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…
Tag: nature
Exploring the Tibetan villages around Danba
Danba is considered to be one of Sichuan’s gateways into the Tibetan regions but for us it marks the end of our time in this magical area of the world. We had a long walk with our backpacks through Danba to our hostel which was very rustic. I felt like we were backpacking in 2009…
A wild west Tibetan town in western Sichuan
Tagong is a one road town, surrounded by pastures, backed by mountains and full of Wild West charm. It’s home to Tibetans who pride themselves on their horsemanship skills. After exploring the very traditional Tibetan towns of Litang and Garze we were a little surprised to find Tagong had catered to domestic tourists with lots…
Challenges travelling the Tibetan Plateau and hospitable locals
Getting from Litang to Garzi (also known as Ganze) took a long while. We woke up to a fresh layer of snow on the hills, it’s April but Litang sits at 4000m elevation so winter lasts longer up here. We made our way to the shared van area which can be a little intimidating on…
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…
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…
NON STOP TRAVELLING 