Malaysia Beauty Travel and Lifestyle Blog

Celebrating My 50th Birthday in Eastern China: A Soulful Escape to Hangzhou, Hongchun & Qiandaohu Turning 50 wasn’t just a milestone! It was a whisper from my soul to pause, breathe, and wander somewhere poetic. So last October, I gifted myself a journey to Eastern China, embracing the gentle rhythm of Hangzhou, the timeless charm of Hongchun, and the serene waters of Qiandaohu (Thousand-Island Lake). No rush. No pressure. Just me, my curious heart, and a knee that demanded kindness. My Route: Hangzhou → Hongchun → Qiandaohu → Hangzhou Days 1–4: Hangzhou – Where Heaven Meets Earth They say, “In heaven there is paradise, on earth there is Hangzhou.” I now understand why. Where I Stayed: Nostalgia S Hotel (Hubin Hefang Street)  Strategically located—just a stroll away from Qinghefang Street, West Lake, Lingyin Temple, and the metro. Be careful not to confuse it with the similarly named hotel inside West Lake it’s a bit too chaotic for my taste. What I Did: Qiantang Canal Cruise ...

  I extended my stay at Urumqi, Xinjiang China for another 4 days for self-tour exploration. I have been spending 8 days with the driver and tour guide. I felt suffocated to travel with people following me around. Yes! It's more convenient but just feel obliged and have no freedom to travel with people.  When I said to my tour guide, that I would be spending the next 4 days at Urumqi, he was like....are you kidding me? What are you going to do here? Most of the attractions in Xinjiang aren't in Urumqi. It's always a distance travel by car or flight. For me, 4 days isn't long considering my health condition limitation. I couldn't walk as fast and longer than those glorious youthful days.  Things To Do if you are in the mood for a tour of Urumqi City 1. Xinjiang Regional Museum Is it really worth it to visit the Xinjiang Museum? Well...absolutely! Where else do you want to visit around Urumqi if you have some time to spare? Furthermore, it's a free entrance. To be...

  I completed the long outstanding Silk Road travel adventure last month. My final destination for the Silk Road was Xinjiang. It was my first trip after 4 years on a travel hiatus. It was a 12-day trip. Urumqi (1 night) ---- Turpan (1 night)---- Urumqi (2 nights) ---- Kashgar (1 night) ---- Tashkurgan (1 night) ---- Kashgar (1 night) ---- Urumqi (extended for self-tour. Stay 4 nights) Back home with a frozen shoulder due to check in check-out hotels too frequently. This means I have to open and close my luggage most of the time.😅 Only now after a few weeks, my health has recovered. I chose to travel in mid-May 2024 after considering the extreme weather at each place. I would say it was the right choice indeed. I miss out on the beautiful view, but I am still blessed with some other fantastic scenery too. Nothing is perfect, right?   Personally, this side of China's territory is epic. It was a unique Uyghur cultural experience. I described it as fabulous natural scenery as we...

It was my last day at Ping'an Village, Longsheng. I woke up with a really good sunny day weather unlike the day before. Anyway, still feeling so blessed to be able to enjoy such view and environment. You can check out my other Guilin Travelogue here : Exploring Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin City 4 hours Li River Cruise to Yangshuo Ancient Town , Xingping West Street Yangshuo, At Night 4 hours drive from Yangshuo to Longsheng Rice Terrace Don't Miss Longsheng Rice Terraces in December My usual morning breakfast here during this chilling weather is a bowl of hot vegetable noodles soup and a sunny top fried egg. I ordered a freshly local brewed mountain coffee to go with it. Perfect morning start! I requested the owner to arrange a car to Guilin City that day. In my previous post, I did mention that this place has no car access at all. A 30 minutes walk through the small alley and local housing is required. Yes! I have to climb the steep hill ...