I’m not an expert photographer, but I do like to experiment with my camera and I’ve been to some places that are just so beautiful, you can’t help but take awesome photos. One such place is the area around Yangshuo in China’s Guanxi province. The town is nestled in the midst of China’s most spectacular […]
Hong Kong – a glamorous international wedding destination
We’re just back from a weekend in Hong Kong, celebrating the wedding of our friends, Franziska and Marco. We were honoured to be the witnesses at the ceremony, as well as the only guests. With a baby on the way, coupled with the need to be eligible for a spouse visa in China, Franziska and […]
Turns out Hong Kong’s Lantau Island is amazing!
A former colleague of mine in Ningbo, where I used to live, once told me that every time he transferred in Hong Kong, he would make sure to leave himself enough time to leave the airport and go running on Lantau island, where the airport is based. Now, I thought him slightly crazy because: a) who […]
Visiting Pingyao – China’s best-preserved walled town
On a recent trip to from Xi’an to Beijing, I took the opportunity to stop off at Pingyao 平遥, one of China’s best-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty-era walled towns. Although now a major tourist destination (and a UNESCO World Heritage site) Pingyao still retains a run-down charm in places, with grey brick courtyard buildings hiding comfy kang […]
A spring weekend in Danshan Chisui
This article originally appeared in the February 2015 edition of Ningbo Focus. Spring is just around the corner. Soon the weather will get warmer, the days longer, and trees all around Ningbo will erupt in displays of beautiful blossom. To truly appreciate this seasonal awakening you need to get out of the city and into […]
These photos show why autumn is the best time to visit Hangzhou
There’s no doubt about it, Hangzhou in east China is beautiful. One of the greenest cities in China, it is a pleasure to walk along its leafy streets at any time of the year. But, autumn really is the season when it, and much of the rest of China, is at its best. If you’re […]
Trying butter tea in Yunnan, China
On our cycling trip around China’s Yunnan province we tried butter tea, a drink typical of the Himalayan region in China, Nepal, India and Bhutan. Made from tea leaves, yak butter, water and salt, its high calorific content makes it a good thing to consume at the region’s high altitudes. We drank ours at a roadside shack, watching […]
Escaping the Golden Week crowds: cycling in Yunnan
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read or been told, that travelling in China during public holidays is a big no-no, that the hordes of people returning home or getting away on holiday would make for an agonising reminder of just how many people inhabit this vast country. This is particularly true […]
Shanghai’s flower, bird, fish and insect market
Have you ever thought: “I could do with an enormous cricket in a tub” but never known where to get one?! Well, the search is over – head to Shanghai’s flower, bird, fish and insect market where you’ll come across thousands of prize crickets, used for fighting and to bring good luck, and assorted other critters including […]
9 reasons to visit Macau that don’t include gambling!
When I told people I was spending Christmas in Macau, the first question most asked was: ‘oh, are you going to gamble?’ Now, while I was aware that Macau is the world’s casino capital (it’s been far outstripping Las Vegas for the last few years), I was taken aback by how dominant that side of its reputation […]