Being a lot cheaper than Japan, however, this makes Jiufen a no-brainer for anyone wanting to experience Japan on a budget while near Southeast Asia.

About Jiufen, Taiwan

Jiufen is a mountain town in north Taiwan only 2 hours away from Taipei City, which makes it an ideal day trip if you’re in the area.

It was a mining town during the gold rush of the Japanese era up until the 1950s but, far from becoming a ghost town, its stunning view of the Pacific Ocean, tea houses, picturesque winding streets and vintage Japanese feel, made it a popular destination for Taiwanese and travelers.

In fact, the Japanese feel is so strong that its connection with the Japenese film, Spirited Away, cannot be ignored.

But Jiufen Taiwan has more than just one film going for it. The winner of the 1989’s Golden Lion film award, A City of Sadness, was filmed here too.

Jiufen is quite small, with only about 3,000+ inhabitants. Being a mountain town, its roads are narrow, curvy and steep. Some things you might expect to find, such as a bank, you will not find here. So bring essentials with you and don’t rely on finding it within Jiufen.

Why Is Jiufen Cheaper Than Japan?

Japan, as a whole, is quite a bit more expensive than Taiwan.

Transportation Cost

Transportation in Japan is expensive,  with a single train journey alone (e.g. from Tokyo to Osaka) setting you back around $140, whereas in Taiwan the equivalent would only set you back by around $25.

Many of the local trains from Taipei (the capital city) to surrounding areas won’t be much more than $12. Whereas the metro system in Taipei itself is also cheap, with 10 days metro use costing this blogger just $3.60.

To save money traveling around Taiwan use local trains and the metro when in cities like Taipei.

Food Cost

Moreover, food in Japan is generally more expensive than in Taiwan. Not because Japan’s food is particularly expensive, but because Taiwanese street food is so cheap due to the many night markets. We recommend eating Taiwan’s street food over restaurants because, first of all, we find them to be safer (less likely to get food poisoning!), and secondly, because it is SO much cheaper.

Most street food dishes are around $1 or $2, so you can’t go wrong with that price. Best of all, it’s more authentic and what the locals do themselves.

Accommodation Cost

Accommodation usually costs a fair amount in Japan and, even if you are lucky enough to find a budget hotel, in comparison to Taiwan, you’ll be forking out more to spend the night.

You can find some great Airbnbs within Taipei for as low as $25 per night.

How Do I Get To Jiufen From Taipei?

1. Train

Go to Taipei Main Station (台北車站) and take the train north to Ruifang Station (瑞芳) for around NT$60 / $2. Then, exit Riufang Station, facing the “wellcome” supermarket, go straight and turn left onto Mingdeng Road.

Walk about 5 minutes/200 meters looking out for a police station, next to it is a bus stop called Local Residents Plaza (區民廣場) with the Keelung Bus 788 and 827 heading toward Jiufen. It’ll cost you about NT$20 / 50¢ to board. Stay on the bus until the last stop since it’ll drop you off near(ish) to Jiufen’s Old Street.

Once out of Riufang Station go straight and turn left onto the street in front of you. Cross the street and walk down for about 5 minutes or so until you reach a bus station. We were slightly unsure of which bus to take, so we asked the bus driver before we hopped on (I believe it was Keelung Bus 788, but double check the schedule). Stay on the bus until the last stop, which will drop you off a few minutes away from Jiufen Old Street. The train ticket is around NT$60 and the bus ticket is around NT$20.

2. Bus

A direct bus (the 965) leaves Banqiao Bus Station in the Banqiao district of New Taipei City and takes about 80 minutes to get there. One way, this ticket will cost you about NT$90 / $2.90 and leaves 6AM – 9PM on weekdays and 7AM – 9PM on weekends and holidays.

Alternatively, make your way to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station ((忠孝復興) at the intersection of the Brown and Blue line, and leave Exit 2. From outside the Sogo department store, you’ll be able to take the Keelung Bus 1062 to Jinguashin. (It says Junguashin, but it’ll take you to Jiufen, so no need to worry!)

This bus ticket will cost you NT$100 / $3.30 and the bus journey will take about 60 minutes, so get a good seat to spot the views!

3. Car

Of course, if money is less of a concern, you could just rent a car for the day from either IWS Car Rental or Chailease Auto Rental. The drive will take about 45 to 60 minutes.

What Is There To Do In Jiufen?

1. Jiu Fen Old Street

Be transported back into a different world by visiting the bustling old streets of Jiufen. It’ll feel like old Taiwan and old Japan all at once, and is located near Keelung’s coast with gorgeous sea views.

There are 4 streets of notable significance for you to check out: Jishan Street (particularly packed on weekends or holidays), Jianci Road, Cingbian Road, and Ciche Road.

Slow down, people watch, take it all in, and try and snap that perfect photo of hanging lanterns and Japanese-style decorations. It’ll feel like a different world!

There is also great food here too.

On the packed old streets of Jiufen there are vendors offer all kinds of Taiwanese foods such as hot or cold Taro Balls, Green tea balls, Hongzao meatballs, rice cakes, and much more. Definitely try the Taro Balls, which is popular all over Taiwan but was first created here in Jiufen in the 1940s.

Good places to grab a bite include A-Zhu Peanut Ice Cream Roll, Grandma Lai’s Yu Yuan and Ah Gan Yi Yu Yuan.

2. Do A Night Tour

If you’re the sort of person who dislikes crowds then a night tour of Jiufen may be perfect for you. You’ll get to see Jiufen in all its glory during the night and the atmosphere will be different.

Quite a few people think you can complete Jiufen in just one afternoon, but that is a mistake. Sometimes people regret not staying overnight in Jiufen and end up coming back again.

So starting your Jiufen trip with a night tour and then staying at one of the amazing guesthouses (e.g. Shanhaiguan Guesthouse / 九份山海观民宿) overnight so you can wake up bright and early to experience Jiufen in the morning is a fantastic idea!

A night tour with Klook around the night markets of Jiufen, Shifen and Keelung Miaokow would also be a great choice.

3. Visit A Tea House

Throughout the Old Street of Jiufen (though, in turn, its more like an alley) are a scattering of teahouses—squashed, hidden, and delicately placed in the middle of shops and buildings that are well worth the visit.

There is A Mei teahouse decorated with masks reminiscent of Spirited Away. Expect to hear Japenese. The author (Hayao Miyazaki) can deny Jiufen’s inspiration in the Japanese fantasy film all he wants, but this won’t stop the tourists due to the Studio Ghibli memorabilia found throughout the town.

The menu of A Mei teahouse offers a wide selection of beverages, teas and desserts. Pricey but tasty, and worth the experience.

Another teahouse of note is the Skyline teahouse. Offering pristine views of the coast and nearby mountains, this oolong-selling traditional teahouse also sells traditional Taiwanese snacks.

4. Hike Keelung Mountain (基隆山)

If just walking down the twisting, steep roads of Jiufen doesn’t satisfy your hiking needs, then a hike up Keelung Mountain is a must-do. At 588 meters high, it’s quite a challenge for newbies and will take about 2 hours in total for travel times from Jiufen and to complete it.

If you’re looking for how to get to Jiufen from Keelung to do this hike, simply either take a taxi or, alternatively, make your way to Jiu Dao station by taking the 基隆客運 KL bus from Keelung train station, or the 825 bus from Ruifang train station.

5. Check Out Shengping Theater

If movies and Baroque architecture is your thing, you ought to check out Shengping Theater.

Built in the early 1900s the theater is the oldest existing theater in Taiwan. Renovated and reopened in 2011, this theater now gives locals a chance to re-live childhood memories watching classic Taiwanese films and operas.

So go and check out an old Taiwanese movie and connect with the movie-history of Taiwan.

Jiufen Taiwan Map

Here is our interactive map of Jiufen so you can see where some of the most notable places are.

The Best Time To Visit Jiufen

If you’re going just to shop then the best time to visit Jiufen Taiwan is late morning.

If you’re going for the ambiance, experience and mood then this is best in the early morning and evening. (And, like mentioned above, spending the night is highly recommended).

What Should I Buy In Jiufen?

If you’re looking to try Taiwanese delicacies then you definitely should taste the Ah Gan Yee’ Yam Ball (阿甘姨芋圆). A warm soup (which will be nice at this colder mountain altitude anyway). We also recommend asking for the mixed version which is red peppers, yam balls in a green bean soup.

If you’re looking to bring something home with you then good souvenirs include cups, bags, fans, plushy teddies, and lots of silk products—the embroidery on these silks are excellent and will make a great gift.

A recommended tea to order in teahouses would be Jin Xuan Oolong Tea (金宣茶).

A Day Trip To Shifen

Nearby to Jiufen, another day trip worth doing from Taipei is Shifen. You can either spend a few days in Jiufen and go to Shifen as well or do it separately from Jiufen altogether.

