ACM x China Tour Advisors | 5 Steps For Planning Your China Trip

No.1 Decide Where to Go in China
On your first time visit to China where you want to go will depend on your interests, who you're travelling with as well as on how much time you have. For most people the first trip will include the classic sites such as: Great Wall and Forbidden City in Beijing, the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an and of course the Karst scenery of Guilin.

Most used itinerates for first time visitors:

• China Dreams 11 Days Tour
• China Relaxation 11 Days Tour
• China Essence 8 Days Tour

No.2 Decide When to Go to China
Going to China can take you to a number of different seasons or temperatures or altitudes depending on your travel plan. research the weather, there are definitely better times and worse times to visit China in terms of temperature and how to avoid domestic travel peak time.

Check out below for more information:

• Best time to visit China
• China Weather and Climate
• Travel Checklist

No.3 Decide How Long You Want To Stay in China
How long you decide to stay in China is entirely up to you. we do recommend a combined 10-12 day trip with the addition of Shanghai or Hong Kong. For those who prefer a longer stay 14-15 day trip is also ideal.

Check out below for more information:

• Chinese Festivals
• Chinese Visa
• Chinese Embassies Overseas

No.4 Travelling With Children
China is a perfect destination for a family vacation with numerous popular family tourist attractions. beyond the Great Wall and Giant Pandas our family tours offer activities such as Kung Fu taster classes, cooking, cycling in the countryside, and kayaking with exquisite countryside scenery. These are just a few of the exciting activities we have on offer for children.

Most popular family tour packages:

• Giant pandas, Jiuzhaiqou Valley and Colorful Yunnan 11 days Tour
• Hong Kong 4 days Tour

No.5 How Do You Want to See China?
If you've been to China before but are in search of a new way to explore the fascinating cities we have the packages just for you! our latest-speed train tours, sidecar tours and our amazing Great wall helicopter tours!

Best packages for out the ordinary experiences:

   Oriental Express China Tours        Great Wall Helicopter Tours            Side Car Beijing Tours

Our brand new Private Tour Section is launched for China tour inspirations and better travel planning. For more information go here.

www.chinatouradvisors.com

Christopher Ward | Christmas Gift Guide

Luxury watch brand Christopher Ward has supplied us with an impressive portfolio of stunning watches for both men and women.These timepieces will make a great gift for your friends, family or as a treat to yourself this Christmas. We'll also take a look at how these timepieces tie-in with some of the best movies shown over the festive period.

Every Christopher Ward timepiece is designed in England, is guaranteed 'Swiss Made' and is backed by the industry-leading 60I60 Guarantee providing complete peace of mind by combining no quibble, 60-day free returns with a 5-year movement warranty.

C60 Trident GMT - For the budding Bond... The uni-directional bezel on the C60 Trident GMT Automatic provides the time in three time-zones simultaneously while the NATO strap edition harks back to the golden era of James Bond and was introduced to mark the 50th Anniversary of 007 appearing on our screens (including every Christmas, of course). £615 | Christmas film pairing - Thunderball. C9 Harrison Jumping Hour - It’s a wonderful watch... the C9 Harrison Jumping Hour uses a normal minute hand but the hour is displayed in the window of the dial – it’s actually easier and quicker to read the time and its stunning looks will intrigue everyone, especially in this new rose gold version. Christopher Ward’s Master Watchmaker, Johannes Jahnke, describes it as ‘probably the most precise jumping hour movement the world has yet seen’ – it’s also likely to be the best Christmas gift a man could receive. £1,250 | Christmas film pairing - It's A Wonderful Life. C60 Trident Automatic - For the Lycra-clad road warrior... even if his bike wheels may not turn as reliably as the beautiful mechanism that drives the C60 Trident Automatic, any cycling enthusiast will appreciate this trusty companion on the road or track, especially in this Silicone Rubber strap version that looks so cool on the wrist that he may have to share it! £450 | Christmas film pairing - The Bicycle Thief. Emily Diamond - A sparkling surprise to make her Christmas... As well as being a high quality timepiece the vintage-inspired styling of the Emily Diamond gives timeless elegance to complement any outfit or occasion, especially in the contemporary twist of the Italian leather double-tour strap and the subtle sparkle of its 38 stunning white diamonds. £399 | Christmas film pairing - The Holiday. Belisama Diamond -Seasonal sophistication... The Belisama Diamond automatic watch delivers a sparkling expression of style, sophistication and elegance this Christmas. From the design's subtle homeage to the iconic Cartier 'Tank' to the luxury of the 30 Top Wesselton full-cut diamonds that sit majestically on the outer bezel of the case, the Belisama is simply sophistication on the wrist. £1,050 | Christmas fim pairing - Breakfast At Tiffany's.                                                                                                                                   C5 Malvern Quartz MK11- Classically English... The C5 Malvern Quartz MkII is the stunning new version of the original Christopher Ward timepiece and redefines the blend of luxury and value available in the watch industry. Classically simple English design makes this a versatile and timeless piece that will never need to worry about the vagaries of fashion. £450 | Christmas film pairing - A Christmas Carol. www.christopherward.co.uk

