Has anyone used the service of this Huangshan (Yellow Mtn) operator in China?
Apr 2nd, 2007, 04:24 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 793
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Has anyone used the service of this Huangshan (Yellow Mtn) operator in China?
I'm planning to go from Shanghai to Yellow Mountain (Huangshan) in May.
Still have trouble booking flights in Elong and CTrip - but found this tour operator while surfing the net. They can book the flights and hotels (I couldn't book hotels including breakfast on many hotel sites) and providing a van for our needs in Huangshan:
http://www.shanghai-huangshan.net/
Has anyone used them before? they gave me the email address of a recent customer as reference but she never responded to my questions.
On the other hand, the airlines are now issuing e-tickets, and we do not have to pay them until we leave Tunxi (Huangshan) airport on the last day. So it can't really go wrong. Still I'd like to hear about their service: are they on time? friendly staff/guide? etc. etc. Thanks
Still have trouble booking flights in Elong and CTrip - but found this tour operator while surfing the net. They can book the flights and hotels (I couldn't book hotels including breakfast on many hotel sites) and providing a van for our needs in Huangshan:
http://www.shanghai-huangshan.net/
Has anyone used them before? they gave me the email address of a recent customer as reference but she never responded to my questions.
On the other hand, the airlines are now issuing e-tickets, and we do not have to pay them until we leave Tunxi (Huangshan) airport on the last day. So it can't really go wrong. Still I'd like to hear about their service: are they on time? friendly staff/guide? etc. etc. Thanks
Apr 2nd, 2007, 08:12 AM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 793
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'll just attach Christine's email response to me (a long one!). She is in the U.S. because her email address is Harvard University.
I was really surprised when John (the tour operator) said we could settle and pay his staff at the end of the trip. When you find someone that you do not know, the first worry is that you pay money up-front and then find out that nothing has been booked or the driver or guide doesn't show up.
Here is Christine's answer:
My family (with 2 kids age 6 and 8) just returned from a two-week trip to China
(Beijing, Lhasa, Xian, Shanghai, and Huangshan). We relied on friends and
relatives in Beijing and Shanghai and sought travel agents in Lhasa, Xian, and
Huangshan. To save costs, we contacted local agents separately, rather than
booking through one agent who subcontracts to local agents. John of Huangshan
was the best tour agent we had in China, and he far exceeds our expectation.
He was very honest and straightforward. I found him by surfing online. His
prices were much lower than any other quotes I received. We were initially
doubtful about his quote/services, but decided to take a risk and go with him
anyway. We were very glad that we did and were very fortunate to find such an
honest person in China. He listed the costs clearly for our hotel on Huangshan
(Beihai), our train fare to Shanghai (we took overnight sleeper train because we
thought the children would enjoy sleeping on a train), and a minivan with a
safe/reliable driver. We paid entrance fees and meal costs directly. All
other agents quote a large lump sum. It is much better to be able to see the
costs separately. And as far as we could tell, John was hardly making any
money at all, compared to other tour operators. John only accepted our payment
at the end of our trip, and there was no hidden extra charges at all. At no
point, did John or his driver try to drive us to stores for shopping (as our
other travel agents had done). John was very considerate in arranging a few
hours stay for us at a hotel in Huangshan city before our late train ride (at
10:30PM) so we could get a shower and have some rest after a long day on the
mountain. He negotiated a 1/4 room rate for us for that evening and made our
trip much more pleasant. John is obviously very experienced at helping
different clients, and he really understands our needs. The fact that he is so
honest and is willing to make so little money on the side makes him a rare gem
in the Chinese business world. I very much hope that more people discover him
and the rest of Chinese business community would learn to do business the
honest way as John does.
Huangshan would be very crowed in May. It would be wise to secure a hotel
booking as soon as possible. We found that Beihai hotel was very good. We had
worried about it being cold in March, but the heating was more than adequate.