Possessing its own Old Street, Shifen also features the broadest waterfall in Taiwan, Shifen Waterfalls.

A Day Trip To Jinguashi

Another worthy day trip is the mining town of Jinguashi, again not far from Jiufen.

Featuring one of the hardest hikes in Northern Taiwan called Teapot Mountain (茶壺山), Jinguashi also contains the Gold Museum which looks at Taiwan’s fascinating gold mining history, and also the Golden Waterfall which, although not flowing in gold, is an extraordinary scene of nature and definitely worth visiting.

Are you going on a trip to Jiufen soon? Tell us how it goes and share your experience and tips in the comment section below!

Suggested next reading: 7 Nerdy Things To Do In Tokyo That Are SO Much Fun

The post Jiufen, Taiwan: The Budget-Friendly Japan Of Taiwan appeared first on Modern Trekker.

Lumbering down the deserted highway a hundred kilometers from Pyongyang outnumbered three to one by your minders is perhaps not the best place to start kicking up a fuss, but prudence has never been one of our more notable virtues, and just because we happen to be in the world’s most totalitarian state an’ all, doesn’t seem like any reason to start changing that.

Besides, we’re feeling particularly trollish this morning—that’s our nickname, “The Troll,” it works on so many levels—due to having unfortunately drunken a bit too much soju over the last 24 hours.

North Koreans In Their Own Words!

See, to get to Pyongyang last night, we’d taken the overnight train from Beijing for two reasons:

Firstly, that way you get to see parts of the north of the DPRK that foreigners can’t see any other way—no doubt the parts you can see from the track are better than the parts you can’t, but hey even that much is surreal—there was one particular place where we saw the peasants staggering along with outsized bundles on their shoulders, followed placidly by an oxcart with a high stack of outsized bundles, followed by a higher stacked oxcart that had its tongue hooked up to some possibly-extracted-from-a-washing-machine-type “engine” thingy straight out of the pages of the more fanciful steampunk adventure novels, followed by a swoopily aerodynamic cargo truck looking as ultramodern as anything on the Chinese superhighways.

There are lots of places around the world where you can see modernity juxtaposed with Stone Age technology—but nowhere other than North Korea that you see quite this mixing by degrees of a 2,500-year span of technology in the space of a couple hundred feet. And their cutting-edge technology has this steampunk edge to it as well; when we were there, the papers were full of the exciting news of a breakthrough in electro-refining using pure graphite anodes.

Well, that’s very impressive and all…but it’s a breakthrough of late-1800s technology that’s quaintly archaic in any part of the world where you have access to rare earth metals not found within North Korea’s borders. It’s exactly the kind of thing that you find in the more thoroughly thought out steampunk worlds, (as opposed to the ones that are an excuse for goths to wear brown) which is where we came up with our soundbite to describe North Korea: a steampunk dystopia, and far more surreal than any of the fictional attempts you’ll ever read.

Secondly, by all accounts, the sleeper train from North Korea is the best chance you’re going to get to be in close quarters all day with North Koreans that are not official government minders—and we figured that would be a great story, “North Koreans In Their Own Words”!

But we’d somehow failed to account for the fact that we are not, in fact, capable of conversing with appreciably more fluency than “want eat” and “need bathroom” in either Korean or Chinese, which of course were the only languages collectively spoken by my three compartment mates.

Drinks On Me, Boys

So the all-day trip from the border to Pyongyang featured mainly that at every stop, as I would stroll out to the platform, find the RMB-only seller at this stop who was extracting foreign currency from the Chinese nationals who are the usual passengers on this train, buy a bottle of soju, and our compartment would proceed to finish that bottle before the next stop.

Buying rounds of liquor for the locals is pretty much a pro travel tip for instant acceptance anywhere you go, and for some reason it seems to be associated particularly with Canadians—happy to hold the end up! —But particularly so when you’re buying with your foreign currency for your new friends who couldn’t buy that liquor in their own currency at any price.

So by the time the four of us staggered off the train in Pyongyang, the cause of Korean peninsular peace had been thoroughly achieved as far as we were concerned, we were assuring each other in a haze of soju fumes of our new lifelong friendship with complete disregard for our mutual unintelligibility.

I guess not realizing that we were drinking a bottle of soju every stop from Dandong to Pyongyang does that…everything we say here that might cast shade on the state of North Korean technology should not be taken to apply to their craft of soju brewing, which is, in fact, superb.

Traveling “Independently” In North Korea

So here we were in the car the next morning, and we’re off-a-days-soju-bender cranky, so we’re not being very accommodating with “Miss O,” who along with “Miss Kim” are the two guides that every tourist party in the DPRK must have accompany them, even if your party is, in fact, just you. Plus our driver; a genially hulking fellow. This, in North Korea, is what passes for independent traveling. And we were being very independent:

“I don’t want to go to the DMZ. I have my itinerary here from Tongil Tours, and the DMZ is not on it.”

“Everybody has to go to the DMZ!” she responded.

“Well, good thing I’ve already been there from the South Korean side then. Some blue huts on the border, a concrete building on each side, pretty much as totally overrated as places to visit get, especially twice! I can prove it too, want to see pictures on the phone here?” I retorted.

Our Crazy Goal

See, we have this ambitious bucket list to visit every inscribed and tentative World Heritage Site, and Kaesong has twelve separate places listed in its Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong inscription, and my plan was to see all of them today, because what’s the chances of ever making it back to Kaesong? Pretty slim, that’s what. So we didn’t figure that the DMZ was a particularly valuable use of our limited time.

So Miss O and I were arguing this, and Miss Kim and the driver were watching us bicker with big smiles on their faces, apparently uncooperative guests are a distinct novelty, when BANG! out goes a tire.

Conveniently, a rest stop was just a couple hundred feet ahead to bump our way to. Only to find that the tire was trashed past patching, and the spare … well, in North Korea the concept of “spare” anything is a decidedly foreign one. There being no such thing as a North Korea Automobile Association either, this would require a significant effort to remedy; stranded halfway between Pyongyang and Kaesong is a pretty darn stranded place indeed.

Not So Stranded

But while they’re frantically phoning around to see what options there are, here comes another vehicle, pulling into our rest stop no less! —A bus full of a Chinese tour group. So my minders flock with theirs, and in short order, it’s established that the girls and I can join their group and our driver will find us whenever he’s mobile again.

OK, that beats hanging out most of the day in the featureless middle of nowhere, yes. And, as if I couldn’t guess, where by chance were we and our new friends going?

“The DMZ.”

“Of course we are. Miss O, you’re smirking. Ni hao, new Chinese friends!”

Mind you, it only heightened the surreality of this whole visit to be escorted into the same blue negotiation huts built exactly half on each side of the border by North Korean troops denouncing invasion by the South, after having been there before but escorted by South Korean troops that time denouncing invasion by the North; all of North Korea strikes you constantly as a Bizarro mirror world inversion of South Korea, but the DMZ in particular produces … well, it’s not déjà vu if you actually have been there before is it? Don’t think language actually has a word to describe that particular experience…

DPRK: A Restricted Secret

Anyways, we met back up with the driver at lunch, and over the course of the afternoon managed to get to most of the places on the inscription, definitely all that most people would consider worth visiting, and a few more besides…particularly the Kaesong Chomsongdae, which even as perhaps the most hardcore World Heritage Site geek on the planet, we do not recommend you bother trying to find.

(More details and pictures over at the Every World Heritage Site blog if you like.)

Managing to drive the better part of an hour because all four of us totally missed that we had driven directly through the old city walls we were looking for is a particularly good one.

Driving issues were a recurring theme on this tour, mind you. See, in case you haven’t picked up on this already, the general run of visits to the DPRK are extremely restricted; you see the very short list of government-approved attractions and monuments to the Party and so forth, and that’s it.

Planning this trip, we had a significant amount of trouble finding an organizer that would put together a custom “visit all the properties we can fit in of North Korea’s two inscribed WHS” tour—pro tip: Tongil Tours is your custom tour arranger of choice—and despite the driver and my minders having just short of two decades collective experience in the North Korean foreigner-minding industry, none of them had ever been to most of the sites we visited…or even heard of them, as was the case for the more justifiably obscure “National Treasure” like the Chomsongdae. And there are no signposts or maps because that would make it far too easy to get around; if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re almost certainly not supposed to be going there.

Even when you are supposed to be going there, that’s not always a sure thing. For instance, on our second trip out of Pyongyang, it was to visit a day’s worth of properties on the Complex of Koguryo Tombs site inscription. Which are somewhat less than monumental from the outside, as you can see in the pictures in our blog write-up of the site, and as far as we can tell, nobody ever visits for all practical purposes; each property has a groundskeeper that looks shocked to actually see a visitor, and a few grassy mounds with locked doors, and … that’s about it.