Henri Lloyd | Black Label Capsule Collection

To commemorate the 50th anniversary, Henri Lloyd are re-launching an exclusive Black Label capsule collection with World Champion Sailor Sir Ben Ainslie as the face for the new collection.

The seven piece capsule collection draws inspiration from the legendary collection from the mid 1900's. Reworked versions of the classic Forth Jacket and Bosun Knit will be included along with some exciting new editions.  Fabrics are performance inspired and features echo those most likely found in the Henri Lloyd technical Marine collection. By reflecting on these ground breaking developments, the Black Label Capsule collection for AW'13 embraces the original mantra 'Same Planet, Another World'.

Black Label combines technically innovative materials with natural fabrics, born out of years of marine research and development programmes. The Autumn/Winter collection maintains a direct-link to Henri Lloyd's heritage, but offers a sharper contemporary feel through a unique mix of fashion direction and progressive sport.

www.henrilloyd.com

Bleu de Chauffe | French Bags Brought Back Home

Bleu de Chauffe brings bags of the past into urban modernity. If outsourcing production to low-cost countries has been a trend for a couple of decades now, then the current one seems to be the start of an era where production is coming home again. 

You would be hard pressed to find a better example of this than Bleu de Chauffe. The young firm launched in 2009 – founded by Frenchmen Alexandre Rousseau and Thierry Batteux. Batteux had previously worked for sport and lifestyle companies and Rousseau comes from a background as a bag designer for LVMH, the company behind Louis Vuitton bags. Both had worked a lot in the Far East before they, in 2009, decided to bring it home – both themselves and production.

Bleu de Chauffe takes the home production very seriously. The small company's tagline is "Savoir faire de proximité" which roughly translates into 'local know-how'. In this case, 'local' means the Aveyron province in Southern France. The area is home to both lots of cattle and lots of tanneries and has over many decades accumulated some serious know-how in leather production. It is possibly the best place in France to get all-natural leather, so this is also the location of Bleu de Chauffe's workshop.

Here, eight skilled makers create the bags from materials sourced from four locations, all in France. The leather is local, of course, and cotton, felt and metals arrive from three different producers in Northern France. Once transformed into a Bleu de Chauffe bag, the maker who created the piece signs the bag's label and writes the date of completion.

The designs of Bleu de Chauffe could be described as functional and understated – a fact that is reflected in the name. "Bleu de chauffe" was originally the name of the blue jacket worn by French steam engine workers in the late 1800s. Later it came to be used as a term for the jacket worn by other workers such as locomotive drivers and factory workers.

It is the aesthetics of an industrial past that is the inspiration for Rousseau's designs. He describes them as work bags re-invented for an urban setting: simple, practical and stylish. WM

www.waremakers.com                                                           Post by: Waremakers

ACM x BMW | The Importance Of A Well Chosen Car

When you think of BMW cars, you think of quality, luxury and innovative design. We have teamed up with BMW to focus on 'The Importance Of A Well Chosen Car'. Here we take a look at the BMW i3  and we'll see how this model can complement a man, and how it fits into a man's lifestyle.

Moving on now, quite literally into a future generation, here we have the BMW i3. Futuristic in design, mobile and emission free. It's becoming more popular and cool, to drive around in an eco friendly vehicle than ever before. The BMW i3 is the perfect car for the family man, who spends his days whizzing around the small narrow streets of the city. Agile, the i3 offers minimum fuss when it comes to the school run, a trip to the grocery store, commuting to the office or meeting up with a friend for coffee.

