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Best of Southern China
(Hong Kong, Guilin, Xishuangbanna, Lijiang and Gyalthang )
(Ref : OWTCHI142)
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Day |
Itinerary |
Accommodation/Meals |
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1 |
ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG
You will be met on arrival this evening in Hong Kong by your
guide and transferred to the Hotel. |

Hotel - Hong Kong |
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2 |
HONG KONG
The morning will commence with a briefing on your onward trip to
China and you will depart on your day of sightseeing to witness
the bustling modern city with a rich Chinese culture laced with a
150 year old British colonial history. The Western a district
rather older and more exotic in character than other parts of Hong
Kong. Its crowded residential streets and traditional shops form a
character contrast to Central.
Man Mo Temple, located in a deeply traditional area is one of the
most atmospheric small temples to visit. This 150 year old temple
is notable for its great hanging coils of incense suspended from
the ceiling. The two figures on the main alter are the Taoist gods
of Literature (Man) and the Martial Arts (Mo). Hong Kong Park in
Central acts as a green lung which provide a peaceful breathing
space to the bustling community. A 24.7 acre parkland facility
which include a visual arts center, greenhouse areas replicating
desert and tropical jungle environment. You may also find Hong
Kong`s largest aviary, designed as a tropical rainforest for more
than 150 species of birds. The flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware
is also located here. |

(Breakfast and Lunch)
Hotel - Hong Kong |
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3 |
HONG KONG
The Peak 1,811 feet above sea level on the back of the Dragon
provides impressive harbor and south island sea views. You will
take a ride on The Peak Tram, a funicular railway up this hill and
will be passing through the area which was quintessentially
colonial with upper-class expats in expensive houses, though
Chinese were not allowed to set up home on the hill until
relatively recently. Reaching the top, you will find a new
observation deck, shopping and entertainment area. Lunch this
afternoon will be at the Peak Cafe The rest of the afternoon is at
leisure to enjoy some time for your own independent activities. |

(Breakfast and Lunch)
Hotel - Hong Kong |
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4 |
HONG KONG / GUILIN
After breakfast you will have the morning at leisure to complete
your last minute shopping.
In the afternoon you will be transferred to the airport for your
evening flight to Guilin. Upon arrival into Guilin you will be
transferred to hotel, the ride from the airport to the hotel will
take approximately 1 hour. The hotel is nestled on the banks of
the Li River amid lush and tree lined avenues. Guilin city is
South China`s shining pearl with verdant mountains, elegant
waters, magnificent crags and fantastic caverns with a history of
more than 2,000 years. |

(Breakfast)
Hotel - Guilin |
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5 |
GUILIN
Today you will embark on a private riverboat and cruise along Li
River to the rural village of Yangshuo and enjoy a tasty luncheon
aboard. This trip passes the most exquisite stretch of Guilin`s
famed scenery and the experience is like to travel through a
verdant landscapes straight off a Chinese scroll painting. Every
poem has a painting and every painting has a poem this Chinese
adage best describes the remarkable natural beauty of Guilin; a
living painting that is a poem to the wonders of nature. Towering
limestone pinnacles, formed from the erosion and geologic upheaval
of an ancient seabed, cloaked in a mantle of forest green are
scattered along the shores of the Li River. The crystalline waters
and the verdant belt of green vegetation inspired the Tang poet,
Han Yu (8th century) to write: The river forms a green gauze belt,
the mountains are like blue jade hairpins. After berthing at
Yangshuo you will disembark and spend some time wandering through
its free market before returning by road to Guilin. Yangshuo is a
charming town of white-washed shops lining cobbled street, a
lively market center for the surrounding farming communities. This
evening, experience one of the more unique practices of Guilin`s
fishing people when you view night cormorant fishing. While you
are seated in a viewing boat a local fisherman on a traditional
bamboo kampan (three plank boat) will release his trained
cormorants (tethered to the boat by rope) into the river. The
birds dive into the water and track the schools of fish that
thrive in the clear river water. Once the cormorant has caught a
fish, they return to the boat where the fisherman removes the
catch. A ring around the bird`s neck prevents the cormorant from
swallowing any of its catch. The fisherman will, however reward
his faithful companion. This is an unusual and highly popular
method of fishing along the Li River. |

