Shanghai was the last leg of my China trip and I was keen to take it bit slow, unwind and reflect after three weeks of hectic travel. One would think that Shanghai is a likely misfit with that objective, and it’s true as well. Shanghai is dazzling and fast and all sorts of electrifying. But I still managed to do my own thing – ate some amazing food, chilled in my AirBnb, visited parks, walked on streets. A more relaxed pace and (mostly) away from the bustle, and I still had a great time. Sharing a photo blog of my days from Shanghai-

One of the busiest streets not only in Shanghai but apparently in the world, Nanjing Road is right in the city centre and bustling with shops, food and tourists. 

A local hideout, Wei Xiang Zhai was recommended to me by a friend as one of her favorite places to get a bowl of noodles. The lady at the counter seemed surprised on seeing us, I presume not many tourists frequent the place. Tables packed tightly together, I could see the kitchen at the back and customers who were totally focused on the food. The menu was all Chinese but we had saved a link from the internet with pictures and made our order. A very no-nonsense place, you get your food, eat and get out. Don’t think hygiene, conversation or ambience. Just focus on the food 😀 . 

And right at the other end of the spectrum was Green & Safe, an upmarket grocery store and cafe, serving western breakfasts, cakes, desserts, pizzas, organic juices and more. You can hear English widely and communication is a no-brainer. This could be any city, in any part of the world. Two Shanghai’s is close vicinity but couldn’t be further apart!

Fuxing Park is a great option on a slow day. It’s beautifully done and was full of elderly people sunning themselves, kids playing around and even this group doing what looked like some team building activities.

Probably the most visited spot in Shanghai, The Bund is the waterfront that lends an incredible skyline which is great to see both in the daytime and in the evening. Though I would imagine that it would look spectacular all lit up in the evening, I never ended up going back for the view(am fairly lazy like that 😉 ).



Steamed xiaolongbao are dumplings, with soup and meat inside and are nothing short of a culinary miracle. Poke a hole, slurp drink the hot soup and then eat the dumpling. I could go back to Shanghai just for these 😀 .

One of the many “hidden bars”, Speak Low is a seemingly popular place to get a drink in Shanghai(it was packed even on a weekday). On Fuxing Lu street, you enter this bar tools shop called Ocho and you are supposed to find the door to Speak Low. Once you do, you go up a flight of stairs and get to the first floor which is where we sat. Drinks and vibe were super cool. But know that none of this comes cheap.

Potstickers: Classic Shanghai street food, these dim sums are first steamed, then grilled on a skillet on one side, to make it crunchy. The meat releases its juices which will scald your throat on the first bite. Still, it’s totally worth it.

If you have the chance to do only one thing in Shanghai, then DO NOT miss getting a ride on the Maglev. Going upto a speed up 431 km/hour, when you see the traffic on the street from the train, it make you feel like you are in a sci-fi movie. The train line connects Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Longyang Road Station and a one way ride costs RMB 50.

Have you been to Shanghai and what were your impressions of the city?