Hangzhou (23rd to 27th March 2019) Free & Easy trip
Im back from my Hang zhou trip and now i'm having withdrawal symptoms now!
Spring is really so pretty!
But the air in China in polluted especially in big cities!
road Congestions are everywhere!
My air tickets are (KUL- HZH) by air asia
The price is quite cheap, our intention to see the beautiful flowers in Hangzhou, cruise the West Lake and to eat local cuisine!
Checked!
Now, as i'm writing this, i feel very excited as i have succeeded in planning the whole itinerary by myself!
Mind you, the west lake is very big and you won't be able to tour all the scenic spots, and not to forget there are way too much people.
Before the trip
i made my Visa with a local tour group = RM165 (one time entry/ per person)
Day 1
fly to hangzhou, flight got delayed for 1 Hour plus and we just sat in the plane doing nothing. Sien... then when we reached Hangzhou, the fingerprint machine is malfunction so we did spent quite some time sorting it out
then we left the airport looking for taxi, a few scammers approached us to offer us RMB100 to our hotel, we declined as we think it is too expensive, later on went on to another airport taxi that charged RMB46 for our trip to the hotel
the hotel staff upgraded us because our rooms are fully booked, anyway we reached around 1am and after sorting things out, it's 2am and i don't feel tired at all, but thinking there is a long day ahead, i had to go to bed
Day 2
The next morning i woke up at 6am, because i forgot to close the curtain blinds, and the sun is up at 5am, wtf!
So we went out to look for breakfast, Arhhh, local breakfast is the best as you wont be conned into eating horrible terribly expensive food!
Now, onto exploring the famed and beautiful but over-touristy West Lake, since we are on the east side, we decided to try out as few attractions, indeed it is a Sunday-Funday, everybody from couples and families are out and about, sauntering and soaking up the sun
Good thing is that it is still in 15 degrees, not too cold and not too warm, just the perfect weather!
After walking and walking, we reached Leifeng Pagoda! RMB 45 for entrance and we went in for sightseeing!
for lunch, we were famished and headed to the cafeteria! mediocre food for outrageous price, ordered UNAGI fried rice, BIGGEST MISTAKE!!! only a few small chunks of Unagi to be seen. RMB150 wasted....
Later, our feet are sore and yet another destination is awaiting! Taiziwan Park famed for the beautiful flowers. No matter how beautiful they are , i can't ignore the increasing crowd that is going crazy for the flowers!!!
The security guards were shouting as some of them entered the gated areas just for photos, some poor plants were stepped and trampled.
Another local delicacy that is not that yummy, but bought it anyway because we saw a queue. HAHAHA
Another tourist spot, one of the 10 sceneries AKA must see in XIHU
For dinner, we went to Qinhefang, a touristy street which is quite charismatic! Of course, the food is so much better than the horrible lunch.
im sleeping on the top part, haha, can't stand but nevermind, 4 people squeeze in one tiny room!
it's a freaking Long day, finally checked into my hotel, a warm shower is a must! and then i go on to applying my soothing msucle cream that soothes my sore muscles!
Now, applying my skincare after i use my Foreo Luna Play, and of course follow by Toner and Sunday Riley Lactic Acid, the others are still talking, but i'm too tired to play with my phone, i climbed up to my second floor bed, put on my eye mask and i'm off. phew......
Day 3
Waking up to noise, i got a hot shower and applied my suncreen, i went out looking for breakfast, this time it is a simple breakfast of savoury pancakes with minced meat, springy noodles with sesame oil and spring onion, and a hot bowl of soya.
Simple but yummy breakfast, my tummy is filled, now i'm salivating while typing this.
Next, on my way to figured out how to go to Wuzhen!!!
Oh My, the map shows a short bus ride to the bus station, and when i reach the central bus station, it is a filthy dingy cold small station under a bridge!
got my tickets to Wuzhen for RMB45, not a bad price but now the tricky part is that there are no seats allocated, you just hop onto it if you're lucky.
A few minutes passed, my heart is beating fast for the fear of not having a bus seat and have to subsequently wait for another 2 hours in that dingy bus station, the bus driver shouting the destination and the people are coming from all over the places hurried themselves
finally, it's our bus arriving, but we were given priority compare to another family that is travelling with 11 people, so, you know the rule, fast and vigilant!!!
