I wasn’t planning anything special for Thanksgiving, but two weeks of -10c average daytime temperatures in Champaign ignited the need to escape to warmer climates and so – way past last minute – I begun looking for cheap tickets and

Boston Trip Summary & Itinerary : Massachusetts
To kickoff my move from Hong Kong to the United States last year, I chose Boston to be my first stop in the USA. With top universities like Harvard and MIT (and many others) and the many years since I

Chicago Visit Summary & Suggested 5D4N Itinerary
Chicago is perhaps one of the nicest urban surprises I’ve had in recent years. Coming in for a conference visit I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect but Chicago has far exceeded any expectations I had. May provided me with

Beijing : Visit Summary & Suggested 4D3N Itinerary
I finally made it to Beijing. It took over three years of living in Hong Kong but it finally happened, and I have my father to thank for that. Beijing was our last stop in a trip that started in

Beautiful Xiamen : Trip Summary & Suggested Itinerary
Xiamen was a very pleasant surprise. It’s not too crowded, quite tourist friendly, very well developed, and has a special charm which combines the scenic beauty of a coastal city with lots of colonial and regional history. To summarize

Shanghai Trip : 5 Days Travel Itinerary
Shanghai’s a whole different China. It’s what modern China looks like – fast paced, hectic, ever growing – constantly evolving, with a unique blend of contrasting cultural aromas that make it almost impossible for the temp tourist to understand. I’ve

Taipei City : 7 Days Trip Suggested Travel Itinerary
Taipei is one of my favorite cities. Can’t really explain why, but it was love at first sight and what got me hooked up on wanting to live in Taiwan and get to know more about Taiwanese culture. Over the

Dubrovnik–Croatia : Best of the Balkans
Dubrovnik, a quick detour to Croatia half an hour from the border with Montenegro, is one of the most impressive cities I’ve had the pleasure of visiting recently. What a gorgeous place! A modernly renovated historical old city set next

Chinese Tourism in Israel–Interview
The Israeli channel 2 morning show recently featured an interview with an English speaking Chinese tour-guide who takes mainland Chinese groups to visit Israel. The short interview provides some insights into how the Chinese see Israel and offers some curious

Hong Kong Wetland Park
The Hong Kong Wetland Park is a bizarre combination of nature and museum concrete in a way that only Hong Kong can pull off successfully. Located at Tin Shui Wan, close to the HK Shenzhen border, far away from where