(Breakfast and Lunch)
Hotel - Guilin |
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6 |
GUILIN / XISHUANGBANNA
Your morning today will begin with some city sightseeing that
includes Fubo Shan, a hill where the giant Jie Die fought a demon
that was descending on Guilin with a vanguard of deadly animals.
The demon was vanquished and the city never troubled by evil
spirits again. Climb to Fubo's summit and you pass three hundred
Buddha images, carved into the rock during the Tang and Song
dynasties.
Visit Tunnel Cave, one of the region`s distinctive caves with a
2,624 feet long spacious tunnel, is a gallery of sparkling
stalactites and stalagmites with myriad of shapes and forms with
no limit to imagination. It became a sightseeing spot as in the
Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907), and since then many poems and
other inscriptions have been left behind on its walls by visiting
writers and scholars.
In the afternoon you will be transferred to the airport for your
flight to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan via Kunming. On arrival you will
be transferred to Hotel.
Xishuangbanna is the Southernmost part of Yunnan Province,
bordering on Myanmar (Burma) and Laos has a tropical rain forest
climate. With abundant sunshine, plentiful rain and frequent dense
fog, it has a reputation for beautiful subtropical scenery and
unique folk-culture attractions. On this land live more than 13
ethnic groups such as Dai, Hani and Yao, all with colorful customs
and rich historical traditions. It also enjoys great fame as "the
kingdom of plants and animals," because of its rich resources
of flora and fauna. The rest of the day is at leisure for
independent activities. |

(Breakfast and Lunch)
Hotel - Xishuangbanna |
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7 |
XISHUANGBANNA
A full day of sightseeing begins with a visit to the Hani Village
on the Menghai Highway (the road to Myanmar). The Hani are one of
the oldest groups in Yunnan Province . They are a cluster of 20+
tribal groups that speak over 10 different languages &
dialects. In the 1950s, the central government grouped them all
into one category and called them Hani. .Return to the
hotel for lunch. In the afternoon you will be transferred to the
Mekong River Pier to embark on a private boat to cruise down the
Mekong to Ganlanba Plain Pier and will be transferred to Shui Dai
Village. The visit here will include a Buddhist Temple, local
homes and a village performance of traditional Dai dances. The
major activity is the cultivation of rice, dry rice in the
highlands and wet in the valleys. The usual Dai household consists
of a husband, wife (or wives), and unmarried children. The status
of women is high. None of the Dai people has a caste system. The
basic structure of their villages is similar, with communal
leadership being provided by an elected village headman, together
with the Buddhist monks and elders. Dinner this evening is at a
local restaurant |

(Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
Hotel - Xishuangbanna |
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8 |
LIJIANG
Today will be a full morning of activity at the Ye Xiang Gu(Wild
Elephant Valley) Nature Reserve. Wild Elephants Valley covers an
area of 911 acre with hills rolling gently at an altitude ranging
between 2,450 and 3461 feet. The valley is covered by tropical
rain forests, crisscrossed by rivers and streams, and teeming with
such endangered species as Asian wild elephants, wild oxen, green
peacocks and monkeys. You will see a wonderful performances given
by the first elephant domesticating school of China followed by a
guided rainforest walk and a tram car ride to a to enjoy the scene
of elephants bathing, playing water and seeking for food. Visit
the aviary where a number of indigenous species of parrots,
eagles, peacocks and various birds.
After lunch and you will be transferred to the airport for your
flight to Lijiang. Upon arrival you will be transferred to Hotel.
Lijiang is a township of pebbled paths, potted rhododendrons and
whimsical architecture. Situated at the foot of the Yue Long Xue
Shan Mountains, Lijiang is divided into two very distinctive
sections the Han administration and rustic charm of the Naxi part
of the city that is often referred to as the "old city. |

(Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
Hotel - Lijiang |
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9 |
LIJIANG
A full day of sightseeing today includes Baisha Village to view
the Baisha Murals painted in the 14th and 15th centuries. These
are remarkable visual records of Naxi culture that absorbed
Tibetan Buddhist, Chinese Buddhist and Taoist influences and
incorporated these with their traditional Dongba`s beliefs.
Afterwards visit the home of Dr. Ho, a Chinese herbal medicine
doctor who assisted Joseph Rock in his botanical expeditions to
the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Continue to Longquan Village
(Dragon Spring Village), a local Naxi vilage dating back 500
years, retains a wonderful atmosphere of traditional Naxi village
life, cobble lanes, stone and abode houses.
This afternoon`s visit includes the Black Dragon Spring which was
developed around some crystalline springs, the park houses the
Dongba Research Center?and the Dongba Museum of Naxi Culture? is
the last remaining memorial of the former Taoist temple from the
time of the Mongolian Yuan dynasty. Enjoy tea in the park and meet
with a living Dongba for a discussion of Naxi beliefs followed
with a guided walk to the old Town sof Lijiang, a World Heritage
Site protected by UNESCO. It retains a great deal of Yuan, Ming
and Qing period architecture. |

