Report Cards

On CHINA, May-June, ’05. . .

• Laurus Travel (3195 Granville St., Ste. 45, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6H 3K2) arranged our trip to China, May 18-June 2, with China Odyssey Tours (Guangxi, China; visit www. chinaodysseytours.com).

The price was $3,500 per person for the 18-day trip and included airfare from the U.S., four flights within China and almost all meals. We also spent four nights and five days on the Yangtze with Victoria Cruises.

We saw Beijing, the Great Wall (including a night in a small inn at the wall), Xi’an (and the Terra Cotta Warriors), Shanghai and much, much more. And there were NO additional fees, other than tips for local guides (which are pandemic in China).

I thought the trip was beautifully organized and executed. We moved smoothly from one event to another. All the hotels were excellent and well located. If you are going to China only once in your life, this a great company to do so with. We enjoyed ourselves enormously. They even obtained our visas for us. Check with the company to make sure you have an escorted tour; not all are.

— Charles Coon, Syracuse, NY

On SOUTH AFRICA, June ’05

• Dirk Havenga of 34 South Tours (e-mail info@34southtours.com or visit www.34southtours.com).

Dirk provides a custom tour of Cape Town and surrounding areas. He is very polite and helpful and knows the area extremely well. Dirk does his homework. He works with you to design the tour around your needs and interests, and he’s flexible in accommodating changes.

Comfortable vehicle. No one has to wrap their legs around a wheel well.

Dirk charges $80 per person for a 10-hour trip. We paid him $480 including a generous tip.

— Bea Thompson, Henderson, NV