Swanky Shanghai

Met by our guide, Yoyo, at the airport and off to the fantastic Intercontinental Ruijin, which is a colonial hotel set in beautiful grounds. We then had a whirlwind tour of the city, but it was clear that we needed to have more than one day here. However, Yoyo did her best to show us the highlights and she did pretty well. We went to the Jade Buddha Temple and onto to the waterfront, called the Bund. It was there that we saw some marvellous skyscrapers across the Huangpu River, but on our side of the river, some buildings dating back 100 years or so, one of which looked remarkably like the Royal Liver building in Liverpool. Then off to the frantic market that led into the Yu Yuan Gardens, that dates back to the Ming dynasty. It was really interesting, as it was set up like a gigantic maze and we could easily have got lost. Our evening was spent at the hotel, having some canapes alongside the odd glass of wine; in the beautiful historic setting, all we needed was to have Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall stroll in and it would have made the day perfect.

Our stay in China has been an absolute dream; everywhere we have gone we have been astounded at how clean and manicured everything is. The people we have met have been so kind and willing to go the extra mile. The attractions have been pretty amazing as well. All in all, a country to come back to.