Xi'an

Whilst Bangkok, Rio etc. are pretty universally well known around the world for being top tourist destinations, Xi'an has to be one of the biggest surprises of my entire travels. The ancient capital of China, Xi'an is absolutely packed with things to do, places to see and a fantastic atmosphere to boot.

The only thing I knew about Xi'an before arriving was that it is the biggest city in the world currently enclosed by a surrounding wall. Whilst interesting and I would heartily recommend going for a walk/bike ride along it - there is much more to see and do there. Firstly, the bell and drum towers are just a block away from each other in the centre of town and great to climb up and get an overview of the centre of the city. Much like the Champs Elysee, all main roads seem to spread out and around from these centre points. And much like the rest of China's efficient and new road systems, almost all roads are dead straight, and as such you can see for as far as the inevitable smog allows.

Speaking of which, compared to many of the other main Chinese cities, it is relatively clean. I would suggest spending at least half a day walking around the Little Goose Pagoda and its surrounding area. There is a huge paved plateau containing statues of great Chinese heroes, philosophers and others, the whole ambiance of the place is superb. We were lucky in having a brilliant clear blue sky and simply sitting in the sun, watching as the world goes by is fantastic.

Xi'an is a city to really soak in and relish. At night make a trip to the Asian market just behind the Bell tower. Here you can haggle till you can haggle no more and buy up all things great and small, from foodstuffs to porcelain statues of the terracotta warriors.

It goes without saying really, the terracotta warriors are genuinely awe-inspiring. You can't really visit Xi'an and not make the trip out to one of the wonders of the ancient world. They occupy three huge aircraft hangar-like structures, the first and main of which is genuinely enormous. Absolutely incredible, well organised, and much like the city itself - full of understated grandeur.

The city is manages to be a place of both hectic surrounding but also serene tranquility. You can one hand be caught up in the hustle and bustle of the markets, being tugged from one monetary battle to the next with all your senses being bombarded with noise, smells and lights; and the next simply gazing out from the top of the Great Goose Pagoda, surveying the city as it moves as one peacefully in perfect organisation. I love Xi'an, it is so different to the extremes of the other main Chinese cities and almost seems as though the now defunct city walls still act as a barrier to the now standard excesses of the new cities. It is in its own microcosm that can be slightly difficult to navigate at times (here if anywhere is the place to learn some Chinese, English will get you nowhere, fast) but if you have the time, patience and willingness to explore - the rewards will be obvious and evident the second you leave your hotel doors and begin walking.

Oh, and be sure to check out the local dumpling banquet. 21 or so courses, incredible!