It was very easy to get a bus from Lijiang's new bus station over to Dali, particularly since the bus station was literally 2 minutes down the road from Mama Naxi's Guesthouse. I went to the ticket booth window and was able to grab a ticket for the next bus - they leave every half … Continue reading Yunnan: Chilling in Dali
I awoke on Boxing Day after a lush sleep at Halfway Guesthouse along Tiger Leaping Gorge. I didn't have chance to mention my accommodation in the other post. Halfway has mixed reviews but I'd highly recommend it - I had a great stay here. A dorm room costs just ¥40 a night (with the most … Continue reading Yunnan: A Bit of TLG, Day 2
This was it. This was the big one. Hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world, was one of my main motivations for visiting Yunnan province. It had been on my radar ever since a friend mentioned it to me over a year ago and now finally, on Christmas Day, I was heading … Continue reading Yunnan: A Bit of TLG, Day 1
My Christmas Eve plans seem destined to go awry. Three years ago on Christmas Eve in the Philippines I missed my ferry to Boracay and ended up stranded in Manila with nowhere to go. Last year I spent the entire day stuck on a veeeery long sleeper bus from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang. This … Continue reading Yunnan: Exploring Lijiang
(Apologies for the lack of posts lately - real life has got in the way!) I've heard pretty scathing indictments of long haul bus travel across Yunnan and of course trains are my favourite way to cruise anyway so it made sense to take one of the many trains from Kunming to the mountainous town … Continue reading Yunnan: Ye Olde Lijiang
Kunming's main attraction is perhaps not the city itself (charming though it is) but its proximity to amazing sights across Yunnan province. One such wonder is the Shilin Stone Forest located about 2 hours outside of the city. Formed over millions of years through tectonic activity and now a UNESCO heritage site, the Stone Forest … Continue reading Yunnan: Shilin Stone Forest
Kunming is one of the cheapest destinations to reach by air from Hong Kong and yet also provides a springboard to one of China's most incredible provinces. I had originally booked to visit this area last Spring and, after that fell through, Yunnan province became an itch I really needed to scratch. I never thought … Continue reading Yunnan: Holidays are Kunming…
In many ways, Hong Kong is perfectly located to go on weekend jaunts to other places. In other ways, it's actually one of the most isolated places in Asia. The only border it shares is with gigantic China above, with all other international trips requiring a flight. Of course, having the fourth biggest country in … Continue reading Hong Kong to Shenzhen: So Near Yet So Far…
I was surprised that my legs hadn't just dropped off after the previous day's intensive hike when I woke up for my second day at Zhangjiajie Forest Park. It was probably a good thing considering I still had two more days of hiking to go. I did intend to take the second day a bit … Continue reading Zhangjiajie Day 2 & 3: Of Monkeys and Men
Oh, how I'd missed sleeper trains! I slept pretty well underneath the thick blanket provided and, other than the bizarre switching on of all the lights in the early hours of the morning, the journey was very smooth. The last hour in particular is very scenic and the train had mostly emptied out so I … Continue reading Zhangjiajie Day 1: Not Lost, Just Wandering