100 Euros For A Mural

The murals inside are reportedly spectacular, but dashed hard to find pictures of on the net—here’s a few—and at one of them, we were offered to have that door unlocked and see the wondrous insides for the low, low price of only a hundred euros. Usually we’re pretty good at bargaining, but in this particular instance we didn’t manage to get the price down at all—but we did manage to get Miss Kim and Miss O included, as they’d never been to these tombs either, let alone inside, and they were veritably ecstatic to get to see the murals. Rather telling, that.

Usually when we go to obscure World Heritage Sites, from the Sacred City of Caral-Supe to the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, the standard way it goes is that we’re the only foreigner in sight and the place has a bus or two full of elementary school age students who are just about completely uninterested in these dumb piles of rocks their teachers are going on about as being their marvelous World Heritage and all.

But what about with a troll? Now he’s fascinating to follow around. Korea has got to be the only place in the world where even the professional tour guides, never mind average citizens, have barely heard of their World Heritage never mind visited.

North Korea Is DIFFICULT!

And the reasons why they don’t visit were brought into sharp relief on our way back to Pyongyang after the tomb-hopping day:

“GET BACK IN THE CAR!”

See, we’d found our way back to the main highway to Pyongyang, and we’d stopped at a checkpoint, who’d told us to pull over, and they’d left me in the car, and now it was some 20 minutes later and I’d figured some leg-stretching was in order. “Just getting some fresh air, not going anyplace…”

“NO! GET IN CAR!”

Right then. If Miss O is shouting and apparently about to cry, probably not a good time to be difficult. So I got in the car.

Eventually they came back, and with a little bit of coaxing, the issue came out; although they had a permit for me to see the Koguryo Tombs, the car did not have a permit to drive on this highway. And this was a disaster of monumental proportion. Not for me, but for the driver. Who, never having had a group like me before, had no idea whatsoever that the guides might not have had everything arranged for him. And they had no idea that they had extra arrangements to make.

Think that’s what was going on, anyways. Point is…getting around this country is difficult.

Back To Tourist Safety In Pyongyang

The rest of the visit was pretty much the standard tourist fare in Pyongyang, you can read that over here as we did manage to see three of the properties on the Historical Relics in Pyongyang Tentative World Heritage Site listing, so we’ll tick that one off our bucket list too; but nothing particularly more amusing than we wrote there.

Until the day of our leaving, when we figured that with all the adventures they’d had minding a troll who was actively trying not to be minded, they deserved a nice tip. But tipping is an issue here—between that it’s illegal for you to possess North Korean currency, and it’s illegal for them to possess foreign currency, that doesn’t leave many financial options.

However, knowing this, and wanting to make friends as always, we’d bought some twenty-odd dollars worth of touristy Bangkok souvenirs, figuring those would be exotic novelties in the DPRK. Which indeed they were…problem was, since everyone we met was completely uninterested in taking anything from foreigners, we still had all of it on the last morning. So alright ladies: here I have a good five pounds of Bangkok’s most gaudy souvenir tat, how would you like to divide it up?

The driver, well that was much easier; he’d been quite enthusiastic about matching me shot for shot with our dinner soju each night, so a bottle of the most ornate looking bottle on display in the hotel shop took care of that—along with a healthy tasting of it to make sure it was quality stuff, as indeed it was, just the thing indeed to produce the right mood for our visit to the Mansudae Grand Monument, seventy-plus feet of bronze Communist deities: Kim Il Sung & Kim Jong Il, the Great and Dear Leaders.

And deities are barely an exaggeration; you must bow, cannot face your back to the statues, and must bring a bouquet of offering. Well, technically you don’t have to buy the bouquet, but Miss Kim got such a hurt look when we mumbled something about worshipping their dead leaders, we decided ok…fine…let’s go buy the biggest bouquet we can then.

And off to the airport for our exit, on Air Koryo—the world’s only one-star airline, according to Skytrax, but personally we feel that’s totally undeserved. Just for starters, they’re always on time—not that hard when your flight network has no connections—and they never overbook. As for the 1960s vintage Soviet airliners, well, far as we’re concerned it’s a renaissance of the Golden Age Of Aviation, with that same strange out-of-time vibe the rest of the country has.

Our Verdict

So that was our visit to North Korea. Before we got there, we thought that Bhutan was the most unusual country on the face of the planet, but we have quite thoroughly changed that opinion now.

Although it costs considerably more to arrange a custom tour, we absolutely recommend you do that—as we’ve mentioned before, Tongil Tours are the people who hooked us up, and we thoroughly recommend you call them too—and ask for Miss O and Miss Kim as your guides, they were far more entertaining than we’d ever expected!

So, what’s next for me? More World Heritage Sites I guess! On that note, here are my top 6 World Heritage Sites you should visit in North America—if you’re interested.

The post I Went To North Korea: Here’s What Happened appeared first on Modern Trekker.

The people of Guanxi Province, in Southern China, have an expression: “I would rather live in Guilin”, they say, “than in heaven”.

 

A post shared by Joe (@joethommas) on Jul 20, 2018 at 7:22am PDT

Even if you haven’t heard of Guilin until now, there’s a chance you already know a little bit about it. Close your eyes and try to imagine rural China. Are you picturing misty peaks towering above lazy rivers? Cormorants fishing in the twilight? Rice terraces glittering in the sunshine?

Well, you’re really thinking about Guilin.

I was lucky enough to be able to spend two weeks there recently, as part of a longer trip around China. I have always been enchanted by that landscape—mostly from watching nature documentaries as a kid—and for the longest time I’ve wanted to just sit down in those hills and imagine for one fleeting moment that I’m part of that life.

But I also hoped that my time there would reveal something of the local history, culture, and the reality of day-to-day life in this remarkable environment.

I’m not sure how fully I succeeded at that objective, but I did get a small taste of both the reality and the daydream. I’ll try to share some of these experiences with you here, in the hope that it will persuade you to make a trip to this remarkable part of the world.

Arrival

As our plane comes into land, I glance out of the window. In the distance, wreathed in shadow, are the towering karsts that define this region. This is my first glimpse of a landscape we’ve traveled halfway across the world to see and I can’t wait to get out and explore.

These unique limestone structures are created when acids in rainwater slowly dissolve the bedrock, forming tiny cracks and fissures that deepen and expand over time. Eventually, this process culminates in the formation of sheer, isolated and well-defined peaks that rise sharply above the plains below.

There are many places in South East Asia where karst landforms can be seen, but they are arguably at their most spectacular in the area around Guilin.

 

A post shared by Mercier Zeng (@mercierzeng) on Jul 24, 2018 at 1:29am PDT

But before we could get to exploring, we first needed to find our hotel. Guilin doesn’t have a train line from the airport to the city, unfortunately, so instead we jumped in a taxi—an experience in itself. With just one hand on the wheel—the other left free to produce an endless supply of pumpkin seeds—our driver whisked us down the highway and through the city, deftly skirting pedestrians and other vehicles whilst having hurried conversations with his family on the phone.

If you’re a soft Westerner like me then this sort of thing can feel a little chaotic at times. In Guilin, people use megaphones and huge PA systems to try and tempt you into buying fruit. The marketplaces and restaurants are always packed to the rafters and booming with noise. The traffic doesn’t stop, even at crossings, so you just have to dive out into a sea of mopeds and trust the riders to skim around you.

Don’t worry, it’s not their first rodeo.

But the longer you spend in here, the more you realize that there’s actually a sense of order and security underpinning what at first looks like chaos. More than that, the people seem to embody a sense of calmness in the chaos that you really come to admire.

For example, near misses on the roads, which would certainly provoke profanity or even violence in my hometown, here draw barely a second look. Restaurant and shop owners will try and tempt you to dine, but if you say no then you’re offered a smile and left alone, not hectored as you try and walk away, as is the case in some parts of the world.

In the evening the streets come alive with young people, but that doesn’t stop the middle-aged and elderly bringing out their stereos, whacking on the dancing shoes, and joining in the fun in the town’s many underpasses, alleyways, and any other forgotten corners.

So, how much can you tell about a place in just two weeks, especially when you don’t speak the language? Not much, I’d say. Just an impression really. Sometimes those impressions are well-founded, sometimes not.

But our impressions of Guilin were of a place that feels welcoming; a place where the locals genuinely seem happy. Every smile, every kind gesture, every stranger who offered us help—and there were many—they all just kept adding to the strength of this impression.

If Guilin is heaven, you’d expect this to show through in the people who live there. You’d expect those people, for the most part, to be happy, relaxed, tolerant and inclusive.

Well, they really were.

The City

Guilin is a low rise, medium-sized city with a compact, walkable center. At the heart of the town is Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, a busy row of shops, bars and restaurants which is also a great place to sample the excellent local delicacy of beer-cooked catfish.

Walk a little further down this street and you arrive at Guilin Central Square, a popular meeting place and venue for public festivals. A little further still and you’ll find yourself looking out over Shanhu Lake. This is where we ended up on our first night in Guilin, transfixed by the astounding Sun and Moon Pagoda and talking to a local English teacher and part-time tea farmer who had adopted the name “Barry”.