As small and compact as the i3 is, the inside is surprisingly spacious. There's plenty of room for a family and enough boot space for your shopping. With BMW's i3 LifeDrive architecture, a whole new world of vehicle interior design opens up, and with a range of different interiors to choose from, you can choose the interior that best compliments you and fits in with your lifestyle.

The i3's dynamic and compact exterior styling, means this vehicle has a very modern look and is ideal in complimenting the modern family man. The short overhangs on the front and rear of the vehicle, makes parking easy, even in the tightest spaces and driving will feel even more effortless with BMW's i3 Navigation system with BMW i ConnectedDrive Services.

With the range assistant, with dynamic range map being at the heart of the i Navigation, you will know what destination you can reach and how to get there. Even when you're not in your vehicle you can stay connected to it, through the BMW i Remote App for iOS and Android. The App gives you detailed information on the status of your i3, battery condition, level of charge and you can also activate the climate control of the interior cabin and the high-voltage battery. Perfect, for those cold Winter mornings.

The i3 is as practical, as it is stylish and full of tech. It's compact yet spacious, has great manoeuvrability and being fully electric the i3 will help save you money, ideal if you have a family. The BMW i3 is a vehicle that will fit into your life quite effortlessly. It's more than just a car though, it's a stylish accessory, a gadget, a lifestyle choice. ACM

www.bmw.co.uk                                                                                  Sponsored Post

Meze | 11 Deco Earphones

More than just a bit of tech, these 11 Deco earphones by Meze will surely become your newly loved accessory. Through Meze's pursuit for pure expression through design, these earphones are much more than just an electronic gadget, they are stylish, yet practical.

Elegantly hand-crafted beach wood makes up the enclosure, reproducing crisp but warm, natural sound. There is a microphone on the flexible non tangle cord and your earphones come with three different size soft silicone ear buds and an EVA case for carrying. The 11 Deco has an 8mm Neodymium speaker, a rated input power of 3mW and features a 3.5mm gold-plated plug, which means it's compatible with you iPhone, Android and iPod.

www.mezeheadphones.com

SPOKE | Properly Made Clothes That Fit

Introducing SPOKE a new online-only menswear brand based in London. Founded this year by Ben Farren, SPOKE aims to create quality bespoke trousers at a fair price. The inspiration came from Ben finding it hard to find the perfect fit, and decided to go it alone.

Ben quickly turned his ideas into reality by gathering a team full of experienced people around him. Members of his team include designers formerly of Nicole Farhi and Aquascutum, and a veteran pattern cutter with thirty five years experience cutting patterns, managing factories, and everything in-between.

Many clothing labels have to cut back on their size inventory due to large collections, overheads and supplying retail stores. However SPOKE are hoping to cause some disruption by offering five times more sizes than your average label. The aim, is to connect the customer direct with the factories that make their trousers, and create high quality fitting trousers at an affordable price. This is possible due to SPOKE cutting out the retail overheads and middlemen, this also helps to offer the wide range of sizes they do.

Now that we have touched on what SPOKE is all about and what they hope to achieve, it's time to get down to the details. The current range is made up of five Autumn colours, in a premium cotton drill. The fabric is all Italian-milled, the hardware is Swiss, the pocket linings are made from premium English and Italian shirting, and everything is stitched two miles from the SPOKE HQ in Shoreditch, East London.

Evidently quality is important, but the sizing and fit of your trousers is key, and founder Ben Farren knows this -"We know that when we nail someone's fit, we have a customer for life - so we invest in making that happen". That's why SPOKE offer a wide range of sizes, 168 different sizes in fact, and because they manufacture locally, in small batches, if your size isn't in stock, they'll book it into the next batch. The trousers are available in three builds - a trim 'Build A', a roomier 'Build C', and 'Build B', between the two. Waist sizes are available from 30-38", and a leg size of 28-35", including odd numbers too.

It's not just the quality and fit of their trousers, on which SPOKE applauds themselves. Their customer service is second to none. Delivery and returns are both free and they offer a no-question, one hundred day money back guarantee, even on made-to-order products. A pair of SPOKE's is currently priced at £79 and are available from their website.ACM

www.spokefit.com