Okay, you can be honest with me. Spit it out. You did not come halfway across the world for this, how they call it, “Banana Pancake Trail”? I know exactly how you feel. I can tell how much you would like to throw a chair at that guy who’s mesmerizing a full table of other exemplars of the backpacking species with his bragging rights, just over there. His tales of having seen this and that tourist attraction on the ultra-cheap contradict with the reality that his clothes would pay for two months’ worth of food for a local family.

You feel like you would be better suited outside, grasping for a change of air, like an amphibian in dire need of a habitat change. At least, back home you would know where to go bang your head, turn your anti-social behavior into loud drunkenness, and raise the horns to the Devil’s music.

But how can you do it in Asia-town? My friend, today is your lucky day because I’ve been there, and done that, and I am going to give you six places to find the rock underbelly in some of East Asia’s sprawling cities. If you thought they didn’t rock, well, you should get back into that hostel lounge, sit next to the bragging guy, and start clapping your hands.

1) Soundmaker, Penang, Malaysia

Literally hidden at the second floor of a tattered building along Pengkalan Weld, about half a mile down the road from the Jetty, this is the place to rock in Northern Malaysia. Check their show listings before you go because this place is not a bar, therefore, it is not open when you want. Rather, this is a real do-it-yourself underground venue,where heavy metal, punk, death metal and alternative rock spray the walls with sweat.

The showroom is decently sized and the sound system is quite good for an underground enterprise. The fact is that in Malaysia — a country who forced a ban on metal music in 2001, and whose Islamic party has given a hard time to Elton John because he is openly gay — you cannot really get much better than this. Soundmaker is the place to rock away your sleepy weekend afternoons and early nights, as no show can go on after 12 a.m. As a tip, buy some beer at the Chinese food court downstairs, as there is no bar inside.

Soundmaker

2) Yuyong Yishan, Beijing, China

Beijing had an amazing alternative rock and punk club called D-22 in the Wudakou student district where the Chinese bands of the ’90s made the history of Beijing punk. Unfortunately, it closed last year. D-22 an institution for Chinese underground rock, and has been the backdrop of many of my more interesting Chinese nights. Now, the megalopolis’s new focus of rocker attention is Yuyon Yishan.

As a reflection of the cosmopolitan and never-sleeping Beijing art scene, the club offers a mix of proposals coming from the realms of rock, electronic music and much more to keep your feet moving and your head banging. And in case your recent activities included Great Wall hiking, be warned, this may not be the best place to rest your aching legs.

Yuyong Yishan

3) The Overstay, Bangkok, Thailand

With Bangkok’s reputation for vice and all sorts of other mischievous evils, it comes quite as a surprise that its music scene is so dead. Luckily enough, not too far from Khao San Road tourist enclave, you can find a pretty particular example of postmodern subculture in Pinklao: the Overstay.

This 6-story building functions as a rock/alternative venue, and a very cheap hotel with artsy character and an alleged ghost haunting the upper floors to spice things up. Come to enjoy live bands from all sides of the rock/alternative/electronic spectrum, and bring along your instrument for the occasional jam sessions. And if you’re hungry, you can try out the open kitchen to cook up some vegetarian food for your new friends.

The Overstay

4) Rumah Api, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

In a place called the “fire house,” you may expect amplifiers to burst out sparks of white heat and set your eardrums on fire. If you know what a real punk house is, and I mean an independent space where DIY is the law, welcome to Rumah Api, one of the places in Kuala Lumpur that dares to object to the city’s rampant, over-constructed technologic wealth and high-class loving youth.

A stone’s throw away from the Ampang LRT station in the northeastern part of the city, Rumah Api is to Kuala Lumpur what CBGB was to New York during its heady punk days. Catch a dose of local and international punk, hardcore, crust, thrash and grindcore bands sweating — literally, as the only wall fan provided resembles a World War II airplane’s engine — on the nonexistent stage, and mingle with the most alternative youth in the capital. This place has plenty of character, but you gotta have some to enjoy it too. Otherwise, please keep on reading your book at the guesthouse or do not sway too far from Petaling street, I have warned you.

Rumah Api

5) Sharky Bar, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The self-described “longest running Rock ‘n Roll bar in Indochina,” Sharky’s Bar has been entertaining Phnom Penh for the past 17 years. Which, let me tell you, is a great accomplishment in terms of having given a space for rock music to a country that had seen many of its best musicians exterminated by the Khmer Rouge’s genocidal fury.

Situated not too far from the riverside at Road 130 in the Kahn Daun Penh district, Sharky is a cosy, American-style bar with pool tables and plenty of beers on tap. Come for the fun “beer pong” every second Tuesday, and expect to find local and international bands playing their brands of bluesy, rocking or rolling fury on stage.

Sharky Bar

6) Bad Monkey Bar, Dali, Yunnan, China

Dali keeps transforming since I first visited, and Bad Monkey Bar is one of the better improvements to the city that I’ve seen. This club brews its own beers and sits in the main center of the Old Town, a perfect location to break your journeys to and from the mountain side and the lake. The setting of Dali itself is awe-inducing, and a night out here is a great way to top your stay with some doses of unhealthy international and Chinese rock, punk and more.

Bad Monkey Bar

By Marco Ferrarese

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marco Ferrarese has visited 50 countries and lived in Italy, the United States, China, Australia and Malaysia. He started vagabonding as a punk rock guitarist in Europe and North America, hitting the most famous and infamous stages across the two continents. In late 2007 he relocated to East Asia. He is currently a PhD candidate at Monash University, Kuala Lumpur, researching the anthropology of punk rock and heavy metal in Pacific Southeast Asia. He posts a weekly column at Rolf Pott’s Vagablogging and writes about hardcore Asian travel and extreme music in Asia at MonkeyRockWorld.com.

