Three Day Nanjing Itinerary – What to See in the Former Capital of China!

If you are looking for a city rich in history, then Nanjing is definitely one of the best cities in China to visit! Located in the East of China, capital of Jiangsu province and just 1.5 hours train ride from Shanghai, this wonderful city is a must see when you visit China. Perfect for anyone interested in the long history and fascinating culture of this country, Nanjing is packed with museums, monuments and parks. Nanjing is a former capital of China, as recently as 1949, so, as you can imagine, it played a huge role in building the China we know today. I visited in the summer of 2017, but Nanjing is still firmly at the top of my “places to re-visit” list, as I missed a lot of the important spots the first time around! Here’s what I got up to on my visit!

Cuddle some canines at a Dog Cafe in Shanghai, China.

Looking for things to do in Shanghai that don’t involve too much effort aside from a general out-pour of love and excessive cuddling? Look no further!

Anyone who knows anything about me will not be surprised about this little afternoon excursion. After stumbling across word of this dog cafe right before I moved back to Shanghai, the only real shocker is that it took me almost a whole month before going there. I’ve always been a little skeptical about cat and dog cafes, and I’ve never been to one back in England, but I’d read good things online about this one and, y’know, I miss dogs.

3 Day Itinerary for Guilin, China – pagodas, rice terraces and everything in between!

“桂林山水甲天下”

“East or West, Guilin scenery is the best!”

Firstly, a word of warning. Do not believe the absolute LIES that I believed before this trip. “Southern China is always warm!”, “It’s never cold in the South!” – well folks, this is FALSE INFORMATION. Unfortunately, we were travelling during what I shall forever refer to as the infamous cold snap of 2018. When we first arrived in Guilin it was about 3°C, which was about the same as what we’d left behind in Shanghai, much to our disappointment. So, if you’re are travelling around January time, just a heads up, the South isn’t always that much warmer than elsewhere in China, so don’t forget the thermals!

Bright lights, turtles and a Giant Buddha – Hong Kong in 48 hours(ish)

My Hong Kong adventure had a, uh, eventful start (note to self: always check that your card will work overseas, don’t just take other people’s word for it!), but once everything was sorted out, I had two days to explore the hectic, intense and wonderful sprawling Hong Kong. Given my limited time and funds, I made a plan to hit all the cliche, tourist spots this time around, and then make another stop at some point, maybe not in the middle of a cold snap, to really explore the hidden gems and hunt those amazing, gritty Instagram worthy pictures you see all the time.

Buying trinkets in Shanghai? Try Tianzifang!

Think London’s Camden Market meets Brighton’s laines, stick it in the middle of Shanghai, and you have Tianzifang. Whether you’re after cute lil’ nic-nak presents to take home, picking up some boutique fashion finds or just a looking for a hip place to grab a drink, this is the place for you. I mean, sure, the place is absolutely heaving at the weekends and the early evenings, but if you time it right you can have a good mooch around without too much difficulty, as long you don’t mind the odd elbow here and there.

Visiting The Bund – is it worth the hype?

If you search “things to do in Shanghai”, I guarantee The Bund (known as Wàitān in Chinese) will be pretty high up, if not top, of the list. But, as with many tourist attractions around the world, sometimes the actual place doesn’t quite live up to expectations. The Bund is not one of those, it’s the real deal. For me, standing along the river looking over at the sparkly skyscrapers soaring above the water and reaching into the sky, that’s what really cemented in my head that ‘oh my gosh, I’m actually here!’.

Heading to China? Don’t miss The Forbidden City!

China certainly doesn’t lack in spectacular and majestic monuments, many steeped in history dating back through multiple dynasties. The Forbidden City, or 紫禁城 (Zǐjinchéng), is no exception. Read on for the ins and outs and a bit of the history, or check out my quick, at-a-glance guide to visiting at the bottom of this post!