• CHINA
  • Introduction to CHINA
  • A China Experience [11 days]
  • Ancient China [19 days]
  • China Delights [21 days]
  • China Splendour [15 days]
  • Epic Dreams [30 days]
  • Glories of China [15 days]
  • Grand Tour of China [28 days]
  • Grand Yangtze [19 days]
  • Himalayan Adventure - Tibet to Nepal [22 days]
  • Magnificent China [22 days]
  • Majestic Yangtze [15 days]
  • Sichuan Explorer [14 days]
  • Silk Road Explorer [28 days]
  • Tibetan Dreams [24 days]
  • Treasures of Vietnam and China [28 days]
  • Wonders of China [17 days]
  • Road to Samarkand [24 days]
  • Short Stays to CHINA
  • Beijing & Xian Short Stay [7 days]
  • Beijing Short Stay [4 days]
  • Beyond the Great Wall Short Stay [2 days]
  • Chengdu Short Stay [4 days]
  • China Express Short Stay [6 days]
  • Discover Yunnan Short Stay [10 days]
  • Guilin, Yangshuo & Longji Short Stay [5 days]
  • Mt. Huang Short Stay [5 days]
  • Nine Villages Valley Short Stay [6 days]
  • Shanghai Short Stay [3 days]
  • Suzhou & Hangzhou Short Stay [5 days]
  • Xian Short Stay [3 days]
  • Tibetan Short Stay [6 days]
• YANGTZE RIVER 5* Luxury Cruise
  • Introduction to YANGTZE RIVER 5* Luxury Cruise
  • Grand Yangtze [19 days]
  • Short Stays to YANGTZE RIVER 5* Luxury Cruise
• VIETNAM
  • Introduction to VIETNAM
  • Along the Mekong [16 Days days]
  • Classical Vietnam [17 Days days]
  • Flavours of Vietnam [13 Days days]
  • Vietnam Escape [17 Days days]
  • Vietnam Highlights [19 to 23 Days days]
  • Vietnam Impressions [11 Days days]
  • Vietnam Panorama [19 days]
  • Vietnam Trails [17 Days days]
  • Angkor to the Bay [18 days]
  • Indochina Delights [17 Days days]
  • Vietnam and Laos Discovery [16 Days days]
  • Treasures of Vietnam and China [28 days]
  • Grand Tour of Indochina [28 days]
  • Vietnam at a Glance [13 days]
  • Short Stays to VIETNAM
  • Dalat Short Stay [3 days]
  • Hanoi Short Stay [5 days]
  • Historical Heart of Vietnam [6 days]
  • Living Traditions Cooking Tour [10 days]
  • Mekong Delta Escape [3 days]
  • Nha Trang Beach Stay [4 days]
  • Saigon Short Stay [5 days]
  • Sapa Short Stay [5 days]
  • Veteran's Path [9 days]
  • Veteran's Return [3 days]
• INDIA
  • Introduction to INDIA
  • Himalayan Adventure - Tibet to Nepal [22 days]
  • Central and Southern Explorer [20 days]
  • Grand Tour of India [29 days]
  • Highlights of India and Nepal [23 days]
  • Kerala and the Southern Highlights [19 days]
  • Rajasthan Panorama [22 days]
  • Short Stays to INDIA
• CAMBODIA
  • Introduction to CAMBODIA
  • Along the Mekong [16 Days days]
  • Angkor to the Bay [18 days]
  • Around Cambodia [15 days]
  • Grand Tour of Indochina [28 days]
  • Short Stays to CAMBODIA
  • Classic Cambodia [5 days]
  • Kep Escape [3 days]
  • Siem Reap in Focus [3 days]
  • Temples in Depth [4 days]
• LAOS
  • Introduction to LAOS
  • Vietnam and Laos Discovery [16 Days days]
  • Grand Tour of Indochina [28 days]
  • Short Stays to LAOS
  • Laos Explorer [7 days]
  • Laos in Focus [5 days]
  • Plain of Jars [3 days]
  • Southern Laos Escape [5 days]
• BHUTAN
  • Introduction to BHUTAN
  • Short Stays to BHUTAN
  • Bhutan Short Stay [5 days]
  • Land of the Thunder Dragon [7 days]
• CENTRAL ASIA
  • Introduction to CENTRAL ASIA
  • Road to Samarkand [24 days]
  • Short Stays to CENTRAL ASIA
• HONG KONG
  • Introduction to HONG KONG
  • Short Stays to HONG KONG
• NEPAL
  • Introduction to NEPAL
  • Himalayan Adventure - Tibet to Nepal [22 days]
  • Short Stays to NEPAL
  • Nepal Short Stay [7 days]
  • Taste of Nepal [10 days]
  • Tibet Overland & Everest Base Camp [11 days]