We were pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness of the bathroom and the high
water pressure of the shower. Considering everything had to be carried up the
mountain by man power, it was really a bargain and a luxury to stay in Beihai.
Meals at the restaurant was expensive (100RMB/person for lunch or dinner
buffet). Since we are vegetarian, we could order a la carte, and it was
cheaper to order a la carte for us. Breakfast (50RMB/person) was included, and
it was quite a good breakfast.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask me.
Best, Christine
I was really surprised when John (the tour operator) said we could settle and pay his staff at the end of the trip. When you find someone that you do not know, the first worry is that you pay money up-front and then find out that nothing has been booked or the driver or guide doesn't show up.
Here is Christine's answer:
My family (with 2 kids age 6 and 8) just returned from a two-week trip to China
(Beijing, Lhasa, Xian, Shanghai, and Huangshan). We relied on friends and
relatives in Beijing and Shanghai and sought travel agents in Lhasa, Xian, and
Huangshan. To save costs, we contacted local agents separately, rather than
booking through one agent who subcontracts to local agents. John of Huangshan
was the best tour agent we had in China, and he far exceeds our expectation.
He was very honest and straightforward. I found him by surfing online. His
prices were much lower than any other quotes I received. We were initially
doubtful about his quote/services, but decided to take a risk and go with him
anyway. We were very glad that we did and were very fortunate to find such an
honest person in China. He listed the costs clearly for our hotel on Huangshan
(Beihai), our train fare to Shanghai (we took overnight sleeper train because we
thought the children would enjoy sleeping on a train), and a minivan with a
safe/reliable driver. We paid entrance fees and meal costs directly. All
other agents quote a large lump sum. It is much better to be able to see the
costs separately. And as far as we could tell, John was hardly making any
money at all, compared to other tour operators. John only accepted our payment
at the end of our trip, and there was no hidden extra charges at all. At no
point, did John or his driver try to drive us to stores for shopping (as our
other travel agents had done). John was very considerate in arranging a few
hours stay for us at a hotel in Huangshan city before our late train ride (at
10:30PM) so we could get a shower and have some rest after a long day on the
mountain. He negotiated a 1/4 room rate for us for that evening and made our
trip much more pleasant. John is obviously very experienced at helping
different clients, and he really understands our needs. The fact that he is so
honest and is willing to make so little money on the side makes him a rare gem
in the Chinese business world. I very much hope that more people discover him
and the rest of Chinese business community would learn to do business the
honest way as John does.
Huangshan would be very crowed in May. It would be wise to secure a hotel
booking as soon as possible. We found that Beihai hotel was very good. We had
worried about it being cold in March, but the heating was more than adequate.
We were pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness of the bathroom and the high
water pressure of the shower. Considering everything had to be carried up the
mountain by man power, it was really a bargain and a luxury to stay in Beihai.
Meals at the restaurant was expensive (100RMB/person for lunch or dinner
buffet). Since we are vegetarian, we could order a la carte, and it was
cheaper to order a la carte for us. Breakfast (50RMB/person) was included, and
it was quite a good breakfast.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask me.
Best, Christine
Feb 23rd, 2009, 08:12 PM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 793
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We used John Zhang from Huangshan when our group of 4 went to China in 2007. This is his website:
http://www.shanghai-huangshan.net/contact-me.htm
I exchanged email a few times before I left Canada. One thing that frustrated me about travelling in China is that I couldn't just go to the airline website and book tickets, and I also found travel websites like CTrip very sporadic: they sometimes work and sometimes don't, and the airfare varies from day to day. We wanted to make a 3 day - 2 night side trip to Huangshan (from Shanghai), and John was able to secure the airline tickets for us. So basically he arranged airfare from/to Shanghai, hotel (in Tungxi and Huangsahn peak (Bei Hai Hotel/North Sea) and provided a driver for us
One thing I like about John is that he is very good in responding to email. One little thing to pick maybe that he sometimes doesn''t answer all my questions. So in the end I learnt to ask not more than 1-2 questions per email.
