China (Guangzhou, Panyu, Chaozhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Nanjing County & Huizhou) Dec 2014

Just WALK & WALK ! Walking is fine !

Chasing my dream,
The day is bright & sunny

My China days - I yell & yell !

" In free & easy travelling, it is easy to walk & walk; talk & talk. But to realise your dreams, you have to walk the talk " 

" If you enjoy limbo rock, the tagline is how low can you go. But if you enjoy travelling, ask yourself  how far can you go " 

" Working LIFE is a marathon. Traveling LIFE is a walkathon. 

" My 12 days traveling free & easy with my wife to Southern China (Guangzhou, Panyu, Chaozhou, Xiamen, Nanjing County, Fuzhou & Huizhou) - revisiting southern China from 5-16/12/2014 during the early winter month "

Travel itnerary: Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) > Guangzhou > Panyu >Guangzhou > Chaozhou > Xiamen > Fuzhou > Xiamen > Nanjing County > Xiamen > Huizhou > Guangzhou > Kuala Lumpur

Total cost incurred (12 days): Rm1,063 + CNY1,503 = Rm1,898 (US$548)

Air Asia Ticket: Rm636.80 ( KL > Guangzou return)
Airport taxi & bus: Rm74
Hotels (11 nights-twin bed): Rm353 + CNY164 per pax
Food & groceries (12 days): CNY418
Transport: CNY720
Day tour (Nanjing Tulou): CNY168
Entrance fees: CNY33
Exchange rates: US$1=Rm3.46 (Ringgit Malaysia); Euro$1=Rm4.40; CNY$1=Rm0.556
Bus (long distance): Total CNY309
Guangzhou>Chaozhou: CNY145
Chaozhou>Xiamen: CNY100
Huizhou>Guangzhou: CNY64
High speed train: Total CNY265
Xiamen>Fuzhou> Xiamen: CNY65 + CNY65
Xiamen>Huizhou: CNY135
Ferry/metro/taxi/city bus: CNY146

Travel Highlights :

Map of  Guangdong Province, China

Map of Fujian Province, China

My wife enjoys coming to southern China during the winter months. So here I am with my wife, taking a short holiday to 7 southern cities in Guangdong & Fujian enjoying the cool weather ranging from 5-16c, slightly colder this year. 

Though I had previously visited Guangzhou, Xiamen & Chaozhou, this was my wife's first visit to Chaozhou & Xiamen and my first to Panyu, Nanjing county (Tulou), Fuzhou & Huizhou. My wife too enjoyed the high speed train rides, her first experience in China !

After this China visit, my wife is keen to visit Sichuan (Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou), Shaanxi (Xian) & Chongqing (Yangtze River cruise) during the autumn months so I am planning a visit for her in Oct 2015. I too is excited about it though I had visited these places in recent years.

How TIME has flown ! In another few day's time, we will be kissing bye bye to 2014 and I look forward to another exciting year in 2015 pursuing my own travel dreams ! LIFE is never easy for those who dream ! But dreams give us hope.

" LIFE & TIME are the world's best teachers. LIFE teaches us to make use of TIME. TIME teaches us the value of LIFE "

Wishing you all a Merry Merry Christmas & a happy New Year in 2015, a year of the goat, sheep & ram! A new year, a new beginning !!!

Ushering 2015, a year of the goat

Guangzhou, Guangdong province

Panyu, Guangdong Province

Chaozhou, Guangdong Province

Xiamen, Fujian Province

Nanjing County - Fujian Tulou

Fuzhou, Fujian Province

Huizhou, Guangdong Province

Words of wisdom on health - " Instead of inviting people for a treat to eat, why not inviting people for a treat to sweat ! Sweating helps prevent cancer " 

China (Xiamen, Fujian) Dec 2014

Map of Xiamen, Fujian, China

Total cost incurred (5 days): Rm175.40 + CNY427
Hotel (Jinjiang Inn-4 nights) : Rm175.40 per pax (twin bed)
Food: CNY138
Transport (high speed train): CNY65 (Xiamen > Fuzhou South); CNY135 (Xiamen North > Huizhou)
Entrance fee: CNY25 (Hulisan Fort)
Ferry: CNY35 (Gulangyu Island)
City bus: CNY29

My last visit to Xiamen was in Sept 2014. For this visit, we spend a total of 4 nights in Xiamen given that this city is quite close to the Fujian tulou - one of the target places we intend to visit. 

As I am pretty familiar with the public transport in Xiamen, ie city & BRT buses, so I had the opportunity to play the role of a local tour guide taking my wife to several touristy places around Xiamen ie Gulangyu, Nan Putou Temple, Pearl Bay, Hulisan Fort, Zhongsan Lu walking street, Taiwanese Food Street etc. 

It was in Xiamen tourist ferry & bus terminal that we picked up a number of tour brochures offering day tour packages to several Fujian tulou places in Yongding & Nanjing county. So on our return trip from Fuzhou, we set aside one full day & sign up a local day tour package (CNY168) from our hotel to Yun Shui Yao & Fujian tulou. This saved time & money if we were to venture on our own to these remote villages. 

The hotel (Jinjiang Inn, Hexing West Road- CNY156 twin bed) I stayed is within walking distance from the Hubin Long Distance bus station and also near the BRT Ersi station. So this hotel is ideal for first timers visiting Xiamen. City buses are cheap - CNY1 per ride and CNY3 for BRT buses. However the Xiamen north railway station (high speed train) is about 1 hr ride by BRT buses from the Xiamen city centre. The BRT 1 bus express starts from Diyi Matou station and ends in Xiamen North railway station - passing a total of 22 stations along the BRT bus route.

Xiamen has a new International cruise terminal and for CNY35 a ticket, tourists can take a ferry and enjoy a 20 mins ride to Gulangyu and spend the entire day or stay overnight on the island. 

1) Ferry ride from International Cruise Terminal > Gulangyu Island, Xiamen, Fujian

Xiamen International Cruise Terminal

2) Gulangyu Island, Xiamen, Fujian

Sanquitian Jetty / Plaza

Gulangyu food street

3) Hulisan Fort, Xiamen, Fujian

4) Pearl Bay, Xiamen, Fujian

5) Nan Putuo Temple, Xiamen, Fujian

6) Taiwanese Small Eat Street, Xiamen, Fujian

My set lunch in Xiamen
Mushroom chicken clay pot style

7) Zhongsan Lu, Xiamen, Fujian