View over Hong Kong and Victoria Harbor If you are joining or ending a luxury cruise in China this winter or next – be it in Hong Kong, Tianjin or another port – then why not consider customizing a private pre or post cruise tour.  Many cruises start and end in Hong Kong, so you are spoiled for choice for things to do prior to or after your cruise.  » Read more »

Exterior view of The Temple House Last week Guy and I were lucky enough to be invited by The Temple House Hotel to visit the vibrant city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province and gateway to Western China. Most people think of pandas when they think of Chengdu and indeed, this is the home of the adorable Giant Panda. With the opening of The Temple House,  » Read more »

(Above photo: Ganden Monastery near Lhasa)   Summer is fast disappearing and it’s time to think ahead and make your travel plans to see you through the winter. A more unusual winter vacation to tell your friends and family about back home is a trip to Lhasa to experience the Tibetan Lunar New Year celebrations, known in Tibetan as Losar (lo means ‘year’ and sar means ‘new’).  » Read more »

Above photo: Banyan Tree, Yangshuo   You may not automatically think of the terms ‘luxury’ and ‘rural China’ together in one sentence – but you should! Some of China’s best scenery and culture can be found outside of the cities, and who said rural can’t mean luxury? Take your pick from the following luxury resorts and locations as we choose our top 5 luxury rural getaways in China: 1.  » Read more »

The Ganden Sumtseling Monastery (Songzanlin Monastery) is located near Shangri-La, on the Tibetan plateau in China’s south-west Yunnan province. If you’ve been to Lhasa and seen the Potala Palace you may think that this monastery is proof that all Tibetan monasteries look the same – and you’d be half right. The Sumtseling was in fact modelled on the Potala and has been nicknamed the ‘Little Potala’. This is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in south-west China.  » Read more »