Testimonials

“We had a wonderful tour of China. With your help, we squeezed in a tremendous amount of experiences in a very short visit. I really feel that you optimized our time there. I also feel that you gained a good understanding of how we like to travel and you selected hotels, restaurants, and activities that suited our diverse party. Our tour guides and shuttles minimized my 83 year old mother’s limitations and she saw everything she hoped.“

Marc Hitchcox, Ouray, CO

“The Taishan trip was really something else. Dare I say a once in a lifetime trip. An uncle that went is 88 and he told mum it’s the best 10 days of his life.

Once again Jia you have worked your magic and diligence to ensure a smooth safe passage through China. Thank you.

My relations have praised me incredibly for organising the BEST kwong sue duk reunion ever! That is a huge accolade as the family have had 15 reunions prior. I know my success was backed by your excellent work.”

Stephen Leong, FreestyleMax Sydney, Australia (3rd Tour with Jia’s Dream Tours)

“Hi Jia
Our China adventure is almost over. Just an hour or so before we board our flights to Hong Kong.
It has been a great trip, all that we hoped for and more. Guilin showed us the natural beauty of China and a chance to experience a more rural side of Chinese life. Xian was a delight and we enjoyed exploring the highlights of China’ past. While our time in Beijing was limited we were thrilled to visit some of the most iconic places in China. Shanghai was definitely a shopping paradise.
We were very pleased with your organization of the trip and at all times we were well looked after. There are too many special memories to list but we did enjoy the spectacular show in Yangshou, the dinner at Dadong Restaurant and of course the Terra-cotta Warriors, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, the cruise to Yangshou and all the other activities.

We appreciated your regular phone calls to check on the progress of our trip. We are pleased that we used your expertise to organize our itinerary. We would be happy to recommend Jia’s Dream Tour to everybody.
I will attach a couple of photographs and send you some more in due course.
Once again thank you for making our tour to China a Dream Tour.”

Paul and Jenni Campbell, Queensland, Australia

“Just wanted to thank you for putting together such an excellent China tour package for us. It exceeded our expectations.

We really enjoyed your selection of tour venues, entertainment programs, and hotels. The tour package fully met our group’s primary interests, namely: exploring Chinese history, photographing unique scenery, and sampling local culture. It made for a rich and fascinating two weeks. Although we are still amazed by how much we saw and experienced in that short time, the private group arrangements you made for us kept the trip relaxed. The guides never made us feel rushed, and we were able to minimize time spent in souvenir shops and focus on what we found interesting.

We also appreciated your periodic phone calls during the trip to check on problems. The few problems we did have were quickly resolved.

Thanks again for an excellent vacation.”

Jerry & Linda Mar,
Bob & Johanna Taylor

“Alan and I would like to thank you for the fine job you did arranging our recent tour of China. All the hotels were just what we like, and we especially enjoyed the destinations you suggested which we would not have thought of on our own. The guides were most knowledgeable and professional too. We enjoyed meeting them!

Now that we’ve gone to China once, we are hoping to return one day and if we do you can be sure we’ll call on you to help us arrange Dream Tour #2.

Best regards,”

Karen and Alan Swift, Florida

“Yes, a Californian based travel agent can plan, book and execute a dream tour of China for an Australian! I’ve just experienced it first hand. Through email, Jia was able to prepare a 14 day itinerary for me that encompassed culture, history, cuisine and outdoor activity in China. From the time I started searching on the internet, Jia’s website content, email dialogue and phone calls demonstrated to me in depth knowledge of the local scene and contacts in China that deliver service.

Being a private tour, there was flexibility for when I wanted to start the day. Instead of 9am starts, some mornings I started at 11. It was great. Throughout the tour Jia rang me at the hotel to address any questions and to see how the tour was going. Not that I thought it was necessary because the local guides were able to answer all my questions.

When people say “most younger chinese will speak english in China”, do not believe them. You need a guide that can interpret for you! Sometimes even in the hotel check in desks, the English is patchy and that is not their fault. We’re the ones that speak the foreign language. Younger educated Chinese nationals may have some English speaking knowledge, but the younger Educated Chinese are not going to be waiting on tables or working in shops which is where you’ll need it. This is where the guide helps immensely. They even started teaching me some characters as well as sayings.

