Asia

The toughest decision of 2026 - F1 in Shanghai or Lunar New Year in Beijing?

Luxembourg

Beijing

China

Shanghai

Beijing and Shanghai 🐲 in €530s-€580s rtn

Edinburgh

Scotland

Chongqing

London Heathrow

England

Jinwan, Zhuhai

Changsha

Manchester

China 🏮 in £390s-£460s rtn 

Oslo

Norway

Bangkok

Thailand

Singapore

Mumbai

India

New Delhi

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

Johannesburg

South Africa

San Francisco

United States

San Diego

Phoenix

Chicago

Toronto

Canada

Montreal

Boston

New York

Washington DC

Atlanta

Orlando

Miami

Gothenburg

Sweden

Seattle

Stockholm

Portland

Los Angeles

Las Vegas

Nashville

Charlotte

Pittsburgh

Copenhagen

Denmark

Denver

New Orleans

Indianapolis

Columbus

Cincinnati

Charleston

Seoul

South Korea

Billund

Stavanger

Minneapolis

Bergen

Trondheim

South Africa & more 🌎 in €250s-€590s rtn

Amsterdam

Netherlands

Chengdu

Chengdu 🐼 in €480s-€490s rtn 

Dallas

Macao

Macau 🎲 in $560s-$690s RT

Where my climbers at? This one's for you!

Taipei

Taiwan

Taipei, Taiwan & Chongqing, China 🏙️ in £360s-£680s rtn

It&#39;s booked! - This is insanely cheap.. 

Postcard from ZestyExpeditionist55000

Hi, I booked my return trip to India yesterday over December and got it for 399 without a checked bag (and 458 with). This is a direct flight via BA from London &gt; Delhi &gt; London. Thought I’d share!

Postcard from Sangam

thanks for making travel accessible for everyone. I don’t regret taking the subscription and I’ll share your platform with my friends and family 

Postcard from Chris

Thanks for all the great work. My cousin and his girlfriend live in Chengdu so we&#39;re making this a two stop trip along with Beijing! Cannot wait!

Postcard from Liam

Thanks. . A dream first visit to Thailand, non stop from my local airport    

Postcard from Debbie 

Hi Jack and team, you are amazing!!! After reading your tips and seeing your emails, I managed to book  a very decent flight to China in september, from Brussels. And I got a deal for Eurostar tickets from London through your website as well, so all in all my trip is less than same flights from London. Thank you so much, can&#39;t wait to see both China and Belgium in September, without breaking the bank

Postcard from Michaela

Uzbekistan

Japan

Vietnam

Kyrgyzstan

Kazakhstan

Hey there Travellers,
You'll all be glad to know that I made it back from Portugal last weekend without so much as a drop of wine spilled down my front.
However, it's safe to say that my jeans were feeling a little tighter after a few days of sampling the Portuguese cuisine. Nobody warned me that I'd still be dreaming of that mustardy <a href="https://tasteporto.com/pt/portuguese-francesinha-the-deconstructed-version/">pica-pau</a> sauce a week later!
And no sooner had I returned than, once again, the good old&nbsp;Pastel de Bel&eacute;m was named <a href="https://www.tasteatlas.com/best/foods-by-category">sweet pastry of the year</a> for 2025. But would you visit just for its custardy goodness?&nbsp;
A few weeks ago, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/jacksflightclub/permalink/2654233541599157">we asked our Facebook Community</a> what food they'd travel abroad for time and time again. For me, it's an authentic&nbsp;<a href="https://polinachesnakova.com/blog/2020/3/29/imeruli-khachapuri">Imeruli khachapuri</a>, for others it's a Costa Rican breakfast, or Indian street food.
So tell me, dear readers, what's the tasty treat that you'd hop on a plane for right now? <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-216-island-life-bc-and-diy-pan-asian-adventure#comments">Let us know in the comments</a> (so we can organize a grand Jack's Food Club tour, obviously).
Happy travels and safe landings,

Katy - Editor of The Detour

Win 5 Nights in Dreamy Puglia

We&rsquo;ve teamed up with DAYMADE to give one lucky Jack's member an unforgettable 5-night escape for 2 to Puglia &mdash; flights, hotel, sunshine, all sorted.
It&rsquo;s totally free to enter. Just pop your details in, and you&rsquo;re in the draw.
Someone&rsquo;s going&hellip; why not you?

In Partnership with DAYMADE

A Taste of Island Life: Day Trips from the British Columbian Capital

A San Diego native, Olivia left home a few years ago to live on the road. Since then, she's had homebases everywhere from Quebec to England to New Orleans, but she always ends up back on the West Coast.&nbsp;

By Olivia

This week, Jack's released a new <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/jacks-guide-to-victoria">city guide to Victoria</a>: British Columbia's provincial capital, located at the southern end of Vancouver Island.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The island,&rdquo; as it's colloquially known, is truly the jewel of the Pacific Northwest. It's roughly the size of Belgium, and packed with seaside villages and lush woodlands. Everywhere you turn, there are rocky coastlines, moss-covered pine trees, and boardwalk caf&eacute;s.
While the charming capital city is worth a few days on its own, it'd be a shame to stay in town when there's so much beauty right in your backyard. And you don't have to look very far to catch views around here! Even a quick stopover in Victoria comes with some pretty lovely day trips.&nbsp;
So if you find yourself contemplating a visit to the island (and any cheap YYJ fares that you just so happen to see in your inbox), allow me to introduce you to some local sights...
<h3 dir="ltr" id="butchart-gardens">Butchart Gardens</h3>
This is THE day trip from Victoria &mdash; the one pretty much every visitor takes.&nbsp;

<p dir="ltr" id="its-not-hard-to-see-why-the-butchart-gardens-cover-55-acres-of-land-in-beautiful-floral-displays-descend-into-the-manicured-sunken-garden-meander-through-a-forest-of-japanese-maples-and-admire-fountain-after-bubbling-fountain-while-its-worth-seeing-at-any-time-of-year-springs-rose-blossoms-and-autumns-bright-red-foliage-make-for-especially-colorful-visits">It&rsquo;s not hard to see why!&nbsp;<a href="https://butchartgardens.com/">The Butchart Gardens</a> cover 55 acres of land in beautiful floral displays. Descend into the manicured Sunken Garden, meander through a forest of Japanese maples, and admire fountain after bubbling fountain. While it&rsquo;s worth seeing at any time of year, spring&rsquo;s rose blossoms and autumn&rsquo;s bright red foliage make for especially colorful visits.
You can reach the Butchart Gardens from downtown Victoria in about 30 minutes by car, or with a one-hour bus ride aboard the 75 or 30.
<h3 dir="ltr">Nanaimo</h3>
Pronounced nah-NYE-mo, this is the second-largest city on the island. It&rsquo;s got a much more small-town feel, with a cute downtown and Old City Quarter.

Other than whale-watching and ferry connections, its biggest claim to fame is the Nanaimo bar: a chocolatey, coconutty, custardy treat that just might ruin you for every other caf&eacute; dessert.
You can get to Nanaimo from Victoria by city bus or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.islandlinkbus.com/">Island Link</a>, but driving the full ~90 minutes yourself is much more fun. The highways will take you through several charming villages worth the stop &mdash; my favorites are Cowichan Bay, Duncan, Chemainus, and Ladysmith. Expect cozy shops, dockside restaurants, small local museums, and tons of gorgeous bay and island views.
<h3 dir="ltr">Provincial and Regional Parks</h3>
The island may only have one &mdash; difficult-to-reach &mdash; National Park, but it&rsquo;s covered in Provincial and Regional Parks. These protected areas include dense, mossy woodland, waterfalls, tons of lakes, and rocky coastlines.

I could fill an entire article just with outdoor day trips from Victoria, but a few highlights within a mere half-hour&rsquo;s drive include Thetis Lake (Canada&rsquo;s first nature sanctuary), Mount Wells (known for wildflowers and a challenging summit hike), and Goldstream (massive trees and a beautiful waterfall).
<h3 dir="ltr">Sidney</h3>
One of my favorite things about Vancouver Island is the abundance of lovely coastal towns, and Sidney is one of the coolest and most accessible from Victoria.
Unique highlights here include the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea (a small but very well-done aquarium), a fish market frequented by the local seals, and a pier that offers an excellent view of the Gulf. On clear days, you can even spot Washington&rsquo;s Mount Baker across the water.

It&rsquo;s also home to the Victoria airport, and the first big town you&rsquo;ll see if you arrive at Swartz Bay on the ferry. This means you&rsquo;ll likely pass through Sidney anyway, so take some time to look around!
<h3 dir="ltr">Salt Spring Island</h3>
If you only take one more ferry during your trip, it should be the one to Salt Spring! This island is around the size of Aruba, and it&rsquo;s become quite the artistic outpost on the Gulf. The main town, Ganges, is packed with galleries and nifty boutiques, plus there&rsquo;s a weekly street market each Saturday where local artists take to the sidewalks.
It&rsquo;s also one of the best hiking spots in the area &mdash; drive down to Ruckle Provincial Park and follow the trail along the coast for some gorgeous, peak Pacific Northwestern views.

To get there from downtown Victoria, either drive or take one of several direct buses up to Swartz Bay, then hop on the ferry to Fulford Harbour. You&rsquo;ll be much better off with a car on Salt Spring Island, but <a href="https://www.bctransit.com/salt-spring-island/schedules-and-maps/">buses do run every couple hours</a> and cover most of the highlights. 
Want to learn more about Victoria? <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/jacks-guide-to-victoria">Check out the guide</a>.

