Rickshaw Travel

ABTAATOL Protected

  • Destinations
  • Family holidays
  • Travel guides
  • About us
  • Blog
My Travel Plan
Loading...

Your travel plan is empty!

Add your favourite trips or an itinerary to your travel plan. Click on 'My Travel Plan' to see what you've added and send it to us. Our travel specialists will piece your holiday together (including transport & accommodation) and send you a quote within one working day.

Get started!

Added so far...

We'll create your dream holiday

    Next, review & send us your travel plan for your quote

    Request your quote

    Or view/email a copy of your travel plan

    View your travel plan
     Your next steps

    1. Add your favourite trips or an itinerary to your travel plan
    2. Click the Request your quote button to send it over to us
    3. Our travel specialists will piece your holiday together (including transport & accommodation) and send you a quote within one working day

     Your next steps

    1. Add your favourite trips or an itinerary to your travel plan
    2. Click the Request your quote button to send it over to us
    3. Our travel specialists will piece your holiday together (including transport & accommodation) and send you a quote within one working day

    • Destinations
      • Asia
        • Bhutan
        • China
        • India
        • Japan
        • Nepal
        • Sri Lanka
        • Tibet
      • South East Asia
        • Borneo
        • Cambodia
        • Indonesia
        • Laos
        • Malaysia
        • Myanmar
        • Thailand
        • Vietnam
      • North America
        • Canada
        • USA
      • Central America
        • Belize
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • Guatemala
        • Mexico
        • Nicaragua
        • Panama
      • South America
        • Argentina & Antarctica
        • Bolivia
        • Brazil
        • Chile
        • Colombia
        • Ecuador & Galapagos
        • Peru
      • Europe
        • Greece
        • Iceland
        • Italy
        • Lapland
        • Portugal
      • View all destinations
    • Family holidays
      • Asia
        • India
        • Sri Lanka
      • South East Asia
        • Borneo
        • Cambodia
        • Indonesia
        • Thailand
        • Vietnam
      • North America
        • Canada
        • USA
      • Central America
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
      • South America
        • Peru
      • Europe
        • Iceland
        • Italy
        • Lapland
        • Portugal
    • Travel guides
      • Travel guides by destination
        • Borneo
        • Canada
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • Ecuador
        • Galapagos
        • India
        • Indonesia
        • Japan
        • Peru
        • Sri Lanka
        • Vietnam
      • Family Holiday Guides
        • Borneo
        • Canada
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • India
        • Indonesia
        • Malaysia
        • Peru
        • Sri Lanka
        • Thailand
        • USA
        • Vietnam
      • Inspiration
        • Beaches
        • City stopovers
        • Diving and snorkelling
        • Food & drink
        • Honeymoons
        • Self drive
        • Trekking
        • Unique experiences
        • Wildlife & safari
      • Where to Go When
        • January
        • February
        • March
        • April
        • May
        • June
        • July
        • August
        • September
        • October
        • November
        • December
    • About us
      • Discover more
        • Our values
        • Meet the team
        • How we work
        • Work with us
        • Customer reviews
        • In the news
        • Contact us
      • Responsible travel
        • Responsible travel
        • Animal welfare
        • Population Matters
        • Our Meaningful Travel Policy
        • How to be a responsible traveller
      • Travel Advice
        • Accommodation
        • Covid-19
        • Flexible booking
        • Flights
        • LGBTQ+ travellers
        • Refer a Friend
        • Travel insurance
        • Visas & passports
    • Blog
    AsiaSouth East AsiaNorth AmericaCentral AmericaSouth AmericaEuropeView all destinations
    BhutanChinaIndiaJapanNepalSri LankaTibet
    BorneoCambodiaIndonesiaLaosMalaysiaMyanmarThailandVietnam
    CanadaUSA
    BelizeCosta RicaCubaGuatemalaMexicoNicaraguaPanama
    Argentina & AntarcticaBoliviaBrazilChileColombiaEcuador & GalapagosPeru
    GreeceIcelandItalyLaplandPortugal
     
     
    AsiaSouth East AsiaNorth AmericaCentral AmericaSouth AmericaEurope
    IndiaSri Lanka
     
    BorneoCambodiaIndonesiaThailandVietnam
     
    CanadaUSA
     
    Costa RicaCuba
     
    Peru
     
    IcelandItalyLaplandPortugal
     
    Travel guides by destinationFamily Holiday GuidesInspirationWhere to Go When
    • Borneo
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • Ecuador
    • Galapagos
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Peru
    • Sri Lanka
    • Vietnam
    • Borneo
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Malaysia
    • Peru
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
    • USA
    BeachesCity stopoversDiving and snorkellingFood & drinkHoneymoonsSelf driveTrekkingUnique experiencesWildlife & safari
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
    Discover moreResponsible travelTravel Advice
    Our valuesMeet the teamHow we workWork with usCustomer reviewsIn the newsContact us
    Responsible travelAnimal welfarePopulation MattersOur Meaningful Travel PolicyHow to be a responsible traveller
    AccommodationCovid-19Flexible bookingFlightsLGBTQ+ travellersRefer a FriendTravel insuranceVisas & passports

