UNEXPECTED BEAUTY

China, home to 1.354 billion people! And home to me back in 2006 for a dusty hot summer and a bitterly cold winter. After my stint in Beijing and a few shopping and food trips to Shanghai, China hadn't been on my list to revisit…until my friend suggested heading to Guilin over the Easter break.

Guilin is located in south China in the Guangxi province. Famous for it's limestone mountains, scenic rivers and rolling mountains, it's no wonder it has been inspiration for painters, poets and travellers for centuries.

DAY 1 & 2

We spent the first night in Guilin at the Sheraton (5*, on the river front) which was nice enough (older, standard business hotel), as we landed quite late. Early the next morning our driver took us to the pier to catch our ferry which would take us from Guilin down the picturesque Li River to the old town of Yangshuo. If you've been to Halong Bay in Vietnam, the Li River offers similar topography.

A famous Chinese poet wrote about this journey;

                    "the river is a green silk ribbon, and the hills are jade hair-pins…"

This stunning scenery is depicted on the 20 RMB note:

It took the whole day to get to Yangshuo town. Upon arrival we checked into the Green Lotus Hotel (5*) which was one of the newer properties, a short walk from the main street. There are a number of homestays in Yangshuo which, if I went back, I'd probably like to try as the Green Lotus was nothing special and I imagine the bed & breakfast establishments would have much more character.

DAY 3 

I often find the best way to properly explore an area is on two wheels. It's fun, it's active and it allows you to weave around the backstreets, stopping wherever and whenever you come across something of interest. Hire a bicycle down on the main street, buy a map and make your way along the streams, beside the fields and through the small neighbouring villages, enjoying the scenery and wildlife as you go.

If you fancy taking a raft back down the river to the main Yangshuo area, you can leave your bikes for a small fee and someone will return them for you.

Don't miss the Impression of Liu Sanjie light show, quite a spectacle! The story depicts the life of the people living around the river, set in a spectacular outdoor theatre with the incredible Li River and it's twelve mountains serving as the backdrop. Over 600 local performers are involved in the show and with a mixture of modern and classical Chinese music, it gives a real insight into the dress and music of the local ethnic minorities. 

My tip; pre-book (the queue even for pre-booked tickets was immense) and request seating at the middle-back of the General Admission section. If you're short-sighted like me, don't forget to take your glasses if you want to sit in the undercover VIP seats at the back!

Some highlights from this magical show:

DAY 4

For the foodies there's a number of cooking schools where you can learn how to cook local dishes, like beer fish (basically local fish fried-off in beer), dumplings and other tasty eats. Cloud 9 cooking school was fantastic, offering English-speaking classes and started  off with an informative and interesting walk through the local markets to buy our ingredients. Contact Phoenix +86 135 0783 8851 phoenix_liang2000@hotmail.com to book in a class.

The visit to the local market is not for the faint-hearted, as you'll find scorched dogs and rabbits strung up, and fluffy cats in cages awaiting similar fate. Stick to the veggie section if you don't think you can stomach this.

Besides strange torched animals, there's some fantastic street-eats like fried tofu and salty chestnut and rice parcels.

If you find yourself needing a 3am snack after a night out in the surprisingly 'pumping' nightclubs and bars along the main drag in Yangshuo, join the queue for the small buns filled with nondescript meat. Offering "no like, no pay" deal, it's well worth the wait and a few kwai. 

DAY 5

I suggest if you take the cruise down the Li River to Yangshuo, hire a driver to take you back to Guilin. This way you can stop via the Shangri-La, 'paradise on earth' which although was very touristy, it didn't take away from the natural beauty.

For lunch, a great pittstop is at the Longji rice fields, where ethnic minorities live and farm the land. When we were visiting a few years ago, there was a lot of accommodation in the process of being built, so I imagine now there's plenty of places to stay if you do decide to overnight here. Unfortunately when we visited the peaks were covered in mist, and only partially lifted by the time we'd finished lunch so the below photos are what we would have seen had the mist lifted.

The colours will vary depending on the season you visit.

DAY 6

I'd recommend staying your final night in Guilin, so you have the following day to visit the Reed Flute Caves and Yao mountain before heading back to the airport. 