Travel Tips

Silk Road to Sakura: A Choose-Your-Own Adventure

&ldquo;I am looking into planning the itinerary for our big trip to Asia and it is a bit confusing where to start and what to do with visas (China). But we are planning to fly less and use rail and buses to enjoy the scenery. 
Our departure airport is Manchester and we&rsquo;re aiming to be gone from the last week of March to about June. We definitely want to include: Uzbekistan, China, South Korea, Japan, and maybe Vietnam. Rough budget around &pound;2000.&rdquo;&nbsp;- Nehla

Navigator Akasha finds phenomenal Flights faster than you can decide where you want to take a trip to next. A pro at finding the best of the best fares, she's also a master at sharing must-visit spots for when you land.

Answered by Akasha

Hi there, Nehla! Wow, what an adventure! Consider me officially jealous. Slow travel is by far one of the best ways to connect with the land and the people (and yourself!) on a deeper level. It&rsquo;s the anti-checklist trip.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ve done some research and dug up your best options for traveling overland, and flying when necessary.
<h2 dir="ltr" id="stage-1-manchester-to-uzbekistan">Stage 1: Manchester to Uzbekistan</h2>
Currently, <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAho8EgoyMDI2LTAzLTI1KAFqDAgDEggvbS8wNTJid3IMCAISCC9tLzBkbDNncgwIAxIIL20vMGZzbXmQAY4CQAFIAXABggELCP___________wGYAQI&amp;tfu=EgoIABAAGAAgAigB&amp;gl=GB">one-way fares</a> from Manchester to Samarkand or Tashkent in March are pretty decent, in the &pound;240s&ndash;&pound;380s.
Uzbekistan is a firm bucket-lister at Jack&rsquo;s, with Detour Editor Katy the first of us to chart a course through its mesmerizing blue mosques and mausoleums.

&ldquo;In Samarkand, your journey will no doubt start at<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/mar/31/registan-samarkand-square-history-cities-buildings"> Registan Square</a>, the city's most iconic landmark. It is dominated by three ornately tiled madrasahs&mdash;Ulugh Beg, Sher-Dor, and Tilla-Kari. Each one is a masterpiece, and pictures seriously do not do them justice.&nbsp;
There are hundreds of small alcoves and rooms to explore within the Madrasahs, not to mention handmade Uzbek crafts for sale. Needlework and embroidery are an integral part of the Uzbek culture, and you'll find gorgeous examples at shops all throughout the city.
If you look carefully, inside certain shops you&rsquo;ll spot narrow spiral staircases heading up. Follow them, and you&rsquo;ll emerge onto beautiful balconies overlooking the square, where you can grab a cuppa and watch the people go by.
Another highlight of Samarkand is <a href="https://www.baytalfann.com/post/the-beauty-history-of-shah-i-zinda">Shah-i-Zinda</a>, which is more or less a village of brightly-coloured mausoleums. To snap the best shots, plan to visit early in the day. The narrow pathways get pretty crowded, so a bit of patience is needed for unintentional photobombers.&rdquo; - Katy

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 2: Uzbekistan to China</h2>
Option 1: Flying from Uzbekistan to China
Obviously, <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/explore?tfs=CBwQAxopEgoyMDI2LTA0LTA4agwIAxIIL20vMGZzbXlyDQgEEgkvbS8wZDA1dzNAAUgBcAKCAQsI____________AZgBArIBBBgBIAE&amp;tfu=GioaKAoSCVmL8zotQUhAEXruTojanVpAEhIJfdK0362sN0AR9NydEDUQTUA&amp;gl=GB">flying from Uzbekistan to China</a> is the easiest and quickest option and will cost you around&nbsp; &pound;100-&pound;180. Flying non-stop, you can either fly to Urumqi (close to the border with Kazakhstan), Guangzhou, Xian or Beijing.&nbsp;

Option 2: Crossing overland into China&nbsp;
Alternatively, if you&rsquo;re up for an adventure, you can cross overland into China, either via <a href="https://caravanistan.com/border-crossings/kazakhstan/#kazakhstan-%e2%80%93-china-border-crossings">Khazakstan</a> or <a href="https://caravanistan.com/border-crossings/kyrgyzstan/">Kyrgyzstan</a>. It&rsquo;s more difficult to cross from Kyrgyzstan because the region that borders it is Xinjiang, which is <a href="https://caravanistan.com/east-turkestan/">quite tightly controlled</a>, and they don&rsquo;t usually let foreigners visit. You&rsquo;d have an easier time crossing from Khorgos (Horgos) in Kazakhstan. The road is better, and you can cross by bus.&nbsp;
While you&rsquo;re in Kazakhstan, you might want to consider crossing the steppes by train; this <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/oct/22/across-kazakhstan-by-rail-a-photo-essay?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawOmN9FleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF5czdqRWlPU21WOWlvYmtzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHl-dy5BRK4EbERMEiciMj5sJvKtWQcnvqEoTDjGx1kX5jg-U2dvxJt_U0Kr4_aem_karr_pNUs9Emx9HVMjFJ1g">dreamy photo-journal</a> certainly entices me to!
From Tashkent, you can take <a href="https://www.railrussia.com/routes/tashkent-almaty">a train overland to Almaty</a> (Khazakstan) in about 17 hours, and then catch a bus from <a href="https://thetripgoeson.com/almaty-to-urumqi/">Almaty to Urumqi</a> (China). The bus takes about 19&ndash;20 hours and costs around &pound;30 on average. This is by far the easiest way and beats trains with changes or separate border buses.&nbsp;
From Urumqi Railway Station, direct connections span Xinjiang regionally, as well as east to central China via the <a href="https://www.chinadiscovery.com/china-trains/urumqi-high-speed-train.html">Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway</a> &mdash; no transfers needed for most.
This 12-hour train route follows the ancient Silk Road via the oasis town of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RR-hlrRZrs">Turpan</a>. From here, it travels through some of China&rsquo;s wildest terrain, whizzing past lunar landscapes like the rainbow mountains of Zhangye and <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/china/gansu/dunhuang/attractions/mogao-grottoes/a/poi-sig/1496278/355964">the caves of the thousand Buddhas in Mogao</a>. This is one of the most important collections of Buddhist architecture in the world.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 3: China to South Korea</h2>
Option 1: Flying from China to South Korea
It&rsquo;s very <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/explore?tfs=CBwQAxooEgoyMDI2LTA0LTA4agwIAhIIL20vMDE5MTRyDAgEEggvbS8wNnFkM0ABSAFwAoIBCwj___________8BmAECsgEEGAEgAQ&amp;tfu=GgA&amp;gl=GB">easy to fly</a> between the two countries &mdash; expect to pay around &pound;60 one-way.
Option 2: China to South Korea via ferry
I imagine you'll train-hop from Urumqi across China to the Beijing area. From Beijing, hop on a high-speed train to Qingdao (3&ndash;4 hours, around &pound;40 for economy seats), where you can take <a href="https://4corners7seas.com/asia/china/china-korea-ferries/">a ferry to Incheon, South Korea</a>. The Weidong ferry sails every Mon/Wed/Fri at 17:30 and takes about 17&ndash;18 hours, costing around &pound;85+.&nbsp; 
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/silk-road-to-sakura-a-choose-your-own-adventure">Continue reading...</a>

Reader's Corner

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Storm Bram&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/storm-bram-flights-trains-ferries-cancelled-weather-warnings-b2881568.html">brought chaos to travellers</a> in the UK and Ireland this week, disrupting everything from flights to trains to ferries. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">No photo can truly do the Northern Lights justice, but these <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2025/12/08/25-award-winning-northern-lights-photos-to-inspire-your-next-adventure/">25 award-winning photographers</a> have gotten pretty close. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Spirit&rsquo;s bankruptcy is <a href="https://simpleflying.com/is-american-spirit-merger-in-the-cards-new-court-filing-draws-speculation/">drawing rumours of an American Airlines buy-out</a>. Now, would their celebrity couple name be Spamerican or Amerit?&nbsp; </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">After several shipping containers full of fruit were <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/cruise-ship-iona-delayed-fruit-overboard-b2879752.html">accidentally plunged into waters off the Isle of Wight</a>, officials have warned locals not to eat any loose bananas they find washed up on shore. Darn it, there goes our whole lunch plan! </li>
<li>And finally, let's&nbsp;paws on a warm and fuzzy note: From donuts to shrines, this entire neighborhood in Tokyo is <a href="https://japanjourneys.jp/tokyo/lifestyle/things-to-do/cat-lovers-need-to-visit-yanaka-right-now/">themed around its feline residents</a>. It's&nbsp;purr-fect!</li>
</ul>

Travel News

A Taste of Island Life in British Columbia & a DIY Pan-Asian Adventure

Sometimes, we receive a question from the Jack's Community that sets our soul alight. The kind of question that excites us, ignites our wanderlust and transports us across continents.&nbsp;
This was one of those questions.&nbsp;
Navigator Kash fell so far down a pan-Asian rabbit hole that she's yet to fully emerge, so it's only right that we share all the goods she dug up along the way.
<hr>

Hi there, Nehla! Wow, what an adventure! Consider me officially jealous. Slow travel is by far one of the best ways to connect with the land and the people (and yourself!) on a deeper level. It&rsquo;s the anti-checklist trip.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ve done some research and dug up your best options for traveling overland, and flying when necessary.

