Best Boutique Hotels in Lhasa, Tibet, China
The first time I stepped out of Lhasa airport, the thin air hit me like a wall — and then the view of the Potala Palace glowing at dusk rewired…
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Best Resorts in Sanya, Hainan, China
When travelers ask me about the easiest place in mainland China to combine a serious tropical beach holiday with world-class service, I always point them to Sanya. Tucked at the…
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Best Hotels in Jiayuguan, Gansu, China
Jiayuguan is the kind of stop travelers overlook on a map and remember for years afterward. This is the western terminus of the Great Wall, where the Ming dynasty’s ramparts…
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Rawu Lake Guide, Tibet, China
The first time our driver rounded a bend on the Sichuan–Tibet highway and Rawu Lake opened up below us, the whole van went silent. A sheet of glacial water the…
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Rongbuk Monastery Guide, Tibet, China
There is a moment on the road from Shegar to the Everest region of Tibet, China, when the Himalayas suddenly line up like teeth, and at the end of that…
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Family-Friendly Stays in China: Room Types, Cribs and Kid Practicalities
On a trip with a three-year-old and a six-year-old, I learned that the most important thing about a Chinese family room is not the room but the floor below it….
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Sakya Monastery Guide, Tibet, China
The first time our guide pulled the car off the dusty road south of Shigatse, Tibet, China, and pointed at a walled grey fortress on the plain, I thought we…
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Best Time to Visit Tibet, China: Seasons, Festivals and Permits
The first time I stepped out of the Lhasa, Tibet, China airport, the altitude hit me like a soft wall — a faint breathlessness, a brighter sky than I had…
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China Karst Landscape Guide: Guilin, Zhangjiajie and Yangshuo Peaks
The first time I drifted down the Li River at dawn, the limestone peaks rose from the mist like teeth from a green gum, and our boat’s only sound was…
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China Village Travel Guide: Ancient Towns and Rural Escapes
The first time I slept in a Chinese ancient town, I woke at 5am to the sound of a wooden boat pole tapping the canal and a grandmother sweeping stone…