The post 6 Clubs To Rock To In East Asia appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Our small bus was approaching the center of Guilin, China, and we were headed for one of the local highlights called Fubo Hill. An emperor from the Tang Dynasty had erected a temple there to commemorate the life of one of his top military leaders, a general named Fubo. Mr. Li, our guide, assured us that the view was worth the difficult climb, and that we would be able to see the entire countryside surrounding Guilin from the top of the hill.

As we approached the park that had been built at the base of this sight, I readied myself for the onslaught of beggars and street peddlers that always surrounded us when we visited any of the local tourist spots. We had already learned how to say bu hao, to indicate that we were not interested in buying anything, and generally avoided eye contact with the beggars so that they would not pester us as we walked through their midst. Unfortunately, as I was soon to learn, Guilin was to be an entirely different experience.

Our group was small, only six people, and we seemed to be the only western tourist group in the park at that time of the morning. We were quickly surrounded by peddlers trying to sell us postcards or other souvenirs. I took my wife by the hand and tried to rush through the peddlers, but out of the corner of my eye I became aware that there were a large number of seriously crippled people just standing or sitting to the side of the path.

Still trying to avoid eye contact, I tried to look straight ahead but could not help to notice the extent of their deformities. There were people missing one or more arms or legs, and in some cases, both. Some others moved around on the ground on all four limbs because they could not straighten up, while many others had arms or legs that stuck out from their bodies at impossible angles that made movement extremely painful. What came to my mind were the carnival sideshows of the past that unfortunately used to be called “Freak Shows,” and exhibited people whose deformities were not much different from what I was seeing around me in this beautiful park.

Unlike the street peddlers who were aggressively pushing their wares, most of these people just sat by the side of the path. They simply looked at us and smiled while they put their hands out hoping for the generosity of strangers. I continued to try to look straight ahead, almost refusing to confront the horror of their lives. Every now and then I would hear a small voice say “Hello” in English, and look over to find some limbless man looking at me with that same smile on his face. My usual reaction was to quickly look away, and I realized that I was trying to make them invisible so that their presence in the park that morning would do nothing to ruin the mood of my lovely day of sightseeing in China.

The view from the top of Fubo Hill was well worth the effort of the climb, and as we moved on to the next local attraction I managed to put the beggars in the Guilin park out of my mind for the rest of the day. Later, as I was preparing for bed back at our five-star western hotel, they managed to creep back into my mind, and I found myself troubled by the way I had behaved during the whole experience.

We had been told by friends that we should carry a large number of American dollar bills with us as we traveled because they could frequently be used to negotiate better deals with local merchants. I realized then that I had a pocket full of small bills as I walked through the park, and that I could have easily given some of the beggars just one dollar that would have helped them through their day or bought a small treat for them. Instead, I had taken the easy way out and made them invisible, so that my conscience would allow me to walk past them and not react in any way.

I have always been a compassionate person, generous with charitable causes and greatly affected by the plight of people suffering through some natural or man-made disaster, but I had not reacted the way that I should have to the beggars of Guilin. As I looked at myself in the mirror of the hotel bathroom that night, I was certain that I saw that a part of me was missing. It was then that I realized that my Guilin experience had come full circle. As I had done to the people in the park that day, I had made that compassionate part of me invisible as well.

By Ralph Brady

[Fubo Hill by Noel Jones/Flickr]

About the Author

Ralph Brady is a retired executive from the transportation industry with more than 25 years of experience owning and operating a nationally know logistics consulting company. He is married with three children and six grandsons. While some might consider it fulfillment of a “bucket list,” Ralph has included skydiving, SCUBA diving, sports car racing, glider piloting and ballooning in his list of adventures. He holds a second-degree black belt in Okinawan karate and has completed more than 20 full marathon road races. His affiliation with The History Press in publishing his recent book has allowed him to realize another one of his life’s dreams.

The post My Encounter With The Invisible People Of Guilin appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

“Moments in China” by Ryan Emond is an unforgettable collection of moments Ryan experienced while recently traveling around China, including shots from Hong Kong, Beijing, Guilin, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Besides capturing some incredible sunsets, time-lapse cityscapes, and panoramas of the country’s most recognized sites, there is also a shot of a kite, which, in the scheme of things, is probably the coolest thing Man has very built, right?

You can check our more videos from Ryan by clicking here.

[Travel Video Group/Vimeo]

The post You’ve Never Seen China Like This Before [Travel Video] appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

There are many characteristics that the international traveler tends to have in common. They are typically adventuresome, adaptable, open-minded and independent. But there is one characteristic that you must have and continue to build as you travel, live and/or teach abroad: You must trust. Trust the people around you, trust the systems and structures man has built there, and you must trust yourself.

As a foreigner living, teaching and traveling in China, I can’t count the number of times when I’ve been faced with the option of submitting to panic and paranoia, or allowing myself to simply let go and have faith that the situation will be okay. And so far it always has been. When you trust, you will be rewarded with some incredible sights, experiences and revelations.

I come from America, the land of the free and the home of the lawsuit. Everything is clean to the point of being sterile, and nothing can be built if it is not up to safety standards. This can be a wonderful thing because it prevents unnecessary injuries and deaths. But on the flip side, things in China are often built with seemingly no standards at all, and as a result you get to go places and see things that would never be possible in many other countries.

In Huangshan (Yellow Mountain, Anhui province), paths are built into vertical sides of the mountain and are incredibly narrow, the steps are uneven and uncomfortably steep, the railings are too short and the drops are often sheer and lethal. But the views are beyond words or pictures, and the experience of seeing it in person is something you will never forget.

