The China trip by train gave me a comprehensive understanding of China today, the problems and culture as well as the history of the country. I had the opportunity to visit with the Chinese people and openly speak and ask questions. Visiting schools, a hospital and attending lectures provided information that I felt was honest and forthright. The train rides and visits to historical sights were informative and adventuresome. I loved the trip.

The Yangtze Train and Boat trip was the trip of a lifetime. Every aspect, educational including lectures and field trips with hands on experiences, sightseeing including many world heritage sites, accommodation and meals that were typically of a very high, even a luxurious standard, and people including our guides and lecturers and the individuals we met in our trips who were characteristically open, sharing,and caring, was remarkable.All in all an amazing experience.

The program was extremely well organized. All the different experiences put together for our benefit were inspiring and real eye- openers. Two were outstanding: the musical presentation by Johnlee et al., at Luoyang and the visit to Children's Palace. The lecturers were well informed and surprisingly open and frank. They did welcome questions and answered without reservation. The trip organization was flawless. All local guides were knowledgeable and had excellent english. Outstanding among them was Mr. Tan. The Program guide, Mr. Shi Wentao is the best I have had in my experience as a seasoned traveller. He made everything flow naturally and seemingly effortless. He went out of his way to accommodate all needs and meet all requirements. He is an asset for your organization. Outstanding as the program was, I like to make a few suggestions to improve it: Add two lectures: one on the Economy of China and one on Shanghai' s history. Add one more free afternoon.

It's a shame that every one can't take this tour. It was an eye opener, the Chinese people were very warm and welcoming to us. We never felt out of place or intruding, even when the surroundings weren't quite what we're used to back home. We came away with a new feeling about China.

This was my seventh Elderhostel/Road Scholar trip. The others were excellent but "China by Train and Yangtze Riverboat" was outstanding! I thoroughly enjoyed the places we visited, the people we met, the lectures, the food, and the musical performances. The scenery along the Yangtze River and the train routes was spectacular. Beijing, Xi'An, and Shanghai are fascinating but being able to travel "off the beaten path" was exciting. The national guide spoke excellent English, was knowledgeable, helpful, and well-organized and had a great sense of humor. The local guides, in general, were good--those in Changsha and Guizhou exceptional. I recommend the trip for anyone who would like to experience something different and is up to the challenge of traveling in places and under conditions that are sometimes different from most in the United States.