First Trip to China: March 2010

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Assistance Needed for HK Trip 2nd Mar - 6th Mar

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the invaluable comments on the forum. I%26#39;ve certainly learnt a lot from them for my upcoming trip to Hong Kong. :)

Will be going with my friends (ranging from 19 to 22 years old) and am staying at Island Shangri-La (incentive provided by my company).

Just a couple of last minute queries to clarify:

1) Is it very cold in HK at this period of time? Will a sweater suffice?

2) Are there any cheap and good food outlets near the hotel area? (Though we are staying at such a posh place, we are still students on a rather tight budget..)

3) Shopping wise, are the outlets still selling winter wear?

4) With regards to factory outlet shopping, would Citygate be a better choice as compared to Hung Hom? Also, could someone please advise on the location of Hung Hom?

5) Is Snoopy World worth visiting? (as it is rather out of the way)

Many thanks in advance for all your kind assistance! Looking forward to visiting HK for the first time!

alexis

Assistance Needed for HK Trip 2nd Mar - 6th Mar

For cheaper meals try around Pacific Place and Admiralty Centre eg Pacific Coffee has a good breakfast.

Assistance Needed for HK Trip 2nd Mar - 6th Mar

I can help with a few of your questions. Hung Hom is along the waterfront a bit further along from Tsim Tsai Tsui. I am going out to Hk soon and considered going to 10000 buddha temple above KCR Shatin station. Snoopy World is in New Town Plaza next to the station. I have never been to Snoopy World so can not advise you on what it is like.

the Island Shangri La is one of my favourite hotels, I have stayed there many times.The weather is lovely and warm,not too hot and not humid yet, but take a light jacket and I always take a cardigan because some of the airconditioning in shops and restaurants is arctic.

I just came from HK last Feb 23 and it is cool enough to need a light sweater or jacket(we came from Manila). Temps were in the low 20s. And there were scattered showers. My friend and I came home with a cold - combination of late night shopping and the weather I think.

Outlets and stores still selling winter wear - didn%26#39;t find any summer shirts at all.

Read somewhere that Snoopy World is just for picture taking with kids - you may be better off at Ocean Park, which a friend said had an interesting jelly fish exhibit.

If you want cheap eats, just look for a branch of Cafe de Coral, they are everywhere or look for small restaurants where all the locals seem to be and chances are the food will be good and very reasonable.

P.S. Make sure you guys get an Octopus card - it is really easy and convenient to use!!

The weather would not be the same everyday in March. One day could be as low as 10ºC, another day could be as high as 25ºC. And it is likely that you would not experience temperature below 15ºC at all during your stay. So I would recommend layers - something that can be put on and take off during the day.

Watch the weather forecast before you go at-

www.hko.gov.hk

While you are at the island Shangri-la you can also ask the concierge about cheaper places to eat

Try asking Lionel and Mary Anne or there is this older guy there that is called Uncle

They are very helpful

As for shopping, go to Stanley market and you should be able to get some summer stuff

hi alexis if you guys can worth aday trip to shenzhen go via ktr train lo wu and walk to five storys of shopping you will need a visa but its easy to get at the boader

If you hold a singapore passport, you do not need a visa for shenzhen

Hey guys,

Thanks for all your input! I really appreciate them! :)

With regards to night markets, which one must I visit?

Stanley Market seems a bit far from Island Shangri-La, is it worth the trip?

Thanks!

Forbidden City

last month,there was a TV dispute in China,its about Starbucks.there is a Starbucks inside the Forbidden City.most people think it should move out the Forbidden City,also some people think the most important is offer best service to travellers.

what do you think?

