City Gal On The Go
Guangzhou is a major business and industrial hub located in southern China, north of Hong Kong and Macao. It’s also the hub for China Southern, which I fly often. During my first seven-hour layover, I visited Shangxiajiu Street, a shopping area easily accessible by train from the airport. Foshan is another good option for a
I hadn’t planned on visiting Ninh Binh, but it ended up being my favorite place in Vietnam, and an easy bus ride from SaPa. I love fishing boats, and there are tons of them there. Plus, there are green rice fields everywhere, goats, ducks, and wild horses. Very special place. I recommend staying at Mua
SaPa is located in nothern Vietnam and is the gateway to several popular rice terraces and trekking routes. I spent a few days trekking to Ta Phin and Lao Chai through rice terraces. Beautiful, even with the rain.
I didn’t fall in love with Hanoi the way I did with other cities in Asia. However, there’s an area of the city where train tracks run through the narrow alleys between houses that is quite special.
The Donghuamen Night Market, a night market outside the Forbidden City in Beijing, used to offer a variety of Chinese delicacies. Apparently the market closed in 2016 due to hygiene and noise complaints.
The Forbidden City is a palace in central Beijing, and was home to several dynasties from 1420 to 1912. It now houses the Palace Museum.
I was fortunate to stay in a Hutong in Beijing — a neighborhood made up of small narrow streets and alleys. If you’re looking to stay somewhere that feels more local, I highly recommend staying in a Hutong.
Longjing Tea Plantation is easily accessible from Hangzhou. You can have lunch in the village, then hike through the tea plantation, all the way to an adjacent village.
Hangzhou is a few hour train ride south of Beijing, and around two hours west of Shanghai. It sits on a picturesque lake and is an easy jumping off point to several tea plantations.