From Barry we learn that the two pagodas, despite being been modeled on two much older structures that stood in the same spot, back in the Tang Dynasty, are relatively recent additions to Guilin. These two modern towers, we learn, are connected by an underwater tunnel with a glass roof. It’s also possible to get views over the city from the tops of either.

Don’t bother with that nonsense, says Barry, just look at them.

And they are a sight to behold, especially lit up at night, their reflections dancing over the water. The Sun Tower seemed to me to express confidence and energy, the Moon Tower, serenity and grace. Maybe I was feeling the effect of a few beers but they seemed like fitting monuments to the chaos and the calm that is life in Guilin.

I’ll be honest, we were already pretty sold on Barry by this point, but then, without prompting or bribing, he announced that he loved football and had always wanted to go to my hometown of Manchester (UK). Instantly recognizing Barry as a man of impeccable taste and virtue, I began to envision a life on the tea plantations as his adopted son. But I didn’t let on. I decided I would play the long game.

Instead, we followed Barry’s suggestion to head back to the Central Square at 8.30pm to see “the waterfall”. Neither I nor my partner really understood his meaning at the time, but he’d long since earned our trust, so we went there, and we waited…

Just as we were beginning to doubt Barry’s integrity, all of a sudden music starts blaring from some hidden speakers, the small crowd that had gathered begins to buzz with enthusiasm, and as if by magic, water starts cascading 50 feet down from the roof of a nearby hotel, streaming over the windows and gathering in fountains on the street.

Oh, Barry! We never doubted you for a minute.

The next day we explore the area across the road from Shanhu Lake and find “Elephant Trunk Hill”, another icon of the city. According to legend, this strange rock formation was created when a Divine Elephant—the steed of the Emperor of Heaven—was wounded in battle and fell to Earth in Guilin. After being nursed back to health by a kindly local couple, the Elephant was said to have fallen in love with Guilin and so opted never to return to its master.

“I would rather live in Guilin”, it said, “than in Heaven”.

And there it remains to this day.

 

A post shared by Airin Widjaja (@airinswidjaja) on Jun 3, 2018 at 8:11am PDT

After a short but sweaty walk to the top of the Elephant’s back, I finally got the view of the karsts I had been hoping for, and it was breath-taking. I’m lucky to have done a fair amount of traveling in my time and I can honestly say it was one of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen.

I was beginning to think the Elephant might have had a point after all.

The Caves

Reed Flute Cave is the biggest and most spectacular cave complex in Guilin, arguably in China. Over the years it’s stunning features have been used by the Chinese government to impress all the great and good of world politics, as well as Richard Nixon.

Stepping into those vaulted ceilings it’s easy to see why the place is held in such high esteem. The variety of formations taken by the rock set the mind reeling; the intricacies of the patterns carved by natural forces inspire genuine awe. The use of rainbow-colored light displays, in my mind at least, only add to the ethereal quality of the place.

It was a similar story when we explored the cave at Seven Star Park. Although a little smaller, this cave is no less spectacular. In vast, cathedral-like spaces, stalagmites and stalactites join to form towering columns that rise like plumes of smoke all around us. Lights shimmer across the surface of natural pools; shadows dance on the walls. After several hours spent exploring subterranean wonderlands, it feels disconcerting when we eventually stumble back into the daylight.

On our way out of Seven Star Park we skip past the zoo and the tree-top adventure playground—one more reluctantly than the other—but there’s one last surprise awaiting us before we leave. Crossing the spectacularly misnamed “Flower Bridge”, we notice a crowd has gathered to gawp and point down to the river below.

Two bamboo boats, we discover, have collided and broken up in the water; the deck of one boat is all that remains intact, anchored on the rocks midstream. One bloke stands on top of the deck, another clings desperately to the side. The head of one less fortunate figure can be seen bobbing swiftly downstream, eventually making it to the bank a couple of anxious minutes later.

The police are called, survey the scene, call out to the men, have a brief conversation, then leave. Despite the fact that two men remain stranded in the middle of a river, apparently, it was decided, all was well. Calmness in the chaos.

The Rice Terraces

A bumpy three-hour bus ride takes us to our next destination, the Longji Rice Terraces. Despite my insistence we should hike from the vehicle drop-off point to the top of the hills, we decided instead to take the cable car. About halfway up I remember that I’m pretty unfit, and am thankful to have wiser heads around to remind me of this reality.

It’s a cloudy day, but on the occasions when the sun does break through, the hills seem to sing. The panoramic views of glistening water and lush hillsides are only broken by lone figures toiling in the fields.

 

A post shared by Patrick Kiener (@kienerpatrick) on Jul 24, 2018 at 6:02am PDT

It’s undeniably stunning, but a question plays on my mind of how authentic an experience this really is, and whether that even matters? Unlike cormorant fishing, which is a dying trade nowadays kept alive almost exclusively through tourist dollars, these are still working farms. The people who work here actually are farmers and not just playing dress-up for tourists.

There are crowds, but if you can look past that, then it’s certainly possible to feel some connection with an ancient, agrarian way of life that has endured for centuries, in the process forming the basis for much modern Chinese culture and cuisine.

And yet…a feeling is all it is really, and a fleeting one at that. Am I really any closer to knowing what it’s like to work in those fields, day-in-day-out, year after year? Do I have any genuine understanding of the communities that are forged in that beautiful but harsh environment? I have taken a closer look at the iconography of rural China, but am I any closer to really experiencing the substance of that life?

Not really.

But we must take what we can get. I was glad to be there, in the rural calm that underpins our urban chaos. We jump in our van and are transported back to the modern world, the deep connection to the past we sometimes glimpse, now already beginning to fade in the memory.

Still, it was a privilege to be there, if only for a short time.

Lunch

Lunch, I’m sorry to say, was less of a privilege. A whole chicken, minus the head but with very conspicuous feet, stuffed into a bamboo tube without seasoning or sauce, then flumped onto a plate was not what I’d been longing for if I’m brutally honest.

Still, when in Heaven…

On the positive side, the local style of cooking and serving rice inside a bamboo shoot was pretty great.

“God never hurls a chicken at you”, they say, “without opening a bamboo shoot”.

Yangshuo

The highlight of any trip to the Guilin area is a trip down the gorgeous Li River valley towards the small town of Yangshuo. There are a variety of crafts of different sizes that sail up and down the river, but most people opt for the little 4-seater bamboo rafts. As our boat purrs gently down the river there’s plenty of time to sit back and take in the views. We’d thought the scenery in Guilin was amazing but things really amp up a notch as you get closer to Yangshuo.

(By the way, if you decide to take this journey then try to bring a 20 Yuan note with you if you can. It will become clear why when you’re en route).

Once we’d made it from Yangshuo to our hotel we were able to relax before heading to Yangshuo Cooking School. A small barn surrounded by forest and mountains became our home for the next couple of hours, and possibly the only place on Earth I’ve not been bored by cooking.

Here we learned how to make a variety of simple but tasty dishes, and I found many reasons to be thankful. I was thankful we had another chance to try the gorgeous beer-cooked catfish. I was thankful for our instructor’s patience after I took about 5 days to disassemble an aubergine with a meat cleaver. Most of all I was thankful to make it out with all my fingers still attached.

Becoming A World Famous Moped Rider

After several days near Yangshuo town center, we changed hotel to move deeper into the scenic area. Here we rented mopeds and set off to explore the area. OK, we attempted to rent mopeds, but after 15 minutes of watching me veer recklessly around the car park, the hotel staff politely but firmly regained the moped and handed us a bicycle.

I felt like someone who’s just been booted off American Idol after being told they can’t sing: secretly I knew they were right, but still I rode off with my head held high, vowing to become a world-famous moped rider one day and prove them all wrong.

After some frankly incandescent bike riding we finished our stay in Yangshuo with a climb up Moon Hill. The hillside was steep, it was close to 35 degrees and a thunderstorm raged above us, but we would not be beaten. Step after step we fought on, every muscle in our bodies screaming at us to turn back, but we would not be beaten. Sweat streamed down our bodies, like tears in the rain, and we were being eaten alive by insects, but the summit was in sight.

We. Would. Not. Be. Beaten.

Laughing and panting (mostly panting), we arrived at the summit and were treated to another jaw-dropping view…

…And three very elderly women selling Cola.

They make that trek several times a day, often carrying heavy backpacks, deep into their old age. That sort of thing would take some of the buzz out of summiting Everest I’d imagine.

Back To Guilin

…And a chance to reflect. Are the locals right? Is the elephant right? Is Guilin really better than heaven?

Well, obviously no—it isn’t.

