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Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals ***
Cost: ££££

The most populous capital city in the world, and the second largest city in China
Largely functional and political city (similar to DC) without much the buzz or atmosphere
People are generally friendly and I had no issues at the airport
English is not widely spoken, and local payment applications and a smartphone are essential to navigate life in the city
Main Sights: Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Hohai, Beihai Park, Wangfujing Street,

Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals *****
Cost: ££££
Update: I originally posted this in 2019 but I've updated in 2024 following another visit. Updates in italics

An assault on the senses; Hong Kong is a lot to take in
No issues at the airport, and no issues with locals
A city of extremes, with luxury high rise apartments, next to small box rooms in very old buildings
Main sights: Victoria Harbour, The Peak, Kowloon night markets, Tian Tan Buddha, La Kwai Fong, Central-Mid level escalators, Kowloon Walled City Park, Hong Kong trams, Aqualuna, Man Mo Temple

2023

I can't believe this is the 8th time that I'm doing this, but here we are. In 2023 travel returned to normal almost everywhere and I managed to visit cities in Asia, Europe, North America, and even an island off the coast of South America.

My end of year review for 2022 is here
My end of year review for 2021 is here
My end of year review for 2020 is here
My end of year review for 2019 is here
My end of year review for 2018 is here
My end of year review for 2017 is here
My end of year review for 2016 is here

I started with a trip to Japan, exploring both Kyoto and Tokyo, before visited the Turkic lands of Kazakhstan and Türkiye. In the Americas I visited Miami and Trinidad and Tobago while in Europe I visited Spain including Madrid as well as cities in the north, followed by Germanic lands of Germany and Austria. I ended the year back in the far east with a trip to China and finished in the Middle East with trips to Doha and Abu Dhabi. In the middle of it all I split my time roughly in half between Washington DC and the UK.

Abu Dhabi, UAE

8/1/2024

Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals *****
Cost: £££££

A more laid-back and less intense version of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates
One of the more expensive cities in this part of the world
No issues as a Sikh in either the airport or the city
Main Sights: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Qasr al Watan, The Corniche, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Marina Mall, Abrahamic Family House

Doha, Qatar

31/12/2023

Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals *
Cost: £££££

One of the best airports in the world, and with a large South Asian expat population, no issues as a Sikh either in the airport or the city although a year after my visit, the city closed down all Sikh Gurdwaras
City built on servitude and near slave labour, but advertises itself as an Arab success story
Much like Dubai, the city feels a little fake, a little like the Truman Show, but less of a tourist trap
It's pretty expensive
Main Sights: Souk Waqif, National Museum of Qatar, The Corniche, Villaggio, Pearl Island, Aspire Park

Shenzhen, China

18/12/2023

Summary

Train Station Rating ****
Reception of locals *****
Cost: £££

No major issues travelling as a Sikh but as Sikhs are uncommon in mainland China, you might get a few stares and questions
The gateway to modern China, Shenzhen is where China opened up to the world and is a large modern city on the surface, but with a lack of development under that surface level
Prices are reasonable - transport is relatively cheap, the cost of food is reasonable, but luxury goods are similarly priced to the UK
Main Sights: Lianhuashan Park, Dafen Oil Painting Village, Coco Park, Huaqiang, Dongmen Pedestrian Street, Ping An Finance Center, Talent Park, OCT, Nantou Ancient City, Sea World (not the one you're thinking of)

Munich, Germany

4/12/2023

Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals *****
Cost: £££££

No issues travelling as a Sikh, although you won't find too many Sikhs in the city
One of the richest regions in Europe that manages to blend old world charm with new world technological and economic prowess
Cheap to get to from the UK, but an expensive city to be in with a high cost of living
Main Sights: Marienplatz, Frauenkirche, Asamkirche, Hofbräuhaus, English Gardens, Olympiapark, Allianz Arena

Vienna, Austria

27/11/2023

Summary

Update: I originally posted this in 2018 but I've updated in 2023 following another visit. Updates in italics
Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals ***1/2
Cost: ££££

It's the capital city of Austria, and a city with an incredibly rich history being located in the centre of Europe.
Austria has had a recent issue with far right nationalism, and although I saw a couple of other Singh's during my time there, and although it was never overtly hostile, there was definitely a feeling of unwelcomness. things felt a little different the second time around although I still got stares it wasn't as bad.
The architecture of the city is very uniform and incredibly beautiful, with few skyscrapers.
The city produced a number of luminaries in the 19th and early 20th century, and the feel of the city almost transports you back to that time - although I felt I was at least 10 years too young to really appreciate the city.
Main Sights: Schonbrunn Palace, St Stephen's Cathedral, Prater, Hofburg, State Opera, Museumsquartier, Hundredwasserhaus, Naschmarkt, Karlskirche

Gijon, Spain

6/11/2023

Summary

Airport Rating N/A
Reception of locals ****
Cost: £££

The largest city in Asturias and one of the most underrated cities in Spain
A city with a beach, an old town, and a large shopping district
No Sikh community in Gijon or the surrounding area
Reasonably priced, although some of the seaside towns nearby are more expensive
Main Sights: San Lorenzo beach, Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura, Cimadevilla, Estadio Molinon

Santander, Spain

2/10/2023

Summary

Airport Rating N/A
Reception of locals ****
Cost: £££

The capital city of Cantabria that gives its name to the popular high street bank in the UK
A port city with direct ferry connections to the UK (but it isn't cheap)
Don't expect to see many Sikhs or Panjabis, or even other non-European tourists
The city itself has amenities that are reasonably priced, although they get more expensive during the summer holidays
Main Sights: Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion, Peninsula of Magdalena, Playa Primera de El Sardinero, Puerto Chico, Mercado del Este, Centro Botin, Llanes, Ribadesella

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Beijing, China

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Hong Kong

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2023 through my eyes

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Abu Dhabi, UAE

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Doha, Qatar

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Shenzhen, China

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Munich, Germany

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Vienna, Austria

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Gijon, Spain

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Santander, Spain

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