Earlier this week, The New York Times posted “The 45 Places to Go in 2012.” Everyone at WildChina was excited to see that Lhasa, Tibet (#9) and Moganshan, a village outside of Shanghai (#18),  made the list!

Even if you have not yet traveled to Lhasa (which you should), mental images of dramatic Himalayan peaks, devout Buddhist worshipers and piercing blue skies immediately spring to mind.  If you have traveled to this wild part of the world, I am sure you can remember your first savory bite of a yak dumpling, known in Tibetan as momo. Yum.

Tibetans Kora around Jokang Temple, Lhasa

In recent years, large luxury hotel players such as St. Regis Lhasa have entered the Tibetan landscape and the InterContinental Resort Lhasa Paradise and the 284-room Shangri-La are set to follow in 2013. We will make sure to keep you posted on who has the best breakfast…

Exterior Villa - The Resa Mansion

Those less familiar with China may scrunch up their eyebrows and say, “Moganshan? What’s that like?”

Naked Stables in Moganshan, three hours away from Shanghai

A quick three hour zip out of Shanghai, Monganshan is a fantastic getaway from city living.  For guests who are already in the area, we often suggest including a restorative and romantic stay in Moganshan– especially while on WildChina’s Chinese Classical Gardens, a trip that winds through Suzhou, Wuzhen and other beautiful water towns along the Grand Canal.

Whether your 2012 travel plans include Lhasa or Moganshan, you cannot go wrong!

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For more information on traveling to Moganshan and/or Lhasa, please contact info@wildchina.com

2nd photo by St. Regis Lhasa, 3rd photo by Naked Stables

Whether your goals for the Year of the Dragon are to eat your way through China through China for Foodies or to take the most memorable family vacation yet, WildChina can help plan your journey. Highlights for the new year include new small group programs that feature intimate groups of just 16 travelers, with a dedicated WildChina Tour Director throughout the journey.

Experience Taiwan's Eastern Coast, a short trip away from bustling Taipei

WildChina will shortly be launching some exciting cross-border trips. Stay tuned for a trip that travels from Guizhou in southern China into lush northern Vietnam as well as a trip that travels overland from Mongolia’s grasslands into China’s capital city.

Mongolian Grasslands

Everyone at WildChina is anticipating that Yunnan will be one of our most sought after travel destinations.  What we like about Yunnan is that there a bit of something for everyone. You are an avid hiker looking for a change of pace and a challenge? Take a look at Tibetan style trekking in Abujee. Looking to travel on an ancient trade route to deepen your knowledge of tea? You will definitely drool over Tea & Horse Caravan. And our friends over at Travel + Leisure agree that Xishuangbanna is definitely one of the Hottest Travel Destinations of 2012.

Hiking in Southwest Yunnan in the Abujee region

We look forward to sharing another exciting year with you.  From everyone at WildChina, hope 2012 is off to a great start!

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As the holiday season is upon us, WildChina compiled a short-list of our favorite finds.  We hope you enjoy….

10: Everyone at WildChina loves sitting down with a steaming cup of  Pu’er tea in the afternoon for a quick re-charge session.  Newly-launched Jalam Tea Company is a great start-up to support and their tea is top-notch.  Highly recommend for any tea lovers out there.

9. Ezra Vogel’s recent book,  Deng Xiaoping and The Transformation of China, is not a short book coming in at over 800 pages, but it is definitely a gift we would love to see wrapped under the Christmas tree.  We know this book will be a great reference for years.

8.  We. love. this. bag.  It is the perfect travel bag.  MZ Wallace bags are durable, yet maintain an urban and effortless chic look.  Whether dining out in a swish new restaurant or doing a long-haul transit on an overnight train, this bag holds up.

7. Lost and Found, a Beijing based homeware store, has cheerful and colorful thermos that brighten up any winter day.  We hope to find one of these tucked in our stockings this year to be filled with hot chocolate.

6. Made in Mongolia produces just about the best slipper to pitter-patter around the house in. MIM has a beautiful range of handcrafted fair-trade felt products which use 100% natural Mongolian wool.  Their ethically produced fashion and home accessories combine the beauty of contemporary design with the timeless qualities of traditional Mongolian felting and embroidery.

5. Every once in a while it is good to escape reality,  and we can think of no better way of doing that than with a hotel staycation. This can easily be accomplished at The Peninsula Shanghai, arguably one of China’s yummiest hotels.  For something a bit more off the beaten path, WildChina also recommends a quick getaway to The Jing’s Residence in Pingyao to take in some of China’s ancient culture.

4. The holidays are not all about self-indulgence and WildChina likes to give back.  One of our favorite is Friends of Nature, China’s first environmental organization.

3.  UCCA, one of our favorite places to soak in some art and culture in Beijing, their online gift store has one of the best collections of China design.  From funky tee-shirts to great posters, any art lover would be over the moon to have a unique treasure from here.

2. We have our eyes on a big trip to Tibet this year.  For family travel, a journey to Tibet’s classic sites ranks high, while adventure travelers should head to Mt. Kailash for an unforgettable experience.

