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Trips 
China
Sichuan Litang Horse-Racing Festival & Yading Hiking
The annual Litang Horse Race, held at the high altitude town of Litang (4000m) from August 1 to 7th, is the most celebrated holiday on the Chinese Tibetan grasslands. The Tibetans will come from far away and set tents to wait for the big days very early. After the wonderful ceremony with traditional Tibetan dancing and songs, the most exciting event is the horse races. The brave riders will take their pretty décorated horses to participate the races and showcase their excellent horse riding skills, such as picking up the scarlet on the back of a fast running horse, shooting at targets while on the gallop, etc. The women are all in their most beautiful best with magnificent jewelry as they shower their applauses on their heroes. The festival is also a good time for trade and various Tibetan-style goods are exchanged here amongst the visitors from all over.
We will spent 3 days at Litang to watch the horse races, and hopefully able to capture some of the most thrilling moments on film. There are opportunities to make friend with the friendly Tibetan people and of course, also visit the Tibetan monastery in our free time. The atmosphere is one of festivities and there are moments for relaxation as well.
After Litang, we shall journey to the beautiful natural paradise of Yading Nature Reserve for hiking or horse-riding. You'll most likely to agree that this is one of the most beautiful places ( if not the most beautiful place ) you've visited. From Yading, we end our journey at Kunming after a short visit to the quaint nice city of Lijiang, a World-Heritage Site.
Our travel will take the travelers in exploring remnants of the ancient Chinese civilization in the ancient capitals we visit and an overland over the vast eastern Tibetan plateau. You will be amazed by the discovery of local Tibetan culture as well as the warmth & friendship of its people and ... least but not last, the beautiful lands of Western Sichuan.
Highlights
- Activities: Overland drive, nature sightseeing, trekking
and / or horse-trekking, visit to alpine lakes, hotspring visits.
- Litang Horse-Racing Festival - a showcase of Tibetan bravado & excellent horsemanship
- Hiking at Yading Nature Reserve
- the 'Lost Shangri-la'
- Horse trekking at Siguniang Mountains
- Visits to some splendid Tibetan monasteries
- click to see our last SW China trip's
| Included |
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Full accommodation arrangement |
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Full transport arrangement & airport transfers in both 4WD & mini-bus / van with driver |
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Either Chinese or English speaking guide service |
| Excluded |
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International airfares between Singapore & Chengdu / Kunming |
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Domestic / internal flight between Kunming & Lijiang / Zhongdian |
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All airport taxes |
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All meals |
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Horse / porter fees at Tagong, Litang & Yading Nature Reserve |
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Tipping & gratuities to guide & local staff |
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Personal travel insurance & pre-trip medical immunizations |
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All expenses of a personal nature |
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Duration: 14 days
Group Size : minimum 4 persons
Maximum Altitude
4,200m - Yading ( trek or horse-ride )
4,900m - mountain pass ( drive )
Grading:
| Group Size |
Land Price |
| 15 persons or more |
$ 1245 |
| 12 - 14 persons |
$ 1295 |
| 09 - 11 persons |
$ 1345 |
| 06 - 08 persons |
$ 1395 |
| 04 - 05 persons |
$ 1535 |
| * Price above is land cost only and does not includes international and domestic air fares |
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Day 1
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Singapore - Chengdu. In the afternoon, visit the ancient sights of Chengdu city and in the evening attend the famous Sichuan Mask-changing opera show.
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| Day 2 - 13 |
From Chengdu, we drive to Wolong which is faved for its panda sanctuary & research centre and onwards to the Siguniang Mountains where we shall take time to visit one of its valley on horseback. We continue on to
the high grasslands of Tagong & Litang on the high Qinghai-Tibet plateau
to attend the annual Litang Horse-Racing Festival. Great photo opportunities.
At the county of Daocheng, you'll find some of the most beautiful scenery
in China. The next few days will be spent at the stunning Yading
Nature Reserve ( the 'Lost Shangri-La' ) where we'll do a short hike ( or horse-ride if you prefer ). Here in Yading, the scenery
easily rivals that of national parks of the west such as Yellowstone
and Yosemite in terms of spectacular, pristine mountain scenery.
After Yading, we travel to Daocheng and finally Lijiang. On this long overland journey, we will pass by several high mountain passes over 4000-m and visit a few well-known monasteries along the way. Great views of high snow-capped
peaks and interesting monastery visits along the way.
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| Day 14 |
Lijiang - Kunming ( via domestic flight ) - Singapore ( via international flight ) |
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Some parts of Sichuan we are travelling
through are very remote and the overland drives on certain days can be long ( & tiring ). Many of the places ( such as Yading Nature Reserve
) we're passing through only see a handful of foreigners each year so the amenities in some of these places can be pretty basic. Accommodation for the most part will be in local Tibetan guesthouses with shared rooms taking 3-4 or more persons per room and built-in private washrooms. All meals are included enroute except for 1-2 Aug during our stay at Litang for the festival.
Beware that this trip may be tough and cannot be done by
unprepared people looking for a comfortable holiday. The drives
will be long and over rugged mountain terrain and remote regions so
all participants must travel with an open mind and positive attitude.
For nature lovers & photographers, you'll be happy to know that the scenery is gorgeous and go prepared with plenty of films ( or digital card memory ) !
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