(31 Reviews)
100% Recommended

Daniel Oppliger

El Paso, TX
Group Travel Expert

 

I have been immersed in the travel industry since relocating to El Paso in 1986. Initially, I worked with a local tour operator before venturing out on my own.Over the years, I've developed specialties in Destination Resorts and River Cru...
Learn more about me.

China and Beyond Destination Specialist

Yunnan Girl in Traditional Costume
Yunnan Girl in Traditional Costume

TSC International Travel has been to China 4 times, 3 with groups.  We have the contacts in China to do boutique  travel  specializing  in  tours  in all of China  and some  neighboring  countries.  Mr. Tony Deng  (Weixing Deng), Ms.  Merry Wang  (Min Wang)  are part of our experienced team who  have been working  for 32  years  in  China  travel industry. Tony has taken groups on the Yangtze 52 times and counting.


We provide  you  with  expert  and comfortable  guidance  throughout Yunnan, West China, Kunming and the Flying Tigers, Tibet, down  the Mekong  to exotic Thailand  and  Laos,  also  link  our  tours into Cambodia,  Vietnam, Nepal and crossing over to the Silk Road and back to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. We do the traditional Beijing, Xian, Yangtze Cruise, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou China tour too. 


Tropical Sails has let three tours to China. We did the Silk Road, Beijing, Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Hami, Turpan, Uriumqi tour. We led 56 persons on the Beijing, Xian, Chongqing,  Yangtze, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai tour.  We had a small group do the Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangrila, Xishuangbanna, Laos, Northern Thailand tour.  We did a garden tour of Suzhou and travelled to Hong Kong too. We are trying to organize a Flying Tiger tour for 2026.


We add fun activities to many of our programs including but not limited to: camel rides, photo shoot in traditional Chinese costumes, cormorant fishing, bicycling atop the Xian Wall, camel rides, night markets, rickshaw rides, Sacred Way walk,  many musical programs, optional silk demonstrations, free shopping just to mention a few ideas.


You may choose from a number  of  interesting  itineraries or  a  route  less  traveled,  either way  you will  marvel  at  the  landscapes  and  rich cultural  diversities  of  this  part  in   the world.


We do require an upfront non-refundable fee of $500 for personalized itineraries.  It requires several hours of work on both sides of the Pacific to organize individualized itineraries. We often find clients shopping us and wasting our time.  That is our only fee for private itineraries. There is no other markup excepting credit card/wire fees.


We have scheduled departures on many group tours without a planning fee. Direct your visa questions to mychinavisa.com


We have a full color catalog available by pdf.

My Travel Albums

China & Beyond
Three Pagodas

My Travel Stories

Yunnan China to Shangrila

Shangri-La. Its name evokes a sense of mystery, adventure, and exoticism—a mythical Orient that captured the Western imagination through James Hilton’s bestselling 1933 novel, "Lost Horizon." Surprisingly, despite its fictional origins, Shangri-La exists in reality. More precisely, a town in northern...Read more.

See more travel stories

My Reviews

50 of 86 people found this review helpful
An Amazing Eclipse Experience
I’m proud to be associated with Daniel Oppliger and his world renowned travel company Tropical Sails Corp. Dan recently invited me and fellow astronomer Cliff Watson to host one of his sold out tours in August this year as astronomy guide for the much heralded ‘Great American Eclipse!

All places stated were visited, nothing was any trouble for the organisers and we enjoyed a fabulous coach drive throughout the tour with detailed and friendly commentary highlighting landmarks and other important points of scenic interest.

We Started from Salt lake City, traveled into Utah, and Wyoming against the backdrop of the Grand Tetons, onward into Yellowstone National Park. I had the pleasure of lecturing to and guiding a fantastic group of passengers throughout the eclipse experience. I'll always remember the camaraderie we shared.

I’ve traveled extensively with many tour companies but never felt more comfortable or confident as I have with Dan and Shirley’s company, Tropical Sails. R
By  'Astro-Dave' Reneke  from  Sydney, Australia
Traveled to  USA
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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29 of 49 people found this review helpful
A country wide tour to remember.
The Kimal group tour of Chile was just outstanding, jam packed with a wide variety of experiences that covered an impressive range of the multi-faceted nature of the country. Very well conceived and organized.
By  D.G.  from  Summerland, British Columbia
Traveled to  Chile ~ South America
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends

Daniel Oppliger responded:
Thank you for you kind words.

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27 of 47 people found this review helpful
The best trip of my life
It was great to be able to speak with Daniel personally via telephone before the trip. He was informative, responsive, interested and courteous and followed up appropriately with emails and correspondence
By  Alex  from  Farmers Branch, TX ( Dallas area)
Traveled to  Chile ~ South America
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends

Daniel Oppliger responded:
Thank you for your kind wordsl

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26 of 50 people found this review helpful
Special trip with special care
Excellent service. Especially the site for watching the solar eclipse was an optimum location. As we were the onl Europeans in the group, we had several special problems (payment etc.) but all this was handled efficiently and friendly.
By  Plany  from  Vienna, Austria
Traveled to  Argentina ~ South America
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends

Daniel Oppliger responded:
Thank you for your kind words. We found a faster way to take oversears payments by using VEEM. It is faster than banks and much less expensive than credit cards or Pay Pay. An Irish client used NicePay and that was fast and efficient.

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46 of 90 people found this review helpful
Total Eclipse Cruis: Turkey
My wife and I toured Turkey in 1999 on Tropical Sails’ Eclipse Cruise. It was our best vacation ever! We got to explore Greek ruins, enjoy local food and culture, and see a total solar eclipse all while living on one of two 80 foot “gulets” (sailboats.) Our twenty or so fellow travelers made a good-sized group, and our ship’s crew was professional, friendly and the crewmen were also good cooks! All of Dan's arrangements for the ships, our knowledgeable tour guides, shore transportation along to historic sites on the Aegean coast, in Istanbul, Gallipoli, and on the Black Sea were smooth and problem free. Experiencing the total solar eclipse from our gullet (boat) while on the Black Sea was simply awesome! We look forward to traveling with Tropical Sails again!
By  GlenL  from  Ft. Collins, CO
Traveled to  
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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Go to my main profile

Destination Expert:

  • China
  • Lijiang
  • Shanghai
  • Beijing
  • Tibet

Travel Specialist:

  • Coach Tours
  • Independent Travel
  • Arts & Culture
  • Groups
  • River Cruises

Top Travel Partners:

  • Globus

Certifications/Awards:

  • Avalon River Cruise Specialist
  • Riu Resorts Specialist
  • Marriott Hotels Specialist
  • Solar Eclipse Travel Specialist
  • MSC Cruises Specialist

Industry Affiliations:

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