This website is a place in the virtual world to share my travel experiences from the real world. I’m Canadian but have been living in China for a long time and have been fortunate to travel widely throughout China and neighbouring countries in Asia, as well as Africa. My favourite travel destinations in China are in the northwest (Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu) and the southwest (Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou). Xinjiang is undoubtedly my favourite amongst these, not least because it borders several Central Asian countries (Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan), as well as India and Pakistan.

Central Asia, which includes China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (a region of China more geographically and culturally linked to Central Asia than the rest of China) is probably my favourite region in the world in which to travel. I love high and remote mountain ranges and deserts, which Central Asia has in abundance (think the mighty Taklamakan desert and the Kunlun, Karakorum, Hindu Kush, Pamir and Tianshan ranges). I also love the dizzying cultural and ethnic diversity of the region, as well as it’s long and complex history as a major junction on the Eurasian landmass.

The “Silk Road”, a term not coined until the late 19th century, is closely associated with Central Asia. While it may conjure up images of camel trains loaded with Chinese silk crossing the great deserts and mountain ranges of Central Asia, the “Silk Road” (or Route) was not one “road” but a network of trade routes carrying not just silk but myriad technologies, religions, peoples, armies and ideas, in both directions across the Eurasian landmass. Most of these trade routes passed through Central Asia, linking China and the rest of East Asia with Inner Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Central Asia’s geographical location at the centre of the Eurasian landmass, which constitutes 36.2% of the earth’s total land area and is home to 70% of humanity, gave it tremendous strategic, cultural and economic importance for many thousands of years.

I also have somewhat of an obsession with crossing international borders by land, especially those between China and the 14 countries it borders. In fact, China borders more countries than any other country in the world. In clockwise order these are:  Mongolia, Russia, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.  If one includes, de facto self-governing territories, city-states and “mini-states” (those that while not enjoying de jure sovereignty are de facto independent by virtue of controlling their own borders and domestic policies) this list expands to arguably 21 neighbours (i.e. Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong and the four “Special Regions” of eastern Myanmar that border China’s Yunnan province).

I’ve already visited most of these countries and self-governing territories but hope to visit all of them someday and hopefully cross one or more of the international borders they share with China. For certain countries, this would be quite difficult and/or very much illegal. For instance, China’s borders with Bhutan, India, Afghanistan, and eastern Myanmar’s four “Special Regions”  are either currently sealed or off-limits to “third country nationals” (TCNs).

If you have any questions about any of the places shown on this website (ie, how to travel there yourself), feel free to contact me anytime! Enjoy the site!