Our driver is circling the beautiful Lugu Lake which has an intriguing azure mist lingering on the surface of the water. We’re on our way to his relative’s house for a local visit.

The car stops outside a traditional log-cabin wooden house and we alight to find little piglets staring at us. As we entered the dimly lit house, our host ushers us to sit by the cozy fireplace. She busies herself by bringing out homemade snacks one after another and pours us little cups of the syrupy sweet Sulima wine. We are enjoying every moment of the trademark hospitality of her culture.

As our eyes adjusted to the darkness, interesting details of the interior came into view. A wooden frame filled with photographs of her family offered a glimpse of her loved ones. Outdated calendars on the wall gave the place a palpable sense of timelessness.

After a frenzied effort to make us comfortable, she finally sits down beside us and asks if it was a long car ride from home. “We came by plane”, we replied gesturing with our hands over our heads, taking more bites from the delicious Saqima (caramel fritter). She gasps and covers her mouth in disbelief, astounded by the sheer concept of air travel. Shocked by her reaction, we quickly assure her it’s very safe but she remained unconvinced. We laugh nervously, wondering what she’ll think of the soon-to-be completed airport nearby, where airplanes will fly over her house daily.

“This post has been entered into the Grantourismo and HomeAway Holiday-Rentals travel blogging competition”

Young Monks Performing the Ritual Dance at Dongba Festival at Jade Water Village (Lijiang, China)

“It’s raining,”I sighed. Disappointed that my pictures will turn out dull.

“Don’t worry, it’ll stop soon,” someone replied.

I turned around and saw a guy in a cowboy hat. He introduced himself as Potter, short for Harry Potter. Potter is a documentarian in the Yunnan Region.

He continued, “Every year, it rains when they are chanting the prayers and it stops just before their ritual dance.”

“Every year?”

“Without fail,” he said confidently.

We were at the annual Dongba Festival in Lijiang, China. Hardly anyone could give us any details about this annual festival (not even the tourist information centre) but we came anyway.

The festival started without fanfare. The devout were here to honor their gods and ancestors, not to put on a show for tourists. There was the blowing of conches, the throwing of rice followed by the sacrifice of the rooster. We stared at the priests’ pictograph prayer book as they chanted in unison. We’d seen pictograph souvenirs in the Old Town but it was amazing to see it being used in everyday life!

After the prayer ceremony, it was time to move outdoor for the ritual dance. Sure enough, it’d stopped raining!

It was a rare opportunity to witness a local festival without having to joust for space with curious tourists. The serendipitous friendship proved to be a bonus find too. Potter also went on to recommend other interesting places to visit in Lijiang that we would not have known otherwise.

This post has been entered into the Grantourismo and HomeAway Holiday-Rentals travel blogging competition.

Type of Accommodation

Solo Travellers

If you’re travelling alone on a tight budget, hostels would most definitely be the cheapest option.  However some hotels have single rooms that can be a good bargain as well.

2 or More Travellers

If there are 2 or more of you, consider staying in a hotel instead of a hostel.  It ends up costing almost the same as paying for 2 hostel beds.  That is if you are not craving for the hostel environment where you get to meet lots of new friends.  See “Why it isn’t fun for people like me to stay in Hostels”.

Location

For a backpacker on a long trip, you probably won’t wanna be lugging your backpack around town while asking random locals for directions.  Stay near the train station to save yourself the hassle and it can be a very convenient base for visiting nearby cities too.  If you would rather be in the middle of all the action, stay in the more popular districts but be prepared to pay more.

Hotel Booking Websites

Hotel’s Website

Always check to see if the hotel has better deals on their own website.  If you are staying for more than 5 days in the same hotel, you can try emailing the hotel for a better quote.  They can usually give you a better price if you book directly from them as they avoid paying commission to the agencies.  Be careful when searching for the hotel website.  Match the address to make sure you are looking at the right one as there are many hotels with the same name across the world!  (Think: Metropolitan Hotel)

Aggregated Travel Websites

• Tripadvisor – One of the first sites to put together travellers’ reviews.  You can also compare rates across various websites.

• Kayak – A popular fare aggregator that compares prices from other travel websites

Europe

• Booking.com – My first choice for booking hotels in Europe

• Venere – Similar to Booking.com

China

The 2 sites have very similar pricing but they still have their differences.  Be sure to compare prices for the hotels in both sites before booking.

If you read Chinese, do your research in the Chinese interface.  The promotions are different and definitely better than the English ones.  However some promotions don’t work very well foreigners.  For e.g. the rebate promotions require you to have a local Chinese bank account for crediting the cashback.  You can also credit it to a prepaid mobile but that takes at least 3-5 days to take effect.  So unless you staying in China for a long time, you’re better off just going for the cheapest discounted hotel without the marketing gimmicks.