For one thing, I can’t conceive of a heaven that includes so many mosquitoes. Nor was I a fan of scraping the t-shirt from my back with a spatula each night (it’s hot). I’m also not so naïve as to think that once you probe beneath the surface you won’t find the same conflicts, struggles and social divisions that exist in every other city on Earth.

What Guilin really represents, to me, is more a sort of oasis. Despite the encroachments of urbanization and globalization, it remains a region whose natural beauty and cultural life have been preserved: a comparative haven of calm in the chaos that is modern China.

That’s not a criticism of China. Every country is changing fast. Every country needs places like this where we can connect with the past and commune with nature, even if the real action is happening elsewhere. Every country needs cities where we can transcend the madness and try to grasp at something eternal.

Guilin is that. It might not be heaven, but it does a pretty good impression.

 

A post shared by Easyvoyage (@easyvoyage) on Jul 20, 2018 at 9:00am PDT

Everything You Need To Know

How to get there:

Although Guilin is a comparatively small city, it was also the first Chinese city to open to tourism (in 1949), so access is now pretty easy. Cheap flights are available from Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai, as well as a host of smaller cities across China. There are also international flights available from Osaka, Hanoi, Bangkok, Seoul, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

A full list of airports connecting to Guilin can be found here.

Train travel, unfortunately, is a little more complex. The best options are to come from Chengdu, Xi’an, or the Guangzhou/Shenzen/Hong Kong urban area in the South. If you decide to come by train then we highly recommend booking tickets through Travel China. We used them to book other rail tickets and they really made the process much smoother than we were expecting.

How to get around:

Guilin is easy enough to walk around providing you base yourself at a hotel that is reasonably central. There is no metro or tram system and the buses are confusing, so public transport is somewhat limited.

However, taxis are abundant and very cheap. Just be sure to have a copy of your hotel address in Mandarin to show to the driver, and download “Didi”—the Chinese equivalent of Uber—if you’re going away from the city center and are worried about getting stranded.

Where to stay:

If you’re looking for super cheap and cheerful accommodation then you could follow our lead and stay at the Cyan Box Hostel near Seven Star Park (roughly a 20-minute walk from town). We paid around 10 USD per night for a private double room, though dorms are available for around 5 USD. The accommodation is pretty basic, but the hostel has a nice vibe, it’s very safe and the staff were great. They can also help book tours to all the places mentioned in the article above.

Accommodation is still very cheap in China so if you’re looking for somewhere to stay that’s a little more upmarket then we’d recommend the Lijiang Waterfall hotel if you want to be very central, or the Sheraton Guilin, which is again fairly central, but just a little quieter.

In Yangshuo we stayed at the Bamboo Leaf Resort just outside town. The amenities and service were probably the best value of anywhere we experienced on our entire trip around Asia and I would recommend it whole-heartedly. Although the location is perhaps not ideal as it’s too far to walk comfortably in town. You’ll probably need to take a taxi to the hotel and then rent bikes/mopeds from their reception if you want to explore the town fully.

We then moved to the Zen Garden Resort in the scenic area. This was quite isolated, very quiet and just a bit strange, in that way that empty country hotels sometimes are. There were lots of frogs but very few people. I sort of felt like I was in a very polished version of The Shining. We spent a little extra on this hotel to get a nice view from our window and it certainly delivered on that, the location is great too. Other than that, though, I wouldn’t say it represents great value for money.

What became of Barry?

We don’t know. He told us where his tea shop was but to our shame we forgot what he’d said and we couldn’t find him again. If you see him, please tell him that we’re sorry and we love him.

Suggested next reading: 9 Gorgeous Locations In China That Will Take Your Breath Away (Part 1)

The post China’s Li River Valley: Better Than Heaven? appeared first on Modern Trekker.

Let’s start at the beginning. As one of Europe’s oldest Christmas markets, Strasbourg first hosted an event in 1570. That means they’ve had plenty of time to perfect their art and earn their nickname as “Capital of Christmas”.

With over 300 stalls across 10 locations, Strasbourg tops it all off with an enormous Christmas Tree in the central Place Kléber. Not to mention the Living Nativity and a host of cultural and musical concerts.

So, if you like a bit of history, culture and tradition mixed in with your Christmas trip, Strasbourg could be the place for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Likibu (@likibu) on Nov 20, 2017 at 8:57am PST

2. Vienna, Austria

If you like mulled wine, sweets and delicious Austrian sausages, then you need to pack your trousers with the elasticated waistband and head to Vienna this December.

Here you can enjoy a plethora of festive food in one of the safest destinations in Europe. This means you’ll feel totally free to wander about the city, gazing at the lights, trees and nativity scenes.

While you’re wandering can be totally random, do make sure to potter over to the City Hall Square as this area becomes “Vienna Magic of Advent” and is beautifully transformed into a fairytale style scene.

Or if you’d prefer a bit of outdoor ice skating, head on over to the Town Hall, where a large outdoor ice skating rink awaits you. But be sure to catch a ride on the reindeer first.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Irina (@irinaaivanov) on Nov 6, 2017 at 6:46am PST

3. Zagreb, Croatia

Now to a city you may not necessarily associate with Christmas.

If you think of Zagreb in Croatia, you might be thinking of hot sunny days, ice creams and stunning architecture. You might not be thinking twinkling lights, hot steaming food and Christmas choirs. However, if you head there in Wintertime, that’s exactly what you’ll get.

Often at very reasonable prices, Zagreb’s Christmas markets are becoming more and more popular with festive tourists. So why not join them in a glass of mulled wine or two?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Travelxl Beuk (@travelxlbeuk_) on Dec 4, 2017 at 1:55pm PST

4. Manchester, England

It would be a sin to compile a list of Christmas markets and not include the first ever UK based one. First arriving at British shores in 1999, Manchester’s Christmas markets have really set the standard for the rest of the UK. And set them high at that.

Over 300 stalls pop up around the city center offering crafts, jewelry, leather goods and, of course, food. Lots and lots of food.

Plus if you head over to Cathedral Gardens you can have a go on the massive fairground that is erected there. Nothing says festive like a go on a Waltzer.

Sure, you could go to one in London. But as it’s argued that folk are friendly up north (and it’s universally agreed that it’s cheaper), why miss the opportunity for a bit of northern Christmas cheer?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Manchester Photography Club (@manchesterphotographyclub) on Dec 16, 2017 at 11:20pm PST

5. Seville, Spain

Ok, so you’re the sort of person who loves Christmas but also loves warm weather. What on earth are you to do? We know.

You need to get on a plane this instant and fly over to Seville (assuming you’re reading this at Christmas time).

This Spanish beauty is not only full of gorgeous old buildings and happy smiling people. It also plays host to beautiful Christmas markets set under a shining sun. Delicately made crafts are a specialty here.

So really, it’s the perfect place to grab those last minute Christmas gifts. You’d be a fool not to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by The Mock Family (@themockfam) on Dec 21, 2017 at 3:32pm PST

6. Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen may be famous for its Danish bacon but it’s not just bacon you’ll feast on if you visit Denmark’s capital at Christmas. Freshly made doughnuts dipped in hot chocolate, mulled wine, and more are all available at Tivoli Gardens. (Or, as it’s otherwise known, the city’s number one Christmas Market.)

So if you like good food, wine and company under the ethereal glean of half a million Christmas lights, then you know where to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Prettylittlesnaps (@prettylittlesnaps) on Oct 22, 2018 at 3:02pm PDT

7. Tallinn, Estonia

Are you someone who feels the post-Christmas blues? Wish it could go on just a little bit longer? Do you always try to eek out just a little more Christmas cheer?

Well, good news!

The Russian Orthodox Church states that January 7^th is actually Christmas day and that means that for the Estonian capital, Tallinn, Christmas markets continue well into the new year.

You can use all that extra time to enjoy some traditional Estonian Christmas classics. Such as black pudding and sour cabbage! …Or maybe just look at the enormous Christmas tree set up in Tallinn Town Square. It was the first ever to be displayed in Europe after all.

Is it any wonder that Santa Claus himself is rumored to have opened the very first Christmas market in Tallinn?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Visit Estonia (@visitestonia) on Dec 1, 2017 at 5:23am PST

8. Dresden, Germany

Ok let’s get properly traditional now.

Set in Altmarkt Square, the Striezelmarkt has been delighting visitors since 1434. So it would be rude not to include it on this list, especially given Germany’s stellar reputation for creating some truly amazing Christmas Markets.

Visitors here are free to enjoy an authentic glass of Gluhwein whilst listening to the concerts and choirs providing entertainment in one of the many churches. Or maybe you’d prefer to watch the boats dusted with Christmas lights, twinkling their way down the Elbe.

Ah heck, you’ve got time. Do it all. Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Julie Baltas (Meier) (@meant2betravelling) on Dec 5, 2017 at 3:04am PST

9. Budapest, Hungary

Everything you normally enjoy at a Christmas Market is available in Budapest. The wine, the crafts, the lights, the slight gassiness after eating too many treats.

