Dragon Boat Festival
One of the more popular theories on the origins of the Dragon Boat festival is as remembrance of the search for the suicidal ancient scholar Qu Yuan. Accused of treason this popular poet drowned himself after being banished. Local residents are said to have raced around the waters try to rescue him or retrieve his [...]
Boracay – Getting there
Although this was my first visit to the Philippines I can confidently say it won’t be my last. A huge surprise was just how close it is to Hong Kong. (My flight from Shanghai to HK was longer than the HK to Manila section.) Flights to Boracay, despite being an easy 1 hour or so [...]
Christmas Day on Halong Bay
After a tedious bus journey from Hanoi it was as if Mother Nature had snapped her fingers the moment we arrived in Bai Chay. Looming gray clouds parted giving way to dazzling rays of winter sunshine that started to slip through just as we stepped onto one of Bhaya’s traditional junk styled cruise boats. We [...]
Guangxi’s Detian Falls
The magnificent Detian Falls located on the China/Vietnam border shines with vivid, jewel like colour and is definitely worth a visit. So much more attractive than just your standard trickle of water running over a cliff, Detian is some 200 metres wide and has three tiers of water rushing over its various edges. Despite the [...]
2010 Calendar – China in Black & White
2010 “China in B&W” Calendar – Images by Jillian Mitchell China offers an extremely diverse range of beautiful scenery and traditional culture that make for a truly exotic destination. These are the images I have selected for my 2010 Calendar – China in Black & White. A3 in size and printed on 200gsm high quality [...]
Floods in Yangshuo Update
The difference a day makes. Looks as though the second surge of water I mentioned in my last post was either very small or didn’t happen. Water levels have now receded by a couple of metres. Boats are also back on the river with a whole flotilla of vessels, who were moored [...]
Floods in Yangshuo
Heavy rainfall in the area necessitated the release of water last night from reservoirs upstream in the Li River. The surge in water has caused very minor flooding in the low lying areas of town, however for most it is business as usual. Those who were affected seem to have been very well prepared. We [...]
Top 5 Ways to Enjoy Yangshuo’s Picture Postcard Scenery (4)
Number 4: Bamboo raft on the Dragon River Sit back and relax on a bamboo raft whilst ambling down the Dragon River. A totally different experience to cruising on the Li River, you are still surrounded by the magnificent scenery however the Dragon is smaller and quieter. The karsts on one side of [...]
