WTF, Suzhou Travel Agencies?! My Rant Here!

[Abraham Kris]

Let me help you share this Suzhou adventure story so that it can serve as a reminder for those who plan to visit!

• Just off the high-speed train, wow! There were crowds of people eagerly approaching me and asking whether I needed to go to the toilet. I was cautious and didn't respond—suspecting them to be soliciting clients!

• Upon leaving the restroom, more individuals stopped me and asked if I wished to join their tour group.

  • Important Reminder: Be wary of tour groups offering incredible deals who actively approach you. They might not be as good as they seem!

• At the time, I had brought along my parents, and since we hadn't done much research ourselves, we thought joining a tour would at least save us some trouble.

• As it turned out,

  • We visited Zhouzhuang (a well-known water town) and took a boat ride in the afternoon; overall, the experience was decent.
  • However, at mealtime, the guide directed us to a restaurant designated specifically for tourists where we had to pay individually... Oh boy, the food was extremely expensive and tasted terrible!
    • A single fish cost 98 RMB!
    • A dish which claimed to be a speciality of Zhouzhuang was also priced at 58 RMB!
    • As for the taste... just view the corresponding images (Fig.3 & 4), trust me, it was a disaster! Let those who ate it speak for themselves — UGH!
  • On the second day, the itinerary promised visits to many places but, it turned out...
    • Two of the locations actually were shops selling silk and pearls, where we were convinced to listen to their promotional speeches and think about purchasing goods.
    • Although they claimed that nobody was forced to buy, this was indeed a waste of time! Who travels all that way to Suzhou to shop?
    • Similarly, the midday lunch involved being dropped off at a specific restaurant; apparently, you could either eat or skip it. But given our unfamiliar surroundings, we had no other alternatives, and the food was another hit or miss affair (see Fig.2), UGH.
  • The planned tour also included Hanshan Temple (famous from Tang Dynasty poetry "the temple outside Suzhou city") but we were not taken inside!
    • Important reminder: carefully read the contract terms before joining a tour! Get explicit information on what sites are covered and which ones only offer a drive-through参观。这应该写成：get into参观。

    • Get details on what sites are covered and which ones only offer a drive-by参观机会。

      • I acknowledge that part of the blame lies with myself for not thoroughly reading the contract due to my lack of experience.

• Nonetheless, there was something positive about this experience. Despite making us visit shopping points, the guide did work hard to share points of interest and gave us useful travel tips, which we appreciated.

• In conclusion, such a beautiful place as Suzhou deserves a leisurely exploration rather than a rush through organized tours.

  • In essence, we spent 1200RMB for this two-day journey including my parents, which truly felt unprofitable.
  • The duration taken up by some unnecessary explanations of the tour guide seemed a little overdone in certain scenarios.
  • Therefore, bear in mind when selecting guided tours: they can bring both pros and cons. Always stay vigilant and considerate in your decision-making, especially with offers that appear too good to be true. Beware the potential buying traps and hidden consumption.
    (End)

• #TravelAgentSelection

• #SoBeautifulThatHeavenIsBeneathAndSuzhouIsOnEarth

• #NeverToVisitAgain

• #Pitfalls

• #TourismIsMoreTiringThanWorking

• #LocalTravelAgency