November 24, 2014 in Asia, China, Deals, Destinations, Trip Planner
Check out this deal for a flight from Toronto to Bejing, China for just over $700 CAD! I went online to check the flights & it’s really available!
Even more amazing is that it’s a direct flight! If you know you’re going, book quickly as there are limited seats at this price.
I wish I could book this deal, but we’re heading to Myanmar next year. Hopefully this deal comes around again
September 25, 2014 in Asia, China, Destinations
Hua Shan (华山) was the highlight of our trip to China, & also the most physically challenging. The views were amazing – and the sheer rock faces were quite literally breathtaking! Photos don’t do it any justice so you’ll just need to head there to see it for yourself 🙂 And if you aren’t up for making the climb on foot, there’s a cable car that takes you very close to the North Peak. From there, you can hike to any of the 5 peaks (see a map of the mountain trails at the end of this post).
Just a warning that this post is going to be a bit photo-intensive, so I’ll write a separate post on how to get to/from Hua Shan. Since we didn’t have a lot of time, we only made it to the North Peak. We will definitely be back & next time we’ll stay on the mountain overnight to hike to the other peaks.
There are 2 ticket booths, one for the cable car and the other for the foot path. There was no one when we arrived to buy tickets at the Western Gate (which is about a 10-15min walk from where the bus drops you off). From there, it is an uphill climb to the North Peak, with the last 3km being very steep. You will need to hang onto the rusty chains to steady yourself as the steps are narrow, uneven and steep. Also, these paths get pretty narrow considering they expect two-way traffic to flow. We brought gloves with us and were really glad we had them.
Breakfast of champions 🙂
Enroute to the Western Gate ticket office
A comforting message for a safe climb
Got our tickets!
Spiritual start to our climb
The first 2km weren’t too difficult. Steps were nice & even and paths were wider
Locks of love
Beautiful views about halfway up
There was a fork in the road and we weren’t sure which way to go. We followed the path on the right (towards the Thousand Feet Cliff).
Steeper climb…
Neverending stairs…
Reaching the Thousand Feet Cliff
Much narrower and steeper
The climb
Looking back… Had to hang on tight for this one
Another view from further up
Selfie before continuing the climb
Upwards & onwards
Steps have gotten pretty narrow here
Looking back one last time. Pretty steep
Made it to the Cable Car Station
Views from close to the North Peak
Made it!!! 3hr15min to the North Peak 🙂
The Soldier’s Path – a different footpath (steeper) that follows the cable car route
Refreshing drink from Happy Lemon back in Xian! 🙂
Map of Hua Shan
To read more about the mountains we climbed in China, go here.
September 20, 2014 in Asia, China
Ever since I was a little girl, I had admired the sense of serenity and solitude depicted by the traditional ink and wash paintings of the Sacred Mountains of China. The beautiful guóhuà (國畫) and the mythological stories my Dad used to tell us before bed were the main reasons behind my trip to China. Born & raised in Canada, I was on a mission to travel to some of these mountains, and also to learn more about the country and culture.
My pre-trip planning wasn’t very fruitful when it came to figuring out how to get to the mountains on my own, and even less information was available about navigating the mountains themselves. Now that I have triumphantly returned, I want to share my experiences & provide all the logistics required to get to and from Hua Shan (华山) & Huang Shan (黄山).
Throughout our trip, we noticed that most of the tour groups and tourists were National Chinese, and many were sporting loud megaphones. However, I thought it would be different when we escaped to the mountains. I was wrong… There were Chinese tour groups everywhere. Well, at least at the top of the mountain and at the cable car stations. Since we decided we were going to make it up the mountain by foot, we did manage to sneak off from the crowds and enjoy moments of peace on our own. My most favourite moments by far from my entire China trip were the mountain treks – although it was definitely a reflective journey, it was also a physical & mental challenge, forcing me to face my severe fear of heights.
If you are considering a trip to China, I highly recommend including at least one visit to a Sacred Mountain. Whether you choose to hike up on foot or take the cable car, I think it’s worth the detour.