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Independent Travel Planner

The Wendy Wu Tour Experience

Your first time with Wendy Wu Tours is only the beginning, we trust that you will be coming back!

Great Tours

Your First Contact

Our knowledgeable and well-trained staff are more than happy to provide you with detailed information relating to our tour products, advice on which itinerary in our extensive product range is ideal for you or alternatively design a personalised itinerary based on your specific needs.

Before Your Tour

Once you have chosen one of our tours, we will then assist you in every way to prepare for your forthcoming experience. Before you depart we will provide you with some handy documents:
Your Travel Guide has information on currency exchange, recommended reading, credit card usage, cultural differences, facilities and accommodation of the region. The Tour Dossier will give you a straightforward description of the physical activities involved in each day’s sightseeing or any other challenges within your itinerary to help you decide whether this is the trip best suited to you. Also, our group tour passengers receive a Suggested Packing List and a Phrase Book to practice your language skills!

Chinese Golden Week

The Chinese Golden Week public holidays fall annually between 1-7 May and 1-7 October and crowds will be present at various sites and attractions during these times.

Our Partners in China, Mongolia, Central Asia, India, Vietnam, Bhutan and Nepal

Our tours would not be as successful as they are without our solid working relationship with our local partners in Mongolia, Central Asia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Bhutan and Nepal as well as the professionalism of our own office in China. With years of experience behind them in operating tours throughout their respective areas, you can be assured that their local knowledge in operations, touring, guides and transport means our tours operate efficiently and smoothly and give Wendy Wu Tours a reliable presence on which you can always depend. Our local partners have an experienced team dedicated to the provision of personal service to all our customers throughout their network of offices.

Our National Escorts

One of the very special features about Wendy Wu Tours is the constant presence of our local National Escorts on all group tours. Upon arrival at your destination your National Escort will be there to welcome you. The National Escort accompanies your group throughout the duration of your stay in China catering for all of your personal needs. Meeting strict qualification standards, they are amongst the finest professionals in tourism and make your Wendy Wu Tours experience all that more memorable. Local guides, who have specialised knowledge of their own areas, will also be with you in certain regions. It is in this way that Wendy Wu Tours representatives are on hand at all times to ensure a smooth and enjoyable tour. See Tour Facts, located on each tour page, for the number of passengers required for a National Escort.

Fully Inclusive

Whilst on one of our fully inclusive group tours, all you need to do is relax and enjoy your experiences, knowing that all expenses that can be pre paid have been included in your initial tour cost. Wendy Wu Tours prides itself on its easy approach to our tour packages, with every effort taken to maximise your enjoyment. Each tour programme includes return economy airfares (excluding fuel surcharges), all meals (not including drinks), all accommodation, all transportation, daily tours, entrance fees, visa fees for South African passport holders, departure taxes from China, Central Asia and Vietnam, the services of a National Escort (see above) and local guides throughout your tour. It also means that the start date of the tour is the date of departure from South Africa and consequently the end date of the tour is the date of arrival back in South Africa. If time permits, your National Escort may suggest optional tours/sightseeing that is in addition to the standard sightseeing and will compliment your time in that city. Such options are at an additional cost and prices range from 70 to 200 yuan and involve experiences such as a rickshaw ride through a Hutong District in Beijing, a comorant fishing demonstration in Guilin or visiting the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai.

Airline Fuel Levy Surcharge

Since 2004 all airlines to Asia have been charging a fuel levy surcharge, on top of the normal airline ticket price, in order to cover the increased cost of aviation fuel. As fuel prices have increased, so too has the amount the airlines charge for this levy. Wendy Wu Tours does not include the cost of this levy in the price you pay for your holiday, as such you will be liable to pay the current fuel levy surcharge prior to your ticket being issued. This amount will be advised to you at the time of your booking and added to your package and is subject to change until your airline ticket is issued.

