Captured Abroad

China – Guilin to Beijing

A month long tourist visa is barely enough to see even a fraction of Chinas many highlights. From its incredibly diverse cultures, amazing food, spectacular mountains and cities that sprawl seemingly endlessly in order to contain the world’s largest population as well as the second largest economy in the world, there’s a lot to enjoy. A fairly straight forward route when arriving from Vietnam can take you through the popular tourist region of Guilin, then onto some seriously stunning mountains and national parks, before heading to the modern Shanghai, the most populated city in the world, and then onward to the history and culture rich Beijing. From Beijing there is of course the mandatory trip out to the most iconic symbol of the country, the Great Wall.

Yunyang rice fields

Yangshuo town

Yangshuo lookout

Kid waving the Chinese flag at Tiananmen square

Street games in Shanghai

Skyline in Shanghai

The Shanghai Bund bull

Rickshaw driver in Beijing

Rickshaws in Beijing

For sale

Mt Lushan town

Mt Lushan three step waterfall

Huangshan – “Yellow Mountain”

Huangshan “Yellow Mountain”

Great Wall of China under moonlight

Great Wall of China

Rafting past the Dragon bridge, Yulong river

Wedding business – Bejing

Flag burning prevention – Tiananmen square

Testing the boundaries – Tiananmen square, Beijing

Blind busker in Bejing

Bamboo writting

Boating down the Yangshuo river

Tags: backpacking, beijing, China, guilin, li river, lushan, mountains, river cruise, shanghai, tiananmen square, travel, yangshou, yangshuo, yuangshan, Zhōngguó, 中华人民共和国, 中国

Vietnam – DnButterfly (Video Post)

To mix up the usual photo posts, here’s a video of some butterflies in Cuc Phuong National Park dancing to the unlikely sound of Drum ‘n Bass. A few minutes into the video you’ll see a slide show of some existing photos, with a few new ones thrown in as a hint of what’s to come. Enjoy.

Click HERE to watch in HD (720p)

Tags: backpacking, cat ba, cat cat village, ha long bay, hill tribe, island, lao chai, ninh binh, rice field, sa pa, sapa, sapa town, tam coc, Thị xã Sa Pa, travel, Việt Nam, Vietnam

Vietnam – North

While you may experience some lingering post war resentment as a westerner travelling through northern Vietnam, the countries raw beauty and established tourism industry help to put that all aside. Exploring the scenic karst formations by sea in Ha long bay or by land and river in Tam Coc, hiking through the mountains in the north such as the hill tribe regions around Sapa, or just cruising around the country by motorbike are great ways of experiencing the best of the countries landscapes as well as absorbing the various ways of Vietnamese life. Of course no visit to Vietnam is complete without indulging in the cheap bia hoi (draught beer) on street corners in the likable old quarter in the capital, Hanoi.

Smile! Tam Coc – Ninh Binh

Boating down Tam Coc in Ninh Binh

Boating down Tam Coc in Ninh Binh

Rice field in Tam Coc, Ninh Binh

Cat Ba Island – Ha Long Bay

Cat Ba Island – Ha Long Bay

Port at Cat Ba Island – Ha Long Bay

Cat Ba Island – Ha Long Bay

Fisherman in Ha Long Bay

Ubiquitous south east asian monkeys on Monkey Island – Ha Long Bay

Typical clothing for women on scooters, Ha Noi

Sapa Town

Sapa hill tribe women

School in Giang Ta Chai, Sapa

Red Zao women in Lao Chai

Performance in Sapa Town

Local boy in Ta Phin village

Fishing In Laos Chai, Sapa

Ducks racing for food in Sapa

Cat Cat village, Sapa

Boy in Lao Chai village, Sapa

Tags: backpacking, cat ba, cat cat village, hill tribe, lao chai, ninh binh, tam coc, Thị xã Sa Pa, travel, Việt Nam, Vietnam

Laos – Pi Mai in Vientiane (New year celebration)

Laos new years from April 14-16 is a great time to visit the country, with its water festival that encourages a contagious mixture of cheerfulness and cheekiness, spurred on by the constant flow of water and endless supply of Beer Laos. Jumping on the back of a truck filled with a dozen locals dancing, shouting “Saibadee Pi Mai” (happy new year), and throwing buckets of water, is a trip highlight of many lucky enough to take part in the local celebrations. The festivities lasts a few days longer than the official three days, and is most intense in major cities such as Luang Prabang and the capital, Vientiane.