Asia Odyssey Travel Expert Vincent

Both my wife & I with a group of friends had the pleasure of embarking on a tour led by our English speaking tour guide Howard from the 20-29 March, 2024. I must say, his dedication to ensuring a memorable experience for our senior group was truly remarkable. Howard's attentiveness and genuine care for each member of the group made our sightseeing adventure not only more meaningful but also much easier and enjoyable.

From the moment we set out on our journey, Howard exhibited a keen awareness of the needs of our senior group. He makes sure everyone was comfortable and well-catered for throughout the tour. Whether it was assisting with mobility issues, providing insightful commentary tailored to our group's interests, or simply offering a helping hand, Howard went above and beyond to ensure everyone felt included and cared for.

What truly stood out about Howard was his ability to make the sights come alive with his storytelling and knowledge. He didn't just guide us through the landmarks; he painted vivid pictures with his words, allowing us to connect on a deeper level with the places we visited. Howard's passion for history and culture was infectious, and it added a whole new dimension to our sightseeing experience.

Moreover, Howard's organizational skills were impeccable. He managed the logistics of our tour with ease, ensuring smooth transitions between destinations and maximizing our time at each stop. This meant less stress for our group and more opportunities to soak in the beauty and significance of the places we visited.

Thanks to Howard's exceptional care and expertise, our tour became more than just a series of sightseeing stops - it became a journey filled with warmth, camaraderie, and unforgettable memories. I would highly recommend Howard as a tour guide to anyone seeking a truly enriching and enjoyable travel experience, whether for senior groups or otherwise. His dedication, compassion, ensuring our safety, and professionalism set the gold standard for guided tours.

I cannot speak highly enough of Mr. Yueh's exemplary performance as our driver also. His careful driving, dedication to safety, and exceptional service were instrumental in making our tour a resounding success. Both my wife & I are grateful for the opportunity to have travelled under both Howard & Mr. Yueh's care & guidance.

I went on the Asian Cultural 10 day tour starting in Beijing, to Xian, Guilin and Shanghai small group tour starting February 13, 2024. Helen was the best guide I’ve ever had. Her English is excellent, her knowledge is superb and her personality is warm and friendly. Thank you so much Helen.

Our tour began in Chengdu. The agency helped us book a train to Lhasa, and arranged for a driver and English-speaking tour guide in Lhasa and Nyingchi. The hotels chosen were good, and the scenery was simply breathtaking. Thank you to Anthony at the agency for making the planning and booking process so smooth!

For 16 days, we enjoyed a group tour exploring Tibet and other remarkable destinations in China. Our journey felt like traveling with a big, diverse family, consisting mainly of German, French, and Taiwanese individuals. Together, we visited iconic tourist attractions in Tibet including Lhasa, Everest Base Camp, and Yamdrok Lake. Immersing ourselves in the local culture, we indulged in delicious Tibetan cuisine at authentic restaurants and engaged in meaningful conversations while sharing moments over beers. Every second spent with our fellow travelers was filled with happiness and created lasting memories.

Our visit to Zhangjiajie was an absolute adventure. The stunning natural beauty of this place surpassed my wildest imagination. The towering sandstone pillars, covered in lush greenery, created a surreal landscape that seemed straight out of a fantasy movie. The Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, with its unique formations, left me in awe. Exploring the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Tianzi Mountain offered breathtaking panoramic views of the entire region. The glass-bottomed Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Bridge added an adrenaline rush to our trip. Zhangjiajie is a paradise for nature lovers and a must-visit destination for those seeking awe-inspiring landscapes.

Our 8 days group tour in December was amazing! Tokyo’s vibrant streets and Mount Fuji’s snow-capped beauty were breathtaking. Kyoto’s temples and Nara’s deer park offered a serene charm, while Osaka dazzled with its food and nightlife. Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park was deeply moving. The crisp winter atmosphere and festive illuminations added a magical touch. Traveling with a small group made the experience fun, seamless, and unforgettable!

Moscow and Saint Petersburg are like two sides of the same coin! Moscow impressed me with its energy and iconic landmarks like St. Basil’s Cathedral and Lenin’s Mausoleum. Saint Petersburg, however, was more romantic, with its beautiful canals and the grandeur of the Winter Palace. The train ride between the cities was smooth and added to the adventure. Both cities were captivating in their own way, and the combination made for a perfect Russian experience!

I did the Beijing-Xi'an-Guillin-Yangtze river-Shanghai group tour. The tour was well organised and the guides knew so much about each site.Vincent also helped me extend my trip to visit Suzhou and Hangzhou. At every destination I was met by knowledgeable helpful guides who went above and beyond their duty. I would recommend this service to anyone wishing to visit China! I enjoyed my month stay in China thanks to Asian odyssey!

