It is verdant country laced with soothing streams and blanketed in evergreen trees and bamboos. Moganshan used to be a favorite summer retreat for the rich and royal of Shanghai in the past, and a sprawl of villas varying in style from medieval castles to country manors equipped with tennis courts, swimming pools and indoor ballrooms testify to that era of grand living.
Last summer, tour specialist Zou Wenwen helped organize a driving trip for a group of 10 Chinese travelers in Italy. But it was no ordinary tour - her clients paid 200,000 yuan ($30,300) each for a weeklong luxury package that centered on driving Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati supercars along the Italian Riviera. "These were ultra high-end customers," Zou says. "They were mostly from the real estate and investment sectors. We also had people from the restaurant business as well as a sculptor."
The upside of visiting an emerging destination is pristine landscapes, reasonable ?if not decidedly cheap ?prices and the rare opportunity to experience the authenticity of a place before it's overrun by tourists. There are, however, trade-offs: the lack of a good transport infrastructure, rudimentary hotel service and poor medical facilities. Timing a visit can also be tricky in countries where political stability is a relative term. But with an adventurous attitude, the benefits of exploring new places usually outweigh the struggles involved. Ready to lay claim to the next great place? Here are four to visit in the coming year.
Almost every traveler to Yangzhou starts with puzzling out a conundrum that local people repeatedly use to tease outsiders with: In the morning, skin wraps water, in the evening, water wraps skin. The answer, of course, sums up the two most famous attractions of the city, and the activities all locals devote much time to ?soup dumplings at Yangzhou's famous breakfast houses, and soaking up the ambience of its equally famous bathhouses.
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