You can cross-reference the hotel with reviews on Tripadvisor if you can’t find any English reviews on these 2 websites.

• eLong – Currently my first choice.  Very competitive prices.

• Ctrip – Ctrip used to be my favourite but now with its popularity, I find the prices to be steeper than eLong.  However they do have certain hotels at lower prices.

Australia/New Zealand

• Wotif – The best deals for cheap hotel rooms.  In 2008, I booked 16-days of New Zealand road trip with Wotif and spent an average of NZD100/night for 4-5 star hotels!

Deciding Which Hotel to Book

• Check the location to make sure you’re not staying in the outskirts or the dodgiest part of town.
• Read through the “Customer Reviews”.  Pay attention to the most recent comments.  For e.g., is the hotel undergoing renovation?  Is the buffet breakfast really the worst of its kind?  Are the pictures posted online all a lie?  Be sure to look out for things that matter to you and ignore those that don’t.  If someone is complaining about the lack of a hairdryer in the bathroom but you always bring your own, that obviously shouldn’t affect your decision.  Or if you prefer having a sumptuous breakfast at a local cafe, then ignore the fact that the place doesn’t provide free breakfast.
• Look through the pictures of the hotel and see if you can convince yourself it’s a nice place.  If you are saying ‘yucks’ or ‘ewww’ to yourself, you shouldn’t bother booking it.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation policy varies for each hotel so be sure to read the fine prints carefully.  Most allow you to cancel without a penalty fee between 5-14 days before arrival.

Some countries (Denmark’s Little Mermaid and Luxembourg’s Golden Lady) even pulled out their prized statues and shipped them over to Shanghai!

Before you go:

Tickets

There are many options for purchasing your ticket to the Expo.  You can buy a single day ticket or multiple days (3 or 7 days).  There are also night tickets sold at the Expo ticket office after 4pm on the day itself.

There are 2 types of tickets:

• • Peak Day – Applies to 1-3 May, 1-7 Oct and 25-31 Oct. (17 days in total)
  • Standard Day – The rest of the 167 days

What to Bring to Expo

If you are planning to be at the Expo for the whole day, bring enough snacks to keep your energy level up.  Also, bring an empty water bottle to be filled up at the many water coolers onsite.  You won’t be able to get past security with a full water bottle.

• Empty Bottle for Water.  You can’t bring in liquids but you can fill it up with water at the water coolers.
• Snacks
• Umbrella (In case it rains or when the sun is blazing hot)
• Hat
• Sunblock

At the Expo:

Scoring the “Golden Ticket” to the China Pavilion:

If you are dying to get into the China Pavilion, you will have to get in line early in the morning to land the limited “Reservation Tickets” for the China Pavilion.  They are handed out at the security checkpoints at the gantry where your Expo tickets are checked.  Approximately 40,000 are handed out daily with one-third of the tickets going to group tours.  The security checkpoints open at 9a.m. and the tickets are usually all given out by 9.05a.m.  Get in line at the security checkpoints by 8.30a.m to ensure you are at the front of the line to increase your chances of getting one.  You’re only entitled to 1 reservation ticket per person.

If you are short of time, I would strongly advise against visiting the China Pavilion as even with the Reservation Ticket (which only entitles you to get in the queue to enter), you still have a long wait at the snaking queues within the pavilion itself.  Just take some pictures of the pavilion exterior and get on with seeing the rest of the site.

“Are We There Yet?”

You will find yourself uttering these words like impatient children on a road-trip during the course of your visit at the Expo.  You won’t actually be grumbling at the back of the car though.  Instead, you will be queuing and queuing and queuing some more throughout the day.  The average queue time for the popular pavilions is around 2-4 hours.  Rain or shine, you will standing in line with hundreds or thousands of other visitors.  Remember to bring an umbrella to shield yourself from the elements!

To combat “queue-fatigue”, you can make use of the time to do the following:

• • Zone Out – Coz you probably woke up really early in the morning and rushed to enter the Expo site.
  • Pig Out – Have some snacks to keep your energy levels up.  You will need it.
  • Chat Up – Talk to your neighbors and find out what are cool pavilions are worth visiting.

Popular Pavilions

• “The Grandest” – China Pavilion – It’s iconic of the Shanghai Expo 2010 and the pride of China.
• “The Most Technologically Advanced” – Japan Pavilion – You’ll see a robot playing the popular Chinese classic “Jasmine Flower” on the violin and many other technology surprises.
• “The Most Fun” – Germany Pavilion – The final exhibition where visitors participate in the performance by cheering and clapping makes it the “most fun” pavilion for me.  The interactivity level was simply unrivaled elsewhere.
• “The Best Exterior” – Tie between Australia and UK Pavilion – The steel used to build the Australian pavilion rusted naturally to a vivid red, similar to the colour of the famous Ayer’s Rock in Uluru.  Simply genius!  As for the UK Pavilion, you’ll understand when you see it for yourself.
• “The Most Expensive” – Saudi Arabia Pavilion – Undoubtedly the
• UAE
• Coca-Cola

You can also explore the Virtual World of Shanghai Expo 2010 online!