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 1: Manchester to Uzbekistan</h2>
Currently, <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAho8EgoyMDI2LTAzLTI1KAFqDAgDEggvbS8wNTJid3IMCAISCC9tLzBkbDNncgwIAxIIL20vMGZzbXmQAY4CQAFIAXABggELCP___________wGYAQI&amp;tfu=EgoIABAAGAAgAigB&amp;gl=GB">one-way fares</a> from Manchester to Samarkand or Tashkent in March are pretty decent, in the &pound;240s&ndash;&pound;380s.
Uzbekistan is a firm bucket-lister at Jack&rsquo;s, with Detour Editor Katy the first of us to chart a course through its mesmerizing blue mosques and mausoleums.

&ldquo;In Samarkand, your journey will no doubt start at<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/mar/31/registan-samarkand-square-history-cities-buildings"> Registan Square</a>, the city's most iconic landmark. It is dominated by three impossibly ornately tiled madrasahs&mdash;Ulugh Beg, Sher-Dor, and Tilla-Kari. Each one is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture, and pictures seriously do not do them justice.&nbsp;
There are hundreds of small alcoves and rooms to explore within the Madrasahs, not to mention handmade Uzbek crafts for sale. Needlework and embroidery are an integral part of the Uzbek culture, and you'll find gorgeous examples at shops all throughout the city.
If you look carefully, inside certain shops you&rsquo;ll spot narrow spiral staircases heading up. Follow them, and you&rsquo;ll emerge onto beautiful balconies overlooking the square, where you can grab a cuppa and watch the people go by.
Another highlight of Samarkand is<a href="https://www.baytalfann.com/post/the-beauty-history-of-shah-i-zinda"> Shah-i-Zinda</a>, which is more or less a village of brightly-coloured mausoleums. To snap the best shots, plan to visit early in the day. The narrow pathways get pretty crowded, so a bit of patience is needed for unintentional photobombers.&rdquo; - Katy

Tip: When it comes to your first glimpse of public transport in this area of the world, you&rsquo;re in for an absolute treat in Tashkent. Its <a href="https://twinperspectives.co.uk/the-most-beautiful-metro-stations-in-tashkent-2025/">metro stations are more like museums</a>. A myriad of mosaics and motifs, each spinning tales of the Silk Road and crumbled empires.&nbsp;

Option 2: Crossing overland into China&nbsp;
Alternatively, if you&rsquo;re up for an adventure, you can cross overland into China, either via <a href="https://caravanistan.com/border-crossings/kazakhstan/#kazakhstan-%e2%80%93-china-border-crossings">Khazakstan</a> or <a href="https://caravanistan.com/border-crossings/kyrgyzstan/">Kyrgyzstan</a>. It&rsquo;s more difficult to cross from Kyrgyzstan because the region that borders it is Xinjiang, which is <a href="https://caravanistan.com/east-turkestan/">quite tightly controlled</a>, and they don&rsquo;t usually let foreigners visit. You&rsquo;d have an easier time crossing from Khorgos (Horgos) in Kazakhstan. The road is better, and you can cross by bus.&nbsp;
While you&rsquo;re in Kazakhstan, you might want to consider crossing the steppes by train; this <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/oct/22/across-kazakhstan-by-rail-a-photo-essay?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawOmN9FleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF5czdqRWlPU21WOWlvYmtzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHl-dy5BRK4EbERMEiciMj5sJvKtWQcnvqEoTDjGx1kX5jg-U2dvxJt_U0Kr4_aem_karr_pNUs9Emx9HVMjFJ1g">dreamy photo-journal</a> certainly entices me to!

Tip: This website, <a href="https://caravanistan.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caravanistan</a>, is a great resource for destinations all along the Silk Road. Here&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1Ml8xrhk9Jwr00_GdccYtBrEYScU&amp;ll=41.93493861474455%2C79.74287294999999&amp;z=3">a handy map of border crossings</a> on the Silk Road.

From Tashkent, you can take <a href="https://www.railrussia.com/routes/tashkent-almaty">a train overland to Almaty</a> (Khazakstan) in about 17 hours, and then catch a bus from <a href="https://thetripgoeson.com/almaty-to-urumqi/">Almaty to Urumqi</a> (China) the bus takes about 19&ndash;20 hours and costs around &pound;30 on average. This is by far the easiest way and beats trains with changes or separate border buses.&nbsp;
From Urumqi Railway Station, direct connections span Xinjiang regionally, as well as east to central China via the <a href="https://www.chinadiscovery.com/china-trains/urumqi-high-speed-train.html">Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway</a> &mdash; no transfers needed for most.
This 12-hour train route follows the ancient Silk Road via the oasis town of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RR-hlrRZrs">Turpan</a>. From here, it travels through some of China&rsquo;s wildest terrain, whizzing past lunar landscapes like the rainbow mountains of Zhangye and <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/china/gansu/dunhuang/attractions/mogao-grottoes/a/poi-sig/1496278/355964">the caves of the thousand Buddhas in Mogao</a>. This is one of the most important collections of Buddhist architecture in the world.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 3: China to South Korea</h2>
Option 1: Flying from China to South Korea
It&rsquo;s very <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/explore?tfs=CBwQAxooEgoyMDI2LTA0LTA4agwIAhIIL20vMDE5MTRyDAgEEggvbS8wNnFkM0ABSAFwAoIBCwj___________8BmAECsgEEGAEgAQ&amp;tfu=GgA&amp;gl=GB">easy to fly</a> between the two countries &mdash; expect to pay around &pound;60 one-way.

Option 2: China to South Korea via ferry
I imagine you'll train-hop from Urumqi across China to the Beijing area. From Beijing, hop on a high-speed train to Qingdao (3&ndash;4 hours, around &pound;40 for economy seats), where you can take <a href="https://4corners7seas.com/asia/china/china-korea-ferries/">a ferry to Incheon, South Korea</a>. The Weidong ferry sails every Mon/Wed/Fri at 17:30 and takes about 17&ndash;18 hours, costing around &pound;85+.&nbsp;

Tip: It&rsquo;s easier (and cheaper) to buy tickets in person than online, and you&rsquo;ll want to arrive no later than two hours before departure to fill out customs declaration and boarding cards. The amenities on board are basic, so pack snacks accordingly, or consider splurging for a higher tier like Business or Royal class.

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 4: South Korea to Japan</h2>
Option 1: South Korea to Japan via ferry
Once you arrive in Incheon, you can then take an AREX train or subway to Seoul, which takes about an hour and costs around &pound;5.&nbsp;
At this stage, a few days of rest and rejuvenation probably wouldn&rsquo;t go amiss! In Seoul, a visit to <a href="http://google.com/search?q=siloam+sauna&amp;oq=Siloam+Sauna&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgBEAAYgAQyBwgCEAAYgAQyBwgDEAAYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyBwgFEAAYgAQyBwgGEAAYgAQyBwgHEAAYgAQyBwgIEAAYgAQyDQgJEAAYhgMYgAQYigXSAQgxMTAwajBqN6gCALACAA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Siloam Sauna</a> offers traditional Korean spa relaxation for you weary travellers. Alternatively, a gentle hike up Achasan Mountain will do wonders for the spirit, and afterward, reward yourself with a quiet tea at <a href="https://firefortysix.com/2023/07/08/a-relaxing-afternoon-interlude-at-tteuran-teahouse-in-ikseondong/">Tteuran Tea House</a>.
From Seoul, you can then take <a href="https://www.koreantrain.com/train-seoul-busan">a highspeed KTX train to Busan</a> (stop off in the city known as <a href="https://southkoreahallyu.com/gyeongju-south-korea-things-to-do/">&ldquo;the museum without walls&rdquo;</a> if you have the time). From Seoul straight to Busan it takes about 2hrs 15 mins and costs around &pound;30.&nbsp;

Next up, <a href="https://whirled-away.com/ferry-south-korea-japan/">hop on an overnight ferry across to Fukuoka</a>. The ferry prices usually fall somewhere between &pound;46 and &pound;77 depending on the season and what kind of seat or cabin you pick. All in, you&rsquo;re looking at roughly &pound;76&ndash;&pound;108.&nbsp;
Another option is the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcleb7YgKGA">PanStar Cruise Line</a> to Osaka, offering a longer, more cruise-like experience that honestly might be worth the detour!
Option 2: Flying from South Korea to Japan
If you&rsquo;d rather get there fast, <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/explore?tfs=CBwQAxoqEgoyMDI1LTEyLTI0KABqDAgDEggvbS8waHNxZnIMCAQSCC9tLzAzXzNkQAFIAXACggELCP___________wGYAQKyAQQYASAB&amp;tfu=GgA&amp;gl=GB">flights from Seoul</a> to places like Tokyo, Osaka, or Fukuoka are typically pretty cheap and only take around 1.5&ndash;2 hours, with fares starting from &pound;40&ndash;&pound;70 if you catch a deal.