Forbidden City

Starbucks in Forbidden city it is nice,they don%26#39;t have big sign to distory the ancient environment of history.I love it:)

Forbidden City

I believe it should not be there. What do Starbucks have to do with a the Forbidden City?. In fact Starbucks are so insidious that they are located at every visible point around the city - near many attractions. I found that hideous and refused to go into any of them in protest. China should develop there own coffee/tea/sandwich/cake shops and kick Starbucks out. People -westerners- have to eat but we don%26#39;t need multinationals ruining it for local entreprise.

surely this forum is for TRAVEL things not debate about what should or should not be allowed in another country.

Come on people, use the forum for the correct things

Dim Sum in Shanghai

I am heading to Shanghai next week and am looking for a good place for dim sum one morning. I will be staying at the Pudong Shangri-la hotel but I am familiar with the subway system from past visits, so a place on the other side of the river isn%26#39;t a problem.

Dim Sum in Shanghai

Shanghainese, or Cantonese?

Dim Sum in Shanghai

1）Xiao Yang Sheng Jian

English name: YANG`S FRY-DUMPLING

Chinese name: 小杨生煎

address: No54-60, Wu jiang Rd ( Near West Nan jing Rd)

Chinese address: 静安区吴江路54-60号(近南京西路)

You can take subway line 2 to West Nanjing Rd stop

MUST-TRY FOOD: Fry-dumpling ( sheng jian)

2）De Xing Guan (set up from year 1878)

Chinese name: 德兴馆(金陵路店)

English address: East Jin ling Rd ( Near South Zhe Jiang Rd)

Chinese address: 黄浦区金陵东路(近浙江南路)

MUST-TRY FOOD: noodle

3）Wang Jia Sha Dian Xin Dian

English name: Wang%26#39;s Dim Sum

Chinese name: 王家沙点心店

English address: No. 805 West Nan jing Rd ( Near Shi men Rd)

Chinese address: 静安区南京西路805号(近石门路

MUST-TRY FOOD: dim sum

4）Jia Jia Tang Bao

Chinese name: 佳家汤包

Address: No. 90 Huang he Rd ( Near Feng Yang Rd)

Chinese address: 黄浦区黄河路90号(近凤阳路)

MUST-TRY FOOD: Xiao long , tang bao

Ellyse is right. Are you looking for Shanghainese style or Cantonese style? You%26#39;re probably used to seeing and eating Cantonese style, and a majority of those items (ha gow, siu mai, dan tat, cha siu bao, etc.) are VERY hard to find in places like Shanghai and Beijing. It%26#39;s all over the place in Hong Kong. In Shanghai, it%26#39;s a different kind of ';dim sum.'; You%26#39;re going to find all different kinds of dumplings in Shanghai. If you can find a place that has ';soup'; dumplings, those are great.

Actually, it%26#39;s not that hard to find Cantonese dimsum in Shanghai when you know where to look for it, but I think it%26#39;s hardly up to the standard that you can find in Guangzhou/Hong Kong.

Bi Feng Tang 避风塘

http://www.bifengtang.com.cn/

is as good as most of those in Hong Kong.

Bi Feng Tang isn%26#39;t as good as Hong Kong, really. :(

Thanks to all,

I appreciate the comments regarding Shanghaiese vs Cantonese dim sum. While I am most familiar with the Cantonese version, I have been exposed, albeit much less, to Shanghai dumplings etc at breakfasts when I have visited Shanghai in the past.

Since it sounds like there is more of a difference than I had thought, I am quite interested in exploring the Shanghai style of dim sum.

1) Lang Yi Fang in Super Brand Mall, Pudong --%26gt; nice extra: view of the Bund as you dine.

2) Nanxiang xiaolongbao restaurant in Yuyuan Bazaar --%26gt; go upstairs and furthest in, be there promptly at 1030.

3) Wujiang Lu street food.

I forgot to ask if the serving style of these restaurants like the Cantonese dim sum where different snacks are brought to your table for your selection, or are these more like restaurants that specialize in dumplings etc. where you order off a menu?

