Asia

Our next stop in China is the city of Shanghai. A rather famous landmark, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, is a must see! Visitors can climb to the top for outstanding views of city, as the tower peaks over Shanghai’s skyline. Next, tourists can experience the ancient Yu Yuan Gardens. Built over 400 years ago during the Ming Dynasty, these Gardens are sure to delight.

In the mood to shop? Catch the metro to Nan Jing Road. Here, visitors will find over 600 shops to choose from! Finally, be sure to see Old Shanghai City and The Bund. Visitors will enjoy a stroll along The Bund, a famous waterfront attraction. Located along the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek, the Bund offers spectacular views, especially on its west side, in which over 52 buildings bring character to the city with a variety of architectural styles!

RealTravelers Kyle & Dan share their experience:

“Old Shanghai was a really a Disneyfied version of historical China and was a rather touristy area, but was probably one of the few places in the metropolis that actually looks Chinese. There was a large bazaar with many shops and stalls selling really high quality souvenirs, antiques and tasty snacks. The architecture was really amazing, with several buildings appearing just as we imagined them to look like in China; it’s just a shame that more of the older buildings haven’t been preserved.

There wasn’t enough time to walk through Yuyuan Gardens on the afternoon that we visited Old Shanghai, so we returned on our final day in the city to walk through them. Our next stop after Old Shanghai was the famous old street in Shanghai that has been known as the “Paris of the East” - The Bund. 52 tall, magnificent buildings with different architectural styles line the main street in The Bund on one side, and a pedestrian walkway along the Huangpu River lines the other. The buildings are spectacular by day and even more of an eyeful at night when they are all lit up (before the off switch is pulled after 10:00pm of course)” (more…)

Plan your trip today!

Shanghai Attractions
Shanghai Hotels

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This week we will explore the country of China and all that it has to offer! Host of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Beijing is the first city we will travel to!

With so much to do and see, get ready for the trip of a lifetime. Visit the Forbidden City, also know as the Palace Museum, which became a World Heritage Site in 1987. Home to the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasty, this popular tourist attraction is loaded with history dating back to the year 1420. Of course, a trip to China would not be complete without a visit to the Great Wall. Hop on a tour bus and visit the Badaling Section of the Wall. Located just outside of Beijing, this is the closest section of the Wall. However, if you wish to escape the crowds, feel free to visit more distant sections of the Wall that are open to the public. Next, be sure to see the Terracotta Warriors, just an overnight train ride from of Beijing. Buried with the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, these Terracotta Warriors are unlike anything you’ve ever laid eyes on! But don’t take our word for it, see for yourself!

RealTravelers Ian and Magda share their trip:

“In the afternoon we enjoyed the amazing weather (it had rained mysteriously heavily the entire day and night before) by renting bikes and rolling with ease through ancient hutongs (the famous ‘narrow alley’ neighborhoods in Beijing) and around landmark towers, past sparkling lakes and bustling lakefront markets. We cruised through crowded backstreets and on the wide open bike lanes of Beijing’s main streets. We rode by the moats of the Forbidden City and under the overhanging branches of the surrounding tree lined streets…

We continued our ride around the new, amazing National Theater building. We circled it and admired its egglike profile. It looks like a huge button, or a shiny smooth humbao. Then we made our way back towards Tienmen square and once again rode slowly and with confidence in an even larger bikelane, designed to hold thousands of cyclists at once. We passed the two biggest sights in modern day communism, Tienmen Square and Mao’s huge portrait. They seemed jovial and fun from the back of a bike made for cruising. Mao seemed to be grinning his approval at us as we passed.

We rode back through the narrow lanes of more hutongs, admiring the familial energy eminating from open doorways and smells of cooking dinner sizzling through dark, noisy little windows. The setting sun cast the grey allys with golden light. The trees above were filled with birdsong and rustling breeze. We realized, somewhere on the ride back, that we might actually come to love Beijing” (more…)

To plan your trip, visit:

Beijing Attractions
Beijing Hotels

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