WildChina's Songtsam Circuit featured in The New York Times

The latest emerging destination for adventure travel could be in China's Yunnan province, according to The New York Times. In the story "Beat the Crowds to Up-and-Coming Destinations," writer Michelle Higgins describes what travelers might expect while trekking along WildChina's Songtsam Circuit, which takes travelers to the Diqing area, a haven for Tibetan culture. The road from Zhongdian, a more heavily traveled area, and remote Deqin is being widened to cut the drive from six hours to three hours.Higgins writes:Diqing is part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, a Unesco World Heritage Site, where the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween Rivers run roughly parallel, through steep gorges. And unlike other Tibetan areas of China, which have been restricted to foreigners periodically, Diqing has largely remained welcoming.The WildChina Collection, an alliance between WildChina and the best boutique hotels in China, provides Circuits for travelers. Higgins describes an example of China adventure travel:This spring Songtsam, a small group of Tibetan-influenced upscale boutique hotels, plans to open a handful of lodges including Songtsam Meili, on a bluff with views of the Meili Mountain range. Using the hotels as a base, WildChina, an adventure tour operator, has developed a weeklong trek through the region called WildChina Songtsam Circuit: Secrets of Shangri-La. Travelers visit monasteries and Tibetan families and hike along a pilgrimage route to Mount Kawagebo. Cost: $1,985 a person.WildChina is a premium, sustainable travel company based in Beijing. Started in 2000 by Mei Zhang, a native of Yunnan Province and a Harvard MBA, WildChina creates bespoke trips highlighted by rich personal interactions and superior access to experts and venues.  Whether you are interested in seeing an untouched landscape, or exploring another side of Shanghai, WildChina’s journeys will undoubtedly allow you to Experience China Differently. For more information, please visit http://wildchina.com/ or read WildChina's blog.