CHINA  TIBET 221 CHINA& FAREAST Sichuan Explorer Imaginative Facts Tour code: AASX • Activities: Optional cycling in Yangshuo, extensive walking at sites • Accommodation: 9 nights simple hotels, 5 nights basic guesthouses, 2 nights homestay, 1 night camping, 4 nights sleeper train • Transport: 4WD jeep, public bus, private bus, sleeper train, taxi • Fully Escorted: By Imaginative Traveller tour leader, services of a local guide in Xi'an DAY 1: HONG KONG- Arrive Hong Kong. DAY 2: HONG KONG - GUILIN- Take the afternoon train to Shenzhen. Overnight train to Guilin. DAYS 3- 5: YANGSHUO- An afternoon class in the Chinese language will prepare you for the rest of the trip. Perhaps also take a lesson in Tai Chi, calligraphy or Chinese cooking or hire a bike and explore the rice terraces and amazing karst scenery. On Day 5 we return to Guilin for the overnight train to Chengdu. DAYS 6- 8: CHENGDU- Arrive in Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan. In the evening there is the option to attend a traditional Sichuan cultural show. Take a day excursion to Mt Qingcheng to hike on this picturesque holy Taoist mountain, thought to hold the secret to long life. DAY 9: CHENGDU - KANGDING ( JEEP SAFARI)- A morning visit to the Giant Panda research base, before we begin our jeep safari into the dramatic snowy mountains on the edge of Tibet. We spend the night in Kangding, where the Han Chinese way of life meets the Tibetan. DAY10: KANGDING - TAGONG ( JEEP SAFARI)- A morning excursion to explore the incredible scenery around Kangding. Continue our drive through the grasslands and snow- capped mountains to Tagong. DAY 11: TAGONG - DANBA ( TIBETAN HOMESTAY)- Continue on our jeep safari through this remote region of nomadic herdsman to the lush river valleys of Danba. Here we stay as guests in a Tibetan home. ( D) DAY 12: DANBA ( TIBETAN HOMESTAY)- A full day for leisurely exploration. Discover beautiful stone buildings, imposing watchtowers and distinctive customs. ( BD) DAY 13: DANBA - BARKAM ( JEEP SAFARI)- Complete our jeep safari through China's ' Wild West' in the town of Barkam. DAY 14: BARKAM - LANGMUSI- Travel through northern Sichuan to Langmusi, a beautiful town with a colourful Tibetan population and ancient monasteries. DAY 15: LANGMUSI - GRASSLANDS-Continue to the remote Ganjia grasslands, where we camp in beautiful scenery with yaks and sheep to keep us company. ( D) DAY 16: XIAHE- Travel to Xiahe. In the afternoon we visit Labrang Monastery, one of the most important for Gelukpa ( Yellow Hat) Tibetan Buddhists. ( B) DAY 17: XIAHE - LANZHOU - XI'AN-Follow the Pilgrim's Route around the monastery, through wafts of aromatic juniper smoke. Later we travel by bus to Lanzhou and board the overnight train to Xi'an. DAY 18: XI'AN- Morning arrival in Xi'an and guided tour of the Terracotta Warriors. DAY 19: XI'AN - BEIJING- A free day. Overnight train to Beijing. DAY 20: BEIJING- Visit atmospheric Tiananmen Square and the magnificent Forbidden City. A free afternoon. DAY 21: BEIJING - GREAT WALL- Visit a lesser visited section of the Great Wall with an option to hike for 3- 5 hours along the crest of the wall. DAY 22: BEIJING- Tour ends. Note: This exciting trip goes miles off the beaten track and passes through some remote areas which have little in the way of tourist infrastructure. Conditions may be fairly basic, but for those who are prepared to forego a few creature comforts, it offers the chance to see some of China's best scenery. An adventure through China's mountainous heartland and Tibetan culture • Get off the beaten trackon a jeep safari on the spectacular Tibetan plateau • Camp in remote grasslands amongst nomadic herdsmen and rural villages • Experience colourful Tibetan Buddhist culture in northern Sichuan • Explore Yangshuo's karst needles and Beijing and Xi'an's city sights • Hike on Mt Qingcheng and along the Great Wall Voluntary Carbon Offset £ 21.14 * Price includes tour price of £ 860and local payment of US$ 300All prices are subject to currency fluctuations £ 1015pp Land Only * adventurer Tour duration 22 days Starts SunEnds Sun Hong KongBeijing 2009 19- Apr- 0910- May- 09 10- May- 0931- May- 09 21- Jun- 0912- Jul- 09 12- Jul- 0902- Aug- 09 02- Aug- 0923- Aug- 09 13- Sep- 0904- Oct- 09 Starts SunEnds Sun Hong KongBeijing 2010 18- Apr- 1009- May- 10 09- May- 1030- May- 10 20- Jun- 1011- Jul- 10 11- Jul- 1001- Aug- 10 01- Aug- 1022- Aug- 10 12- Sep- 1003- Oct- 10 Save up to 15% on your tour - see page 243