I had no knowledge of China other than the Wall and the Terracotta warriors prior to going. Once I was there, each city hit me with new knowledge and insights in to how the old world use to operate and how it operates today. Starting in Shanghai, I wanted to see the Manhattan of the East; Suzhou was like Venice with Chinese gardens on steroids; Hangzhou was a beautiful lakeside town; and at night, it reminded me of driving along Lake Como (Italy); Guilin raises the bar yet again on natural beauty with a river and mountains made for postcards. There were even parts of Guilin that at night reminded me of Vegas; Yanghshuo had me cooking like a local on the banks of the Li River at a priceless location. Xian – whilst the base for the Terracotta Warriors had me scaling the City wall that spans 14km round the city centre. I saw Xian as the poor cousin of Beijing as it lost its title as the capital of China to Beijing. Then I finished up in Beijing. I love water and I was not expecting to see so much of it in “inland Beijing”, but the Summer Palace was an architectural and an aquatic achievement. The guide could tell when I was or wasn’t interested in the history or temples and they chose topics that would interest me.

Whilst group tours allow you to meet great people, a private tour gives you incredible flexibility to make it feel like it’s your holiday.

Thank you Jia. To you and your ground operators, thanks for showcasing all aspects of China.”

Stephen Leong, FreestyleMax Sydney, Australia

“Please accept this letter of appreciation for arranging the most marvelous tour of China I have ever had in my life! I had previously traveled to China to study and tour over four times in as many years. I had problems with food, travel, hotel confrontations etc. However, your service was above and beyond my former tours! Because you had on-the-ground contacts to assist at every juncture of my journey to help and guide me if needed, I had a hassle-free trip. I really liked that as my Mandarin is not that good. My train/plane connections were punctual and needing no contingencies. That was fantastic. My tour guides were knowledgeable, inventive, and very cordial.

My 5-day trip up the Yangtze River, 3-Gorges (your recommendation) was fantastic, I saw the China that I only read about in National geographic years ago. I am a student in the history of China. The tour that you arranged for me vividly expressed to me the visions of an ancient culture I had only read about. The highlight of my tour was Guilin (a city in which I was not familiar) this city is the pastoral area where the Serpentine Li River meanders through rice paddies festooned with water buffalo and mountains throughout. The evening finale of my trip was “The Impressions of San Liu” a show with the Li River and the mountains as the backdrop an open-air extravaganza. I was very impressed and pleased as this was my bon voyage for the most wonderful journey I have ever had.

Jia thank you so very much for your planning, and efficiency regarding this On-Month China Dream Tour 2010.”

JOSEPH C. TURNER, JR., Master Medical QiGong(China), Santa Cruz, CA

“We booked and went on an 18 day tour of China made by JIA’s Dream Tours. It was one of the most memorable trips we have ever made. We enjoyed every day of the tour and recommend to anyone that if you want to travel in China, there is no finer tour than one made by Jia. Every detail which we wanted and as recommended by Jia was taken care of.

Transportation for all airport transfers and tours were provided. We were accompanied by an English speaking tour guide on each of the trips. The guides on each tour, as well as those on the transfers explained the history of the places we visited or passed by, the significance of what we saw, and what we should be looking at. The trips were varied and held our interests at all times. Inside local tips on the best way to go, including items we wished to purchase, were fabulous. The foods peculiar to the region or city we visited were outstanding. The guides were superb and extremely knowledgeable. They took care of our airplane tickets, paid for all entrance fees, for example, to the expos, museums, gardens, shows, etc., and almost all of our meals . The three or four meals not included were planned as to allow us to choose the restaurants of our choice at places where choices were appropriate. The drivers of the vehicles we were transported in drove safely and skillfully.

It would take a book to explain all of the intricacies of the trip in order to express the enjoyment we experienced and the absorption of all the splendor that China has to offer. The tour is personalized, customized, and not costly for what you receive in return and I doubt, if you are visiting China, you could find a better prepared and managed tour for the price we paid.”

