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Why a Yangtze River
Cruise is special
The cruise offers four memorable highlights:
 The Three Gorges
Shore Excursions
Three Gorges Dam
Vacation within a vacation
I discussed each below, and give some tips and insights:
The Three Gorges
 The
cruise passes through three spectacular river gorges in the middle of China.
Craggy,
sheer mountain peaks along the riverside tower up to 1000 meters (3300 feet)
above you. And interesting river barges pass by as you sit on the deck.
Here's
how The Three Gorges differ. Listings are in downstream order:
Qutang
Gorge is 8 kilometers (5 miles) long, making
it the shortest of the three gorges. It is also the narrowest and has the highest peaks.
Wu Gorge measures 44
kilometers (28 miles), is the widest gorge, and has the most tranquil surrounding setting.
Xiling
Gorge is the longest (66 kilometers or 40 miles in length). Before the nearby Three Rivers Gorge dam was
built, Xiling Gorge had treacherous rapids, whirlpools, rocks, and shoals that trashed small
boats and, occasionally, large ships.
Shore excursions
 Lesser
Three Gorges - They are scenic tributary gorges with
narrow canyons. To see the Lesser Three Gorges, visitors transfer from
their cruise ships to mid-size river boats.
Shennang
Stream - It is similar to the Lesser Three Gorges,
but much smaller and shallower. Visitors transfer
to small sampan type boats to travel up Shennang Stream.
Shibaozhai Temple
- This 12 story wooden pagoda rests against a tall rock outcropping. You climb
up its steep interior stairs. Shibaozhai Temple is a Hillman Wonder Bronze Medal winner.
Three Gorges Dam
The
dam is by far the world's largest in both size and hydroelectric power generation.
It's an astonishing engineer feat.
You
see the Three Gorges Dam up close - and pass through its incredibly large locks in your
ship. The Three Gorges Dam is a Hillman Wonder Bronze Medal winner.
Unfortunately,
from the tourist's perspective, it is raising the river water level behind it so high that formerly
breathtaking rapid currents of the Yangtze River are all but disappearing. And, the
water is permanently inundating some scenic and cultural riverside attractions (and forced over a
million people to relocate).
However, much of the stunning
natural beauty of the sheer gorges remain. And, the visit to the new dam and its locks
have substantially added to the cruise's appeal.
On balance, the
Yangtze River cruise is still so exceptional that the sightseeing losses
the dam caused should definitely not discourage travelers from making the voyage. Think of the marble
statue Venus de Milo. She lost her arms but still is an object of beauty.
Vacation within a vacation
You get to unwind on a
ship in the middle of your fast paced China land tour. It becomes a vacation within a vacation.
Yangtze River Cruise
tips & insights
The
ideal months to visit are April, May, September
and October because June to August can be hot and November to March, wintry.
The
most popular Yangtze River cruise route is Chongqing to Yichang. It is 660
kilometers (410 miles) long - about 10% of the Yangtze River's length.
A
downstream Chongqing to Yichang voyage (4 days, 3 nights) costs a little more than its upstream
equivalent, but it saves you a day of travel.
Unlike ocean
cruise ships, those on the Yangtze are much smaller (normally about 100 cabins). The experience is
more personal, which makes it easier to get to know fellow passengers.
Moreover, shore
excursions (which can sometimes be expensive extras) are typically included in the cruise fare.
You
have a choice of several dozen cruise ships. Some are first rate (see next item), some are
middling, some are cramped "rust buckets". Generally, you get what you pay for.
For photos of the
insides of a quality Yangtze cruise ship and descriptions of its activities, click this button:
The Yangtze River begins in
the lofty mountains of Tibet and Qinghai provinces. Nearly 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles) later, it
empties into the East China Sea near Shanghai.
It is the world's third
longest river (after the Amazon and Nile).
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