Interview with Tour Guide - Flora Lin from Shanghai

Shanghai Tour Guide Flora Lin


1. What is the best thing you like being a tour guide?

Travel, Freedom, Meet and interact with people from all over the world and have good friendship. It’s a happy job.


2. What is your most memorable moment in guiding so far?

Once I had several days sightseeing tours with a US family, when i take them to the airport and say goodbye,everyone didn't wanna me to leave and they told me I would be their family member and they invited me to visit them in US.
When the earthquake happened in May last year,one of my guests sent me an email at once and was worried about me - "r u ok?".
I also received the gifts,postcards and thanks letters from some guests after the trip,sending by post from Egypt, US, Sweden etc.,which all make me so moved.


3. What is most challenging for you in this career? Have you coped with it?

Actually I enjoy this job a lot and always having good time with guests.
I think the most challenging is the different inquiries and demands from the guest.
Good communication,updating my knowledge all the time,understanding and devoted by the heart helps a lot.


4. What is your favorite place/thing that you want to show your travel clients?

The best thing is to get into the local life while you travel.The old town,local stone-framed gate houses,alleyways,watching people cooking,playing mahjongg game,visiting the wet market,flea market will be fun things to do in shanghai.


5. What if you were not a tour guide? What do you imagine yourself to be?

G.O.at Club Med. Tour Leader. I love travelling,will do anything related with travel.

Tips to get more clients on your OurExplorer webpage

Here are 6 of the best tips from a Tour Guide so you get enjoy more client bookings.

Name: Jean Liu
Occupation: Shanghai Tour Guide

1. Ensure you have a clear and detailed profile page. Who you are & what you offer, a smiling and welcoming photo, qualification proof like tour guide license/certificate.

2. Google and Search Engines - Promote your webpage with these keywords - "{INSERT YOUR CITY} tour guide" and "{INSERT YOUR CITY} sightseeing tours" e.g. Shanghai tour guide, Shanghai sightseeing tours.
A. On your webpage profile. Include keywords on your personal introduction and guide service, wherever applicable and readable.
B. On other travel websites. Put your OurExplorer webpage url in other websites and blogs. Even better, use keywords as anchor text for the links.

3. External link building methods.
a) Add your webpage to your own website, or profiles on other networks. E.g. business network like LinkedIn, Xing, and personal connection like Facebook.
b) If you write blogs, add your webpage to your blog. There are big blog providers like Wordpress, Blogpost. Also the lately popular mini-blog Twitter.
c) Promote your personal page on forums and communities. Add contents to your frequently visited forums, or popular travel sites like TripAdvisor. Add url to your member signature when allowed.
d) Multi-media share. Share photos, podcasts and videos, e.g. Flickr, PodOmatic, YouTube. Add your webpage to descriptions or replies.
e) Bookmark your webpage and share in social media news sites. The popular ones are Del.icio.us, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc. There is a button “bookmark” on your profile page, which includes most of the popular bookmark and social media news sites.
f) Writer something and share your knowledge. Write tour guide and sightseeing tour articles and publish on article databases like EzineArticles Share your knowledge on advising sites like HubPages. Answer other people on YahooAnswers.

4. Add your profile page to your Email sign off (signature). It helps the email recipient to know more about you.

5. Tell your friends, family, colleagues and prospect clients your OurExplorer URL address. On your non-logged in profile page you can - "Send page to a friend". Your webpage is one of your profession presentations.

6. Use your OurExplorer page as a testimonial to build client trust. Your webpage gets stronger with more real client ratings and comments.

Directing your clients during sightseeing tours

When you are still seated in the car/coach before entering a site during sightseeing tours, what should a tour guide inform her clients about? You need to leave enough time to inform them of the basic information and rules of the site you are going to enter. Let’s take a real example and see what your clients need to know.

Sightseeing Tour: Yaolin Wonderland, limestone caves in Hangzhou, China.

Time of Visit: July.
Tour Guide Commentary:
Hello everyone, we will arrive at Yaolin Wonderland in 15 minutes. (Inform them of where you will visit and the time of arrival)
The visit will take around 1.5 hours. (Inform the length of visit.)
It is composed of several limestone caves with an average temperature of 18℃. As it’s 30℃ outside, you may need a coat with you. Take some water with you. You can leave your luggage and umbrella on the car/coach. (Inform what to bring and what’s not necessary - limits grumy and complaining clients after the tour.)