Tip: In Tokyo, instead of sticking to Shibuya, Asakusa, or Ginza, venture to neighbourhoods like Yanaka, Shimokitazawa, Kiyosumi‑Shirakawa, or Kichijoji for more local energy. 
<a href="https://monocle.com/travel/yanaka-neighbourhood-guide/">Yanaka</a> offers a quiet, nostalgic Tokyo with over 70 different temples, wooden houses and cozy eateries - and <a href="https://japanjourneys.jp/tokyo/lifestyle/things-to-do/cat-lovers-need-to-visit-yanaka-right-now/">most importantly, cats</a>!

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 5: Japan to Vietnam</h2>
Option 1: Ferry and Overland
This one is tricky. You can do it overland by heading back to China by ferry (although the <a href="https://www.shinganjin.com/en/schedule/">Kobe/Osaka&ndash;Shanghai service</a> was suspended this week due to ongoing tensions), and then travelling south by train.
If you want to go for it, just be aware that there&rsquo;s a time investment involved! The crossing takes 45&ndash;48 hours, then it&rsquo;ll be around another 10 hours by train from Shanghai to the Vietnamese border.
Trains crossing from China into Vietnam <a href="https://www.indochinatour.com/china-vietnam-tour/china-to-vietnam.html#:~:text=hub%20in%20China.-,The%20Train%20to%20Vietnam%20from%20China%20is%20Available%3A%20A%20Very%20Scenic%20Route%20from%20Nanning,-Instead%20of%20flying">were not reinstated after the pandemic</a>. That means you&rsquo;ll have to alight at Pingxiang, take a taxi to the border crossing, and then hop on a train from Dong Dang on the Vietnamese side to continue towards Hanoi.

Option 2: Flying from Japan to Vietnam&nbsp;
You can catch <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/explore?tfs=CBwQAxorEgoyMDI1LTEyLTI0KABqDAgDEggvbS8wN2Rma3INCAQSCS9tLzAxY3JkNUABSAFwAoIBCwj___________8BmAECsgEEGAEgAQ&amp;tfu=GgA&amp;gl=GB">a direct flight from Tokyo</a> to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City in about six hours, with economy fares that can drop as low as &pound;80&ndash;&pound;90 one way.
In Hanoi, I recommend starting your mornings early at <a href="https://lilystravelagency.com/quang-ba-flower-market/">Quang Ba Flower Market</a> to see the city come alive with traders&rsquo; fresh flowers before the crowds arrive.&nbsp;
You can also use buses, trains, or the app Grab (similar to Uber) to catch a motorbike or taxi to quieter districts or artisan villages like Bat Trang and Duong Lam.&nbsp;
In <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/story/0AUR6zBKq7ucyg">Bat Trang</a>, arrive in the morning to watch artisans shape pottery by hand, and try making a small piece yourself. In <a href="https://wander-lush.org/duong-lam-ancient-village-hanoi-day-trip/">Duong Lam</a>, take a bus or Grab through scenic rice paddies, then walk or cycle among clay-tiled houses and temples. Bring cash and wear comfortable shoes, and consider visiting on weekdays for a quieter, more authentic experience of local crafts and village life.

Tip:&nbsp;If you decide to go south, take a look at our <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/jfcs-guide-to-ho-chi-minh-city">Ho Chi Minh Guide</a> &mdash; it&rsquo;s packed with Katy&rsquo;s tips for your trip.

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 6: Homeward Bound</h2>
Flying back home
Once you&rsquo;re done exploring Vietnam, getting back to the UK is easiest via London: there are several direct flights from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to London, and from there it&rsquo;s just a quick hop on a domestic flight or train to Manchester.&nbsp;
Total flight times from Vietnam to London are roughly 13&ndash;14 hours for a direct route, with fares ranging from &pound;390s&ndash;&pound;600 depending on the airline, season, and how early you book. Currently, <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAho4EgoyMDI2LTA2LTE1KABqDAgDEggvbS8wZm5mZmoMCAMSCC9tLzBobjRocgwIAhIIL20vMDRqcGxAAUgBcAGCAQsI____________AZgBAg&amp;tfu=EgoIABAAGAAgAigB&amp;gl=GB">fares in June </a>are reasonable at &pound;396.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr">Rough totals</h2>
Overland/ferry-heavy route: &pound;1,400pp
Mostly flying: &pound;1,200pp

<h2 id="visa-notes">Visa Notes</h2>
Uzbekistan
<ul>
<li data-start="288" data-end="412">UK, EU, Canadian &amp; US Passports: Most will qualify for up to 30 days visa-free for tourism. Longer stays require a visa, usually via the official e-visa portal.</li>
<li data-start="288" data-end="412">Other passports: Many nationalities still qualify for visa-free entry or simple e-visas, but rules vary. Check your specific passport eligibility on the <a href="https://e-visa.gov.uz/">Uzbek government visa site</a>.</li>
</ul>
China
<ul>
<li data-start="640" data-end="900">UK, US &amp; Canadian Passports: A visa is usually required, depending on the exact duration and destination of your visit. The current process involves an online pre-approval form on <a href="https://www.visaforchina.cn/VIE3_EN/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">visaforchina.cn</a>, followed by an in-person biometrics appointment at a Chinese Visa Application Service Centre. Fees average about &pound;130. Allow 3&ndash;4 weeks total.</li>
<li data-start="903" data-end="1128">Other passports: Most European countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand, will qualify for 15-days visa-free entry to China. These rules change frequetly, and requirements, fees, and processing times can differ, so travelers should always check the rules for their specific nationality.</li>
</ul>
South Korea
<ul>
<li data-start="1150" data-end="1270">Most UK, European &amp; North American passports: No traditional visa needed for trips up to 90 days, but you must <a href="https://www.k-eta.go.kr/">apply for the K-ETA</a> before travel.&nbsp;Some passports may require a short-stay visa, so check the K-ETA site for nationality-specific entry rules.</li>
</ul>
Japan
<ul>
<li data-start="1150" data-end="1270">Most UK, European &amp; North American passports:&nbsp;Visa-free for up to 90 days. You may be asked to show proof of funds and onward travel/accommodation.</li>
<li data-start="1582" data-end="1742">Other passports: Japan offers visa-free entry to many countries, but not all&mdash;travellers should confirm whether their passport is on Japan&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html">visa-exempt list</a>.</li>
</ul>
Vietnam
<ul>
<li data-start="1760" data-end="1813">UK &amp; European passports: Most qualify for visa-free entry for up to 45 days.</li>
<li data-start="1816" data-end="1994">Other passports: Visa exemptions vary greatly by nationality. Many travellers will need an e-visa, which is generally straightforward to obtain via <a href="https://evisa.gov.vn/">Vietnam&rsquo;s official portal</a>.</li>
</ul>

Safe travels! I&rsquo;d love to know which routes you end up choosing! And <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/postcards">send us a postcard</a> on the road!

Silk Road to Sakura: A Choose-Your-Own Adventure

Greece

New Zealand

Hey there, Travellers!
As usual, I've spent much of my free time this week planning for future trips. Quelle surprise!
Next week, my husband Dave and I will be jetting off to Germany for a couple of days. Those of you in the UK and Ireland may have heard of a Wowcher Mystery Holiday, where you pay &pound;99pp and the destination is up to the luck of the draw (kind of). I'd never done one before, so we reckoned it was about time.
Unfortunately, our luck didn't bag us 2 weeks in Bali, rather 2 nights in D&uuml;sseldorf. But honestly, I'm still pretty excited! Despite living in Germany for years, I've never been to the city before &mdash; only the airport&nbsp;&mdash; so it's all going to be new.
If you've got any D&uuml;sseldorf tips for me, or if you've ever taken a mystery trip and have a tale to tell, <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-202-fear-of-flying-beijing#comments">let me know in the comments</a> or by hitting&nbsp;'Reply'.
Happy travels and safe landings,

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In Partnership with Babbel

How a One-Day Course Cured My Fear of Flying

Flight Finder Akasha finds phenomenal flights faster than you can decide where you want to take a trip to next. A pro at finding the best of the best fares, she's also a master at sharing must-visit spots for when you land.

By Akasha

I never in a million years thought I&rsquo;d be sitting in a window seat, on &ldquo;a flight to nowhere,&rdquo; listening to a pilot calmly instruct us to squeeze our butts over the intercom. Yet, here I was, circling Heathrow on a faux-flight, surrounded by a cabin of strangers clenching in an awkward synchrony&hellip;
For the 1 in 6 of us who fear flying, the real question isn&rsquo;t whether you prefer take-off or landing, but: &ldquo;how will I survive this?&rdquo; and apparently survival starts with your glutes.
The fear of flying starts the moment you book &mdash; the creeping dread as you shuffle through security, the way your body locks at that first &lsquo;bing bong&rsquo; of the seatbelt sign. I know. I used to resign myself to meeting a tumbling death in the first ten seconds of turbulence.&nbsp;
So when British Airways&rsquo; Flying with Confidence course crossed my desk at work, I volunteered to be a personal guinea pig for a&nbsp;&ldquo;life changing&rdquo; experience aimed at curing your fear of flying.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;British Airways did not pay me, sponsor this review or bribe me with tiny pretzels and peanuts. I paid full price for this course, and all opinions and occasional panic are 100% mine.

