CHINA MULTI -CENTRES
many temples and markets to
explore. Hong Kong is surrounded by hundreds of islands, which present opportunities for hiking or day trips to beaches, monasteries and traditional villages. Portuguese-infl uenced Macau is a fascinating mix of colonial-era churches, smoky temples and glitzy casinos. Its dining scene is just as renowned for Portuguese custard tarts as it is for dumplings. Hainan Island is China’s third Duty
Free Zone, after Hong Kong and Macau, and the country’s second- largest island. Often dubbed the ‘Hawaii of China’, it is certainly a great place to head to escape the bustle of mainland China. Hainan is known for tropical forests and sandy beaches as well as villages that are home to the Li and Mao people – ethnic minorities with a colourful and well-preserved culture. Excellent-quality resort hotels are concentrated in Sanya.
The Rural Interior CHENGDU – LIJIANG – TIGER LEAPING GORGE – GUILIN China’s southern Yunnan province is one to recommend to those clients
Clockwise from left: The rice paddies and karsts of Yangshuo; Shanghai’s futuristic skyline; Zhaoxing, a water village near Shanghai
who fell in love with the hill tribe cultures of Thailand, Laos or Vietnam, or to nature lovers.
Chengdu is the bustling capital of Sichuan province and home to the Panda Breeding Research Centre, which has been created to imitate pandas’ natural habitat. Visitors can see the animals close-up and learn about the efforts to conserve them. Lijiang’s jumble of narrow cobbled streets and rickety buildings are a popular stop in northern Yunnan. Surrounded by snowy peaks, like the whimsically-named Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, visitors to the area can bike to villages that are home to the Naxi people, who dress in intricate multi-coloured clothing. The snow from the mountains feeds the rapids of nearby Tiger Leaping Gorge – a contender for the world’s deepest canyon – through which gushes the Yellow Sands River.
Guilin is the nearest town to Yangshuo, a
dreamy landscape of mist-
shrouded limestone karsts rising from emerald rice paddies and rivers. The area can be explored via bike or kayak. Add-ons to Guilin include the tea plantations of Ping’an or minority towns like Zhaoxing and its ‘wind and rain’ bridges.
For a Himalayan add-on, fl y to Tibet 30 September 2013
www.sellinglonghaul.com
to see the world’s highest mountains and the former home of the Dalai Lama, Lhasa’s Potala Palace.
THE YANGZTE CRUISE ADD-ON This includes the spectacular
scenery of the Three Gorges Dam and side trips to places like the ‘Ghost City’ of Fengdu, with its captivating temples, the romantic peaks of Yellow Mountain and ancient capital, Nanjing. Cruises usually start or end close to Shanghai or Chongqing, Sichuan.
Where to book it COX AND KINGS 020 7873 5000 –
The new 11-day escorted group tour Yunnan Explorer ventures into less- visited, ethnically diverse parts of China, focussing on Yunnan province, home of Tiger Leaping Gorge. The tour ends in Hong Kong and Macau and is priced from £2,995pp.
www.coxandkings.co.uk/far- east
“Forget the overcrowded Badaling section of the Great Wall. Hike from Jinshanling to Simatai, which has spectacularly steep sections, densely populated by watchtowers” LAURA GELDER, SELLING LONG HAUL
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