Kunming, Yunnan, China

I took the overnight train from Lijiang to Kunming, which is the capital of Yunnan Province. I took the overnight train twice in Yunnan province. This is the soft sleeper. I took the hard sleeper the other time. They are both about the same level as comfort – I wouldn’t really use the word soft…

Dali, Yunnan, China

After my time in Sichuan Province, I headed south to Yunnan Province, the land of Shangri-la. I flew to Kunming, had a few hours to kill in the evening, then headed out the evening on the overnight train to Dali! After 8 hours or so of not very good sleep, we arrived. After walking through…

Leshan, Sichuan, China

On my last day in Chengdu, I took a day trip south to Leshan, also in Sichuan Province. I got the train in the morning after rush hour. It only takes about an hour on the high speed train. There is a bus that goes directly from the train station to the park. It was…

Chengdu, Sichuan, China

For me, my time in Chengdu was for rest and planning. I didn’t do too much, but I did do a few things worth mentioning. My number one thing I did was see the pandas just outside the city. I really dislike zoos and I don’t really consider myself an overt animal lover, but I…

Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan, China

After returning to China from Thailand, I headed for Sichuan province. I had a brief stay in Chengdu before heading straight for Jiuzhaigou.  Jiuzhaigou is a National Park in the north of Sichuan province, in a Tibetan Autonomous Region called Aba. The name means 9-village valley.  The town is a 10-hour bus ride from Chengdu….

Thailand: Bangkok

After arriving at 3am on the cheapest flight I could manage, I slept for a few hours then we got right to sight seeing on our first day in Bangkok. We got off in the centre, then walked towards the temple we were going to. On the way, we were admiring the colonial architecture. Such…

Spring Festival Travels: Overview

As I mentioned in my January monthly recap, I was pretty sick after I came back from India. When I got back I finished up an essay I had due, actually ended up missing my final exams because I was so sick. I recovered just in time to start my travels for the Spring Festival…

Top 5 Things in Xi’an, China

I recently spent 4 days in Xi’an, which is the capital city in Shaanxi Province, China. I had an absolutely amazing time, so I thought I would share my top 5 activities in Xi’an. 1. Terracotta Warriors This one is pretty obvious. This is the reason most people outside of China have heard of Xi’an….

Muslim Quarter, Xi’an

This week I went to Xi’an and had an absolutely amazing experience. One of my favorite places we went was the Muslim Quarter and this is why I loved it so much. The Muslim Quarter is a neighborhood in Xi’an where the Muslim influence is quite evident. There are several mosques, lots of people walking…

24 Hours in Shanghai

Last Monday, I went to Shanghai for 24 hours to celebrate a friend’s birthday and see Shanghai for the first time.We got into Shanghai at about 9pm. We checked into our Airbnb and then headed into the center to see the Bund. This was something I really wanted to see in Shanghai, so I’m glad…