CHINA Fall 2014
X'IAN AND HANGZHOU
 |
| Terracotta Warriors |
From the outside, you wonder why am I vising X'ian. You think ... is there anything to see other than those Terracotta Warriors? The city looks like a scaled down Beijing as in 25 million people to “just” 8 million people. Too much traffic, too much urban crazy. Well, the
answer is yes ... BUT you must choose your hotel carefully. We stayed at the Shangli La Hotel outside of the city and there was nothing to see except traffic and high rises. The “good stuff” is in the center city. China has done an excellent job of highlighting and explaining the Terracotta Warriors and it's a must see in a China itinerary but I recommend staying one more night to get a feel of the city.
 |
| Terracotta Warriors |
 |
| The Sofitel Legend |
Getting to X'ian from Beijing will take you at least 6 hours via highways and an airline flight. A simple 3 mile drive can take 45 minutes to 1 hour. The Sofitel Legend is exactly where you want to be in X'ian. The rooms are lovely and the cuisine from their Italian chef is fantastic! We visited the Muslim Quarter and saw the Chinese mosque. This part of town is so interesting because the people look Chinese but they are practicing Muslims. X'ian was the beginning of the Silk Road and many Chinese converted or married a practicing Muslim.
The following day, we headed for the airport again for a 1 hour 45 minute flight to Hangzhou. EVERY itinerary NEEDS to include Hangzhou which is the home to West Lake in their itinerary. It is the most beautiful part of China.
I totally loved it and found this to be the highlight of my trip so far. West Lake is peaceful and relaxing. Each little nook has something beautiful to look at. You know those pictures of China with the weeping willow trees, flowers and overlooking a beautiful lake? Well, that's West Lake and Hangzhou. We visited a Chinese pharmacy and learned about Chinese medicine and how people are diagnosed. Fascinating ...
 |
| West Lake |
 |
| West Lake |
 |
| West Lake |
We stayed at the Amanfayun Hotel. As much as I love Aman Hotels, I hesitate to broadly recommend the Amanfayan. This hotel is in a tea plantation village. There are guests and locals walking through the village which is an issue. Also, an issue are the uneven stone walkways. The rooms are incredible in an Aman way. The food is delicious and authentic. The best part is that it is close to West Lake.
 |
| Four Seasons Hangzhou |
Today, we left and visited a tea plantation and the Four Seasons Hangzhou. The Four Seasons Hangzhou is my preferred hotel for Hangzhou. It is has a dock on West Lake and is the most perfect hotel for the city. The rooms are lovely, service is perfect as is the cuisine. The spa is incredible. They have a fitness center and a huge indoor pool.
 |
| Four Seasons Hangzhou |
I'm writing this from a bus from Hangzhou to Shanghai. Normally, this is a 1 hour drive but with today's China, this will take 3 hours. We are staying at the Peninsula Shanghai so I'll write more about the hotel tomorrow.
The World is Our Playground!
Mari
No comments:
Post a Comment