Since I want to share full details about each mountain, I am breaking them into separate posts for easier reading:
1. Hua Shan – famous among tourists as the “most dangerous hiking trail in the world”
2. Huang Shan – also known as Yellow Mountain, it is the subject of many traditional Chinese paintings and literature
If you have any questions, just send me an email & I’d be happy to help.
See more mountain climbing adventures from my trip to Vietnam.
May 14, 2014 in Asia, China, Destinations
When my family & I are in HK, we find ourselves stopping for coffee and dessert every chance we get. Every time we travel to HK, there’s bound to be a new list of coffee shops and restaurants to try out. Here’s a list of cafés we tried during the 4 days I was there:
Coffee Academics : My family & I met up for an afternoon snack at this trendy café (38 Yiu Wa Street, Causeway Bay, 852.2156.0313), which is run by the same group as Caffé Habitu. We were in desperate need of some good coffee. With high ceilings and exposed brick, the place had a very urban loft feel, so I was excited. Unfortunately, the drinks did not impress & the service was even worse. The servers were extremely slow and couldn’t keep any of the orders straight. It’s a shame because the place itself looked very trendy and I really wanted to like it.
Café Gray : Very swanky place & the ideal spot for a fancy night out (8 Queensway, Level 49, The Upper House). Great view of HK skyline, yummy drinks, and quiet enough to enjoy great conversation.
Flat White @ Cafe Corridor
Café Corridor : Literally down a corridor, this little café has a cozy hipster vibe. My family & I enjoyed their breakfast & coffees. It is a nice place for a break in the hectic Times Square area (26A Russell St, Causeway Bay). Their flat white was pretty good, and so were the sandwiches and full breakfasts that we ordered. If I had more time, I would have gone back to curl up with a good book.
Le Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon : Nice place to rest up after some serious shopping at IFC. They serve high tea sets and other snacks/food, along with a long list of drinks. I ordered their chocolate croissant and it didn’t quite live up to Paris standards. Despite that, it’s still a good choice for afternoon tea.
Pomme : Saving the best for last (11-13 Luard Road, Wan Chai, 852.2527.9933) 😉 In full disclosure, the owner/head pastry chef, Tracy Chow, is also my cousin. However, don’t let that discount the fact that she is a very talented pastry chef. Having received her diploma from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, she also trained in France and Japan before she opened up her own french-inspired café in Wan Chai. And ever since then, my family and I have spent most of our afternoons in HK trying everything on the menu. My personal favourites are the chestnut cake & the hazelnut chocolate tart. This is a great little place to catch up with an old friend, or to just catch up on some reading.
Latte & Hazelnut Chocolate Tart @ Pomme
Special Easter Cupcake @ Pomme
April 10, 2014 in Asia, China, Destinations
As a part of our 3-week trip to Asia, Kevin and I made a stop in Hong Kong to visit family before continuing to Vietnam. With its population density being one of the highest in the world, Hong Kong can be quite overwhelming for first-time visitors. The lifestyle there is very different from what we’re used to in North America – everything is faster & fancier. As much as I normally travel on a fairly tight budget, I let myself loose here and splurge.
Hotel: We stayed at Butterfly on Morrison. It’s a modern boutique-style hotel right in Causeway Bay (8-10min walk from Causeway Bay MTR). At just over $150/night, I felt it was pretty reasonable for the location as well as the quality. The room itself was comfy enough. Our only issue was that someone left one of the windows open throughout our entire stay. We had no idea why we were violently woken up by the sound of traffic every morning, and our room was super humid (even with air conditioning). We only realized this just before we were checking out!
The minute I land in HK international, I notice myself adapting and falling into step with the locals; walking at double my normal speed. But don’t let that deter you. I just spent 4 days chilling out at various cafés throughout the city. There are ways to escape the chaos, & I choose to do it over some caffeine and sugar 🙂
Shopping : One of the questions I get asked a lot by friends/acquaintances is where to shop in HK. This topic warrants an entire post, but here is a quick reference guide to shopping in Causeway Bay.
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