Itinerary

Day 1

London/Shanghai

Fly from London Heathrow non-stop to Shanghai with China Eastern.

Day 2

Shanghai

On arrival in Shanghai transfer to the 4*Lansheng Hotel for an overnight stay. Enjoy a welcome dinner tonight.  D

Day 3

Guiyang        

Fly to Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province in the south of China, for an overnight stay at the Tyang Hotel. BLD

Day 4

Anshun         

Drive to Anshun and the magnificent Huangguosho Waterfall, 225ft high and 265ft wide, and Tianxing Bridge beauty spot with its rocks, caves and water. Stay overnight at the 4*Anshun Hotel.  BLD

Day 5

Kaili

Visit the Bouyei village of Tian Long where you can see a collection of the famous local di opera masks, made of wood and brightly painted, and whose menfolk still dress as they did 600 years ago when they were first sent here as frontier troops. Watch Shiqiao villagers make decorative paper the old way from tree bark, and the women at Qingman produce cotton and silk to make clothes. Stay at the Heaven-Sent Dragon Hotel in Kaili.  BLD

Day 6

Xijiang

A visit to the Minorities Culture Museum serves as a good introduction to the customs, costumes, domestic life, crafts and festivals of the various minorities of the region, such as those of the Gejia people of Matang Village whose womenfolk are highly skilled at batik and petit point, and which we visit later. Also walk around the upper and lower Jidao Miao villages to see their waterwheels, stilt houses and the distinctive long-skirted costumes of the women. Continue to Xijiang Village, the largest Miao Village of the region of around 1,200 typical wooden houses on stilts to stay two nights at the Hotel in the Clouds.  BLD

Day 7

Xijiang

Spend the day amidst wonderful scenery and rural charms of daily life in this authentic Miao Village. The wooden houses of Xijiang sprawl up two hillsides in the White Water River valley in the foothills of Leigong Mountain, surrounded by terraced fields and fantastic views. Watch the farmers head off to work with their shoulder poles and buffalo, see the women display their famous cross-stitch embroidery, batik and silver headdresses in distinctive designs. Later enjoy a performance by the local Miao of their traditional music and dance. BLD

Day 8

Rongjiang

Today explore the home of the God of Thunder at Leigong Mountain, 7,150ft high, its slopes scattered with Shui and Miao villages. Also see the Shui villagers making bamboo musical flute-like pipes called lusheng – they are well known for their love of music, dance and song. After admiring the surprising mini-skirts of the women of Datang we approach Rongjiang where we stay at the Dongxiangmi Hotel.  BLD

Day 9

Zhaoxing

A scenic riverside drive to Basha Miao village, isolated and almost untouched by the modern world. The men have shaved heads except for a long ponytail at the top of their head twisted into a topknot, carry knives and guns, and their embroidered coat tails display how many girls’ hearts they have won. Continue to Gaozeng Dong village where the girls adorn themselves with huge pieces of silver jewellery, then on to Zhaoxing to stay two nights at the Zhaoxing Hotel. BLD

Day 10

Zhaoxing       

All Dong villages have at least one Drum Tower which serves as  watchtower and community hall, but Zhaoxing has five, one for each clan, and there are also five covered bridges known as Wind-and-Rain Bridges, and these are covered in paintings of folk tales, animals and daily life. Spend the day exploring Zhaoxing. BLD

Day 11

Sanjiang

Drive to Sanjiang in neighbouring Guangxi province, on the way seeing the region’s famous 100-year-old wind-and-rain bridge which is a beautiful piece of architecture - its five pavilions are supported by five stone pillars and connected by roofed corridors with sweeping eaves, and the entire 250ft-long bridge is made of wood with no nails. See Sanjiang’s other fine building, the 155ft high pyramid-like Drum Tower and stay at the Fengyuqiao International Hotel. BLD

Day 12

Longji

Admire photogenic Gaoding Dong village which is off the beaten track, visit the Temple of the Three Kings, Sangwanggong, and Batuan’s wind-and-rain bridge that uniquely has one aisle for people and another for livestock. Drive onwards to the Dragon’s Backbone Mountains at Longji and stay at Star Wish Resort for two nights. BLD

Day 13

Longji

There being no flat land to farm in this region, the local Zhuang and Yao people had to create their own, and so 800 years ago they started carving these mountains into ribbons of rice terraces that coil around the contours of the steep slopes. There are now over 16,300 acres of rice terraces and today walk through some of them to picturesque Ping’An village. BLD

Day 14

Guilin

Drive to Guilin and climb Yao Mountain along a path lined with temples and statues for fantastic views of the karst mountains that rise steeply from the river valley below. Also visit a local tea plantation and stay overnight at the Guilin Bravo Hotel.  BLD

Day 15

Yangshou

Morning cruise along the Li River to Yangshuo through breathtakingly-lovely scenery.  Time for last-minute shopping at Yangshuo’s handicrafts market before a spectacular son et lumiere show with the 600-strong cast on rafts on the river. Stay two nights at the 5*Yangshuo Resort.  BLD

Day 16

Yangshou

A day to enjoy a gentle bicycle ride along the lovely Yulong River and to drift through poetic landscapes on a bamboo raft.  BLD

Day 17

Shanghai

Visit Silver Cave inside a karst mountain where bizarrely-shaped stalagmites and stalagtites are likened to mythical beasts and dramatically illuminated. Drive back to Guilin and fly to Shanghai, for a final night at the Lansheng Hotel.  BLD

Day 18

Shanghai /  London

Fly to non-stop from Shanghai to London Heathrow. B