Beijing nights, southern China and tropical beaches

Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

In the afternoon you'll take a taxi cab to Tian'anmen Square, the Gateway to Heavenly Peace (a taxi will cost approximately £1.50). There are buildings of parliament on the square as well as Mao Zhedong's Mausoleum, China's infamous one-time leader, and you'll also find the entrance of the Forbidden City here. For centuries this was the city (entrance fee approximately £6) where Chinese emperors lived in seclusion from the 'real' world and where they lead the country. While strolling through the residences of emperors stemming from the 18th century, you'll feel like you're walking through the movie 'The Last Emperor'.

In the morning the city is filled with Chinese tour groups and the city closes its gates at 16.00. If you enter the city at around 14:30 you'll have 2.5 hours to look around. You can rent an audio tour with a Roger Moore voice-over for approximately £4. There is a canal surrounding the city that is used for ice skating, sleighing and recreation in the winters. Once you've seen all you want to see, you'll catch a taxi cab to your hotel. In the evening you can kick up your heals in the Hou Hai Lake district. 

Today on your southern China itinerary you'll have a day free in Beijing. After your walk on the Great Wall of China yesterday, your muscles may be a bit stiff. If you'd like to spend the day in peace and quiet, you may want to take a taxi cab to Beihei City Park to visit one of the remaining classical Chinese gardens. You'll see Chinese doing Tai Chi, singing in groups or playing Mah-jong here. The entrance fee is  £1. If you're looking for a more active way to spend the day you can go for a walk or bike ride through Beijing's historic neighbourhoods, the hutongs.

About 40 minutes from Beijing (a taxi cab will cost you £4 - £7 depending on how much traffic is on the road) you'll find the Summer Palace which was once the Emperor's Family getaway. During the winter months many Chinese come here to ice skate over the beautiful lake. The entrance fee is 30 Yuan or 50 Yuan if you want to visit the Garden of Virtue and Harmony as well.

Head back to your hotel around 15:00 to avoid rush hour on the roads. You'll be picked up at around 17:00 and taken to the train station. We'll make reservations for a hard sleeper  in the night train to Xi'an for you. Once on board you'll find it difficult not to fall asleep to the rhythmic sound of the train rolling over the tracks.

You'll be picked up at 9:00 this morning on the southern China itinerary for a visit to one of China's most popular attractions. The Terracotta Army excavation site is located in a park about 40 minutes from the city of Xi'an. The site was discovered in 1974 by farmers. They found approximately 7000 clay soldiers, clay horses and clay chariots, which were commissioned by the then 14 year old king Zheng for his future royal tomb. 

A visit to the Warriors will take up approximately 2 hours, however including transport you'll be out half a day. At around 13.00 you'll be back in Xi'an.

Sometime in the afternoon you'll head for Xi'an airport and you'll fly to the karst mountain area in Guilin. We'll arrange for a transfer to take you straight to the Yangshuo countryside, which will take about 2 hours. During the winter the temperature is 10-15C on average and there is little precipitation. 

Today a bike tour and bamboo boat ride are on the southern China itinerary agenda. We'll arrange a bike, a boat and an English-speaking guide for you. He will tell you more about life in the area and will bike and sail along with you. You'll travel in a small group today along with other Western travellers.

The scenery here is every bit as beautiful as it is at the Li River and it features a dramatic array of karst mountains on the banks of the river. During your bike ride you'll leave the main roads and peddle over paths along the river, through farmland and rice paddies and you'll have the karst mountains as constant companions during your ride. You'll be able to stop for drinks or snacks in the small villages that you'll pass during your ride.

After biking for a while, the bamboo raft will be waiting to take you down the river. You, your guide and other boats will sail through the peaks of the karst mountains. After a few kilometres you'll get back on your bike and peddle towards the 'highlight' of this trek, Moon Hill. You can choose to climb the hill if you wish. In warm temperatures, this could be quite a strenuous climb. However the view from the top will make up for any inconvenience of getting there. Eventually when you return to your hotel you can unwind with a beer or glass of wine on the terrace.

At around 9:00 you'll be picked up and a transfer will take you north through Guilin to the Longji rice terraces. The village Ping'an is located in the middle of this area and is only accessible by foot. You'll be awaited at the end of the drive and someone will join you on the 20 minute walk to the village. If you prefer not to carry your suitcase/ backpack during the walk, you can have your baggage carried for 30 Yuan. By lunchtime you'll reach the village of 800 inhabitants.

You'll stay in a basic, well maintained guest house in the village on this Southern China itinerary. Electricity and warm water are available in the mornings and evenings. Your room will have its own private bathroom. The guest house has a large veranda where you can enjoy the view of the rice fields and mountains in the crisp clean air. In the afternoon you can walk through the village and visit the Two View Points. Along the way you're sure to encounter the Zhuang. This local minority introduced the terraced irrigation system that is used in this area about 5000 years ago.

At 9:00 you’ll take off with your guide on a walk through the world’s largest rice paddies, The Dragon's Bone or Long Ji.

Your walk will be anything but ordinary. You’ll climb and descend through marvellous scenic areas, past rivers, through wooded areas and through rice paddies where the Zhuang push their oxen through the blubber. Around lunch time you’ll have a bite to eat and you’ll rest up for a bit in the village before continuing on the two hour walk back to Ping'an. At around 15:00 a bus will take you to the end of the road to Ping'an where you'll continue walking along the short path to the village.

Spend these days as you wish; rest and relaxation are your only priorities on this island. The atmosphere here is one of 'sun, sea and surf'. There are several diving shops at the beach where you can also rent snorkelling equipment or arrange an introductory dive..... China never ceases to amaze its visitors!

If you would like to see a little more of the island during the Southern China itinerary: 5km south of Sanya lies a hilly peninsula which offers great hiking opportunities and beautiful views. Further inland lies a reserve with 1000 Guanxi monkeys. Yalong Bay lies about 20km further down the coast and is the most popular centre for tourism on the island. It has a yacht harbour, horse track and golf course. You can reach the bay by bus, taxi or by bicycle (rent a bicycle at your hotel). Head into Sanya or stay in the area around your hotel for dinner in the evenings and try some of the catch of the day. Sanya is known for its fresh fish dishes.

Day 14: Guangzhou (Canton) - UK