{"id":28203,"date":"2018-07-19T01:00:10","date_gmt":"2018-07-18T15:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=28203"},"modified":"2025-03-25T23:01:20","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T12:01:20","slug":"solo-china-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"The highs and lows of travelling China without my husband"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m in my hotel room in Beijing, sobbing. I let the wave of grief wash over me. I\u2019m missing Don, my husband of twenty years, so badly it feels the same as if he had died. A prelude, a sneak peak into how I\u2019ll feel if he dies before me. I am broken-hearted.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don and I got together later in life. I was 48 and he 56, and we\u2019ve been pretty much inseparable ever since. From 2011, for six years, we lived a nomadic life travelling the world. We were together 24\/7, and when you\u2019re together all the time you become really close. I really didn\u2019t want to travel solo. It came about by accident.<\/p>\n

We\u2019d ended our nomadic lifestyle because I had some medical issues, but we were not done with travelling. High on the list of places we wanted to visit were Japan and China, so as soon as I was well enough we started making plans to do an Intrepid tour in China<\/a><\/strong> preceded by some time in Japan.<\/p>\n

\"China

China had been on my bucket list for years<\/p><\/div>\n

Right before having to commit to the tour Don developed a medical issue. It was not serious but without warning could become an emergency. He felt it was too risky to travel and we agreed that I should go ahead alone.<\/p>\n

I was terrified. Travel without Don? It seemed unimaginable to be without his presence, his support, his love. And there was so much he always took care of \u2013 maps and logistics, currency and visas, all the details for accommodation and transport. Suddenly I was faced with having to be responsible for myself.<\/p>\n

I arrive in Beijing after nearly three weeks travelling solo in Japan, having discovered that yes, I can do it alone, but I don\u2019t like it very much. Finally the dam burst. The gaping hole left in my life by Don\u2019s absence had built up over this time and I let the tears flow.<\/p>\n

Now here I was about to join a group of fellow travellers on Intrepid\u2019s 19-day China Experience<\/strong> tour<\/a>. I was looking forward to the company, to be travelling with others, to be with like-minded people, fellow explorers. Perhaps Don\u2019s absence wouldn\u2019t affect me quite so much when I had others to share the adventure with.<\/p>\n

\"China

Cycling near Yangshuo with new tour friends<\/p><\/div>\n

SUBSCRIBE TO INTREPID’S NEWSLETTER FOR TRAVEL TIPS, STORIES, GIVEAWAYS & MORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

On the second day of the tour our group is gathered in the hotel in Beijing. There\u2019s another tour group there and I overhear a conversation. Someone in our group says to someone in the other group what a great group we have and how well we all get on together. The person from the other group replies, in a lighthearted way, but perhaps not entirely joking, \u201cWait \u2018til you\u2019ve been together for three weeks\u201d.<\/p>\n

The thing is, after three weeks it\u2019s still true, only better.<\/p>\n

How lucky to land in a group of eight people, plus our incredible guide Peter, who are all kind, generous, fun, and willing to look out for each other. We range in age from 26 to 76, but it doesn\u2019t seem to matter. Together we travel the length of China from Beijing to Hong Kong<\/a>. We eat peking duck on our first dinner together, in a restaurant in one of the back streets of the Beijing hutongs. Some of the group have had it previously and show us newbies how to wrap the duck and other ingredients in the thin flavourful crepes. It\u2019s just the beginning.<\/p>\n

\"China

Dinner in Beijing<\/p><\/div>\n

READ MORE: A GUIDE TO TRADITIONAL CHINESE STREET FOOD<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

From the Great Wall and the Forbidden City in Beijing we travel by overnight train to Xi\u2019an. Six of the eight of us, plus all our luggage, are crammed into a tiny six-berth cabin. Somehow we make it work, figuring out together where to stow the cases and backpacks so we can all be comfortable. I am allotted the top bunk not more than three feet from the ceiling. Yikes! Bhakti, the youngest in the group, is kind enough to swap her middle bunk with me. I\u2019m not sure even Don would have done that!<\/p>\n

In Xi\u2019an we explore the Muslim Quarter, dating back to the days of the Silk Road, and the jaw-dropping Terracotta Warriors, which date back even further. Then we board the next train, from Xi\u2019an to Emei Shan. It is an even longer journey: overnight and most of the next day.<\/p>\n

It is at the many group meals and on these long train journeys that the group solidifies. We have nowhere to go but to be with each other. We spend our time reading, writing, gazing out the window, and chatting as a group or in twos and threes. Long, fun, relaxed conversations. We laugh a lot. It feels safe and easy. I miss Don less. Travelling \u201csolo\u201d with a group of like-minded people is really fun.<\/p>\n

\"China

Relaxing on the train with my Intrepid group<\/p><\/div>\n

CHECK OUT INTREPID’S RANGE OF SMALL GROUP ADVENTURES IN CHINA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

At Emei Shan we hike into one of the many monasteries that are scattered across the mountain\u2019s sides. It\u2019s a long hike, mostly upwards. We all do pretty well until the last 1200 steps. Yes you read that right 1200 steps. Up. I\u2019m slower than the others. So are Thea and Mieke. Us three \u201cold\u201d ladies take our time. We don\u2019t need to win the race. We just need to get there. We arrive after the others, but not by much. I have the support and company I need. Don who?<\/p>\n

Peter gives us information in each town so we can find our way around during free time, but I don\u2019t always pay attention. It\u2019s the kind of thing I\u2019d rely on Don for. One night some of us are getting street food for dinner and we need to find our own way back to the hotel. I stick with the others, for the company of course, but also because I haven\u2019t a clue how to get home. Once again I have the help I need, even though I\u2019m travelling alone. Though not alone at all. I have a whole new group of friends, and a fierce guide, who look out for me.<\/p>\n

