China Travel Blog

When she is not occupied with journeying around the world or updating her Weibo with the captivating sights she encounters on her travels, AsiaTravel’s founder, Mei, thoroughly enjoys exploring the outskirts of greater China, whether it means running a marathon in Inner Mongolia or trekking up the boding hillsides of Guizhou. Traveling luxuriously is one thing, but traveling luxuriously in style is another. For us at AsiaTravel, it is no surprise that Mei has effortlessly mastered both.

Whether she is racing along the Erhai Lake in Dali or simply on a treadmill at her local gym, Mei’s iPod nano is always by her side. Lightweight, durable, and reliable, this pink gadget has been her loyal companion on the most memorable runs through some of the most remarkable backdrops. So what are a few of the top hits on Mei’s track list? Not the predictable Mozart or Bach. As an avid fan of the latest chart-toppers, Mei’s eclectic taste in music ranges from Propellerhead’s jazzy beats to Adele’s crisp voice. Who says Lady Gaga is only for teenagers? Mei will be the first to admit that the country rock twist added to “Born This Way (Country Road Version),” along with the pop star’s strong vocals, are indispensable when running through nature’s most beguiling wonders. Besides, for those of you worried about getting lost amongst the monumental mountains of Abujee, the refrain will reassure you that you are in fact “on the right track.”

Not only does Mei have the perfect ‘pump-up’ track list for her run, she also looks très chic while doing so. From running shorts to racerback tanks and even socks, Mei is an avid fan of Lulu Lemon, an athletic apparel company whose lush lightweight fabrics ace the founder’s tests for functionality and durability. The racer back’s body-skimming fit is flattering and the top is so comfortable that you won’t ever want to take it off, even in exchange for your pajamas. With its loose fit, the featherweight “Light as Air” running shorts will help you “fly without taking off from the ground.” For the perfect amount of sun protection, Mei recommends the Adidas Adizero Sequence Hat, which, with its ClimaCool ventilation, will keep you cool, dry, and stylish all-in-one. For the winter months, check out a brightly-colored North Face Goretex Jacket to keep warm. Windproof and waterproof, nothing will ever get in your way from exploring Mother Nature ever again. Whoever said workout gear wasn’t fashionable?

An ardent runner, Mei knows from personal experience that the key to a great run is all in the sneakers. She loves the functionality of her Adidas Adistar Salvaation 3 , which helped her spring to the finish line in a recent marathon in Inner Mongolia. With its reliable support and cushioning, these sneakers are comfort and durability at their finest. With such a great pair of shoes, you are bound to get compliments while running in style. For hiking, Mei recommends Asolo’s indestructible hiking boots, which are perfect for trekking along the Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunnan in either rain or shine.

Want to give your lips a whole lot of love? Mei recommends Burt’s Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm, which will hydrate and revitalize your thirsty lips with antioxidant-rich pomegranate oil. Best of all, it smells absolutely delicious! L’Occitane’s best-selling crème is a classic, one of Mei’s go-to items. Even after an adventurous day exploring the high mountaintops of Gaoligong in Yunnan, this buttery cream makes her hands feel soft and luxurious.

What are some other necessities that Mei always keeps in her bright red, versatile REI Flash 18 Pack? Weighing in at almost nothing, this affordable and durable daypack is ideal for short hikes away from camp. It comfortably fits all of Mei’s essentials, from her impact resistant Camelbak water bottle to her handy dandy travel-size Purell Hand Sanitizer, which Mei admits, has collected as many mileage points as she has. Regardless of whether or not she is traveling by herself or with her kids, sunscreen is a must on Mei’s checklist. She loves the one from Shisedo, which not only boasts an SPF of 60+, but is also non-greasy and odor-free. To reenergize, Mei recently discovered the Dali Bar at Salvadore’s Cafe in Kunming, each and every one hand-made by locals. Consisting of a mixture of sunflower seeds, honey dates, oats, and walnuts, this bar is not only delectable, but also, full of nutrients. Who ever said healthy couldn’t taste good?

