Tiger Leaping Gorge cycling holiday, China
| country: | China |
| location: | Yunnan |
| trip type: | Adventurous cycling holidays |
| departures: | 2008: 13 Sep, 25 Oct, 15 Nov 2009: 14 Mar, 4 Apr, 23 May, 3 Oct, 17 Oct, 1 Nov |
| price: | From US $2075 (15 days) including domestic flights only, as per the itinerary |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Yunnan is one of China’s most ethnically fascinating and scenically stunning provinces. It is easy to understand why Yunnan leaves our travellers raving about it! Cycling the back roads you will experience the extraordinary natural wonder of Tiger Leaping Gorge, with its towering walls and dramatic beauty. You will meander along the majestic Yangtze River and kick back in the laid-back cobble stoned towns of Dali and Lijiang.
This area is the foothills of the Himalayas where snow-capped peaks, dramatic ravines and pine forest meet rural villages and rice fields. A balance of steep climbs, dizzying descents and smooth flat roads makes this trip one of our favourites.
Highlights include: Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yangtzi River, Naxi, Bai, Yi & Lisu minorities, Tibetan Plateau, hot springs, snow-capped mountains, ancient Tea Horse Caravan route, village markets and lake & river crossings.
Price details: Includes all accommodation (twin share in hotels & guesthouses), most meals & transport as per the itinerary including domestic flight Kunming to Lijiang, and cycling leader & guide. Bikes are also included in the trip cost; our specialised mountain bikes are entry-level standard with front suspension, 21 speed gears, ergonomic seat, off-road tyres, etc. Group size 1-12 people.
This area is the foothills of the Himalayas where snow-capped peaks, dramatic ravines and pine forest meet rural villages and rice fields. A balance of steep climbs, dizzying descents and smooth flat roads makes this trip one of our favourites.
Highlights include: Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yangtzi River, Naxi, Bai, Yi & Lisu minorities, Tibetan Plateau, hot springs, snow-capped mountains, ancient Tea Horse Caravan route, village markets and lake & river crossings.
Price details: Includes all accommodation (twin share in hotels & guesthouses), most meals & transport as per the itinerary including domestic flight Kunming to Lijiang, and cycling leader & guide. Bikes are also included in the trip cost; our specialised mountain bikes are entry-level standard with front suspension, 21 speed gears, ergonomic seat, off-road tyres, etc. Group size 1-12 people.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive in Kunming. |
| Day 2: | Fly to Lijiang. Afternoon in old town. |
| Day 3: | Day ride round Lashi Lake. (39km cycling) |
| Day 4: | Cycle to Bai Shui River. (54km cycling) |
| Day 5: | Cycle/Yangtse Ferry to Haba. (62km cycling) |
| Day 6: | Cycle to Tiger Leaping Gorge. (48km cycling) |
| Day 7: | Rest day at Tiger Leaping Gorge. |
| Day 8: | Cycle to Shigu. (74km cycling) |
| Day 9: | Cycle to Shaxi village. (93km cycling) |
| Day 10: | Rest day at Shaxi. |
| Day 11: | Cycle to Eryuan hot springs. (61km cycling) |
| Day 12: | Cycle to Er Lake and Dali. (53km cycling) |
| Day 13: | Free Day in Dali. |
| Day 14: | Transfer to Kunming. |
| Day 15: | Depart from Kunming. |
travellers' tales
The most memorable part of the holiday for me was staying in a beautiful old-style Chinese town, Shaxi, currently only reachable by cobblestone road. It was a complete joy to stay in a traditional Chinese house with the rooms set around a courtyard. (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
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On this cycling trip, all of our guides, drivers and mechanics are from the local area that you will be cycling through. We provide purified drinking water for the duration of the cycling component for all passengers and staff, using 20 litre, reusable water drums. This prevents you from needing to buy plastic bottles that add to landfill. We hand out a gift set of chopsticks and cover to all passengers on day one to encourage everyone to avoid using the disposable sets that are provided in many restaurants in China.
We send out trip information booklets to all passengers on our trips before the trip has started to encourage participants to start reading and learning about the country and region that you will be cycling through. Discovering new foods, dishes and flavours is an integral part of travelling, and we love to eat! For breakfast, lunch and dinner we will take you to all manner of local eating establishments, eating fresh, local produce cooked by the people who know best – the locals!  The maximum group size for these trips is 12. This helps to preserve the experience as a more personalised for you and less intimidating for locals. Our lodging in Shigu is a great example of what we prefer to utilise when possible; small, locally run guesthouses. The small guesthouse in Shigu is called the Shihong Inn, run by Ms Wang and her family. We have been using this guesthouse since 2004 and every time we return we are welcomed back like family... in addition Ms Wang and her mother are great cooks! |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |