There are two ways to travel on the Yangtze River to see the three gorges - either a no frills boat ride, which requires passengers to bring their own food for the 4 night/3 day trip, or an all inclusive cruise ship. As we were to spend a significant time on the boat, we opted for the boat with food. Though this was a giant step up from the hostels, the break was most welcome after our previous adventures and bumpy car rides.

As we entered the chandelier lit foyer, we felt highly out of place in our back packer gear. Our seating for meals was assigned and we were pleasantly surprised to be seated with the fine company of some American, Canadian and Australian couples, all with a great sense of humour. The food was fantastic, and we got to try a range of Chinese specialties. Our trip included the captain's welcome party and farewell party, which were on consecutive nights. After the 20th toast to the crew and China, we wondered who was actually driving the boat, and decided that this guy must love his job.

The first excursion was to the aptly named Ghost City, where we discovered gruesome depictions of the Chinese afterlife and scary statues that'll have you on your best behaviour. The highlight of the cruise was the amazing scenery as our boat travelled through the Qutang and Wu Gorges. We got close up views of the spectacular gorge cliff sides, relocated villages, and old steps leading into the water. Unfortunately due to the fog we weren't able to cruise through the locks of the infamous Three Gorges Dam and see the last Xiling Gorge, however we did get a chance to view the locks when we toured the Three Gorges Dam project on the final day.

It was humbling to see and understand what a major undertaking the Three Gorges dam project was; relocating millions of villagers and teaching them new livelihood skills. Sadly a lot of the older generation were unable to adjust to this new lifestyle, and many are now moving back to their old villages (which are now located 170m higher due to the water level rising).