Another thing is that he only wanted a small deposit from me for booking all the airfare/hotel/cars (I paid through Paypal), and I paid him the rest at the end of the trip before we flew back to Shanghai. He has a travel agency in Tungxi, and the driver took us to him and I paid him in cash.
I also liked the car he provided us. For 4 of us we got a van which was very comfortable. The driver was very nice but spoke limited English; but I could talk with him in Mandarin.
I suggest that you either join a tour company or have private tour like what we did. It would be very difficult for you to go by yourself and find transportation at the last minute. We wouldn't know what bus goes from Tungxi to Huangshan, and coming down the mountain we had a driver waiting for us (I pre-arranged with the driver), cause there won't be a line of cabs waiting for you.
We did however turn down John's offer to provide us with a guide on the mountain top: we preferred to go at our own pace, and we liked that very much.
There are numerous steps to climb in Huangshan so we were right in bringing our hiking poles. But there are also sedans (carried by 4 porters) to take you from point A to B. Personally I would not try that because many steps are very narrow. Imagine a porter losing his footing - I'll be thrown thousands of feet down the Yellow Mountain.
Huangshan was really one of the highlights of our China travel. I am beginning to sound like a travel guide. But I read the promotion that: if there is one mountain that you get to visit in China, make it Huangshan. Of course when you read another brochure on another mountain it may say the same thing.
http://www.shanghai-huangshan.net/contact-me.htm
I exchanged email a few times before I left Canada. One thing that frustrated me about travelling in China is that I couldn't just go to the airline website and book tickets, and I also found travel websites like CTrip very sporadic: they sometimes work and sometimes don't, and the airfare varies from day to day. We wanted to make a 3 day - 2 night side trip to Huangshan (from Shanghai), and John was able to secure the airline tickets for us. So basically he arranged airfare from/to Shanghai, hotel (in Tungxi and Huangsahn peak (Bei Hai Hotel/North Sea) and provided a driver for us
One thing I like about John is that he is very good in responding to email. One little thing to pick maybe that he sometimes doesn''t answer all my questions. So in the end I learnt to ask not more than 1-2 questions per email.
Another thing is that he only wanted a small deposit from me for booking all the airfare/hotel/cars (I paid through Paypal), and I paid him the rest at the end of the trip before we flew back to Shanghai. He has a travel agency in Tungxi, and the driver took us to him and I paid him in cash.
I also liked the car he provided us. For 4 of us we got a van which was very comfortable. The driver was very nice but spoke limited English; but I could talk with him in Mandarin.
I suggest that you either join a tour company or have private tour like what we did. It would be very difficult for you to go by yourself and find transportation at the last minute. We wouldn't know what bus goes from Tungxi to Huangshan, and coming down the mountain we had a driver waiting for us (I pre-arranged with the driver), cause there won't be a line of cabs waiting for you.
We did however turn down John's offer to provide us with a guide on the mountain top: we preferred to go at our own pace, and we liked that very much.
There are numerous steps to climb in Huangshan so we were right in bringing our hiking poles. But there are also sedans (carried by 4 porters) to take you from point A to B. Personally I would not try that because many steps are very narrow. Imagine a porter losing his footing - I'll be thrown thousands of feet down the Yellow Mountain.
Huangshan was really one of the highlights of our China travel. I am beginning to sound like a travel guide. But I read the promotion that: if there is one mountain that you get to visit in China, make it Huangshan. Of course when you read another brochure on another mountain it may say the same thing.
Feb 24th, 2009, 06:08 AM
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 793
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BTW ... there was a bit of a scam going on at the mountain top side of the gondola.
On our way back down, we arrived at the east gondola station around 10 a.m. The station was set up with baracades so that if the lineup is this long, there is a sign saying "this is an one-hour wait", and farther away from the ticket window, there is another sign saying "this is a 2-hour wait" and so on.
