VIP VACATION
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The Bill's Lisa Maxwell, 45, reveals how her spirit of adventure left her
terrified on a family holiday to China
When my fiancé Paul, 41, had a business trip to China, he took me and our nine-year-old daughter, Beau, for a holiday. I'd always wanted to visit the Great Wall of China - it's 5,500 miles long and visible from the moon!
We stayed at the five-star Peninsula hotel in Beijing. From there we took a taxi to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. It was 45 miles away but it's one of the less touristy spots. The only way to the summit, which is 1,700ft up, was by chairlift, so we took a deep breath and climbed on board.
As the rickety seat swung out over the valley, all I could see were trees and mountains. It was breathtaking, but I was petrified! Only a bar, held down by our feet, was keeping us safe. Poor Beau had white knuckles!
The views were spectacular at the top and we took lots of photos. But the only way back down was by a mile-long steel toboggan run! Paul and Beau zoomed down, but I went at a snail's pace.
Once I'd recovered my nerve, Beau and I went shopping. Everyone barters in Beijing, so I bought some jeans, bags and cashmere tracksuits, all for just £30! And then we visited the Silk Market and tried on pearls.
Most evenings, we ate in our hotel and had the best duck pancakes we'd ever tasted. At night, we went to see the locals gather in the nearby Beihai Park to sing, practise t'ai chi and ballroom dance, Beijing-style!
Beau loved the trip so much she's started learning Mandarin and practises in our local Chinese takeaway! Hopefully we'll return to China again when she's fluent.
Rooms at the Peninsula (Peninsula.com) start from around £285 per night. Return flights to Beijing with Air China (Airchina.co.uk) cost from around £590 return.
Lisa's final episodes of The Bill air on June 17 and 18, 8pm, ITV1.
COMPILED BY: KATHERINE HASSELL PHOTOGRAPHY: LANDMARK MEDIA, ALAMY
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