And that’s just one example. When walking on those paths, or visiting the highest observation deck in the world in Shanghai, or riding in cars, buses or trains on the various roads and bridges built around the country, you are putting your life in the hands of the men and women that built or operated these things.

Again, the rewards for your trust will be worth it. The adrenaline rush after surviving a crazy ride. The time you save from going on the fastest train in the world. The complete and utter sense of awe you get when standing on the longest bridge in the world, the longest wall in the world, the biggest damn in the world, or whatever marvel of mankind you happen to be visiting.

And perhaps the greatest reward for your trust is the simple ability to be able to look back and say, “I did that.” But aside from just trusting the things that are built by man, you must also trust the men and women who are living all around you as well.

There will be times when you need help. Maybe you’ll get lost. Maybe you’ll get sick or injured. Maybe you simply want to find something really good to eat. Whatever the reason, there will be times when you will look to the people around you for guidance. Some of them will turn away, but others will literally grab your arm and ride an hour out of their way on a bus with you to make sure you get off at the right stop.

Above all, you must trust yourself and trust your instincts. As a teacher, you may face some tricky situations. I was given nine classes on Saturdays and twelve on Sundays on top of my Monday, Wednesday and Friday classes. I thought it would drive me nuts; instead, it drove me to work harder. It taught me that pushing the limits is part of the learning process, and that it’s kind of interesting to see how far you can go or how much you can take.

Another odd example was one time when I was in charge of the “Fruit Salad” activity during one of the parties at school. Groups of 10 – 15 students would come to my classroom and we would all cut up the fruit and put it in a bowl, add some dressing and then enjoy. Though the end result was delicious and the kids’ reactions were delightful, I was admittedly terrified at the idea of having to supervise five different groups of small children brandishing sharp knives. But the kids trusted me, their parents (who were watching through a window) appeared to trust me, the Chinese teachers who thought up the idea trusted me. So I went with it, and eventually the evening finished with nobody getting so much as a scratch.

Starting out as a teacher I was weary and uncertain, but these types of experiences forced me to test my faith in myself, and it is such a rewarding feeling to really learn to trust in your own abilities, step up to the plate and really see what you are capable of.

Mother Theresa once said, “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish he wouldn’t trust me so much.” Whether you are traveling, teaching or just living abroad, there will be times when you feel overwhelmed, nervous and uncertain. Those are the times when Fate is challenging you to have a little faith.

A little trust in others, trust in the system, and a little trust in yourself can go a long way. A lot of trust can go a lot farther, and it will take you to some of the coolest places and give you some of the most incredible experiences in the world.

By Valerie Wishaar

About the Author

Valerie is pursuing a career in teaching, and her first step toward achieving that goal is teaching abroad in China. She began her journey in Cambodia teaching abroad with a  program called LanguageCorps, and is currently living and working in Huangshan, Anhui, China. She love traveling and writing, so she figured she may as well document this incredible experience to the best of her ability. For more of her writing check out her blog at ValsChina101.blogspot.com.

The post Have a Little Faith: Advice From A Teacher Abroad appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Travelers are especially fond of soaking up arcane facts about the world we live in, like which country has the most lakes (Finland), or what year the Coliseum was completed (80 A.D.), and then subsequently arguing over whether that statement is actually right or not (are we talking about freshwater lakes or just regular lakes, and what size of body of water constitutes a lake?).

But one “fact” that seems to be repeated over and over but which doesn’t seem to get much objection to is the old adage: The Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from space. Seems like a fun fact, given that the wall dates back to the 5th century B.C. What, we humans are so indept that we haven’t bothered to create anything as vast and important in that time period?

NASA decided to tackle the question by asking who else but an actual Chinese astronaut who could provide first-hand knowledge as to what you can and can’t see while being hurled around the Earth at 17,000 mph. Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei nearly sent his country into convulsions when he declared that he could not make out the wall from his view from outer space.

Thankfully, a short time later, Leroy Chiao, another Chinese astronaut, decided to give it a go while orbiting over Inner Mongolia after what had been a snowy day back on Terra Firma. Using a 180mm lens on his digital camera, Chiao snapped shots of the wall in all its glory. Turns out, given the Great Wall was built of Earthen materials, from space it tends to bleed into its surrounding environment. But when viewed on a sunny date following a snowfall, its distinct shape was able to stand out, and the Great Wall was indeed visible from space. Phew.

However, that’s actually not all you can see from space. Cue Debbie Downer Kamlesh P. Lulla, NASA’s chief scientist for Earth observation at Johnson Space Center, who — when he’s not lecturing Kindergartners about the unlikelihood that the country’s fiscal safety nets will be solvent by their retirement ages — notes that you can see plenty from space. Cities at night are clearly visible, as are “cities . . . during the day too, as [well as] major roadways and bridges, airports, dams and reservoirs.”

Most, like the Great Wall, are technically barely if not at all visible using solely the naked eye, but visible nevertheless.

By Matt Stabile

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt Stabile is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheExpeditioner.com. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos, purchase the book he co-edited or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com. (@TheExpeditioner)

The post Is The Great Wall Of China Really Visible From Space? appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

In case you were wondering, the most communist place on Earth is likely to be Nanjiecun, China, where locals have eschewed (I’ve been waiting to use that word!) the modern capitalistic tendencies of modern China in lieu of a city based on Mao’s teachings.

As is seen in the video above, forget about seeing advertisements, private shops or much sign of the construction boom gripping the rest of the country. Instead, expect monuments to Mao, Marx and Lenin, and a whole lot of community spirit. Unabashed, vocal, and yes, creepy, community spirit.

