HISTORIC SILK ROAD JOURNEY
TRAVEL Indochina has singled out September as the best time to visit the Silk Road across China’s northwest. The company’s 16-day Silk Road Small Group Journey follows part of the world’s great trade routes, Xian to Kashgar via Lanzhou, Xiahe, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turpan and Urumqi. Highlights include Xian’s Terracotta Warriors, a boat journey to the Bingling Si Caves and a visit to the active Labrang Monastery in Xiahe. Clients also gain an insight into local life at a Tibetan home, climb a remote part of the Great Wall at Jiayuguan, and go camel riding along the sand dunes at Dunhuang. Clients can also see ancient Buddhist cave art at the Mogao Caves, enjoy lunch at a Uighur home in an oasis town, and stop for a visit to Kashgar’s famous Sunday Bazaar followed by a walking tour through the city’s backstreets. Limited places are available on the tour, which has a maximum of 16 passengers. The package includes 13-nights of hotel accommodation, two overnight soft sleeper train rides, three internal flights and return transfers. The tour is also led by local English speaking guides and a Western tour leader based on a minimum of seven travellers. Prices start from $5670 per person twin share. CHINA Southern says the 72-hour visa-free arrangement has lifted the profile of the airline’s hub, Guangzhou, as a stopover destination, with Australians particularly receptive to the new program. “It’s early days, but there has been a noticeable increase in travellers taking stop-overs in Guangzhou since the visa-free system was introduced,” regional general manager Australia and NZ, Henry He, said. Australians represent 30% of all travellers taking up the arrangement, he added. Following “continued strong growth” out of Australia this year, He said business class was China Southern’s strongest performing market in 2015, led by competitive fares and recent cabin imprvoements. China Southern will increase capacity and frequencies to meet expected demand for the peak summer period, with its A380 service set to return to Sydney over the period. The airline will also ramp up its Brisbane service to daily, and its Melbourne service will become a twice daily service.