Be prepared for the adventure of a lifetime! This is without a doubt a trip you won't want to miss. Fall colors will dance across the land from Beijing to Shanghai, the Great Wall to the Terracotta Warriors, Village Life to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Center, this is truly a trip of a lifetime!
The amazing low price includes: Travel (round-trip airfare from Portland, Oregon USA, and all travel in China), the Finest Hotels, the Finest Meals, Tips, Taxes, the Finest Entertainment, Visas, Photography Instruction, Local Professional Tour Guides, Entrance Fees & Permits.
This is not your typical tour, it's a customized one of a kind private Photographer's Dream Come True Expedition! I made sure we would be out on location before sunrise and we'll be out on location after sunset. As photographers we know that in order to get the shot of a lifetime we need to be in the right place at the right time. That doesn't mean get lucky. That means find the right place and wait till the right time! We won't be rushed from location to location. We will have enough time to create the images we want at each site we visit. You won't find another photo safari like this anywhere!
By traveling with us you've opened a very different door onto this fascinating country. Behind this door is a more pastoral, more serene China offering sanctuaries for a pause, a reflection, and a connection with the region's unique beauty. No wonder so many Chinese artists, poets and philosophers have been drawn to Guilin and its surrounding scenery over the millennia.
You'll witness firsthand what you've surely seen depicted in travel magazines: rice terraces that climb the mountains at Longji Titian. A day later finds you aboard a riverboat, easing your way down the Li River past exotic, giant limestone monoliths on route to Yangshuo, quite possibly destined to be your favorite town in all of China.
Your 2009 ALL-INCLUSIVE 13-night Mysteries of China Safari adventure includes all this, plus so many of China's other must-see highlights. You'll begin in Beijing, touring Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and venturing north to explore Great Wall of China.
You'll travel to Xi'an one of the most important cities in Chinese history. It was the capital of China for 13 dynasties and the end of the Silk Road. Near Xi'an lies one of the world's most prized archaeological sites. The Terracotta Warriors are 8,099 terracotta figures of soldiers and horses all unique in appearance from hair and facial features to clothing and all are life size (actually about a foot taller than life size at the time they were created). They were created in 210 BC for the First Qin Emperor. This is an awe inspiring achievement of skill and craftsmanship.
Giant Panda Breeding Research Center! We'll arrive first thing in the morning at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding when the Pandas are at their most active. Imagine the breathtaking images you'll capture while face to face with the adorable Panda. Talk with researchers and observe the work they do to preserve these beautiful creatures. Holy cow these guys are adorable! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to come face to face with Panda Bears & Cubs!
Guilin offers us breathtaking images of a beautiful Chinese town nestled on a river with giant pillars of rock jutting up throughout the city and local countryside. The images you'll take home from here alone are worth the trip!
Suzhou, China's "Silk City", is Portland's Sister City in China. This is a wonderful opportunity to visit our sister city, something most Portlanders will never experience.
Finally Shanghai! One of China's most important economic, commercial, financial, industrial, and cultural centers. One of the most amazing skylines in the world sets this city apart from any destination you will ever visit!
Advanced Photography, Composition, Advanced Lighting and Photoshop will be taught during our amazing adventure! The flight back will be our review of the amazing images we capture!
Remember, we'll be fully escorted by local professional tour guides who understand that this is a photography expedition first and foremost. We will be staying at the finest hotels and eating the finest meals. Entertainment will be provided many of the nights we're there. I've personally insured that this is a customized, one of a kind, private photography tour of China, specifically designed to be a Photographer's Dream Tour!
You will be required to bring all your own camera equipment and laptop computer with plenty of disc space. An external hard drive will be available in the event you need extra storage but it is for emergencies only and disc space rental fees may apply. Come prepared. We want to make sure nothing gets in the way of you bringing home those amazing images.
