Our plan was to travel by train between major points within China. This never actually transpired. A whole host of airlines now offer cheap one way tickets for around £30, turning a marathon 20 hour train ride into a short haul 90 minute flight. Xian followed our Panda extravaganza. The terra-cotta Army being the main tourist pull. 2,000 of these 1.8m tall fellows have been unearthed since 1974, when farmers digging a well stumbled across them. It is belie...

Our travels brought us to Chengdu, five hours further west than otherwise necessary, for one reason alone - to visit the worlds largest Giant Panda breeding research facility. And the journey was more than worth it.The first day of Spring had arrived, sun shining and warm temperatures making a surprise appearance. We headed for the site and promptly became lost within the expansive grounds. We knew feeding time was early and that shortly after the ...

This week has been intense. It is quite difficult to know where to start. Perhaps the beginning? Having peeled out of Shanghai on a flight to Wuhan, we arrived in a town previously unregistered on our map. The population a mere 8.9 million. Tasks that appear to be simple on paper, are not. Travelling in China is tough. Make absolutely no mistake about it. Possibly the hardest place either of us has been. There is no risk to personal safety, nor your belongings to...

Bullfrog, Mixed Feet, Ox Intestine, or Cattle D**k - the choice is yours. At least it was ours as we headed out for dinner the other night. Shanghai has offered us as much in the way of fresh experiences. We take our hats off to anywhere that can make us sit up and take notice after so long on the road. Where to start? We are British, so the weather. Its cold. What else. This isn't meant to sound negative in any way, but the Chinese do lack in the manners dep...

Picture this. 4:00. Koh Samui, Thailand. The latest addition to the team, a cheap Thai clock, joins forces with old faithful from Peru. Together they buzz and rattle us into consciousness. Showered, cargo packed (baggage sounds a little understated) the patio door to our beach side accommodation swings open. Hot balmy air hits us as we stumble toward our waiting mini-van. Mario Andretti at the wheel, we swerve a radius ark around the island to Nathon Pier where o...