Blogger shares his passion for travel with China guide
BEIJING — “Travel is never a matter of money but of courage,” wrote Svetoslav Dimitrov, a Bulgarian blogger and seasoned traveler who is keen to share his experiences traveling around China in a handy travel guide that features a whopping 151 tips.
Introducing himself as a “travel writer with an incurable love for new discoveries and an insatiable hunger for scrumptious delicacies” in his online English-language guide, Dimitrov is a true globe-trotter.
He has traveled from Belgium, where he pursued a master’s degree in European policies and politics, to Geneva, where he met a Chinese girl — an experience he described as “the wonderful acquaintance that changed my life to an extent”.
What Dimitrov had not realized was that his lasting bond with China began when he visited the capital, Beijing, or probably earlier when he met the Chinese girl in Geneva.
“The Chinese girl’s description about her hometown was intriguing, but most of all, it was her friendliness and hospitality that motivated me to go,” he said. “This trip has changed quite a few of my conventional beliefs about this country.”
Beijing stunned him. Soon after he returned to Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, he started decoding Chinese characters. But it was a work trip to Guangzhou months later that gave him the idea to create his own travel blog.
He would use it to record his indepth exploration of China, a vast country with diverse cultures, customs and people that coexist in harmony. Once he returned, he started to work on his blog.
Dimitrov carefully selected pieces from his travel blog that could be used for his “151 China travel tips to have the best trip of your life”, a guide that offers broad and insightful references. It includes how to make pre-travel to-do lists, adapt to culture shocks and travel safely so that one can fully enjoy oneself while in China.
Sorted into 15 aspects, he wrote from a random visitor’s perspective on what to prepare and what to expect in a lively and readerfriendly tone. He promises to make “even the most ignorant person” China-savvy.