I also learn to pay attention. Near the end of the tour I know the way home and help one of the others.<\/p>\n

\"China

Cycling on Xi’an’s City Wall<\/p><\/div>\n

At our farewell dinner Peter says he wasn\u2019t sure how the age range would work, but it is never an issue. Did I stop missing Don? Of course not, but being with all my new friends sure softened it. In between missing Don it was exciting and fun and a whole huge group adventure.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d do it again in a heartbeat.<\/p>\n

Ready to take the plunge and visit incredible China for yourself? Check out Intrepid’s range of small group tours.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

(Image credits from top to bottom: Peter Wang, Intrepid Travel, Alison Armstrong x2, Peter Wang, Alison Armstrong. Read more of Alison’s stories and see more of her photography at alisonanddon.com)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At our farewell dinner Peter says he wasn\u2019t sure how the age range would work, but it is never an issue. Did I stop missing Don? Of course not, but being with all my new friends sure softened it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15918,"featured_media":28213,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[286],"tags":[180,32,338,456,283],"class_list":["post-28203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-asia","tag-china","tag-intrepid-traveller","tag-intrepid-trip","tag-solo-travel","ipf_region-china"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTravelling Solo on a China Tour: What it's Really Like | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"At our farewell dinner Peter says he wasn\u2019t sure how the China tour's age range would work, but it is never an issue. Did I stop missing Don? Of course not, but being with all my new friends sure softened it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The highs and lows of travelling China without my husband\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At our farewell dinner Peter says he wasn\u2019t sure how the age range would work, but it is never an issue. Did I stop missing Don? Of course not, but being with all my new friends sure softened it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Good Times by Intrepid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-07-18T15:00:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-25T12:01:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/CyclingNearYangshuo-002-e1531244174751.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"603\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alison Armstrong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Alison Armstrong\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/\",\"name\":\"Travelling Solo on a China Tour: What it's Really Like | Intrepid Travel Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/CyclingNearYangshuo-002-e1531244174751.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-07-18T15:00:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-25T12:01:20+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/ee491aefc2523f8729ec9cc6730addc4\"},\"description\":\"At our farewell dinner Peter says he wasn\u2019t sure how the China tour's age range would work, but it is never an issue. Did I stop missing Don? Of course not, but being with all my new friends sure softened it.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/CyclingNearYangshuo-002-e1531244174751.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/CyclingNearYangshuo-002-e1531244174751.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":603,\"caption\":\"China tour solo travel cycling Yangshuo\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The highs and lows of travelling China without my husband\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\",\"name\":\"The Good Times by Intrepid\",\"description\":\"adventure news\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/ee491aefc2523f8729ec9cc6730addc4\",\"name\":\"Alison Armstrong\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/212081124e5eb849bdcf6bbab55c829531fb857f086b2f0f5818b9b1c842fe25?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/212081124e5eb849bdcf6bbab55c829531fb857f086b2f0f5818b9b1c842fe25?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Alison Armstrong\"},\"description\":\"Alison Armstrong was born in Australia and immigrated to Canada in her early thirties. She traveled extensively in her twenties, including two four-month overland trips through Africa and South America. Since 2011 she and her husband Don Read have been traveling continuously. They have been to 31 countries on six continents. You can read about their travels at alisonanddon.com\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/alison-armstrong\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Travelling Solo on a China Tour: What it's Really Like | Intrepid Travel Blog","description":"At our farewell dinner Peter says he wasn\u2019t sure how the China tour's age range would work, but it is never an issue. Did I stop missing Don? Of course not, but being with all my new friends sure softened it.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The highs and lows of travelling China without my husband","og_description":"At our farewell dinner Peter says he wasn\u2019t sure how the age range would work, but it is never an issue. Did I stop missing Don? Of course not, but being with all my new friends sure softened it.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/","og_site_name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/","article_published_time":"2018-07-18T15:00:10+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-25T12:01:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":603,"url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/CyclingNearYangshuo-002-e1531244174751.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Alison Armstrong","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Intrepid_Travel","twitter_site":"@Intrepid_Travel","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Alison Armstrong","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/","name":"Travelling Solo on a China Tour: What it's Really Like | Intrepid Travel Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/CyclingNearYangshuo-002-e1531244174751.jpg","datePublished":"2018-07-18T15:00:10+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-25T12:01:20+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/ee491aefc2523f8729ec9cc6730addc4"},"description":"At our farewell dinner Peter says he wasn\u2019t sure how the China tour's age range would work, but it is never an issue. Did I stop missing Don? Of course not, but being with all my new friends sure softened it.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/CyclingNearYangshuo-002-e1531244174751.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/CyclingNearYangshuo-002-e1531244174751.jpg","width":800,"height":603,"caption":"China tour solo travel cycling Yangshuo"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/solo-china-tour\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The highs and lows of travelling China without my husband"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/","name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","description":"adventure news","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/ee491aefc2523f8729ec9cc6730addc4","name":"Alison Armstrong","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/212081124e5eb849bdcf6bbab55c829531fb857f086b2f0f5818b9b1c842fe25?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/212081124e5eb849bdcf6bbab55c829531fb857f086b2f0f5818b9b1c842fe25?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Alison Armstrong"},"description":"Alison Armstrong was born in Australia and immigrated to Canada in her early thirties. She traveled extensively in her twenties, including two four-month overland trips through Africa and South America. Since 2011 she and her husband Don Read have been traveling continuously. They have been to 31 countries on six continents. You can read about their travels at alisonanddon.com","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/alison-armstrong\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/CyclingNearYangshuo-002-e1531244174751.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4OQMK-7kT","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15918"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28203"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83735,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28203\/revisions\/83735"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}