But what you don’t get at other Christmas markets is a 3D light show. Displayed on the side of St Stephen’s Basilica, this frankly modern twist gives a cutting-edge feel to a traditionally rustic event.

Of course, all this is to be enjoyed with a glass of wine and a slice of chimney cake or kürtőskalács, as it’s known by locals. This deliciously conical sweet is made by wrapping cake dough around a pole, baking it and then dusting in frankly obscene amounts of sugar and cinnamon.

A wonderful mixture of old and new makes for a memorable experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Çiler Geçici (@audiosoup) on Dec 19, 2017 at 9:30am PST

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Travel Tips From Starr (@blackgirlinbudapest) on Dec 8, 2017 at 10:08am PST

10. Brussels, Belgium

Finally the last on our list is a biggun.

The “Winter Fun” festival is a spectacular event spread out across the city. With over 200 chalets serving up all the traditional fayre, an ice skating rink, a ferris wheel, merry go rounds and a light and sound show. All centered around a huge Christmas tree and of course lots and lots of Christmas lights.

What more could you want? What’s that? A Christmas Parade? Oh, go on then. Of course there’s one of them too!

Is this all a little overwhelming? Don’t worry there are guided tours of the festival for daunted yet excited English speakers, so you’ll feel right at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Claire Burton (@clairelouiseburton) on Dec 3, 2017 at 11:46am PST

Suggested next reading: 6 Best Places In The World To See The Northern Lights

The post 10 Of The Very Best Christmas Markets Around The World appeared first on Modern Trekker.

But it’s not so easy to see them. In fact, this is the reason why trying to see the Northern Lights is called “chasing the Northern Lights.” Commonly referred to as the Aurora Borealis, this phenomenon occurs only in the northern hemisphere of the globe. Its sister, the Aurora Australis is a similar phenomenon that occurs in the Southern hemisphere.

There are many places where you can go and see the Auroras but not all of them provide the same odds of actually being seen. While the Aurora Australis is very difficult to see (Antarctica, and occasionally the south of Australia and New Zealand), North America or Europe are the best places to see the Aurora Borealis.

Here is everything you need to know before chasing the Northern Lights.

How The Aurora Occurs

In a nutshell, the Aurora (Borealis or Australis) is a light show created when the atmosphere of the sun opens and charged particles flow out. The electrically charged particles from the solar activity enter the atmosphere of the earth’s magnetic poles. At the pole’s, the magnetic field is weaker and particles released from the sun can collide with gaseous particles and thus emit light.

There needs to be a large opening in the atmosphere of the sun so that lots of charged particles flow out and eventually collide with gases in the atmosphere of the earth. This is called a “solar wind” or a “solar storms” and it happens only when there is strong solar activity. This is the moment when vivid Auroras appear in the sky and can be clearly seen.

If the particles from the solar activity collide with oxygen molecules, the color of the lights in most cases are perceived as green. Variations of the color may appear if colliding with nitrogen particles—these create pink or purple colors, or hydrogen—blue colors.

The Aurora Strength

The strength of the Aurora can be measured with the Kp index, which depends on solar activity and geographic position. The Kp number shows the solar activity and indicates the strength of the Aurora seen from different locations.

Some of the Auroras are called “weak” and this means that you can witness them in the sky only in a few geographic locations. Others are “strong” and there are high chances to watch them in many places.

Getting closer to the magnetic poles rapidly increases the odds of viewing the Aurora. The further North you go, the higher the chance you’ll see the Aurora even if there’s not strong solar activity (i.e. a low Kp).

A Kp=2 zone means you can see the Aurora in that region even when the solar activity is not so intense. But the Aurora will be pretty weak. In order to see a strong Aurora, you’ll need to wait for a night with high levels of geomagnetic activity (usually one particular night every 5 – 6 days, but it’s not a strict rule).

To know the Kp index, you can consult many Northern Lights apps or Aurora Forecasts, some of them are even specialized for a certain region (i.e. the Norway Lights App is one of the most accurate ones).

When I was chasing the Northern Lights in Tromsø, Norway (a Kp=2 zone), I planned to stay two weeks. During this time frame, there was intense solar activity (Kp=5/6) coupled with a clear sky only twice—so it was only then that I witnessed a strong and unforgettable Aurora.

Other similar best spots in Europe are in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, and Finland (near the Arctic Circle).

The Best Time For Chasing The Northern Lights

To chase the Northern Lights means coming to terms with the fact that you can only see them at night! In addition to a favorable Kp in the northern regions, long winter nights are a good setting to view the Northern Lights. September to April are the best times throughout the year because of the so-called polar nights, where there’s more night than daylight.

Also, Auroral displays can only be seen on clear nights away from light pollution. If you stay in a town located in the proximity of the magnetic poles, you will have to drive around 30 minutes away into the darkness of nature.

Besides clear and pollution-free skies, it is important to stay and wait for the Aurora in an open space, where you don’t have the horizon obscured by mountains or other natural obstacles. Otherwise, you’ll only be able to see the Aurora show when it’s right above your head (only in the far Northern regions) and this means you’ll miss it at first.

In the higher Kp regions, you’ll never see the Aurora directly overhead but only lower at the northern horizon.

How To Actually Chase The Aurora

Seeing the Aurora doesn’t happen each night, although there’s always solar activity. There is a high chance you could go to a Northern region for three days, for example, but not see the Aurora. This can happen due to weak solar activity (unfortunately, none of us can control the universe!) Or perhaps because you don’t exactly know where to go to see it properly.

If you live in one of the areas close to the magnetic poles, then you should try to find the best spots during strong solar activity. It may take a long time though until you see your first Aurora and are able to take pictures of it.

If you are heading to Northern regions (i.e. Kp=2) and your only goal is to watch the Aurora, then booking a Chasing Aurora Trip with an agency is the best option.

Their advantage is that they know the best places to see the Aurora. They also know how to correlate the index Kp with the skies’ visibility. If necessary, they can even go several hundred kilometers to find the best spot.

Perhaps now you can understand why it’s called “chasing the Northern Lights”! These agencies really do chase the lights and help you return with the best memories.

Dress With Many Layers Of Clothing

Since winter nights and Northern regions are the best conditions to see the Aurora Borealis, dressing properly in as many clothes as possible is a must in order to resist the cold. You will wait for the Lights in the middle of nowhere and be surrounded by snow. The temperatures will definitely drop below 0°C / 32°F.

If you want to take photos, set up your camera for long exposures on a tripod and wait…and then wait some more.

Good gloves, boots, spare batteries, and a remote control for your camera are also musts. If possible, add hot tea or coffee in a thermos and heat patches for hands and/or feet. When you’ll see the Aurora, you won’t want to leave from there—especially if it’s a Dancing Aurora.

The post Chasing The Northern Lights: Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Modern Trekker.

What distinguished this northern Polish town—and what still distinguishes it today—was the castle these knights built near it. Castle Marienburg, as it was called then, was named in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was built to last.

Over the years it housed Polish royalty and, for a brief time, the Swedes following their occupation of parts of Poland. The castle also suffered heavy damage during World War II. Repairs begin in the 20^th Century and were completed as recently as 2016.

Despite this hectic 800 year history, Malbork Castle in Poland still stands proud as the largest castle in the world and, looking better than it has done in years after being honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it certainly has become a must-see for any explorer to Poland.

Is It Really The Largest Castle In The World?

It turns out there has been a debate for years on what actually contributes to the size of a castle. For example, do you include the castle grounds or just the interior of the castle? Do later extensions count or should one only consider the earliest and original construction?

Malbork Castle in Poland is the largest castle in terms of the land area that it covers (143,591 square meters!) When the castle was first completed 600 years ago, it was also the largest brick building in the world—a title it no longer holds.

Nonetheless, the general consensus is that it is safe to say Malbork Castle is the largest castle in the world!

You Should Visit Because:

• It’s the largest castle in the world
• It has incredible history contained within its walls
• It’s not too expensive (see below)
• It’s easy to get to as a day trip from Gdańsk or other nearby areas

How To Get There:

Most visitors will be coming from Gdańsk, a port city 60 kilometers to the North. Don’t bother with an organized tour, save your cash by simply taking the train yourself. A one-way ticket will cost around 12zł (about $3.30 USD / £2.50 GBP).

If you’re traveling on an express train, get off at Malbork’s main train station. If you’re traveling on a local train then get off at Malbork Kałdowo (it’s only a 15-minute walk to the castle from here).

The Best Time To Visit Malbork Castle In Poland:

During the summer season (1^st May – 30^th September) the castle is open 9am – 7pm, and during the winter season (1^st October – 30^th April) the castle is open 10am – 3pm. Opening hours can occasionally vary meaning it is better to check their website before you go.

Visiting the castle later on in the day (5:15pm – 6:15pm during the summer season, and 1:15pm – 2:00pm during winter) will mean you can score cheaper tickets when you arrive. But, of course, this will mean you have less time to explore the castle. We recommend saving 2 hours at the very least to explore it.

