The Silk Road Image

Trip type: PhotographyDestination: Gansu, XinjiangDuration: 14 daysHighlights: History,culture and landscape along the Silk Road

Best time to go: April to November

Year	Departure Date	Availability	Book
2011	On Request	Spaces

·                              Trip Overview

·                              Dates & Pricing

·                              Detailed Itinerary

The Silk Road, a great transcontinental route linking the Roman Empire in the West with empire of China in the East, retains its charm to both the Chinese and Westerners. The eastern starting point of the route was at Chang'an (the ancient name of Xi'an), the capital of the Tang Dynasty, through the Yellow River valley via Lanzhou, it then extended westward along the deserts and mountains before dividing into three routes at the oasis of Dunhuang. In ancient times, the route attached merchants from Europe and China to trade gold, tea, porcelain, spices, jade, ivory and above all silk; which is where of course the Silk Road gets its name. Today, the Silk Road is no longer a popular means of trading silk but the long history, diverse cultures, valuable relics, and brilliant art offers us an unforgettable trip.

Note: The price would be varied based on the difference of accommodations and group size. Please kindly contact us at

for details.
 Includes:

·                              Domestic flights as in itinerary

·                              Airport tax for the relative flights

·                              English speaking tour guide service

·                              Nice vehicle with AC on the entire trip as in itinerary

·                              Accommodations as in itinerary

·                              Admission fee to scenic sites as in itinerary

·                              All meals included, soft drinks on meals

·                              Domestic travel insurance 

 Excludes:

·                              Gratuities to the tour guide and driver

·                              National escort service

·                              Alcohol drinks

·                              Personal telecommunication/laundry charges.

·                              Excursions not included in the itinerary

·                              International Travel insurance

·                              International flights and airport taxes

·                              Expenses of personal nature, e.g. mini bar, phone calls

The above detailed itinerary is what we commonly operate.
Meanwhile, the itinerary can be tailored to meet your requirements.
So, please kindly send us your further requirements at

kentraveldesign@gmail.com

 

Day 1 Arrive Beijing
Today we arrive in Beijing and transfer to the hotel. Our trip orientation will be conducted over a Peking Duck welcome dinner.
Overnight hotel in Beijing

Day 2 Beijing to Dunhuang
In the morning we fly to Dunhuang, known as the City of the Sands, a former hub of the ancient Silk Road, perched on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert, one of the world's largest deserts. We visit the Mingsha Sand Dunes, the Crescent Moon Lake and enjoy a spectacular view of a green oasis surrounded by an endless desert landscape. We photograph the sunset from Mogao Cave. At night, we explore the Shazhou Night Market and get a taste of local life in Dunhuang.
Overnight Dunhuang

Day 3 Dunhuang to Jiayuguan
In the morning we visit the Mogao Caves, whose 492 caves featuring 450,000 square feet of murals date from the fourth to the fourteenth centuries. The caves were abandoned in the fourteenth century and lay untouched until the beginning of the twentieth century.
In the afternoon, we drive to the Jiayuguan Great Wall. Construction of the Great Wall began here during the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) and Warring States period (475-221 BC) by the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Later dynasties from the Han (206 BC-AD 220) to the Ming (1368-1644) kept building and improving the wall, extending it more than 1,000 kilometres. It lies right on the desert, providing photographers with a fantastic subject to capture.
Overnight Jiayuguan Hotel

Day 4 Jiayuguan/Train
After we photograph the sun rising over the Jiayuguan Great Wall, we explore the area around Jiayuguan and visit the Great Wall museum. In the afternoon, we drive to the railway station and catch an overnight train to Turpan.
Overnight on train and in Turpan

Day 5 Train to Turpan
Turpan is a town built by an oasis in the Turpan depression in east Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is an agricultural center producing cotton, textiles, silk, wheat, grapes, dried fruit, and wine. Turpan is the largest town in the Turpan depression, the lowest point (505 ft/154 m below sea level) in China. In the past (A.D. 200-400), the depression was the center of a flourishing civilization in which Indian and Persian influences were combined with local culture.
Today, we will visit the ruins of the ancient city of Jiaohe and the Bezeklik cave temples.
Overnight hotel

