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How to get really close to the Giant Panda bears!

January 12, 2014 by Denis 5 Comments

Giant Panda Bears. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding on the outskirts of Chengdu in the Sichuan province of China is one of the best locations in the world to get exposed to the giant pandas (called giant only to distinguish them from the smaller red pandas). More than one million visitors per… 

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Filed Under: Animal Adventures, Asia, China, Exotic East, Travel Tales Tagged With: around the world, Chengdu, China, city breaks, Giant panda, Giant Panda Bears, Joie de vivre, luxury escapes, Panda, Panda Bear, Quebec City, Travel

China – Reflections on our last trip to China !

September 21, 2012 by Lynn 1 Comment

China – Reflections on our last trip to China ! Read our previous posting at “Yangshuo and the Li River cruise” ASTOUNDING PROGRESS & MANY CHANGES since our last visit to China in the mid’90’s … Where are the bikes in China …?   During our visit to the Chinese mainland in the ‘90’s, we saw few cars… 

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Filed Under: Asia, China, Exotic East, Hong Kong, Travel Tales Tagged With: around the world, Beijing, Chengdu, China, Chinese, city breaks, Hong Kong, hotpot, Joie de vivre, luxury escapes, Quebec City, Shanghai, Shangri La, Travel, Yangtze River

Chongqing : Mountain city, foggy city

September 8, 2012 by Denis 3 Comments

Chongqing China : Our day in Chongqing ! Read our previous posting at “National Rail travel from Chengdu to Chongqing !” This is nothing short of fantastic. As I am sitting down to write this blog, in the observation lounge on deck 5 of our cruise ship down the Yangtze river, the speaker system is… 

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Filed Under: Asia, China, Cruises, Exotic East, Travel Tales, Yangtze River Cruise Tagged With: around the world, Chengdu, China, Chongqing, city breaks, Cruise, Joie de vivre, luxury escapes, New York City, Quebec City, River, Spicy City, Three Gorges Dam, Travel, Yangtze, Yangtze Gold, Yangtze River

National Rail Travel from Chengdu to Chongqing !

September 8, 2012 by Denis 3 Comments

  National Rail Travel from Chengdu to Chongqing. Read our previous posting “Panda Bear keeper for a day!” I was somewhat anxious about our scheduled train ride from Chengdu to Chongqing aboard a China National Rail high speed train. Our guide had warned us that there would be a lot of stairs and there was no… 

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Filed Under: Asia, China, Exotic East, Travel Tales Tagged With: around the world, Asia, Beijing, Chengdu, China, Chongqing, city breaks, Cruise, cruises, Joie de vivre, luxury escapes, Mobile phone, National Rail, Quebec City, Sichuan, Travel, United States, Yangtze, Yangtze Gold, Yangtze River

Panda Bear keeper for a day

September 7, 2012 by Denis 3 Comments

Panda Bear keeper for a day in Chengdu China. Read our previous posting “Shangri-La Hotel Chengdu!” As we were driving to the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding (sic) north of the city of Chengdu, I noticed that the traffic lights had four lights rather than the usual three red, yellow and green ones…. 

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Filed Under: Asia, China, Exotic East, Travel Tales Tagged With: around the world, Chengdu, city breaks, Giant panda, Joie de vivre, luxury escapes, Panda, Panda Bear, Quebec City, Red panda, Shangri La, shangri-la hotel, Sichuan, Travel

Shangri-La Hotel Chengdu !

September 7, 2012 by Denis 3 Comments

Shangri-La Hotel Chengdu. Read the previous posting at “Chengdu China : capital of Sichuan!” Since we were staying at the Shangri-La Hotel Chengdu, we had made reservations at the very formal and top-rated Shang Palace hotel restaurant, where they serve Chinese cuisine at its finest, but at the last minute decided to take it easy… 

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Filed Under: Asia, China, Exotic East, Travel Tales Tagged With: around the world, Asia, Chengdu, China, city breaks, CNN, French Alps, Joie de vivre, luxury escapes, Panda, Quebec City, Shangri La, shangri-la hotel, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Southwest China, Travel, United States

Chengdu China capital of Sichuan !

September 6, 2012 by Denis 2 Comments

Chengdu China capital of Sichuan ! Read our previous posting “Terracotta Warriors of Xi’An!” The Xi’An airport we used, which is actually located in the neighboring town of Xianyang ( another previous capital of China), only just opened two months ago, or so the staff at the first class lounge informed us. And when we later… 

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Filed Under: Asia, China, Exotic East, Travel Tales Tagged With: around the world, Beijing, Chengdu, China, China Eastern Airlines, city breaks, hotpot, Jinli, Joie de vivre, luxury escapes, Panda, Quebec City, Shangri La, Sichuan, Travel, Xianyang

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Meet the Crew.

TOP 10 travel experts and influencers on social media and rated as one of the most influential travel bloggers in the world, Denis and Lynn Gagnon have been circling the globe for more than 45 years. Former international business travelers, they know how to travel - with class, comfort, and style. Members of the National Press Club, PTBA , NATJA and SATW. Wish to connect? Email them at [email protected].

A NEW addition to the BonVoyageurs team is Atlanta-based travel writer and culinary expert Dominique Gagnon, and travel photographer Justin Ellis. By day, Dominique designs and grows new meaningful consumer brands, while Justin is a neuroscientist and psychiatrist researching early brain development. By night, they are watching Chef's Table while plotting their next culinary and sport adventure.

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