Back on the BRICS road: China Chapter

Wow, can you believe it's been nearly nine years since we embarked on our amazing adventure from Cape Town to explore the BRICS countries as a family? We kicked things off with the 'S' for South Africa back in August to October 2016. Then we tackled the 'R' for Russia in two thrilling parts: the summer of 2017 and a return trip for the electrifying Football World Cup in 2018. We didn't quite cover everything we wanted, so keep an eye out for more exciting trips in the future!

Cape Argus, 17 August 2016

In 2019, our family grew by one more little explorer, and just as we were ready to hit the road again, the world pressed pause with the Covid pandemic.

But guess what? As the world started opening up again, we set our sights on moving to China in summer 2022. Just when we thought we were headed there to tick off the 'C', China went back into lockdown, and our journey took an unexpected but thrilling turn to India, the 'I' in BRICS! For three incredible years, we seized every chance to traverse the breathtaking subcontinent, which we'll share in a separate adventure log. This summer, however, is all about China!

We're off for an entire month, tracing the legendary Silk Route from Urumqi to the enchanting oasis towns of Turpan and Dunhuang, all the way to the farthest western point of the Great Wall in Jiayuguan. We'll savor the famous beef noodles in Lanzhou, then hop on an overnight train to Xian to marvel at the magnificent terracotta warriors, which first captured our imagination during a traveling exhibition in South Africa back in 2016 when this whole journey was just a dream.

From Xian, we're heading to the charming towns of Pingyao and Datong, before wrapping up our epic adventure in the vibrant capital of Beijing. Stay tuned for all the excitement!