In March, John Raby is hosting a trip to the Leshan region in southern Sichuan to ride on a steam passenger line as well as visit coal railways in the area. The tour will be kept small (10 people max) to allow all participants to directly experience China and to encounter regular people along the way. This is very much an unpackaged tour and as such involved lots of real Chinese food and the ability to walk up to 10km a day over uneven surfaces. The trip also involves lots of flowers along the track; the trip is being planned for the beginning of March for flowers and the (possibly) good weather.
Shibanxi and Mojiang Narrow Gauge Coal Railways 7 - 17 March 2011
ends and starts in Chengdu, Sichuan Province
aprox. £ 1000 ($1550)
Airfare from London (through Amsterdam) is available for £571.
Americans can get to Chengdu by flying to Beijing and then taking a train.
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Farrail is running a tour of steam engines used in the sugar industry. This tour is all rail except for a flight at the end from Surabaya to Jakarta. This trip would be good for someone who is interested in how things work.
