The RIVER cruiser
The breathtaking escarpment carved by the mighty Yangtze River – the lifeblood of local transportation for more than 2000 years – now forms the backdrop to grand journeys.
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.
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. Artworks, 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,
then venture to the towering walls of the aweinspiring Potala Palace, the former winter residence of the Dalai Lama. Days 11 to 14 are onboard the river cruiser. Winding up the trip with a flight to the modern metropolis of Shanghai, on the last two days of the journey guests can take the opportunity to see the city’s rising art district on a tour of the West Bund Art Center and check out the Shanghai Museum on a private visit with its curator.
ONBOARD ACTIVITIES
Expect to sample fine cuisine aboard the Sanctuary Yangzi Explorer. The Dynasty Dining Room features an east-meets-west menu, with the highlight a traditional Chinese banquet for the farewell dinner. As guests travel along the tranquil waters, they can choose from an array of spa treatments in one of the six treatment rooms or try out the fitness centre. Onboard activities include traditional performances and lectures, morning tai chi sessions, masterclasses in Chinese medicine, as well as lessons in such skills as the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy or dumpling making. abercrombiekent.com.au