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This page, clockwise from top left The Sanctuary Yangzi Explorer offers a deluxe experience afloat. Aerial view of the spectacular Three Gorges region. One of the onshore excursions visits giant pandas in a purpose-built nature reserve. Opposite page The peaceful, centuries-old ambience of the fabled Three Gorges region of the Yangtze.
THE JOURNEY Across China: Tibet and the Yangtze with Abercrombie & Kent. The land-based part of the journey, which is limited to 18 guests, starts off with three days in Beijing before heading to Xian for two nights. Then it’s a bullet train ride to Chengdu in the Sichuan province for two nights, followed by Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The cruising portion of the trip follows, with the journey finally ending in Shanghai.
P H OTO G R A P H Y A L A M Y, G E T T Y
THE VESSEL A portion of this 17-day luxury small group journey includes three nights sailing on China’s ‘golden river’, the Yangtze, aboard the Sanctuary Yangzi Explorer. The vessel can accommodate 124 and offers one crew member for each guest – the highest ratio on the river. This makes for an intimate experience with an ambience more like that of an exclusive club than a cruise ship. Designer Premchit Chitrabamrung of Bangkok-based ZenGeo was the mastermind behind the interior fit-out in clean-lined contemporary Chinese style with a soothing colour palette. Taking inspiration from the surrounds, the ‘silver-leaf’ wallpaper designs feature a mudan, or peony, native to the Yangtze area. A rtworks, furniture and cushions were sourced from local markets. There are 38 deluxe cabins and 20 fully serviced luxury suites, all with private balconies and full-height picture windows. Four Celestial and Imperial Suites, top of the line at 110sqm, feature four-poster beds, private sun decks and separate sitting rooms.
THE PORTS For the cruise section of the journey, the vessel departs from Chongqing and travels
downstream to Yichang. Along the way, in the city of Fuling, guests visit the White Crane Ridge Underwater Museum to see centuries-old rock carvings of fish and hydrological inscriptions. Further down the Yangtze, after the vessel navigates the Qutang and Wu gorges, the Sanctuary Yangzi Explorer anchors at Badong, where guests transfer to ‘pea pod’ boats poled by Tujia boatmen and explore a scenic gorge and village.
THE EXCURSIONS As well as a journey to a quieter area of the Great Wall of China, bespoke offerings on this itinerary include a tour with an on-site specialist to view the Terracotta Warriors in Xian. In Chengdu on Day 7, there’s a visit to the Panda Breeding and Research Centre to observe giant pandas roaming in their specially designed habitat. On Days 8 and 9 in Tibet, guests visit the Dalai Lama’s former summer residence at Norbulingka, 4 2
TO PACK
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Farewell My Concubine film by Kaige Chen (1). Gucci ‘Rhyton’ apple-print leather trainers (2).
Gucci ‘Crystal’ single hair barrette in Pink Resin (3). Salt by Hendrix jade face roller (4). Hermès ‘Garde-Robe
3 Pop’ scarf 90 in Rouge Vif/Noir/Crème (5). Bottega Veneta ‘Arco 29’ small leather bag in Dark Green (6).
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