We decided to do something different for our 25th wedding anniversary and decided upon a tour visiting China (inc Tibet) & ending at Kathmandu, Nepal. We contacted Vincent at Asia Odyssey Travel who assisted us with ensuring that the holiday we wanted was what we got. We made quite a few changes to the standard itinerary, including flying from Xian to Lhasa. We would have loved to have taken the train journey of 31 hours but the smallest berth was for 4 people. This may have been fine but was unwilling to risk being stuck in a small berth with people we would have preferred not to be with. Please research the various options yourself if you take this tour. Think about getting an eSim before you arrive in China and a VPN although we still couldn’t access most emails of social media. We arrived in Beijing and was met by our guide at the airport arrivals and then taken to our first hotel. All our guides were very friendly, spoke good English and were very knowledgeable. Similarly all our drivers were very professional and safe. Driving in China is an interesting experience. All the sites we visited during our tour were amazing. In Beijing, these were Tienanmen square, the forbidden palace, summer palace, Jingshan park and the great wall at Mutianyu which was a 2 hour drive but less touristy and had been renovated. All places were fairly crowded and you will be pushed at times by Chinese tourists - don't expect the same courtesies as you would expect in the west. Also be prepared to have your passport check multiple times at each location. Next stop was Xian which we traveled to via the high speed train. We choose first class seats which was worth the extra cost, There are actually 4 classes of travel - 3rd, 2nd, 1st & business. The train was very smooth and it was difficult to believe that during the journey we were traveling at 348km/h (216mph). The hotel was very comfortable (Ramada) and a step up from the Beijing hotel. In Xian we visited the Terracotta army which encompassed 3 separate sites all in large halls. This was extremely crowded and difficult to get to the railings to take pictures, but we did manage. Later we visited the Drum and bell towers and had a walk on the city wall. Followed by a visit to the Muslim quarter and mosque. If you have been to a middle eastern mosque or bazaar then this is not as grand but still worth a visit, including sampling some local food. Finally in Xian, we visited the Shanxi history museum which was very informative. We did attend two shows recommended by our guide - the silk road and story of the Empress. The silk road was phenomenal - we sat on a giant turntable which revolved around the different stages. This show included volcanoes, volcanoes, wolves in addition to the regular actors. The Empress show included a dumpling dinner with 12 varieties of dumplings. Following a short flight to Lhasa we relaxed at our hotel. We did suffer from altitude sickness but in a few days had acclimatised and were OK without the need for oxygen which was readily available. The next few days were very busy with visits to Jokhang temple, Sera monastery (inc monks debates), Bakhor Street and Potala palace. All these were amazing and we had an excellent guide who explained each place with a good level of detail but didn't overload us. The highlight of the trip was Everest base camp. It was a great drive through the twisting mountain roads with great vistas. The accommodation was a large tent divided into separate bedrooms and a living area. Thankfully they had electric under-blankets as it down to minus 14 inside the tent at night. Be aware that each evening between 10 and 11 they play loud music so don’t expect to sleep before then. Also the toilet facilities are very basic and there is no washing facilities - fortunately we had bought hand wipes with us. We then traveled to Gyirong for our border crossing to Nepal. The number of hotels is limited and are of significantly lower standards than found in western countries. However this was not part of the normal tour. The Chinese side of the border was very impressive with a fairly new imposing building. Expect to have your phone taken off you to see what photographs you have taken. The Nepal side of the border is in essence a shanty town with an unmade road - definitely need a 4x4 vehicle, as on the 7 hour journey to Kathmandu, 4 hours was on unpaved roads full of potholes. The tour company supplied a guide to obtain our Nepal visas, this was a god send as there was a free for all approach at immigration. Overall a great experience enabled by Asia Odyssey travel. Thank you.

I did the Beijing-Xi'an-Guillin-Yangtze river-Shanghai group tour in April 2024. The tour was well organised and the guides knew so much about each site. Vincent also helped me extend my trip to visit Suzhou and Hangzhou. At every destination I was met by knowledgeable helpful guides who went above and beyond their duty. The guides spent so many hours touring us around each city ensuring we got the best services and experiences offered. They also assisted us to taste the best street food at every location. The guides were essential in helping us navigate the high speed rail/airports and local taxis/didi. I would definitely recommend this service to anyone wishing to visit China! It's very helpful to have all your transportation and hotels organized by experienced staff.I enjoyed my month stay in China thanks to Asian odyssey!