240 meter-long cave of stalactites, stone pillars and rock formations colourfully displayed:

Take the cable car up Yao mountain and enjoy the spectacular views of the area:

So next time you think of mainland China, don't forget the sheer size of this country and the varied experiences it has to offer. Guilin is certainly one not to miss!

A MUST, AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR

Like you, I have started the new year with various resolutions and promises to myself I'll do more of this, and less of that…including, of course, the one we all mentally list out in our head, "do more exercise and more #cleaneating". 

If like me, you have a pallet for rich foods, and your lifestyle involves more eating out than one really should, then I urge you to book yourself into a Health and Wellness retreat at least once, if not twice a year.  They don't just offer you a short-term 'quick-fix' solution either. They will set you up with techniques, strategies and knowledge, to take away with you so you can maintain and apply what you've learnt back home. The best part, is that although there are set programs for certain desired outcomes, after your initial wellness consultation you can always tailor-make your program for your body type/likes/dislikes to ensure you achieve your goals.

My suggestions for affordable retreats in Asia:

For the yogi's, look no further than Absolute Sanctuary 

(http://www.absolutesanctuary.com/index.html), an affordable yet stunning Moroccan-inspired boutique hotel in Koh Samui, Thailand. With renowned yoga gurus running classes, programs, workshops and events each month, you're in expert hands to get that  core strengthened in no time!

For the fitness-fanatics, MesaStila Central Java 

(http://www.mesahotelsandresorts.com/mesastila/) offers an outdoor jungle gym like no other, with the backdrop of central java's magnificent volcanes and tropical jungle. Their cycling camps are a great way to explore the local villages, tea plantations and surrounding volcanic slopes.

For the detox dieters, visit The Farm (http://www.thefarmatsanbenito.com/detox-cleanse/) in San Benito, a 1 hr drive outside of Manila, and flush out all the toxins with colonics, liver cleanses, colema's, strict vegan-eating or extreme juice-fasting in this lush green sanctuary. Besides leaving a few kilos lighter, I had a newfound appreciation of how tasty vegan food can really be, and was truly impressed with the Filipino hospitality.

For those in need of some serious 'me' time, head for Shreyas Retreat (http://www.shreyasretreat.com/shreyas1.htm) outside of Bangalore in India, where they offer a 'silent retreat' designed to help you take a step back, reprioritise and realign your life goals and introspectively find that sense of calm. You will approach the new year with a Zen attitude once you get the balance back into your life.

To help combat the year that was, Chiva som (http://www.chivasom.com/the-resorts/hua-hin-thailand/) in Hua Hin, Thailand offer an "Eternal Youth" retreat, which involves non-invasive laser treatment, micro-invasive cosmetic surgery and anti-aging medicine. No needles here!

There's no shame in getting a little help with that new years resolution from a team of professionals in a beautiful setting! Email retreats@flightcentre.com.hk for further info.

COOKING A TAGINE WITH MR ACTION COUS COUS

As I've said before, for me it's the people I meet when travelling that leaves the lasting memory… and Mr "Action Couscous" Hussein was no exception. 

Starring in Intrepid Travel's Middle East brochure, he proudly poses with his front page picture. He gave himself the nickname "Action Couscous" because of all the films he was an extra in, such as The Mummy, Gladiator, Alexander, Lawrence of Arabia, which were all filmed in the picturesque old town Aït Ben Haddou. On the edge of the High Atlas Mountains, this UNESCO Heritage site is one of the best preserved kasbah's (a fortified city) in the Atlas region. He runs a wonderful guesthouse, within walking distance of the granary which is definitely worth the walk to the top. 

Morocco is one of those places you need a decent amount of time, a good driver and a comfortable mode of transportation as there's so much ground to cover. The most common route is as below, starting/ending in Casablanca or Marrakech where most international carriers fly into.

