It is incredibly fulfilling when helping someone turn a dream trip into a memorable adventure.

Recently, I had the pleasure of working with “Ms J,” a solo traveller who had long dreamed of exploring China. Her itinerary was packed with exciting destinations: Beijing, Qingdao, Shanghai, and Chongqing, each with its charm packed in 2 weeks. What made this journey unique wasn’t only the places she visited but also the experiences and people she met along the journey.

So, she only reached out to me 2 weeks before the start of her big solo adventure in China. She has a lot of thoughts after spending a lot of time on research. Still, many things cannot be found outside of China’s internet, let alone the information could only be found in Chinese. She couldn’t comprehend or validate the whereabouts of these experiences, at least not by what she saw on TikTok or Instagram, and felt overwhelmed by all the planning still left to do. Thankfully, we connected, and from there, we turned what could have been an “inspo”, I call a “mood board” for inspiration, into a memorable experience. Here’s her incredible journey in her own words and some of the special moments we captured along the way.

The Start: Arrival in Beijing and a Rocky First Day Ms. J’s journey began in Beijing, but her introduction to China wasn’t exactly smooth. Firstly, her flight was heavily delayed, resulting in her getting to her hotel around midnight, and she arrived feeling under the weather. For her first night and day, she was fighting food poisoning – not the ideal start. However, with the help of the local guide in Beijing, we coordinated to ensure she had everything she needed to feel better, from electrolyte drinks to local remedies. Although her original plans were disrupted, she was a trooper and made the best of her time. The next day, she had enough strength to take a light tour of nearby sites before catching her train to Qingdao.

Qingdao: A Refreshing Break by the Coast From Beijing to Qingdao by the train I booked her. She spent 1 full day there, getting her energy back while exploring Qingdao’s famous views, shopping malls and attractions. It was a self-guided tour, and she had fallen in love with the little city in a short time! After her rough start in Beijing, I ensured her time there was relaxing and helped her with food delivery services to her hotel room remotely from Shanghai.

Arriving in Shanghai: Bringing Ms. J’s “Vision Board” to Life Shanghai was where I finally got to meet Ms. J in person, and we dove right into creating the experiences she’d envisioned when she first reached out. After everything she’d been through, I wanted her time here to feel like a discovery. We tailored each day in Shanghai to bring her “vision board” to life, capturing the local art, culture, and flavours she dreamed of experiencing.

One of the highlights was when she showed me an experience she’d tried to find on Google but had no luck. Instantly, I knew Xiaohongshu was the answer. Within a minute, I found the exact one she wanted and booked it for her, excited us both as we anticipated the experience. It’s one of the things I love about this job: finding those hidden, hard-to-reach experiences that travelers can’t access easily on their own.

Ms. J’s Shopping Day in Shanghai: Hidden Gems and Local Treasures One thing Ms. J and I bonded over was our shared love of shopping! She enjoyed shopping for items that captured Shanghai’s fashionable style and spirit. Knowing her tastes and interests, I was able to take her to places where she found unique items she loved—from fashion pieces to books to tiny little cute keychains. It was a delight to watch her explore these shops with the excitement of someone who genuinely appreciates discovering cute things.

Exploring Art, Food, and Neighborhoods Like Locals Do With a focus on experiencing Shanghai as it’s lived by locals, we spent our days wandering art galleries, tasting authentic Shanghainese dishes, and strolling through some of my favourite neighbourhoods. We found a spot where she tried some local gin that became her new favourite and shared many conversations that made this feel less like a guided tour and more like two friends hanging out together. I could see that she had begun to connect with Shanghai, which is always the best part of guiding someone through the city.

The Final Leg: A Send-off to Chongqing After four unforgettable days in Shanghai, Ms. J set off for her final stop: Chongqing. I made sure she had recommendations and connections and was in good hands to make her stay comfortable and fun. Saying goodbye was bittersweet; seeing her grow to love China was incredible, and we both knew this journey had turned her dream into cherished memories. I know she will return to China again whenever she is ready, maybe in a different season.

Reflecting on Ms. J’s Review: Her kind words left me deeply touched:

Genie was an absolute star - to be honest, I was a bit panicked two weeks before my trip to China. I had multiple locations, tons to do, and no guides arranged. God bless reddit for leading me to Genie!

Genie was amazing from day one - she arranged a call with me ASAP, immediately got to work making my trip possible in Shanghai and then set me up with guides in areas she didn't personally service (who were AMAZING - the partnership there was so seamless).

China was my first "big" solo trip - and it's always been a dream of mine. I usually leave my trips feeling tired, and after two weeks in China - I am for sure it left with more energy and inspiration that I could imagine! Touring Shanghai with Genie felt more like exploring a new city with a friend - it was fun, exciting, and the type of travel you can't wait to call home about. We had amazing food, saw beautiful art, and she even introduced me to some new friends and my new favorite brand of gin! She was so flexible to all of my needs (I need so much sleep, and like to take rests when I travel) while also helping me fit in all of the things I wanted to do, and there were MANY. She took my vision board and made it into a "vision reality".

Genie truly lives up to her name - magical! She's someone who is well traveled and understands the needs and desires when coming to a new city so well, in all honesty I have never wanted to go back to a city so soon! Shanghai was magical, as well as China overall - all thanks to Genie! She made China feel less like a mystery and more like a second home, so grateful to her!

Each journey brings new experiences, and Ms. J’s trip was a wonderful reminder of why I love this work. Turning a traveler’s vision into reality through a mix of planning, flexibility, and a shared sense of adventure makes every trip a unique memory for us both. If you dream of a customized travel experience in Shanghai or beyond, I’d love to help you make it a reality.

About Genie Yip’s Services:

• Personalized Trip Planning

• Private Transportation Booking or Referral, Highspeed Trains / Domestic Flights / Accommodation and Attractions ticket booking

• Travel Companionship and personal concierge in Shanghai: You will be safe and taken care of without worry

• Exploring Art, Food, and Neighborhoods Like locals do as a traveller, not a foreign tourist.

• Personal Interpreter/Translator with local people and vendors; A souvenirs hunter

• Curated restaurants and other experiences with a personal touch (stay away from overpriced and bad experiences)

• A Story Teller, Culture and Experiences Exchange: Chinese history, entrepreneurship, advertising and creative industry

• Private Transportation, a car for a full day, or transfer between airports, hotels and train stations

• Complementary Photography during your tour, just you or with your partner or family, and post-production processing by Adobe Lightroom are included—a maximum of 10 free edited pictures per day.
  
  
  Are you ready to explore Shanghai beyond the guidebooks and what you saw on social media?

  Reach out to start planning your tailored Shanghai adventure.