To anyone who is not fussed about pandas we would recommend a trip to Chengdu. Although the panda is a flagship more than a keystone vulnerable species the panda research centre cannot fail to win you over. It's clean enclosures without bars allow you to see relaxing pandas close up without feeling like you may be stressing them out. They are so cute, especially the 5 baby pandas we were blessed to see (some years there are no baby pandas, this year there are more than the 5 we saw). The red pandas are arguably more adorable, the enclosure they are in has a walk-through path, the pandas cross in front of you, and if you are an unlucky tourist, they might nibble your shoes.

Chengdu is also famous for its food. Sichuan cuisine is notorious for its spicy heat and when we braved a hotpot, we were terrified by how many chillies were poured in for us to "enjoy". Fortunately, though, as we had asked for mild, the heat was bearable, though still very hot by our standards. The flavour was great and yet again, Chinese food is something we can whole heartedly recommend.

Keen to learn how to emulate this back home, we signed up for a cooking class, with a tour of a local market. It was great fun and we learnt a lot, like the Sichuan peppercorn is used particularly for its numbing qualities. We cooked a total of three dishes and were sent recipes for a lot more. When we get back to the UK, we will certainly be expanding our spice collection if we can find them.