Whether it be luxury travel in China, chart-topping music, or the latest fashions, AsiaTravel’s founder Mei is on top of it all. How does she pamper herself post-travel? Mei loves to relax while taking a bath using some aromatic Hongjintian Bath Salt with a cup of her favorite Longjing Green Tea by her side. With a fashionista as its founder, AsiaTravel is not only a front-runner in simply luxury travel, but rather, luxury travel in style. Even Harper’s Bazaar is impressed!

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Check out Mei’s Weibo (@yunnanzhangmei) and Twitter for some more travel trips from the best of the best and like us on Facebook for constant updates on the latest travels news in China.

When you are in Tibet, you know it. The wind whispers across the even green valleys of the mountains as if you are on a verdant moonscape. And then you look up. Silent and omniscient, the mountains rise around you with snow topped peaks and a jagged architecture of cliffs that seem impossible. When you make your way to Yamdrok Tso Lake, the water matches the blue of the sky. Far from the activity of Beijing and Shanghai, Tibet sets itself apart with a landscape like nothing else in the world.  After all, it is home to Mt. Everest (known by the locals as Chomolungma “Holy Mother” ), our planet’s highest summit.

But Tibet offers more then a beautiful background. It is also a land that is defined by the culture of its people. Potala Palace, the former home of the Dalai Lama, rises out of Lhasa a white washed castle and a mountain unto itself. Such a historical past has left its impact on Tibet, and Buddhism’s influence is all around you. You smell it in monasteries thick with the sweet smoke of incense, and you see it with young monks draped in red cloaks running and laughing through the plazas and courtyards of the cities. When you attend a morning prayer in Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, and the droning chants build to a crescendo that washes over you, it is truly otherworldly. As Scott Olson who traveled to Tibet with AsiaTravel in May noted, Tibet “was a once in a life time experience and although we have traveled to many places we would say this trip was the best.”

Have you ever wondered what yak butter tea tastes like? Have ever wondered what is inside a Tibetan home? AsiaTravel will take you there, with access that takes you into a Tibetan family’s residence to discover what people talk about at dinner on the other side of the world. When your trip finally ends and you head home, your friends will not believe where you have gone, and when you look at your pictures, you may not believe it yourself.

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Tibet is an area you cannot always go to. Presently Tibet is open, and if the country has been on your radar, we urge you take advantage of this opportunity. If you are traveling with your family, AsiaTravel would recommend “Escape to Lhasa.” If you have a hankering for adventure, you may want to take a look at “Expedition to Tibet’s West.” Or if you have something else in mind, get in touch with AsiaTravel at info@wildchina.com and we can customize a journey you can call your own.

Traveling in China, in our opinion, is one of the best ways a person can spend their time. Whether you’re walking through the incense laden air of an ancient temple, touching the well worn steps of the Great Wall, or enjoying the sweetness of local tea in Yunnan, you’re sure to be learning something. However, in the midst of your adventures, you may suddenly realize you need to get in touch with a loved one back home. Maybe it’s business, maybe it’s a birthday, or maybe you just want to gush about the Peking Duck you had for lunch. Whatever the case, your first question will be: “Can I call home from here?”

As with any other aspect of a AsiaTravel trip, we can tailor your communication options according to your needs. In major cities, calling is easy, but for some very rural areas this isn’t the case. While the cost of having a satellite phone for a week can run over $700, it is something we are happy to provide if you need to remain in constant contact. If you need to make local calls while traveling in China, AsiaTravel can also arrange for you to have a temporary phone during your stay. This is significantly cheaper and will make getting around easier if you choose to go exploring on your own.

However we also realize that many of the best travel experiences come when one fully removes themselves from home and engages in the new environment they find themselves in. For many of our student trips, part of the fun is being out of contact with home and having a chance to be independent. Of course, parents need not fear, if they wish to contact our guides to check on their children they are only a phone call away.

Should the unexpected occur, do not worry, AsiaTravel will be there to assist you. We once had a client who lost his wallet when he was in China. Because this gentleman had lost all his money, he could not buy a calling card to cancel his credit cards back in the states. Our guide stepped in and let the man use the guide’s personal phone to call the U.S.