I%26#39;ve never seen those pushcarts in Shanghai. Always order from menu.

dermatologist

Reassurance :)

Hello everybody,

We loved HK so much that we have decided to return again this year :)

I am trying to remember the info about the airport express from last year, and I would be grateful if anybody would confirm if this is correct/incorrect. (staying at the Harbour Plaza HK- Tak Fung St):

so we take the Airport express to Kowloon Station, then free shuttle bus K1 to the hotel.

It is such an excitement to go again, especially knowing how easy, efficient and convenient all the modes of transport in HK are

Thanks!

Reassurance :)

That is correct, your memories are still good.

Reassurance :)

thank you Tin! :)

Hotel to stay

I suggest you staying at Holiday Inn Central Plaza,It is close to The Temple of Heaven ,also close to the subway,it has many good comments on Tripadvisor.

Hotel to stay

two other very hotles are the Crown Plaza Park View in Ya Yun Cun district (near the new Olympic stadium) and the Marco Polo closer tot he city center

Shenzhen Shopping

I%26#39;ve seen a number of threads about Shenzhen. We are spending 3 days in HK and were wondering whether to go to henzhen for a day - it appears that most people go for the shopping - are things a lot cheaper there - what things are bargains there?

Shenzhen Shopping

3 days in HK is bearly enough if it is your first trip, there are so much to do here so I%26#39;d say give SZ a miss.

Shenzhen Shopping

If this is your first trip to HK, 3 days.... definitely NOT enough.

If you have been to HK before, then you could go to Shenzhen for half a day... things a indeed cheaper there, but quality can be compromised. Depends what you are looking for to buy....

When did this PM thing started?

I just saw Elyse%26#39; post, PM is available on this forum now? Was it a long time already, I simply didn%26#39;t know!

Or it%26#39;s just new... if it%26#39;s new, it%26#39;s a GREAT feature we should have had LONG time ago!

Great work Tripadvisor!

When did this PM thing started?

Yes, it just started. I actually received PMs from other members even before the email from TripAdvisor informing us of the new feature reached me! :)

Dates of school holidays in China & Hong Kong

Please can you tell me the dates of the school holidays in China %26amp; Hong Kong this year? I am particularly interested in those of August, September and October. Is it the same all over China, or do different cities take different dates?

Thank you very much.

Dates of school holidays in China %26amp; Hong Kong

School holidays are one week from 1 may and another week from 1 oct, this is national.

Summer holidays is 6 to 8 weeks depending on school jul %26amp; Aug and four weeks at Chinese New Year, spring festival. 2 weeks either side of Spring festival so summer and winter holidays vary each year

Dates of school holidays in China %26amp; Hong Kong

Thank you for that information, we will try to avoid those when we visit.

april/may weather

we will be doing a tour of china in late april and first week of may. we are wondering how the weather will be. Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated.

april/may weather

In late april and first week of may,Beijing will be in early spring and the weather will warm up,and be very amenity.A poblem maybe is dust from far west desert if will flow to Beijing,hen sky will become a little yellow and the air will not very clean,but this maybe just two or three day every time,and in recent two year it have not be seen very often.

april/may weather

Also be prepared for plenty of people stepping on your toes and elbowing you in the ribs, as the 1st week of May is Labour Day holiday.

thank you for the info

I was wondering about temperature ranges for that tiem of year. what type of clothing will we need. sweaters or light weight clothing?

dermatologist

Hutong's

Dear travel-friends,

on my map I see - next to the hotels of Holiday Inn, Novotel and Grand Hyatt - streets that are called hutong%26#39;s.

Names are : Lishi Hutong, Ganmian Hutong, Xizongbu Hutong, Zhugan Hutong, Dafangjia Hutong.

Are these ';real, original'; hutong%26#39;s, on walking distance of the hotels??

Or are the ';real, original'; hutong%26#39;s elsewhere in Beijing, if so, where ??

Thanks a lot !!

Otto-Maria.

Hutong's

the realk,original and best hutongs are near the Shisha Lake or called Black Lake area.

