Small Group Tours and Tailor-Made Journeys January 2020 - June 2021 CHINA | JAPAN | VIETNAM | CAMBODIA | LAOS | SRI LANKA Welcome to Links Travel & Tours! As always, our brochure is filled with inspirational small group tours for those who prefer to travel with like-minded people, and suggested itineraries, for those who prefer a tailor-made option. We also have a variety of suggestions for those who love sport, including golf in Vietnam and Japan, hiking and mountain climbing in Japan and cycling in China and Vietnam. Our sister company, Sport Links Travel provides tours to major sporting events across the globe, including cricket, rugby and Formula 1. Please go to page 146 for more details. At Links Travel & Tours we care about our destinations, and this year we continue to commit to responsible travel wherever we can. When possible, we have changed our domestic flights into intercity train journeys, made easier by the development of the rail network across Asia. Our continued partnership with local hotels and businesses contribute to the local economy and we encourage holidaymakers to support local initiatives. We are committed to reducing our eco impact when introducing you to Asia. Finally, please feel free to get in touch with our dedicated team of Personal Travel Advisers who are on hand to listen, understand and help you arrange your holiday of a lifetime! Xiexie Helen Li - (Owner, Links Travel & Tours) WHY LINKS TRAVEL & TOURS page 4 CHINA page 6 JAPAN page 50 INDOCHINA page 96 SRI LANKA page 130 STOPOVERS page 142 USEFUL INFORMATION page 145 SPORT LINKS TRAVEL page 146 3 WHY TRAVEL WITH LINKS TRAVEL & TOURS Remarkable Value Tailor-Made Journeys Our offices in London, Beijing and Tokyo, For the very best tailor-made journey, we will ensure we have direct contact with hotels, have a conversation with you to understand transport providers and guides, assuring you what you want, and then design an itinerary receive the best value for money. that truly matches your wishes. No Hidden Costs Private Tours We believe in transparency, so our quotations Private tours are based on group tour include a comprehensive list of tour inclusions, itineraries but with your own guide in each and we proudly guarantee the price will not location, who will look after you and you change once the holiday has been booked. alone. These are ideal for those looking for a more personal service such as couples, families Small Group Tours and groups of friends. We provide small group tours up to a maximum of 20 people (unless otherwise Highly Respected Local Knowledge specified) to ensure that you are well looked Along with Helen Li, we have a dedicated after and get the most from your holiday. product team who were born in, or have a passion for the destinations we serve, providing the best options for your holiday. This years Triangle Trip was to Japan. We took 20 customers on a 15 day tour of Japan. Links Travel “were superb from start to finish. The hotels used were all well situated allowing our clients to experience real Japan. I cannot thank Links Travel enough for their attention to detail and for making our trip a success. Rob Kenton, Triangle Travel - March 2019 ” Visit www.linkstravelandtours.co.uk for more details 4 Award Winning Guides Carefully Selected Local Restaurants We carefully select our fully qualified guides, We appreciate the importance of a good many of whom have won awards for their meal, and on our group tours, have selected committed service, to ensure your travels are a range of restaurants providing tasty food for informative and enjoyable. all, including vegetarians and those with other dietary requirements. Excellent Customer Service Our friendly, efficient and dedicated experts, Families work extensively to ensure your holiday is as We offer a selection of family-friendly smooth and enjoyable as possible. itineraries, where the accommodation and included excursions have been selected to Named High Quality Hotels appeal to all ages. All our group tours offer standard hotels in Japan, and 4★ hotels elsewhere, all in prime Solo Travellers locations. We look carefully at the service, food We look forward to welcoming you on our and amenities before booking. tours to join like-minded travellers on your journey. All our named hotels offer great value when looking for single occupancy rates, and for 2020-2021, we are offering NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT on selected tours to China! Sustainable Travel Travelling in small groups and employing local guides, ensures a more genuine exchange with local people and their environment. While travelling in Asia we also provide recommendations for locally owned restaurants and shops. Community projects, home stays, traditional arts and crafts and supporting local causes all have a positive impact to the local communities you encounter