When we got there we lined up close to the "1-hour wait point". Immediately a woman walked up to us and said that she works for the station (she was wearing what resembled a uniform) and there was actually express tickets (for something like 20rmb more) that we could bypass the line. So we followed her, and she took us to a souvenir shop in the staion, and said she would look for the station manager to give us the tickets (we had not paid her yet). A few minutes later she returned and said that the manager is on coffee break, and we could wait in the shop, then the shop attendants began offering us hot tea and the merchandise.
After another 20 mins we finally smelled a scam and declined to wait any further, and rejoined the lineup, except then we were at the 2-hour waiting point.
On our way back down, we arrived at the east gondola station around 10 a.m. The station was set up with baracades so that if the lineup is this long, there is a sign saying "this is an one-hour wait", and farther away from the ticket window, there is another sign saying "this is a 2-hour wait" and so on.
When we got there we lined up close to the "1-hour wait point". Immediately a woman walked up to us and said that she works for the station (she was wearing what resembled a uniform) and there was actually express tickets (for something like 20rmb more) that we could bypass the line. So we followed her, and she took us to a souvenir shop in the staion, and said she would look for the station manager to give us the tickets (we had not paid her yet). A few minutes later she returned and said that the manager is on coffee break, and we could wait in the shop, then the shop attendants began offering us hot tea and the merchandise.
After another 20 mins we finally smelled a scam and declined to wait any further, and rejoined the lineup, except then we were at the 2-hour waiting point.
Feb 24th, 2009, 02:43 PM
#10
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks so much!!! This first hand information is invaluable. I must say,planning this leg (Huangshan/Xidi/Hongcun) of our China trip is proving to be the most challenging. Sounds like it's worth it, though.
Happy travels!
Happy travels!
Jul 16th, 2009, 07:09 PM
#11
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We were just back from Huangshan trip, it was so hot at foot of the mountain and even worse at downtown before getting onboard the flight. John was very nice and gave us lots of useful tour tips when we arrived at the local. He should have told us that we should stay on the top for continuous two days so as to avoid the heat. But the hotel rate on the top was too expensive and the food was not worthy the high price. Anyway, the scenes on the top were fabulous, which makes our Huangshan trip a worthy one.
Aug 29th, 2009, 12:52 AM
#12
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My family (with son and daughter) is just back in Netherlands after travelling for more than 3 weeks in China. To save the cost I arranged the trip by myself. I booked the hotels via internet and used the local arrangements to visit the attractions. I found John by surfing the internet. I sent an e-mail telling him my intended travel plan and got a prompt reply with proposals including a clear specification (incl. price) for each option. The offered prices are very fair compairing with the offers on the internet and much lower than offers from other tour operators. We were able to "customize" our trip in Huangshan and Tunxi based on the offered detailed options. During the e-mail conversation, I got a feeling that John is more a friend than a "commercial" tour agent. I was surprised for not being asked to do some payment before. I called him from NL to ensure that we have the same understandings, and he told me not to be worried about the payment. There was uncertainty on our arrival time by bus from Hangzhou. I called him when our bus leaved Hangzhou. On arrival John was already there waiting for us. He took us to the hotel (our hotel for the next day) to leave our big luggages in the hotel and to meet Gloria, the tour guide. Gloria was chosen by John for us, because she is in the same age as our doughter. I think this is an excellent choice! We feel we get a new friend. Gloria brought us to the top, stayed one night at Beihai hotel, waked up at 5:00 a.m to see the beautiful sunrise. After the breakfast Gloria brought us to a number of peaks and went down. The scenes on the top are unforgettable. We visited Hongtsun (a Ming village) and went back to the hotel in Tunxi. John came to the hotel to have a chat with us. The next morning Gloria and the driver brought us to the train station for Nanjing. Huangshan fantastic scenes, John and Gloria made our Huangshan trip to be one of the highlights of our fantastic trip in China.
