There were five things I absolutely wanted to do and see in my week in Yangshuo, Guilin: Longji rice terraces and Ping’an Village Li River hike Bamboo raft ride Countryside cycle tour Cormorant fishing But because I was an idiot and didn’t play ahead properly/look at a map (in addition to new new government rules about bamboo rafting), … More Yangshuo: 1-day cycle tour
If you google ‘Guilin’, every other photo you see will probably have a cormorant fisherman in it, including the trademark straw hat. This was one thing I definitely wanted to do and I jumped at the chance when I found out my guesthouse organised nearby evening cormorant fishing experiences. Cormorant fishing is an ancient method of fishing using a trained … More Yangshuo: Cormorant fishing spectacle
I had just spent eight days in glorious Shanghai, which just wasn’t long enough for me. Weirdly, I’d heard people recommend staying no more than 4 or 5 days in Shanghai. Maybe it’s just my love of big cities but I could have happily stayed in Shanghai for another week doing nothing in particular. But … More Yangshuo: Trading skyscrapers for mountains
After a pretty, errr, challenging week in Beijing and intro to China, (almost being homeless, train ticket stress, communication difficulties), you can imagine I was skipping in delight about the idea of arriving in metropolitan Shanghai. And it didn’t disappoint! Let’s see how it fared. (I’ve only employed a ‘rating out of 5’ system so I have an easy way to rank each city! I’m not wanting to judge anyone else’s homeland harshly!) … More Shanghai wrap-up: Can I live here?
If there’s anything in Asia I love almost as much as a temple, it’s the leafy green, ornate roofs and calm atmosphere of oriental gardens.
Say hello to Yu Garden, about a 20 minute walk down from The Bund. I can’t lie, it was pretty packed when I went but it was still beautiful. For just a small entrance, who can say no to a visit. Make sure it’s on your list!
Say hello to Yu Garden, about a 20 minute walk down from The Bund. I can’t lie, it was pretty packed when I went but it was still beautiful. For just a small entrance, who can say no to a visit. Make sure it’s on your list! … More Shanghai: The magical Yu Garden
After my visit to the gorgeous and imposing Jing’An Temple, I wasn’t sure if anything could surpass it. However, the quaint charm of the smaller Jade Buddha Temple came close. … More Shanghai: Jade Buddha Temple
Barely two weeks into my China visit and I had already uncovered a plethora of cultural differences; some expected and some utterly foreign. Dating was one of these. If you ever watched the cracker of a dead-pan humour documentary Paul Merton in China back in 2007, you’ll be wise to the Chinese take on dating. (I can’t lie, watching … More Shanghai: Finding love the Chinese way
Please, let us give the children of Syria a future. We cannot allow the survivors to grow up and listen to how we failed them and their country. … More Standing With Aleppo
In classic American style, the US has gone bigger and better than Brexit and elected Donald Trump as their next President. *Inhales sharply*. Deep breaths everyone. The impossible has happened. A reality TV star will hold the world’s most powerful office. I doubt even The Donald himself truly saw this coming. But good old democracy has blindsided us once again. … More How to survive a Trump presidency
I’m almost ashamed to admit that whichever stunning new country or city I end up in, there are always three creature comforts I crave: spaghetti, hot chocolate and pastries. Honestly, any of my friends will tell you I’m a fiend for those things. I can’t not have them in my life! I know travelling is about discovering new foods but sometimes you just need to hit that spot with a trusty old favourite. … More 5 of Shanghai’s best bakeries and quick eats
Hi, I'm Emma 