Joining your tour

To China we choose to fly with Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific. Due to constantly changing airline schedules some departures may require an overnight stop or a lengthy transit en route to your destination. Any cost for accommodation or meals incurred will be at your own expense. We will handle all arrangements for you incl transfers, hotel accommodation and sightseeing. Normally Frequent Flyer Miles are not accrued on our packaged group fares.

To Indochina we choose to fly with Singapore Airlines. Normally Frequent Flyer Miles are not accrued on our packaged group fares.

To India we choose to fly with Qatar Airways. Due to constantly changing airline schedules some departure cities may require an overnight stop or a lengthy transit en route to your destination. Any cost for accommodation or meals will be at your own expense.  Normally Frequent Flyer Miles are not accrued on our packaged group fares.

Value for Money

Wendy Wu Tours has always thrived on its motto of ‘value for money’, which is reflected in our entire product range. We believe that this approach to group travel allows our tour members to receive the very best prices by consolidating all the tour components into one cost effective package and transferring these benefits to our customers.

Meals

All meals (not personal drinks) are included in our fully inclusive group tours. Our schedule of meals is designed so that you can experience the local dishes, their individual flavours as well as the different ways they are prepared and cooked throughout the country you are travelling in.

In China, breakfast is a combination of local and western food, usually served in a buffet style. Lunches and dinners consist of traditional local cuisine, with a wide range of specialties to choose from. We also sprinkle some themed meals throughout your journey to ensure you always enjoy the full variety of food on offer.

In Indochina, breakfast is a combination of local and western food, usually served in a buffet style. Lunches and dinners are co-ordinated to enable you to sample the local specialties and cuisines of each region but designed so that variety is the order of the day.  For example, in Hue we include cooking classes which focus on select local dishes and cuisine that was designed for the Royal Courts. During our home stays in the Mekong Delta you may also get involved and help your host in the preparation of dinner in the home kitchen.

In India, don’t expect many western meals as you are in India and Indian food will be on the menu. If you love Indian food in South Africa you will love the food on our tours. Generally food in North India is made from rich spice and not much chilli. Hot, spicy food with chilli is more common in South Indian delicacies.

Single Travellers

Many single travellers prefer to have a private room during their group holiday and a single supplement is charged in those circumstances. At Wendy Wu Tours we understand that many single travellers would happily share a room and avoid paying an additional supplement if they had a partner to share with. If you are one of those people Wendy Wu Tours will match you up with another like minded single traveller on your tour and neither of you will pay the single supplement.

However, if we are unable to find another traveller for you to share with, Wendy Wu Tours will waive the single hotel supplement (rail and cruise supplements are additional and cannot be waived), thereby saving you the additional cost.

Transportation

China: We have specially planned the travel modes of our tours with variety, comfort and enjoyment in mind. Coach tours, cruises and plane trips are employed to make your holiday more enjoyable, whilst train journeys are used where possible to enrich your ‘authentic’ China experience. All coach travel is in comfortable, air-conditioned vehicles, all international flights are based on economy class mainly with Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific, while all domestic flights within China are with local carriers we have been using for many years.  In some tourist areas taxi buggies have started operating and these are available at an extra cost if you do not wish to walk.

Vietnam: We have specially planned the travel modes of our tours with variety, comfort and enjoyment in mind. Coach tours, boat cruises and plane trips are utilised to make your holiday more enjoyable. All coach travel is in comfortable, air-conditioned vehicles, all internal flights are based on economy class from a selection of carriers, though mostly Singapore Airlines, and all train journeys are in the best available 4 berth soft sleeper compartments. We also use various types of water craft ranging from Sanpan boats in the Mekong to Junk boats in Halong Bay.

India: We have specially planned the travel modes of our tours with variety, comfort and enjoyment in mind. Coach travel, cruises, train, camel, auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, tongas (horse drawn carriages) and plane trips are employed to make your holiday more enjoyable, enabling you to enrich your ‘authentic’ India experience. All international flights are based on economy class mainly with Qatar Airways. By using these various forms of transportation, our passengers are able to visit areas where normal coach tours do not operate, such as the back alleys in Agra and Varanasi, camel and jeep rides in the dunes of Rajasthan and to small villages in the countryside where our clients can mix with the farmers and their families. All coach travel is in comfortable, air-conditioned vehicles, while all internal flights are based on economy class.

