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Press Release # 209

LUXURY TRAVEL TO ASIA MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN EVER WITH
SPRING SAVINGS PROMOTION FROM PACIFIC DELIGHT TOURS

- Enjoy FiveStarPlus^® Luxury, Save Up To $500 Per Person -

NEW YORK, NY (April 7, 2009) – In this special travel year, Pacific Delight Tours (http://www.pacificdelighttours.com/) is pricing its distinctive GOLD EXPERIENCE and FiveStarPlus® GOLD EXPERIENCE Exclusive Collection more affordably and offering specially-priced Escapade & SuperValue programs for those on a budget.  Now is truly the best time to book luxury travel to Asia and those who book by April 30 will save up to an additional $500 per person off the 2009 tour price.

Travelers who book Pacific Delight’s luxury GOLD EXPERIENCE will save $250 per person, whereas the leading tour operator’s Escapade & SuperValue programs offer a savings of $200 per person.

The $500 per person discount applies to Pacific Delight’s GOLD EXPERIENCE Exclusive Collection, which takes luxury to new levels and includes the China and Yangtze River Gold Exclusive.

The 13-day luxury program guarantees intimacy and exclusivity as each departure is limited to 16 participants, and features the tour operator’s coveted FiveStarPlus^® program with upgraded hotel rooms at five-star properties in Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Shanghai. A 16-day version of the program featuring three nights in Hong Kong is also available.  Both tours include a five-star cruise on the mist-shrouded, temple-lined Yangtze River (pictured left) featuring Junior Suite accommodations with private balcony and top deck, a la carte dining on a lavish Victoria Cruises vessel.

The programs include most meals as well as all intra-China air/land transportation and the following comprehensive sightseeing and cultural performances:

BEIJING: three nights in an upgraded Club Deluxe Room at the FiveStarPlus^® Ritz-Carlton Beijing, with sightseeing including:

• A walk in the footsteps of emperors along the ancient ramparts of the renowned Great Wall of China, where visitors can marvel at magnificent vistas and the incredible manpower that went into the wall’s creation, dating back to the 5th century, B.C.
• A visit to Tiananmen Square, the largest public area in the world, with a tour of the 15^th century Imperial Palace at Beijing’s Forbidden City, where the jewelry section is a major highlight.
• An excursion to the Temple of Heaven, including the Imperial Vault of Heaven with its Echo Wall and more than 500 year old Nine-Dragon Cypress.
• A tour of the elegant Summer Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site with the world’s largest imperial garden and more than 3,000 historical structures including pavilions, towers and arched bridges.
• An old–fashioned pedicab tour of one of Beijing’s ancient Hutongs, narrow alleyways where traditional homes form quadrangles around a central courtyard area.
• A climb up the famous Drum Tower to experience a traditional drum performance.
• A visit with a local family living in a courtyard-style home known as a Siheyuan.
• A visit to a Cloisonné factory to observe skilled artisans as they create intricate designs.
• A delectable Peking Duck Dinner party to sample the local specialty in the city of its origin.

XI’AN: two nights in an upgraded Premier Room at the FiveStarPlus^® Sofitel or Renmin Square Xi’an, featuring guided tours and activities such as:

• An unforgettable outing in Xi’an to see the Terra Cotta Warriors, an army of more than 8,000 life-sized statues buried with China’s first emperor for over 2,200 years.
• A movie depicting the history of the emperor and the Terra Cotta Warriors filmed using Circle Vision technique.
• A feast featuring the Empress Dowager’s favorite dumplings during a special lunch.
• A tour of the Xian History Museum and Small Wild Goose Pagoda.
• A dinner and entertaining show with front section seating at the Tang Dynasty Theatre.