Hutong's

';Shisha Lake or called Black Lake area.';

Should be Shicha Hai or Back lake (Houhai) area, rather than ';Black lake';.

If you are interested in visiting some Hutong, yes, houhai area is a good choice, a lot western travel go there to see the all buildding. Some pics of Hutong and houhai area: adventurechinatrip.com/bbs/forum_posts.asp… and adventurechinatrip.com/bbs/forum_posts.asp…

Other areas that maybe suitable for visiting old hutong, I think, Guozijian or some south parts of beijing still have some old ones.

The hutongs near the hotel won%26#39;t have much of the feel of old Beijing anymore, as the old buildings are long gone, replaced by hotels, shops, and restaurants.

As noted, the shichahia area is the most obvious area to go see hutongs with old homes.

Hutongs are in many areas in Beijing. Some are little more sanitised than others. Hutong is just another word for street. It doesn%26#39;t signify that normal people are living there.

Hello,

thank for the info.

Just thought that Hutongs were like %26#39;garden-homes%26#39; or %26#39;court-homes%26#39;, like all these %26#39;hofjes%26#39; in Amsterdam, Delft, Leiden and all the other Dutch old historic cities.

Some examples you can see here:

audioguides.nl/uk/leiden/hofjes/aalmoeshuis

So, an exclosed area, with an entrance, where %26#39;same sort of people%26#39;(in former days) lived together, like in a cloister.

Thanks anyway,

Otto-Maria

Hutongs are everywhere in Beijing. In fact, the moment I stepped down from the airport bus to go to my hotel (Zhong An) west of the railway station, I realised I was walking through hutongs where the hotel is located. I walked a lot during my stay at Beijing to get from one place to another but often got lost in hutongs since they are narrow and look pretty much alike from whatever direction you go. The good thing about hutong is that one gets to see what life is about before the era of the modern jungle.

As I understand right, these ';most original'; hutongs are (as printed on my map) around Xihai-lake, Houhai-lake and Qianhai-lake ?

Someone can confirm this ?

B.t.w. does %26#39;hai%26#39; mean %26#39;lake%26#39; ?

Thanks, Otto-Maria

';Hai'; actually means ';sea';, but it would stand for ';lake'; in this situation.

The hutongs around Houhai include more Qing dynasty-era buildings than some of the other hutongs in the city, though there are pockets of old homes here and there. The homes in this area would have belonged to officials for the imperial court.

where to buy: china set, diet pills

ni ha., Im starting to travel more and more to SH, but really do not still know where are the nice places to shop and hang-out at...and where I can buy specific items.. My next trip to SH is end of Mar. and I would like loot at china sets and diet pills..can anyone recommend any.? thx

where to buy: china set, diet pills

Wow, strange things to be looking to buy.

I hope you do know that diet pills here aren%26#39;t the safest things to be taking. In any case you can find a huge variety of those at pharmacies, thanks to the ideas of the females here.

China sets? Do you mean tea sets? Yuyuan Bazaar has plenty of those but remember to bargain hard. If you join any 1-day tour to Suzhou or Hangzhou etc they%26#39;ll most probably take you to a kick-back shopping stop where you could buy Yixing teapots (singly or sets) if not china sets.

where to buy: china set, diet pills

thanks ellyse., china sets Im interested in are for dining, like the spoons, forks, table knife...made of stainless steel.. of course it has to be nice looking..lol, so I can impress guest when I throw a dinner party... And as for the diet pills, im interested in either Xenical or Meridian..thats the popular name they go by..

China set ( dinning products)

chopsticks:

Yang Yang chopsticks garden (羊羊筷庄)

English address:No 75, XinHua Rd, ChangNing District

Chinese address:长宁区新华路75号

I recommend ChangLe Rd and ChangShu Rd, you will find a lot of shops selling special products.

Haven%26#39;t seen those diet pills around, sorry.

