Sail on the Yangtze

Dream Title: Sail on the Yangtze

Sail on the Yangtze River

The Yangtze River is the longest (3915 miles) and largest river in China and the third longest river in the world behind the Nile and the Amazon. It is one of the most popular tourist adventures in the world and an excellent up-close look at China. The river has many names depending on the area and dialect. The river begins in a glacier of Tibet and cuts across China from the central west ending by Shanghai, emptying into the East China Sea. In most areas, the river is quite polluted.

The Yangtze River cruise will take you past misty mountains, bamboo groves, ancient gorges, and through narrow passageways. The most spectacular scenery is in the Three Gorges area. This impressive and beautiful area will alter forever after the dam opens in 2009.

You can cruise up or down the river. The cruises start at various locations, you can add side trips, the ships offer different classes, and lengths of cruises, all factors in the widely varying prices. Cruises are offered by Victoria Cruises, Grand Circle Small Ship Cruises, Regal China Cruises, UniWorld, Tanck, INTRAV, and Viking River Cruises. There are amazing side tours to the cruise or you can take a large tour which may include a 3 or 4 night Yangtze River cruise. You can also see places such as The Great Wall, The Terra Cotta Warriors, The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Hong Kong, the Ming Tombs, The Summer Palace, the Beijing Zoo, silk factories, and numerous historical villages and monuments. There are numerous packages so take your time researching.

English is spoken in the nicer hotels in the larger cities but in rural areas it may be difficult to find an English speaker, so if you don’t speak Chinese you may want to make sure to have an English speaking tour guide with you. It is wise to write a few common phrases in Chinese before you go and have that with you so you can at least point to what you want to communicate.

To travel to China you will need a visa as well as your passport. Check with your local health department on vaccinations required. Be aware that in China the airlines generally only allow 1 piece of luggage.

On board: Most major credit cards are accepted. Bottled water is recommended.

Safety precautions: Do not carry large amounts of money (and certainly don’t flash it around) or other obvious symbols of wealth. Be wary after dark, and stay out of areas that your guide tells you are dangerous. Don’t place valuables in backpacks and watch for pick pockets. Carry your passport, wallet and visa with you at all times in a safe place such as a money belt under your clothing – NEVER in a back pocket. If you want to give to beggars have some money set aside for that, don’t pull out what you have and take part to give.

Dress: Dress on board is casual with 1 or 2 formal dinners. Summers are very hot and winters are cold with strong winds.

Best time to cruise: The best time to go is spring or fall (April, May or September, October), with summers being rainy, hot and humid and winters being very cold. Of course the best bargains are to be had in winter.