Dream It, Build It: Mauritian Family's Flexible Itinerary

One morning in April 2024, my inbox pinged with an email carrying the scent of tropical sea breeze - from Vishal in Mauritius, who wanted to take his mother on an 18-day classic Chinese scenic tour covering Shanghai, Zhangjiajie, Xi'an, and Beijing. I put down my coffee, and images of Shanghai's Bund lit up by neon lights all night, the Avatar Mountains of Zhangjiajie veiled in a sea of clouds, Xi'an's underground Terracotta Army, and Beijing's Great Wall flashed through my mind.

As I scrolled down, the detailed contents of the email unfurled like a scroll. I was quietly amazed to see that Vishal had meticulously noted the duration of stay and preferred hotel type for each city, almost like a draft of a plan I would create.

Vishal added, "We'd like a day in each city to explore on our own." To see the beautiful scenery, combined with personal discovery time in between, I identified the key to this trip - flexibly adjusting like an elastic band within 18 days, helping them rearrange the scattered travel destinations.

Just before their departure, a late-night conversation window popped up with Vishal's anxiety. He was worried whether his mother would be too tired during the Zhangjiajie part of the tour. I already had the itinerary memorized, and I quickly typed to reassure him that the entire private tour was very flexible and could be adjusted at any time. Vishal clearly took "adjust at any time" to heart, leading to some surprising moments later in the trip.

Sudden Visit to Mission: Impossible Filming Location - Xitang Ancient Town

"Can you include the ancient town of Xitang, where Tom Cruise ran in Mission: Impossible III, in our Shanghai itinerary?" Vishal sent a sudden WhatsApp message just after landing in Shanghai. Looking at the photos of the bustling crowd along the Bund, I seemed to see the gray-white walls and maze-like alleys of the ancient town, where Tom Cruise, as the agent, frantically ran to rescue his girlfriend.

Overnight, I pieced together Xitang Ancient Town into the Shanghai itinerary like Lego bricks. Vishal and his mother got to experience the same filming locations, strolling through the unique water towns of southern China. It was their own leisurely version of a "Mission: Impossible" moment.

Zhangjiajie's Fast & Furious: A Rush to Fenghuang and Furong

I originally thought the glass walkway on Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain would be the biggest challenge for Vishal and his mother. Still, unexpectedly, upon arriving in Zhangjiajie, Vishal sent me photos of Fenghuang Ancient Town and Furong Ancient Town. He wanted to change the itinerary on the fly to visit these two interesting places.

With the trip nearly halfway through and no change in the number of days, they now travel to attractions quite a distance from Zhangjiajie. I quickly devised a "high-speed rail + chartered car" combo.

The earliest high-speed train at six in the morning carried the mother and son towards Fenghuang Ancient Town. At that hour, the Tuojiang River in Fenghuang Ancient Town was just waking up from its twilight slumber, the reflections of the stilted buildings on both banks shattered into shimmering gold by the passing tour boats. Unlike the majestic wonder of Zhangjiajie, this place exuded a tranquil charm.

Then, they drove to Furong Ancient Town. The driver, with the skill of an "Akina Mountain" car god, took a shortcut. They successfully saw the 60-meter-high double-layered waterfall cascading down among the stilted buildings of Furong Town, the mist weaving rainbows under the sunlight.

Thanks to Asia Odyssey Travel's years of travel experience, the tickets, vehicles, guides, and drivers were all seamlessly integrated into the plan, ensuring the smooth completion of this impromptu day trip. Later that evening, my WhatsApp was constantly buzzing with messages from Vishal and his mother, sharing their delighted photos.

I sipped my coffee, scrolling through the images of Vishal's mother, either enjoying tea by the stilted buildings along the river or reaching out to touch the mist of Furong Town. This creative day trip was a success!

For the rest of their Zhangjiajie itinerary, Vishal requested to change the last day to hotel rest. The hotel fees and ticket refunds were also "flexibly adjusted" accordingly, for which Vishal was very grateful for our timely arrangements and adjustments.

The subsequent Xi'an and Beijing portions of their private tour went smoothly. Upon his departure from China, he told me that China is beautiful and that he would return to explore the places he missed, and that he will contact me again.

I was very happy that all the unexpected changes during the trip were resolved quickly and safely, leaving Vishal with a very good impression.