Paul & Doris Char, Cupertino, CA

“We’ve just returned from a wonderful trip to China that ended in a grand finale at the performance, “Impressions of Sanjie Liu” produced and directed by Zhang Yimou, the world renowned director of the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremonies! It was an incredible once-in-my lifetime show set on the Li River with the magnificent Guilin Mountains as backdrop!
The night before, we took an enchanting boat ride on the lake around Guilin. It was like a Paris City of Lights illumination tour…just breathtaking!

Beautiful pavilions, magical bridges, twinkling lights everywhere formed dreamlike images emerging out of the water. It was a Chinese fairy tale, a mirror of China long ago.

How did this trip begin? After many e-mail communications with Jia Thompson, of JIA’s Dream Tours, our trip grew from plans for an 8-day river cruise on the Yangtze River to two days pre-cruise at the Shanghai Expo and four days post-cruise in Guilin , Yangshuo, and Zhujiajiao, an ancient water town, a Venice of the East.

Jia arranged local tour guides to see to our every need. They checked us into hotels and ordered our food at restaurants. The tour guides were knowledgeable about history and guided us through masses of people into shows and local attractions. Attendance at the Expo was reported to be millions! It was stress-free everywhere we went. They got admission tickets for us, stood with us throughout the long waits at the Expo, navigated us through ancient villages and attractions so that we just glided into every site and enjoyed everything. Jia called us frequently during the tour to confirm that all was well. Before we left the US, we were even given a list of phone numbers of local guides in case we had any problems along the way. But we never had any problems.

The personal attention we received on this trip was outstanding! Jia and all the guides were attentive to our needs every minute of every day. They made this trip stress-free and memorable! Thank you, Jia!!!”

Benson and Helen Kwan, Saratoga, California USA

“We thank Jia for the impeccable organization of our private tour in China, which lasted 14 days. We were impressed with the way she took care of all our strange requests during the planning of our trip, and even more so by the trip itself: no delays, no bad surprises and always a friendly and caring phone call to make sure all was well. By far the most efficient and friendly tourism professional we have ever met! Thanks again Jia!”

Daphne Mavrommati, Daphne’s Club Hotel Apartments Greece

“I had originally found Jia and Jia’s Dream Tours through an article that she wrote on AOL Travel during the Beijing Olympics. The way in which she described the country and her passion for China led me to reach out to her for a family trip that I was planning.

During the planning process she could not have been more accommodating or accessible when it came to our itinerary as well as all of the other pieces that went into the trip. When we were about to leave, she sat with us on a conference call and described the trip and answered all of our questions.

We just returned, and the only way that I can describe it is that the trip was absolutely seamless. Our guides were great and were always waiting for us when we arrived in any new city. They were extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and led us through all that we wanted to see. Jia called us when we arrived in new cities, made sure everything was good, and if there was anything that needed to be addressed she did so and got it corrected.

All in all I would say that our trip was a 9+ (on a scale of 10), and I would highly recommend Jia to anyone who is thinking about a trip to China. ”

Michael and Linda Haltman & Family, Jericho, New York

“I took my first trip to China in June with a friend. It was a two week, multi-city, private tour arranged by Jia. We started in Hong Kong, travelled on to Guilin, Xian, Beijing and ended in Shanghai. We decided to work with Jia’s Dream Tours based upon the recommendation of a colleague. It was a great decision. Jia spent many hours interviewing us and tailoring the agenda to our needs and interests. The service did not end there. Jia checked on us numerous times throughout the trip. The local guides were very knowledgeable and professional. The service and the accommodations were excellent. We especially enjoyed the Bamboo Garden Hotel in Beijing. The hotel grounds are charming and peaceful yet it is situated in the midst of a bustling Hutong neighborhood. Overall the experience was wonderful. We will recommend Jia’s Dream Tours to anyone considering travel to China.”

Christine Haskins, Chicago, Illinois

“Jia personally arranged and guided our 15 day, 6 city, “off the beaten path” tour of China, which included a 3 day river cruise. It was truly a trip of a lifetime, showing us a side of China not many westerners get to see. I would like to say that Jia’s meticulous planning, with amazing local guides in each city, made the trip what it was, but this does not give her enough credit. The amazing part was how gracefully and efficiently she handled the unexpected, including a few potential vacation killers. From cancelled flights to an injured tour member who couldn’t walk, Jia overcame these obstacles with aplomb, often before we even knew they even existed.

