April 2009

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On the Road: Pudacuo National Park, Yunnan

April 30, 2009 in On the Road by Emma | No comments

When I spoke to my colleague Jia Liming on the phone last night, she could hardly contain the excitement she felt after visiting Pudacuo National Park in Yunnan’s Shangri-La County. “It’s amazing,” she gushed. “It used to be completely degraded and messy, and now it’s this pristinely beautiful place.”

Jia is currently leading a trip of guests through Yunnan. With a focus on learning more about China’s glaciers and the hidden ethnic minorities in this province, Jia’s trip will take her and our WildChina guests to some of Yunnan’s most spectacular and for some, endangered, sites. Read the rest of this entry »

WildChina in National Geographic Traveler: Tours of a Lifetime

April 23, 2009 in In the News by Emma | No comments

WildChina is proud to be featured in the latest issue of National Geographic Traveler in their “Tours of a Lifetime” article. One of our most interesting journeys, “Old Country Living: Wandering the Rustic Landscapes of Guizhou and Guangxi” was picked for its unique blend of culture, adventure, and off-the-beaten-path travel. From the site:

Cut off from the rest of the country by rugged mountains, the southern provinces of Guangxi and Guizhou are largely unspoiled—tranquil lakes, jagged karst peaks. The region is home to many minority groups, many of whom still wear traditional dress and work at cormorant fishing and papermaking. You’ll stay in a series of rural homes. The Beijing-based operator works with villages to ensure that tourism doesn’t harm the community. One Guizhou village, for instance, closes itself to travelers three months each year to help maintain their traditional routines. Wild China: “Old Country Living: Wandering the Rustic Landscapes of Guangxi and Guizhou, China,”

Thanks National Geographic Traveler! We’re glad to be picked for such a wonderful distinction.

Interested in this trip? Email us at info@wildchina.com.

What We’re Reading: NatGeo in Shangri-La

April 17, 2009 in In the News by Anita | No comments

Yunnan continues to be an inspiration for interesting commentary, with National Geographic’s May 2009 issue featuring a piece on Shangri-la (Zhongdian). Mark Jenkins explores this “complicated” and “confounding” Tibetan town in southwest China and the competing visions for its future. Will tourism and development invariably lead this area to lose all of its mythical and spiritual qualities?

As Jenkins notes, “tourism saved the place” after the Chinese government banned commercial logging in 1998; but that, in turn, has led to the commercialization of Tibetan culture. This trend — seen in many other hidden gems in the developing world — is certainly troubling. But as travelers, that doesn’t automatically mean we should stop visiting such places, which still have a lot to teach us about traditional lifestyles and choices.

Read the rest of this entry »

What We’re Reading: NYTimes Goes to Yunnan

April 14, 2009 in In the News, On the Road by Emma | No comments

New York Times reporter Edward Wong unknowingly traced WildChina’s first-ever trip in the piece he recently wrote for the Sunday Travel section. Edward travels throughout Yunnan, from the valley of the Mekong River, (called the Lancang in Yunnan), to the secluded Tibetan village of Lower Yubeng, then to several sacred sites including Mystic Lake and Mystic Waterfall.

Mt. Yubeng

Mt. Yubeng in Yunnan

The journey he takes is a beautiful one that visits sites sacred to Tibetans. Buddhists arriving at the Mystical Falls  circumambulate them 13 times with the belief that this act will accumulate merit.

In WildChina’s early years we ran this trip quite often, and promoted it heavily to guests interested in hiking, nature and Tibetan culture. In the past few years we’ve stopped visiting so much because the region has become quite touristy and lost some of its natural charm and secluded appeal. Read the rest of this entry »

Tibet Open to Travelers

April 9, 2009 in Travel Tips by Emma | No comments

Tibet has opened its doors to foreign travelers once again after a largely uneventful winter. Here at WildChina, we’re ecstatic to once again be able to help people visit this spectacularly beautiful, deeply spiritual, and incredibly impressive land.

Sunset in Tibet

Sunset in Tibet

My WildChina colleagues Jia Liming, Paul Moreno, and I (Emma Starks) were recently on CCTV9’s Up Close talking about why we love traveling in Tibet, and giving our suggestions and tips for those who are planning a trip to the roof of the world. It was a really fun experience for us, and (hopefully!) helpful for people planning a visit.

Join us on the roof of the world for a 9-day journey through Tibet.

Departing June 14 and September 13.