Bordering on Laos, Burma, and Vietnam – and only a short boat ride from Thailand – Yunnan is one of the most ethnically diverse and geographically stunning areas of the world. During the first week in April, it became just a bit more diverse and a lot more stunning as three families joined The Hutong on a week-long bike ride through the best that Xishuangbanna has to offer. Kimberly and Brad, with their challenge-seeking (and conquering) son Lucas joined fellow Beijing residents Ingrid and Clay with their kids Avery and Ethan (E-Man). Along for their first time in China were Mark and Nina, whose delightful daughters Isabel and Lillian brightened the trip with their smiles and appetites for adventure (and all the great food Yunnan has to offer!).
Hutong Co-Founder Mark Thirwall, along with Events Manager & Tea Addict Jake Laband, guided the group through the 240km bike ride. Guests picked tea with local schoolchildren, ate pineapples fresh from the bush, learned the finer points of cooking spicy Dai cuisine, braved the toilets that rural China has to offer, and processed their own Pu’er Tea Bricks. The trip proved to be challenging, but also rewarding in all the culture, cuisine, and new friends that it had to offer. We look forward to hosting this great group of families again soon!
We are looking forward to our annual Golden Week Holiday Yunnan Bike Journey next October – click here for the itinerary, and click here for Kristen Lum’s recap of last year’s ride. What’s next: email morgan[at]thehutong[dot]com to reserve your seat for Golden Week 2013!
For those of you interested in more incredible bike rides in off-the-beaten-track destinations, The Hutong also has itineraries in Inner Mongolia, Anhui, and Ningxia. Contact us to enquire.
