Shangrila Lost!

Zhongdian or as it is known as Shangrila once was considered the Lost Paradise settled by Europeans many years ago as their remote Shangrila!   A popular tourist destination in north Yunnan Province at the corners of Tibet and Sichuan, it has been the favorite place to relax and enjoy the Tibetan culture at   10,000 feet above sea level.  Only in the last 10 years or so has it become a well known destination for  adventure seeking tourists.  My first visit there many years ago, there were only two hotels, few restaurants and some nightly entertainment which was at a wealthy residence where they served butter tea and sang and danced to recorded music.  Having just been there two years ago, the quaint old town with its weathered wooden buildings and narrow streets was the perfect small town to relax and enjoy the culture and the people.  Many sights are near by to enjoy.   HOWEVER this all changed January 2014 when a fire broke out and destroyed over 1/3rd of  1,084 preserved wooden houses, one of which you see here in the background as my wife and a friend enjoyed a cup of tea when we were last there.  Hopefully some parts may be rebuilt but it will never be the same as when it was founded 1,300 years ago as Paradise Lost.   For more information feel free to contact me.  interlak@eskimo.com

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Planning a Tour of China

Good planning insures a great  tour.  One can not see everything in a country as large as the U.S. but you can see what you really are interested in with good planning.  I have been planning tours for 25 years for over 2,500 people.  Everyone's interests are different so I have a Profile sheet that I ask clients to fill out stating their interests and requirements.  China can be overwhelming with the differences between western countries and Asia in general.  Ancient history and culture has a fantastic appeal to people.  Modern China which surprises most people and ancient China is side by side and offers a great contrast to compare and enjoy.  Most people come back from their tour exclaiming how friendly the people were and were a bit taken back by the modern facilities of China with their beautiful modern airports and the ultra modern high speed trains between many cities reaching speeds of 180 + mph,  Yes, travel costs have increased in the last few years but the sights and culture make great memories and many things are still relatively inexpensive compared to Europe.  We do custom private tours to your special interests and needs.   Please check out web site at www.interlakechinatours.com    Click on the photos for full screen views.

Visiting and Hiking the Great Wall

The Great Wall is one of the most visited sites in all of China.  Most Group Tours go to the Badaling section of the Wall because it is closest and there is a freeway going there.  Not my most favorite place to visit the Wall often with over 80 or more buses in the parking lot.  My choice has always been the Mutianyu section for most tourists.  The walk or hike is fairly easy as you can see in the photos.  This section has been repaired except for a steep section in the distance where you can see a part that has not been repaired and left as it was found many years ago.   For avid hikers the Simatai section is often visited although steep and more rugged.  If you are interested in doing a one way hike, the Jinshanling to Simatai sections for avid hikers is the most popular hike.  For a more rugged hike that takes about 3 hours, the sections of Huanghua to ZhuangdaoKou Guan is good but expect dense vegetation and rocks to navigate around.   The Great Wall is about 40 or more miles north of Beijing extending out to the Yellow Sea east and west into north central China.  The western section however is difficult to see since it is mostly in ruins.  To get to the Great Wall you can take a bus tour that picks up at many of the Beijing Hotels, take a train to the Badaling section or hire a car and driver for the day with a cost of about $100.  My private tours include a car and driver and you may stay as long as you wish before returning to the city.  I like to take a picnic lunch and enjoy a nice walk on the Wall meeting other tourists and some of the local people.   For more information on the Great Wall, contact me at   interlak@eskimo.com   My name is Dave   My web site is  www.interlakechinatours.com

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Trains of China

Many people who have never ridden a train or not taken one for several years want to experience riding the trains in China.  Up to 10 years ago the trains all over China were similar to our trains of the 1940's.  Today some of those same trains are used in the more rural areas of China but here you see some of the new trains that have come on line.  The train with the mountains in the background is the new Tibet train that serves Beijing, Xian, Chongqing and Chengdu with stops in between.  I have ridden it from Lhasa to Chongqing for the experience and to advise my customers about it.  It seems just like a regular Chinese train however it does have oxygen equipment in each car as well as individual oxygen masks if needed.  I didn't find a need for them. The Tibet trains seem to always be full and costly.  Food should be taken with you as train food is not especially good.  The train goes all night as well as during the day so scenery is limited to daylight.  I spent two nights and one and one half days during my trip.  Coming from Lhasa because of the altitude we came east from Lhasa, across the plateau to near Xian and then south to Chengdu and finally Chongqing.  Sleepers are two upper and two lower bunks of mixed sexes.  They do have western and Asian style toilets and nice wash rooms.   Do I recommend it?  Not really, I think the new Fast Trains are more exciting as you see in the other photo.  The new CRH3 trains are capable of 350 Kms. per hour although kept down to 185 mph for safety.  They are not available on all routes yet because the rails must be updated to handle these faster trains safely.  I rode one from Chengdu to Chongqing this last year and it was super smooth with no clicking or side way motion at all.  It cuts travel time almost in half from the older standard trains.  Some cities no longer offer air service between them because of the fantastic service offered by the new fast trains as they are called.    If you want an even faster experience you can take the Mag Lev train in Shanghai to the airport that goes 284 mph.  It takes a bus about 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to the airport but takes the Mag Lev train just Seven Minutes!!!  For more on trains contact me at    interlak@eskimo.com     

