Long term solo travel on a budget.
I was skeptical to visit these after such a wonderful day exploring the Yungang Grottoes, but I had nothing to worry about. In fact, if I had to recommend just one, it would be the Longmen Grottoes! Although the caves themselves don't have the colour or detail of Yungang, the scale of the complex will blow your mind.
So, in case you haven't realised by my sarcastic ranting throughout the blog, China is expensive and it's almost impossible to have a free adventure anywhere. You can't even go for a hike without paying an entry fee. Until now. I found a free one! FREE! It's not for the faint-hearted... but if you have... Continue Reading →
After two weeks of seeing various Chinese cities I was desperate to get into the mountains of Sichuan. I wanted to visit the rainbow lakes and forests of Jiuzhai Valley National Park but it was closed due to landslides, so I chose the next best option, Huanglong National Park. And boy, was it worth it,... Continue Reading →
After riding the Trans Mongolian from Russia to China and only doing one actual day hike I was pretty desperate to climb a mountain... never thought I'd say that. But I made up my mind to head south from Beijing to the small city of Tai'An, to climb the holiest of the five great mountains.... Continue Reading →
After just three days in Beijing I was getting pretty sick of temples and crowds, so I decided to leave the city and head to Datong to visit the amazing Yungang Grottoes! If you have the time, it's well worth a detour to spend a couple of days here. I arrived from Beijing on the... Continue Reading →
The Great Wall of China has to be one of the most famous landmarks in the world. I've never met someone who hasn't heard of it, and most people dream of seeing it in person one day. Nothing can prepare you for such an incredible sight, no matter which section you visit. But wouldn't it... Continue Reading →
I was pretty nervous about arriving in China... there are few places so utterly different from England, and from most countries I've visited! The language, the culture, the food, everything about it would be a brand new challenge to me. But I love a good challenge.
Depending on your route, time schedule and goals, you could spend anything from a few hours to 7 days on the train. My longest was a 57-hour journey from Vladimir to Krasnoyarsk, followed immediately by a 17-hour journey to Irkutsk, and thankfully I was well prepared. Here's everything you need to know, and what you... Continue Reading →
If you take the train regularly at home you might not even have to think about planning your journeys past choosing your departure time and destination. If only it was that easy to ride the Trans Mongolian. I first had the idea to ride one of the longest railways in the world while I was... Continue Reading →
Six Year Gap Year 