A front-row seat to the rich tapestry of nature

River cruising offers intimate experience

- Wilma De Bruin

Ever since our first river cruise down the Volga River from St Petersburg to Moscow nearly two decades ago, I knew this was my kind of holiday. Blending relaxation and exploration, it offers you a front-row seat and an up-close experience of the rich tapestry of life and nature along the riverbanks while gliding along leisurely.

Also, unlike ocean cruises, river cruising offers a more intimate, authentic and immersive experience, including an array of interesting and informative on-board activities.

So, when the opportunity arose, I punted my long-cherished dream of a cruise downstream on the mighty Yangtze to our friends. As early as in my high school geography years, China"s "Long River" has fascinated me.

Playing a key role in the country's history, culture and economy for thousands of years, the river has been used for water, irrigation, sanitation, transport, industry, boundary-marking, war..you name it.

In early October my husband and I, along with four friends, duly embarked on a memorable 12-day trip to China, including a four-day cruise from the Chongqing through the Yangtze's three spectacular gorges - Qutang, Wu and Xiling.

Nestling on the shores of the Yangtze, the bustling city of Chongqing (China's biggest city with 32 million inhabitants) is the starting point for a classic Yangtze River cruise.

Because of the late arrival of our high-speed train, which took us from Guilin in the south to Chongqing, we made it to our cruise ship, Century Paragon, just in time before anchors aweigh.