Real costs, honest takes, and the places the highlight reels miss. Two Canadians sharing everything from street food to slow trains.
WeChat Pay or Alipay? After 50 days in China on Canadian passports, here is what actually worked, where the fees show up, how to set up both with a foreign credit card, and which one to prioritize before you land.
How to buy train tickets in China as a foreigner, use the metro without a Chinese bank account, book Didi, and navigate cities using the right apps. Everything we learned across 50 days and multiple cities.
We spent 50 days traveling China independently and tested every app we relied on. Here is what actually worked for payments, transport, maps, VPN, and connectivity as foreigners in 2026.
We spent 50 days traveling across China as Canadians. Here is our honest take on safety, surveillance, police presence, scams, solo travel, and what daily life actually feels like as a foreigner in 2026.
We spent 2 days in Hangzhou and it was our least favorite city in China. West Lake, Qingshan Green Lake, Lingyin Temple — here’s our honest take.
Two days in Shanghai: crab roe dumplings, shengjian bao, Yu Garden, The Bund at night, and the spots that Instagram lied to us about. Real prices in CAD.
Explore Chongqing with our full travel guide. Wulong Karst, Hongya Cave, Liziba Station, old streets, food spots, costs and tips to plan your visit.
We spent 5 days in Chengdu: mala hotpot that destroyed us, tracking down Fubao the panda at Wolong, the Dujiangyan irrigation system at night, dan dan noodles at Huang Cheng Xi Ke, and a seafood buffet that ended us. Real prices, honest takes.
Most travelers start their China trip in big cities like Shanghai, Beijing, or Guangzhou. We started ours with something completely different. A five day rural tour. Join us as we explore quiet towns, hot spring retreats, mountain parks, and historic temples that most foreigners never visit.
We bid $1,000 CAD each to upgrade to WestJet Premium Economy on an 11-hour flight from Calgary to Seoul. Here’s our honest review: the seat, the food, the amenity kit, and whether the upgrade is worth it.