<h2 dir="ltr">Flight School: Turbulence, Sounds, and Control</h2>
Mainly held in Heathrow and Gatwick, the course is piloted by, well, pilots (and psychologists, too). There are a few flavours to choose from&mdash;Primary, Premium, Premium Plus, or Private&mdash;depending on your budget and nerves. I signed up for the primary course, which meant a day of technical and psychological sessions with about 100 fellow nervous flyers. Perks? Unlimited tea, coffee, snacks, and lunch.
The day is broken into 3 parts, and honestly, it felt a little like flight school lite.
The morning kicked off with some breathing exercises, which would be the foundation for controlling anxiety throughout the day.&nbsp;
The technique is called &ldquo;Breathe &amp; Squeeze,&rdquo; basically a combo of deep breathing and contracting your glutes, aiming to slow your heart rate and muscle tension.
Next, pilots Nigel and Niven gave a presentation that broke down all aspects of aviation. From ailerons and roll, to rudder and yaw, lift and drag. Personally, I found this the most helpful part of the course. I&rsquo;m usually not one to grasp concepts to do with physics &mdash; ask anyone who sat near me in school &mdash; but somehow Nigel and Niven made it click.&nbsp;

They managed to make a deep dive into aerodynamics entertaining. It was seriously in-depth, and I found myself appreciating just how much training, knowledge, and precision go into every single flight &mdash; and wondering why I ever thought my fear knew better.&nbsp;
&ldquo;What if the engine falls off?&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;What if passengers bring extra baggage on board and it affects the weight of the plane?&rdquo;
&nbsp;&ldquo;How can there be a safe landing if you&rsquo;re flying across the Atlantic?&rdquo; 
&ldquo;What if we get struck by lightning?&rdquo; 
&ldquo;What if there&rsquo;s something wrong with the left phalange?&rdquo; Ok, I &mdash; or should I say Phoebe from Friends &mdash; made that one up, but if there was a left phalange, we&rsquo;d worry about it.
We had all of our questions answered and more, and I even walked away with some new flight-nerd facts with which to impress my colleagues.&nbsp;
Did you know that it&rsquo;s the wing that enables the aircraft to fly, not the engine? Now you do.&nbsp;
Did you know that the wings undergo an extreme stress test? They do, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/x25xeSqNYF8">look</a>!
How many wings does an aircraft have? 2? 4? Wrong. It has one.&nbsp;
Do you know how much weight the paint on an airplane adds? Two tonnes.&nbsp;
Most importantly, though, we gained a greater understanding of the numerous noises inside and outside the cabin (&ldquo;Noise is good&rdquo; was another mantra throughout the day), as well as the phantom threat haunting the skies. It strikes precisely when you&rsquo;ve let your guard down and placed your drink on your lap: Turbulence.&nbsp;

Enter the third chant of the day, &ldquo;Turbulence is uncomfortable, not dangerous&rdquo;&nbsp;
They asked who among us has ever experienced severe turbulence. My hand smugly shot up along with a few others, as if to vindicate every intrusive table-gripping thought we&rsquo;ve ever endured.&nbsp;
Trick question. According to the pilots, they&rsquo;ve never encountered severe turbulence in all their years in the sky, just garden-variety bumps that feel terrifying to us mere mortals because we don&rsquo;t understand what&rsquo;s happening. Which, frankly, felt like a personal attack.&nbsp;
Imagine the plane is like a spoon in jelly, they told us. The jelly is the air&mdash;usually smooth until something stirs it. Then it wobbles. The spoon jiggles, but it won&rsquo;t break. Planes work the same way. Air, they reminded us, has fluid properties.&nbsp;
Just because you can&rsquo;t see it, doesn&rsquo;t mean it&rsquo;s not there, and like boats resting on a sea of water, planes rest on a sea of air. Sometimes, like water, the air gets choppy. It feels dramatic, sure, but really it&rsquo;s just physics being physics. And dangerous? Not even close.&nbsp; 
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/how-the-flying-with-confidence-course-finally-beat-my-fear-of-flying">Keep reading&hellip;</a>

Travel Tricks

Win A Glamorous Night Out In London

It's said there are three great quests in life:&nbsp;1)&nbsp;To find love.&nbsp;2)&nbsp;To find meaning.&nbsp;3)&nbsp;And to win an insane competition for&nbsp;the ultimate luxury night out for four people&nbsp;involving wine, cocktails, and unique luxury dining experiences.&nbsp;
Which, our friends over at London's finest city guide&nbsp;<a href="https://thenudge.com/" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thenudge.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1756982549610000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2x3wyahJgW_cUf8P1PJEUh" rel="noopener">The Nudge</a>. can help with.&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s involved? Well, first you and three (incredibly grateful) buddies will start with cocktails at Mexican-Japanese&nbsp;Los Mochis, City, where you&rsquo;ll have&nbsp;&pound;100 to spend on&nbsp;stunning drinks&nbsp;either in their world-class Agaveria and lounge, or on their panoramic rooftop terrace should the weather see fit.
Then, things move onto&nbsp;<a href="https://thenudge.com/london-restaurants/luna/" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thenudge.com/london-restaurants/luna/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1756982549610000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3lvjEBZSFm_iEUDx-BSP0f" rel="noopener">LUNA</a>&nbsp;-&nbsp;an intimate omakase restaurant&nbsp;perched on the 9th floor, overlooking the city.&nbsp;With only 12 seats in the whole restaurant, your group will be taking up a full third of the jewel-box space. And what follows will be a dozen courses from a theatrical, boundary-pushing menu that fuses storytelling with spectacular food. Expect welcome cocktails, some incredible food, wine pairings, and no bill at the end.
To enter, you don't need to guess how many jellybeans there are in a jar, or solve a riddle, or do a backflip - just click below&hellip;

In Partnership with The Nudge

From Art to Auckland, and Back to the Aegean

The Detour Editor Katy is a budget travel aficionado who has already travelled to more than 50 countries. Whether she's at home or on a foreign adventure, she has a particular talent for stumbling upon tasty Georgian restaurants.

By Katy

In this week&rsquo;s Reader&rsquo;s Corner, I&rsquo;m bringing you a mash-up of topics that have landed in my inbox this week.&nbsp;
First up, it&rsquo;s Beijing. Last week, Flight Finder Kristi asked for your Beijing tips for her upcoming trip, and one of them in particular caught my attention. Aside from the must-see Forbidden City and early-morning panda visits, The Detour reader Fiona recommends exploring the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.babagoeschina.com/beijing-798-art-district/">798 Art District</a>.
I looked it up and all I can say is, wow! Factories and warehouses repurposed as galleries, alleyways splashed with street art, and sleek hipster caf&eacute;s &mdash; you&rsquo;d be forgiven for thinking this was Berlin as opposed to Beijing. We love hearing about the spots that don&rsquo;t usually make it into the tourist brochures, so please keep the recommendations coming.&nbsp;
Next up, it&rsquo;s the turn of the Chinese airlines&hellip;

&ldquo;Greetings!
I am currently in Ireland, but am looking for a flight from London to Auckland, NZ. I can get a good price with China Southern, or with Air China. How would you rate these airlines? I would appreciate an honest opinion.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Thanks so much&rdquo; - Dianne

Hi Dianne, this is a great question. The lowest fares we see to Auckland from the UK generally do involve Chinese Airlines, but most of us on this side of the world aren&rsquo;t very familiar with them.
Our resident Aussie, Larissa, flew home to Sydney with China Southern last year, and rated the airline a rather resounding, &ldquo;fine.&rdquo; There were no bells or whistles, lots of noodles, and a rather lengthy stopover in Guangzhou, but ultimately no major issues either. You can find her&nbsp;<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/jfc-honest-airline-reviews-china-southern">full breakdown of the experience here</a>.
A couple of other Jack&rsquo;s team members have flown China Eastern in recent years and gave pretty similar reviews, but unfortunately we&rsquo;re yet to board Air China. <a href="https://youtu.be/561YLjn7W2M?si=PNBs1lyHdGwnXKdg&amp;t=506">This recent review</a> on YouTube makes it look pretty decent, especially considering the low fares.
I hope that gives you some confidence to go ahead and book &mdash; I sure would!
And finally, we'll wrap up with a return to the Aegean...

&ldquo;Hello, my husband and I are celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2026 and so are friends of ours.&nbsp; We want to see the Greek Islands and are open to cruising, ferries, whatever is the best means of transport.&nbsp; My husband is getting a knee replacement sometime this fall and we're hoping he'll be more mobile. Any recommendations?&rdquo;

Hi reader &mdash; if I&rsquo;m not mistaken, you might have asked a similar question a couple of months back. In case you missed it, Flight Finder Fran put together her <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-182-disastrous-flight-delays#:~:text=Sparkling%20Seas%20for%20a%20Silver%20Anniversary">top suggestions for your gorgeous Greek getaway</a>. We hope you have a wonderful time (and send us some pics when you get back)!

