Our adventures in China are about to change as we make our way through western Sichuan which is part of the Garze Tibetan Prefecture. It’s basically a vast region on the Tibetan plateau where Tibetans live in China. You could call it eastern Tibet and I’ve even heard someone call it ‘Inner Tibet’, similar to…
Author: laurenwinslowllewellyn
A wild pilgrimage hike around a 6000m holy mountain | China
It’s time for us to leave Yunnan and make our way into Sichuan province, famous for its spicy food and pandas and while many people visit for those two reasons we’re here for others; the mountains and to visit the Tibetan villages and towns. Our first stop was Yading Nature Reserve which took us about…
Hiking to the true Shangri-La | The remote village of Yubeng, China
The remote village of Yubeng sits in a dramatic location on the side of a valley with a jaw dropping view of the Meilo Snow Mountain Range which forms a natural border with Tibet. One of those peaks is the mighty Kawa Karpo which is 6740m and the highest in Yunnan. Sadly you can now…
Shangri-La and the most important Tibetan monastery in Yunnan | China
The town of Shangri-La used to go by the name of Zhongdian but after the bestselling book called Lost Horizons described a location that resembled the town they decided to rename it. Sadly in 2014 a devastating fire tore through the old town, destroying over 200 wooden houses which were up to 1000 years old….
Two day one night hike through Tiger Leaping Gorge | Yunnan, China
Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of Yunnan’s must see sights and on most travellers radar. It’s said to be one of the deepest gorges in the world at a maximum depth of 3,790 meters from river to mountain peak. Thanks to it’s popularity a hostel in Lijiang arranges bus tickets to drop tourists off at…
Exploring the dramatic landscapes at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain | China
Lijiang is a perfect base to explore Jade Dragon Snow Mountain just an hour away. It’s a scenic mountain location which is very popular due to its easy access from the ancient town. There was a bus straight from the city at 7am which we hopped on and the closer we got the busier it…
Exploring Yunnan’s ancient towns | China
It’s time to leave the unseasonably hot weather in Guizhou province and make our way to the high plateau in Yunnan. To get there we had to catch two high speed trains, travelling at speeds of 300kmh until we arrived in the town of Dali which sits at 1975m and is nestled between mountains and…
Searching for the bluest water in Xiaoqikong | China
The scenic area of Xiaoqikong wasn’t in my guide book or on travel blogs, I ended up finding it from scanning the map of China and being drawn in by the intense blue water. It turned out to be fairly easy to reach, involving two high speed trains and then a taxi for the final…
Meeting the locals in traditional Dong villages | China
Zhaoxing is a traditional village, all made of wood and home to the Dong ethnic minority group. It used to just be a special place where a few western tourists came to see a real Chinese village but with the high speed railway being built it’s brought with it the domestic tourists. Luckily the village…
Exploring the karst peaks along the Li River | China
The city of Yangshuo is nestled between the dramatic karst peaks that spread across this scenic corner of Guangxi. It’s a place we really enjoyed on our last visit, hence us deciding to come back and even stay in the same hostel. The hostel was based a bit out the city so the patio area…
NON STOP TRAVELLING 