Day 6 Turpan to the Heavenly Lake
After a leisurely morning, we drive from Turpan to Urumqi where we have lunch and then drive 4.5 hours (350 km) to Heavenly Lake for sunset photography. Heavenly Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in far western China and really worth staying at overnight.
Overnight Heavenly Lake Hotel

Day 7-8 Heavenly Lake to Kucha
After photographic the sunrise at Heavenly Lake, we drive back to Urumqi for the afternoon flight to Kucha, a quaint oasis town that was once the centre of a Buddhist civilization in the Tare Basin.
We will tour Kizilya and the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves, both are truly worth the visit.
Overnight hotel in Kucha

Day 9-10 Taklimakan Desert
We drive 5.5 hours (380 km) from Kucha to Tazhong (Minfeng area) and photograph the Taklimakan Desert as the sun sets. The next morning we shoot the sunrise over the Taklimakan Desert and then drive to Khotan on the expressway before taking the chance to photograph the sights around town, including markets and a mosque. Khotan was an important supplier of jade, silk, and carpets on the Silk Road for centuries.
Overnight hotel in Khotan

Day 11 Khotan to Kashgar
We wake up early and start traveling across the desert to Kashgar via Shache and Yecheng, visiting Zawa town en-route for the wonderful local bazaars. The road to Kashgar is lined with many small oasis towns and occasionally we stop to visit the local mosques and bazaars. For example Yarkand (Shache), once had a larger bazaar than Kashgar and today retains the quaint atmosphere of a small trading town. In the late afternoon, we arrive at Kashgar.
Overnight Kashgar
 Day 12 Kashgar to Kalakuli Lake
We photograph the Sunday morning bazaar, a massive gathering of farmers and merchants from across the area. This colorful and lively market provides a great opportunity to pick up some of the Silk Road's most interesting souvenirs including hand made leather boots, traditional musical instruments and bags of fresh spices. We then drive to Lake Kalakuli (3600 metres ASL) for sunset photography of the lake and mountain.
Overnight yurt

Day 13 Kalakuli Lake to Urumqi via Kashgar
As the sun rises we take photographs by the lake, then head back downtown for a chance to capture the Id Kah Great Mosque. Kashgar is the heart of Islam within China and the Id Kah Mosque, the largest in mosque in China is really worth a visit. It attracts up to 10,000 worshippers for Friday prayers.
In the evening, we take a flight back to Urumqi after our farewell dinner.
Overnight Urumqi

Day 14 Depart Urumqi
We take the morning flight out of Urumqi
Trip ends.

Inner Mongolia Shadow of the wind

Trip type: Featured TripDestinations: Inner Mongolia; HebeiDuration: 7 days
Features: grassland, natural reserves, horse riding & overland drive, ChengdeBest time to go: May to September

Year	Departure Date	Availability	Book
2011	On Request	Spaces

·                              Trip Overview

·                              Dates & Pricing

·                              Detailed Itinerary

Bordering the Republic of Mongolia and Russia, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is the widest province by its latitude in China. It is over 1.1 million square kilometers or 424,736 square miles, making it the third largest Chinese province next to Xinjiang and Tibet. Much like the aforementioned provinces, it is not very populated despite its vast size. It is the home to the Mongolian, Daur, Oroqen, Ewenki, Hui, Han, Korean and Manchu peoples. It is the home town of Genghis Khan (1162-1227), the great leader of Mongolians. This trip is an overland trip to central Inner Mongolia from Beijing. We will drive through the Huitenghot grassland which is the most spectacular grassland in China and visit Xanadu, the capital of the Yuan dynasty on the grassland, the national park around it and then the Summer Resort in Chengde.
Land Cost:

For group of 10 persons, USD950 per perosn, on twin sharing basis;

For group of 6-9 persons, USD1070 per perosn, on twin sharing basis;

For group of 2-5 persons, RMB7,500 or USD1,100 per perosn, on twin sharing basis;

Airfare: RMB550 per person

Includes:

·                              Flight from Chifeng to Beijing, economy seat with tax

·                              Land transfers of a  Van with 11 seats for whole trip.

