News & Updates

Winter Travel

-by Kimberlie Meyer, Editor

Louie Yi, Lotus Travel President and expedition specialist and I recently shared about the many good features of traveling during Winter Break. As an adoptive parent who traveled in late December 2008 to bring our daughter home, I personally found it the most pleasant of my three China trips.  The weather in Beijing was crisp but not biting cold.  In Xian, we saw all the sites we wanted to see without crowds, and the weather in Guangzhou was perfect – sunny, not humid, and temperate. All the while we enjoyed the last of the beautiful Christmas decorations, and the early signs of the Chinese New Year decorations, creating a fun and festive atmosphere in each city. 

KM: Why do you say winter is a good time to travel?

LY: While winter break is easy to overlook, it can be an ideal time to be in China. With kids out of school, it’s a great opportunity for travel. It offers good prices also, as Chinese travelers consider it off season. It is not yet Chinese New Year, so fewer Chinese will be traveling to tourist locations. Beijing is cool in the winter, though not unbearably so. It can be nice time to visit China without crowds at key sites—there are a lot of advantages to winter break travel.

KM: So, do you recommend going after Christmas? I thought your main tour leaves before?

LY: Well, this year we have two winter season group tours. One departs the day after Christmas and includes a home stay, language lessons and volunteering at the Wuhan orphanage on New Year’s Eve. There is a lot offered in this small tour: (http://www.lotustours.net/travel/LY-HA09-1219.html.) The other departs Dec. 19th, and families can have traditional hot pot meal for Christmas dinner (http://www.lotustours.net/travel/LY-HA09-1219.html) . It includes many key sites in Beijing, Chengdu, Xian, Guilin, and Guangzhou. I think both tours offer good value for an excellent price.

KM: So, if you want to do an economy trip, this sounds like a good time for travel.
　　 What is the least expensive trip option?

LY: Of these two tours the trip departing Dec 26 is just $1399 and includes three cities. The longer tour is $2199 per adult. Children under 12 are approximately 80% of that price. It’s definitely a good value for the trip.

KM: So, are these your only tours for winter season?

A: We offer any specialized tour a family wants to do. A family may do a private budget tour. One can do that for $1699 without joining a group. So, winter can be reasonable to travel as far as costs are concerned. In this budget tour, one can stay at the Home Inn hotel chain, which is where many Chinese travelers choose for their travel. It is not fancy but it is clean, comfortable and pleasant. Staying in a Home Inn for lodging, families will have a chance to practice Mandarin, since they do not cater to English speakers. Beijing will be cool, and Guangzhou should be nice weather.

KM: Will you greet families who want to stop in Guangzhou in winter and say hello?

LY: Depending on when they arrive, I would love to. Our family also likes to travel in winter, so we have some travelling planned too. It’s a great time to travel, you know!