As we said before, we believe there is no finer use of time than traveling in China, and we hope you’ll come join us soon. After all, your next fall adventure could be just around the corner.

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In our opinion, enjoying a vacation means leaving all your worries behind. We hope this post will put any concerns you have about communication at rest but if you still have more don’t hesitate to be in touch at info@wildchina.com

AsiaTravel tour leader Nancy recently traveled with a group of Yew Chung Beijing students to Yunnan.  Focused on community service, the group spent a very memorable afternoon at a Tibetan orphanage in the middle of Shangri-La.

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Founded by Tendol Gyalzur who was an orphan herself, the Tendol-Gyalzur Orphanage in Shangri-La is one of three in China.  It is a colorful complex that serves as more than just a roof over the children’s heads; it’s a home and a family for about 40 kids between the ages of 6 and 26 (the older ones move on to work and build a life for themselves after graduation).

During our time in Shangri-La, we toured the campus, taking a peek into the classrooms and stealing a look at their modest but extremely tidy bunks.

Finally, we met the little ones themselves!  With their dirt-smeared faces and mischievous smiles, they melted our hearts as they dragged us onto the dance floor to learn the Tibetan moves.

When it was our turn to show them something, the group presented them with boxes of gifts bought with money collected from a Yew Chung fundraiser.  Crayons, basketballs, soccer balls, space hoppers – all popped out of the heap of toys, making way for some serious coloring (inside the lines unlike myself at that age), a lot of bouncing, and a multitude of smiles:

Taking a “silly” photo

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Photos by Alex, AsiaTravel student traveler. Interested in traveling to Shangri-La yourself? If you have any questions about this trip or others don’t hesitate to be in touch at info@wildchina.com.

Two weeks ago, AsiaTravel tour leader Nancy accompanied a group of high school students from Yew Chung International School of Beijing on a journey to Yunnan.  Here are a few reflections from the road:

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Yunnan, the province in southwest China that we rave about so much, won me over almost as soon as I stepped off the plane.  We were greeted with breezy, spring weather, and the sky was filled with patches of blue that I miss so much living in Beijing.

Like Aila Malik mentioned in a previous post, Yunnan just doesn’t really feel like a part of China one typically imagines. I Don’t know why this popped into my mind, but I felt like I had been transported back to the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder except all the characters had changed:  The open prairies were replaced with mountains that shot up into the sky; mud homes were replaced with villages of white-washed houses in green valleys; bonnets and calico were replaced by hot pink hair-wraps and plain brown vests of the Tibetan people. Yet the visible pride of the people and their satisfaction in the hard work of their daily routines seemed the same.

Naxi lady with her grandson

One lady that stood out in particular was the owner of a home that had been a special project for The Nature Conservancy.  The lady, or Ayi as we called her (Ayi literally means “Auntie,” a respectful term in Chinese), graciously invited us in to see how she used bio-gas to fuel her home.  She explained that tanks underneath her home gathered and routed bio-gas from the fields to her kitchen stove.

Ayi showing us her bio-gas stove

Setting this up has saved her and her family countless hours of traveling out of the valley, up the mountain and into the forrest to gather wood for fuel.  With the extra time Ayi is able to tend to her gardens thereby creating another source of income.  “Look at all of our grapes!” she exclaimed with a big grin on her face, “I think they’re the best in the market – much better than the expensive ones that are imported.”

Ayi's greenhouse of grapes

I smiled back and walked away thinking, “This is the real China.”  In the media and in the city where cranes line the skies as skyscrapers are being built left and right, it’s easy to buy into the idea that China is a global superpower.  Looking back at the modest garden and thinking about all of Ayi & her family’s hard work of creating it reminded me of how far the country still has to go before that’s true.  I guess one could say that China is still living in its Laura Ingalls Wilder days…

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Photos by Alex & Cherry, AsiaTravel student travelers

Imagine waking up each morning to the comforting smell of sweet Caravan Breakfast coffee, enjoying a buttery scone with a spoonful of flavorful honeysuckle honey while admiring the mystical valleys of Shangri-la, and ending your day with a relaxing bath using some freshly-made rose magnolia soap. This is the daily routine of Alia Malik, co-founder of Shangri-la Farms, a company founded on promoting an organic and healthy lifestyle.

