I went trekking in Sapa and had my first truly authentic homestay experience. When I say ‘authentic’, I mean I stayed in a ramshackle house on a mountain side in a village shared with 3 large cows, a lot of chickens, 3 dogs (with 4 puppies) and god knows what other creatures. I felt like I was Farmer Brown!
travel
The Halong/Cat Ba conundrum
If you’ve been to Vietnam, or are planning a trip there, you know how much of a headache it is trying to arrange that picture-perfect trip to either Halong or Lan Tho Bay. For me, deciding on what to do left me in a state of mental purgatory for at least 2 days! I hope this post helps you out a little.
The road north: Hue to Hanoi
There are two ways to see Vietnam, and both are pretty linear. You either go north to south, or the other way around. I chose south to north – heading from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. This post covers my journey from Hue to Hanoi, via Phong Nha. Regardless of how you decide to see Vietnam, you’re not going to be disappointed!
The ultimate 8 week itinerary for China
I’ve just concluded an 8 week journey around China. It’s a massive country worthy of a longer trip, or even multiple trips if you’re up for it. Me, this was enough time to see most of what I wanted to see, especially given my limited Chinese Tourist visa of 60 days in total. How did I spend 8 weeks here? Here’s my itinerary.
Tibet – a photojournal
I could wax lyrical about this place until the cows come home, but what they say about a picture speaking a thousand words is so true when it comes to Tibet. Here are some photos from the 6 days I spent there. If you’re moderately interested in visiting this jewel of a place, now is the time – the Chinese are constructing up a storm there and I fear it won’t be the same for much longer.
Tibet – soul food
I’ve just spent 6 incredible days in Tibet. I write this to you now on the eve of my return to Shanghai and I’d be lying if I said leaving didn’t leave me with a heavy heart. This could be because there is another monster train trip waiting for me but it’s hard not to love this place from the moment you set your eyes on it. Knowing that I’m leaving it to return to the sheer chaos that is most of the rest of China makes me want to crawl into a hole and die.
47 hours on a train
Brad Pitt spent 7 years in Tibet. I spent 47 hours on a train getting there. Thus, I feel like we have gone through the same journey and are effectively the same person. I’m just waiting for Angelina Jolie to jump out of the cupboard and tell me I’m married to her, and then I’ll be quite content to die thereafter. All my life goals would have been met!
Zhangjiajie -you need to see this place!
First off, don’t ask me how to pronounce this word. Think you say Jung Jea Jee but who the hell knows. Seriously though, this is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. Not just in China, but in the world. We throw around this phrase of ‘it took my breath away’ without actually experiencing it. Wait until you see the stone pillars for the first time – it’s like being hit in the chest with a club!
Guangzhou in photos
Guangzhou – I’ll be honest, in planning my Chinese trip, this city was only on the plan because it serves as a convenient transit hub to Zhangjiajie. Guangzhou is a big, modern city that is trying really hard to compete with the best of them. Here I am typing this and I’m certainly glad I spent a couple days there, if for anything, the architecture is amazing. Here are some pics from the few days spent here.
Dinks in Transit 