We had three hours to spare after reaching Yangshuo. Many tourists headed towards their hotels. There were people everywhere. It kind of spoiled the beauty of the location. The weather was pleasant and yet we were too tired to appreciate it. I couldn’t bear to walk the town after 4 hours on the cruise. We…
Read More
Listed as one of the top 10 things-to-do in China, the River Li Cruise, should feature on your China travel itinerary. The cruise lives up to the hype created by travel portals and the local tourism department. The magnificent Karst mountains closing in on the Li River – as you cruise by – is an experience…
Read More
We woke up at 5 am to board our morning flight from Xi’an to Guilin. After a good night’s rest, both of us were pretty refreshed and excited to explore China’s rustic countryside. The flight time is roughly two hours – not adding the half-hour delay on the tarmac. The Xi’an – Guilin tourist circuit is quite…
Read More
It’s not possible to cover the vast expanse of a country like China. Skipping Xi’an from your travel itinerary, might seem like a sensible thing to do, if you’re pressed for time. But, if you’re a culture enthusiast – it might prove to be a mistake. After four days of exhaustive walking in Beijing, we headed to Xi’an, the…
Read More
The Summer Palace is one of the top historic sights to visit in Beijing. It wouldn’t take much – to guess why – Emperors chose it to unwind in its tranquil gardens. After three days of back-to-back walking (including the Great Wall Hike), we decided to slow down the pace and experience a bit of tranquillity…
Read More
“You’re going to CHINA? You must surely visit the GREAT WALL OF CHINA!”, squealed my elderly neighbour. I smiled warily. Her enthusiasm was palpable. Despite her age and average health, given an opportunity, she would have most definitely have walked the great walk herself. I probably kept her in mind, when I reluctantly signed up…
Read More
(Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase we will earn a commission. Keep in mind that we link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission we receive from your purchases. The decision is yours,…
Read More
We’d never recommend 8 days to explore a country, leave alone – China. And yet, we managed to squeeze Xian and Guilin, along with Beijing, in our China travel itinerary. I’d have to admit, and Basil will agree, although reluctantly, it’s not been one of our best planned trips. With few days in hand, we…
Read More
In April, we stayed collectively for a period of three weeks in China – clocking two weeks in Shanghai. I’m not sure if the time was sufficient to make me get a deeper understanding of the city, but, I’ve always felt the minute you choose to stay in an apartment over a hotel, scout for…
Read More
Undoubtedly, Chinese cuisine is probably the most popular food globally. So, what does authentic Chinese food actually taste like? There seems to be a common belief that authentic Chinese cuisine is largely raw or bland – without a trace of spice. While there maybe some truth behind this misconception; it’s hard to categorise Chinese food into a…
Read More