But do not leave your valuables. Bring with you your passport, wallet, mobile, camera, and other valuable things. (Always remind about safety concerns)

Yaolin Wonderland has its own sightseeing tours guides. They are knowledgeable with the history and formation of the caves. We will have a site guide for our group. So please stay together and follow that guide. I will also accompany you during the visit.
(Explain if the tour is self-guided, guided by you, or guided by a specific site guide. Make clear to the clients who to follow in the coming visit.)


When you are in the caves, it’s a one-way path. You can not go backwards. Just move forward and you will find the exit. Our car/coach will wait in the parking space at exit. You will have free time after we finished the main caves. It is 13:00 now, and we will leave at 15:00. Please do not miss the time. Reach our car/coach in the parking space before 15:00. (Make clear of the departure time and pick up location. Make a special note if drop-off and pick-up are in different places. Do repeat the departure time and location, especially when you are guiding a big group of travelers.)

Have you any sightseeing tours stories you would liek to share with us?

Sightseeing Tours with Foreign Languages

Language is the key communication between a tour guide and sightseeing tourists. When guiding foreign clients for sightseeing tours, fluent spoken language is very important to ensure a satisfactory experience. Even better, if you can use proper guiding languages.

Avoid using ambiguous pointing words like “here”, “there”, “in front”. A tour guide should point out more clearly to your clients. Perhaps try this method instead - “Look at XXX on your left side.” “You can see XXX next to the clock tower.” If you are facing your clients, be aware that your left side is their right.

Use descriptive languages when talking about something. For instance, don’t simply say “look at the building on your left.” You can present in a higher quality by saying “Look at the tall red brick building with the USA flag, on your left.” The clients will be clearer as to what you are going to talk about.

We all know that language is often associated with culture background and regional characters. Your commentary in guiding will receive a better result if you refer to what would be familiar to your clients. When introducing the Lujiazui Financial Centre in Shanghai, a guide may refer to “Manhattan” in New York with American travelers. Easier for them to know the function and importance of Lujiazui in the city if they have something to relate it too.

Some tour guides can speak several foreign languages in their sightseeing tours, especially with European guides. Usually a tour guide shows around in only one language at a time with one group but there may be exceptional sightseeing tours that require introducing in two languages. If this is the case, balance the time you talk in the two languages. Alternate the starting language each time you speak so that the clients feel equally valued. Have a short break when you change to another language.

Fluent in a language is one thing, while mastering the language of guiding needs more effort. Good tour guides can speak the language of clients, and make their sightseeing tours a great experience in a local way.

Perfect timing in sightseeing tours - It's in the delivery

Being a tour guide, the content of your sightseeing tour introduction is a kind of art. Is it accurate, vivid, humourous, easy to understand? That’s all important for the travelers with your group. There’s also one more critical thing – the time you deliver the words of wisdom to your clients. Timing can be positive as well as negative to what you say. Manage the art of timing marks your success on your sightseeing tours.

The basic rule is to comment when all clients can see you so you engage them in the conversation. Of course, a brief mention is necessary at the itinerary introduction. You may also do a pre-intro to arouse the interest of traveler. OurExplorer suggest you save the best for on-the-spot commentary during the actual sightseeing tours. When people see in their own eyes, they will have a more vivid memory of what you said.

There are often sceneries or interesting things on the road if you are travelling with the client group. In this case, be prepared for it in advance and proactively point out the event before passing. Travelers may easily miss the scene as they are new in the location. By introducing it in advance, a tour guide has actually shown his knowledge of the place and familiarity with the route. However, don’t point out if you have already passed the site. Never say “we just passed … and it is …”, as you won’t turn around and the client will feel they missed something nice in your sightseeing tours.

Another timing management tip is the time on the coach, car, or any other vehicle. Know how long is takes from one stop to the next and prepare your length of talking in accordance. Avoid talking of the last item when you arrived at the next new destination. Also avoid long silence on the way but do give the clients a break from all your information and knowledge.

Do you manage your timing well as a tour guide? Please share your top tips...

Bandung Shopping Guide

Bandung is very popular and known as a shopping city, or Kota Wisata Belanja. There are many lots of shopping spots in Bandung. Bandung Shopping the right place for shoppers where you can find and buy clothes, shoes, handbags and souvenirs in Bandung. Since Bandung has otonomy right to build their own city, they now build lots of shopping center, The fashion stores now grow so fast, they sell various stuff like quality clothes, and rejected export products which is alot cheaper rather then the price in the malls. You also can find Distro (distribution outlets). Distro is an interesting place to shop in Bandung because they produce their own fashion design which is very unique and cannot be found in other shopping place. There are also several factory outlet shops around Bandung. The shops are mainly found along the streets of Juanda (known as Dago area), Cipaganti area, Martadinata Street (known as Riau) and Cihampelas street. Bandung Shopping is one of the primary attractions for Indonesians visiting Bandung. The other reason is culinary food.