Jia’s skill as tour organizer was matched only by her demeanor as our guide. With 13 very independent minded tourist to ride herd on, I am sure there were times she wanted to throttle us :). But she was always upbeat, always friendly, and was somehow able to get us where we needed to be, without seeming pushy or bossy.

I would definitely go on tour with her again, and can recommend Jia’s Dream Tours without reservation.”

Tim Cuffel

“I chose an ambitious trip for my first foray into taking groups of my readers to interesting places: Hong Kong, Tibet, and mainland China. Jia put together an incredible trip for us that not only impressed me, but the entire group. They were unanimous that it was a trip of a lifetime, and that Jia’s expertise paved the way for it to be just that for all of us. Anytime a problem cropped up, Jia was on top of it — often before we knew a problem existed. And indeed, most of the time, my group didn’t know that there ever was a problem because Jia was able to take care of it before it impacted them in any way. She went the extra mile to ensure our needs were taken care of, and she was incredibly knowledgeable about where to go, what to see, what to do, and what to eat. If any of my friends tell me they’re planning to go to China, I will tell them not to even think about it without calling Jia’s Dream Tours to set it up for them.”

Randy Cassingham, ThisIsTrue.com

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“This is my second trip with Jia. The first one (in 1996) was fantastic, letting me visit the usual tourist places of China, and with superb national and local guides. But this second one was even better! Again we had the best of national and local guides, professionals who brought the countryside and people to life for us and gave us historic perspectives of the things we were seeing. But this trip was of lesser-visited tourist attractions, though there were plenty of tourists. Jia designed a trip that took us from the magic of Hong Kong, through Guangzhou and Chengdu to Lhasa, Tibet, and then back through Chengdu to Chongqing, down the Yangtze to Wuhan where we saw the Three Gorges Dam, and back to Hong Kong. Wow.

We visited a panda breeding center, mountain villages, locks and dams, temples and palaces. We shopped in all kinds of markets, mingling with locals and tourists alike. Guides sang local folk songs to us and let us sample various folk dancing steps. And the intriguing light shows in various cities were entertaining too.

Jia designed a fantastic tour for us and made sure all of the little details were attended to. It was a flawless trip.”

Kit Cassingham, The B&B Lady * Sage Blossom Consulting * Member ISHC (2nd tour with Jia’s Dream Tours)

“I’d have to say that this trip was well-planned, included so many little extras that would be difficult to arrange on one’s own (like the shows), and was very well executed. I would certainly not hesitate to use Jia’s company again myself or recommend it to my friends. I’ve done domestic package tours in Japan and so often it amounts to nothing more than a person carrying a flag that everyone follows from place-to-place. This was more of a hand-holding experience that made it very easy to focus on the *places* we went rather than the logistics of how to get there.”

Joseph L (Joe) Larabell larabell.org

“Jia, your efficency made me a believer in using a tour company/guides for trips. You made it all go so smoothly and were a good source for information. I really enjoyed the tour and your charming company. Am recommending Jia’s Dream Tours to all I know. Thank you for such a great experience! Now I need to learn more about China and Buddism.”

Carol Huston

“Jia: Thank you so much for the adventure-of-a-lifetime! We never traveled with a tour before, so this being our first time experience, I must say I’m completely amazed! The hundreds of details that you arranged, the grace and professionalism with which you handled the inevitable adjustments, the quality of accommodations and transportation, and unique perspectives we experienced that we NEVER would have had if we tried this trip on our own…. Absolutely wonderful! I could go on, but I just want you to know how much I appreciate YOU; we look forward to more Dream Tours! If the devil is in the details, you are an angel, for certain! You had all of the little and not-so-little details worked out and maintained your cool and professionalism through it all! Thank you so much for Everything!”

