Recommend September 2011 - (Page 66)

ChINA a wonderland for kids Tours to China will immerse children in an exotic landscape they won’t soon forget. Departures for 2012 will take place from June to August and prices range from $5,190 for children and $5,490 for adults. Airfare is not included. China Odyssey Tours, a subsidiary of Tang Dynasty Tours, one of China’s premier travel companies, has a long relationship with U.S. travel agents who find that dealing with local travel experts eases the frustration that often accompanies arranging tours from the other side of the world. China Odyssey’s forte is custom-designed tours. Often this is a daunting task because China is approximately as large as the whole of Europe. With that in mind, it offers trips that mix exploration, adventure, education and exotic experiences, bookmarks to any journey to China. The company’s philosophy is that China isn’t just a country but a whole new world and that its hidden corners are a national treasure. Its 5-day Guilin-Yangshou family tour (prices vary, but generally run from approximately $1,500 to $2,500 pp, airfare not included) showcases a side of China sure to enthrall young travelers. The tour stops in Guilin’s Seven Star Park to admire a hill shaped like a camel and at the Seven Star Cave, a magnificent natural wonder full of stalagmites. Youngsters are taught the rudiments of calligraphy 66 september 2011 while exploring the ancient carvings that adorn the landscape before proceeding down a 125-ft.-deep cavern where they will embark on a boat journey down an underground river. There are also pauses in authentic villages, cooking classes, hikes under waterfalls, bicycle trips along the banks of the Li River, and a chance to taste singular food at quaint restaurants in Yangshou. The tour ends in Impression Sanjie Liu with an astounding light show produced by the director of the 2008 Olympics ceremony. This extravagant display features more than 600 actors performing on a natural amphitheater carved by the rushing waters of the Li River. Accommodations range from three- to five-star hotels including the five-star Sheraton Guilin, or alternatively the three-star Hotel Universal Guilin, with a variety of other options, and in Yangshuo, it ranges from the three-star Yanghsuo Rosewood Inn to the five-star Yangshuo Green Lotus Hotel, with many more choices available. Journeys International, meanwhile, also specializes in appealing itineraries tailored for family travel. It was founded by Drs. Will and Joan Weber out of their experiences as Peace Corps volunteers in Nepal in the ‘70s. According to Kerina Rowley, Asia destination specialist, Journeys International is the longest-standing family-owned global ecotourism recommend.com thomson family adventures http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend September 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk: Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Tour Talk: Abercrombie & Kent
Sunset Key Guest Cottages, Key West
Can't Get Enough of Jupiter Beach, Florida
Hanging Out in the Outer Banks
Aloha to Families in Hawaii's Resorts
Cruise Stockholm
Galapagos Islands- Cruising 101: Back to Basics
The Ultimate Family Adventure in Costa Rica
Flanders Travel Planner
Fabulous Family Voyages
China: A Wonderland for Kids
India: Pure Wonderment
An African Adventure
Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa, D.R.
The Bahamas: Islands of Adventure
Cayman Islands: A Home Away from Home
Mazatlan Reinvigorated
CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort

Recommend September 2011