Where to Shop in Bandung?

* Alun-alun area (city square) is surrounded by shopping centers, particularly on Dalem Kaum Street. Facility: Shopping center (available for bargain), food court, mosque.

Cihampelas Bandung

Cihampelas or popular called as The Street of 1001 Jeans is best known for jeans. You can find denim (jeans) stores along the street. Here you can buy literally any type as well as any size of jeans, in addition to a very large selection of casual wear, all at very reasonable prices. The jeans here are mostly copies. The shops here boast huge fantastical statues of comic book or movie characters on their roofs and shop fronts such as Superman, Goku, Rambo and others.

Cibaduyut Bandung:

If you have sometime to explore shopping in Bandung, you can try to go to Cibaduyut. Cibaduyut is the center of shoe sellers. The statue of two bronze shoes at the beginning of the street conveys it all: shoes of all sorts and sizes make up the bulk of what this street sells. If you are keen on shoes and like a bargain, Cibaduyut street will both satisfy your feet as your wallet. To get there, either take a taxi or hop on one of the angkots that states Cibaduyut, and get off past the shoe statue. Most of the branded shoes might not be the real thing even though, many still are of good quality and it is hard to tell if it concerns the real thing or not. Other than that most shoes are Indonesian brands, again of good enough quality and economically priced.

* Factory outlets: Mostly Factory outlets are concentrated along the streets of Juanda (Dago), Cipaganti, and Martadinata (Riau). You can just walk along the streets. Such as The Summit Factory Outlet and Herittage Factory Outlet which are located at Martadinata (Riau) Street. Just ask away how to get there.

* Distros (Distribution Outlets) are a new phenomenon in Bandung where a shop sells stylish products that were made by local designers. They are served as a distribution store, because these local designers do not have their own marketing label yet. One thing that makes distros stand out from factory outlet is that distros come from individual designers and young entrepeneurs, while factory outlet products come from a garment factory.
Some of Bandung distros: EAT, Jl. Trunojoyo 4, Invictus, Jl.Pager gunung 13 and Jl.Trunojoyo 6 also you can check their website www.invcts.com Ouval Research, Jl. Buah Batu 64, No Label, Jl. Sumatra 24, etc.

Note: be careful when buying in distros as the prices are increasing to a level almost the same as at boutique shops.


Mall and Shopping Center in Bandung :

Bandung ELectronic Centre (BEC)
Purnawarman Street
Facility: Electronic, Computer & Hand phone retails, food court.

Bandung Indah Plaza (BIP)
Merdeka Street
Facility: Shopping center, food court, cafe, cinema

Bandung Super Mall (BSM)
Gatot Subroto Street
Facility: Shopping center, food court, cafe, cinema

BE-mall
Naripan Street
Facility: Facility: Electronic retails, food court

Braga City Walk
Braga Street
Facility: Shopping center, food court, cafe, cinema

Bandung Trade Center (BTC)
Pasteur Street
Facility: Shopping center (available for bargain), Food court

Cihampelas Walk (Ciwalk)
Cihampelas Street
Facility: Shopping center, food court, cafe, cinema, billiard, nightlife

Hyper Square
Pasirkaliki Street
Facility: Outdoor Food court, discotheque, FO, Ruko

IBCC (Istana Building Commodities Center)
Ahmad Yani Street
Facility: Electronic center, Food court

Istana Plaza
Pasirkaliki Street in Pajajaran area
Facility: Shopping center, Food court, Cafe, Ice skating

ITC Kebon Kelapa
Moh. Toha Street, Pungkur are
Facility: Shopping center (available for bargain), Food court

Kings Shopping Center
This is a very popular shopping spot for local shoppers
Kepatihan Street
Facility: Shopping center (available for bargain), Food court, Cinema

Palaguna
It is one of old shopping center in Bandung
Dalem Kaum Street
Facility: Shopping center (available for bargain)

Paris Van Java Mall
Sukajadi Street
Facility: Shopping center, Food court, Cafe, Cinema

Pasar Baru
Otto Iskandar Dinata or known as Otista Street
Facility: Shopping center (available for bargain), Food court

Planet Dago
It's in front of Indmaret supermarket, there you can find a popular Cafe "O la la"
Juanda Street, Dago area
Facility: Shopping center, Bowling, Food court, Cafe

Plaza Dago
There you can find many of mobile/cellphone sellers
It's also near to the popular mall in Bandung, BIP.
Dago/Juanda
Facility: Shopping center, Cafe, Food court, Karaoke, Billiard

Premiere
Cihampelas Street
Facility: Shopping center, Food court

Below are some interesting places and shops to find or buy souvenirs and arts.