·                              Accommodations of family suite (with extra beds) or a yurt could hold a family of 4 persons. In some Binguan, if no family suite available, we arrange 2 twin rooms. as on itinerary

·                              All admissions and activity expenses as noted on itinerary

·                              Meals as on the itinerary

·                              Bottle Water for drink & snacks

·                              Mandarine Speaking guide along the entire trip

·                              Local guide when necessary

·                              Programs as per itinerary, as Horse Riding, 4wd vehicle drive (in Mulanweichang), archery, fishing, camel carriage riding

·                              Personal Travel Accident Insurance

Excludes:

·                              Airport pick-up in Beijing

·                              Discretionary gratuities for drivers, local guides, and staff

·                              Horse-riding, camel riding, motor boating

·                              Expenses of personal nature, e.g. mini-bar, laundry, telecommunications, alcoholic beverages etc.

·                              Excursions not included in the itinerary

·                              The local delicacy as baked leg of lamb

Day 1  Beijing to Mulanweichang
Depart Chengde in the morning. After 3 hours, get to Chengde and visit Chengde Summer Resort.
From Chengde, we will head into the mountains and the countryside road is getting zigzaaging.
Arrive Mulanweichang in late afeternoon.Upon our arrival, we check into hotel. Have good rest afgter the long drive.
Today, we will drive about 450 kms, about 6-7hours.
Overnight Hongshan Binguan (L, D)

Day 2  Mulanweichang
Today, we will spend a whole day to explore around Wulanbutong Grassland near Hongshan Junmachang.
In the morning, we will ride horses to Jiangjunpaozi, the best of the best grassland, with high grass, flowers and small lakes; then to Lamashan, where we can enjoy the grassland landscape on the top of it. We also will take a rafting in Jiehe (Boundary River) and practice archery.
In the afternoon, if you prefer, we hire a 4wd vehicle (which is BJ2020, there is no Landcruiser or Cherokee available) to drive about 1 hour to Wucaishan, Jiapigou, Daxiagu. At dusk, we find a nice location to enjoy the sunset on the top of the hills.
Overnight Hongshan Binguan (B, L, D)
 Day 3  Mulanweichang to Xanandu
This morning, we check out the hotel and drive to Xanadu via Duolun County.
About 2-3 hours drive, we get to the Dahanguju Yurt hotel on the grassland near Zhenglanqi. After lunch, we head out for Xanadu. We will walk around Xanadu for a while before dirve to the Wuheerqing Aobao Hill for a short hiking. Aobao hill is the place where the Mongolians hold sacrifice ceremonies. Since most of Mogolians believe in Tibetan Buddhism, we may see the colorful praying flags on top of Aobao Hill. From Aobao Hill, we can take a bird??s eys view of the green grassland, the hills around.
Overnight Dahan Guju Yurt Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 4  Xanandu to Dali Lake
After breakfast in the yurt hotel, we will drive about 220kms, about 3-4 hours from Xanandu to  Dali Lake. Different from the former days, out of Xanadu, we will drive along the edge of Hunshandake Desert. The land on both sides of the road is getting barren and quite sandy though the plantation project is trying to stop the sands coming.
After check into the hotel and get refreshed, we can go out for fishing or walk along the lake front and there are motorboat available as well if you want take a ride on the lake. If weather permits, we can enjoy the the breathtaking beautiful sunset over Dali Lake.
Overnight Dalinuoer Binguan (B, L, D)

Day 5  Dali Lake
After the breakfast in the hotel, we drive to further north to see huge wind power fans on the grassland covered with different colored flowers.  If you have interest, we take another horse ride on the grassland nearby. Or can get to the north bank of Dali Lake to take a motorboat ride.
In the afternoon, we drive to the south bank and take a Camel-carriage ride in the sandy area (the edge of Huanshandake Desert) . It is quite fun to drive the camels around.
If time permits, we go out for fishing before our dinner.
Overnight Dalinuoer Binguan (B, L, D)