Then, we arrived at the tourist-heavy spot of Wuzhen.
After buying tickets RMB130, we went into Xizha, which was built in 2005 to resemble the buildings and sceneries of DongZha.
there are a lot of insta-worthy spots, Don't worry
my stomach is growling at 2pm, but there is still a long way to go
Finally, a shop that sells reasonable food! Hot steaming wonton soup, where you dip the wonton with chilli oil and vinegar, RMB16
i continued walking and saw many people are eating some type of fried food.
As usually, the chinese is making money out of everything, the remaining fried bits are dumped into the batter to be refried and served to customers. My bro said he got stomach upset after eating this! HAHA, no choice lo!
Awesome, continue walking and you see plenty of people holding up their phones taking selfies, recording videos and just chatting away! One guy even go on live and explaining to his followers that he is at this place, and his fans are literally so supportive, commenting and asking questions...
The view is indeed surreal, the water is literally so green, the buildings look historical, soon it's the golden 5pm, the sun starts to set, the lights are reflected across the water, and there is more and more tourist coming through.
the souvenir shops continue to sell their marked-up price goods to nonchalant customers, the food and beverage stores making a huge profit out of their RMB35 ice teas, RMB25 ice creams.....
Alas, the beautiful sunset, but my iphone 7 really not that good in capturing scenic photos.
I have decided to leave this place, it's time to retire to my hotel
Ordered a taxi for RMB20 to the hotel, got a little disappointed because the taxi driver stopped in the middle of the road, pointed towards a small sign and i was thinking, i'm really going to stay in a small, uncharacteristic hotel.
Next up, i walked towards the sign, my heart squeaks with joy as i'm walking further in, the hotel is a really beautiful homestay, the darkness sets in. i could only imagine the architecture of the whole building.
after processing our documentation, we proceeded to check into our rooms, the room has an artsy homey feeling, it has two single beds, beautifully tucked bed sheets, warm lights, two bathrobes hanging next to the small pantry.
On the countertop, four types of beverages are awaiting us.
Green tea, flower tea, coffee and water.
I put some water into the kettle, then proceeded to examine the artisanal porcelain cups, ohhhh, it's very pretty, my fingers gentle brush through to feel the uneven texture, then i put some dried flowers and proceeded to pour the steaming hot water into the kettle.
I'm feeling luxurious. I thought. An ultimate indulgence.
I set the correct temperature, a bit of hot water and some cold icy water, the perfect marriage of the hot and cold water and it gave way to warm steamy shower. I washed the dirt of my body, while examining the toiletries given. They are awesome, there's shower gel, shampoo and conditioner all adorned with a faint herbal smell that it doesn't feel factory made. another plus point
After drying my hair, i put on the bathrobe and laid on the soft bed, the pillows are a little too soft for my liking, Nevermind, i'm already at ease.
Nothing beats a hot shower and fresh clothes after a long day.
Went out to search for dinner, next to my hotel, a dimly-lit alley, we walked briskly, towards the end there is a restaurant with people chatting loudly. next to it, there is bridge, the view is truly beautiful and my phone can't do justice to it.
Ordered sweet sour fish, local vegetables, chicken, silky tofu and seaweed soup. The meal was a great end to the tiring day, we came out after paying RMB150.
Day 4
The next day, local breakfast served by our homestay.
A taxi ride back to Xihu, this time near Lingyin Temple, RMB350, this or i have to brave through the crowds to buy bus tickets.
No questions asked.
Our homestay is a 3 storey building, the owners upgraded us again, we paid RMB560.
Took a strolled and ended up at Leifeng Pagoda, climbed to the peak.
The steps are getting heavier, my breath is getting heavier, my sweat is bursting through.
I took off my jacket and continue ascending, Keep calm and carry on.
I heard a loud sound from the gong, tourist and quick to take selfies once they reached the peak.
The ticket counter has a long queue of people buying tickets to enter the temple to pray for good health and fortune.
An ice cream is a must, i went to the souvenir shop, the seller scolded me for opening the fridge for choosing the type of ice cream i wanted.