1. Luxurious cashmere scarves rank high on our most-wanted list, and Woo Scarves is a great place to find gifts.  We have our eye on this little number which can be picked up online or in boutiques throughout Beijing and Shanghai.

WildChina’s D.C. office will be closed Wednesday, November 23-Friday, November 25th for Thanksgiving. The Beijing & Vancouver offices will be open and ready to answer any of your travel questions. Now is the time to begin planning your travels in 2012!

To contact us, info@wildchina.com.

Happy Thanksgiving!

1. Beijing’s got blue sky. Here’s the proof below.

2. Milk delivery and bill collection. My door bell rang at 5:40am this morning, I stumbled out of bed to peek through the keyhole, aha, it’s the milk delivery man. I opened the door, and said, “That’s an early delivery.”. He said, “yes, but I am also here to collect payment!”. “how much?” I asked. “RMB 840.” (USD 130) How was I supposed to have that much cash at this ungodly hour? “I’ll pay you next week.” “OK” he said, and I closed the door behind me, and went back to bed. I love the fact that I can get everything delivered at no extra charge, but what happened to online payment? Nope, it’s all cash upon delivery, at any hour of the day!

3. A permanent conversation topic – food safety It’s a safe conversation starter with any parents in China. where do you source healthy food items? Where do you buy chicken, celery, or milk. Yes, the supermarket is stocked full with large varieties of these, but no one really trusts them. So, we searched, and found, Wonder milk (full or low fat), they don’t make them in skim or in cartons larger than half a quart. Apparently, the organic chicken should come from BHG supertmarket. I had some super sweet chestnuts the other day, and wondered if they soaked the nuts in artificial sweetner ahead of time. Eat, but keep on questioning.

4. A well thought through road sign. This is the sign that’s in front of our apartment. My son discovered it. Whoever made this sign gave it a lot of thoughts, and decided to lay out the letters from left to right to match the direction the sign was pointing to. Genius!

5. Every Chinese is traveling the world. Went back home in Yunnan the other day, and my aunt told me that she was going on a leisure trip to Dubai! She’s usually a good parameter on where the hot destinations are. A selection of a few places she went in the past 5 years: America, 新马泰 (Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand on one trip.), Japan, 欧洲10国 （10 European countries), and Russia. I have no doubt she’ll be headed towards the Maldives, and Maritius soon. By the way, the 7 day Dubai, air inclusive journey costs around RMB 7000. (USD 1100).

6. The automated verification process on Chinese internet. Usually, on craigslist, you are asked to key in a few jumbled letters to verify that you are a human, not a machine. In China, the process requires higher level of intelligence. For example, 16+20=?, please type in two numbers that’s the answer to this equation. Example two, what’s the capital city of Russia: please input 3 characters to answer this question. (莫斯科 is the right answer)。

6. Kids study hard. “Ayi, it only takes me two hours to complete my homework!” a nine year old boy told me proudly. I had to ask his parents to make sure that I heard him right. “Yes, it takes other kids 3-4 hours to do homework, so he’s very proud!”. WOW, how are the American kids going to catch up?

Traveling China’s ancient Silk Road in Xinjiang just became much easier thanks to the opening of a new passenger train that connects Hotan (in Southern Xinjiang), Kashgar (located near the borders of Kyrgyzstan & Tajikistan), and Urumqi (the capital of the region). Covering railway spanning 2,073 km, the journey from Hotan to Urumqi takes approximately 35 hours. The rail is expected to expand tourism, agriculture, and mining in the region.

Explore the Xinjiang’s natural and cultural beauty this October. Join WildChina and leading British photography, Sean Gallagher, in our Xinjiang Photography Expedition Trip as we traverse the sandy regions, snow covered mountains, and discover the colorful Uigher costumes of China’s wild west.  Sean will lead his group through the old town of Kashgar and century old bazaars where you’ll see the area’s unique Uighur culture and geographical diversity using your photographer’s eye. The journey starts and ends in Urumqi.

To begin planning your journey to Xinjiang, please submit an inquiry here or e-mail us at info@wildchina.com.

Source: Travel + Leisure

Unfortunate travel news out of Tibet: foreign travelers are not being allowed into Tibet this month and no clear timetable for when they will be allowed back into the region has been given.

The AFP received this news from the Xizang Tourist General Company as shown here. The most recent block on foreign travelers comes on the third anniversary of the pre-Olympic anti-government riots that took place in Lhasa and other Tibetan regions in March 2008. Foreign travelers were kept out of Tibet for a year after the riots.

Given the already substantial logistical challenges of planning a journey to Tibet, unclear government policies are enough to make some travelers give up on their dreams of traveling to the ‘roof of the world’ to experience its breathtaking landscapes and understand its people.

But there is more to “Tibet” than what is contained by the autonomous region called Tibet. Northwest Yunnan, western Sichuan and much of Qinghai are historically, physically and culturally part of what was once the kingdom of Tibet and is now occasionally referred to as ‘Greater Tibet’.

