China

So, you think you know Chinese food? The ubiquitous cuisine we in the west consider to be Chinese accounts for only a tiny percentage of the vast array of dishes represented by this huge country’s many regions.

Officially the biggest golf club on the planet by Guinness World Records in 2004 – replacing the historic Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina – this golf course and luxury resort has become the unofficial center of all things golf in the country, with CEO and Chairman, Dr. Ken Chu, commonly referred to as China’s “Mr. Golf.”

There’s something about Gansu province plains that, put simply, fits – the timbre of the wind on a rumbling sky, the expanse of greenery with the occasional firework of floral color, grassland dotted with life.

It was as though I had stumbled into another world when I visited the Zhangjiajie Scenic Area in China’s Hunan province.

I recently took a trip to Yunnan, upon which I did as I always do, and strayed as far off the tourist trail as possible. What followed were some of the most incredible memories I’ve ever made in China.

Kashgar, an ancient Silk Road gateway tucked into China’s far west corner, doesn’t boast a huge number of tourist attractions. But for me, it was a city brought to life by its people…

I recently spent some time in Urumqi and discovered that though the city itself is somewhat plain, there are some truly beautiful sights just a short distance away

Those on a quest to discover the ancient Silk Road often make stops in Dunhuang, Urumqi, and Kashgar, all oases on the ancient trade route, but none with as much to offer as Turpan.

Step back in history a few thousand years, when the Silk Road was first established and you’ll find Dunhuang at the crossroads of the Northern and Southern route

I’ve dreamt of taking a road trip along the Karakoram Highway since the early 90s. On a recent trip to Kashgar, China’s westernmost city, I finally got my chance…

I have been fortunate enough to have seen a lot of picturesque scenery in my life all over the world, but few places can compare with the breathtaking Longsheng rice terraces north of Guilin…

I am a self-confessed panda junkie. Seeing pandas in a zoo does not suffice for me, and I had always wanted to personally interact with these adorable creatures – to touch and feed and play with a panda…