Boats

Throughout our tours there are various boat cruises as part of our regular sightseeing. Depending on the location and what we are seeing at the time, the type and size of the boat used will vary. To undertake these day excursions you will need to be capable of boarding and disembarking from these boats with little aid. So that you can make sound judgement for yourself, pictured throughout this brochure are some examples of the types of boats used on our group journeys. We also have options to stay overnight on a Junk boat in Halong Bay instead of returning to Hanoi that same day. Single hotel supplements do not cover single cabins on the Halong Bay Junk boats as all cabins are ‘twin share’. Single travellers who wish to have a single cabin will need to pay a supplement to have sole use of a twin cabin. However, if you opt to share cabin, the cabin allocation will be communal based for single travellers, and you may be matched up with a passenger from another group or of the opposite gender.

Trains

China: All train journeys are first class, soft sleeper compartments where each cabin consists of 4 berths.  All train journeys are first class, soft sleeper compartments where each cabin consists of 4 berths.

Vietnam: Sleeping onboard the Reunification Express (used in the Vietnam Escape) will always be in a 4 berth soft sleeper compartment. There are no showers on board but there are toilets, a western style at one end of the carriage and an Asian style at the other end. The beds and cabins are basic with clean linen provided. There is no dining car. These arrangements are the same as those on the trains to and from Sapa. The trains in Vietnam are generally clean, however you cannot expect perfect western standards.

India:  Indian Railways is the largest employer in the world with over a million employees. Our daytime rail journeys are in air-conditioned Chair Class (AC) seats. Facilities onboard are simple with both western-style and squat toilets. They are generally clean, however as anywhere in India you cannot expect perfect western standards. Security onboard is generally not an issue however it is recommended to take along a lock to secure your bag. Some itineraries also make use of the famous narrow gauge ‘Toy Trains’ to remote hill stations giving a rare insight to life in these higher altitude villages. Although we try to keep the groups together in the same carriage you may be lucky and find yourself sharing your area or seated next to some locals, an excellent chance to mingle and share your experiences.

Vietnamese New Year Celebrations (Tet holiday)

Tet Nguyen-Dan or Tet is the Vietnamese New Year Celebrations and lasts for three days and falls in late January or early February each year. However, in practice the celebrations can go for 7 to 10 days, as celebrations occur before the official TET date in the south of Vietnam and after in the north. During the TET holiday all businesses are closed and work in Vietnam slows down. TET dates: Year of the Buffalo January 26, 2009 and Year of the Tiger February 14, 2010.

Your Next Tour with Us

Once you have completed your tour, we hope that you will return to travel with us again. As a repeat customer of Wendy Wu Tours, you will enjoy a special VIP discount on your next Group Tour and early notification of new itineraries and destinations.

Medical Information Form

Clients who are aged 70 years or more, or with a pre-existing condition that affects their fitness to travel or any medical dietary requirement, must complete and return the Medical Information Form with their booking form. We recommend all clients should visit their Doctor for these aforementioned purposes and/or to confirm that they are physically able to undertake the day-to-day requirements of the tour.

Tour Grading

All tours are graded to assist you in deciding which itinerary best suits your personal liking. The gradings are:

Comfortable Paced Tour
Whilst you will encounter extensive sightseeing on foot throughout the tour, these programmes are comfortably operated to appeal to most people. Generally these tours are shorter in duration and visit the mainstream tourist attractions.

Medium Paced Tour
These tours are not strenuous but do include several days where long periods of sightseeing on foot and climbing of stairs will be necessary. These tours are not recommended for those that are unable to walk for extensive periods without assistance. These tours are generally longer in length and could involve long days of driving.

Active Paced Tour
Refers to programmes where personal involvement is necessary, which can travel to remote areas and that may contain areas of high altitude, reaching up to 5000m. These tours may involve some hiking. Accommodation on these tours may be in basic hotels or camps in remote areas. These programmes also require a good level of fitness.

About Us

Wendy Wu Tours specialises in the areas of China, Vietnam, India, Cambodia & Laos, with extensive programs to each of these regions... [more]

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Wendy Wu Tour Experience

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