[Thanks to the New York Times for uploading this video to The Expeditioner’s Travel Video Group/Vimeo]

The post Visiting Nanjiecun, The Most Communist Place On Earth [Video] appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

According to the most recent statistics from the World Tourism Organization, the top 10 most visited countries in the world was unchanged in order from 2008, with France leading the way, welcoming 74.2 million international travelers in 2009, a decrease of 6.3% from the previous year.

As can be seen in the graphic above, the United States came in second with 54.9 million visitors, followed by Spain (52.2 million), China (50.9 million) and Italy (43.2 million). Rounding out the top ten were the U.K., Turkey, Germany, Malaysia and Mexico.

Interestingly, though coming in as second, the U.S. is first in amount of money spent by visitors, with Australia and Austria breaking into the top ten using this metric. I’m going to go out on a limb here and theorize that the Disney parks’ snack bars are wholly responsible for this anomaly.

[2010 World Tourism Organization Facts & Figures (PDF)]

By Matt Stabile

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt Stabile is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner. The Expeditioner began in 2008 and is headquartered in New York City. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos or contact him at any time at TheExpeditioner.com. (@TheExpeditioner)

The post The Top 10 Most Visited Countries In The World [Infographic] appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

On February 3^rd, the Tiger stepped aside to make way for the Year of the Rabbit. When he did, something surprising happened. People seemed to actually care about it. I can´t recall another Chinese New Year really capturing everyone´s attention quite like The Rabbit has. I could not log onto my Twitter account without constant Rabbit references.

In conversations people talked about rabbits. Bugs Bunny was mentioned. Even the intrepid Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner was not immune to the pull of the Rabbit when he wrote this in an email, “Great page view count this month. 2011 is indeed the year of the Rabbit!” To which I could not help but reply, “Silly Matt, page hits are for kids.”

As we enter the first stages of The Year of the Rabbit, I remember my own year of the rabbit. If you´ll allow my ADHD run wild for two paragraphs, I´ll explain.

When I was a little boy of eight years old, two rabbits entered my life. One hopped, the other crawled. One was named Hopper, the other Crawler. Hopper was a pet store pedigree rabbit kept in a cage made from a squirrel trap. Hopper lived alone in his cage until the day we found the wild rabbit. We found Crawler crawling in a field. He was crawling because his hind legs, and possibly his back, had been broken. Likely, he had been in a car accident. We took Crawler home to live with Hopper.

I first imagined that Hopper would welcome her crippled kin and willingly share her pellets. Instead, hopper looked at crawler as a suburban house wife might look at a crack whore — she ignored Crawler with utter disdain. No one in my family knows what happened that night. But the next morning Crawler was dead and Hopper innocently drank from her water bottle. She looked naively blameless as only a murderous bunny can. That morning my brothers and I learned an important lesson about rabbits and life: just because they both have floppy ears, doesn´t mean they´ll like each other.

But returning to the Chinese New Year. For me all this buzz about rabbits, and by association, China, comes at an opportune time. It comes as I am toying with the idea of making a trip to China. To fertilize the idea, I´m reading J. Maarten Troost´s Lost On Planet China.

Troost is most known for his travel book The Sex Lives of Cannibals, but he does a good job with China, providing historical contexts for his frequent humorous observations. Like a good traveler should, he approached China with the awe the most populous country on the planet deserves. Napoleon once remarked that, “Let China sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world.” And in the Year of the Rabbit, the world is shaking and China waiting for travelers to breach its walls and catch a glimpse of the other world that the Middle Kingdom represents.

Troost´s book, the excitement of the new year, my own childhood memories of rabbits; all this made me excited about China. Riding this wave, I searched for my own Chinese Zodiac sign. I waited for my third-world internet service to yield results. Would I be a Tiger? Did I dare dream as lofty as Dragon? I could settle for Snake, and a part of me hoped for Monkey.

It turns out I am an Ox. An Ox. I am a stupid, stupid Ox. According the description of Ox, I am sedulous (which is a nice way of saying I´m slow), simple and straightforward. I am obstinate and a poor communicator. That bodes well for a writer. Also, apparently Oxes who are “Leaders in their career may not discover their abilities.” So basically I might be awesome at things that I´ll never discover. As far as anyone knows I might be an amazing snow blower repair man (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I could be the world´s best snow blower repairman, but I will never discover this ability because I am a stupid Ox.

If all this was poorly communicated, remember that I am after all, only an Ox. But this Ox is still going to plan a trip to China. If only to have a word with whoever is in charge of assigning animals. It´s a long shot, but I want my animal changed.

So as we start to get comfortable with The Year of the Rabbit, I am just where a good traveler likes to be — planning a trip. Asia is on my radar simply because I have not been there. So I´m reading up on it to discover it before I go. But like an open itinerary, things could still change. Some other corner of the world could call, some friend could lure me to her corner of the globe (her because, well, nevermind), or some other place could suddenly stand out on the world map comforter I wrap myself in every night. It´s a big comforter. Oxes are huge.

By Luke Armstrong

About the Author

Luke Maguire Armstrong lives in Guatemala directing the humanitarian aid organization, Nuestros Ahijados. His book of poetry, iPoems for the Dolphins to Click Home About (available for sale on Amazon.com) is especially enjoyed by people who “don’t read poetry.” (@lukespartacus)

The post It´s the Year of the Rabbit, You Stupid Ox! (Time To Travel To China) appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

By Kyle Long of UnTourShanghai.com

Although it’s certainly accessible these days, the Chinese once thought of the city of Sanya as the far reaches of the Middle Kingdom’s empire, and thus the end of the earth. Located on Hainan Island directly south of the mainland — putting it just a short flight from Hong Kong, Macau, or Guangzhou — Sanya itself occupies the southernmost tip of the lush, tropical island. The giant, three-story-tall pineapple trees that greet you at the airport are a sure tip-off that there is plenty of fresh, cheap tropical fruit to be had during your stay here.

