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Press Release # 211

PACIFIC DELIGHT TOURS ADDRESSES PENT UP DEMAND FOR CHINA
WITH FIVE-STAR LUXURY FROM $1,899 INCLUDING INTERNATIONAL AIR

Fall Specials Feature Beijing, Shanghai and Choice Between Xi’an/Suzhou or Yangtze River

NEW YORK, NY (April 22, 2009) – Award-winning luxury travel leader Pacific Delight Tours (http://www.pacificdelighttours.com/) has just launched a series of elegant Fall Specials with five-star accommodations and intimate sightseeing experiences.  At a remarkable value from $1,899* per person – INCLUDING INTERNATIONAL AIR – this seasonal offer has been created to address the pent up demand from consumers interested in travel to China.

“The great news is people are traveling,” said Jerry Pi, president of Pacific Delight Tours.

“We are providing the perfect tours and programs for aspiring travelers with distinct luxury at once-in-a-lifetime price points including five-star hotels, private balcony cabins aboard luxurious Victoria Cruise vessels, cocktail parties and small-group excursions,” noted Pi.

The specials include several variations encompassing China’s most prized tourism highlights, beginning with Beijing, where visitors will walk in the footsteps of emperors along the ancient ramparts of the renowned Great Wall of China (pictured right), marveling at magnificent vistas and the incredible manpower that went into the wall’s creation approximately 2,500 years ago.  While in Beijing, guests will also experience Tiananmen Square, the largest public area in the world, as well as the 15th century Imperial Palace at Beijing’s Forbidden City.

A common finale for each itinerary, Shanghai will have travelers in awe with miles and miles of modern skyscrapers often said to invoke the feeling that one has entered into a science fiction movie.  The cosmopolitan city’s Nanjing or Huai Hai Road shopping distracts have been likened to New York City’s 5th Avenue with Shanghai’s most fashionable clothing and exotic jewelry, whereas a the waterfront promenade known as The Bund will take visitors on a walk through China’s colonial past for a look at Asia’s version of Wall Street during the 1940’s.  Also included is Shanghai’s ultra-modern Xintiandi, Old Town, a renowned silk factory and the Shanghai Museum.

With one exception, all specials include a Yangtze River cruise on a lavish, five-star Victoria Cruises vessel featuring fine culinary experiences and a spectacular view of centuries-old pagodas and temples nestled along the mist-shrouded Yangtze.  The luxury cruise includes small group shore excursions from a tranquil sampan journey through the Yangtze’s scenic Daning (left image) or Shennong River tributaries to the impressive Three Gorges Dam Site in San Dou Ping – an extraordinary feat of engineering and major highlight of the river cruise.

The cruise segment on the 11-day Once In A Lifetime Splendid Yangtze begins in Yichang, arriving in Chongqing four days later.  For an expanded seven- or nine-day cruise encompassing the full journey from Chongqing to Shanghai – including the Three Gorges as well as Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) and the cities of Wuhan and Nanjing – guests will wish to opt for the 14- or 15-day China & The Magnificent Yangtze program (the 15-day journey charts the opposite course beginning in Shanghai and ending in Beijing).

The 10-day China Impressions itinerary does not include a Yangtze River cruise, but instead features additional sightseeing in Beijing (the Taoist Temple of Heaven), Shanghai (the lavish 16th century Yu Garden) and Suzhou (the “Venice of the East” featuring a cruise on the Grand Canal and visit to the Master of Fishing Nets Garden), as well as arguably the most important architectural discovery of the 20th century – the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an.  An army of more than 8,000 life-sized statues buried with China’s first emperor for over 2,200 years, the Terra Cotta Warriors were discovered by local farmers in 1974.

* Air-inclusive prices include fuel surcharges, but do not include up to $120 in government-imposed taxes and fees, including the Sept. 11th security fee, which apply and are additional. Additional baggage charges may apply. All prices subject to change without notice.

The Fall Specials feature numerous departures throughout September and October 2009, and are priced as follows, based on double occupancy:

• China Impressions: 10 days from $1,899 per person
• Once In A Lifetime Splendid Yangtze: 11 days from $1,899 per person
• China & The Magnificent Yangtze 14 or 15 days from $2,299 per person

Prices quoted include international air from Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO).  Departures from New York City (JFK) are available for an additional $150.  For pricing from additional gateways, please contact Pacific Delight Tours at 800-221-7179.

All programs include intra-China air/land transportation, accommodations in five-star luxury, comprehensive sightseeing, most meals, baggage handling, hotels taxes and service fees.  Single supplements range from $399 – $1,099 depending on itinerary.

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 without notice.

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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