Loading ...
Archive for the China Category
A harbour cruise offers great views and is a must when visiting Hong Kong.
Reasons to take the Star Ferry to see the Victoria Harbour
The harbour is famous for its spectacular panoramic views, and is in itself a top tourist attraction.
The “Star” Ferry Company Ltd. is a passenger ferry service operator in Hong Kong. Its principal routes carry passengers across the Victoria Harbour, between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
A vast fleet of ferries plies between the many islands of Hong Kong. The main line of them all and an attraction in itself is the Star Ferry, whose most popular line travels between Kowloon and Central from early morning until late at night, and offers amazing views (especially when coming from Kowloon).
Get a stunning view of Hong Kong Island on Victoria Peak with the giant, wok shaped Peak Tower.
Reasons to go there
The Victoria Peak is high above of Hong Kong, where tourists can stand and marvel at the restless city of Kowloon at all hours of the day. Located on the western side of the island, it is the highest point in Hong Kong, rising 550 meters into the sky and a very popular sightseeing location.
The Peak offes spectacular views over central Hong Kong, the harbor and surrounding islands, and is a major tourist attraction.
There are a number of nice walks around the peak that quickly leave the tourist area behind and offer nice views of all sides of the island.
Sights/Attractions in Guilin and Yangshuo
Pingan Rice Terraces, Guilin, Longsheng
The rice fields are very impressive and look like great chains or ribbons as they wind from the foot to the top of the hill.
Yulong River Valley, Bike tour, Yangshuo
The pretty Yulong River valley is said to rival the Yangdi-Xingping stretch of the Li River in terms of beauty.
Li Jiang River Cruise, Yangshuo, Guilin
Along the 100-kilometer stretch of the Li River (Lijiang), mountain peaks rise into the sky. It is one of China’s most famous scenic areas.
Hotels Guilin and Yangshuo
Rates differ quite a lot for one hotel in this area, depending on which booking site you use.
It is very important to compare different booking sites for the same hotel. Findout which booking site offers the best prices. I used the site hotels.findoutwheretogo.com and saved more than 50%.
The pretty Yulong River valley is said to rival the Yangdi-Xingping stretch of the Li River in terms of beauty.
Reasons to go there
The YuLong River valley is famous for its scenery, it’s name means Dragon River.
The valley through which the river flows is a patchwork of paddy fields, yellow rape flower meadows, and lush fruit groves.
In order to get away from the loads of Chinese tour groups with their loudspeaker-yelling guides, we decided to rent some bikes and explore the surroundings, especially the shores of the Yulong river. And while pedaling, we got to see the Chinese countryside life with little farms with no motorized help but sometimes the help of a water buffalo, rice drying in the sun, … It really felt like we traveled a few hundred years back in time.
Along the 100-kilometer stretch of the Li River (Lijiang), mountain peaks rise into the sky. It is one of China’s most famous scenic areas.
Reasons to go there
The area around Yangshuo is renowned throughout China, and probably the world, for its Karst landscape where there are hundreds of limestone hills dotting the countryside.
A Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is the highlight of any trip to Guilin. Gorgeous Karst peaks give you new views at each bend of the river. The lime stone mountains build and picturesque scenery.
The rice fields are very impressive and look like great chains or ribbons as they wind from the foot to the top of the hill.
Reasons to go there
Pingan is definitely worth a visit. If you come at the right time of the year, when the paddy fields are wet or filled with young rice, the views are absolute magic.
The Pingan village is build on a hill slope. The road stops a few hundred meter from the village. The last part you have to walk yourself.
It’s a great idea to head for one of the viewing points to watch the sun rise or the sunset. The so called Dragon Backbone is really beautiful.
My experience on hotel prices in Xian
Prices vary a lot for the SAME hotel in Xian!
It is very important to compare different booking sites for the same hotel. Findout which booking site offers the best prices.
If you think it is too complicated and time consuming to compare 30 hotelbookingsites, here is a helpful page for you: You pick a hotel and the site compares more than 30 booking sites and tells you the prices. Simply pick the lowest rate!
Save time and money by searching multiple travel websites (Hotels.com, Orbitz, TripRes and more!) for hotel rates simultaneously. Find the lowest hotel rates for Xian.
Sights/Attractions in Xian
The Great Mosque may be hard to find but it is worth seeking out which by the way is half the fun in visiting it. It is one of the oldest and most renowned mosques in China.
Reasons to go there
It is a beautiful mosque. It is really well worth a sightseeing trip to see the Great Mosque, not only for its centuries-old history but also for its particular design of mixed architecture - traditional Muslim and Chinese styles. The arquitecture is amazing and the courtyards are very charming.
The mosque is located in a narrow alleyway that is filled with vendors selling souvenirs of all sorts. It is one of the most interesting sights in Xian.
The Muslim Quarter is a “must visit“. It is an area of narrow streets, markets and shops to the north and north-west of the Drum Tower.
Reasons to go there
All shops and restaurants in the street are operated by Muslims. The buildings are old and in original chinese architecture.
It is definitely worth an entire morning or afternoon.
The restaurants in the streets offer a variety of Muslim food and snacks, including the locals’ favorite ones, roasted beef, roasted fish, and pancakes.
Located at the crossing of the East, West, South, and North avenues in Xian, both the Bell Tower and the Drum tower are very close to each other.
Reasons to go there
Both, the bell tower and the drum tower are worth a visit!
The bell tower was a wooden structure topped with dark green tiles. It is a grand ancient building with traditional Chinese architectural features.
From the top the Bell Tower, visitors can get a bird’s eye view of the surrounding areas and the building’s brightly-decorated eaves.
Standing in a very picturesque location on the west side of the center square of the city of Xi’an, the Drum Tower is only 150 metres away from the Bell Tower.
Helpful Tips
The Bell and Drum Towers are beautifully lit at night.
I recommend to compare hotel prices very well in Xian. Different booking sites have totally different prices for the same hotel. Maybe this site helps you. It compares more than 30 bookings sites at once.