Dear GoMad Nomad, I am wondering if you can advise me on good places to visit in China, off the beaten path, where the prices are low, the people are friendly, the women are beautiful, and the scenery is breathtaking. Sincerely, Symour in Pasaic Dear Symour, Great timing on this one—I’m in the middle […]
Ask GoMad Nomad: Where to go in China Read More »
A Walk through Lijiang China It’s not easy to navigate the streets of Lijiang’s old town. Timeworn cobbled streets follow steams, bending over ancient stone bridges forming a centuries-old maze. Lijiang is the capital of the Naxi Kingdom, set beneath the spiky Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The Naxi are an ethnic group descended from the
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This video was filmed in February 2012. It was made together with Juno Kim of RunawayJuno.com. We paused in Luang Prabang for a couple of weeks on a trip through China, Laos, and Vietnam. I think it captures the essence of this tranquil city on the Mekong. If you enjoyed the video, please share with
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By Stephen Bugno Despite inflation and inflated expenses for travelers, Laos is still an inexpensive place to travel. I started this series with: What it costs to travel in Malaysia. I wanted to give independent travelers an idea of the costs associated with traveling in individual countries because it can be extremely helpful during the
What it Costs: A Day of Travel in Laos Read More »
Some specialties of Guangxi Province China is a foodie’s utopia—the regional diversity of offerings is outstanding. Although it can’t compete with the powerhouse food regions like Sichuan, Beijing, or Guangdong, Guangxi Province still had some interesting food culture to investigate. Guangxi Province is located in southern China, west of Hong Kong and Macau. It’s most
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A stroll around the Confucian Academy of Jianshui is a serene experience. I visited the day before the Chinese New Year, and the streets of the city were erupting in a constant state of exploding fire crackers. But at the Confucian academy, inside the giant walls that surround this 7.5 hectare complex, a state of
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I started a series last year to try to describe to readers what it’s actually like in selected cities worldwide. Too often travel writers highlight points of touristic interest or glamorize a destination only to elevate it beyond its reality. That is their job: to sell destinations. I wanted to go beyond that and tell
What it’s like in: Luang Prabrang, Laos Read More »
View of the Yulong River from Dragon Bridge By Stephen Bugno The karst surrounding Guilin in southern China is famous throughout the world. These limestone mountains have been immortalized in Chinese scroll painting and on the back of the 20 Yuan bank note (used by one-fifth of humanity). Many travelers and tourists prefer to base
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One of the most popular ways to soak up the scenery of Guangxi Province is to take a bamboo raft down the Li River. Yangdi is the preferred starting place and the new fee structure starting January 1st, 2012 requires a 118 RMB (US $19) fee which includes a spot on a four-seat bamboo raft.
Photo of the Week: Rafting on the Li River near Yangshuo Read More »
The shops are all closed up. There’s hardly any foot traffic or cars on the streets. Red lanterns hung around the city add to the atmosphere. But the most noticeable way to tell it’s the Eve of Chinese New Year is by the excessive and near constant explosions of firecrackers. Children light them off. So
Celebrating Chinese New Year in China Read More »
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