Saung Angklung Udjo It is my favorite one, there you can watch show performance of sundanese dance and culture Address: Padasuka Street 118 Phone:(022)7271714 The Summit Boutique Outlet Riau Street 61 Bandung Phone: (022) 4221001 Parijs Van Java Gallery Braga Street 48-V Phone: (022) 4212525 Pigura Modern Galeria Ir H Juanda Street 62 Phone: (022) 4205195 Risera Gallery Souvenir Lengkong Besar Street 64-B Elina Ceramics Pramuka Street Phone:(022)7208402 Sin Sin Souvenir & Antique Shop Braga Street 59 Phone:(022)4238574 Gallery Fotografi BKR Street 78 Phone:(022)5202640 Black Cat Braga Street 11 Phone:(022)2038336 Yayasan Bhakti Budaya Papanggungan Street 72 Phone: (022) 7310992 Afrika 65 Rainbow Souvenir Shop Sukajadi Street 168-170 Phone:(022)2034676 Wisma Taruna Phone: (022) 4237343 Tassel Gallery Rereng Wulung Street 29 Phone: (022) 2508600 TS 90 Galeri Taman Sari Street 90 Phone: (022) 2513434 Kalingga Souvenir & Antique Shop Junjunan Street 128 Phone:(022)6073457 Farta Forte Nyengseret Street 18 Phone:(022)5223917

Gallery and Boutique in Bandung

Galeri 16 Cibeureum Street 16 Galeri Kita RE.Martadinata Street 209 Galeri Win Art Mangga Street 36 Batik Keris Tamblong Street 64 Badjoe Batik Jendral Sudirman Street Batik Danar Hadi Sukajadi Street 119 Babe Butik Telaga Bodas Street 55 Baleza Butik Ir.H.Djuanda Street 131 Tirta Jaya Batik Prof.DR.Surya Sumantri Street 6C Museum Barli R.Prof.DR.Sutami Street Mab Butik Prof.DR.Surya Sumantri Street 6C

Best Boutique Lengkong Kecil Street 74 Blue Moon Boutique Jend. Sudirman Street 75 Carla Boutique Jamika Street 41 Celcius Butik Naripan Street 62 Chance Boutique Komp, Kopo Plaza BI D/B Rumah Nusantara Gegerkalong Street 147 Azzalea Shoes Naripan Street 62 Galeri Jeihan Cibeunying Selatan Street Chalisa Boutique Rajamantri Mantri Street 11/2 Fan Italian Butik Terusan Martanegara Street 9 Rumah Payung Nyoman Setrasari Street

Well, that's all I know. I hope this bandung shopping guide will be useful for you..
I will add more information when I have some.

Happy Shopping :)

List Of Hotel In Bandung

Have you ever traveled to Bandung? if you have you probably have found your own favorite places to stay. For new visitors, no need to worry, you will find lots of Hotel in Bandung. Bandung is one of interesting place to visit in Indonesia because Bandung is popular for shopping. Bandung shopping is so fun since there are lots of factory outlets. Bandung factory outlets sell up-to-date fashion, handbags, and so on. Bandung also very popular as for those who like culinary food. If you visit Bandung in the weekend it will be very crowded and hard to get a room in hotel in Bandung. If you plan to visit Bandung in the weekend, you will need to book a room at least one week before. If you come to Bandung during business day, you will not have any problem to get a room.

The hotel in Bandung have different rates for business day and weekend. It will be more expensive in the weekend, several hotel even charge double for the weekend and holidays. The rates are various, it depends on the facilities and stars of the hotel. There you can find 3 stars to 5 stars hotel. If you don't have lots of fund, you also can find cheap hotels. Cheap hotel Bandung can be found anywhere, you just need sometime to explore.

Below are several hotel in Bandung, if you have enough time you better explore them first to find the best of your interest.