Day 6  Dali Lake to Reshui
After breakfast, we will drive about 2-3 hours to Asihatu National Nature Reserve to see the stunning stone forest. Different from the Karst Stone Forest from Yunnan, the stone here is granite and the the color is more bright as well. We will hike up to the stone forest and walk around for a while to explore around. After the stone forest, we drive back. En route, there lies a well know Hot Spring, therefore, the place is named after the Hot Spring, Reshui in Chinese. Tonight, we stay in Reshui to enjoy hot spring after the one week tour.
Overnight Reshui Shanzhuang Binguan (B, L, D)

Day 7 Reshui to Beijing
After breakfast in the hotel, we will drive to Chifeng. En route, the scenery keeps on changing, from grassland to algricultured fields.
In the afternoon, we arrive Chifeng, where we are going to take the flight GS7632(17:20/18:10) back Beijing.
Today, we drive about 250 kms.
Trip ends. (B, L)

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Europe's coolest hotels

If you love hotels, this summer will be a good one. Across Europe, there is a host of smart new places to stay, from radically chic boutiques in Paris and Milan to stripped-down seaside hideaways in Croatia and Capri. Unless stated, all hotel prices are on a B&B basis

GREECE MYSTIQUE, Santorini
Lounging on a balcony at Mystique, in the village of Oia, might be the most romantic way to watch the sun set yet devised. It slinks behind Santorini’s volcanic caldera with sylphlike grace. The island is lush with gorgeous honeymoon hotels, but Mystique, opened last month, threatens to beat them all. Its 18 villas are carved into the cliff face, each overlooking the caldera, and every one flat-screened and hi-fi’d. There’s locally quarried limestone on the floor, original art on the walls, cushions clad in antique textiles. Shame that the name conjures up visions of a tight-trousered 1970s lounge band.

MYKONOS GRACE, Mykonos
Mykonos is authentically A-list these days – so chic that star restaurateur Nobuyuki Matsuhisa sets up a summer outpost of Nobu there. The island has plenty of fashionable five-stars, but the new-look Mykonos Grace is effortlessly glamorous, and half the price of many of its rivals. The hotel reopened last month after a full-on facelift. The rooms now have a delectable airiness, with lots of trendy Venetian plaster, Starck-esque fittings and spacious terraces, some with hot tubs. The popular Agios Stefanos beach is on the doorstep; thumping nightclubs are a five-minute cab ride away.
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HOTEL BELLEVUE, Dubrovnik
Top hotels in the Croatian capital are beautiful but a bit old-fashioned – more hip op than hip-hop. Enter the brilliantly boutique Bellevue, which opened in March. Its new owners have spent a year and £14m transforming it from a three-star also-ran into a five-star ode to organic chic, with drop-dead gorgeous views over the teal waters of Miramare Bay. Rooms have been given a dash of panache by Renata Strok, mother of one half of the fashion label Gharani Strok, a favourite with Kate, Keira, Kylie et al. She has used lots of billowing muslin and soft marine tones to recreate the fresh-air ambience of a luxury yacht. And they come complete with an appropriate soundtrack – waves crashing against the hotel’s private beach below.

THE ADRIANA, Hvar
Hvar is Croatia’s answer to St Tropez: no bikini is too tiny, no billionaire too slimy. In fact, it might even be more yachtie now than the Côte d’Azur. Opening this month, the Adriana never knowingly undersells its contemporary theme – neutral colours are lifted by vermilion, ochre and aubergine accents, and there’s lots of frosted glass and moody black-and-white photography. The rooftop terrace has a heated seawater pool, a pine-shaded yoga deck and what promises to be a buzzy bar, all with photo opportunities looking out over Hvar’s elaborate Italianate cathedral, the Venetian piazza, the harbour and the bay.


HOTEL FOUQUET’S BARRIERE, Paris
Just what springtime needs: another irresistible reason to visit Paris. Opened in November, the Barrière is perfectly pitched on the corner of the Champs Elysées, and decorated by the fashionistas’ favourite, Jacques Garcia, the only designer who can make Versace look understated. So that will be lashings of louche chocolates and lush creams in the bedrooms, vampy velvets for the furniture, and embroidered leather for the lobby walls, then. Even the flat-screen televisions are encased in sharkskin or hidden behind mirrors. Where better to sip champagne than on the hotel’s outdoor terrace, which is adorned with hundreds of tree branches dipped in silver. Now that’s flash.