along your journey. Visit www.linkstravelandtours.co.uk for more details Visit your local travel agent or call 020 8543 8133 5 CHINA Urumqi 1 Kashgar Dunhuang Hohhot Datong Yungang BEIJING HUANG HE Grottoes (YELLOW Hanging TIANJIN RIVER)11 Wooden Monastery Pagoda Shijiazhuang Yinchuan Jinci Temple SHANXI Taiyuan Jinan Xining Pingyao 2 Lanzhou XIAN Zhengzhou 10 6 3 Nanjing Shennong Suzhou Stream The Three Hefei TIBET SICHUAN Shibaozhai Gorge Dam Wuhan SHANGHAI 4 CHENGDU RIVER Hangzhou Lhasa YANGTZE Yichang Fengdu Nanchang CHONGQING RIVER Changsha YANGTZE Fuzhou Lijiang 9 Guiyang 5 7 YUNNAN GUILIN Yangshuo 8 TAIWAN Dali LI RIVER Guangzhou Kunming Nanning HONG KONG 12 Haikou SANYA CHINA TRAVEL GUIDE 6-9 CHINA SMALL GROUP TOURS CHINA TAILOR-MADE JOURNEYS 34-35 China Essential 10 days 10-11 Luxury China in Style 15 days 36 Essential Plus Panda 12 days 12-13 Explore Yunnan Province 15 days 37 China Scenic 12 days 14-15 China Family Tour 12 days 38 China Dreams 13 days 16-17 Mountains and Waterways of China 14 days 39 Essential Plus Cruise 13 days 18-19 Rainbow Mountains and Dunhuang 06 days 40 Historic China by Rail 13 days 20-21 Hong Kong 41 China Highlights 15 days 22-23 Sanya, Chengdu, Shaolin 42 Cruise and Panda by Rail 15 days 24-25 Guizhou, Yellow Mountain, Zhangjiajie 43 Memories of China 15 days 26-27 Yangtze River Cruises 44 Great China 18 days 28-29 Train Journeys in China 45 Beauty of China 20 days 30-31 Discover Taiwan 09 days 32-33 China Cultural Experiences 46-47 China Accommodation 48-49 6 1 3 11 2 5 10 6 9 12 8 1 BEIJING - The capital of China is 5 GUILIN - LI RIVER - 9 YUNNAN - Bordering Vietnam, Laos brimming with world class historical YANGSHUO - Visit Guilin for the and Myanmar, highlights include Tiger palaces and monuments, including the Reed Flute Caves, the Longshen rice fields, Leaping Gorge, Jade Dragon Snow Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the start of the scenic Li River, which Mountain, the Stone Forest near Kunming The Summer Palace and the Great Wall meanders along to the beautiful Yangshuo and the ancient towns of Dali and Lijiang. of China. area. 10 TIBET - Lhasa Tibet’s capital, is home to 2 XIAN - One of China’s historic capital 6 SICHUAN - Known for its mouth- the Potala Palace, the former residence of cities, it is famed for the Terracotta watering cuisine, and as the home of the the Dalai Lama. Drive along the Warriors. The ancient city wall, best Giant Panda. Mount Emei, the Leshan Friendship Highway to Yamdrok Lake and explored by bicycle, and the Shaanxi Buddha, and the rock carvings in Dazu, on to Shigatse and Gyantse. Museum, are also must-sees. can be visited from Chengdu. 11 SHANXI - Shanxi has much to discover, 3 SHANGHAI - A vibrant city with great 7 TAIWAN - With its dramatic including Pingyao, the Hanging Monastery shopping and dining opportunities. landscapes, diverse folk traditions and near Datong, the Yungang Grottoes, the Highlights include the Yu Yuan Gardens, vibrant night markets, Taiwan really does Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, Mount Wutai the Jade Buddha Temple, and The Bund. have something for everyone. and the Hukou Waterfalls. An evening cruise along the Huang Pu River is a must. 4 YANGTZE RIVER - The longest river 8 HONG KONG - The islands top 12 SANYA - With a warm climate and in Asia, is of major importance to China. attractions include the tram to Victoria famed as the ‘Hawaii of the Orient’, relax Join a relaxing cruise, to view the majestic Peak, the Lantau Island cable car to the on white sandy beaches, enjoying an array scenery and explore cultural sites including Tian Tan Buddha, and the Star Ferry of water sports and the opportunity to go the Three Gorges Dam. across Victoria Harbour. hiking in the rainforests. Visit your local travel agent, or call 020 8543 8133 7 5 CHINA TRAVEL GUIDE FLIGHTS Your flights are an important part of your Links Travel & Tours experience. We only work with reputable airlines for both international and domestic routes and all of our group tours to China include direct flights with British Airways from London Heathrow. British Airways fly direct to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, and upgrades to World Traveller Plus and Business Class are available on request. Other available airlines include SAS, KLM, Air France and Lufthansa. We are also able to arrange regional departures from most UK airports. Emirates offer a comprehensive service via Dubai, where you are allowed a free stopover. Please note that all flights are offered subject to availability. If you have purchased your own international flights for our group tours, we will provide return transfers between the airport and hotel. TRAINS It is a fantastic way to get closer to the real China and Domestic train travel in China is a wonderful way to the perfect opportunity to meet local people.