Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle

Fall 2017

Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine

Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/873989

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Hong Kong, Xian's Terracotta Army, Shanghai's 21 st -century cityscape, a Yangtze River cruise, and the Guilin limestone land- scape. I picked the first two of these for my recent trip. TIMING Once you have chosen your dream destina- tions you should work out the best time of year to plan your visit. As China is such a vast country, different regions can be frigid or boiling, wet or dry, at risk of typhoons or choking smog. Look at each of your destina- tions and time your visit accordingly. I travelled to Beijing and Chengdu in Sep- tember, as this promised the best likelihood for moderate temperatures and sunshine. TRAVEL PARTNERS Assuming you enjoy travelling at your own pace rather than that of a tour group, you will need to consider the best combination of airline and hotels for your trip to China. Look for the optimal mix of price, regional expertise, reputation, features and ease of booking. For all these reasons, I flew with Cathay Pacific and stayed with Swire Hotels at their House Collective group of hotels. Both airline and hotel group are based in China and so are the perfect hosts for a journey to China. FLIGHTS I flew direct from Toronto to Hong Kong. Economy Class on Cathy Pacific is excellent, however I wished to experience their renowned Business Class on this 15-hour flight—and I was pleased I did. It was like stepping into China the moment I boarded the plane—food and service were both tinged with Asian magic and their award- winning lie-flat seats ensured I was well rested and ready to hit the ground running when I landed in Hong Kong. Within China, I flew on sister airline Cathay Dragon. This ensured seamless service, one-stop shop- ping and use of the airlines' very civilized airport lounges. In particular, The Pier lounge in Hong Kong Airport is a luxurious haven for connecting flights. HOTELS You are in China and your hotels there should reflect this. What's the point of flying halfway round the world to stay in an international mega-brand tower block that could be anywhere? The House Collective is a group of smaller, personal hotels that combine modern luxury accommodation FALL 2017 DREAMSCAPES 15 OPPOSITE: The Great Wall at Mutianyu. BELOW: Tiananmen Square in Beijing. MIDDLE: The Upper House in Hong Kong. BOTTOM: The pool at The Temple House in Chengdu. Chris Robinson

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