    Rickshaw Ramblings

    • Browse by Destination
    • Argentina & Antarctica
    • Bhutan
    • Bolivia
    • Borneo
    • Borneo for Families
    • Brazil
    • Brighton
    • Cambodia
    • Cambodia for Families
    • Canada
    • Canada for Families
    • Chile
    • China
    • Colombia
    • Costa Rica
    • Costa Rica for Families
    • Cuba
    • Ecuador & Galapagos
    • Family
    • Greece
    • Iceland
    • India
    • Indochina
    • Indonesia
    • Indonesia for Families
    • Italy
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Lapland
    • Malaysia
    • Mexico
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Nicaragua
    • Panama
    • Peru
    • Portugal
    • Sri Lanka
    • Sri Lanka for Families
    • Thailand
    • Thailand for Families
    • Tibet
    • USA
    • USA for families
    • Vietnam
    • Vietnam for Families
    • Browse by Theme
    • 24 hours in...
    • Competition
    • Cultural
    • Customers stories
    • Family travel
    • Food and drink
    • Friends of Rickshaw
    • History
    • Responsible travel
    • Top tips
    • Wellness
    • Wildlife

    11th March 2015 by Rickshaw Ramblers • 6 min read

    Pandas & Crystal Lakes in China | Rod McIntosh

    Blog-01 Customers stories pin China

    Share:

    Man at Great Wall of China

    Speak to our China specialist

    Enquire now

    We always encourage our customers (fondly known as Ramblers) to contribute travel tales to our blog on their return, and in this post we’re pleased to introduce Rod and Anita who travelled to China last autumn, and were kind enough to keep us in the loop with their adventures along the way. In this except, Rod writes about their journey to Chengdu and visiting endangered Pandas at the famous research facility, and also enjoying some unusual evening entertainment!

    Lunchtime at Chengdu

    “It is only a short flight from Xian down to Chengdu, and our hotel was in an attractive bohemian style quarter. As this was Golden Week, and today was National Day, we strolled around the old quarter, where there are a myriad small boutique shops and restaurants, not too dissimilar to Covent Garden. The next day, we were picked up early for our visit to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Facility, which did not disappoint. We saw them at play – well, this is a slight exaggeration, as they are not really the liveliest or energetic of souls, and appear to spend most of their time munching bamboo shoots, and lying around. Have made a diary note to try this after one of the tennis matches, when we return to Casa Sonrisa! We did, however, manage to get some great shots of them, which shall appear on Facebook, when we get back to Espana.

    More to do in Chengdu

    We also attended a Sichuan Opera in Chengdu. The word “opera” is misleading, as it is more of a general entertainment session, than anything else, only lasting 90 minutes, singing, farce, slapstick, jokes, mime, orchestral manoeuvres (not in the dark), throwing shadows of animals onto a screen, you name it, it’s all there, with ear cleaning and a massage service thrown in for good measure!

    Woman in front of rapids in china

    It is clear to us that our itinerary has been split into two distinctive parts, the first concentrating on the big cities and major tourist attractions, the second majoring on the beautiful scenery this country has to offer, and taking us to places which are not on the normal tourist route.

    More to do in Chengdu
    Local women in traditional dress
    Traditional dress in Songpan

    Beautiful sights in Songpan

    The next day we caught our flight down to Jiuzhaigou, which is up in the mountains and considerably colder. In the town of Songpan, where we were staying, we were very fortunate to witness a performance by a host of youngsters attired in their colourful traditional costumes, in a picturesque area amidst some beautiful flowers. We noted a distinct difference in the facial characteristics of the locals, who were much darker skinned, and had Mongolian and Tibetan features. We were then picked up the following morning, and driven high into the mountains, where the views would have been splendid, if it were not for the early morning mist, which, eventually cleared from the rising peaks.

    We took a cable car up a mountain within the Huanglong Scenic Park, and then walked along broad wooden walkways for 8 kilometres through stunning scenery to a height of 4000 metres, before embarking on the return journey downhill, just a tad easier on the muscles! I reckon we must have been accompanied by well over 100,000 folk, spread out along the long meandering path, some casually dressed, and others dressed up to the nines, clearly well prepared for some great photo opportunities on a very special occasion. Many of the kids were wearing most endearing black and white panda fleeces.

    Beautiful sights in Songpan
    Lake and mountain view at Huanglong Scenic Park
    Stunning Huanglong!

    The fascinating ubiquitous multi-coloured terraced pools, caused by calcification of the rock, sparkled in the sunshine, and the path followed the course of the river, with beautiful waterfalls cascading down the mountainside – simply spell-binding! I swear that we did not see a fellow Westerner during our 4 hour hike through this enchanting park!

    This week is called Golden Week, following National Day, and, judging by the massive crowds everywhere you go, many must take a week’s holiday. Today, Sunday, we certainly struck gold, with a visit to the Jiuzhaigou National Park – wow!

