on your part has gone into these trips. I look forward to one day being able to contact you again to arrange another China experience. If anyone is ever looking for a reference I would be more than happy to talk to them.

Michele & Jacques G.
Oakville, Ontario

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Laurus Travel China tour group photo We really had an exceptionally good time during our tour with Laurus Travel, certainly the most enjoyable travel experience since our honeymoon! We would do the Laurus Travel experience again and not change a thing! We found the tour to be very well proportioned and balanced in terms of content and exposure. For example:

- We alternated between urban and rural exposures to give us renewed contrast while preventing "culture overload".

- It is not easy to define the climax of the 3 week tour because the highlights were thoughtfully spaced and interspersed with highly diverse historic, cultural, artistic and epicurean adventures.

Our first meeting as a group was thoughtfully conducted and paved the way for the "family" association that quickly evolved and allowed the feelings of sharing and discussion to enhance the overall experience.

All of our guides were first rate, amicable and enthusiastic. They spoke English well and carried an exceptional knowledge of history and culture across the regions that we visited.

By the standard to which we are accustomed, accommodation was at least very good and more than occasionally, resplendent!

Meals? Who would have thought that we could eat Chinese food for 3 weeks and never lose our enthusiasm for it? The variations and creativity were awesome. The presentation sometimes bordered on art. I never thought that we would be eating peas with chop-sticks. We shall never forget that Chinese Scotch, either!

Service was excellent throughout the tour, whether in a restaurant, bar, taxi or hotel. We can think of no instance where we expressed a service need that was not fulfilled promptly and courteously. We enthusiastically recommend Laurus Travel to anyone who wants a diverse, First Class China travel experience.

Ron & Dawn P.
Kingston, Ontario

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Weeks have passed since our trip to China, but there is hardly a day when we do not, in some way, go back and relive those days. That was an incredible trip that will stay with us forever. Thank you for selecting an itinerary and program that gave us as complete a picture of the country as was possible in such a short time, for your superb organizational abilities in making "things click" in a country where that is not always easy, for providing transportation, restaurants, and accommodations that were excellent, and for guides, both Mike Shen the national guide, and the local guides, who were both helpful and informative. And, to top it all off, the cost of the tour was extremely reasonable. Your name and e-mail address now must be in a number of databases both locally and nationally. Jim and I have been giving them out with gusto as we have no hesitation in recommending your services.

Irene & James B.
Seattle, Washington


Laurus Travel China tour group photoWe loved China and have recommended a China trip and Laurus Travel to friends. We would love to travel again in China and would choose Laurus Travel, confident that the trip would be great.
Lyn & Terry P.
Richmond, British Columbia

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We had an absolutely fabulous time, thank you so very much. Everything went very smoothly and the group size was perfect. We were very impressed with the organization and the country was amazing. We would be very interested in going back to the silk road in the future - not next year, but perhaps after that. Keep us in mind for this in the future.

Wilma & Donald H.
Gabriola Island, British Columbia


Laurus Travel China tour group photoWe had a wonderful time in China. This vacation was a great adventure and we would rate it a 10 out of ten. We will have no trouble in promoting your company and China tours to our friends and others in the community. Please feel free to use our names for personal reference.

Pat & Gail W.
Vernon, British Columbia


I have been to China three times over the past five years and I am glad to say this trip with your company is simply the best. John took very good care of everybody and we were fortunate to have such a pleasant, experienced and fun person as our tour leader. The local guides and drivers were very good too, they did everything possible to accommodate our individual needs. I am looking forward to travelling with your company again.

Steven M.
Toronto, Ontario

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I thoroughly enjoyed the recent China tour; your planning is excellent. Everything which you described was provided, and the arrangements exceeded my expectations. Eric is an outstanding representative for Laurus. He’s cheerful and patient, and all arrangements were very smooth. I would not hesitate to recommend Laurus and this tour to others.

Dave M.
El Segundo, California


I was very pleased with all the tour arrangements. I will be sending you a more formal letter which you may use as a reference for future clients. You may also give my name and contact information to any potential clients who might like to contact me directly; they will receive from me high praise for your firm's services.

The Rev. Janet L.
Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania


I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking care of us so well during our recent trip to China. We were completely satisfied and have nothing but great things to say about your company. The guides and drivers couldn't have been better, they were courteous, friendly, experienced and accommodating. The meeting with Julius before the tour is another highlight of our experience dealing with your company. Having contacted three other companies before visiting your office, we found his knowledge and enthusiasm refreshing.... My mother-in-law will travel with your company this fall, I am sure she'll have a great time as we did.

