We were picked up promptly at the time arranged. Nini (our guide) was very cheerful and very informative. Her English was good and we appreciated her local knowledge.
We really enjoyed the water town itself. Despite what I had read, the day we visited the village was not over-run with tourists even though it was a fine day. The local shops obviously cater for the tourist trade, but the shop owners live in the town (often above the shop) so this made it feel more authentic.
Our visit to the silk factory was informative, but more time was spent there than necessary. The process and products were fascinating.
The Chinese style dinner was tasty - at a restaurant in a bustling Chinese food precinct. We were in a corner that had storage shelves beside, but we enjoyed the cuisine. We did think we would be dining on the river, but this was not the case.
The river cruise is very pretty with all the buildings around the Bund lit up. It took less than an hour, but was a great experience.
Nini left us after the cruise and the driver returned us to our hotels. The only real negative of the day was the condition of the mini-van. It was older and had a lot of major squeaks and rattles, not enough seat belts, and very poor suspension. There were 3 of us in the back seat and by the end of the evening we had sore backs from the rough ride. That aside, I would recommend the tour as being good value for money and a great experience.