Category: Travel

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Another charming little guest house in Kyoto

kyoto-house2

For the past few years, my wife and I have made it a point to take our son to Kyoto for an annual family holiday. Two years ago, we stayed in a gorgeous, 2-story, one bedroom machiya in Gion. Last year, we decided (since our little boy is growing up) to go for a two bedroom house. After much Internet searching, we settled on a cute 2-story, two bedroom machiya just south of Gojo Dori, right by the Kamo River.

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Four great Chinese restaurants in Shanghai

Fu He Hui

A few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of speaking at an F&B conference held at Yancheng Lake, a little resort area a few hours outside of Shanghai. My hosts, the fine folks from the FRHI hotel group, offered to host my wife and I for a few nights at the absolutely stunning Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, if, that was, I wanted to stay for the weekend, and if she wanted to fly in for a quick holiday.

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A very nice couple of days in Shanghai

Institut Paul BocuseShanghai is my very favourite city in China, and I’d even go as far to say that I prefer it to Hong Kong in many ways. As some of you would have read from Joanna’s posts, Shanghai is indeed a city that is full of much yet-unexplored discoveries and is perpetually brimming with energy, and I like to find any excuse to visit.  When it’s for work, it’s usually in and out, with hopefully a nice meal or two squeezed in. When it’s play, I often zero in on a few choice destinations. During a recent play visit over a long weekend, I visited my usual fave spots, and explored a couple of new ones.

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Top 5 things to do, see, eat in Xi’An China  

Muslim Quarter, Xi An, ChinaFor any traveller to China, Xi ‘An is a must. But there’s more than just being on the Silk Road and the Terracotta Warriors to get excited about. In this 3,000 year old city, historic sites abound and live in juxtaposition with today’s modern city of 8 million residents. Modern Xi’An consists of one of China’s top universities and a vibrant Muslim Quarter. Historic Xi’An combines a roster of historic buildings (UNESCO World Heritage even) that describe and illuminate life during the time of imperial dynasties as well as sites that mark one of the first cities in Chinese civilization.