Ron L.
Vancouver, British Columbia

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Laurus Travel China tour group photoThe trip was wonderful. I feel that when you asked Eric to be our Tour Director you were choosing the very best for us. He is both a gentle person and a gentleman. We were pleased with the quality of the hotels, meals and things we were able to do...

Marie W.
Petrolia, Ontario


Having been on many organised tours, I would like to congratulate you for having done such a marvellous job. My sister and I totally enjoyed the trip and have been enthusiastically promoting your company among friends and neighbours. We are in love with China and look forward to going back in the near future. 

Teresa M.
Sydney, Australia


Laurus Travel China tour group photoThanks for a wonderful trip. Cathy and I had a great time. The local guides were knowledgeable and went out of their way to make our visit enjoyable. The hotels were better than expected and the East Queen was a first rate ship. The group size was perfect and we really enjoyed getting to know our fellow travelers. Dollar for dollar it was a great deal. Thanks again.

Dueane D.
Washington, DC

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Let me thank you so much for such a wonderful trip (15-day China Experience in June, 2002). We really had a great time, the sightseeing was wonderful, the hotels were superb and the company was excellent. It was a pretty nice group we had there and most of all, the guides were really experienced and knew the history of China very well, so that the explanations were very clear and interesting. Richard, our guide throughout the tour was very responsible and took care of us as if we were his own children, we all liked him very much. He was really helpful in all matters. The food was great, although a western meal here and there would be nice too. Anyway, overall I would rate the trip a 10 out of 10. It offered much more than we had expected. We are really grateful to you.

I have recommended you and this trip to many friends, and you will be receiving some mails from people in Monterrey, Mexico pretty soon. I tell them it is really worth the money. I wish you would have other Asian destinations in your portfolio, like Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, etc so that we might travel with your agency again soon. We would like to repeat this wonderful experience.

Beatriz R.
Monterrey, Mexico


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Laurus Travel China tour group photoI am writing regarding the trip in Asia that I just completed. I have nothing but praise for Laurus Travel. The trip that you established for us was nothing short of first class. A group consisting of 10 college students is a tough task alone, but our tour guide Eric was the most organized, knowledgeable tour guide I have ever met. He was very accommodating with us and made our experience a great one. Laurus Travel is a great company and I will forever be grateful for your efforts in making our trip in Asia enjoyable.

Brandon R. G.
Hudson, Ohio


We still couldn't believe what an incredible deal we just got ourselves! Before we heard about your company through a friend, we had done some research on the Internet and had a pretty good idea about what we wanted to do and how much we'd expect to pay. Without the friend's endorsement, we'd be hesitant to book with you because the tour you offered seems too good to be true. How wrong could we have been! I mean every aspect of the tour is fantastic, the hotels, the meals, the guides, etc, exactly as you promised. We couldn't have asked for more. Everybody on the tour agreed it was a steal at that price and the arrangements far exceeded our expectations. Thank you so very much!!! Please feel free to let us know, anytime, if you need us to be your reference.

Tim & Amanda L.
Los Angeles, California


We were quite impressed and frankly a bit surprised by the quality of the tour. I am sure that it will only improve over the next few years as the equipment and quality of the local guides progress. Many of us found Laurus on the internet and while your program seemed to meet our needs, we were not sure of what to expect. We do now and it was wonderful.

Dr. Donald C.
Salem, South Carolina

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We have just returned from our '15 day China Experience' tour. Words can not express the experience. It was the most fantastic trip we have taken, and we have travelled a great deal. It exceeded our expectations. The accommodations were superb--yes the hotel at Qufu was a little worn, but you did advise us that it was the best available. The courteous and friendly staff certainly outweighed any inconvenience of the room.

The food--what can I say!! My husband gained about 10 lbs!! We enjoyed trying all the new dishes--and there were plenty of them. In fact we felt guilty that we couldn't finish all of them. The travel modes were wonderful and always punctual--from the great drivers of the buses, to the train, to the air flights.

The itinerary was well planned and very diversified. We were always very busy, but never felt rushed. The information from the guides was very good and very interesting.

