Heaven on earth. Perhaps the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Do the slow raft trip down the river to Yangshuo if you do nothing else. Against my will I went to the impressions show on Saturday night - I've never cried from sheer beauty in a theatre before! Avoid the mediocre food on the tourist street and eat in the older part of town near the market - you won't regret it.

Golden Palm resort in Yalong bay was a lovely relaxing end to our trip. The beach was almost deserted in April and water temperature perfect. Be warned, however, Sanya is a decent, if pricey, beach resort but forget about culture. The so-called ethnic village near Sanya is a tacky and horrible rip-off. Use local buses and visit a real one inland if you can.

We took the Z19 overnight to Xian - very comfortable and fun! Stayed in Paradise resort, beautiful and quiet. We loved Xi'an city centre and the old city atmosphere. The terracotta warriors were mind-blowing.

Traveling with four cousins, I flew from Shenzhen to Beijing. We stayed at the Bamboo Garden hotel, a wonderful hotel in the hutongs near Gulou bridge. Beijing was a very friendly city - easier to navigate than we expected. Three days was not enough and I intend to return for at least a week next year.