The highlights for me were definitely in the latter part of the trip (all photos taken on  my iPhone so excuse the graininess)

• Sahara Camp - aside from halfway through our camel caravan through the dessert, my camel sadly fell ill dropping to his knees with me on top of him…this sandy backdrop made for a stunning sunset and early morning sunrise

• Aroumd - taking a donkey up the winding road through the village of Imlil, surrounded by such peaceful scenery and snow capped mountains; - staying at the family run 'gite' guesthouse right at the top, very modest, but a great way to experience the traditional Berber culture and hospitality

• Ait Benhaddou - cooking a lamb tagine and couscous from scratch with Mr Action himself

• Essaouira - said to be the inspiration behind Jimi Hendrix's "Castle made of sand" after his visit  to this seaside town in the summer of 1969; - walking along the waterfront offers quite a spectacle of seagulls flailing in the wind and the comings and goings of the blue fishing boats; - I stayed in a 'riad' where all the rooms faced inward to the courtyard in the middle, a characteristic of these traditional Moroccan houses

• Marrakech - the sounds of musicians, smells of spices and sights of colourful lanterns in the bustling souks

If you make it to Morocco, do give Mr Action Couscous a visit and he'll be sure you leave with a real appreciation of this country's magic and mystery!

PUNK'D

to punk (v.) A way to describe someone ripping you off, tricking you; to be deceived

As a frequent leisure traveller, I’ve seen a few common tourist traps regardless of destination. Some are unavoidable, but here are some that are avoidable.

1) Always compare hotel rates with/out wifi in your room, and including Club benefits

Where I got punk’d: W Hotel, Barcelona

• often it works out cheaper to have wifi included in your pre-paid rate, rather than pay per hour when you arrive, depending on how long you're staying
• sometimes it’s only marginally more for Club benefits, which includes breakfast daily, afternoon tea and snacking, happy hour, late check out etc. so much better value than a la carte

2) airport transfers booked through the hotel are always over-priced
Where I got punk’d: Istanbul, Turkey

• call the hotel ahead of time and find out what the going rate for a metered taxi from the airport should be, so even if it’s a destination where there are no metered taxis, you know what you should be expected to pay
• often there are express trains from the airport or a shuttle bus into the downtown area which are much cheaper, and just as convenient

3) the “Dinner and Dance” show, usually an upsell by your airport transfer driver
Where I got punk’d: Cappadocia, central Turkey

• I’m all for a bit of culture through dance, but after experiencing this ‘cultural’ show in various destinations around the world, I’ve come to the conclusion the food at these shows are terrible. Go and see a cultural dance show on it’s own, THEN go for dinner. Not both. These establishments feed the masses of tourist offloaded from coaches. Large vats of tasteless over-salted food, often pre-cooked hours ago is slopped onto your plate.

4) any day tours or activities booked through the hotel concierge are more pricey
Where I got punk’d: Bangkok, Thailand

• do your research before hand of any day trips you want to do and pre-book them; if you’re staying in a 5* hotel, then you’ll pay 5* prices for day tours even though you might be piled in with a whole lot of other people from other hotels
• also, this way you avoid disappointment if it’s high season and limited departure

5) visa on arrival

Where I got punk'd: Da Nang, Vietnam

• Some countries will permit this, for a fee, however I suggest if you have enough time to pre-arrange your Visa in your home country before you leave, do so
• to avoid any complications - visa regulations change all the time; you may have been to this country before and been permitted a visa on arrival, but 6 months later you can't
• the queues for visa-on-arrival are often quite slow moving and long
• if you’re arriving late at night, as sometimes the Visa-on-arrival service will be closed

Some little things to be aware of that could save you on money and time when traveling.

MAKING TRACKS

I'm not really one to revisit the same place over and over again, as there's too much of the world I am yet to see. However, this next destination has become somewhat of an 'annual' trip. 

A piece on Niseko I wrote for a local HK magazine, AroundDB:

http://www.arounddb.com/features/excapes/item/73993-powder-playground

What I most love about ski holidays, is that you're active all day on the slopes, with no phone signal or wifi. I often find with beach breaks I end up by the resort pool, on my iPhone checking my work email or connecting to the social media world, so I never really switch off. 

What I love most about Niseko, besides the incredible powder snow, is the food. After a busy morning on the slopes, tucking into a tempura set lunch with a beer, always hits the spot.

The sesame dressing with the tuna and tofu salad is a must-eat at A Bu Cha 2nd

An early evening pittstop to The Niseko Supply Company for a fresh crepe and a spiced mulled wine is the perfect way to defrost before you unwind with an evening onsen.

Even at Chitose Airport there's great food options for one last ramen or sashimi bowl, and for those with a sweet tooth, there's a whole chocolate factory display at Royce' Chocolate World and soft serve ice-cream made from local milk and dairy cream. 

If there's one place besides Australia, I'm more than happy to go back to at least once each year, it's definitely Japan!