Oh yes, the guides. Their enthusiasm with their country and their heritage made us feel privileged that we could share a small part with them. Always friendly, always helpful in any way, going out of their way to make sure we thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the tour. And they succeeded. I would like to make a special mention to our national guide, Linda Tam. What a wonderful person she is. This was not a job for her. This was her great joy to be able to share as much information with us as she could, to make this a fun tour, and also to learn from us as much as she could. Her knowledge was extensive. She never missed any details of the tour, always on schedule, never allowing anything to upset her because she always had everything well in hand. Her smile was the first and last thing we saw everyday. She was not our tour guide, she was our new friend. I hope that you become aware of her, because she is a great ambassador for her country, and she would be thrilled if she could visit Canada . I know you consider someone every year to visit Canada, and I certainly hope you keep her in mind. 

Again I would like to thank you for providing us with such a wonderful trip. We were skeptical like many other people, because it seemed too good to be true at such a low price. You definitely proved us wrong. I hope you continue to increase your tours because we will certainly consider your travel agency again, and will certainly recommend you to our friends.

Chantal and Lorne Z.
Milton, Ontario

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Laurus Travel China tour group photoTwo things that we forgot to mention, i.e., the two most memorable events - 1) to spend the night at the very quaint old fashioned inn at the Great Wall and woke up to see the Wall and climbed it with no other tourists but fresh air and light dust of snow. 2) the bicycle ride in Yangshuo to see the country side and the beautiful scenery. We had a great group and am sure that they share most of the views that I have expressed. The itinerary arranged by your company truly provided us with an impressive panoramic view of China. I definitely recommend your company to all my relatives and friends.

Thanks and wishing you continued success!

Mary & Bob F.
Thornhill, Ontario


Let us express our appreciation to you for the outstanding China Panorama Tour October 8, 2003. The tour exceeded our expectations in every aspect and left us with a great and lasting appreciation for the country, its history, sights and people. 

... and we hope that we have an opportunity to travel with Laurus again. We would be pleased to serve as a reference for your future potential customers, and you can certainly give them our e-mail address if you wish to do so. Your have our highest recommendation, and sincere thanks for a memorable visit to China.

Jan & Catherine K.
Woodbury, Minnesota


Laurus Travel China tour group photoBetty wrote: Every aspect of the trip surpassed my expectations. I was especially delighted with the personal attention given to each of us in our small group; I believe everyone felt valued and even pampered. Any individual interests or needs were seen to immediately so that all were delighted to follow the program and enjoy the experiences and each others' company . This was not my first experience of a conducted tour but it was by far the best.

Sue, Betty's daughter, wrote: This was my first organized tour and I fear it has spoiled me for all others. I quickly felt as if I was traveling with a knowledgeable friend. The activities encourage group cohesion and the skills of both the tour leader and the local guides contributed to a memorable experience. I have not been able to stop talking about our adventures, none of which would have been possible without the care and attention of Julius Yan and the local guides.

Betty & Sue M.
Toronto, Ontario


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Yes, the tour was fabulous. We did everything on the itinerary and more! If anything we were too busy, but that is not really a complaint. Our guide, Michael, worked very hard on our behalf and went out of his way to add little extras and help out. For instance our luggage was damaged and he interceded to secure a settlement with the hotel involved. He worked extra hard with respect to our luggage and transfers at airports and hotels...much appreciated. He is quite the character and his knowledge, honesty, and sense of humour were appreciated.

China remains a fascinating place and is rapidly changing. We were there in 1995 and the changes were well under way and this continues today. The Chinese are now touring about the country and they are facing some major traffic congestion problems. Somehow though, I think the Chinese will solve these problems.

Thanks for everything and we think we really got our money's worth. We certainly think you run a top notch operation. You gave excellent advice and we feel you earned our trust. We will pass your name on to others and we will certainly use your services if required. Best wishes for the future.

Yours truly,
Heather and Bob M.
Winnipeg, Manitoba


Laurus Travel China tour group photoIn general, the trip was well beyond our expectations, well planned, pampering, pleasing, and above all - very informative. We have recommended it to our friends, and some of them have shown their interest in taking the same trip themselves. 

We hope to join in the future one more of your trips. Thanks again.

Gil and Neomi W.
Jerusalem, Israel

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Of all the international trips we have taken our trip to China [22-day China Panorama, October 10 - 31, 2004] was the most interesting and has left us with marvelous images of a beautiful country in the throes of tremendous transition. We have never enjoyed a voyage more.

Thanks for a wonderful experience.

Barney and Iris G.
Bellevue, Washington


Erika and I returned from our trip Saturday night full of happy memories. Everything was excellent, the hotels, the food, the sightseeing program and all the arrangements, but especially our tour leader, Linda Tan, who was on the job 24 hours a day, every day, always concerned about our comfort and well being. Never before were we taken care of so well!

Thank you very much,

Alfred S.
Toronto, Ontario

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