And like a metaphor for the rest of mainland China, Hainan Island is quickly becoming a place for the haves (think enough disposable income for a beachfront villa and butler service) as well as the have-not-so much (think hostels with shared facilities and street food). Thankfully, these two groups seems to coexist in such a harmonious balance in Sanya that the Chinese government might proudly proclaim this fact with a slogan on a roadside billboard accompanied by a few happy, smiling citizens’ faces.

As Sanya heats up as a travel destination for urban Chinese looking for a quick, peaceful escape, just about everyone is taking note. Backpackers might be dismayed to find the less-touched beaches of Yalong Bay, just a half-hour drive outside of the main city, developed into a string of five-star resorts, but the sand itself remains largely open to the general public willing to make the extra effort to escape the crowds of bathers on the main city beaches of Dadonghai.

Transforming from a sleepy fishing island to tourist hub is bound to annoy the purists of the traveler set who like to think themselves modern-day Magellans, reveling at the possibility of discovering untouched beaches. While those days are mostly gone, an influx of visitors has meant new possibilities for those who do come. There was even a large, well-populated section of the main beach dedicated to nude bathing on my visit, something relatively risqué and controversial for such a buttoned-up culture. These folks are clearly dedicated to their tanning regimen, their hides more closely resembling roasted ducks hanging in a Chinatown café than the snowy tundra hues of the hordes of Russian tourists and families bathing just a few hundred meters down the way.

Now in its third year, the Surfing Hainan Open is helping foster a growing community of surfers on the islands. Several companies are now offering affordable excursions and lessons to prime surfing beaches tucked just an hour outside of downtown — the very same beach where about 40 competitors battled it out this year in an attempt to promote their careers and China as another possibility in surfers’ minds as a relatively untouched surfing haven.

Inspired to test out Sanya’s waters I hopped in a bus out to Riyue Bay, arranged through Surfing Hainan. Instructors Julietta and Steven gave a quick friendly intro into the basics of riding the waves in the morning. Looking out into the huge bay, we could barely spot a few other surfers far off in the distance, to which Steven commented that it was “actually kind of crowded today.”

After helping us catch a few waves in the morning, the group indulged in a seafood feast for lunch, cooked up alongside a makeshift beachside surf shop right on the beach. We were free to try and ride the waves the rest of the afternoons ourselves, as the guides went off to ride the bigger waves in the distance, something the more independent travelers are sure to appreciate.

For the slightly more intrepid surfer, there are plenty of options for staying directly in Riyue Bay in order to avoid the hour commute back into the city. The solitary restaurant/surf rental shop can cover just about any surfing purist’s needs — food, beer, and gear.

The independent, have-not-so-much set may also find themselves interested in the bustling, if not outright chaotic Chunyuan (Spring Garden) Seafood market, a true local favorite. Instead of picking any old restaurant and ordering off a menu of fresh seafood delicacies — which abound in Sanya — you can go straight to the back of this expansive bazaar where about 30 vendors sell every type of locally caught sea creature imaginable, still swimming, and ripe for the picking. Prices can be seen on a scrolling ticker board overhead, but everything is listed in Chinese, so it’s probably best to sneak peaks at what others are paying, and try your hand at bargaining.

Round out your meal with some fresh veggies from a neighboring stall, and then simply take your haul (it’s probably still flopping around in your plastic bag) to whichever of the 50 or so cooking stalls strikes your fancy. All the chefs are roughly the same however, and options basically range from wok-fried or hot pot style. We chose wok fried and were happy with all of our choices, which trickled out slowly one-by-one at a leisurely pace.

Although the fish is fresh, the entertainment could hardly be described as such. Large groups of Chinese diners pack the market downing beers and shots all the while paying roving karaoke-style singers with portable speakers. Locals tend to pick love songs that rise more than a few octaves above conversational tones, so you probably won’t want to linger over your meal and chat.

Meanwhile, just a short cab ride over a small set of rolling green hills, Yalong Bay attracts the haves visitors to an array of five-star resorts and beautiful white sandy beaches. As if to make the distinction even clearer between the city beaches and the resort areas, the Ritz Carlton employs waiters riding Segways in order to achieve the fastest food and beverage service on the beach to its guests. We watched servers bring a tray of martinis on one hand, through sandtraps and down slopes on two wheels, and it was rather impressive – both in their ability to keep alcohol in the glass and the indulgence of the concept.

Between the beachside cabanas, swim-up bars and infinity pools, we couldn’t have been happier indulging and staying our last two nights here. Although we didn’t take advantage of the romanceologist services on offer from the resort, rest assured, staff is on hand to assist with any type of proposal, romantic dinner, or ceremony for men who may be lacking in the creativity department.

Even if you’re not staying in any of the more expensive resorts, it’s worth the short trip out to the bay to enjoy the less crowded white sands, and rolling waves that are perfect for an afternoon of peaceful, leisurely style bobbing, beachside dining, and marine recreation rentals — even if you don’t get your margarita from a white-gloved Segway waiter or your engagement ring placed in a clamshell 50 feet below Sanya’s beautiful blue water.

About the Author

Kyle Long is the Chief Running Officer of UnTourShanghai.com, an urban adventure tourism company specializing in jogging sightseeing excursions and custom culinary and food experiences in Shanghai, China.

