japan/china 2019
On my second visit to Asia, I got to visit two countries: Japan and China. Ben’s Grandpa still lives in China – Shaoxing to be exact. So when his family decided to visit, I tagged along. Any trip to anywhere in Asia from NYC warrants at least two weeks, since it’s such a long flight.…
10 foods you should say, “ni hao” to in china
I wish I got the chance to try a lot more food but unfortunately, we were only in China for about five days. As with any country, China has its regional cuisines (I highly recommend watching, “Flavorful Origins” on Netflix to learn more about Chaoshan and Yunnan cuisines). Being that China is one of the…
6 things i learned in the 5 days i spent in china
Credit cards (and cash) are not widely accepted. Not even McDonald’s in the Shanghai train station accepted credit cards. The main form of payment is via AliPay or WeChat app where it’s either linked to a credit card, or you pre-load money onto it and it works like a debit card. Weather at the end…
7 things you should know if you’re applying for a china visa
If you’re planning to visit China, you’ll need a Visa. There are different forms you can select from, depending on the reason for your visit and the length of your stay. Here are some things to keep in mind before you apply: Download and complete the correct form (typed, in caps) prior to your visit…
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how to be a tourist in shanghai
Get a view of the Shanghai skyline at The Bund – if you don’t want to pay for a 360-view in one of the many observation decks, the Bund offers a fantastic (free) view of the skyline – especially if you go at night. I’m sure daytime views has its perks but all the buildings Read more
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how to be a tourist in shaoxing
Shaoxing is located 1.5 to 2 hours (by train ride) south of Shanghai. We visited the town since we were visiting Ben’s Grandpa. It’s not a major city in China so most tourists traveling to China probably would not be adding this town to their itineraries. But should you find yourself in Shaoxing, these are Read more
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31 foods you should say konnichiwa to in japan
Not an exhaustive list but these are some of the things I got the chance to try. I didn’t love everything I ate but I feel like if you’re visiting a foreign country, you might as well try it. As Andrew Zimmern would say, “If it looks good, eat it!” Sushi – I feel like Read more
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9 things i learned in the 7 days i spent in japan
1. Weather in mid-March is pretty mild. It’s not like March in NYC, when you might still need a coat. In Tokyo/Kyoto, you just need a light spring jacket, and perhaps a scarf. It does get chilly at night so make sure you’re prepared for that. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch some cherry blossoms at this Read more
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flying ana
ANA, or All Nippon Airways, to Japan is like Delta to the United States. However, if you compare the two airlines, it is no contest. ANA is better than Delta by 1000%. We flew ANA from Tokyo to Shanghai. It was a 3.5 hour flight that took off at 10 pm (Shanghai is one hour Read more
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how to be a tourist in kyoto
Let me just preface this post by saying that two days in Kyoto is definitely not enough. We had only about a week in Japan but didn’t want to stay in Tokyo the whole time, so we chose Kyoto for the last two days – mainly because I wanted to visit the deer park and Read more
how to be a traveler 