Alia, her sister Sahra, and brother Safi founded the company with the hopes of helping to improve the quality of life for the rural farmers of Shangri-la, a city located in Yunnan province, which, though rich in biodiversity, is China’s second-poorest region. With a rapidly growing loyal fan base, Shangri-la Farms provides an outlet for these farmers to “connect with the outside world to sell their products,” which include coffee, honey, and a variety of body products.

AsiaTravel is excited to share Alia’s “Perfect Day in Shangri-la”, including her favorite local sites and eateries in this “earthly paradise”:

On a perfect June weekend with the temperature in the low-30° C, (around 86° F) a cool breeze runs through the mountains and a clear blue covers the sky, both of which are harder to find in the more cosmopolitan Beijing. My first impression of the city is embodied in the word “special.” There is no other place in China, and maybe even in the world, like Shangri-la. This beautiful city is unique in that it holds a lot of “feeling”, and although it is occupied by multiple minority groups, there is still a strong sense of community, a unified identity. Local cuisine is delicious and unlike food in the cities, you are mainly eating what has been farmed very nearby and therefore, is less chemically heavy. My personal favorite has to be mian pian, a noodle soup that consists of a locally-flavored broth filled with flat square noodle pieces. With its culturally Tibetan traditions, fantastic eateries, and sensational views, Shangri-la provides an experience that is unavailable in the better-known metropolises of Beijing and Shanghai.

As I wake up in the morning, I breathe in the fresh crisp air and get ready to start off my day with some Western-style comfort food at Somewhere Else Café, whose scrumptious homemade granola and yogurt are both to die for. With some nicely brewed coffee, this is the ultimate breakfast, the best way to energize for a busy day. Then, I enjoy taking a nice walk with my dog up the hill behind my house, from the top of which you can see most of the Shangri-la Valley and sometimes even all the way to the next valley over. I take a moment to fully take in this pristine view and almost always end up having to pinch myself to remind myself that I’m not dreaming. Shangri-la is filled with amazing sites that highlight nature’s beauty, such as the lush green grasslands surrounding the clear water of Napahai Lake.

After running some quick errands and getting some work done for the upcoming bottled drinks we have planned for Shangri-la Farms, I head to Karma Café to meet up with a few friends for lunch. The perfect place to catch up with old friends, this eatery, not located in the well-known Old Town, but rather, on a more off-beaten path, embodies the one-of-a-kind atmosphere of Shangri-la. Serving locally-inspired European food with a modern twist, including delicious salads with local walnuts and even yak steak, Karma Café is quickly creating a name for itself not only for its mouth-watering dishes, but wonderful ambiance. After parting with my friends, I head to a local monastery, a must-see when visiting Shangri-la. I personally enjoy the Songstam Monastery, the largest Tibetan Buddhist lamasery in China and a vibrant center of prayer and study. Here, you have the opportunity to first-handedly experience the local culture as you observe monks going about their daily routine. I would then head to the Yunnan Mountain Handicrafts Center to check out some crafts, all of which are locally made and beautifully crafted. I am always up for some shopping!

Tara Gallery Cafe

After an adventurous day of exploring Shangri-la, I am famished and ready to enjoy a tantalizing mix of Indian, Himalayan, and Yunnan food at Tara Gallery, including flavorful dishes such as cucumber and three veggie salad, eggplant mousse, and Tibetan dumplings. The personally crafted cuisine at Tara Gallery contains both local Yunnan and Indian flavors and best of all, it’s healthy! So no feeling guilty after indulging in these savory delicacies. Another great option is Arro Khampa, renowned for their French twist on Tibetan cuisine. Not only are their dishes très fantastique, Arro Khampa has great hospitality and is simply a lovely place to while away the evening.

At the end of a long day of exploration, relaxation, and consumption of some of the best Chinese food around, I am exhausted and ready for bed.