[Lone Surfer by Grace; Additional photo courtesy of Surfing Hainan]

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It’s true, as I found out a few weeks ago, the famed Star Ferry, servicing cross-harbor trips in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor since 1880, costs under $1 and offers one of the most spectacular views in the world (if multi-colored, mind-boggingly tall skyscrapers set against the backdrop of a verdant, steep mountainside is your idea of picturesque that is).

As the Toronto Star points out, “the ferry has been named one of the 50 Places of a Lifetime by National Geographic Traveler and last year was ranked first in the world’s top 10 most exciting ferry rides, according to a poll by the Society of American Travel Writers.” Not to knock that last poll, but something tells me there’s not a lot of steep competition for the most exciting ferry rides in the world. Ferry rides of the world: prove me wrong. Prove me wrong.

[Hong Kong by Night by Matt Stabile/Flickr]

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By Nancy Lewis

We all have different personalities in different situations. Or rather, we show different parts of our personalities to different people. I find that I am organized and punctual at work, but easy-going and relaxed with my friends. I’m friendly and outgoing at parties, but introspective when I’m alone.

I’ve even noticed that the language I’m speaking changes my personality a little. I’m outspoken and direct when I’m speaking English, whereas I tend to be more indirect and nonchalant when I’m speaking Spanish. In Chinese, I’m much more tentative, probably due to my limited ability in the language. All of these qualities are part of my personality, each becoming more dominant depending on the circumstances.

When I was living in Phoenix, Arizona, where I call home, I was always organizing parties and get-togethers, inviting friends to go out. I headed social organizations in town and even started a Spanish school, which brought like-minded people together in a social atmosphere. There were movie outings, weekend hikes, coffee socials, language exchanges, and potluck dinners galore. My social-o-meter was turned way up.

So when I first embarked on the adventure of being a traveler, I expected to bring that social personality with me. I expected to meet scores of other travelers and share tales with them over glasses of the local swill. I expected to make lots of local friends who would teach me about their language and culture while I taught them about mine. I had hopes of expanding my social circle to the world, embracing everyone that came within reach.

However, after living as a foreigner for over a year now, I’ve discovered that my traveler personality is unexpectedly introverted. That’s not to say that I’m antisocial. I still go out with friends and attend social events where I might meet other travelers. At least once a week, I eat lunch at a noodle shop near my apartment where I happily chat with the owners in my rudimentary Chinese. And I welcome the approach of strangers on the street who want to practice their English with me.

But I find that the volume on my social-o-meter is exceptionally lower. Instead, I enjoy being an observer, sitting and watching people as they go about their daily lives. Although I can experience a lot by engaging with others, when I sit quietly and observe, I perhaps see a truer version of life.

Living in Shanghai is like living in any big city: we have Starbucks & McDonalds, Wal-Mart & IKEA, reliable public transportation and lots of English-friendly restaurants and bars around town. In fact, regrettably, it’s so easy to be a foreigner in Shanghai that sometimes I forget that I live in China.

With all this city life going on around me, I still come in contact with the authentic Chinese way of life daily. I don’t have to go looking for it down some narrow alleyway in the maze of old Shanghai. All I have to do is pay attention. If I just sit and observe life in Shanghai, some pretty amazing things happen.

In spite of the high-speed pace of city life, I see chivalrous Shanghainese men carrying purses for their girlfriends, their arms lovingly wrapped around the ladies’ shoulders. I notice people politely standing to give their coveted subway seat to an older person. And I meet countless people who happily go out of their way to help me navigate this baffling city.

Although most people here are used to seeing foreigners walking around, children are routinely surprised to see me. The younger ones stare at me as I pass them on the street. The older ones are clumsily discrete as they point me out to their mothers in the elevator. Some of the bolder kids come over to take a closer look, wide-eyed at my green eyes and light brown hair. I have even caught some adults giving me a second glance, then quickly trying to hide their interest. I just smile and wave at them, greeting them with a friendly “Ni hao”.

In the mornings I see older people practicing tai chi in the parks. In the evenings, I walk by the same park and see business men and women exercising after work, jogging around the pond or using the exercise machines there. I pass through the scene, a witness to how similar we all are.

As I walk down the street, I am engulfed by a swarm of smells, pleasant aromas of bread baking or soups boiling, mixed in with the stench of old grease and stinky tofu. Inside my apartment building, I stumble into another waft of spices coming from the other apartments on my floor, authentic meals being prepared.

One afternoon, I was sitting at a popular coffee shop, tapping away at my laptop when I decided to take a break to see what was going on outside. As I looked up, I noticed a man and his daughter in the square in front of the coffee shop where I was sitting. He was proudly teaching her to roller skate, she wobbly with hesitation, he stoic and confident for her. She made it a few feet on her own before she reached for him again. Success.

Another day, I stopped for lunch at a small noodle shop. Since it was after the lunch rush, there were only a few people scattered at tables around the shop eating their noodles or patiently waiting for their order to arrive. The shop was quiet except for the gentle schwop of noodles being sucked up as people ate. I soon added my own schwop to the tune, making music in the silence.

At night, I often hear the clack-a-clack of a popular dice game played at the bars mixed in with the rhythms of the music playing on the sound system and the excited chattering of the Chinese patrons who have come to relax with friends. Sometimes I try to bridge the gap by offering a stilted sentence in Chinese to the next table. I always get an appreciative smile in return.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nancy Lewis is a freelance writer and traveler, currently living in Shanghai, China. You can read more about her adventures on her blog Wandering Solo.

[“Going Up” by Adam Chang/Flickr; “Noodle Shop” by Jasmine Park/Flickr; “Shanghai Food Market” by Abby’s Mom/Flickr]

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The only problem with mass public transit is the immediacy of arrival. Although I find trains romantic, planes quick and comfortable, buses affordable, you do see a lot more when you travel by car.