List of Hotel in Bandung
Hyatt Regency Jl.Sumatra 51 Phone:(022)4211234	Horison Hotel Jl.Pelajar Pejuang 45 Phone:(022)7505000
Grand Preanger Hotel Jl.AsiaAfrika 81/41 Phone:(022)4231631	Savoy Homann Bidakara Hotel Jl.AsiaAfrika 112 Phone:(022)4232244
Sheraton Bandung Hotel Jl.Ir.H.Juanda 390 Phone:(022)2500303	Grand Aquila Jl.Dr.Junjunan 116 Phone:(022)2039280
The Ardjuna Hotel	Santika Hotel Jl.Sumatra
Holliday Inn Jl.Ir.H.Juanda 31-33 Phone:(022)4211333	Novotel Hotel Jl.Cihampelas Bawah
Malya Hotel	Geulis Hotel Jl.Ir.H.Juanda 129 Phone:(022)2507777
Patra Jasa Hotel Jl.Ir.H.Juanda	Kedaton Hotel Jl.Suniaraja 14 Phone:(022)4219898
Sari Ater Hotel	Topas Galery Hotel Jl.Dr.Junjunan 153
Papandayan Hotel Jl.Gatot Subroto 83 Phone:(022)7313331	Jayakarta Hotel Jl.Ir.H.Juanda 381A Phone:(022)2505888
Panghegar Hotel Jl.Merdeka 2 Phone:(022)4232286	Nalendra Hotel Jl. Cihampelas 225-229 Bandung, 40131
Progo Hotel Jl.Progo 6 Bandung Phone. 022 420 6249 Price: Rp.200,000	Royal Dago Hotel Jl.Ir. H Juanda 169 Phone:(022)25022300
Bali World Hotel Jl.Soekarno Hatta 713 Bandung Ph. +62.22.7332088 Fax. 62.22.7309402 marketing@baliworldhotel.com Price: Rp.355.000 - Rp.675.000	Naripan Indah Jl.Pelajar Pejuang 45 No.35
Hotel Gandasari Jl. Seram No 3 Bandung 40115 Phone. 022 - 4200518 Fax. 022-4232114 Price: Rp. 375,000 - Rp. 900,000	Bukit Dago Ir.H. Juanda Street 311 Bandung
Riau Hotel Jl RE Martadinata 191 Phone:(022)7271468 Price: Rp.150,000	Utari Hotel & Rest Jl Ir H Juanda 50 Phone:(022)4206810, 4200805, 4200806
Anggrek Hotel Jl.RE.Martadinata 15 Phone:(022)4205537, 4231565	Istana Hotel Jl. Lembong No.44 Phone:(022)4233025
Karmila Hotel Jl. Juanda (Dago) Phn: +62 22 420 6778 Price : Rp.260,000	Cemerlang Hotel

Apartment In Bandung	Room Rate:
The Majesty Apartment hotel Bandung, Indonesia Jl. Surya Sumantri No. 91, Bandung, 40164 Phone: +62-22-2002485/2015483 Fax : +62-22-2015438 marketing@themajestyhotel.com	I forgot where I put the document of the Majesty Apartment rates, but a year ago I stay there for 6 months. The rate for six monts was 25 million Rupiah, and 5 million rupiah per months. The rates probably have changes, can be higher or cheaper since they build a new apartement in Dago area.
Grand Setiabudhi Apartment Jl. Setiabudhi No. 130 Bandung Phone: +62-22-2044002 Fax : +62-22-2044004 sales@grandsetiabudihotel.com	Studio 1 Room: Rp 350,000,- W/Day Rp 400,000,- W/End Rp 1,850.,000,- /Week Rp 4,300,000,- /Month Executive 2 Room + Living Room: Rp 700,000,- W/Day Rp 750,000,- W/End Rp3,750.000,-/Week Rp 7,700.000,- /Month
Galery Ciumbuleuit Apartment Jl. Ciumbuleuit No. 42 Bandung Phone: +62-22-82062000 Fax : +62-22-82062005 sales@galericiumbuleuithotel.com * Please make contact to the hotel for more information. The price listing is not exhaustive	Studio 1 Room: Rp 350.000,- W/Day Rp 400.000,- W/End Rp 1.850.000,- /Week Rp4.300.000,-/Month Executive 2 Room + Living Room : Rp 700,000,- W/Day Rp 750,000,- W/End Rp 3,750.000,- /Week Rp 7,700.000,- /Month
Setramurni Apartment Jl. Setramurni 1A no 9 Bandung contact : 62-8164871771/62-81320652262 e-mail : cps@bdg.centrin.net.id	Rate : Rp. 300,000.-/day for one bedroom Rp. 400,000.-/day for two bedroom

* Please make contact to the hotel for more information. The price listing is not exhaustive