GUILIN: one night at the FiveStarPlus^® Sheraton Guilin Hotel in an upgraded Deluxe Room, featuring guided tours and activities such as:

• A deluxe cruise aboard the exclusive upper deck of an air-conditioned boat on the Li River, featuring lunch amidst a setting likened to old Chinese ink-painted scrolls come to life.
• An opportunity to go ashore at the old market town of Yangshuo with time to browse.
• A stop at Reed Flute Cave and Fu Bo Hill to view dramatic rock formations and magnificent stone pillars.

YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE: three nights from Chongqing to Yichang in a lavish balcony Junior Suite onboard a five-star Victoria Cruises vessel, enjoying:

• A spectacular view of centuries-old pagodas and temples nestled along the mist-shrouded Yangtze.
• Top deck, a-la-carte dining including a private cocktail reception for Pacific Delight guests.
• Exclusive, small group shore excursions, including the impressive Three Gorges Dam Site in San Dou Ping, an extraordinary feat of engineering and major highlight of the river cruise.
• An additional small group excursion such as a tranquil sampan journey through the Yangtze’s scenic Daning or Shennong River tributaries to the Small Gorges.
• Many onboard activities such as Tai Chi lessons and a host of nightly entertainment options.

SHANGHAI: three nights in an upgraded Club Deluxe Room at the FiveStarPlus^® Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, featuring guided tours and activities such as:

• An astonishing performance of the world-famous Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe with front section seating.
• A tour of the colonial waterfront promenade known as The Bund, which served as China’s version of Wall Street during the 1940’s.
• A visit to Shanghai’s Old Town with time to explore Yu Garden, considered the region’s most lavish garden first established in the 16th century.
• A tour of the Shanghai Museum to peruse cultural relics spanning 5,000 years of history.
• A visit to Shanghai’s ultra-modern Xintiandi.
• A tour of one of Shanghai’s renowned silk factories.
• An excursion to the Nanjing or Huai Hai Road Emporium to browse some of Shanghai’s most fashionable clothing, exotic jewelry and other memorable trinkets and keepsakes.

Land-only pricing for 2009 departures of Pacific Delight Tours’ 13-day China and Yangtze River Gold Exclusive begins at $4,490 per person, double occupancy for bookings received by April 30, 2009.

The 16-day program begins at $5,590 during the promotional period and includes the following experiences in Hong Kong.

HONG KONG: three nights at FiveStarPlus^® Kowloon Shangri-La in an upgraded Deluxe Harbor View room, featuring guided tours and activities such as:

• A sampan ride to experience the floating community at Aberdeen, where locals live aboard boats and eat on floating restaurants.
• A ride to the summit of Victoria Peak, which affords an unsurpassed panoramic vista of Hong Kong.
• Bargain hunting at the famous Stanley Market, an open air shopping district where one can find silks, traditional Chinese garments, jewelry, souvenirs, artistic trinkets.

International air is not included but can be purchased from Pacific Delight for an attractive price at the time of booking.

Passports, visas, gratuities for guides/crew, optional travel protection premium or any items of a personal nature are also additional. Additional baggage charges may apply.  Pricing is subject to change at any time.

For more information or to book, consult your local travel agent, contact Pacific Delight Tours at 800-221-7179 or visit www.PacificDelightTours.com.

Pacific Delight Tours

For over 38 years, Pacific Delight Tours has been America’s leading tour operator to China and Asia.  The company has three main program offerings: its award-winning Gold Experience Program caters to the ultra-luxury, exclusive clientele; the Escapade Adventures provide an off-the-beaten path program for the more active traveler, and the popular SuperValue Programs provide the best value in escorted tours in Asia.

Pacific Delight Tours is the winner of the 2008 Travel Age West WAVE Award, 2008 Agent@Home Reader’s Choice Award and 2008 Travel Weekly Finalist for Best Tour Operator in Asia. The company is also a long-standing proud member of the United States Tour Operator Association.

Reservations, brochures and information can be obtained from travel agents and Pacific Delight Tours, telephone: (800) 221-7179 or (212) 818-1781; website: www.PacificDelightTours.com.

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