Scott Dunn: ANYTHING ELSE IS JUST A HOLIDAY

The Houhai district of Beijing comes alive at night. Interconnecting lakes are surrounded by bars and restaurants, offering the perfect setting to relax and soak up the atmosphere of the city. The area is lit up with hundreds of fairy lights and the reflections in the water make for a very picturesque setting, and you can also hire a boat to navigate your way through the waterways.

As an alternative to the more mainstream visits to the Great Wall, we would suggest a lunch on your own private section of the Wall. Arrive to a table set up with fine linen on the Great Wall of China and you will be served a delicious lunch cooked by your chef. As a section of the Great Wall is hired, you will not be disturbed and this is such a unique and different way to experience this amazing icon. After lunch enjoy a walk along the Wall before returning to Beijing.

In case of bad weather, the lunch will be moved to just under the Wall.

The Great Wall of China, one of the seven wonders of the world, is a must do one anyone's first visit to China. Drive out of Beijing for an hour and a half to Mutianyu where you can visit the Wall with fewer crowds. Another reason to visit here is that you can take a Cable Car up to the Wall and once you have finished exploring, take a toboggan down which is such fun and a novel way to get down.