We weren’t sure where to head after China but flights to the Philippines were reasonable and laying on a beach sounded rather appealing after the tough hikes in China. The price was basically the same if we flew to South Korea first though so that’s what we planned on doing. It’s not a cheap country…
Tag: hiking
Exploring pristine mountains | Four Sisters, China
There are three valleys you can visit in Four Sisters Mountain National Park which sits to the north of Chengdu. Shuangqiao Valley is to the west and by far the most developed with a shuttle bus travelling over 30km through the park to the end of the valley so due to the easy accessibility it’s…
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…
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…
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…
The Longji Rice Terraces |China
We couldn’t decide whether it was worth returning to the Longji rice terraces as our previous experience wasn’t a great one. We arrived on a cold January day 8 years ago and the guesthouse we booked wasn’t where it said it would be on the map which meant we had to hike all the way…
Nizwa’s goat market, wadis and mountain drives | Oman
Our final days in Oman had a mix of activities and the first of which was the Nizwa livestock market. It takes place every Friday and this tradition has been happening in the same location for hundreds of years. We had to arrive early to catch the action so we were joining the crowds at…
Oman’s dramatic mountains and a crazy night camping on them
It’s time to explore the mountains of Oman! We’ve been driving alongside dramatic peaks and I can’t help but feel if it was America for example there would be a parking lot with hiking trails, not with lots of infrastructure or paved paths, just rugged but accessible. Oman kinda feels so untouched that it’s like…