We recently spent two days exploring the ancient city of Lijiang, China, a UNESCO World Heritage Site highly praised for its beauty and well-preserved architecture. Of the three cities we visited in Yunnan, we were expecting Lijiang to be our favorite. The whitewashed walls, sloping slate roofs and tinkling canals were certainly lovely, but once […]
UNESCO
A Hike Through China’s Tiger Leaping Gorge
I have seen few landscapes in China as breathtaking as Tiger Leaping Gorge. Formed over millennia by the eroding power of gushing water, the canyon stretches 15 kilometers through China’s southwestern Yunnan Province. The name comes from a legendary tiger that is said to have jumped across the gorge long ago. On the day of […]
Palaces of Seoul: Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung
Before the Japanese annexed Korea in the early 20th century, the Joseon dynasty ruled the country for some 500 years after King Taejo ascended the throne in 1392. The new king established his capital in Seoul – moving it south from Kaesong, a city located in modern-day North Korea – and established a grand palace […]
Far Flung Temples and a Wild Ride Through the Cambodian Countryside
Some of Angkor Archaeological Park’s temples are more far flung and require extra effort to visit. It took us around 45 minutes from Siem Reap to reach by tuk-tuk Banteay Srei, situated 21 kilometers northeast of Bayon. Constructed in the 10th century of striking pink sandstone, this Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva is the only temple […]
The Splendor of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm
After a busy day exploring some of the lesser but still fantastic temple ruins of the Angkor Archaeological Park, it was time to tour its highest profile sites: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm. Originally we thought about renting bicycles for the day, but ultimately went by tuk-tuk to spare ourselves heat exhaustion. Getting […]