"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Travel is more than just seeing of sights. It induces deep and permanent change in your ideas of living. Because travel is such a precious commodity, part education, part relaxation, part life-enriching experience, part adventure, you should take utmost care in your travel preparations.

Travelling abroad is a means of acknowledging the unique contribution that cultures have made to our common human heritage. While our cultures and our languages differ enormously, our songs, stories, and histories express a shared human sentiment. This shared sentiment invites us to visit the Taj Mahal in India or the Great Wall in China and say this belongs to us and it is our common heritage there for us all to share and respect.

China is a country of epic proportions. From the wide open and empty panoramas of Tibet to the push and shove of Shanghai, from green paddy fields in the misty hills of the southwest to the scorched vistas of the Central Asian Silk Road, from the spicy dishes of Sichuan to the steaming dumplings of Manchuria - China has got it all.

China also is a multi-ethnic country. Be it Mongols, Tai or Turkic groups, the diversity of China is stunning. Curator of the world's oldest continuous civilisation, China will have you bumping into history at every turn. The country has played a central role in the annals of East Asia. Over the last two millennia, China's neighbours such as Japan, Korea, and Vietnam have adopted many aspects of Chinese language, traditions, religion, science and technology.

China is undergoing a huge commercial and creative upheaval. Some of the world's most up-to-the-minute cities propel the land on with forward-thinking dynamism. Animated by a sense of pride, the Chinese are revelling in their country's ascendency. Whatever the reasons you are attracted to China, the sheer pace of change, visible in every part of Chinese life, will ensure that your trip is a unique one.

While travel around the country itself is seldom problematic, it would be wrong to pretend that it is an entirely easy matter to penetrate modern China. However, a journey through this colossus of a country guarantees mesmerising encounters with the most populous people on earth.

When travelling China, you could:

- Train Kungfu in ancient Chinese Chan (Zen) monasteries
- Enjoy your hot cup in a traditional teahouse
- Explore a world of food in the planet's most diverse cuisine
- Live, work, and study among Tibetan monks
- Marvel at the ancient Chinese wonders of architecture and art
- Learn some new dancing moves from the locals during their festivals
- Go on a shopping spree for items you earlier never even thought existed
- Have a glimpse of the newly emerging superpower
- Feel the excitement of a people ever hungry for change
- Walk through surreal landscapes looking like paintings