A magical and mysterious place, this ancient wonder left us in awe and made a perfect day trip from Chengdu to Leshan. The sheer scale of this enormous place almost too much to take in, the 90 year project of a dedicated monk it is still one of China’s most sacred Buddhist locations. It draws […]
China
Hong Kong on a budget: How to still enjoy this amazing city as a backpacker!
Hong Kong has been high on the list for many years, but being half the world away and famously costing a fortune to visit has put us off in the past. But being in the region after travelling through China for a month we had the perfect opportunity to pass through and see this wonderful […]
Another side to Hong Kong: Hiking the Dragon’s back ridge 龍脊 and heading to the beach!
We have always wanted to visit Hong Kong, hearing stories of my parents far eastern adventures here the year before I was born had always been an inspiration for me wanting to spread my wings further into this region. The huge bustling city reminded us so much of our beloved New York, but also had […]
Climbing in Yangshuo, a new way to experience our favourite passion!
After a month backpacking around China there were many things we missed about being back home, of course, we were on the adventure of a lifetime, but nothing quite beats heading out at the weekend to clamber around on some rocks… well, if you are us anyway! We made sure to pack our climbing boots […]
A guide to the Guilin area of China: Yangshuo, Xingping and beyond!
As we travelled through China we heard more and more about Guilin China, that this place was a must do, an adventure lovers paradise and the most friendly of all the Eastern China regions. Being adrenaline junkies, outdoor enthusiasts and generally having a passion for mountains we knew we had to make the time to […]
Two days exploring the peaks, rivers and farms of wonderful Xingping & Yangshuo via bikes, boats and boots!
The town of Yanghuo and the village of Xingping China sit in the stunning limestone karst peaks of the Guangxi province of Southern China. This dramatic landscape is punctuated by the rivers of the Yuling and Li, where Cormorant Fisherman still ply their trade on Bamboo rafts, rice paddies and traditional farming technique dominate local life and adventure […]
Visiting Zhangjiajie (The Avatar Mountains) – How to visit this wonderful, awe inspiring but confusing place!
After hearing about the mystical world of Zhangjiajie China, the floating pillars shooting straight up in an almost unbelievable fashion, the so called “Avatar Mountains” after their resemblance to the beautiful scenes from this ground breaking film… we just had to visit! But China is not the easiest place to navigate and several inquiries got […]
Our 4 days hiking in the monkey infested magical world of Zhangjiajie…the avatar mountains!
Years ago I remember seeing these amazing dream like photos a friend posted on Facebook, pillars of sandstone covered in thick foliage floating above a tropical forest below. Somewhere I immediately set my heart on seeing, but set in the middle of China I never really thought all those years ago it would be somewhere […]
The hallucinogenic Sichuan Hotpot that is hotter than anything you’ve ever tried!
A regional dish reputed to be one of the spiciest in the world, the famous Sichuan hot pot was something we had to try. Call it naivety or just youthful enthusiasm, but we totally bit off more than we could chew here. With the spiciness giving one of us nightmares and making the other one […]
Visiting the wonderful Pandas in Chengdu, a look into the lives of these beautiful, funny and charming endangered animals!
For years visiting this place has been on our bucket list. Seeing these wonderful and clumsy creatures in a place as close as possible to the wild was a dream. To see them being so well looked after, protected and eventually prepared for the wild was the most rewarding element of the day. But seeing […]
What to expect in China: The good, the bad and the crazy!
what to expect traveling in china: China is a crazy, beautiful and shocking place. Many of us feel familiar with Asia and even Chinese culture. Especially as backpackers/ travellers as so many of us have visited the well trodden nations in the South East of the region. In the west we also have many China […]
Wandering the mesmerising streets of the ancient town of Pingyao, Shaxi, China
Whilst travelling around China we actually backtracked from Xi’an to Pingyao (that also resulted in a 27hr train journey from Pingyao back on course to Chengdu) after speaking to a fellow traveller. He spoke of a town unchanged for 1000 years, a place in which most of the shops and houses were still the original […]
Month 1 (Month 5 overall) of backpacking in Asia: An eye opening month in China!
DISCLAIMER: Bloody long diary entry type post!! So. Month 1 back travelling. Or is it month 5 continued. Who knows. In some ways it feels like going back to the crazy world we got to know and love. A different bed every few days. New sights, smells and experiences around every corner. But yet it […]
The common scams in China and how to avoid them
Despite being well-seasoned travellers, China being our 45th country and having just completed 4 months in Eastern Europe we have yet to come across many scams. We are not the naïve first time traveller but at the same time we consider many of the regions we have been to as being well known for their […]
How to apply for a Chinese visa for UK passport holders!
When we began to plan out the next leg of our round the world adventure we decided on China as our first stopping point. Flying into the north of Eastern Asia before making our way down through the South East and to Australia and New Zealand. We had always wanted to visit China, for many […]
