Almost packed

This time tomorrow we should be at the airport heading off on our Chinese jaunt. Our first experience as part of a group tour. Heaps of land tours and the only cruise component will be 4 days down theLeia mais
Xi'an

To say we were pleased to arrive at our hotel at 1am this morning would be an understatement (long day traveling). China does not allow access to so many social media sites so don't think we will beLeia mais
Sights of Xi'an

Great day today. Terracotta warriors are amazing. Shame it was a wet gloomy day, but at least it wasn't cold.
Beijing

After a long domestic check-in process including numerous security checks (including pat-down) for every passenger, we were finally in the air for our short flight to Beijing. Our new tour guideLeia mais
Beijing

Wish I had been wearing my Fit Bit today - heaps of walking. First stop, Tiananmen Square, one of the largest squares in the world. Then we walked to the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City. Such aLeia mais
Beijing

This morning I thought walking some of the Great Wall would be the highlight of our day and at the time it was! We both made it up the steepest option which was quite an accomplishment in the 30deg+Leia mais
Final day in Beijing

Today was a little more laid back. First it was a trip to the zoo to see giant pandas 🐼. Such cuddly looking characters. A beautiful lunch at a traditional family home in the Hutong area - the lastLeia mais
Beijing to Suzhou

Off to Suzhou this morning by bullet train. Great trip at over 300kph for our 5hr journey. Lovely hotel room with a view over a square with huge groups of people ballroom dancing, line dancing,Leia mais
Suzhou to Hangzhou

Our Suzhou to Shanghai tour guide Summer took us to The Lingering Garden in Suzhou this morning. Such beautiful and peaceful spaces. Next was a visit to the Silk Spinning Factory to learn about silkLeia mais
Hangzhou to Shanghai

Early start today as we make our way to Shanghai. A visit to the Lotus Gardens and a boat trip on the Great Lake was our first stop. Very humid today. Next, we visit a green tea plantation for someLeia mais
Shanghai

This morning we drove into town for a walk along The Bund before visiting the Shanghai museum. Had time for a little retail therapy and grabbed a bite of lunch before heading back to the bus for aLeia mais
Shanghai to Wuhan

A welcome sleep in this morning. Pick up at 11am for our drive to the airport for a 2pm flight to Wuhan. Tour guide Cindy met us at the airport, then began a 5hr drive to Yichang then Xiling Gorge toLeia mais
Xiling Gorge

Woke up this morning to find another boat tied up alongside - strange to be able to look into other cabin windows! After breakfast we took a tour up to the Xiling Gorge Dam project. Very impressive.Leia mais
Shennong Stream

This morning we transferred to another boat to cruise up the first of the Three Gorges. Hard to believe that so many villages and farmers were displaced when the Gorges were flooded during the damLeia mais
Shibaozhai

This morning we disembark and fight our way through the myriad of stalls and vendors desperate to sell their goods. Items with an initial price of 160 yuan often end up at bargain prices such as 20-30Leia mais
Captain's Farewell Dinner

Beautiful dinner tonight with the captain.
Chongquing to Brisbane (via Guangzhou)

Time to head home. A quick tour of Chongquing (pop approx 34 million) then off to the airport for the first leg of our journey home. A 2hr layover at Guangzhou then 9hrs home.
Cam GordonHave fun!