Big Cities

I tended to enjoy the larger, crazy, and energetic cities, at least in short three-to-four-day bursts. Ho Chi Minh City epitomised this. Life there is abuzz, but community centred. I felt instantly at home amidst the chaos.

Kaja preferred the smaller and/or more chilled cities. Yerevan is compact and relaxed, even though it’s the Armenian capital. This city is fairly walkable, has fantastic food, and is set against the awe-inspiring backdrop of Mount Ararat.

Chongqing lived up to its nickname of the 8D magic city. I’ve wanted to visit for two decades and finally being able to witness the city of incredible infrastructure on the banks of the middle Yangtze was everything I’d hoped for.

Beijing was our entry into China and had therefore had the wow-factor of a new country, despite not really having a defined centre. What is does have is an incredible array of cultural and historical sites within the city and others, such as the Great Wall, nearby.

This wasn’t my first visit to Istanbul and it’s rare that I revisit something with the same appetite. However, the city of two continents was just as thrilling to explore today, as days of drinking coffee and eating snacks with locals turned into watching sunsets over the Bosphorus.

Hangzhou was the most chilled mega-city in China. Walking around West Lake and drinking tea in the middle of the plantations felt far removed from Hong Kong and Shanghai which we visited either side.

Smaller cities/towns

Honourable mention: Dali

Luang Prabang was our first stop after 3 months in China. As much as we’d loved our time there, being transported into Laos felt reinvigorating. I couldn’t take the smile off my face as we wandered around frangipani-lined temples, watched sunsets whilst drinking from coconuts on the Mekong, and ate incredible street food from the night market accompanied by Beer Lao.

Hoi An is almost unique in Vietnam in that the centre is car free. This makes the colourful old town beautifully walkable and extends Vietnamese street food into a café culture.

Shaxi felt authentic amongst many ‘old towns’ in China which were in fact re-creations. The pretty cobbled streets carried the charm of the ancient Tea Horse Road. At night, the tastefully lit streets felt like the perfect late night at a festival, as chilled music escaped from relaxed bars.

Sheki, the Silk Road town in northwestern Azerbaijan, was an oasis of calm. Shebeki architectural highlights such as the Palace of the Sheki Khans sat nestled into the lower foothills of the Caucasus mountains. We stayed in a wonderful homestay with fresh bread and produce eaten every morning in the courtyard.

Dali old town, in Yunnan province of China like Shaxi, is situated at altitude on the western banks of the sacred Lake Erhai. Again, food was a definite highlight (more to come on that in a future blog!) and was home to the only market we really enjoyed exploring. Sunrises and sunset from the hotel roof, as well as New Years’ fireworks were incredible. Also, there were more golden retrievers than anywhere else on the trip!