Paid RMB6 for a mediocre ice cream, i opened my bag of criss-cross chips, my favorite type of chips.
The air is getting colder once i stopped sweating, i put on my jacket, prepare to descend.
One the way back to the hotel, we passed by LongJing tea plantation. some ladies are carefully selecting the top of the plants to brew the perfect LongJing tea.
we were famished, entered one local restaurant, order chicken, tofu soup, vege and cabbage. overall , its very yummy. the rice is so yummy, it is not soggy, each pearl is glistening in the sunlight, maybe moutain rice is better!
too tired, so went back to the homestay to take a rest. examine the bathtub got me oohhhh and ahhhh!
the toilet bidet is too awesome, heated toilet seat, and water to wash butt!
Our homestay is about 700 metres to the bus stop.
We took a bus to Xihu, passed by a coliseum. as usual, the scenery is very pretty.
nightview, the lights are reflected on the lake, and its a serene feeling looking at it.
Dinner was the ubiquitous Mcdonalds. Overpriced, but my legs are too sore to search for other food.
The Coke was something else, maybe Coke feels different after walking 20,000 steps. Oh, plus walking 84 floors up!
I don't know. Took a bus back to the homestay.
The fun part comes, i'm trying to fill my bathtub but only hot water comes out.
The dilemma of to shower or soaking in the bath first is a serious choice to make.
I'm too lazy so i just filled the tub but only hot water gushed out, What in the hell!!!!!
Nevermind, i opened the windows to let the hot water cool down, it's taking to slow, i put some tea leaves into the steaming hot water.
after 20 minutes, i finally put my foot in, arghh, the soothing feeling, my feet is being pampered, i thought.
i put on a complimentary face mask, i laid down, closed my eyes and a thousand sceneries floated, i let loose, pretend I'm rich and living a bourgeois lifestyle, except i'm not wearing silk pyjamas and sipping on expensive champagne. I'm pretentious.
I slather on moisturizer after the shower, switched on the TV to watch soap dramas, massaged my sore feet with the soothing icy cream. and i drifted into sleep.
Day 5
breakfast, typical food, XLB, pork pao, you tiao, soya, noodles
last glimpse our our homestay. outside looks good la, interior very nice, wait till you can't fix the bloody water pressure! HAHA
on the way to airport, paid RMB140 from our homestay to the airport. reached too early
took a stroll in the airport, they have the deco that introduce the history of Hangzhou.
ordered starbucks, the croissant is decent, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside
Spring is really so pretty!
But the air in China in polluted especially in big cities!
road Congestions are everywhere!
My air tickets are (KUL- HZH) by air asia
The price is quite cheap, our intention to see the beautiful flowers in Hangzhou, cruise the West Lake and to eat local cuisine!
Checked!
Now, as i'm writing this, i feel very excited as i have succeeded in planning the whole itinerary by myself!
Mind you, the west lake is very big and you won't be able to tour all the scenic spots, and not to forget there are way too much people.
Before the trip
i made my Visa with a local tour group = RM165 (one time entry/ per person)
Day 1
fly to hangzhou, flight got delayed for 1 Hour plus and we just sat in the plane doing nothing. Sien... then when we reached Hangzhou, the fingerprint machine is malfunction so we did spent quite some time sorting it out
then we left the airport looking for taxi, a few scammers approached us to offer us RMB100 to our hotel, we declined as we think it is too expensive, later on went on to another airport taxi that charged RMB46 for our trip to the hotel
the hotel staff upgraded us because our rooms are fully booked, anyway we reached around 1am and after sorting things out, it's 2am and i don't feel tired at all, but thinking there is a long day ahead, i had to go to bed
Day 2
The next morning i woke up at 6am, because i forgot to close the curtain blinds, and the sun is up at 5am, wtf!
So we went out to look for breakfast, Arhhh, local breakfast is the best as you wont be conned into eating horrible terribly expensive food!
Now, onto exploring the famed and beautiful but over-touristy West Lake, since we are on the east side, we decided to try out as few attractions, indeed it is a Sunday-Funday, everybody from couples and families are out and about, sauntering and soaking up the sun
Good thing is that it is still in 15 degrees, not too cold and not too warm, just the perfect weather!