Such was Jon Faine’s experience on his road trip. He and his son, Jack, made a six-month-long journey from Melbourne to London, allowing them to encounter unique experiences on the roads less traveled. In an edited excerpt from his upcoming book in the The Sydney Morning Herald, he explains an up-close look at the difficulties in China. One of them was just getting in:

I tell Jack to sit up in his seat, to turn off the music, to take his feet off the dashboard and put his shoes on. I am nervous and half expecting to be told to go away. Several travellers have warned us about Chinese border checks, seizure of guidebooks and laptops, satellite phones being confiscated and eternal searches for contraband or politically sensitive materials. I am prepared for an argument, determined not to lose any of our gear.

A foreigner driving through Chinese borders is not common practice and usually discouraged by most travel guides. Still, Faine found a way in via a tip by a local guide: China caters to groups from Europe traveling east to west. Faine threw them for a loophole: “I cheekily suggested that we could be a group if that was required – a group of one. The reply came through that my joke satisfied the bureaucrats.”

If he did not do that, he and his son would not have had the experience of driving through jungle brush, twisting through traffic blockades, and feasting like kings in the land of emperors. They would not have met a little girl, eyes wide and blind. The mother said that she adopted the little girl because she had been abandoned. The mother began to cry and explain that the girl was losing her sight and will permanently lose it because they cannot afford to fix it.

After doing what they could, Jon and Jack guiltily drove away, tears streaming. They were “the luckiest of the luckiest” but that didn’t help her.

I don’t think they should feel guilty. I feel lucky to heave read this and know that people’s hearts are still affected. Perhaps he would not have been so affected if he took the plane.

By Brit Weaver

About the Author

Toronto born and based, Brit is an avid leisure cyclist, coffee drinker and under-a-tree park-ist. She often finds herself meandering foreign cities looking for street eats to nibble, trees to climb, a patch of grass to sit on, or a small bookstore to sift through. You can find her musing life on her personal blog, TheBubblesAreDead.wordpress.com.

The post The People You See When You Drive appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

I remember years ago, sitting in class with one of my best buds, making lists of places we wanted to go. For me, my list consisted of places that I thought would push my comfort level. For him, his list was about seeing the world’s best skylines. At the top of that list (no surprise) was Hong Kong.

My friend explained how the aesthetic was so intriguing: mountains as a backdrop, the background, to sky-scrapers and fluorescent billboards, a Bladerunner fan’s dream.

Nevertheless, despite its futuristic foreground, a recent article by Steve McKenna in The Sydney Morning Herald lists green space, or breathing space, that travelers can find within the city’s limits.

McKenna escaped the hustle of chaos and found everything from harmonic birdsongs to waterfalls to Tai Chi practitioners to malls atop a 552-meter high peak. The highlight may be finding out that more than three-quarters of Hong Kong is green space, most of the modern buildings going up instead of out.

Looks like no matter where you are, even one of the most visually stimulating cities in the world, you can find a place to find peace. You can crawl up to Victoria Peak to stop, breathe and take it all in.

By Brit Weaver

About the Author

Toronto born and based, Brit is an avid leisure cyclist, coffee drinker and under-a-tree park-ist. She often finds herself meandering foreign cities looking for street eats to nibble, trees to climb, a patch of grass to sit on, or a small bookstore to sift through. You can find her musing life on her personal blog, TheBubblesAreDead.wordpress.com.

The post Escaping Hong Kong Within The City appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

What do you do in Beijing in the dead of the winter when the temperature dips to minus 2°C and the smog, coupled with the cold, makes any sane person want to flee the city? Head to the warm beaches to the south? Hole up in your apartment until April comes? How about strapping on your hiking shoes and making the trip to the Great Wall for one of the world’s most unforgettable hikes?

The FT did just that this week, taking in a hike with the group Beijing Hikers. “We are to attempt the High Tower, having our lunch atop a Ming dynasty watchtower on a remote section of the Great Wall in Yanqing County, about two hours outside Beijing. The entire walk is 14km and will take us along the 400-year-old ribbon of wall that once made up the defences north-west of Beijing.”

If you’re around Beijing at any time, the group has hikes heading out nearly every other day. Click here for upcoming treks.

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For so long, I couldn’t put my finger on the reason I was attracted to Asia, China in particular, until I read The Financial Times‘ article about Lushan. Things in that part of the world are given names that simply no longer exist anymore, like the Cave of Immortals. Perhaps, places don’t exist anymore that deserve names of such stature.

I can just picture some old-timer cowboy here in Montana giving me directions that sound something like, “Now just head past the Cave of Immortals and swing a left onto Infinite Tranquility Boulevard. Then, you want to go over Inner Harmony Hill and take the right fork onto Enlightened Serenity Road. It should be on your left, you can’t miss it.” Yeah, right.

Lushon is a mist-shrouded, magical mountain range that has been visited by poets, painters, and Chinese rulers for eons. The village on the summit of Lushan, now called Guling,  has been the inspiration and backdrop for people like Nobel Prize-winning American writer Pearl Buck, the English novelist Mervyn Peake, even Mao himself. For good reason, too.

The real attraction, when the mist decides to part, is the glorious surroundings that brought those remarkable people to this one location. I’m sure there are only a handful of places in the world that can evoke the kind of mystical inspiration Lushon seems to.

When I complained to my Chinese companion about the fog, he recited a verse written by Su Shi almost 1,000 years ago: “Lushan’s true face I cannot see, Because I am inside its mists.”

A name like Cave of Immortals doesn’t sound too far off, now, does it?