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Photo credit: Cartier Woman’s Initiative and Chinatravel.net

Are you a diehard java lover interested in trying out Shangri-la Farm’s Caravan Breakfast coffee? Check out a variety of organic, fair trade quality products on their website.

Interested in trying yak steak? Contact AsiaTravel for more information on traveling to Shangri-la.

If you’re like us the night before a big trip you’re always asking yourself: “Do I have everything I need?” And with bag fees on airlines always on the rise: “What do I have that I don’t need?” We sat down with David Fundingsland, AsiaTravel’s Head of Educational travel, following his return from 7 days in Abujee, a verdant mountain region in the north of Yunnan. During his time hiking in these isolated mountains and alpine lakes,  David points to 5 items that were essential to the success of his journey.

Petzl Tikka xp2 Headlamp: On trip, David found his headlamp especially helpful in the Abujee region. For much of the hike, the high canyons cut off the sunlight early in the evening. In such a remote region, there are few clear paths and come dusk, having a good light was key. David has had his Petzl for six years and in all his treks through China, it hasn’t let him down once.

2) Outdoor Research gaiters: While descending the slopes in the Abujee region, having a pair of gaiters was essential.  Many of the mountains are covered in skree and the gaiters kept rocks from popping into David’s boots.

3) First Aid kit: AsiaTravel always has a few of these packed on our trips. But David does things a bit differently– in addition to bandages and disinfectant, he also stores all goods he will be using throughout the day, such as sunsceen, in this pouch. This kit is always kept on top of his bag for easy access.

4) 50 liter backpack: In order to carry all his things from camp to camp, David relied on a 50 liter pack from REI. For this 5-7 day trip, having a bag of this size was perfect. Abujee is a region where you get hot while you are on the move but immediately get chilly while stopping for lunch– easy access to multiple layers is crucial.

5) Medium weight icebreaker socks: Evenings by Abujee can get chilly and in order to keep his feet warm, David relied on a pair of icebreaker merino socks. David also found his socks essential on the crisp cool mornings when they would begin hiking for the day just as the sun was rising.

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If you’re interested in hiking Abujee, contact us at info@wildchina.com. Trips can be customized from 4-13 days in this region.

AsiaTravel wanted to share that earlier today we received word that local authorities have begun issuing permits for foreign travelers again. Foreign travelers are now able to secure the necessary visa that will enable them to enter Tibet, and we in fact have clients in Lhasa at the moment. AsiaTravel is very pleased with this news as Tibet in the summer is absolutely stunning. We have many clients who have bespoke tours planned through us this summer and look forward to welcoming them to this diverse and culturally rich region.  AsiaTravel will continue to track the situation on the AsiaTravel blog.

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Interested in traveling to Tibet? Take a look at Don’t miss Tibet traveling to Tibet this summer for travel tips and ideas. To learn more, please get in touch at info@wildchina.com.

Earlier today, AsiaTravel received more finalized news that Tibet is temporary closed off to foreign travelers during the month of June.  At present, local authorities are not issuing permits for foreign travelers to visit, although this could change at any moment.

Blossoming flowers outside of Lhasa, Tibet

Paint pots for Thangka painting

For the past four years, Tibet experiences a hiatus in tourism during the spring.  As we are moving to the end of May, Tibet is slowly opening up again to travelers.  Currently, permits to the autonomous region out west can be granted to groups of 5 or more people of the same nationality.  Thus, it is the perfect time to gather friends and family for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to this spiritual land…

Our journeys are briefly outlined here in Action Asia magazine, but no matter if it is a trip for your entire family or a group of friends camping out in the Tibetan countryside against the world’s most magnificent mountains, there is certainly something for everyone.

For travelers looking to travel in the Tibetan regions of Sichuan province, Ganze and Dege districts seem to be closed still while Litang and Yading reserves are open to foreigners.  Overland journeys from northwest Yunnan to  southeastern Sichuan are also fine.  For a peek into the lives of monks in these remote monasteries, check out AsiaTravel tour Sacred Buddhist Land.

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For more information, contact us at info@wildchina.com