13 Nov 2009
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Compass Editor
In the beginning of October Kensington’s Asia Regional Manager Michael Bertuzzi took some well-deserved time off to return to China (where he lived from 2004 - 2007 running an outdoor adventure company that, like Kensington Tours is listed by National Geographic as top 100 in the world) to get married. Michael came up with a stunning itinerary for the 20 something family and friends that will be celebrating in Yangshuo with him. A fusion between our 10 day Family Adventure and 16 day Signature China tours, this customized programme allows guests to explore the highlights of this ancient civilization.
Wedding party and guests from North America will experience the diversity of China starting with the culture of Beijing where they’ll enjoy the stunning Hilton Wangfujing, ranked #1 out of 2726 hotels.
After a couple days taking in the culture and history of Beijing they are off to the rural splendour of picturesque Yangshuo in the Guilin area (an idyllic wedding backdrop) where they will stay at the intimate Li River Retreat.
This family run hotel isn’t 5-star but its scenic location and caring ownership is unmatched and always a favourite. Surrounding a day of matrimonial celebrations, guests will enjoy 4 days of tours, picnics, bicycling, boating, climbing, trekking and more, including the Liu San Jie evening show created by Oscar winner Zhang Yimou and learning how to cook local cuisine at a cooking school. After this, the majority of the guests are headed off on custom trip extensions including Michael’s favourite; the 3 day Dragons Backbone hike through the Longsheng Rice Terraces. All travelers will depart from the modern metropolis of Shanghai where they will be staying at the magnificent Le Royal Meridien.
Stay tuned for a China update soon after Michael returns! Look forward to great new travel ideas, trends, properties, private guided tour ideas and more for 2010.