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 css-1kubl8f css-1kubl8f">Here's your <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/baby-puffin-throwing-wildlife-rehabilitation">annual dose of Icelandic&nbsp;"awwww!"</a> </li>
<li class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 css-1kubl8f css-1kubl8f">Sometimes, the last thing you want to do after a long trip is talk to a human at a hotel reception. Are <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/inside-japan-henn-na-robot-hotel/">Japan's robot hotels</a> the solution? </li>
<li class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 css-1kubl8f css-1kubl8f">As destinations go, "hell" isn't commonly considered one of the good ones. But just in case it does take your fancy, <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/geography/wanderlust/entrances-to-hell">these 10 entrances to the underworld</a>&nbsp;are worth checking out. </li>
<li class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 css-1kubl8f css-1kubl8f">And finally, after 19 years and a lot of controversy, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kazakhstan-borat-ad-tourism-very-nice/">Kazakhstan has decided that "Very nice"</a> might not actually be so bad.</li>
</ul>

Curing Your Fear of Flying & Discovering Artsy Beijing

How&rsquo;s it goin&rsquo;, eh?
Canadian Flight Finder Kristi here taking over The Detour for a week.
Apparently, I can&rsquo;t just move countries without immediately finding new and exciting ways to wear out my hiking boots. Case in point: last spring I dragged myself and Flight Finder Kash (and my camera) across Kyrgyzstan&rsquo;s mountains, where the scenery was jaw-dropping, and the altitude was&hellip; let&rsquo;s just say&nbsp;humbling. I&rsquo;ve put together a photo journal below so you can enjoy the peaks with me (but without the blisters).&nbsp;
I recently moved back to Canada, and with that comes a new personal mission: to spend more time exploring this vast and majestic backyard. From coast to coast (and plenty in between), I&rsquo;ll be digging into what makes Canada such a dream destination &mdash; for both international visitors&nbsp;and those of us lucky enough to call it home.
Oh, and because I clearly don&rsquo;t learn, I&rsquo;m off to China in a month. I've picked out my Great Wall route already, so now it's time to work out what to do in and around Beijing itself.
Any recommendations that I should absolutely not miss? (Bonus points if it involves dumplings.) Just hit 'Reply' or <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-201-the-grid-kyrgyzstan-canadian-road-trip#comments">leave a comment</a> to keep me on the right path.
Happy travels and safe landings,

Kristi - Canada's Queen of Flight Finding

A 9-day Journey Through Central Asia&rsquo;s Wildest Stan

Flight Finder Kristi is a born and bred Canadian, who has recently returned to her beloved mountains after travelling the world as a digital nomad. When she isn't on the move, she is writing about travelling, or dreaming about travelling, or saving up for&hellip; you get the point :-)

By Kristi

I know why you&rsquo;re here. You want an adventure that doesn&rsquo;t come with souvenir shops or matching tour group hats. You yearn for something wild, untamed, and just a tad off the grid.&nbsp;
So buckle up, babe. We&rsquo;re headed to Kyrgyzstan &ndash; and what unfolds from here is anything but predictable.
In a world that feels mapped and measured, only 0.185% of the world&rsquo;s population will ever set foot on these remote, rugged steppes. And if you dare to make it all the way to <a href="https://inbetweentravels.com/kel-suu-lake/">Kel-Suu Lake</a>? We're talking a microscopic 0.00018%.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s right. You&rsquo;ll be standing in a spot so rare, 99.99982% of humanity will never breathe its air. I did it, and it was pretty freaking cool.&nbsp;
In fact, it felt so surreal, I knew I had to document it &mdash; the beauty, the breakdowns, the blisters, and the magic. What followed was an epic journey with my best friend: nine days of wild terrain, questionable bathrooms, and moments that cracked me wide open.
Here&rsquo;s the journey, told in snapshots and field notes:

Travel Tales

<h3>Day One: Bishkek, Purple Pants &amp; <s>Culture</s> Toilet Shock</h3>

<h6>Itinerary:</h6>
Rolled into Bishkek at 5 a.m. after a full day of travel &mdash; delirious, puffy-eyed, and, in retrospect, wildly under-prepared for cultural differences. The airport? A sea of local men. Us? The only foreign women in sight. I was clad head-to-toe in purple (yes, including an iridescent violet suitcase), standing there like a glittery grape thinking, &ldquo;Oh wow, we are definitely not in <s>Kansas</s> Canada anymore.&rdquo;
<h6 dir="ltr" role="presentation">Highlight:&nbsp;</h6>
The surreal moment of trudging through customs in full lilac glam, feeling both wildly out of place and exactly where I was supposed to be. Plus, nothing could have prepared me for arriving in Bishkek just as the sky turned gold. The sunrise views at the foothills of the <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/EarthPorn/comments/a0trjf/seeing_the_7000m_giants_of_the_tian_shan_mountain/#lightbox">Tian Shan mountains</a>?&nbsp; Pure magic.

<h6 dir="ltr" role="presentation">Challenge:&nbsp;</h6>
Kyrgyz toilets. Oof. Stopped at a gas station, asked for the bathroom, got pointed down a dirt path to a shed. Opened the door to find&hellip; a carved-out hole in the wood floor. No seat, no instructions, just gravity.
(Runner-up: Figuring out how to drive in Bishkek, where traffic rules seem more like suggestions and roundabouts are survival games.) 
<h6 dir="ltr" role="presentation">Coolest Thing I Saw:&nbsp;</h6>
A car so overloaded with boxes, crates, and maybe furniture(?) it looked like a small, fast-moving mountain. 
<h6 dir="ltr" role="presentation">Most Surprising Thing I Ate:</h6>
A full Georgian <a href="https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/khachapuri-georgian-cheese-bread.html">khachapuri</a> &mdash; basically a canoe of cheesy, eggy, buttery bread &mdash; consumed entirely by me. No shame. 10/10. Would do it again.

<h3>Day 2: Getting Out Of Dodge (But in our Peugeot)</h3>

<h6 dir="ltr" role="presentation">Itinerary:</h6>
Fled Bishkek in our trusty (read: slightly wheezy) Peugeot and made the 4-hour drive to Kyzart Village &mdash; the gateway to <a href="https://www.journalofnomads.com/horse-riding-in-kyrgyzstan-song-kul-trek/">our horse trek</a> and the unofficial start of &ldquo;Are we lost yet?&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h6 dir="ltr" role="presentation">Highlight:</h6>
Trotting into our first yurt camp amongst the &ldquo;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8DMdlvNecw/?img_index=1">velvet hills</a>,&rdquo; and hiking through herds of wild horses to chase the setting sun. Also, the feeling of sweet relief when we met up with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/san_cho_tours?igsh=djJtaDVndmtkNnAx">our trek guide, Sancho</a>, and he was even more fun in person. We did a ton of internet research, and it really paid off!
<h6 dir="ltr" role="presentation">Challenge(s):</h6>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Ate our first &lsquo;surprise meal&rsquo; that was cooked for us. No idea what was in it, but it was warm and didn&rsquo;t fight back.</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">The car engine threw a tantrum mid-highway. No roadside assistance, just the mechanic (me: a travel writer), the open road, and the bag of tools thrust my way along with the rental contract.</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Attempted to buy gas with zero Russian language skills. Thank you, Google Translate, for preventing a preemptive mental breakdown.</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Kash, my travel partner and colleague, would probably say that her greatest challenge was battling a complete stomach revolt. Multiple toilet stops, questionable facilities (if any) &hellip; yet she still got on the horse. Absolute legend.</li>
</ul>

<h6 dir="ltr" role="presentation">Coolest Thing I Saw:</h6>
Actual lightning bolts in the same valley as us &mdash; close enough that our guide casually suggested turning off our phones. Is that science? No clue. Did we do it immediately? Absolutely. Also: wild horses roaming like they owned the place. Because they do.
<h6 dir="ltr" role="presentation">Most Surprising Thing I Ate:</h6>
A mystery meat broth that was either beef, yak, or&hellip; probably something else with hooves. I didn&rsquo;t ask. I just slurped and hoped for the best.

Hot tip: Pack snacks. Your stomach may not always be ready for full-immersion cuisine.

<h3>Day 3: Sorest Butts From Here to China</h3>

<h6 dir="ltr" role="presentation">Itinerary:&nbsp;</h6>
Five hours on horseback in the rain to our next <a href="https://www.livetheworld.com/post/jailoo-tourism-sleeping-under-the-starry-sky-pel6#google_vignette">jailoo</a> (high mountain pasture).
Slipping and sliding over a 3,400m mountain pass. Questioning every life choice that led to this moment &mdash; and why we didn&rsquo;t think to bring waterproof gloves.
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/kyrgyzstan-snapshots-from-an-expedition">Keep reading...</a>

From Eh to Zed - Seeking Saskatchewan

Open Google Maps. Search &ldquo;Canada&rdquo;. 
From your couch, your car, or your bed, you&rsquo;ll see the exact same thing as someone sees in Italy, Iran, or anywhere else. It's an unfathomable beast, dwarfing any neighbour to the south. Its lines of latitude pulled taut like a bowstring &mdash; until shattering into a sea of ice and stone, Canada unspooling into the Arctic.
So why, in a country this immense, do we keep circling the same few spots &mdash; Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal &mdash; when there&rsquo;s so much more to be seen and experienced?&nbsp;
This spanking new segment,&nbsp;Eh to Zed, is your digital pass into Canada&rsquo;s hidden pockets and sweeping horizons. Brought to you by not just the team here at JFC, but (hopefully!) by your fellow Jack's Flight Club Travellers in every corner of the globe, too.&nbsp;
To kick things off, Kristi wants your suggestions. Give her a hand, would ya?&nbsp;
<hr>

After a few years of living out of a suitcase and chasing Wi-Fi around the globe, I moved back home to Canada. And to take full advantage, I want to start exploring our country like I&rsquo;ve never seen it before. Because let&rsquo;s be honest &mdash; Canada is ridiculously gorgeous, and somehow I&rsquo;ve barely scratched the surface.
Sure, I grew up doing the classics: Banff, Lake Louise, Waterton, the Icefields Parkway... They&rsquo;re stunning, but they&rsquo;re also the playlist I&rsquo;ve had on repeat since childhood. I wanted something fresh.
Enter: the Kootenays&hellip;

On the suggestion of the Jack's Community, I took a week-long road trip that turned into the kind of adventure you can&rsquo;t plan on Google Maps. I&rsquo;ll admit, we hit a national park or two on the way from Calgary (yes, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CU2s-3OJrSO/">Lake Louise at sunrise is worth the hype</a>). But the real fun was in our theme: &ldquo;the murderiest motels we could find,&rdquo; complete with roadside oddities and foggy hikes creepy enough to warrant a horror movie soundtrack.&nbsp;
Balancing out the spooky vibes? <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DKz1VafpY0U/">Blissful soaks in natural hot springs</a> and the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bigbangbagels">best bagels in the west</a>.

