Planning a Hong Kong to Macau day trip is easier than many first-time visitors imagine. The two cities are well connected, and you have two excellent transport options: the traditional TurboJET ferry across the Pearl River Delta, or the modern Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge (HZMB) Shuttle Bus, which crosses the world’s longest sea-crossing bridge. The question is: Which one should you choose? During our recent Hong Kong holiday, we decided not to choose at all. Instead, we travelled from...
First Time in Hong Kong? Here’s Exactly What We Did from Landing to Checking into Our Hotel Landing in Hong Kong foe the first time is exciting. It’s also the moment when most travellers feel a bit uncertain. After months of planning, you’re finally here—but suddenly practical questions take over. Where do we buy transport tickets? Should we exchange money? How do we get into the city? Is the Airport Express worth...
We Weren’t Looking for Dumplings on Our Chengdu Trip The funny part is… We weren’t on a food adventure. We were on a mission. Elaine was fourteen. She enjoyed travelling in China… …but she wasn’t ready for Sichuan chilli. So every morning I found myself quietly surveying the streets around our homestay in Jinniu District. No spicy noodles. No bowls swimming in red chilli oil. No hotpot. Just somewhere she could enjoy...
“Want to understand Chinese food? Don’t start in a restaurant. Start in a market.” We Didn’t Expect a Morning Market to Become One of the Highlights of Chengdu When people think about Chengdu, they usually picture giant pandas, spicy hotpot and the famous giant panda climbing the IFS shopping mall. Those places are wonderful. But they don’t necessarily tell you how Chengdu actually lives. Elaine and I have developed a little travel habit...
Ask almost anyone planning their first trip to Chengdu (成都, Chéngdū) and you’ll hear the same list. See the giant pandas. Eat hotpot. Visit 宽窄巷子 (Kuānzhǎi Xiàngzi). Walk 春熙路 (Chūnxī Lù, Chunxi Road). Take a selfie with the famous panda climbing out of the IFS shopping mall. We did all that too. But strangely enough… One of my favourite memories of Chengdu wasn’t any famous attraction. It was simply walking back to our homestay every evening through Jinniu District...
“Sometimes the city that changes your understanding of a country isn’t the one you planned to visit most.” If you’ve been reading ChinaTravelBug, you’ll probably notice something. We write a lot about Beijing (北京, Běijīng). We write even more about Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān). Those two cities have become the anchors of our China journeys. Beijing tells the story of imperial China, while Xi’an takes us back to where many chapters of Chinese civilisation first began....
Every day, thousands of travellers land at Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (西安咸阳国际机场). Almost all of them do exactly the same thing. They collect their luggage, call a Didi, board the airport metro, or catch the high-speed train, eager to reach the famous sights of Xi’an (西安)—the Terracotta Army (兵马俑), the Ancient City Wall (西安城墙), the Muslim Quarter (回民街), and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔). Hardly anyone stops. Even fewer realise that just a short...
Discovering a Different Side of China Beyond Beijing For many first-time travellers planning a China trip, Beijing (北京) is naturally one of the first destinations. And it should be. A good Beijing travel itinerary introduces visitors to some of China’s greatest historical landmarks: But China’s story did not end with emperors. During our father-and-daughter journey through northern China, Elaine and I wanted to explore another question: After thousands of years of imperial history, how did...
From an 8-year-old’s first China vacation to discovering Beijing, Chinese history, culture, and the stories behind one of the greatest China wonders There are many unforgettable places to visit in China. Ancient cities. Beautiful mountains. Traditional streets. Modern skylines. But for many travellers planning their first trip to Beijing China, there is usually one destination sitting right at the top of their dream list. The Great Wall of China. 长城 (Chángchéng). In Chinese,...
For most international travellers planning their first China vacation, Xi’an (西安) is already one of the most important China places to visit. Most visitors arrive through Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (西安咸阳国际机场) before exploring the famous Xi’an tourist attractions: These are all amazing places and should be part of any first-time Xi’an travel itinerary. But after exploring the usual Xi’an attractions, look at a Xi’an China map. You may notice something interesting. Xi’an was not...
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