    Jiuzhaigou National Park

    We walked about 5 kilometres from our hotel and bought our tickets, before boarding a bus to take us through some of the most absorbing scenery you could hope to see anywhere in the world. We were blessed with a day of glorious sunshine, and the topography of the park is nothing short of sensational. Little did we know that our bus was one of a fleet of well over a hundred, which continuously do the 40 kilometre circuit of the park. We were dropped off at the far reaches of the park, and then proceeded to wind our way back between the snow capped peaks, and lush valleys of rushing rivers, shimmering in the golden sunshine, cascading waterfalls, and trees of all descriptions, with their autumnal tints resplendent.

    As yet, we have not been across the Canadian Rockies, but I would imagine they are similar to this, with the mountains towering above you, and looking spectacular against the deep blue sky. We walked alongside a crystal clear lake, with the forest, snow capped mountains, and blue sky reflecting like a sparkling jewel on the tranquil water. Again, there must have been well in excess of 100,000 folk, but, owing to the vastness of the park, it did not feel too congested.

    Beautiful lake in China
    Lake within Jiuzhaigou National Park
    Jiuzhaigou National Park

    A novelty attraction…

    Also, again seemingly being the only Western faces among the milling throngs, we have become accustomed to lots of youngsters saying “hello”, then running off gesticulating and giggling. As this area is not on the traditional tourist route, we have been stopped on innumerable occasions by people wanting to be photographed beside us, which is very flattering, I guess, and a wonderful experience, as they seem to be so delighted to engage with us. We were accompanied for a short part of the journey by two teenagers who just wanted to practise their English with us, and they were thrilled when we took their photograph. I think that “selfies” must have been invented over here, and they just love posing for pics, not just with the now conventional “v” sign, but with all manner of ballerina type gyrations, and looking ever so cool!”

    BIG thanks to Rod & Anita for sharing your trip with us!

     

    Follow in Rod's footsteps
    ChengduNationalParkPandasPhotography
    Image of Rickshaw Ramblers

    Written by Rickshaw Ramblers

    View Profile

    Our customers (fondly known as Ramblers) are at the heart of Rickshaw. They travel the world with us, connecting with local communities & enjoying the journey!

    Comments

    Next Article

    Chloe’s favourite beaches in Malaysia

    Previous Article

    Changing the Face of Graffiti in Valparaiso, Chile

    Other articles you may like

    Customers stories

    Discovering the delights of Ubud, Bali | Andrew & Anthea

    26th September 2012 by Rickshaw Ramblers

    Andrew & Anthea travelled to Ubud, Bali with Rickshaw and we were lucky enough to get their wonderful travel photos and a recap of their memorable trip.

    5 min read

    Read More - Discovering the delights of Ubud, Bali | Andrew & Anthea

    Customers stories

    12 photos from our globetrotting travellers

    5th September 2019 by Scarlet

    We've gone through our hefty customer photo album and (after a lot of umming and ahhing) picked our top 12 favourite customer images that you need to see!

    12 min read

    Read More - 12 photos from our globetrotting travellers

    Customers stories

    Too old to travel at 70? | John's India Adventure with Rickshaw Travel

    27th September 2016 by Rickshaw Ramblers

    Are you ever too old to travel? Our Rickshaw Rambler, John doesn't think so. At the age of 70, he embarked on a trip to India.

    7 min read

    Read More - Too old to travel at 70? | John's India Adventure with Rickshaw Travel
    Back up

    As featured in

    • the guardian logo
    • wanderlust logo red
    • Lonely Planet
    • National Geographic Traveler
    • Psychologies
    • The Daily Telegraph

    Information

    • Contact us
    • Booking conditions
    • Financial protection
    • Health and safety
    • Your Package Holiday
    • FCDO travel advice
    • Blog
    • Coronavirus travel advice

    Get in touch

    We're a friendly bunch and always ready for a chat so feel free to get in touch.

    Call us: 01273 322 398

    Email us: hello@rickshawtravel.co.uk

    Contact us

    Connect with us

    FacebookInstagramTwitterYouTubePinterest
    ATOL Protected ABTA Travelife

    © 2008 - 2022 | Rickshaw Travel

    Privacy Policy  |  Cookie Policy  |  Sitemap

    Call us Phone us

    Please give us your consent to use cookies

    We use cookies to ensure our website works, to give you an enhanced experience while browsing, and to enable us to use 3rd party tools that are connected to us. Read our Cookie Policy for more information.

    What are your holiday plans?

    • Our travel specialists know everything there is to know about your chosen destination. Please tell us what you're looking for below and we’ll get back to you very soon (usually within 24 hours).

    • Hidden
      This field is only shown to Rickshaw Admins, and is used for routing the form to the correct destination inbox
    • Hidden
      This field is only shown to Rickshaw Admins, and is used for routing the form to the correct destination inbox
    • If you'd prefer us to call you, please enter your phone number here
    • If you can, please share with us how many people are travelling, when you’d like to go, what you’d really like to experience, what you love doing on holidays, your rough budget, and when's best to contact you.
    • Hidden
      By signing up to the email newsletter you consent to receive promotional emails from us. You can unsubscribe at any time. We genuinely care about you and treat your data securely and respectfully. We tell you all about it in our Privacy Policy.
    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.