I just went on a 7days 6nights trip to Bhutan and it was amazing. I sent my inquiries to about 4 different tour agents and Odyssey Travels got back to me immediately. My consultant was a Mr Vincent Luan and he was a great help to me. Always patient and prompt on his replies. Thank you so much Vincent!

My guides for the week was a Mr Songnam Wangdi and I wholeheartedly recommend him should anyone visits Bhutan. He was friendly, always punctual and so knowledgeable about the history of his country and Buddhist monuments. I am grateful to have met such a lovely guide.

We had a very friendly driver, a Mr Yeshi too. He was humorous, also friendly and knows his way around town well. I really couldn’t have met a better consultant, guide and driver for this trip. It was perfect. The hotels were comfortable (you are able to mix and match) and Bhutanese food is delicious. My daily trips were also fully customizable as long as I discussed with the guide.

With this experience I would absolutely go back to Odyssey Travels for any future trips to Nepal or Tibet. Thank you so much for all your kindness and patience. It was a memorable trip.

A wonderful family trip for us. My parents and I enjoyed it a lot! Kyle is always very responsive to my questions — his recommendations and advice also turned out to be very helpful. Our tourist guide, Rinzin was also great. He is fluent in English and Chinese, so he communicated with my parents very well. The itinerary for each day was clear and well-arranged. Each meal was taken care of with a lot of effort. We tried plenty of healthy organic vegetable products from Bhutan. Besides, we were lucky to have a very experienced driver. I didn't feel dizzy at all, even after the trips across the mountains.

10 DAYS GUIZHOU EXPERIENCE A memorable and awesome holiday with friends made possible with an excellent guide Howard and driver Mr Yueh (Xiao Yue). The itinerary arranged was excellent and we get to experience the different aspects of Guizhou from its ethnic culture to different scenic nature and local cuisines. Thank you Asia Odyssey Travel and especially to Howard and Xiao Yue. Helen Huang

My first time travelling with Odyssey Travel. The organiser Vincent is good in arranging / organising our itinerary prior our trip.

Our expect guide Howard , who accompanied us was needless to say much :

Attentive, Informative, Patience, thoughtful ..

After 10 days we are like friends , we will miss him.

The itinerary was well planned to suit our group of mostly senior citizens with aches all over the body after 3rd day but importantly we made it ! Praises to our travel mates .

Not to mention our driver Xiao Yue , he is small in size but he has a perfect 10 driving skills maneuver a U-turn on a busy street , no sweat to avoid obstacle with a huge trailer

carrying a very long windmill on a narrow winding road.

I would highly recommend to friends & myself for my next trip to China.

A big Thank you to Howard & Xiao Yue for a memorable trip .

Excellent private tour service for Bhutan! Our guide, Ugyen, was extremely informed, patient, flexible, and full of useful information for our time in Bhutan. He went above and beyond to ensure that we had an excellent experience! I believe it is technically possible to travel without a tour guide through Bhutan as of 2023-4; however, I would not recommend it, due to lack of tourist infrastructure for solo travelers and an overall lower quality traveling experience. The itinerary planned by AOT flowed very well, and organizing everything pre-trip with Vincent was a breeze. We would highly recommend! Wouldn't have done it any other way.

We started our 10 days Guizhou Experience arranged by Vincent of Asia Odyssey Travels from 20th March to 29th March visiting Anshun, Libo, Zhaoxing, Jiabang, Xijiang & Guiyang.

The places of interest visited were awesome, beautiful & breathtaking especially the Jiabang rice terraces.

The itinerary was ideal for us, a group of seniors thanks to Vincent's careful planning, advice & foresight we spent less hours on the road daily.

We had a very experienced English speaking tour guide, Howard. Not only was his narrative clear & interesting but he was patient & took our questions well. He was patient, tolerant, thoughtful & considerate. Being a group of seniors he had our best interests in mind. He was also respectful & jovial too.

The driver Mr. Yueh & him make a good team. Sifu Yueh driving skills are excellent & we felt safe with him driving us along winding roads up & down hill.

10 days Guizhou experience As a senior with knee and back problems I was quite apprehensive thinking about going on this trip. But I am glad I did as it was an amazing experience especially with a wonderful tour guide like Howard. He was very caring and patient and took good care of everyone in our group. His English was remarkable and explained to us in detail about Guizhou’s culture and history which I found fascinating. Kudos to our driver Mr Yueh too. Such a cheerful guy and careful driver that in spite of our trips up and down the narrow mountain roads we felt safe. Thanks again to Howard and Shifu Yueh for making this a memorable trip.