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Meeting the Local People in Parks

One of the best ways to meet the local people in China is going to parks.  Parks are full of activities for everyone including children.  Chinese people love seeing foreign children and if you have your own children with you they will certainly enjoy joining in playing games.  Language never seems to be a barrier with children.  It of course helps to have a guide along to translate but you will also find many people speaking English these days and often like to practice their English with you.  Here you see the national pass time of the board game Marjon   Learning to play Marjon is a great ice breaker as you may often be asked to join in a game with them. There are tea houses and snacks served in almost all parks.  Here you also see an orchestra playing in the park.  They are non-professionals who join a club to play music.  You will also find chorus clubs practicing their music in the parks on weekends.  Let my 25 years experience in travel in China help you plan your own tour to China.  My web site is  www.interlakechinatours.com  We are a BBB A+ rated tour company here in Seattle.

China is known for its beautiful parks and gardens and you will find these all over China.  I even have a Garden Tour that I have put together for those interested in  Chinese Gardens and parks.   The park you see here is in Chengdu and also has a Bonsai collection that is hundreds of years old.
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Little Known Old Summer Palace of Beijing

Most people know about the Summer Palace in the suburbs of Beijing on Kunming Lake or at least all the group tours go there.  Few people realize that there is an Old Summer Palace quite close by that often gets overlooked.  If you are a history buff, you may want to visit the Old Summer Palace which is mostly in ruins after the 2nd Opium War.  British and French troops took home most of the artifacts that were there. What you see here is the remains of the Palace Gardens fashioned after the French Gardens of Europe. During the 18th century rebuilding of the gardens by Emperor Dowager Cixi in 1888 was accomplished.   The first palace and gardens were built in the 12th Century by Emperor Qianlong and called Yuanming Yuan but also destroyed in the first Opium War.   In 1949 after the Revolution, the site was made into a  park where the ruins were preserved as they are today.  Few foreign tourists visit it but it is very close by to the current Summer Palace and can be visited at the same time.  Check out our web site at      www.interlakechinatours.com   
        Our 25th Year Of Doing Tours to China!

Tour Meals in China

There are three main things that people usually ask about touring China.  Hotels, transportation and MEALS. There is plenty of food in China....you will not go hungry is an understatement.  Food is hospitality in China. As my Chinese friend says,  "Chinese people like to do two things  1. Eat Chinese Food   2. Talk about Eating Chinese food.  After 25 years of traveling throughout China I agree and understand why.  The variety of food is fantastic and so different in each area of the country.  Most people are on tours of one kind or another.  A budget tour gets budget meals of course.  A good tour gives you a variety of food.  Group Tours today in order to keep their prices low have gone to many Buffet restaurants to save costs.   Nothing wrong with Buffets if they are good.  Food is prepared and put on steam tables to serve the many large group tours that must stay on a schedule because other group tours may use the same restaurants.  I do Private Custom tours for my clients and insist on sit down and be served meals that are cooked individually for the customer.  Your likes, dislikes and allergies are considered by your requests.  I also must consider a budget for meals depending on the value of the tour which can range from Budget to Deluxe tours.  You see here a deluxe dinner my wife and I are having along with a typical standard lunch that we had one day.

As I said earlier, there is no lack of food or variety in China.   I also suggest to my clients that 3 large meals per day is way too much food and to plan on having some dinners on your own as part of your China experience.  I myself like to have a bowl of noodles with chicken and some dumplings at a small restaurant now and then rather than a large dinner every night.   Breakfasts at the hotels are generally very large buffets with western and Asian food with everything under the sun to choose from.   I hope this helps you with your tour plans.

  

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In our 26th year of doing Quality Tours To China and Tibet