Chiang Mai, Thailand : This isn't a place that necessarily springs immediately to mind for Thailand but I loved every minute I spent here, from the moment we hopped off an overnight bus and spent the early hours loitering in a courtyard. Still quite small yet attracting enough tourists to supply plenty of amusements and a variety at that, whilst remaining sufficiently Thai. It's almost a shame that some of the local tribes have had to turn to allowing tourists into their villages, practically living in a museum. Not that it wasn't interested in visiting, though I did feel like I was looking at a goldfish in a bowl.
Just outside of the town (I'm reluctant to call it a city) you can be whisked away before a jungley backdrop and get lost in a tame wilderness. You can stay within the walls and immerse yourself in culture, visiting the temples where it's more than likely monks will be going about their daily routines.
Yangshuo, China : This is a serious tourist destination. However, since it is not a city, and there are plenty of businesses competing with each other it remains incredibly cheap. The main street is overcrowded and excessively touristy, with stalls and shops and bartering and trying to garner attention as only the Chinese can. Edging away from the main street and it automatically calms down. We hired bikes and just picked a road and off we went. Both from the road and from the river, upon which there are many available cruises, the views are spectacular. There are no other words. It's the perfect place to admire beautiful scenery and get your claws into something active be it biking, canoeing , walking, hiking or rock climbing. If not, you can do the same without breaking a sweat opting for one of the aforementioned cruises down the river or an organised tour. Either way, this is one place not to be missed.
New York, USA : This is a place I have always wanted to visit so I jumped at the chance. I would go back in a heartbeat. It is an amazing city. Coming over the toll bridge and seeing the sun rise behind the cityscape was enough : it was love at first sight. It might be a city that never sleeps but it certainly has a nap time. Wandering the nearly empty streets in the morning, before everyone's had that first cup of coffee, was a pure delight, even if I did have to carry my backpack. There was no jostling or waiting for a good spot to get a photo in front of an iconic landmark. Once the city has caffeine in its system and things kickstart, it still doesn't disappoint. I was surprised at how large the oasis of Central Park actually is. If it wasn't for rumbling tummies, we certainly would have spent far more time ambling around, getting lost and finding little treasures in unexpected places.
The whole city seems to work like that. It might be impossible to get lost (ok so you might not know where you're going) but you can still accidentally stumble across some hidden gems. Maybe even not so hidden, but I hadn't known they were there previously, so they were my hidden gems. I feel like I barely scratched the surface of a magnificent urban jungle.
Strasbourg, France: If anything was going to make me think highly of this town, nothing was going to do it better than the Christmas decorations, the marchés de Noel oh and a bit of tarte flambée. Generally I think towns overdo the Christmas decor, giant Santas, hugh neon lights depicting snowmen etc and sometimes even tinsel. That's not my style. Strasbourg definitely knows how to do it. Wandering around a Christmas market that can't decide if it's German or French in origin, but therefore offers the best of both, with a cup of vin chaud (red or white) is blissful. Snuggling into a warm scarf and seeing a nativity with live animals as the tempting smell of fresh crèpes makes your mouth water (cinnamon and sugar is by far the best option), well what can compare? For me, it was like a Christmas wonderland with the ultimate style.
Edinburgh, Scotland: If I had my way, I'd spend a lot more time in the Scottish capital. I still love this city, despite never having spent that much time there. It's tradition to watch Hogmanay, any city hosting that has to be cool. I've also seen and heard great things about Beltane. Maybe one day I'll get to experience these festivities. It's not hard to know that Edinburgh is a beautiful place, jam packed with quirky little stories and there's a proper castle. The best way to find out about the history is through a ghost tour. Our guides were in fancy dress and kept everybody laughing. They have an awful lot to do with why I enjoyed visiting so much, after all, throwing plastic rats at my sister and announcing "You need to scream louder so I'm going to screw you harder" make for unforgettably hilarious moments.
Just outside of the town (I'm reluctant to call it a city) you can be whisked away before a jungley backdrop and get lost in a tame wilderness. You can stay within the walls and immerse yourself in culture, visiting the temples where it's more than likely monks will be going about their daily routines.
Yangshuo, China : This is a serious tourist destination. However, since it is not a city, and there are plenty of businesses competing with each other it remains incredibly cheap. The main street is overcrowded and excessively touristy, with stalls and shops and bartering and trying to garner attention as only the Chinese can. Edging away from the main street and it automatically calms down. We hired bikes and just picked a road and off we went. Both from the road and from the river, upon which there are many available cruises, the views are spectacular. There are no other words. It's the perfect place to admire beautiful scenery and get your claws into something active be it biking, canoeing , walking, hiking or rock climbing. If not, you can do the same without breaking a sweat opting for one of the aforementioned cruises down the river or an organised tour. Either way, this is one place not to be missed.
New York, USA : This is a place I have always wanted to visit so I jumped at the chance. I would go back in a heartbeat. It is an amazing city. Coming over the toll bridge and seeing the sun rise behind the cityscape was enough : it was love at first sight. It might be a city that never sleeps but it certainly has a nap time. Wandering the nearly empty streets in the morning, before everyone's had that first cup of coffee, was a pure delight, even if I did have to carry my backpack. There was no jostling or waiting for a good spot to get a photo in front of an iconic landmark. Once the city has caffeine in its system and things kickstart, it still doesn't disappoint. I was surprised at how large the oasis of Central Park actually is. If it wasn't for rumbling tummies, we certainly would have spent far more time ambling around, getting lost and finding little treasures in unexpected places.
The whole city seems to work like that. It might be impossible to get lost (ok so you might not know where you're going) but you can still accidentally stumble across some hidden gems. Maybe even not so hidden, but I hadn't known they were there previously, so they were my hidden gems. I feel like I barely scratched the surface of a magnificent urban jungle.
Strasbourg, France: If anything was going to make me think highly of this town, nothing was going to do it better than the Christmas decorations, the marchés de Noel oh and a bit of tarte flambée. Generally I think towns overdo the Christmas decor, giant Santas, hugh neon lights depicting snowmen etc and sometimes even tinsel. That's not my style. Strasbourg definitely knows how to do it. Wandering around a Christmas market that can't decide if it's German or French in origin, but therefore offers the best of both, with a cup of vin chaud (red or white) is blissful. Snuggling into a warm scarf and seeing a nativity with live animals as the tempting smell of fresh crèpes makes your mouth water (cinnamon and sugar is by far the best option), well what can compare? For me, it was like a Christmas wonderland with the ultimate style.
Edinburgh, Scotland: If I had my way, I'd spend a lot more time in the Scottish capital. I still love this city, despite never having spent that much time there. It's tradition to watch Hogmanay, any city hosting that has to be cool. I've also seen and heard great things about Beltane. Maybe one day I'll get to experience these festivities. It's not hard to know that Edinburgh is a beautiful place, jam packed with quirky little stories and there's a proper castle. The best way to find out about the history is through a ghost tour. Our guides were in fancy dress and kept everybody laughing. They have an awful lot to do with why I enjoyed visiting so much, after all, throwing plastic rats at my sister and announcing "You need to scream louder so I'm going to screw you harder" make for unforgettably hilarious moments.