Jeff Loether Electro-Media Design, Ltd

“Words can’t describe the immense gratitude that Jeff and I have for both of you and your professional company! The trip that we took with you to China and Tibet was only possible because you make arrangements for me to have a wheel chair in every place where we went. You were so kind to offer all this work after the accident that I had when travelling in Hong Kong in our own before we joined your group of thirteen travelers that took us as a family and acted as angels carrying me along with my adorable husband all over the place, allowing me to enjoy all the wonders of those amazing lands! You guys share with us your love and compassion and we will never forget this romantic and incredible adventure! We are already waiting for the next opportunity to experience another face of life with you!”

Lilly Loether

“In May 2007, we (a party of 7 people from UK) undertook our incredible dream tour of China with Jia’s Dream Tour, and – boy, it was truly unforgettable, amazing and dream tour for all of us! We visited the places in China: Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Guilin/Yangshuo and finally Hong Kong! We firstly heard of this Jia’s Dream Tour through the Internet and then we had discussions with Jia several times about our plans in China. We were very impressed with her knowledge and her suggestions that would make our time in China a great memorable one for us, such as suggesting us that we would enjoy an evening show of “Legend of Kung Fu” in Beijing as part of our night entertainment. This was something that was not offered by all British tour operators. Plus it highlighted the deep knowledge of Jia about her home country and her birth city.

Her deep knowledge, her great suggestions, her enthusiasm, and a pleasure to talk with her were convincing all of us. We decided to take a plunge with Jia’s Dream Tour over many local British Tour Operators.

From the moment we arrived in China to the moment we departed from Hong Kong/China, we experienced a really truly unforgettable dream tour in China! It was and still is the “Tour of Lifetime” for all of us.

Her suggestions, her understandings, her suggested itinerary, her attention, her enthusiasm, her help and her knowledge were all top spot on/world class!

We saw many amazing places, enjoyed many cultural-related activities and places (both day-time and night-time), and enjoyed local cuisines! I never thought that I have developed a fondness for squid-related Chinese meals! 😀

The tour guides throughout the tour were excellent, and very high quality – a big credit for Jia to ensure that we receive top/quality tour guides for our tour, to ensure we enjoy a truly dream tour in China! 😀 The tour guides were native Chineses but despite of that fact, they spoke excellent English, and their knowledge of places/tourist attractions are really impressive! I really enjoyed listening to their history lectures on many places!

Jia was really impressive as well. She kept in touch with us a few times throughout the tour to ensure that we were happy and had a great time throughout the tour. It was really impressive to see that she go extra mile than other tour operators as she wanted to make our tour a dream one for us, just like her company’s motto! 😀

When our tour in China was over, we were not looking forward to come back to UK as we enjoyed our time in China immensely. We already missed China very much! It was an amazing country to begin with, but with the tour from Jia’s Dream Tour, the experience in China was even more amazing and a dream one for us!

Incidentally, we bumped into several very good family friends all over places in China (small world indeed! :D). They went with a different (British) tour operators but they didn’t do as many things as ours and they didn’t even have good night entertainment as we did! I mean that they never even knew about those popular evening shows in Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin ( i.e. The Legend of Kung Fu, Shanghai Acrobatic Show and Impression of Sanjie Liu). They said that they woukd have booked with Jia’s Dream Tours rather than their British tour operators if they knew how much fun and good time we were having in our dream tour in China.

This may sound like we are biased but we do highly recommend Jia’s Dream Tour to anyone who want to visit China ( whether they are first-time visitors or not). They will enjoy dream tours just like us!

We will not hesitate to book another dream tour with Jia’s Dream Tour when we are planning to visit China again in near future, as we are so impressed with Jia and all! 😀

A Very big credit due to Jia for making our time in China a truly amazing, dream, unforgettable and incredible one for all of us!

Jia’s company motto is indeed spot on! As our tour in China is indeed dream for all of us! ”

Karti Sunda and family/friends, London, UK

“A natural leader and business-savvy MBA. Warm, dynamic and enthusiastic; Jia is the perfect cultural bridge to experience China!

