You can take a 30-minute high-speed train to Tianjin from Beijing. It's very cheap and you convenient--making Tianjin a great place for a short day trip. It's a much smaller city than Beijing and has a very unique culture. This is one of the few Chinese cities that was heavily influenced by several different Europen Nations in the 1900s, so there is a lot of European architecture all over the city, in some places it doesn't feel like China at all. There is even an Italian town that has authentic Italian restaurants with Italian chefs. Here are some of my favorite spots in the city: Take a ride on the Tianjin Eye - This is the only Ferris Wheel in the world to be on top of a bridge. Make sure to go on a clear day when the sky isn't hazy so you can get beautiful views of the whole city. Drum Tower-Use to help tell the time back in the ancient days. It's a beautiful structure and it's free to go visit. It's also walking distance from lots of street markets. St. Joseph’s Cathedral- The largest Roman Catholic church in China. Built in 1913 and it remains in amazing tine condition in the middle of the downtown area.

Very luckily I had got a chance to go to Guilin-- it was a wonderful trip!! This city is known as one of the most picturesque in China and is actually featured on the back of the 20RMB Note. If you don't speak Chinese, then you better have a good translator and a stable VPN because there are not many people outside of tour agents and young children speak English. I stayed in Guilin for 4 days and then traveled to the nearby town Yangshou for 3 days. There are tons of amazing things to do including: Longsheng Rice Terraces-This is where you can learn about ancient Chines culture and meet one of China's 50 or so Ethnic Minorities. The women in this Ethnic group have a tradition in which they never cut their hair! You can take the cable car up for panoramic views of the terraced rice fields. It's absolutely stunning! The best time to go is before the rice is harvested so you can see the golden fields of rice. Go to the Sun and Moon Towers- They are right in the heart of Guilin surrounded by a beautiful park and lake with lots of restaurants around. You can even go inside them! I think they are more impressive at night because they illuminate! Guilin Tea Science and Research Institute- One of the most highly regarded tea plantations in China. Very unique and cultural experience if you are interested in learning more about Chinse Tea Culture. You tour the plantation, learn how to pick and harvest tea and then have a traditional tea ceremony where you taste a bunch of different teas. Visiting the Reed Flute Cave- It is a natural limestone cave with multicolored lighting and has been one of Guilin's most interesting attractions for over 1200 years. Climbing Moon Hill- It takes about 20 minutes to climb up to the arch, or considerably longer for those who wish to reach the summit. Visitors must pay a small entrance fee to climb the hill. The views from the top are lovely! Elephant Trunk Hill- This is a very touristy attraction, so expect there to be a lot of people. Go early or right before it close to avoid the crowds. It's also Xicheng Pedestrian Street Market-From clothes and fake bags and shoes to calligraphy paintings and porcelain, this markets offer a wide variety of options. It's fun to barter, no Chinese needed, as most shop keepers just whip out a calculator. Take a bamboo boat down the Li River- Relaxing on a cruise from Guilin to the quaint town of Yangshuo along the Li River is the best way to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. There are tons of options for this depending on your budget. Take a Cruise ship with meals included and a tour guide, or Take an engine-powered bamboo boat or take a traditional man-powered bamboo boat.

I stayed in Hong Kong for 3 days--wish I could have stayed longer but I enjoyed the short trip regardless. I went with a friend and we split the costs for everything. I think there was tons to do in HK, it reminded me of NYC on steroids. It's extremely tourist-friendly, just about everyone speaks English and the subways and taxis are very easy to navigate. I was there during the HK protests, so the subways shut down pretty early, like 9pm. There was anti China graffiti everywhere which was interesting but felt very non-threatening. I felt safe everywhere I went. The transportation was cheap, but the hotel and the food and paying for activity was very pricey-- basically NYC prices. I didn't eat much traditional HK food, I was much more interested in international restaurants. In 3 days we spent $577 on food and drinks and we weren't going to particularly fancy places. The night life scene was great, it's easy to bar hop in areas like SoHo, Lan Kwai Fong and Wan Chai, We did some sneaker shopping in Yau Tsim Mong district- be ready to bargin! During the day we went to Victoria Peak, which is the tallest mountain in HK to see the views of the whole city. We also checked out some museums and mega malls. If you love to shop, it's easy to go broke there! But if you're on the thicker side, there won't be much to fit you unless you go to Western-type stores. Overall, HK is expensive, exciting and there is something to explore at every corner. It's great for couples, friends or traveling solo.

Staying in a romantic 5-star hotel was so affordable! I stayed for 4 nights for under $300 at the Oriental Suites and Spa. Great hotel, wonderful English speaking staff, the best location that was within walking distance of many tourist attractions in Hanoi. Every day we had romantic couples massages for about $25. Getting around Hanoi is super easy--- just download their version of Uber, it's called Grab. If you stay in the Old town it's really easy to just walk everywhere. The most romantic part of our trip was a visit to Ha Long Bay. Truly a spectacular sight!! We took an overnight cruise. It started off at 8am with pick up by bus and took approx 2.5 hour to reach the bay area. When we set sail, we were served lunch by the crew fit for a king and queen. There was Vietnamese food and I told the crew that I was a vegetarian, so they prepared a special dish for me. We paid for drinks on the boat , that was the only thing that wasn't inculded in the price. The ride on the boat was amazing, smooth and cruising along the sea and the lime stone mountains. The mountain scene was amazing and breath-taking. On day one we went hiking through "Surprise cave" where we had to climb a number of steep steps into the cave. Once inside the cave, the sights were amazing. There was an opportunity for some kayaking and swimming, which we did! The cruise was only about 15 people in total, a mix of families and couples. There were lots of pre-planned activities including, squid fishing, a cooking class, and tai chi lessons. As Halong Bay is considered one of the 7 wonders of the world, one must visit the bay when in Hanoi. A trip of a life time which must not be missed.