Cruising the Yangtze

This Yangtze River experience was on a Viking River cruise.  I also experienced Dubrovnik and Montenegro on a Viking Ocean cruise.  As a very frequent cruiser–over 175 cruises–I LOVE Princes, but Viking is extremely awesome and surprising.  If you like Ocean Cruises, you might want to try Viking!

After two bleary days in Shanghai and attempts to overcome brutal jet lag, we flew from Shanghai to Wuhan to board the Viking boat for five days and six nights on the Yangtze.  Navigating several hundred miles through the heart of China was informative and enlightening; because of this, we felt it was well-worth the exhausting humidity and heat that we endured the instant we stepped outside.

Cruising the Yangtze River is quite an education.  China was always on our “bucket list,” so in summer 2015 we booked a tour with Viking Cruises.   (As an aside, I cannot share enough good comments about Viking Cruises.  We have cruised a LOT, but this was our first time on an “all inclusive” tour/cruise. We loved it and highly recommend Viking!) Our China tour was two weeks, and every day opened another window to the world.

Cruising Down the Yangtze:

We peacefully cruised past small villages as well as brand new high rise cities and gorgeous bridges.  In the heart of China, ironically, there were few vehicles of any kind on the bridges and highways.  The water was always muddy and murky and the humidity was often over 100%.  The ship provided interesting side trips into villages, optional Chinese cuisine, and cultural lectures, dancers, and singers for our entertainment.  One of the biggest highlights was the Three Gorges Dam.

Three Gorges Dam

Possibly the most outstanding site included in the cruise was the Three Gorges Dam.  It is the world’s largest hydroelectric project and most noted dam.  What a massive site to experience in person.  In order to construct the dam, 13 cities, 140 towns, and 1,350 villages were flooded.  This flooding displaced 1.2 million people; thus, the river is lined with brand new high-rise cities.

Interesting Stops before Bejing:

After six nights and five days on the Yangtze, we arrived at the City of Chongquing–smack dab in China’s heartland.  Reluctantly we said “good by” to Viking’s lovely river boat and flew to the city of Xian.  But our tour of China was certainly not over.  In Xian we visited the unbelievable Terra Cotta Warriors.  From there we flew to Beijing where we saw the pandas, visited the Great Wall of China, and the Forbidden City.  Eventually, I will post a separate blog for each of these four sites, so watch for those future blogs.

Other Blogs about the Far East:

If you enjoyed this visit to the Yangtze, you might also enjoy a visit to Thailand, the Land of Smiles, Click Here:

I experienced the Yangtze River on a Viking River cruise.  I also experienced Dubrovnik and Montenegro on a Viking Ocean cruise.  As a very frequent cruiser–over 200 cruises–I LOVE Princes, but Viking is extremely awesome and surprising.  If you like ocean cruises, you might want to try Viking.