Tibetan Deqin Region, Yunnan Province, China

Our zip through China brought us to Yunnan province. After urbanised Han China we were keen to explore the rural backwaters tucked between Tibet, Burma and Vietnam. Quick stops in Kunming and Dali, before making our way to... Shangri-La!

Modern Shangri-La may be a smart tourism rebranding but we enjoyed the rough and ready charm of its Tibetan population and characterful expats. Firmly establishing the town as our base camp, we then headed up into the holy Meili mountain range in the Himalayas.

We hiked along the dirty Mekong River and over its wobbly bridges to rest in rustic Tibetan homestays as we explored remote valleys, photographed endless prayer flags and - improbably - sampled Jesuit missionary wine.

As close as a westerner can get to the real Tibet without paperwork, cash or chaperone, we spent time by the border trying to gain insight into the relationship between the Tibetans and the Chinese. The government-installed statues of monks embracing communist soldiers could easily be dismissed as propaganda...

But images of Chairman Mao and the Dalai Lama alongside each other on the family Buddhist shrine...? The magnificent mountain views were simpler to comprehend and admire.

We trekked yet further into the high mountain village of Yubong, nestled between stunning 6500 metre peaks. A place where donkeys were briskly carrying in basic food supplies in preparation for the winter ahead.

Astonishingly beautiful, we stayed for four days exploring and soaking up the views of Yubong - our very own Shangri-La.

Yubong: The real Shangri-La? (video clip)

A hard 6 hour hike was rewarded on arrival at the mythically beautiful setting of Yubong.

Earthy Toilet (video clip)

In the Meili mountains, the scenery was fabulous but conditions basic.

Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

We have loved the parks in China, particularly here in Chengdu, where everyone goes and everything happens: from tango lessons to tai chi to tea-house rituals. During the Cultural Revolution these famous park tea-houses were banned but thankfully they are back and more popular than ever.

We sat and soaked up the atmosphere, listening to the click of mahjong tiles, the rustling of newspapers and the munching of sunflower seeds. All with endless green tea re-fills.

Chengdu completely won us over with its laidback charm - but it was the city's most famous citizens that really made us smile.

Terracotta Warriors, Xi'an, China

Ever since he saw them on 'Blue Peter' years ago, Phil has wanted to witness the Terracotta Army. Less of a history nerd, Sam was simply impressed by the 6,000 warriors guarding the tomb of the first Emperor of China. Emperor Xin died over 2,000 years ago.

Each life-size clay individual has been crafted with distinct features and the overall effect is one of a real army marching directly from the past. Their ranks are made up of generals, soldiers, horses, standard-bearers and, our favourite, the archers.

Shanghai, China

An impressive high-speed train whisked us from Beijing's space-age station and into thriving Shanghai. Stepping around the endless construction for Expo 2010, we enjoyed the vibrancy of both the low-life and the high-life.

In the gritty hutongs we tried to guess "Restaurant or Pet Shop?" as we perused, with disbelief, the frogs, goldfish, crickets, budgies and terrapins lined up for sale.

And at the top of the Grand Hyatt Hotel we sipped cocktails in the world's highest bar. Bling.

Pet Shop Boys (video clip)

Restaurant or Pet Shop? Fortunately, the proprietors seem to know their trade.

The Great Wall of China

That we've travelled to Asia by train feels a little unreal, but there could be no doubting where we were on seeing a sight as iconic as The Great Wall.

We walked through the mist from Jinshangling to Simatai, with endless steps giving our train-weary legs a good workout.

Beijing, China

We expected to zip through China in a couple of weeks but two months later and here we still are in this enormous, unfathomable and beguiling country. Our trepidations first fell away when we gazed upon the heavenly gates of The Forbidden City.

Earthier pleasures of Beijing were to be had haggling in the Silk Market, exploring the wonderful 'hutongs' (the tiny side streets of this high rise city) and bantering with the locals.

Chinese Kebabs (video clip)

The delights of Beijing's 'Snack Alley'.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The name alone lends it an improbably exotic frontier feel and Ulaanbaatar is undoubtedly a wild place. It was our base when not out in the sticks so we got to know the tiny city well - especially the cafes serving cake rather than mutton.

The Bogd Khan's Winter Palace and other hidden gems made it well worth braving the cold, the street rogues and the gaping holes in the pavement.

Kazakh Eagle Hunters' Festival

Whilst flicking through a freebie magazine, our attention was caught by some smallprint on the listings page: "Golden Eagle Festival, 3-5 October". Our imaginations ran wild and it became our mission to get to this festival wherever it was taking place.

Hunting with golden eagles is a fading tradition. The Kazakhs use the eagles to capture large ground squirrels and foxes for food and pest control. The festival is revitalising this ancient skill and youngsters are now proudly taking up the art.

The hunters come down from the mountains to compete in this prestigious event.

They perform a variety of tasks to test not only ability but the strength of the bond between hunter and eagle.

The criteria was not always immediately obvious to us but the judging was taken very seriously. "Om! Om! Om!" - a regular chant from the crowd calling for top marks of 10 out of 10.

The category for 'presentation' seemed particularly political, though we felt this guy had a certain look...

The eagles are kept hooded until the moment of attack. Once un-masked, the stars of the show are allowed to shine.

The climax of the two days was not for the squeamish. Three eagles were given the honour of seizing a wolf. Not quite so dignified given that the pup was bound and muzzled. It may have been a demonstration of the eagles' power, but this felt like gratuitous blood-sport to us.

All in all, the combination of eagles, hunters and horses set in the dramatic Gobi Altai landscape was the most thrilling spectacle.