Why people are thinking about 2013 I am considering a land trip with a Yangtze River cruise in 2014.

Lots of you have asked me for this over the years but I was waiting for a better boat and there were so many others things in the pipeline. If I am going to do that I need to go to China and check it all out first so this is something I need to fit in this year.

If you have any interest post here or if you prefer just shoot me an email.

Ngaire, we won't be taking you up on China trip but I have some recommendations:

Include Tibet; absolutely worth time, expense, and lack of oxygen.

Include Chengdu and a trip through countryside to Leshan.

Yangzi Explorer was a fantastic ship with just over 100 pax but there might be even nicer ones now. The four night up river has lower demand than three night down river so it can be less crowded.

Take control over your meals. When you are on expensive (comparatively) tour, they tend to want to order the expensive lunches; this ends up being very strange food. The best guides were ones that let us have our own preferences for lunches.

We never made it to the silk road; I think it is hard to add when you are trying to see China in three weeks or less. I think the time in Tibet is more critical. If most of your guests have spent enough time in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guillin, you could be able to add Silk Road.

Thanks Marc and the Yangtze Explorer IS THE SHIP I would definitely use.

I loved Chengdu with the pandas and the changing faces show and good hotels there too.

Tibet - interesting I will check into that.

Guillin - that is worth a visit

Plus of course the Xian Warriors.

It is a BIG place and we will have to make choices. The cruises have allowed some to see Guillin, Xian, Shanghai and Beijing but of course there may be some who have never seen any of that. Always an issue picking and chosing between many options. Hard to do it all.

We would definitely be interested if the trip included Chengdu. The earthquake intervened and demolished the infrastructure on my one attempt to get there and see the pandas.
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Helen

Xian has a lot more than the warriors; worth an extra day. There is a grave of an older emperor near the airport. There aren't the large warriors but even more smaller statues with thousands of sheep and other animals. There is a great pagoda to see, the old market, and the mosque.

Sounds interesting--we've loved the times we've been in China and would absolutely want to go back. We haven't been to Xian and would really like to do that. Not sure about Tibet--only because of my altitude sickness issues, other than that, I'd love to go there.

Now you all are getting me interested in this trip!!! Have only spent one day in Guangzhou off the Song of Flower in 94.

So much of the world to see and so little time!!

Tibet would be awesome!

We'd be very interested,too.

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Eugene

We're also interested!

All on the list.

Remember this is a PENDING possibility.

If I am not happy with what I experience in China then I will not do the trip. I had intended to do India when I went there but felt it was not right for an escorted group.

Interested!!

Ngaire, if you are still open to suggestions on a China tour, I suggest you look into Odysseys Unlimited's China, Tibet & the Yangtze River
19 day Tour. "This distinctive small group journey (membership limited to 12-24 guests) combines a special visit to remote, spiritual Tibet with a memorable cruise on the Yangtze, China’s fabled “long river.” Also includes intriguing Beijing, the extraordinary Terra Cotta Warriors of Xian, Cheng­du and its renowned Giant Panda Protection & Research Center, and finally cosmopolitan Shanghai. East meets West in a joyful convergence."

Pat and I took a OU tour in Ireland, and felt they equaled or exceeded our experiences with A&K and were much better than Tauck, at a lower cost than either. They use Victoria Cruises on the Yangtze, and have just made Travel & Leasures 'Worlds Best Tour Operators' list for the fifth year in a row.

Hi Ngaire.

I am interested in going.

Marcia (coffee cup's sister)

China has stopped issuing visas for tibet.

I had heard they had changed the policy to not allow anybody other than groups of four or more but not that they were denying visas totally but that certainly could be the case if you read that somewhere..

It is a complex situation to visit there so it will be good for me to visit Nepal and Bhutan and I may decide that this is a better option anyway. Quite a long time away yet so we will see what develops in the meantime.

Yes, visas to Tibet are on hold.

It really may not be wise to even try to go to Tibet. This was my first instinct. This could happen at any time and we could be already in China and flying to Tibet to be turned away on arrival and have all kinds of complications. Then trying to get 20 people out of there could be a mess. I was originally and am still very hesitant about Tibet. I was not particularly fond of Tibet as you know but could have made the trip better than what we experienced when we were there.

If we find either or both Nepal and Bhutan are interesting for a post tour that may be the most sensible thing to do without such a risk of complications.

Is this trip still a pending possibility?

Way up in the air. Not sure whether this will happen or not lots of factors involved here.