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Prague
Pure Shores AUTUMN 2007
China
Pure Shores AUTUMN 2007
with its historical memories of
German and Russian occupation, the
birth place of Franz Kafka in the
Jewish Quarter, with the old Jewish
cemetery nearby – a chilling epitaph
of the history of the Jewish ghetto
and the oldest synagogue in Europe.
Shanghai Traditional living
alongside modern sophistication
Prague
Prague has all the ingredients for a magical
weekend: castles, palaces, cobbled streets,
the Charles Bridge spanning the Vltava River
towards St Vitus Cathedral, the fairy tale
Castle high up on the hill overlooking the
city with its glittering skyline of gothic
spires; Old Town Square home to the 13th
Century Old Town Hall with its famous
astronomical clock and hourly appearance of
the apostles; the regular buzz of market
stalls, musicians and opera performers
promoting concerts in every church and
public building. The National Museum
proudly presides over Wenceslas Square,
Prague is now a
buzzy and lively city,
with fine restaurants and
bars down every alleyway,
one which is so narrow
that it requires traffic
lights to allow pedestrians
to squeeze through in
single file.
A good variety of character hotels, modern
and minimalistic, grand and historic, either
in the old town, over the bridge into Mala
Strana or up near the Castle.
We stayed at the contemporary Maximilian,
within a short stroll of the Old Town Square,
its façade belies the modern furnishing and
décor, great breakfasts served until late
morning, honesty bar and free pastries
throughout the day, wifi and floating
wellness centre; great value and top service
in an excellent location.
Allow yourself an extra day, and find time
for a trip on a river barge to get a real feel
of the old and new quarters, or a visit to the
countryside – a
Bohemian Crystal
factory, Anton
Dvorak’s birthplace,
Karlstein and
Konopiste Castles.
How much would it cost?
For 3 nights b&b (no transfers)
from £275.00 pp ATOL 749
3 nights at the Maximilian b&b inc flights
and private transfers
from £490.00 pp ATOL 2450
Shanghai’s roots may go back some 5
thousand years, but it is since 1996 that the
most spectacular changes have taken place.
From your window in one of the many
modern high rise hotels you are constantly
reminded that last week this was just
farmland! To get to grips with the extent of
the building plan that was conceived 11
years ago, you must visit the Urban Planning
Museum on People’s Square, with its full
scale model of downtown Shanghai covering
a radius of 5 miles from the centre – much of
it has already been completed in anticipation
of next year’s Olympic Games and World
Expo in 2010.
Parts of the historic centre are left, the
French and International concessions
representing most of what has been
preserved together
with the Jade
Buddha Temple,
the Yu Gardens
and surrounding
area and the
amazing contents
in the ultra
modern Shanghai Museum. Modern Shanghai
represents the future and aspiration of China:
with 17 million inhabitants, a thriving
international business community, an ever
expanding airport linked to the city by a high
speed train, the Maglev, that covers 36 miles
in 7 minutes, and a large cruise port ready
for the growth of seagoing holidays along
China’s eastern seaboard.
International hotel groups vying to be the
tallest and smartest in this label conscious
city: shopping malls are everywhere
sporting the very top names in designer
ware, all competing hard to have the most
prestigious and most expensive square
footage of retail space – but even amongst
all these you will be chased by the hordes
of street hawkers with their fake Rolex
watches and local souvenirs.
You must treat Shanghai as
either a destination in its
own right with shopping,
gourmet food and first
class hotels, or use it as a
springboard along with
Beijing as the contrast
between old and new.
The Great Wall of China, Xian and its
Terracotta Army, Chongqing and the mighty
Yangtse, the mysterious beauty of Guilin, the
magic of Lhasa and Tibet and the Great
Silk Route, now
competing
with the
new world.
How much would it cost?
A five star luxury private 3 centre tour
from £2666.00 pp ATOL 2881
A 23 day escorted tour in 3 – 4 star
accommodation
from £2450.00 pp ATOL 132
For a great Continental experience, call Andrew or Pippa on: 01428 658777
For a great Oriental experience, call Andrew or Di on: 01428 658777