Top Travel Leads

Few places on the Earth remain truly off the beaten path – a pilgrimage trek into the heart of the Salween and Mekong watershed is one of them. At the center of this journey is a 14-day Kora around the snow-capped peak of Mt. Khawakarpo (6,740m), revered throughout the Tibetan realm as far east as Ladakh, the Little Tibet of India.

Associated with Tibetan Buddhism’s saint-magician Padmasambhava, the mountain stands at the watershed region of the Mekong, Salween and Yangtze rivers in the southern tip of the Tibetan plateau in an area with the highest biodiversity in the world. This trip not only provides a rare insight into the life and culture of the Tibetans in southern Kham but above all inspires one wanting to pursue exploring more of this remote region bordering northern Burma, northwestern Yunnan, southern Kham and western Sichuan, as it were the waterways of these mighty rivers that mankind followed in ancient past downstream, to heart of China and south-east Asia, and from there into the Philippine and Indonesian archipelago and elsewhere from there.

Over the months to come I hope to weave a picture blending the cultural diversity and natural riches of remote and lesser-known places of the world that should be on one’s must see list, certainly before it’s too late and they too may vanish under the cloud of globalization and uniformity. On the one hand I hope to inspire one to travel, on the other by possibly alerting one to opportunities one may find in and about in whatever the part of the world in general, one may get roused to reinvent oneself overseas.

Thailand holiday offers

Most tour operators in the United States offer pretty much the same sites following the same routes, and thus most first time visitors to China either book a tour starting from Beijing and ending in Shanghai, or the other way around, which almost always will include Xian and sometimes Guilin. But a more unique option is to pick as a China tour starting point a city other than one of the two eastern seaboard giants. There are convenient flights to China’s west, namely to Chengdu, which other than being a jumping off point for entry into Tibet is a great starting point for numerous cross-China routes any which way one can look. One of those routes to consider is in southeasterly direction, from Chengdu traversing heartland of China and ending in Guilin. In between these two points one can include cruise on the Yangtze River, visit the ancient market towns of Fenghuang and Zhenyuan, the Dong and Yao villages of mountainous southwest Guizhou, then hike the Dragon’s Backbone terraces of Longsheng, before reaching the legendary karst formations of Guilin and Yangshuo.

It has only been open for relatively a short time but the Nujiang Valley is a true gem destination. The valley parallels Myanmar’s border, in extreme northwestern corner of Yunnan in southwestern China. The river that has carved this gorge, the Nu River, becomes the mighty Salween that forms the border between Thailand and Myanmar. If you have inkling for remote corners and may seek the lesser-visited regions of China, Nujiang Valley is your destination.

Venturing to China’s west, to Chengdu and Sichuan Province is usually either to transit to Tibet or to see the pandas at the Wolong Nature Reserve. But there is far more to see around Chengdu - one can venture out to Leshan, Mt. Emei and Dazu, but that is only the beginning to all the possibilities that include visiting nature reserves, remote lakes and mountains. Great itineraries to undertake are from Chengdu to Yunnan via Litang, Daocheng to Zhongdian, trips to Huanglong National Park, Moxi and Hailuogou National Park, Jiuzhaigou Reserve, hiking Balang and Hulu Hai, Rhinoceros, Potted, Grass & Mirror Lakes, hiking Mt. Gongga, Buchu La, Yulongxi La, and through Yilong Chu Valley. Become a seasoned China traveler, learn more about tours and itineraries through the remote Sichuan Province of China.

If you’re searching for the mythical Himalayan Shangri La, akin to what James Hilton described in his novel Lost Paradise, you have to journey up to Zhongdian in northern Yunnan, at the crossroads leading to Sichuan and Tibet. But Zhongdian’s Tibetan-style old town and local market is only part of the highlights of Yunnan. Before you reach Zhongdian you’ll be mesmerized by Dali, the capital of ancient Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms, and home of the Bai minority group. Next you’ll marvel at the breathtaking Lijiang, the home of the Naxi ethnic minority and splendid culture, with their unique traditions, architecture and clothing. China Yunnan tour through exotic southern landscapes of China, Lijiang and Mythical Shangri-La of Zhongdian should not be missed!