CHINA& FAREASTCHINA 222 " A big THANK YOU to Imaginative Traveller for yet another fantastic tour and view into the life of another country. See you next year!" Doreas Gordon china & far east Japan Tokyo Takayama Empire of the Sun Kyoto Nagasaki Yufuin Mt Fuji Himeji Miyajima China BeijingGreat Wall Xi'an Kashgar Urumqi Turpan Dunhuang Jiayuguan The Silk Road The Silk Road Imaginative Facts Tour code: APSR • Activities: Extensive walking at sites, optional camel and bike rides in Dunhuang • Accommodation: 13 nights simple hotels, 4 nights hard sleeper train • Transport: Plane, public bus, private coach, day train, sleeper train, taxi • Flights: Beijing to Kashgar ( via Urumqi) • Fully Escorted: By Imaginative Traveller tour leader, services of local guides at major sites DAY 1: BEIJING- Arrival day DAY 2: BEIJING - KASHGAR- Fly west across Northern China and the Taklamakan Desert to Kashgar, a vital stopping point for traders. DAYS 3 & 4: KASHGAR- Free time to explore this remote corner of China by foot or by bicycle. The wonderful Sunday market is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in community life - join the locals for fresh dumplings and tea, watch the horse traders race their prospective animals and see the shepherds buying and selling their flocks. DAY 5: KASHGAR - TURPAN- Free morning. In the afternoon we take an overnight train to Turpan. DAYS 6 & 7: TURPAN- We arrive at Daheyan and transfer to the delightful oasis town of Turpan where we visit the atmospheric ruined cities of Gaocheng and Jiache, as well as the nearby Grape Valley where we can sample the local wines and raisins. DAY 8: URUMQI - DUNHUANG- We continue to Urumqi where we have time to visit the museum with its extraordinary collection of mummies before we catch the overnight train to Dunhuang. DAY 9: DUNHUANG- Arrive and transfer to our hotel. In the afternoon we visit the famous Mogao grottoes. DAYS 10 & 11: JIAYUGUAN - This morning we take a bus to Jiayuguan. Free time in the afternoon to explore before dinner. The following day we visit Jiayuguan Fort and the end of the Great Wall. We can take an optional camel ride before visiting the ' hanging wall'. DAY 12: JIAYUGUAN - XI'AN - Free morning with the option to visit the Weijin underground tomb. In the afternoon we catch the overnight train to Xi'an. DAYS 13 & 14: XI'AN- After arriving in Xi'an we have free time to visit the sites of this ancient capital of China. Explore the Muslim quarter and perhaps hire a bicycle and cycle along the city wall. DAY 15: XI'AN - BEIJING- A morning visit to the amazing Terracotta Warriors, dating back more than 2,000 years, and originally built to protect the Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife. In the afternoon we transfer to the station for the overnight train to Beijing. DAY 16: BEIJING- We transfer to the hotel and then visit the magnificent Forbidden City and the nearby atmospheric Tiananmen Square. The afternoon is free for further exploration of China's vibrant capital. DAY 17: BEIJING - GREAT WALL- Visit a lesser visited section of the Great Wall with an option to hike for 3- 5 hours along the crest of the wall. DAY 18: BEIJING- Tour ends. Important Note: It is very difficult to arrange onward travel from north- western China. Our tour therefore includes all internal flights in China necessary to start and finish in Beijing, for maximum convenience. Follow in ancient merchants' footsteps across Central Asia • Take the northern caravan routebetween Beijing and Kashgar • Stop at historically important towns and rub shoulders with the traders • Experience the diverse culturesof this vast region at bustling markets • Visit famed attractions such as the Forbidden City and Terracotta Warriors • Optional cycling through Xi'an and camel ride near Jiayuguan Fort Single Supplement £ 275 ( optional) Voluntary Carbon Offset £ 19.08 * Price includes tour price of £ 1199and local payment of US$ 440All prices are subject to currency fluctuations £ 1430pp Land Only * pioneer Tour duration 18 days © Imaginative Traveller © Imaginative Traveller Starts ThuEnds Sun BeijingBeijing 2009 14- May- 0931- May- 09 18- Jun- 0905- Jul- 09 10- Sep- 0927- Sep- 09 Starts ThuEnds Sun BeijingBeijing 2010 20- May- 1006- Jun- 10 24- Jun- 1011- Jul- 10 09- Sep- 1026- Sep- 10 The Great Wall of China is NOT visible from outer space - it is too thin. amazing fact ... We can also offer Extra Accommodation, Adventure Travel Insurance& Flights Save up to 15% on your tour - see page 243