LA RESERVE, Paris
What discerning travellers want is a home from home, not an anonymous reception desk and surly room service. Opening this month on Place du Trocadéro, in the fashionable 16th arrondissement, La Réserve really promises to deliver. Decorated in muted mushrooms and jet blacks, its 10 luxury apartments have cutting-edge technology for the boys, indulgent travertine bathrooms for the girls, and views of the Eiffel Tower or everyone. Each comes with housekeeping, concierge, chef and masseur; some have private gardens, others their own cinema.


CAPELLA CASTLEMARTYR, Co Cork
This 17th-century rococo manor house in Ireland, once home to Sir Walter Raleigh, is set in 220 romantic acres, complete with ruined castle and historic chapel, and opens as a hotel next month. The classically styled bedrooms are pure quality, with Pratesi linens, Waterford glassware and complimentary minibars filled with freshly baked soda bread and local cheeses. The hotel likes its buzzwords, and everything is “experiential”. Spa treatments are based on the lunar cycle, and you can catch your supper with the local fishermen or watch Irish dancers on the lawn.

BELLINTER HOUSE, Co Meath
The Celtic tiger purrs away contentedly at this Palladian pile, put together by the team behind Dublin’s perennially popular POD nightclub. Opened in December, Bellinter is set in genteel Meath parkland on the bonny banks of the Boyne, perfect for an Austen-esque evening stroll. The bedrooms go for bold fabrics, groovy vintage furniture and top-of-the-range entertainment systems. Some are sexily split-level, others have ultra-indulgent dressing rooms. The food is scrumptious (try the fresh oysters from Carlingford Lough), and the spa is organic (using the seaweed-based Voya range, whose fans include Catherine Zeta-Jones).


LA BANDITA, Tuscany
This isn’t so much a hotel as a cool pad that belongs to the friend of a friend, and happens to have views over the Val d’Orcia nature reserve – the sort of soft-focus, cypress-studded landscape that made Merchant Ivory a fortune. Those once-removed friends are John Voigtmann, the former manager of the Strokes and Christina Aguilera, and Ondine Cohane, upmarket-magazine writer. Four years ago, fed up with the fast lane, they decided to pool their travel experience and create a bolt hole where guests can really loosen their stays. It opens this month, and it’s romantically rustic, with air con and plenty of attitude.

JK PLACE, Capri
Its sister property (also in Italy, in Florence) is already favoured by the likes of Jade Jagger, and this breezily insouciant boutique hotel looks set to revolutionise hospitality on the Amalfi coast – traditionally as sickly sweet as a bottle of limoncello. Opened in March, it’s all seaside pastels, glamorous contemporary furniture, scented candles and chunky coffee-table books. It is also the only hotel on the island with a seafront location – though beaches in Italy tend to be for sashaying along rather than swimming off.
THE CHEDI, Milan
Hotel-industry insiders never utter the name Adrian Zecha without mentally genuflecting. First as Mr Amanresorts, lately as Mr GHM, Zecha is the brains behind some of the world’s most exclusive hotels. He opened the 250-room Chedi in April, his first GHM property in Europe, and the style is Italy meets Indonesia, with an oriental stamp on everything from design to ambience. Even the hotel’s signature scent is a blend of green tea and mandarin. Its location is lousy – in the residential Bovisa district, a 15-minute taxi ride from the centre – but that won’t deter Zecha fans such as Madonna and Lenny Kravitz.

THE OTHER SIDE, Norway
The next big thing in top-end travel is extreme luxury, and The Other Side, in Neiden, looks like being right on message. Opening in December, this high-concept lodge struts its stuff on a pristine plateau in the desolate tundra, overlooking the Barents Sea. Its dozen bedrooms draw inspiration from the traditions and beliefs of the local Sami people – think crackling log fires and decadent drapes of fur – and each room is based on an element. The Wind House is on stilts, the Water House above a pond, and so on. All come with panoramic views. Nocturnal pursuits include the northern lights in winter, midnight sunbathing in summer, and Dr Zhivago dog-sledding any time you like.


