Silk Road Holidays

Fantastic week away in Georgia. From the ancient cave towns, the recent soviet history and all the amazing food and wine. It is not one to miss!

anthony zwart A Week in Georgia

This was a trip, full of WOW moments with a good dose of awe and wonder.
If you don’t travel well in the back of a hot, very bumpy car for hours on end, this is definitely not the trip for you. If you can’t do without home comforts, or don’t like early mornings or sleep disturbances, this is not the trip for you. If you need your own space, this is not the trip for you. If you are in any way, a picky eater, this is not the trip for you.(having said that, our vegetarian and vegan group members ate as well as any of us)
If, however, you have an open mind, and a ‘come what may’ attitude, this is a trip of a lifetime. The itinerary of this trip is such that we saw more of this amazing country and immersed ourselves in the culture of these amazing, resilient people more than any other trips that we encountered along the way. Some of the journeys were tough, with real abject dangers from their remoteness and altitude but the rewards in terms of scenery and experiences were more than worth it. The homestay hosts were, on the whole, welcoming and generous and they managed to provide well cooked food and little treats, even though they appeared to have so little. We engaged with the local children where possible, and took great joy in teaching them UNO and playing with them. They were inquisitive and always open to any new experiences we could provide. Rubik’s cube was a hit too, as were the kites provided by Safina, our group leader. Because of the extent of the itinerary, we gradually learned so much about this relatively unknown country, both about the richness of its physical geography and the historical, cultural and social, regional traditions and differences. It had its tough moments but they only added to the lasting impression of an amazingly beautiful country of strong, proud and content people who thrive against the odds.

Susie Birch Tajikistan Expedition: Pamir Highway & beyond

Itinerary was jam-packed with great sights and activities that gave us a taste of both ancient and modern China, while still leaving some free time to explore on our own; excellent value. All the hotels were very good (luxurious for Exodus), with the Tianfu Sunshine in Chengdu being stand-out for room facilities and decor, the Bell Tower in Xi’an for location and generous room size, and the Dong Fang in Beijing for the most extensive and best quality breakfast buffet (and period charm in the historic coffee shop, courtyard, and public areas); Golden Tulip in Shanghai was also very glamorous and well-located for the Bund. Transport (bullet trains x 2, internal flight, private minibuses, and public buses) was all excellent – punctual, efficient and clean, and our trip leader, Sunny, got us to all the attractions before the busiest crowds, and marshalled us well on public transport. (There were only seven of us on my departure – five solos and one couple – which was a good number; I can imagine a full cohort of 16 would be much more challenging to manage in the busiest locations.) Food was amazingly cheap and generally good (you can eat well for a fiver, and feast for under £10; large beers cost around £1), although some of us might have liked an option once or twice to have a more upmarket and relaxed dining experience. This trip takes in all the main tourist attractions (Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, a section of the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, panda breeding centre), and they were all well worth seeing, but what I enjoyed most was having some time to explore the lesser known cities, Xi’an, and Chengdu. Xi’an was my favourite, for its historic centre, and lively night-time vibe. I would have liked some more time in Shanghai (not least because I was on a quest for family history); a day and a half on the official trip itinerary is not enough for such a vibrant city, specially as we lost half a day (the group trip to Yuyuan Garden) due to heavy rain the day we arrived. Luckily, some of us had late flights on departure day, effectively giving us another post-trip day in which we were able to visit the Yu Garden independently, but it would be good if this extra day could be factored into future trip itineraries. (Personally, I’d trade Beijing for more time in Chengdu and Shanghai. I’m planning to return to Shanghai independently.) As a solo traveller, this was my first long-haul trip, and it was brilliant. Just go!

Ming Ho Essential China