I’m delighted to say that I’ve spent the last few months contributing articles about Shanghai to Culture Trip, a website that I’ve wanted to write for for a very long time! Working with the team over there was really interesting and I learnt a lot about their publishing process. I hope to keep writing for […]
China
Making history: Nanjing
Nanjing is one of my very favourite cities in China and, unfortunately, a place that many people simply don’t bother visiting. I wrote this article for Jumeirah Magazine about why you should give Nanjing a chance. Nanjing is one of China’s most historically important cities. While many travellers to China merely pass through, or don’t […]
A backpacker’s guide to China: a one-month itinerary
This article was a bit of milestone for me – the first piece I had published in the print edition of The Guardian newspaper! Despite having had a number of articles published in online publications, there’s something still so cool about your work going out in print. It’s even cooler when your granddad, on the […]
Top free things to do in Shanghai
Shanghai might regularly top polls for being one of the most expensive cities in the world to live, but thanks to its abundance of reasonably priced hotels and cheap eats, coupled with many interesting and free things to do, it can be an inexpensive place to travel. SINGLES’ MARKET Every weekend amongst the leafy surroundings of […]
Swimming with giant sea turtles in Taiwan
I haven’t written much about my adventures in Taiwan, although I really must. It’s only relatively recently that I actually visited the island after years of believing that it would be just like Mainland China. Once I finally got there, however, I realised I was both right and wrong! Taiwan actually has everything I love […]
Hiking in China: exploring the Ninghai national trail system
Here in China, one of the many things I miss from living in the UK is heading out into the countryside to go hiking. Armed with only a hiking guidebook or an Ordnance Survey map it’s possible to find and follow thousands of trails all across the UK, safe in the knowledge that you’re heading somewhere. […]
Why you should visit Suzhou’s classical gardens
I have lived in Suzhou for three years now and probably haven’t appreciated its famous gardens as I perhaps should have. All that changed, however, while I was researching this piece on what makes Suzhou’s classical gardens so special for Lonely Planet. [Suzhou’s] gardens reflect the profound metaphysical importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture in their […]
How to book and travel by high-speed train around China
I was so excited to have my first piece published on The Guardian Travel, especially on a topic I absolutely love – China’s high-speed trains! Visit the link to read the full article on How to book and travel by high-speed train around China. I’ve been focussed on freelance travel writing for just under a […]
The world’s largest (big smiling) Buddha
Xuedou Temple 雪窦寺 near the town of Xikou in Zhejiang is one of the 10 most important Zen temples in the world. It is home to the impressively big, infectiously smiley copper Maitreya Buddha. At 56.74 metres high, he is the world’s largest version of his particular type of Buddha – “big smiling” – and his whole body […]
Lovely Lantau: secrets of Hong Kong’s biggest island
I’ve written before about how much I loved visiting Lantau, Hong Kong’s largest island. So much so, in fact, that we decided to visit for a second time and this time I wrote about its secrets for Lonely Planet. Do check out that article for more information on this most amazing of destinations!