After walking and walking, we reached Leifeng Pagoda! RMB 45 for entrance and we went in for sightseeing!
for lunch, we were famished and headed to the cafeteria! mediocre food for outrageous price, ordered UNAGI fried rice, BIGGEST MISTAKE!!! only a few small chunks of Unagi to be seen. RMB150 wasted....
Later, our feet are sore and yet another destination is awaiting! Taiziwan Park famed for the beautiful flowers. No matter how beautiful they are , i can't ignore the increasing crowd that is going crazy for the flowers!!!
The security guards were shouting as some of them entered the gated areas just for photos, some poor plants were stepped and trampled.
Another tourist spot, one of the 10 sceneries AKA must see in XIHU
For dinner, we went to Qinhefang, a touristy street which is quite charismatic! Of course, the food is so much better than the horrible lunch.
it's a freaking Long day, finally checked into my hotel, a warm shower is a must! and then i go on to applying my soothing msucle cream that soothes my sore muscles!
Now, applying my skincare after i use my Foreo Luna Play, and of course follow by Toner and Sunday Riley Lactic Acid, the others are still talking, but i'm too tired to play with my phone, i climbed up to my second floor bed, put on my eye mask and i'm off. phew......
Day 3
Waking up to noise, i got a hot shower and applied my suncreen, i went out looking for breakfast, this time it is a simple breakfast of savoury pancakes with minced meat, springy noodles with sesame oil and spring onion, and a hot bowl of soya.
Simple but yummy breakfast, my tummy is filled, now i'm salivating while typing this.
Next, on my way to figured out how to go to Wuzhen!!!
Oh My, the map shows a short bus ride to the bus station, and when i reach the central bus station, it is a filthy dingy cold small station under a bridge!
got my tickets to Wuzhen for RMB45, not a bad price but now the tricky part is that there are no seats allocated, you just hop onto it if you're lucky.
A few minutes passed, my heart is beating fast for the fear of not having a bus seat and have to subsequently wait for another 2 hours in that dingy bus station, the bus driver shouting the destination and the people are coming from all over the places hurried themselves
finally, it's our bus arriving, but we were given priority compare to another family that is travelling with 11 people, so, you know the rule, fast and vigilant!!!
Then, we arrived at the tourist-heavy spot of Wuzhen.
After buying tickets RMB130, we went into Xizha, which was built in 2005 to resemble the buildings and sceneries of DongZha.
there are a lot of insta-worthy spots, Don't worry
my stomach is growling at 2pm, but there is still a long way to go
Finally, a shop that sells reasonable food! Hot steaming wonton soup, where you dip the wonton with chilli oil and vinegar, RMB16
i continued walking and saw many people are eating some type of fried food.
As usually, the chinese is making money out of everything, the remaining fried bits are dumped into the batter to be refried and served to customers. My bro said he got stomach upset after eating this! HAHA, no choice lo!
Awesome, continue walking and you see plenty of people holding up their phones taking selfies, recording videos and just chatting away! One guy even go on live and explaining to his followers that he is at this place, and his fans are literally so supportive, commenting and asking questions...
The view is indeed surreal, the water is literally so green, the buildings look historical, soon it's the golden 5pm, the sun starts to set, the lights are reflected across the water, and there is more and more tourist coming through.
the souvenir shops continue to sell their marked-up price goods to nonchalant customers, the food and beverage stores making a huge profit out of their RMB35 ice teas, RMB25 ice creams.....
Alas, the beautiful sunset, but my iphone 7 really not that good in capturing scenic photos.
I have decided to leave this place, it's time to retire to my hotel
Ordered a taxi for RMB20 to the hotel, got a little disappointed because the taxi driver stopped in the middle of the road, pointed towards a small sign and i was thinking, i'm really going to stay in a small, uncharacteristic hotel.
Next up, i walked towards the sign, my heart squeaks with joy as i'm walking further in, the hotel is a really beautiful homestay, the darkness sets in. i could only imagine the architecture of the whole building.
after processing our documentation, we proceeded to check into our rooms, the room has an artsy homey feeling, it has two single beds, beautifully tucked bed sheets, warm lights, two bathrobes hanging next to the small pantry.