That trip got me hooked on the idea of crowdsourcing my adventures. Instead of chasing the &ldquo;top ten&rdquo; lists,&nbsp;I want to chase your stories. The hidden gems, weird detours, places that surprised you most. I&rsquo;ll take your recommendations, hit the road, and report back.
First up: Saskatchewan.
I know, I know. Flat jokes, endless fields, etc. But there's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNx6Hsb2LcE/">so much more</a> to these prairie lands.
So please, readers, <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/eh-to-zed-seeking-saskatchewan#comments">head to the comments</a> and give me the wild, wonderful, and maybe even a little weird corners of Saskatchewan just waiting to be found!

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0">The walkout that made waves: <a href="bbc.com/news/articles/cvg3ze0yxy0o">Air Canada&rsquo;s strike</a> cracked open a long-shut door &mdash; paying crews for &ldquo;the minutes before wheels-up&rdquo; &mdash; and could reset industry norms. </li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0">Forget squashed seats: Europe&rsquo;s getting a <a href="https://www.euronews.com/travel/2025/08/22/a-new-night-bus-network-is-coming-to-europe-and-its-interiors-are-seriously-stylish">next-gen night bus</a> with interiors so sleek you might actually want to stay awake just to enjoy them&hellip; </li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0">Vodka on the&nbsp;<s data-stringify-type="strike">rocks</s>&nbsp;clouds? Check out the&nbsp;<a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/latest/flight-attendant-secrets-how-to-sleep-on-a-plane-air-new-zealand/fd7ffb2c-aeaf-4726-b26d-ffa97606e159">world&rsquo;s loftiest cocktail bars</a>, where your martini comes with sky-high panoramas. </li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0">And finally, in far northern Canada,&nbsp;Churchill proves that even <a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/churchill-manitoba-canada-small-town-northern-lights-polar-bears-beluga-whales-6891410">the teeniest towns can host&nbsp;massive&nbsp;spectacles</a>: auroras, beluga pods, and polar bears &mdash; oh my!</li>
</ul>

Off the Grid in Kyrgyzstan & Searching for the Next Great Canadian Road Trip

Chinese airlines have been serving up the cheapest flights on the market for as long as we can remember. But after disappearing completely during the pandemic, we wondered if we&rsquo;d ever see them again. Cut to 2024, and, oh boy, are they back!&nbsp;
Especially if you&rsquo;re based in Europe, these airlines have consistently undercut their European or Middle Eastern counterparts on price for loooooads of long-haul routes to places like South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand. This has left lots of members asking, &ldquo;What is it actually like to fly via China, and what can I expect if I book a ticket on one of these airlines?&rdquo;.
After planning to head back home to Sydney for a wedding, Flight Finder Larissa took the plunge and booked a return trip from London with China Southern. Here&rsquo;s her review on what it was like to actually fly with one of these airlines, and what you can expect if you do the same.&nbsp;