Cost

Ticket prices can vary and depends on the offering. As of recently, it cost 7zł for an exterior viewing, and can cost up to 39.50zł for a full viewing—interior and exterior. (Note: ticket prices are cheaper if you visit later on in the day or during the winter season).

Please also note that only exterior viewing tickets are available on Mondays and other significant days throughout the year because, on these days, the castle interior is closed.

Other Info

1. The ticket price includes audio guides. These come highly recommended since they use a smart GPS-tracking and provide lots of great information.  You can swap in your own headphones if you don’t like the ones provided.

2. The castle has three sections. The 3^rd section takes the longest to see and the 2^nd section the least.

3. So you can see it for yourself, below is a video of Malbork Castle in Poland (hint: start from 1:20!)

Being the #1 thing to do in Malbork according to TripAdvisor, we’re sure you’ll enjoy your visit to Malbork Castle in Poland. Let us know how you get on in the comments section below!

Suggested next reading: 11 Of The Best Castles To Visit In Scotland That Simply Ooze History

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Situated at the northern limit of the African continent, Morocco spreads from the snow-capped high peaks of the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara Desert. A big part of the country’s territory was crossed by trading caravan routes connecting the Mediterranean to the famous Timbuktu, Mali—the terminus of a trans-Saharan caravan route. Nowadays, various trails in the desert include different sections of those old caravan routes. This way, avid travelers or explorers can get a feel for the wild and unwritten rules of life in the desert.

While it might seem challenging and intriguing to go on your own in the desert (unless you’re an expert), it’s far better to pay a tour agency and an official guide to safely take you into the middle of the wilderness. There are numerous tours that drive visitors to popular or remote parts of the desert. However, not all of them are official, professional, or quality tours. A Moroccan desert tour usually includes transportation (jeep and/or camel—it depends on the tour you’ve booked), food (three meals per day), bottled water, and staying in a camp overnight (tent, showers, and rudimentary restrooms). Different terms and conditions may apply, though, and this totally depends on your knowledge and negotiation skills.

With all this in mind, here are the 6 most important things you should know about Moroccan desert tours — and how to choose the right one before rushing off to the desert.

1. Morocco has two desert regions to choose from

Morocco actually features two desert regions with sand dunes—Merzouga and Zagora-M’Hamid. Merzouga’s desert is situated approximately in the middle of the country, near the border with Algeria. It mainly features sand dunes spread over a limited area (a surface of nearly 100 square kilometers). Merzouga is easily accessible from the touristic Todra Gorges and the Ziz Valley—approximately 40km from Rissani, a small town in Eastern Morocco which is located at the crossroads between these two key sights. Merzouga’s desert features one of the most fascinating sand dunes in Morocco, the famous Erg Chebbi (160m in height). One or two days spent in the area are enough to get a fair feel of the desert atmosphere.

On the flip side, a vast desert region lies between Zagora and M’Hamid (300km south of Merzouga), near the border of Algeria. This is the gateway to the Sahara Desert and it features a unique combination of isolated sand dunes and extremely dry and rocky areas. Zagora is more difficult to access—400km from Marrakesh, from which the last 100km snake slowly along the windy Draa Valley. However, Zagora’s desert features the largest and wildest sand dunes in Morocco, the famed Erg Chigaga (300m in height). Once you are there, it would be great to consider spending at least a couple of days in the area, so that you have enough time to experience the true beauties of this remote part of the country.

 2. You can do jeep tours as well as camel trekking

If you don’t have too much time to invest in your desert adventure, then a jeep tour is the best option for you. You can reach remoter parts of the desert faster and can even stay in a camp with tents overnight. In terms of time management, a jeep tour is more recommended for the Zagora-M’Hamid’s dunes, while a camel trek is preferred for Merzouga’s ones.

However, if you want to truly experience an authentic tour, a camel trek is the best choice you can make—and Erg Chigaga makes that a worthy challenge. Camels will carry everything you need in the desert. You can walk or ride a camel—very painful at times but you quickly get used to it. Along the way, you will have to stay in several camps, in oases or nearby different water sources such as wells or springs. This way, you will experience the real life of a camel caravan (without goods to trade, of course). In the same time, you will be surprised to see how fast and constant a camel can walk, covering even 40km per day.

3. Research the Moroccan desert tours market in advance

There are a lot of official travel agencies that organize tours in the desert. But there are fake guides that will try to gain your confidence as well, promoting great discounts and promotional prices. If you see a jeep following your car in Zagora and trying to sell you a tour when you stop at the traffic lights—as happened to me—ignore it. To choose the best tour for you, consider researching the market a bit before you go. Google “Moroccan desert tours” and see the range of tours in terms of duration, length, costs, and complexity. Having this kind of information will then help you to negotiate a better deal.

As a general idea, most of the tours around the Zagora-M’Hamid region include Erg Chigaga in the route. You will need a two-day trip if you take a jeep tour and a four-to-five-day one if you decide to ride a camel. From Merzouga, tours include Erg Chebbi and you will need only one or two days if you go on a camel and stay overnight in a desert camp.

4. Don’t underestimate the challenges of the desert

Wind, water, insects, and not least walking in the sand, the desert can be tough. Days in the desert are very hot even during fall (86-95°F / 30-35℃), while nights can be very cold (less than 50°F / 10℃). Once the sun sets, a wind continuously blows during the night, challenging even the most professional of tents. If you bring along your own tent, make sure to anchor it well in the sand or in the rocky terrain.

Despite all the myths, there is enough water in the desert and good guides know the location of water sources (wells, springs, oasis, etc.) However, this water is only good for camels, showers, and cooking (if well boiled). Bring your bottled water along the way (and negotiate this with the agency beforehand) or use a filter and pills to purify the water. Your stomach won’t be used to the local bacteria so take care.

I know it’s a pleasure to walk barefooted in the soft, orange sand (especially after a long day of trekking), but be aware that local insects and even scorpions might bite your toes. I got a swollen toe once because I ignored this basic rule. It took me several days of antibiotics to be able to walk again. Since then, I have always worn trekking boots (more comfortable to walk in) or at least sneakers in the desert. Forget the sandals!

Also, even if it seems amusing and apparently easy to hike the dunes, walking in the sand is rather difficult. Hiking a sand dune may be a true challenge for a beginner. You will take a step forward and two steps back and have the feeling you are never approaching that top of the dune.

5. Don’t miss stopping at a nomads’ camp

Nomads stay in the mountains during summer when it’s hot, and come down to the desert in winter when it’s pleasant to live there. More likely than not you’ll book on the Moroccan desert tours that depart in autumn or spring when the temperatures are acceptable. In that case, nomad families with their goats and camels will be there, so make sure to ask your guide to stop in one of the camps along the way (or maybe make a short detour). Nomads usually settle near an oasis or a spring for a couple of months. This way, you will have the chance to get an insight into their lives and feel like you’re in a National Geographic documentary.

6. Don’t forget to enjoy the mint tea and traditional tajine

The Moroccan mint tea is a widespread tradition all over the country. You are offered hot tea in Berber villages in the High Atlas Mountains as well as in nomads’ camps in the desert. The hot tea rises your body’s temperature and helps it to adapt and resist the high temperatures. And that double spoon of sugar put in your glass of tea will give you more energy than you can imagine.

Besides the mint tea, the tajine is the most well known Moroccan traditional dish. Every region has its own tajine recipe but no matter where you eat it, it is cooked in a special ceramic pot that is shut close. The dish has a special taste when cooked on a wood fire in the desert. And if your guide is a true local, he will bake you a flatbread in the hot sand. You will be surprised to see how tasty this bread is.

Suggested next reading: 7 Stunning Locations You Need To Experience In Africa

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The Location:

Kyrgyzstan: a country of 6 million inhabitants nestled in the mountains of Central Asia. A land with a thousand-year history and a crossroads for civilizations and cultures on the Silk Road. For a long time under foreign domination, geographical isolation has nevertheless preserved its ancient nomadic culture. Kyrgyzstan is a pearl of rare brilliance that shines with its different legacies: Persian, Turkish, Mongolian and Russian. However, independent of the fall of the USSR in 1991, Kyrgyzstan has been scourged by years of ethnic and political conflicts, economic stagnation and rampant poverty.

A unique country where the sweet taste of beauty seems to be accompanied by the bitter aftertaste of fatality, as on the pristine shores of Lake Ysyk Köl where, just beyond it, looms the dominating mountain range of Tian Shan. A majestic place considered to be the historic epicenter of the Black Death which decimated Europe between 1347 and 1352. Here, as a tourist center in the Soviet era, the World Nomad Games—the games of the nomadic peoples—are held from 2014 on a biennial basis. An international event that carries out the mission of both protecting and reviving the traditions and identity of the peoples of Central Asia, through the strengthening of cultural ties between the participating nations. The idea, proposed in 2012 by the then president of the Kyrgyz Republic, Almazbek Atambayev, with the support of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, is an important showcase and an opportunity for tourism development within the whole country.

