Elite Traveler Spring 2024

ALL-TERRAIN DRIVE CHINA

Songtsam (meaning ’paradise’ in Tibetan) was founded in 2000 by Baima Duoji, a former Tibetan documentary fi lmmaker. In 2001, he established the fi rst boutique lodge in Diqing, Yunnan Province — named the Songtsam Lvgu Lodge. Since then, the award-winning collection of boutique hotels has grown to include 16 properties across the Tibetan Plateau — and Songtsam Tours provides an opportunity to combine visits at these di ff erent hotels and lodges, designed to discover the region’s diverse culture, rich biodiversity, scenic landscapes and unique living heritage. Songtsam has had a partnership with Land Rover since 2018; its guides have traveled on the Yunnan-Tibet line (where the company’s properties are found). But now, the two have joined forces to introduce two self-driving adventures behind the wheel of a Land Rover Defender. The two all-terrain routes — Kawagebo Peak Route in Yunnan and the Southeast Tibet Route — provide a fun and seriously o ff -the-beaten-track experience. Songtsam’s professional drivers will subtly accompany you throughout the journey (and replace you as the driver if you fancy being a passenger), as well as a professional photographer to capture the trip. The journey from Shangri-La to Meili Snow Mountain covers the varied landscapes of the Hengduan Mountains, spanning from Yunnan’s highest point, Kawagebo Peak (22,113 ft), to the Lancang River Valley (6,562 ft). This three-mile elevation di ff erence shapes the diverse terrains, including snowcapped mountains, glaciers, meadows, forests and hot dry valleys. Price on request. Contact info@songtsam.com, songtsam.com