Archive for Category: "Travel Stories"
Great Wall of China Hike – Jiankou to Mutianyu
Hiking from Jiankou to Mutianyu on the Great Wall of China Normally when you visit the Great Wall of China, you are seeing just one section of the wall such as Badaling or Mutianyu. The walk along that section will take a few hours and you’ll have a great time and an excellent experience. Another
Awake at the Tiananmen Square Flag Raising
Tian’anmen Square Flag Raising When you are travelling in Beijing there is a whole bunch of typical travel stuff you can do like climb the Great Wall, wander through the Forbidden City, eat the delicious Beijing Duck and watch the raising of the Chinese flag at Tiananmen Square. For me, watching the flag raising was
2012 Resolutions for Travel in China
Travel last year was awesome with trips to just about every part of the great wall, hiked the Leaping Tiger Gorge, visited more classical gardens than I can remember and went on a Beijing drinking spree that finished at 5 in the morning. With 2012 just starting, this is an ideal time to take a
Surviving Jiankou Great Wall of China
There are at least 5 major sections of the Great Wall near Beijing and each section of the wall is different in character and in the type of tourist it appeals to. For example you have Badaling which is easily accessible, immaculately restored and extremely crowded and then you have sections like Gubiekou that are
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on a shoestring
One of the great things about travel is the people you meet and the unexpected experiences you have. During a recent trip to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (JDSM) nature reserve in Yunnan province, I met two university students from Hunnan province and we had a great day on a tight budget in JDSM. A
Hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge
Hiking Leaping Tiger Gorge Tiger Leaping Gorge is an incredible hiking trail on the head waters of the Yangtze River north west of Lijiang in Yunnan province. I first learnt of Leaping Tiger Gorge earlier this year from a fellow traveller in China and every thing I heard about it was incredible. The Yangtze River
Legless at Mutianyu Great Wall of China
After Badaling, the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China is the most famous and visited section. Mutianyu is also the longest restored section of the wall, much more enjoyable to walk and most half decent Great Wall tours go to Mutianyu instead of Badaling. I had never been to Mutianyu so during a
Extreme Crowds at Badaling Great Wall of China
Each section of the Great Wall is different, has a unique character and appeals to different types of tourist. Badaling is the most famous, popular and easy to visit section of the wall. It is also the most crowded, well maintained and over developed section of the wall. I have been hearing stories from fellow
Queues, Security & Mausoleum of Mao Zedong
I’m not the biggest fan of Mao Zedong but I’ve always been fascinated by his Mausoleum. His mausoleum is an architectural eye sore in the heart of Beijing’s travel district just south of the Forbidden City. It is a part of Tiananmen Square and impossible to miss when you travel through the centre of Beijing.
Weddings and Travel to an Ancient Chinese Kingdom
Several months ago I was browsing through a list of China’s 41 World Heritage Sites that includes famous travel spots such as the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. I was surprised to see that most of the sites where travel spots I’d never been to and many that I had never even heard