(Breakfast and Lunch)
Hotel - Lijiang |
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10 |
LIJIANG / GYALTHANG
Late this morning you will depart on a pleasant journey to Shigu
(Stone Drum Village) to view the first bend in the Yangzi River
(the Yangzi flows south from Tibet into Yunnan and then turns
north again for approximately 60 miles) at Shigu. Continue to
Shigu for a visit to the Red Army Memorial commemorating the
crossing of the Red Army during the Long March in 1934-1935.
After lunch, continue north on the Tibet Highway (which links
northwest Yunnan to Lhasa, Tibet) and make one stop at the
entrance of the Tiger Leaping Gorge before continuing north to
Zhongdian (Gyalthang in Khampu Tibetan) seat of the Diqing Tibetan
Autonomous County, just recently opened to the outside world. Late
afternoon, arrive at the Gyalthang. |

(Breakfast and Lunch)
Hotel - Gyalthang |
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11 |
GYALTHANG
Today begins with sightseeing to Napha Reserve for views of Napha
Lake and Wetlands (important winter flyway for the Black Necked
Crane and other water fowl) as well as time for a short walk to
observe wildflowers (including azaleas, rhododendrons, wild roses
and blue poppy). Continue to visit the Samsetling Monastery, the
largest Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Yunnan
province, dates back to the 15th century and once housed over
4,000 monks; since the Cultural Revolution it has rebuilt and is
flourishing with some 700 monks in residence. After the tour of
the monastery, meet with the Living Buddha. In the afternoon,
visit the central market and Tibetan craft stores and the
Zhongdian Museum. |

(Breakfast and Lunch)
Hotel - Gyalthang |
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12 |
GYALTHANG
A full day of sightseeing today includes Gonzho and the upper
gorges of the Yangzi River, driving through dramatic scenery,
towering mountains, deep gorges and Tibetan villages noted for
their crafts (black pottery, wooden offering bowls, etc.). Enjoy a
picnic lunch and visit to a local craftsman`s homes. Continue on
the confluence of the Yangzi and Gongzhou River for photographs.
This evening, your farewell dinner will be accompanied by Tibetan
music and dance performance. |

(Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
Hotel - Gyalthang |
|
13 |
GYLTHANG / KUNMING / HONG KONG
This morning you depart to Hong Kong via Kunming. Kunming, the
capital of Yunnan Province, is a city that was once believed so
remote that during ancient times, political prisoners were exiled
there. Long considered one of China`s most interesting regional
centers, Kunming is a city of pleasant surprises, and you will
have a short sightseeing tour of Kunming followed by lunch at
Harbour Plaza. In the afternoon you will continue with your
journey by flight to Hong Kong. Upon arrival into Hong Kong you
will be transferred to Hotel. |

(Breakfast and Lunch)
Hotel - Hong Kong |
|
14 |
HONG KONG DEPARTURE
Today you will be transferred to the airport before boarding your
homebound flight. |
(Breakfast) |
Pricing and Details
(Prices quoted based on 2 persons sharing a double
room. Prices in UK sterling)
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TOTAL TOUR PRICE...... |
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3 Star |
4 Star |
5 Star |
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Per Person
£ 1,256 (GBP)
$ 2,386 (USD)
1,858 (Euros)
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Per Person
£ 1,346 (GBP)
$ 2,557 (USD)
1,992 (Euros)
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Per Person
£ 1,540 (GBP)
$ 2,926 (USD)
2,279 (Euros)
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Click
here for Currency Conversion |
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Tour Includes :-
- All accommodation.
- Transfers (to and from Chinese airports, train stations, bus
stations etc ).
- Transportation (to and from all sites and destinations).
- Internal flights (where applicable)
- Train Tickets (where applicable)
- Entrance tickets to sites
- English Speaking Guide.
- Meals as listed
Items not included :-
- International Flights (See the flights section of this site
or contact us for advice on obtaining flights).
- Chinese Visa (Download a visa application in the visa section
of this site or contact us for information on obtaining your
visa).
- Any Meals not listed
Tour Notes
- Dates : All of our tours are
run to fit clients exact date / time requirements. Just let us
know what you require and the tour will be scheduled to fit it
with you.
- Single Supplement: For clients
travelling alone, tours will be subject to a single supplement -
please contact us for further details
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