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Shanghai and the Journey West
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Soak up the big city lifestyle in Asia's best; Hong Kong and Shanghai. Journey west the foot of the Himalayas, for views of sacred mountains. Stay with Tibetan families and live the humble life, hike Tiger Leaping Gorge and explore the Karst peaks and rivers of the south!
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| Details |
Highlights |
| Tour Code |
CTSW |
| Tour Style |
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| Group Size |
2 - 8 People |
| Tour Length |
21 Days - 20 Nights |
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- Shanghai and the Bund
- Lijiang and the 'Old Town'
- Tiger Leaping Gorge
- Meili Snow Mountain
- Tibetan home-stay
- The Songzanlin Monastery in Shangrila
- Longji, the Dragon's Backbone Terraces
- Yangshuo and the Karst countryside
- Hong Kong by night |
| Inclusions |
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- All tour accommodation
- All transport to get you up/down, in/out,
to/from all sites, activities and destinations along the itinerary
- Entrance fees to Longji, Lijiang and Tiger
Leaping Gorge
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| Extras |
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- Meals, budget CN¥ 150 per day
- All activities are optional
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Day 1 - 2
| Skyscrapers and colonial buildings dominate the Bund and Pudong. Become lost in Shanghai's maze of traditional alleyways and be absorbed by art exhibits in the world class Shanghai Museum. Bargain hunt through the Yuyuan Bazaar or get a taste of Europe in the French Concession. |
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Day 3 - 5
| Idyllic Lijiang is home to the Naxi minority people, recognisable by their traditional blue clothing. Stay in the atmospheric old quarter giving you ample opportunity to explore the maze of cobbled stone streets and water ways. |
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Day 6 - 7
| A tiger once leapt across the Yangtze River to escape a hunter, so the story goes! Here the river traverses spectacular terrain of one of the world's deepest gorges. |
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Day 8 - 9
| Meili Shan sits at the very edge of edge of Northwest Yunnan and is said to be a 'god' guarding Tibetan Buddhism. The main peak Kawakarpo has an altitude of 6740m, and has never been conquered. |
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Day 10 - 11
| Zhongdian, the fabled Shangrlila, the very fringe of the Tibetan world, sits at the foot of the Himalayas. Here you will have to chance to drink Yak butter tea, walk the old town and if you fancy dance with the villagers in the old square and take a guided tour of the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the largest and most important in Yunnan. |
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Day 12
| To get to the spectacular scenery of Yunnan Province, one must pass through Kunming, often called "Spring City". Kunming is a chinese city with a different pace and colourful history, that saw it included in the Southern Silk Road, Kublai Khan's invasion and the Burmese Road. |
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Day 13 - 14
| Stay in the magnificent Longji rice terraces, literally ‘the dragons backbone’. Have dinner and drink ‘mei jiu’ in a small wooden village that clings precariously to the mountains. Walk to the view points too get a better view of the spectacular terraced fields that have been planted and harvested for centuries, making this one of China’s most famous spots. |
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Day 15 - 18
| China’s southern oasis is Yangshuo, a small town cradled by limestone karsts and turned into poetry by the Li River. The last stop on the mainland offers fantastic food, even better scenery and endless options to suit all tastes. Take a local boat trip and relax, learn to cook amazing food, party till you drop or take a cleansing tai chi lesson by the river. |
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Day 19 - 21
| Described as the jewel of the orient by colonialists and traders alike, Hong Kong is a jungle of unrestrained neon, glass and capitalism. The pace of life here is faster than New York and more diverse than London. Take the tram to Victoria Peak, ride Star Ferry and soak in a skyline like no other in the world… and shop till you drop. |
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| What to Expect |
This tour has been put together with all the planning, skill and attention to detail possible. China is a country of staggering scale and contrast. We need you to know that this tour goes to many less developed places than regular cities, we think this is what makes it particularly special. Therefore there are a few things to keep in mind.
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| It’s not the destination, it’s the journey! We travel many ways, on public buses, private buses, sleeper trains, in taxis, on bikes, on foot, by plane and maybe even a tractor or two.. Some of these trips will be long and demanding. The trips on this tour are more than just an A – B function they make up the very fabric of the journey and will be stories in themselves. The rewards are the places we stop along the way. |
Expect the unexpected, changes of plans, problems to be solved and things to be fixed. We call it 'adventure travel' for this reason! Be as flexible as possible, we don’t envisage any major problems but you never know what might get thrown at us. Remember if this was straight forward it would only be half as interesting. It’s important not to take anything too seriously, after all this is a holiday and holidays are fun! No matter what happens on tour good/bad/ugly it will all make a good email or story at the pub. Travel with this attitude and you’ll never have a bad day!
| Things to Know |
| Everyone should know the basics when travelling with us. Here is a few of the things we thing are most important to remember. If you have other questions you please check our growing FAQs page, or contact us for more information. |
Aside form cameras and iPods make sure everything you pack can be kicked, dropped, sat on and slept on. We ride many buses and local vehicles, luggage isn't priority and it can be on roofs or under grubby buses. It might be a good idea to buy a pack cover (raincoat) to keep it clean and dry. Packs make handy seats or pillows, so don't pack anything too valuable or breakable. Remember, your pack goes on your back! This means make it light and keep mobile.
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Most tours cover a variety of locations (countryside/city) and will have you doing different activities. As you would expect you’ll have to pack to take this into account. With packing space being important here are a few simple rules to help you get it right.
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Climate: We will travel from warm to cold climates; it will be warm in South-East and then become quite cool in the West, pack appropriately. Check the ‘More Info’ section of our website for yearly weather information. It is easier to pack many layers of clothes rather than big bulky jackets and coats, make sure you also have something to keep you dry.
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Style: You will probably like something nice to wear in the evenings in large cities, it only has to be one item but it will come in handy, especially in places like Beijing Shanghai or Hong Kong. The tour also has many active and countryside highlights, clothes that are comfortable, easy to wash and durable are a must and don’t forget something to keep you dry.
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Shoes: Footwear is simple, something comfortable to walk in, as you will do a lot of it. Actual hiking boots are not necessary, support and durability are most important.
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China isn’t an expensive country, it all depends on how well you haggle and what you like to eat/drink. We recommend budgeting 150¥ per day. This itinerary crosses a large section of China so there will be times and places where you will spend far more than this and other times when you can’t give it away.
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Entry to China is your responsibility. You will need a Tourist Visa (type L) to cover you for the duration of your stay. Visa extensions are difficult and not always possible, and you can not stay longer than the terms of your permit.
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| Note: If you are living in China or a regular visitor your Visa (type F or Z) will be adequate to travel with us. Just remember not to stay longer than your Visa terms or exceed your valid number of entries. |
| What to Tell Us |
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We need to know a few things about you beyond ‘walks on the beach’ or ‘candle lit dinners’. Please fill out the Personal Details form and email it back to us asap, this is needed before you begin the tour.
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It is a requirement that all clients on our tours have travel medical insurance. It is your responsibility to make sure that this is in order as it is for your benefit and security.
You will need to provide us, in advance, your insurance details, specifically your policy number and a 24-hour world wide emergency contact number. If you have any health/allergy/dietary concerns, requirements or problems please tell us. We need to know so that we can avoid problems. We must also be able to communicate the right information to the right people at the right times. Tell us anything else you feel relevant that we have not covered, be it special requests, needs or questions. Your clear communication with us will make you more relaxed, and your holiday more enjoyable. |
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