Useful Links:

Official Expo Website

Official Pavilion Guide

Shanghai Daily Expo Guide

Huangshan (literal translation: “Yellow Mountain”) is situated in the Anhui Province.  The mountain is named “Yellow Mountain” not because the mountain is yellow (because it isn’t and I was deceived initially) but because it was renamed after an Emperor in 767 AD.  Huangshan isn’t just a single mountain but  is made up of 72 peaks with the tallest being “Lotus Peak” at 1864 metres.

The famous 4 wonders are the mountain region include:

1. Unique Huangshan Pine Tree – Huangshan Pine can only be found above 1,600m.  The most famous pine tree is “Welcoming Guest Pine”.  It’s named thus because it’s one of the first pines being seen by tourists when they alight the Yuping Cable Car.  Its branches extend out like human arms, welcoming guests to the mountains.
2. Fascinating Rocks – The rock formations are the masterpieces of nature.  Their names come from the fact that they look like animals or characters from Chinese classics.  To be fair, their Chinese names are poetic and meaningful.  However the miserable attempt to translate them into English simply doesn’t do the name any justice.
3. Magnificent Sea of Clouds – Fog envelopes the mountains making you feel like you’re in Heaven.  You’ve gotta see it to know what I mean.
4. Hot Springs – Waters remain at 42 deg all year round.  Perfect for soaking your worn-out bodies after your hike.
   

   Sea of Clouds

Introduction

When I first visited Huangshan in 2005, my first impression was how similar they looked to the traditional Chinese paintings.  Indeed the mountains have been the inspirations for Chinese artists for centuries.  Today, many photographers and artists flock to the mountains with hopes to capture the beauty of it.

Laborers carrying supplies

It’s recommended to spend at least 1 night on the mountain so you can view the sunrise the next morning.  However it’s extremely rare to see sunrise as the area is usually too foggy.  However rare they may be, you’ll still see throngs of people waiting eagerly to be the fortunate ones who will witness the Huangshan sunrise.

Hotels:

The hotels on Mt Huangshan are pretty standard.  The hotels may have different names but they all charge similar prices across the board.  You should book your hotel according to your budget and itinerary.  Prices increase by 30-50% during peak season which is from March to November.  Saturday nights also cost more because of local weekenders.

The budget conscious can book a bunk-bed with 8-12 beds in a room sharing 1 bathroom.  The bedsheets are only changed once a week! (I overheard this from one of the Chinese tour guides.)  If you can’t wrap your mind around the unsanitary sheets, pick a double room!

Do be careful when booking to ensure that the hotel is located on the mountain instead of the foot of the mountain.

Highlight:

The latest addition to the mountain area is the “West Sea Grand Canyon”.  You can complete the whole trail in 4-6 hours.  For those who do not have the time or the physical fitness, there are shorter circuits starting from “Cloud Dispelling Mansion”.

Huangshan Sunrise

Suggested Itinerary:

For those confident of their physical fitness, I suggest the following route:

• Day 1: Instead of travelling to Tangkou, make your way to Taiping.  Take the Taiping cable car to “Cloud Dispelling Mansion” which is also the start of the “West Sea Grand Canyon”  Allow at least 4-6 hours for a comfortable pace, including time to stop for plenty of rest and pictures.  Stay overnight at either Baiyun Hotel or Bright Top Peak Hotel.
• Day 2: See if you can catch a glimpse of the very rare sunrise in Huangshan at Brightness Top, the 2nd tallest peak in Huangshan.  I overheard another Chinese tour guide that in his 10 years experience, he has only seen it once.  The sunrise I saw in October 2009 was merely the sun appearing from behind the clouds.  Not a true-blue sunrise, according to the tour guide I was eavesdropping on.  Continue your leg-torturing hike to the Western Sea.  Go as far as the “Beginning To Believe Peak” then descend the mountains going in the direction of “Yuping Telpher”.  You can then descend via the cable car or by foot.

Recovering from The Ordeal

If you didn’t take any shortcuts from 2 days of intensive hike, your legs would probably be screaming for help.  To help ease the pain, bring along some muscle rub that you can apply throughout the hike and at the end of the day.  On the 2nd day when you descend the mountain, depending on whether you’re staying at Tangkou or Tunxi, you can go for a massage which includes neck, shoulder, back and most importantly foot massage.  They cost anything from RMB50-100/hour.  Indulge in a 2-hour massage to reap the benefits.

