Final Thoughts on my China Trip

It's hard to believe 5 weeks went by so quickly.  I remember landing in Hong Kong, and then on the Yangtze River cruise.  After that, all the places I visited were like a blur.  I pretty much stuck to my travel plan, except for not going to Guangzhou.  The trip had been more than I thought.  There were many highlights so I thought it'd be nice if I summarized them.

The Number One highlight has to be touching and taking picture with a 10-month old panda.  Not many people get the opportunity to do this and I wasn't even expecting to be able to do it.

The other highlights, in no particular order, are:

1. Cruising on the Yangtze River, then seeing the Three Gorges Dam
2. Traveling on the Silk Road - understanding its impact on history
3. Visiting Jiuzhaigou and Huanlong in Sichuan
4. Riding a camel in Dunhuang
5. Seeing the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian with my own eyes
6. Admiring the karst landscape in Guilin
7. Visiting Macau for the first time.
8. Tasting the freshest lychee in Hong Kong

What are some regrets on the trip?  I wish I spent more time in Chengdu and Xian.  Chengdu was recently voted the Most Livable City in China by the Asian Development Bank:  Most Livable City in China  It's not as intimidating as a big city like Chongqing and the people there are known to be quite laid-back.  It's centrally located in China so it's easy to get to some of beautiful places in Yunnan and Tibet.   I also wish I had an extra day or two in Guilin, to explore the country side.

Overall, I am very happy with my trip.  It takes a little getting used to traveling in China, even for a seasoned traveler like me.  You have to be constantly on the lookout for the traffic.  People in China are not as courteous and they talk loudly.  If you've never used a squat toilet, you will have plenty of opportunities.  Oh yes, the toilets are not the cleanest but they are much better than they used to be.

Am I planning on more trips in China?  Absolutely.  Places that I like to explore are Yunnan and Tibet.  I heard a lot of good things about places in Yunnan:  Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, etc.  The scenery in the countryside is absolutely gorgeous.  Tibet - it sounds like such a mysterious place and yes, it is part of China, but not China.  Well, I am almost ready for my next trip.  Thanks for reading my blog.