AQUAPURA, Douro Valley
New this month, this is Portugal’s first six-star resort – and what a stellar location. Aquapura snuggles down in the divine Douro Valley, Unesco-protected and smothered in vine-draped hills. There are 50 discreetly decadent rooms inside the resort’s meticulously restored 19th-century manor house, plus 21 ultra-private suites dappling the woodland. Pampered princesses will be in raptures, because the hotel spa has been designed by the team behind Hodson Bay, Ireland’s latest wellness wonder. And as well as a ravishing range of rubs and scrubs, Aquapura has food by a disciple of Alain Ducasse and barrelfuls of the local tipple.

L’AVENIDA, Majorca
This hip hideaway is a 100-year-old modernist mansion set among the citrus groves of Soller. Opened in March, it has been freshly squeezed into the 21st century: the original frescoes and sweeping marble staircase have been fairydusted back to their best, while the eight bedrooms smoulder with contemporary sexiness. That means extravagant Cole and Son wallpapers, Bonacina chairs, black-marble chandeliers and Philippe Starck bathrooms – all with jaw-dropping views onto the Tramuntana mountains. Forget oranges, this is one for the BlackBerry set.

MARQUES DE RISCAL, La Rioja
Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum is an undisputed masterpiece of avant-garde architecture. Now, its designer, Frank Gehry, has created his first hotel, the flamboyant Marques de Riscal, deep in the rolling hills of La Rioja Alavesa. Gehry’s trademark titanium is ever-present, while his signature sensuous curves and soaring ceilings ensure the interiors are a tour de force, too. The hotel can be challenging on a practical level – but who said sleeping in a sculpture would be easy? Also there: a restaurant overseen by the region’s only Michelin-starred chef, and a Caudalie Vinothérapie spa – you can soak in a merlot bath.

CORRAL DEL REY, Seville
This sophisticated urban retreat opened in March, a new venture from the family behind Hacienda de San Rafael, an Alist haunt just outside town. Their new property offers cool, spacious rooms in the palest olive greens and champagne creams, complimented by 17th-century beams, marble columns and fine art. It’s in the old quarter of Barrio Alfalfa, a five-minute stroll from the cathedral – though you can get an eyeful of its gothic glory from Corral del Rey’s rooftop garden and plunge pool. Dine under the stars there – or, for a more intimate evening, in the vaulted cellars that were rediscovered during the palacio’s restoration.

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REINA VICTORIA, Madrid
Best known as Mr Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber is the brains behind some of America’s blingingest bars. Since November, he’s gone to Spain, ensuring that Madrid’s newest hotel has the hottest social scene in the city. The rooftop bar is fabulously chic, while the restaurant is very El Bulli – unsurprising, since head chef Jaime Renedo studied under the gastronomic galactico Ferran Adria. The bedrooms are by Keith Hobbs (who outfitted celebrity bolt holes such as the Metropolitan in London and the Clarence in Dublin), so they come with preloaded iPods, 300-thread linens and organic Aveda essentials.


OYSTER RESIDENCE BEYAZ YUNUS, Olu Deniz
Turkey’s Olu Deniz is one of the Med’s most magnificent bays, but until last month its hotels failed to live up to their location. That’s when Beyaz Yunus came to the rescue. Dreamt up by Chelsea School of Art graduate Gunsenin Gonal, its seven suites have the intimate atmosphere of a Moroccan riad. Their flat-screen televisions and outdoor hot tubs are softened by artisan rugs and furniture, and surrounded by bougainvillea-draped terraces that tumble to the Aegean. Better still, Gonal runs one of Turkey’s best restaurants, the White Dolphin, so the just-caught red snapper will be grilled to perfection.

ADAM & EVE HOTEL, Antalya
It opened in December, and the toned and the tanned will be tweaking their dental-floss bikinis there this summer. It’s an unapologetic altar to hedonism, with “the longest cocktail bar in the world”, a two-storey nightclub and a pool for “late-night revellers looking to make a little mischief”. The main pool (“the world’s longest”, naturally) has sun loungers submerged in the shallows for those who overdo it but can’t make it to the spa. The Adam & Eve claims to be the world’s sexiest hotel, and its 400-plus white-on-white bedrooms have floor-to-ceiling mirrors, their own son et lumière systems and party-size whirlpool baths. The top suite even has its own DJ booth.