Side Trips from Huangshan

If you have a day to spare, don’t miss a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Xidi and Hongcun, built around the 10th-11th century.

Official Shanghai Travel Website

Nanjing Lu

Must-See Shanghai Attractions in 1 Day

Start your morning tour of Shanghai in Yuyuan Area.  Have the famous Nanxiang Xiao Long Bao (See below) for breakfast and then wander the Yuyuan garden after that.  Built by a government official for his elderly father in 1577, it’s modelled after the famous gardens of Suzhou.   After spending the morning at Yuyuan, Walk down Nanjing Road and experience the glitzy shopping street of Shanghai.  Don’t miss the night-view of the street where all the neon signs light up.  Continue walking till you reach the end of Nanjing Road where you will see the most famous Shanghai tourist attraction –  The Bund.  The Bund (rhymes with “fund”) is a waterfront lined with many historical buildings on one side of the Huangpu River and on the opposite side (Pudong), you’ll see the modern skyscrapers of the city.  The most prominent feature being the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.  The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel is a weird psychedelic experience of flashing lights and lasers in an unmanned tram which is regarded as just a tourist trap.

Food

Nanxiang Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) is located in the Yuyuan Garden area.  The 3-storey building has different dining options with the higher you go, the more you pay for essentially the same soup dumplings.  Takeouts are sold on the 1st floor and you can watch how the little soup dumplings are made through the glass windows.  There is a casual dine-in restaurant on the 2nd floor and the priciest option of a more formal restaurant on the 3rd floor.  For a more authentic experience, head up to the 2nd floor for the cheaper dine-in option.  If you are travelling in a group, send someone to queue for the food coupons while the rest can scout for an available table.  When the previous batch of patrons leave, grab a seat and wait patiently for the waiters to bring out the trays of egg soup and the baskets of soup dumplings in exchange for the coupons you bought.

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao

The delectable soup dumplings are wrapped with a small cube of frozen broth.  When the dumplings are steamed, the frozen broth melts and fills the inside.  To eat the dumpling, place it on the spoon without breaking the skin, nibble a small hole at the top and carefully suck out the scalding soup.  Add some shredded ginger and vinegar to the dumpling before eating the rest of it.

Must-See Attractions

Forbidden Palace

This Forbidden Palace takes an entire day to explore.  Begin your visit by renting an audio guide which gives a good overview of the sprawling palace.  You pay a RMB100 deposit and RMB40 for foreign languages (English, French, German etc.)

The Clock Museum closes earlier than the rest of the palace.  Separate admission fee applies.

End your visit by watching the flag-lowering ceremony at Tiananmen Square.  Check the schedule as the timing changes every month.

Summer Palace (Pagoda of the Incense of Buddha)

The Summer Palace is situated 15 kilometres from the city centre.  You can get there easily by cab or public transportation.  Beside the Summer Palace is the Old Summer Palace (Yuan Ming Yuan) which was destroyed by British and French troops in 1860 during the Second Opium War.

Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is one of the architectural marvels of China.  Twice a year, the Emperor performed sacrificial rites to Heaven to ensure good harvest for the people.

The Great Wall of China arguably one of the most recognizable landmarks of the world.  Stretching more than 5,500 kilometres across the middle of China, it was built to keep the people safe from the roving barbarians of the North.  The 3 main sites are Badaling, Mutianyu and Simatai.  To avoid the crowd, you can visit Mutianyu which also has a cable car for convenience.

To experience the old Beijing, take a rickshaw ride around the old Hutongs. If you’ve more time, visit the Beijing Zoo to catch a glimpse of the pandas.

Food

Peking Duck at Quan Ju De

Quan Ju De – Peking Duck

This famous Peking Duck establishment is even recommended by Chinese Star Gong Li.  There are many branches around the city but some of them are franchises.  The best options are their flagship stores at Qian Men, He Ping Men or Wang Fu Jing.

Dong Lai Shun – Hotpot Restaurant

This is the oldest Hui (Chinese Muslim) Restaurant with mainstays that are halal like lamb and beef.  The meat is sliced thinly and cooks  almost immediately when you drop it in the broth.  Choose from an assortment of broth such as medicinal or clear soup.  They also have different types of condiments that you can pick.

Wang Fu Jing Food Street

Travellers on a budget can eat to their fill at the the popular Wang Fu Jing Food Street is opened from late afternoon till 8-9p.m.  The various food stands offer the traditional Beijing food as well as unusual kebabs of food like grasshoppers and scorpions.

Hongcun, Anhui Province

Visiting China