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Sorry, we’re not breaking a travel secret no one has heard of yet. A high-speed rail system from Beijing to London doesn’t exist yet, but according to the Telegraph, China is currently in negotiations to build a rail network to India and Europe, using trains capable of going 200 mph, hopefully in ten years time.

The plans seems to be laid out in three stages. First, the driving force behind this project will be built: a line from London to Beijing and then to Singapore, with connections to Pakistan and India along the way. The second stage would have trains going south to Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Malaysia. Lastly, a third line will head north through Russia to Germany and into the European railway system.

Other than the typical obstacles with a project like this, such as a standard track dimension, terrain, and visa restrictions (to name just a few), money seems to be the largest.

When I first saw this headline, I was giddy at the possible opening up of so much of Asia. Imagine . . . London to Singapore, a distance of 6,750 miles, in three days. I say we all start passing around a hat. I can offer the $5 in my pocket right now.

The post London To Beijing By Train . . . In Two Days!? appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

In true Bourdain-philosophy, to eat the street food of a people is to truly learn the culture. And perhaps nowhere is this more true than East Asia, as GoNomad.com explores in this culinary trek through Shanghai’s back streets. From the Nanxiang steamed bun (a large dumpling filled with soup) to Sichuan hot pots (a salad bar pick-what-you-want soup),the city’s teeming with cheap and good eats.

And what’s a visit to an Asian street market without trying something, let’s say, exotic, like Donghuamen Night Market’s offerings of “bamboo skewers of silkworms, scorpions, seahorse, snake and starfish.” Mmm, I have to go, time for lunch.

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This amazing trip to the palaces and temples of Wudang Mountain — the birthplaces of the Wudang school of Kung Fu — takes you into the heart of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Be forewarned, the video goes a little martial-arts-training-video on us toward the end.

Highlight: The views at 2:12 are enough to get you to hop on a plane to China today.

The post Video: China’s Wudang Mountain — Becuase You Always Wanted To See The Birthplace Of Kung Fu appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Our first month of venturing into the world of travel photography is off to a great start, and choosing a winner amongst all the excellent submissions, as Matt put it, “is harder than I thought.”

This month’s winner comes from Jonny Gilbert, titled “Sunset at the Drum Tower.” What do we think? We dug the soft tones, subtle storylines, and the birds contrasting with the stillness of the dusk. “The birds are just so . . . yea . . . I definitely like Sunset at the Drum Tower.” Well said Luke, we all agree.

Here’s what photographer Jonny Gilbert has to say about his shot:

After a week in Tibet, we did a circuit of Chengdu, Xi’an, and, finally, Beijing, China. The photo was taken on top of the Beijing Gulou (Drum Tower) close to the end of our first day there. The birds were flying circles over the old Hutong District called, Dongcheng, just North of the Forbidden City. Gulou and the nearby Zhonglou (Bell Tower) were not a considered a “main” tourist attraction, and we only really went because we were close by, but it turned out to be a worthy trip. We had an impressive view of the Hutong and we also got to see a traditional drum performance in the Drum Tower.

To see more of Jonny’s work, head over to his flickr Page. Many thanks Jonny, we look forward to seeing more of your collection.

Just to remind you, this January TheExpeditioner started a flickr group allowing our readers to share their best travel photographs and a chance to have them considered for our monthly contest (are you a flickr member? Join us here!). Each month, we will be choosing our favorite photo to feature with the photographer’s thoughts behind the shot.

So head over to the group page, join us and submit your pics! If for no other reason, we’d like to see Luke fumble around with more reasons for choosing his favorite.

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Stonehenge: A “national disgrace.” Did I miss something?

I’ve never thought of the remarkable prehistoric wonder as such, but a committee involved with the globally-known monument recently described it that way (as well as the Guardian and the Telegraph). The reason is that the million or so people who travel there each year are now forced to pay a fee and walk from their spot to a remote viewing platform near the noisy junction of two highways. Throwing elbows to catch a glimpse of the the circle doesn’t really appeal to me, either.

There are seven other destinations highlighted by Wanderlust that are threatened by too many people, bad planning, and poor security. The kicker? This is their second list. Are we beginning to lose too many places?

Picture this. Tulum, Mexico. The 1970’s peaceful Mayan fishing villages versus the “Girls Gone Wild”-Cancun ridiculousness. Nuff said.

The desert outside of Wadi Rum, Jordan, is being pummeled by the hodgepodge of tours seemingly playing by their own sets of rules. Yangsao, now a fixture on the Chinese tour group itineraries, is being run over by the over 3 million people visiting a year. Although biking is still a way to find some quiet, locals have sold out to entrepreneurs selling hordes of trinkets, and much of the cities charm in the meantime.

Despite surviving wars and earthquakes, Machu Pichu wasn’t designed to handle 2,500 people a day. The damage has led to its listing on the World Monument Fund’s endangered 2010 Watch list. Timbuktu is nearly off limits due to security concerns. The increased water usage at the golden fort in Jaisalmer, India, is literally dissolving the city’s sandstone foundations. Rough Guides describes the Bay of Fires in Tasmania, Australia, as a, “free for all.” Need I continue?

There is a silver lining, though. (Come on, I couldn’t leave you with too negative of a post.) The other side of the coin, destinations on the up-and-up, are on the rise. So, until the others get straightened out a bit, I would recommend the following.

With increasing economic and political stability, and paired with incredible safaris that have weathered the hard times, Zimbabwe is back. Northeast Thailand is still the biggest bang for your buck, and you can take full advantage of the 15% drop in visitors the region has recently experienced. Lastly, Madagascar’s increasing eco-tours are providing money for the locals as well as informally policing the wilds.

There’s still hope.

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