Traditional Tibetan lifestyles can still be viewed in destinations such as Shangri-la, Kangding and Yushu, and the sacred snow-capped peaks of Meili and Minya Gongga rival all but a handful of the mountains found within Tibet proper in terms of altitude or awe-inspiring size. Yunnan – especially our award-winning Songtsam Circuit – and Sichuan not only have beautiful and authentic Tibetan regions, they are also home to a mindblowing variety of topography, climate and cultures.

If you are planning a China trip and want to include a Tibetan experience, keep in mind that what is commonly thought of as “Tibet” extends well beyond the borders of the area that is currently off-limits. For more information about how to visit genuinely Tibetan destinations not covered by the ban, contact us today.

In the next few years, much of China’s rail network will be converted to high-speed rail, allowing travelers and goods to move around the country at unprecedented speeds. Today China took one more step toward its high-speed rail dreams.

China’s newest high-speed rail line, which connects Shanghai with Hangzhou, was unveiled today. Now in less than one hour, one can travel from bustling Shanghai to Hangzhou’s teashops and silk stores, not to mention beautiful West Lake.

Trains left this morning from Hongqiao in western Shanghai for Hangzhou, a substantial 126 miles (200 km) away. Within 45 minutes, the trains completed their journeys, which previously took twice as long.

Some high-speed rail lines, such as the ones connecting Guangzhou with Wuhan and Chengdu with Chongqing, are already in operation. But there are many more to come.

China is planning on having 42 high-speed rail lines totaling 10,000 miles (13,000 km) in use by 2012. One of the biggest lines to be completed in that time is the 824-mile (1,318 km) line that will link Beijing with Shanghai. The line will reduce the trip between the two cities from 10 hours to five hours

There are other even more ambitious projects underway, including a high-speed line between Shanghai and Kunming in southwestern China. The new rail link, scheduled for completion by 2015, will cut travel time from the current 37 hours to less than nine hours.

If you’re considering a WildChina journey including travel between Shanghai and Hangzhou, let us know if you would prefer the convenience of high-speed rail.

Speedy and scenic – and without the hassles of air travel – this is one of the coolest ways to get around China. Watch this space for new lines as they become operational.

Image: hangzhou.aliyeye.com

After having wreaked havoc in the Philippines, where it killed 11 people, Typhoon Megi is headed for Hong Kong and mainland China.

Megi is expected to touch down on Hong Kong this Friday, October 22^nd, or on the following day. Wind speeds at the storm’s center are estimated at around 52 meters per second.

Hong Kong is expected to bear the brunt of the storm in China, but the provinces of Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan are also preparing to be hit by Megi’s powerful winds and heavy rains.

It is believed that Megi will be the strongest storm to hit China all year. Travelers planning on visiting Hong Kong this weekend are encouraged to reconsider their itineraries.

In the meantime, China is taking serious precautions before the storm hits and has suspended train services in Hainan and Guangdong.

WildChina urges all travelers in the region to be cautious and put their own personal safety first. For up-to-the-minute updates on Typhoon Megi, visit the Hong Kong Observatory website.

Megi Satellite Image: dailymail.co.uk

This past week, China Daily reported that Beijing’s rescue team, “Luye,” responded to four emergency calls during the week-long October Holiday alone – all from travelers who needed assistance in remote areas outside of the city proper.

As, according to the article, this and similar teams received only 9 similar calls for all of 2009, what is causing this rising trend in travel emergencies?

Luye head Lu Zhonghong attributed the increase to lesser-known spots preferred by travelers and lack of know-how, saying, ”Most people who get into trouble those days are travelers without professional knowledge and the equipment they need to hike.”

Though “people increasingly prefer to travel in undeveloped areas and in the mountains around the city,”  he said “it can be very dangerous to climb such peaks, especially when people are not familiar with the terrain.”

We’re strong proponents of off-the-beaten-path travel in China – but, safety is also our first priority. Here are our tips for experiencing China’s unique sites without ending up lost, injured, or worse:

1. Choose your destination wisely: Adventure is one thing; danger is another. Research destinations carefully, because someone’s definition of “difficult” might be your idea of certainly unsafe. Consult travel operators, travel review websites, and other travelers.
2. Explore with an expert: Just because you’re a good adventurer doesn’t necessarily mean you can navigate unknown terrain without a local guide. Do your research and make sure that you are traveling with a well-trained, experienced guide who can knows the area, terrain, and routes like the back of his or her hand. (We know plenty – just ask.)
3. Off-road during the off-peak: Holiday periods in China are notorious for logistical issues that may cause delays and cancellations. If you are traveling remotely during a Golden Week or other popular travel period, emergency services may not be able to act as swiftly on your behalf. Choose a time to adventure when rescue teams, hospitals, and police will be less busy.
4. Have connections handy: If you’ve traveled China extensively or live in the country, you might not want a guide to take you beyond the tourist hubs. In that case, make sure that you have plenty of local contacts whom you can call or find in the event of an emergency. Information for friends’ families, local hotel / lodge owners, and regional emergency hotlines should be on hand at all times.
5. And, of course, do not travel alone.