Hangzhou, China

If you are looking for a country that blends the touristy vibe and is jammed packed with history – visit Hangzhou, China. Hangzhou is known as the Silk City and the tea capital of China, making it perfect for those that are all about smooth hair and sexy sheets, you have to visit! To add to the relaxing nature of this ancient city is that anyone can visit for six days without a travellers visa. 

The best time to visit this awe-inspiring city is in the autumn and spring. However, I will admit that I’m biased towards visiting it in autumn. This is because my personal favourite place to visit is West Lake. While recognized as a world heritage site, the lake also boasts amazing scenery. In addition, there are a ton of pagodas, temples and Phoenix Mountain located on the 8,210 acres that surround the lake.

Another place that I highly recommend you chaleco out is the Hangzhou Botanical Garden! There were so many sections in this garden; the Botany Classification Garden, the Botany Appreciation Garden, the Bamboo Garden, the Garden of Economic Plants, the Plant Resources Museum, and the Medicinal Garden. While I didn’t have a chance to visit all of the sections, my favourite was the Bamboo Garden. If I’m being honest, it’ll probably take a couple of days to explore every section thoroughly.

While food anywhere in Asia is a gift to adventurous eaters, there are some goodies in Hangzhou for my not so adventurous eaters. The best thing by far was the Beggars Chicken. While it looks a little odd (like clay), the flavour is amazing, and the dish was pleasantly heavy. If you are looking to snack while you explore – the dining etiquette is perfect for you.

Along the canal where the weather is perfect you will find stalls, and restaurants that offer an array of light dishes that are too numerous to list. However, the best thing I tried was a cup of Longjing tea. This cuppa lives up to its title of being “the best tea in China”. I highly recommend it!

If you’d like to explore another city outside of Hangzhou, you can hop on a train to Shanghai. While the ride is about an hour long, you’ll be able to see more of this country’s wonderful landscape. However, if you are looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle there are several exciting water towns to explore.

While more well known, the Nansen Water Town, beautiful and thankfully less crowded. This area will have you feeling that you’ve travelled back through history! While you are in awe of what surrounds you, keep in mind some of the activities that the locals offer – for instance made my own Chinese writing brush! How cool is that?

Now, I asked around and I was recommended to go to the Little Lotus Garden. The best time to visit this garden is in the summer, when all the blooms are blooming but it was breathtaking even in the fall.