Luxury China tour with Yangtze river cruise

Planet

China’s environmental problems are well-documented. As such, we try to ensure that all elements of the itinerary take responsible tourism seriously and into practice.

The visit to the Great Wall at the Jinshaling Pass aims to avoid the crowds and explore one of the best-preserved parts of the wall, helping to minimise the damage done by mass tourism.

In Shanghai, all hotels have been banned from providing disposable items, including toothbrushes and combs, unless guests specifically ask for them. This is in a bid to reduce the amount of one-use plastic being used, and is something we would encourage our clients to consider.

The itinerary also incorporates overland transfers where possible. Clients will for example, enjoy a journey on the bullet-train from Beijing to Xi’an – the most environmentally friendly means of travelling across China and a superb chance to witness swathes of the country’s rural interior.

People

Throughout the trip we use local guides, drivers and craftsmen to encourage a connection with the culture and people of China. This also means that locals receive visitors and money directly, which ensures the provision of future employment for these communities.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the private cookery lesson in Beijing, where clients can sit down with a local chef and discuss culinary practices, traditions and of course the banquet at hand! Similarly in Xi’an, the street food tour of the Muslim Quarter offers clients the chance to sample food directly from the hawkers.

During the itinerary, there is also plenty of scope to visit authentic rural communities, most notably in the farming villages of Xi’an’s surrounding plateau. During the luxurious Yangtze cruise, there is also the opportunity to visit a traditional trackers village. For these especially localised, off-the-beaten track excursions, our guides are paid a fair, competitive wage, and we also seek to provide a continuous stream of feedback to help them improve their service.

Responsible travel in China also hinges on showing respect for traditional values. We encourage all our clients to delve into the customs of China. Before departing, we brief our clients with cultural information and etiquette tips to help facilitate interactions with local people. We also provide a linguistic guide with useful phrases; showing even a basic understanding of Mandarin – the official language of China – will draw smiles and appreciation from local people, helping to immerse our clients further into the communities they visit.