We were excited to see two of our favorite EFCB travel destinations, Amsterdam and Beijing, featured in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2013- Top 10 Cities. While Amsterdam is celebrating some major anniversaries next year, Bejing is holding steady as a center of culture in China.
It looks like 2013 is shaping up to be a sort of “perfect storm” of celebrations in Amsterdam. The Canal Ring is turning the big 4-0-0. The Artis Royal Zoo is turning 175. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, arguably the best orchestra in the world, is celebrating 125 years of music. And last but certainly not least, Mr. Vincent van Gogh himself turns 160. What does this mean for you? Non-stop parties, concerts, exhibits and street fairs going on all year in this city.
Beijing, on the other hand, is still riding the culture high from the 2008 Olympics. Also bringing some major traffic to the city is the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail, which can get you from one city to the other in under five hours. Even as Beijing is going through a modern cultural shift, these modern attractions can hardly outshine the many historical wonders. So, one minute you can be zipping through the countryside on one of the world’s fastest trains, and the next you’re lost in the Forbidden City.
Want to check out these amazing cities in person? We run trips that spend time in Amsterdam and other trips to Beijing. If you’ve been procrastinating, 2013 is definitely the year to travel.
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