<h2>Flight &amp; aircraft details:</h2>
<ol>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
CZ304 &ndash; London Heathrow (LHR) to Guangzhou (CAN) on a Boeing 787-9&nbsp;
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
CZ325 &ndash; Guangzhou (CAN) to Sydney (SYD) on an Airbus A350
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
CZ302 &ndash; Sydney (SYD) to Guangzhou (CAN) on an Airbus A350
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
CZ303 &ndash; Guangzhou (CAN) to London Heathrow (LHR) on a Boeing 787-9
</li>
</ol>
👎 &ndash;&nbsp; The plane&rsquo;s seats, cabin and the cabin crew&rsquo;s uniforms looked like they were out of the &lsquo;90s, but that&rsquo;s a purely aesthetic point and didn&rsquo;t negatively affect our experience flying on these planes. 
Many flights transiting through China have a looooong layover on at least one of the legs. Ours came on the way home, between Guangzhou and London, where we had to wait a whopping 8 hours in the airport. You can find out more about the delights of Guangzhou Terminal 2 below, but it&rsquo;s safe to say that an extended layover when you just want to get home isn&rsquo;t ideal.&nbsp;
To get around this, I&rsquo;d recommend you pay for an airport hotel (which is usually<a href="https://www.google.com/travel/search?q=airport%20hotels%20guangzhou&amp;g2lb=4814050%2C4874190%2C4893075%2C4965990%2C4969803%2C72277293%2C72302247%2C72317059%2C72406588%2C72414906%2C72421566%2C72471280%2C72472051%2C72473841%2C72481459%2C72485658%2C72536387%2C72601601%2C72602734%2C72614662%2C72616120%2C72619927%2C72628719%2C72647020%2C72648289%2C72658035%2C72671093%2C72686036%2C72729615%2C72749231%2C72754704%2C72757849%2C72766791&amp;hl=en-GB&amp;gl=uk&amp;ssta=1&amp;ts=CAESBgoCCAMQARocEhoSFAoHCOgPEAoYFBIHCOgPEAoYFRgBMgIQACoHCgU6A0dCUA&amp;qs=CAE4BlpcCAEyWKoBVRABKhIiDmFpcnBvcnQgaG90ZWxzKAAyHxABIhuPqYCl0YfFw64sBFZc5Mq5nBXJ4BBCZgNdpzYyHBACIhhhaXJwb3J0IGhvdGVscyBndWFuZ3pob3U&amp;ap=aAE&amp;ictx=111&amp;ved=0CAAQ5JsGahcKEwiwzPCvg5iJAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQDA"> pretty cheap</a> in China). Or, make the most of your stopover and extend it a few days (if you don&rsquo;t mind navigating the tricky rules of the <a href="https://outpostmagazine.com/free-chinese-transit-visa-guide/">Chinese transit visa</a>). Sitting in the airport for your whole layover (the way we did it) is definitely the worst way.&nbsp; 
👍&ndash; The seats and legroom were to the same standard I would expect on any long-haul service, so no nasty surprises there. Despite the cheaper price, it is a full-service airline, so we didn&rsquo;t have to deal with a &lsquo;budget airline&rsquo; experience.
And because Chinese airlines don&rsquo;t have the same restrictions over Russian airspace at the time of writing, the flights between China and Europe are faster than European airlines by about 60&ndash;90 minutes.
<h2>General Facilities&nbsp;</h2>
👍&ndash; You can expect the usual blanket, pillow and headphones trio on your seat when you board. As is common with other airlines flying routes to/from Asia, you&rsquo;ll also be served a piping hot hand towel before and after your meal service.&nbsp;
The seats had adjustable headrests, 2 universal power sockets for every 3 seats, a headphone jack and USB A ports, plus dimmable windows on the 787 and window shades on the A350. The seat-back entertainment screen was nice and big, too. Pretty typical stuff that you would expect on a full-service carrier.
👎&ndash; No complimentary Wi-Fi, unfortunately &mdash; there was a QR code on your seat back where you could go to the website and buy Wi-Fi for your journey. The price was just over &pound;20 for Wi-Fi, and almost &pound;9 for in-flight messaging for what, I assume, is the length of the flight (12 hours to China, or 9.5 hours to Sydney), and you&rsquo;ll have to pay for each leg individually. 
Keep in mind that the Wi-Fi on these planes likely suffers the same geo-blocked restrictions that the Chinese government has put in place on the ground &mdash; that means most of your typical messaging apps will likely not work.&nbsp; Considering some airlines (like Singapore Airlines) now offer Wi-Fi packages for free, this is a mark against China Southern. No amenity kits here, either :-(
<h2>Food</h2>
This is the one category where I feel like I was let down by China Southern. Even 7+ months after my flight, the food is burned into my memory, and not for a good reason.&nbsp;
Let me set the scene: the type of food offered on China Southern (depending on where you&rsquo;re travelling from/to) will be mainly Chinese food. Yep, groundbreaking, we know. And the quality is fine &ndash; it&rsquo;s similar to what you&rsquo;d expect from your local takeaway. But the problem I had with these meals was the lack of variety.&nbsp;
In general, I&rsquo;m a fan of the Chinese food I eat in the UK &ndash; I enjoy the odd takeaway, and I love dumplings and noodle soups. But 2 meals x 4 flights = 8 times, I was offered the same choice: chicken with noodles or beef with rice. And that was it, for over 20 painstaking hours of flight time. Totally fine after the first, second time and even the third time. But on the return journey, I couldn&rsquo;t stomach having the same meal again, so I snacked on my emergency rations of chips and chocolate instead.&nbsp;
So in summary: the food quality was fine, and the dishes were tasty, but very repetitive. If you know you&rsquo;re not going to want noodles for breakfast, pack something else to eat.&nbsp;
They also gave us the choice of the usual selection of soft drinks, juice (the peach juice was my favourite), tea and wine. Their drinks service happened before your meal and then another round during your meal, so more regularly than on some other airlines. You can reserve <a href="https://www.csair.com/us/en/tourguide/flight_service/tour/teshu/">special meals</a> like vegetarian, kosher etc., but to do this it seems you have to call their customer service line &mdash; I don&rsquo;t remember being able to reserve this via their website.&nbsp; 
FWIW: I&rsquo;ve seen other reviews of China Southern showing different meals than the ones I was offered, so this variety may have improved since I flew with the airline in March 2024. &nbsp;
<h2>Entertainment</h2>
When I boarded my first flight at Heathrow on Thursday evening, I was most excited to see what the in-flight entertainment on China Southern had in store for me. Unfortunately, once I sat down and powered it on, I realised my screen was broken, and the home screen was frozen in place. Ouch. It was clearly pure bad luck, since everyone around me had a working screen, and it just meant my phone got a workout with saved episodes of Selling Sunset.&nbsp;
Thankfully, my other 3 flights had a working entertainment system. It was standard for what you&rsquo;d expect on a long-haul flight &mdash; lots of Western blockbusters and popular TV shows, plus a whole category of Chinese-language entertainment too. I have read in the past that the airline heavily censors their entertainment, but I didn&rsquo;t notice this on my flights.&nbsp;
<h2>Cultural Aspects</h2>
If you&rsquo;ve ever flown on a Chinese airline before, you&rsquo;ll be familiar with the security officers who are present on every flight. Flights with China Southern are no different &mdash; you&rsquo;ll usually see this person sitting in the front row of the economy cabin, dressed in a uniform and wearing a body camera. While you may spot them walking up and down the aisle during your flight, to tell you the truth, I don&rsquo;t remember seeing our officer at all during our flight. They&rsquo;re there to discourage antisocial behaviour on the flight and do have the power to arrest passengers who are behaving badly, but they won&rsquo;t bother you unless you&rsquo;re acting up.&nbsp;
The announcements are spoken in Chinese over the PA system before they&rsquo;re repeated in English. Otherwise, there&rsquo;s nothing else on China Southern flights that&rsquo;s particularly different or notable when compared to airlines I&rsquo;ve flown long-haul before, like British Airways, Cathay Pacific or Qatar Airways.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>Staff and Service</h3>
Overall, the staff were friendly and very efficient with meal and drinks services. They all spoke English, too. Nothing else to really mention on either a positive or negative note.&nbsp;
I have read other passengers online reporting that customer service is a sore point with Chinese airlines/terminals as a whole, particularly if you need help or something goes wrong. We never needed to ask a question of the staff or the airline, so I can&rsquo;t speak to that.&nbsp;
Each of our flights took off on time, and we even landed over an hour early on our flight from Sydney to Guangzhou. I can imagine that if we had a tighter connection, we would have really appreciated that. But in reality, it just meant more time in the airport&hellip;lucky us!&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>In the Airport</h3>
Ah, Guangzhou Terminal 2. Where I spent waaaay too much of my life this year. Let me first start off with the positives:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">The airport is modern, clean and has lots of space to relax, with rows and rows of chairs. Some of them were even proper reclined ones, where we parked up for at least 3&ndash;4 hours of our layover.</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">There is a Starbucks for anyone who wants a taste of home, plus a really good-looking noodle place and a fun little exhibition space where you can learn a bit about the produce of the area.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Okay, now onto the juicy stuff:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">The transit line to get into the terminal once you deplane is buuuuusy. I assume most people flying into Guangzhou are connecting to another flight, but it took us a good 30&ndash;40 min to transit. And once you get through, there&rsquo;s another line for a security check before you&rsquo;re set free, but at least that was quick.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Having to spend 8 hours in any airport isn&rsquo;t fun (except <a href="https://youtu.be/gYi5P16l6eo?si=UVjb-ADzAr2lRSta">Changi</a>, maybe. But that&rsquo;s an outlier). This one is particularly boring &mdash; it&rsquo;s a massive, soulless building with very little to see, very few shops and only a couple of restaurants. So there&rsquo;s really nothing to do but sit. They apparently hold the title of the &lsquo;<a href="https://www.cnbayarea.org.cn/english/News/content/post_1148454.html">world&rsquo;s largest single-building terminal</a>&rsquo;, but with very little to fill all that space.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">The lounge was far too expensive for what it (apparently) is. I say apparently because we never stepped foot in there, after being told a lounge pass was in the region of $30-$40 USD/pp per HOUR. Our 8-hour layover would have put the price of lounge access over $500 for 2 people, and from all the reviews I&rsquo;ve seen online about <a href="https://seeingtheworldinsteps.com/2024/05/29/canto-paradise-premium-lounge-guangzhou-baiyun-international-airport-sq-sia-singaporeairlines-staralliancegold-krisflyergold-businessclass-china-pp-lounges-prioritypass-dragonpass-contract-rewards/">this and other lounges in Guangzhou</a>, it definitely wouldn&rsquo;t have been worth it. Considering you can usually get a lounge pass for <a href="https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/airports/how-to-access-airport-lounges/">at least a few hours/a day pass </a>for the same amount in other places, there was no incentive for us to pay that money.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">We couldn&rsquo;t access the &lsquo;free&rsquo; Wi-Fi in the terminal :-( The network does show up on your phone, but doesn&rsquo;t work once you connect. Apparently, this is a very common problem for travellers passing through Guangzhou.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">The SkyTrax 5-star rated terminal signs were mocking us everywhere we went, and after all we&rsquo;d seen, we were sceptical of how they had earned that rating. If you&rsquo;re not familiar with our thoughts on SkyTrax, read our guide <a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/flight-quick-guides-page#skytrax">here</a>.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h3>Overall Rating &mdash; 3/5&nbsp; ⭐⭐⭐</h3>
My final thoughts: China Southern is great value for money if you get your fares on the cheap. I think I&rsquo;d like to save at least &pound;200 as a general rule for it to be worth it for me to fly them long-haul again. That&rsquo;s not to say they weren&rsquo;t decent &mdash; in most respects they were absolutely fine. But the food issue and the annoying layover were significant enough for me to choose another airline if I could guarantee a better experience for a comparable price.
<h3>TLDR</h3>
🧑🏻&zwj;✈️ Service: Attentive and efficient, but nothing overly positive or negative to note. 
🔌 Facilities: A little dated, but has everything you&rsquo;d expect from full-service airlines.
🍝 Food: Plenty of drinks and food provided, but very little variety. 
⏰ Timing: Can&rsquo;t fault them &mdash; we took off on time on each of our flights. 
💸 Quality VS Price: Definitely worth it if you want a full-service experience on a low budget.
<h3>Bonus: China Eastern</h3>
I am not the only one within the team who has flown on a Chinese airline. Here&rsquo;s Marketing Guru Drew&rsquo;s experience of flying to Japan:&nbsp;
&ldquo;I flew with China Eastern, and the experience was actually alright! The food was genuinely impressive, and I was surprised by that &mdash; they served two proper meals and the portion sizes were good. The staff were also excellent, friendly and attentive the whole time.&nbsp;
&nbsp;Entertainment was where things fell short. The selection was sparse, leaning heavily towards Chinese movies, and only one or two Western options really caught my interest. I was glad I have my own pair of headphones because the airline-provided ones weren&rsquo;t great.&nbsp;
&nbsp;The layover in Shanghai was where things got tricky. My initial three-hour layover was cut down to just one hour because of a delay in London, making for a pretty rushed transit. The terminal is huge, and there&rsquo;s not many signs in English meaning I had trouble finding my gate. And, no WiFi unless you have a local SIM card to get connected. On the flight home, while my layover was longer, it wasn&rsquo;t necessarily smoother because it was the middle of the night so everything was closed. Without WiFi, I only had my downloaded content to pass the time, and I just had to camp up to sleep in the terminal where I could because there were no lounges open.&nbsp;
&nbsp;If I fly through China again, I&rsquo;ll consider buying an eSIM for my phone, just so I can use data during those long layovers. Otherwise, pack some snacks and make sure you&rsquo;ve got enough videos or podcasts downloaded on your device to get you through the journey!&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;Well, it sounds like Shanghai and Guangzhou face similar problems for passengers transiting through China, but it sounds like the food was better with China Eastern and the in-flight entertainment was better with China Southern. Generally, we both experienced the same standard level of service we&rsquo;d expect when flying with any other long-haul airline.

China

Beijing and Shanghai in €530s-€580s rtn

China in £390s-£460s rtn

South Africa & more in €250s-€590s rtn

Chengdu in €480s-€490s rtn

Macau in $560s-$690s RT

Taipei, Taiwan & Chongqing, China in £360s-£680s rtn

A Taste of Island Life in British Columbia & a DIY Pan-Asian Adventure

Silk Road to Sakura: A Choose-Your-Own Adventure

Curing Your Fear of Flying & Discovering Artsy Beijing

Off the Grid in Kyrgyzstan & Searching for the Next Great Canadian Road Trip

JFC Honest Airline Reviews — China Southern

Dream Extreme – Our top ten craziest thrills from around the world

Postcard from ZestyExpeditionist55000

Postcard from Sangam

Postcard from Chris

Postcard from Liam

Postcard from Debbie

Postcard from Michaela