The first stop was the Forbidden City. The sheer size of the city was breathtaking and it took a long time to get around it all; at the end of the day my feet were in agony from walking so far. The architecture within the city was amazing and the attention to detail was fascinating. Even though there were a lot of people visiting the city it never felt overcrowded as there is so much open space.

After the Forbidden City we managed to visit the Great Wall which is one of the wonders of the world... and it's is easy to see why. The wall just seems to go on for ever and ever in the distance. I did a 10km walk (6 miles) along the less touristy part of the wall at Shanhaiguan  which I would strongly recommend rather than the more touristy part Badaling. Walking the wall allows you to really appreciate the amazing scenery and see just how far the wall extends into the distance, and how damaged it is in certain parts. The Great Wall is definitely one of the top things I have done and seen in my lifetime and I would recommend it to anyone.

The most outstanding moment of my time in China, and maybe in my life, was my visit to Tibet. I have always dreamed of going to Tibet as I was fascinated by its natural beauty and spiritual ways, and when I got there I was not disappointed. The best thing about Tibet is that it is not over run with tourists (well yet anyway, so get there before there is!). Tibet has definitely become more Westernized in recent years with modern shopping malls springing up, but it still has that magical feeling.

The first glance of the Potala Palace, which was home to the Dali Lama, is absolutely amazing. The sheer size of it is quite hard to take in, and with its backdrop of mountains it makes Buckingham Palace look like a house in comparison! Inside the Palace there are some very well preserved rooms and again the attention to detail was second to none.

One of the highlights of Tibet for me was going to the Monasteries outside of Lhasa. These monasteries were up in the foothills of the mountains over looking the capital city, and were very peaceful. There were hardly any tourists around which made the experience all the more real.

Walking around Lhasa was an incredible experience as well because every where you go locals are praying on every piece of ground available. People come from all over Tibet to pray in Lhasa. The way that the locals prey is fascinating as well... They walk for a few meters, prostrate themselves on the floor, then walk a few more steps and repeat the action. It is very interesting way of praying, but you do have to keep an eye on the person in front of you because if you don’t you might accidentally walk over them!!