On the countertop, four types of beverages are awaiting us.
Green tea, flower tea, coffee and water.
I put some water into the kettle, then proceeded to examine the artisanal porcelain cups, ohhhh, it's very pretty, my fingers gentle brush through to feel the uneven texture, then i put some dried flowers and proceeded to pour the steaming hot water into the kettle.
I'm feeling luxurious. I thought. An ultimate indulgence.
I set the correct temperature, a bit of hot water and some cold icy water, the perfect marriage of the hot and cold water and it gave way to warm steamy shower. I washed the dirt of my body, while examining the toiletries given. They are awesome, there's shower gel, shampoo and conditioner all adorned with a faint herbal smell that it doesn't feel factory made. another plus point
After drying my hair, i put on the bathrobe and laid on the soft bed, the pillows are a little too soft for my liking, Nevermind, i'm already at ease.
Nothing beats a hot shower and fresh clothes after a long day.
Went out to search for dinner, next to my hotel, a dimly-lit alley, we walked briskly, towards the end there is a restaurant with people chatting loudly. next to it, there is bridge, the view is truly beautiful and my phone can't do justice to it.
Ordered sweet sour fish, local vegetables, chicken, silky tofu and seaweed soup. The meal was a great end to the tiring day, we came out after paying RMB150.
Day 4
No questions asked.
Our homestay is a 3 storey building, the owners upgraded us again, we paid RMB560.
Took a strolled and ended up at Leifeng Pagoda, climbed to the peak.
The steps are getting heavier, my breath is getting heavier, my sweat is bursting through.
I took off my jacket and continue ascending, Keep calm and carry on.
I heard a loud sound from the gong, tourist and quick to take selfies once they reached the peak.
The ticket counter has a long queue of people buying tickets to enter the temple to pray for good health and fortune.
An ice cream is a must, i went to the souvenir shop, the seller scolded me for opening the fridge for choosing the type of ice cream i wanted.
Paid RMB6 for a mediocre ice cream, i opened my bag of criss-cross chips, my favorite type of chips.
The air is getting colder once i stopped sweating, i put on my jacket, prepare to descend.
One the way back to the hotel, we passed by LongJing tea plantation. some ladies are carefully selecting the top of the plants to brew the perfect LongJing tea.
we were famished, entered one local restaurant, order chicken, tofu soup, vege and cabbage. overall , its very yummy. the rice is so yummy, it is not soggy, each pearl is glistening in the sunlight, maybe moutain rice is better!
the toilet bidet is too awesome, heated toilet seat, and water to wash butt!
Our homestay is about 700 metres to the bus stop.
We took a bus to Xihu, passed by a coliseum. as usual, the scenery is very pretty.
Dinner was the ubiquitous Mcdonalds. Overpriced, but my legs are too sore to search for other food.
The Coke was something else, maybe Coke feels different after walking 20,000 steps. Oh, plus walking 84 floors up!
I don't know. Took a bus back to the homestay.
The fun part comes, i'm trying to fill my bathtub but only hot water comes out.
The dilemma of to shower or soaking in the bath first is a serious choice to make.
I'm too lazy so i just filled the tub but only hot water gushed out, What in the hell!!!!!
Nevermind, i opened the windows to let the hot water cool down, it's taking to slow, i put some tea leaves into the steaming hot water.
after 20 minutes, i finally put my foot in, arghh, the soothing feeling, my feet is being pampered, i thought.
i put on a complimentary face mask, i laid down, closed my eyes and a thousand sceneries floated, i let loose, pretend I'm rich and living a bourgeois lifestyle, except i'm not wearing silk pyjamas and sipping on expensive champagne. I'm pretentious.
I slather on moisturizer after the shower, switched on the TV to watch soap dramas, massaged my sore feet with the soothing icy cream. and i drifted into sleep.
Day 5
Bloody expensive fried rice, no other restaurant before boarding, paid RMB62 for a most mediocre, or rather, lousy fried rice.
So ordered on board again!
some snacks i bought
my total expenditure
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