Lee Jerrell, Ph D, Associate Dean College of Business, San Jose State University, CA

“Her grasp of Chinese History was profound and thorough. She, as a native born Chinese, not only had an empathetic understanding of the culture of this great land but also the ability to communicate it to us through the medium of the English language which is not her mother tongue. Our appreciation of the past and present history and the culture of the people of China was made possible through her erudition. History and culture cannot be expressed uniquely in words. They must be felt and lived. Ms Liu Jia truly felt and lived the glorious history and culture of China. This enabled us to appreciate, respect and marvel at what we saw and experienced.

Ms Liu Jia is a “naturelle” in public relations. Every member of our group felt included in her concern for us. She is gifted with a warm personality and good sense of humour. We respected her professionalism and devotion to her job…Ms Liu Jia is a composed person, capable of making decisions, full of initiative, gifted with commonsense and exuding with charm. This is an exceptional combination of talent in a young lady. As a person, Ms Liu Jia is elegant, kind, sensitive, caring and decorous. She moved among the members of our group with dignity, poise, confidence and exuded the virtue of the dictum, “to be gentle is to be strong”.

I do not wish to make this reference a panegyric but this is how my family, I and all the members of our group felt about her. She is no doubt a great asset to her Company and also a wonderful daughter and great ambassadress of China.”

Juanito Joseph Perera Ph.B., S.T.B (Rome), B.A. (London), M.A. (UNSW), (MCAE), Karing Cross, Australia

“An excellent tour guide can make travel golden. After a lifetime of wanting to visit China, I finally arrived in Beijing Airport late one May evening in 1997. And there was Jia, waiting for me with other tour members who had arrived moments earlier.
The lovely Jia, we soon came to appreciate, bridges the Eastern and Western cultures so well with her fluency, culture, fine education and tour-guiding experience. Jia represents her culture beautifully with far-ranging knowledge. As a single, older woman, traveling alone, I was thankful to see that Jia was a warm and caring young woman whose unfailing competence was trustworthy.

We toured much of Eastern China and cruised up the Yangtze River from Wuhan to Chongqing through the three gorges. The ancient ways are still visible and the biggest and the most of everything seems to be in China.

After two weeks of touring and seeing wonderful things, the day came, when Jia stepped down from the bus out of our lives. Tears came to my eyes thinking I would never see her lovely person again. But a couple of years ago, my phone rang, and unexpectedly I heard her voice. I smiled with happiness. And I’m hoping again, even at my age, to take a JIA’s Dream Tour to China.”

Sally MacLachlan, Delmar, NY

“During our tour in China, we encountered a major delay due to mechanical problems with our airplane… Her handling of the situation set the standard for the other tour guides in the same situation. The other guides were always seeking her advice and following her lead but none were able to provide the same level of service. Our group was the envy of the other groups.

Her dedication to her job showed that she prided herself on providing outstanding service in an exceptional demanding and I am sure frequently thankless job. Her sincerity was shown in everything that she did. There was never a doubt that everything she did and every decision she made was in the best interest of the group regardless of the consequences to herself. Jia Liu showed extreme maturity, integrity and good judgment during our tour.”

Robert M Caine, Hoover, AL

“I write this letter on behalf of Jia Thompson of JIA’s Dream Tours, who my wife and I had the pleasure of having as a guide for nearly a week in and around Beijing, China. Upon our arrival in China Jia made us feel immediately at home. She had a perfect understanding of English and knew her Chinese history exceedingly well. She planned our itinerary very well. She was very attentive to our comfort and used great care in selecting restaurants and allowing for rest time. In short, she made our stay in China a memorable one. When we look at our photos and videos we realize that the trip was a success largely because of Jia. The trip to the Great Wall in particular was one of the most exhilarating experiences that we have ever had, in large part because of Jia’s knowledge and ability to fascinate. We would recommend her highly in planning a trip to China.”

Michael and Elaine Serling, West Bloomfield Michigan

“My two week tour of China in October 1996 was a dream come true. Though I signed up for a tour of all the regular tourist things, it wasn’t a run-of-the-mill tour. Jia made a wonderful tour fantastic by the detailed information she offered regarding the history and culture and by taking us to sites not part of our planned schedule when we had time. Jia was brilliant at handling the big and little glitches that happened during our trip. We all felt well taken care of by this capable woman.”

Kit (Riley) Cassingham, The B&B Lady * Sage Blossom Consulting * Member ISHC