Sorry to disappoint you, but this isn’t a post about smuggling large women onto planes so you can avoid buying them a ticket. This is a serious (sort of) tip about cutting down on airline fees, just don’t blame me for any resulting back/shoulder injuries!
Yangshuo Me the Money!!!
After 3 weeks travelling in Yunnan I was ready for a bit more comfort. I’d slept in more dorms than ever before and had to put up with cold showers, toilets without doors and thousands of Englishly challenged Chinese people. I found what I was looking for in Yangshuo – a great place to relax … Read more
Yubeng, China: More of a Paradise than Shangri-La!
There’s a tiny Tibetan village in Northern Yunnan that might just be the most stunning place in Asia. Snow covered peaks surround lush green valleys filled with birds, butterflies, flowers and prayer flags. This village isn’t Shangri-La, instead that name (in 2001) went to a dusty, traffic filled Chinese city surrounded by barren hills. Whoever oversaw … Read more
Tiger Leaping Gorge: The Trek of the Titans
It’s hard to appreciate an amazing view when you’re gasping for air. The 28 bends is the most notorious section of the Tiger Leaping Gorge trek, one of China’s top multi-day hikes. I thought I’d struggled around at least 15 bends when I saw a depressing red 1 painted on a rock – it had just began … Read more
6 Less Common Ways to Save for Your Trip
I know what you’re thinking – not another post telling me to sell my car, move into a cheaper house and stop drinking coffee. Those techniques have been covered far too many times before, so I’ll give you some alternative ideas on how to save for your trip.
DISCLAIMER – If any of these tips leave you in prison or dead, you can’t sue me (I’m pretty sure that’s legally binding – I have hardly any money anyway).
Dali Old Town: A Backpacker Paradise in China
From outside my window I could hear a covers band murdering an Arctic Monkeys song, I could see 4 western style restaurants, and every conversation I had with the staff at my guesthouse was fully understood in perfect English. Is Dali Old Town still in China, or had I travelled through a wormhole back to … Read more
The Amazing Stone Forest in Yunnan, China
Nothing is easy in China. A quick internet search told me the Stone Forest, or Shilin, was 100km away from Kunming, where I’d arrived the day before to start my month in China. So, off I went to see this mystical karst landscape. 3 buses and 4 hours later I finally arrived, slightly bitter that it … Read more
6 Tips on How to Survive without Knowing the Local Language
Talk Louder
The louder you talk the easier it is for people to understand you, so turning up your voice’s volume is always a good idea. Obviously everybody knows English these days, so the problem lies with their hearing. Still not working? Try again, but throw in some anger – that always helps. If they still aren’t getting it, roll your eyes and complain about that Chinese person’s lack of English skills.