The History:

The first edition of the World Nomad Games took place from September 9th to 14th, 2014. 583 athletes from 19 countries competed in 10 sports. For a total spending of over 3 million dollars, the games were accompanied by a rich program of cultural festivities and entertainment events. The great interest the games generated pushed Kyrgyzstan to propose a second edition in 2016. Held from 3 to 8 September, it included a total of 23 sports and saw the participation of about 1000 athletes from 63 countries.

This year hosts the third edition, the World Nomad Games 2018, which takes place from the 2nd to the 8th of September. And this year is bigger than ever before: 80 participating nations, 3000 athletes and 36 sports from different disciplines of horse riding, dueling and other traditional games such as archery, hunting and strategy board games, etc.

The Mission:

The goal of the games is to revitalize the nomadic sports, giving them international relevance.

The competitions are held in different types of sports, such as Mas-wrestling, archery, or the ordo, in which bones are used.

But the most famous is the equestrian sports, in particular, the buzkashi or kokpar, a sort of central-Asian version of polo, with a notable difference: the aim is to reach the goal with the decapitated carcass of a goat.

More Than Sport:

But the World Nomad Games are not just about sport, it’s also a time to celebrate the cultural heritage and traditions of these peoples. Since the time of the Silk Road, the nomads have welcomed other cultures, while also sharing their own unique traditions with others.

Always in the spirit of cultural exchange, competitions are held for cooking and construction of yurts, the typical Asian mobile home among the various regions of Kyrgyzstan.

The aim of the games is not only to increase dialogue between cultures and to showcase disciplines that otherwise would not feature in other sports competitions, but also to help preserve the nomadic cultural heritage of Central Asia and Kyrgyzstan in an era of globalization. In this regard, in fact, a series of side events have accompanied and enriched the event. Within almost 300 yurts, you’re able to listen to music or attend traditional theatrical performances, fashion shows with clothes for both sexes, as well as a conference discussing the future of the nomadic civilization.

But, with the constantly expanding nature of the event, who knows what additional surprises will be in store this year at the World Nomad Games 2018!

A post shared by Улук (@ulukdzhorobekov) on Aug 1, 2018 at 10:43pm PDT

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The Essential Info:

When: September 2-8, 2018

Where: Cholpon Ata, Kyrgyzstan

Tickets: Tickets can be purchased through the World Nomad Games 2018 mobile app or by other trusted retailers. Different types of tickets are also available.

Price: from 8 dollars up to 90 dollars

Top Tips:

1. Book in advance – This is, obviously, one of the first things you should do to make sure you can attend the Word Nomad Games 2018! Book your tickets for the event first, book your flight and hotel afterward. As you’ll know, booking in advance also saves money and time, allows one to be more flexible, and will make for a smoother trip.

2. Have a plan – Use a map and don’t underestimate the distances—Kyrgyzstan is a big country—in order to get there on time for the events. Make sure to find nearby accommodation and figure out beforehand the easiest ways to move around the area. Schedule everything but try to get to the venue a little bit early in case there are any changes to the program.

3. Use public transportation – Relying on public transportations such as local buses that steadily go back and forth from the camp is the best option to keep things cheap and safe. In case you are forced to rely on taxis, ask for the price in advance.

4. Try to keep things authentic! – Experience authentic and traditional things by trying local foods and connecting with the local people. Kyrgyzstan is a unique place, so be sober yet open-minded.

5. Some basic Russian would be helpful – Unfortunately, English is not widely spoken in the area so a little phrasebook or translator app should be considered to avoid unpleasant misunderstandings and to always have a backup plan when things get tricky!

6. Pack for the right things! – Wear comfortable clothes to keep things relaxed and practical. Bring a mask or a bandana as dust is all over the place. Bring solar cream and make sure to stay hydrated!

We really hope you found this guide useful and enjoy your adventure at the upcoming World Nomad Games 2018!

Suggested next reading: Hiking Into The Clouds With The Hill Tribes Of Northern Vietnam

The post Your Ultimate Guide To The World Nomad Games 2018 appeared first on Modern Trekker.

Fortunately, however, the foreign imports ban has been lifted and Cubans can now hopefully look towards a more stable financial future. But, for one moment, let’s just appreciate these beautiful and classy cars in Cuba that make their average driver the envy of the entire world.

Classy Cars in Cuba

Will Cuba retain this glorious car tradition? Or will the advent of newer cars turn Cuba’s motoring industry into a clone of the rest of the world? Only time will tell! But we certainly know what we’re hoping for. All you classy cars in Cuba, we salute you!

Suggested next reading: The Perfect West American Road Trip For 2018

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Innovation

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re quite aware that Medellín used to be considered a dangerous city. In an attempt to revamp its image (quite successfully might I add), Medellín decided to become one of the most innovative cities, not only in South America, but in all the world. Today, the city is well known for their cable cars. The purpose was to make sure that everyone in Medellín had access to their metro systems, one of the only in South America. The cable cars reach more isolated, poorer neighborhoods that were previously underserved by public transportation. That’s also great for travelers since it allows visitors to see other areas of the city they might not have even considered visiting. One area that is now thriving thanks to the cable cars is Comuna 13. The neighborhood was once considered the most dangerous in the city, but today is home to a vibrant and growing community that is ready to welcome visitors with open arms. Comuna 13 has changed thanks to a lot of hard work and effort put in by locals. The area is now known for its creative scene, especially street art and break dancing. I highly recommend taking a street art tour, led by a local artist, to better understand the complex history of Comuna 13 and how they are paving the way for a better future.

A post shared by Iram Sadaf (@pitterpadder) on Jul 12, 2018 at 6:23pm PDT

Great Weather

There is a reason Medellín is called The City Of Eternal Spring. With year-round breezy temperatures, it’s no wonder that Medellín has become popular with snowbirds escaping the freezing cold. It’s rare to find air conditioning or even fans in any house in Medellín. While there is a fair amount of rain depending on the year, it sure beats snow found further north! To be honest, it’s one of the few places in the world that has year-round perfect temperatures. If you’re looking to escape the cold and can deal with some rain, Medellín is a great option.

Nature

For a large bustling city, Medellín has a surprising amount of nature in the surrounding area. A can’t miss nature area is Arvi Park. Located about 30 kilometers from the city center in the northeastern section of the city, Arvi Park is a gem hidden in the mountains. Easily accessible by cable car, the trip alone to the park is a scenic adventure (unless you’re scared of heights, then you’ll be wondering when you’ll be back on solid ground!) Once you arrive at the park, you have so many options of things to do. From hiking to camping to just hanging out and enjoying a picnic with friends, Arvi has something for everyone. For those that want a unique experience, I suggest checking out night hiking. Led by a bilingual tour guide, your led around the park after hours while they explain what animals and plants can be seen along with the history and culture of the area. The best part is you get an amazing view of Medellín lit up at night.

For those travelers that prefer the adventure of doing things by themselves, a hike to the top of Cerro de las Tres Cruces (Three Cross Hill) is almost mandatory. The hike is more intense than it seems and if you walk up near dusk, you get to watch the sunset behind Medellín’s hills. The view is incredible as the buildings take on a fiery orange hue. Lastly, at the top of the hill, is an outdoor workout park so if you enjoy working out, you’ll love Tres Cruces.

Salsa 

No trip to Colombia would be complete without at least a few salsa dancing classes (no reason to worry if you have two left feet.). Now, Cali may be the salsa dancing capital of the world, but don’t sleep on the scene in Medellín. No matter where you go in the city, you can find classes or clubs where you can salsa dance. Dancing, in general, is a big part of Medellín’s nightlife. I highly recommend visiting a local, authentic Colombian salsa bar called El Eslabon Prendido. It’s a small place, but the intimate setting makes learning to salsa only that much more fun. They offer salsa dance lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so if you’ve never tried salsa before, this is your time to learn.

A post shared by Corrientelatina Pilar Sánchez (@corrientelatinaradio) on Jan 6, 2018 at 12:00pm PST

Friendly Locals  

I’ve saved the best aspect of Colombia for last. It’s impossible to talk about Colombia without mentioning the friendly locals. In Medellín, locals are known as Paisas and they are some of the warmest, most welcoming people you’ll ever meet. Every time I meet someone that has traveled to Colombia, they always bring up the people and how nice they were. From sharing food to helping lost visitors with directions to just flashing a simple smile, Colombians local people are the highlight of the country. In my opinion, they are the greatest asset the country has and a big reason why the tourism industry has been booming in the past several years. I could write about them all day, but it’s best to go down to Medellín and see for yourself.

Suggested next reading: Why You Have To Go To Colombia This Year

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