We’re all about making moments count, and ever thinking about the better way to make a moment count than to end your day with awesome scenery on Yangtze River? No worry, Yangtze River Cruise especially New Century Cruises will certainly end your day right.
Century Cruises with new generation hardware and five-star service will never let you down. Not only many luxury cruise ships (including Century Sun, Century Sky, Century Diamond, Century Star, Century Emerald, Century Legend and Century Paragon) with great discount are offered, but also some special Chinese-style activities (Century Sky offers Winter special cruise in Fre. 2013) are arranged. All you need to do is booking the cruise and enjoying the luxury, enjoying the budget, enjoying your Yangtze vacation!
Susan Jaques, a Los Angeles-based writer whose favorite travel adventures are with her husband and teenage son and daughter, has just come back from Century Cruise on Yangtze River in China in Sept. She wrote:
“During our night-day China tour, we traveled from Beijing to Shanghai, with a three-night sailing on the Yangtze River between Chongqing and Yichang on the Viking Century Sky, a newly launched 306-passenger river vessel.
The big appeal of this trip is that it is an extremely comfortable way for Americans to experience China, from Beijing’s Great Wall and Forbidden City to the remarkable terra cotta warriors in Xian, and from the Yangtze’s beautiful Three Gorges to ultra-cosmopolitan Shanghai. English-speaking guides, gracious staff and five-star Western hotels while on land contribute to the experience — but the highlight of the trip is exploring the mighty Yangtze River on this casually elegant river vessel with many of the comforts and benefits of a cruise ship.
The journey begins with a flight to Beijing for a three-night stay. From there, guests board an afternoon flight south to Xian for one night. After a second flight the following afternoon to Chongqing, passengers board the Viking Century Sky for a three-night Yangtze River cruise calling at ports near Shibaozhai, the Lesser Three Gorges, and Yichang. A final flight from Yichang takes guests to Shanghai for two nights.
Best Pleasure
True confession: The best pleasure of the trip was my foot massage aboard the Viking Century Sky. The fun began when I sank my feet in a tub of hot water with a tea bag and pink flower petals. For the next blissful hour, Sam, my masseur, worked magic on my calves and feet. When I raved about the experience to fellow passengers, they expressed equal infatuation with the traditional Chinese and Qigong massages, advertised to improve one’s circulation and metabolism.
In Port
The port of Shibaozhai, about 170 miles from Chongqing, is famous for an 18th-century gem: a red wood pagoda clinging precariously to the side of a cliff 700 feet above the Yangtze. It was with some trepidation that I climbed 12 stories to the top. The big payoff: panoramic river views and a promised ticket to heaven.
The following day, we traveled by boat up the Daning River, a tributary of the Yangtze, to the Lesser Three Gorges. Highlights along the winding maze of narrow canyons and towering cliffs: monkeys, mandarin ducks and the hanging coffins of the Ba people.
We disembarked near the monumental Three Gorges Dam. Though over one million people have already been relocated, the Dam seems to be a source of great pride — providing hydroelectric power, flood control and improved navigation. When the project is completed in 2009, the Yangtze will have risen 575 feet.
On Ship Rituals
After each excursion, we were welcomed back to the vessel with warm hand towels and cool drinks, a ritual I quickly grew to appreciate. We also looked forward to afternoon tea in the lounge, accompanied by live music from a Hungarian couple and stunning views of the Three Gorges. In a ritual befitting the boat’s understated elegance, we began and ended our cruise with Champagne.”
If you want to read the full article, please visit here: Come Aboard My Yangtze River Cruise on Viking Century Sky