November 2007
Dear Sabrina
I’m back home now in the UK after my long trip around China, which certainly exceeded my expectations in every respect.
I particularly enjoyed my stay in Beijing and would like to thank you for the personal service you provided, and the help and assistance received from your company. As China is such a vast country it is important to have an idea of what one would like to see, especially if that is not on the ‘standard tourist list’ of the package tours, and to know of a company that will make the effort to arrange such a trip..
You may recall I am a landscape architect (retired) and was particularly interested in Chinese Parks and Gardens, both public (of which there are many in Beijing) and private (Suzhou and Hangzhou are good places). It was most kind of you to arrange a specialised tour for me in Beijing to visit many of these parks and gardens accompanied by yourself and a special guide.
Parks and Gardens, and indeed the wider landscape are extremely important and popular subjects here in the UK and elsewhere. Anyone with even a limited knowledge of China will know these subjects have been of vital importance to the Chinese culture for countless centuries, so I had plenty to see. I imagine your specialist guided tours around this aspect of China will become even more popular, and I wish you every success.
I should also congratulate you on the choice of my accommodation. For anyone wishing to experience the real China, and leave western culture behind, stay in one of the Beijing Hutongs, preferably in a traditional courtyard one as I did. Although it was described as ‘for the younger traveller', do not be put off by that if you are in your 50's or 60's and do not have to be surrounded by the trappings of Holiday Inns, Hiltons and western 4* and 5* hotels. Here you will meet writers, artists, film makers, and yes even maybe a landscape architect !
So Sabrina, very many thanks indeed for a great trip.
Kind regards
Tony Walker
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