Recommend July 2015 - (Page 27)

asia south pacific Backroads explores China on two wheels. Off-Beat Adventures carla hunt What is adventure travel? We can debate that answer till the cows come home, but without question, for an increasingly large segment of today's travel marketplace, the answer is journeys beyond the ordinary. And the Adventure Travel Trade Association reminds us that adventure travelers-and baby boomers in particular-have both ample budgets and ample appetites for vacations that mix up active adventure with involving cultural experiences. That's where the growth appears to be in the countries that inhabit the wide and wonderful world of Asia and the South Pacific, where clients will find a host of new ways to explore new horizons. Consider this trio. china: by bike Backroads is always out front in opening up bicycle touring in far corners of the globe and showcasing countries up-close and personal. Its China Bike Tour: Ancient Treasures & Modern Icons in Beijing, Xian & the South is no exception, "showing travelers everything from Canton to Beijing and the rural places in between in a way you can't see by any other means," says a company spokesperson. On the first three days of the itinerary, clients experience traditional life in rural villages and modern cities; by river and bicycle, they travel past remote hamlets, and fields of rice and sugarcane; visit with locals in roadside cafes; and explore historic Zhaoqing and Wuzhou. On days 4-5, they'll bike along winding rivers and lush paddies; take to the Li River on a private boat cruise; and go shopping at night markets for embroidered silk, stone carvings and hilltribe crafts. Days 6-7 are devoted to the more than 6,000 life-size funerary statues of the Terracotta Warriors, pedaling around the walls of their hometown of Xian. During days 8-9, tour members bike through Beijing in the company of seven million fellow cyclists and explore Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, and actually walk a very remote section of the wall. Flavors of China include a tai chi lesson, a Chinese massage, an acrobatics show, and Peking duck dinner. Six departures are scheduled for 2016, priced at $5,598 wpp sharing. vietnam: up-close and cultural Myths and Mountains may have won its place on the 2015 Wendy Perrin WOW List as the trusted travel expert for Nepal and Bhutan, but take a look at its Vietnam product, where the company offers several interesting itineraries, including Vietnam: Saigon, Central Highlands, Coast and Hanoi. It's an adventurous and cultural journey to an enchanting land, with an itinerary covering a cross-section of gorgeous scenery, diverse ethnic groups, a variety of craft centers, and mouthwatering cuisine. Begin in Saigon, where travelers tour the city on cyclo-bicycle and visit the Ben Thanh Market, and the Notre Dame Cathedral, as well as the Cu Chi tunnels, one of the few remaining remnants of the Vietnam War. Traveling through the central highlands, clients will visit the Ethnographic Museum in Dalat, with its forests, waterfalls and lakes, a former French hill station and today a departure point to visit the Valley of Love with its convent, university and pagodas. They'll drive through coffee country, stopping at villages of the Gia Rai people who are noted for their houses on stilts and domesticated elephants; then they'll head for Kon Tum, visiting its beautiful wooden catholic church, the orphanage of Vinh Son and the villages of Pleitonghia and Konhngokotu accessed by an amazing suspension bridge. The tour also allows visitors to spend time in historic Hoi An, home to beautifully preserved riverside merchant houses, and for a visit to july 2015 25

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend July 2015

Editor’s Notes
Hotel Desk: Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Loews Hotels & Resorts
Tour Talk: Goway’s IslandsEscapes
Adventures in North America
Romania: Superbly Scenic, Marvelously Medieval
Central Europe With Adventures by Disney
Get Off That Beach Chair!
Off-Beat Adventures
INDABA 2015 (With a Taste of Durban)
A Treasured Journey Into the Past
Small Boats & Big Tortoises in the Galapagos
Windstar Cruises’ Star Breeze
Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa 2

Recommend July 2015