For the best info on Shanghai go here:

www.smartshanghai.com

Forget the diet pills. Drink Pu%26#39;er tea every morning. The stuff really does the deed and it costs bundles less over here.

thanks for the reply cuteminmin %26amp; morehangzhou

Newton Hotel Kowloon

Hi there,

My boyfriend are visiting HK in late March and we%26#39;ve booked this hotel in Mong Kok. Just wondering if any of you have stayed there and what your reviews are.

Also, what are the %26#39;dos and dont%26#39;s%26#39; traveling there. My boyfriend and I have been studying fervishly to learn some Cantonese. We%26#39;d like to go to some %26#39;western%26#39; restaurants like some fish and chips and burgers will be nice..any suggestions? we%26#39;re from Canada.

Thanks for sharing!

Newton Hotel Kowloon

Hey ,

as for being in Mongkok and nathan rd area...will be like Yonge street...if there is anything to be purchased u just need to keep walking down nathan road

eventually you will find whatever is u are looking for...Newton hotel is ok --cant recall any burger and fries joints...

be sure to dress casual--not too flashy as area is bustling

oh yeah...Ladies market is definitely worth trip

Newton Hotel Kowloon

Newton Hotel Kowloon is in Mongkok, but not the Mongkok we refer to. It%26#39;s in the ';greater'; mongkok area... to be exact, it%26#39;s Prince Edward MTR station that is the closest.

Mongkok MTR station is the next one.

Newton Hotel is near residential area and a big park. You have to walk about 7 minutes to the MTR, and it%26#39;s all mainly pubs and bars and the Flower market there.

10 minutes walk to Fa Yuen Market, and then another 15 minutes, you would reach Ladie%26#39;s Market.

Newton hotel is a very small hotel, but nice quiet area.

Be careful walking back to the hotel from MTR late at night... many times I see drunk young men walking out of the pubs, and bars, and then if you are a female, be careful that they crash into you.... purpose or not, it%26#39;s your luck.

MTR exit A, closest MTR station to Newton Hotel.

Thanks for sharing, Katatam, coming from a local expert, it means much more...thanks for the heads up about walking back late at night...guess I%26#39;ll have my big stocky boyfriend by my side at all times.

3 Days Shanghai + beach holiday

My girlfriend and I really want go to Shanghai this June but because we are normally really busy during the year we also need some relaxing.

So we tought maybe we can go to Shanghai for 3 days and then leave to another spot to relax at the beach.

But does someone know a good location nearby Shanghai so we dont have to fly TO far?

Are there some resorts nearby?

3 Days Shanghai + beach holiday

Does spa, pampering and golf entice? Try http://www.fuchunresort.com/en/index.asp No beach though.

shangri-la.com/hangzhou/鈥ndex.aspx

Approx 2 hours drive from Shanghai.

Or there is the Sanya resort (beach) area.

3 Days Shanghai + beach holiday

What would you deem ';too far';?

Sorry to mess up with your plans. There are NO beaches near Shanghai that you can enjoy. Shanghai area, Hangzhou Bay, Ningbo until Wenzhou the water is not clean.

You have to take a plane to get to nice beaches in China.

If you have time for a 2,5 hours flight. Go to Hainan island in southern china. Yantai in Shandong province also has nice beaches, but cold water.

maybe you can enjoy the beach in JinShan District of Shanghai

my friend%26#39;s home is located there, she there that new beach is quite good.

Jinshan District is almost the suburb in Shanghai

another place for you can relax is Chongming Island.

There is a Chongming%26#39;s Dong Ping National Forestry Park in it.

Chongming Island is also a paradise for ';belly-gods'; and it%26#39;s well-known for for vast green woods, fertile soil, whirling reeds and crossing rivers.

I don%26#39;t think so .Jinshan might be not a good choice. Because I t close to a big chemical plant. If you want enjoy the beach and sunshine.I think the hainan island is best choice.as I know this is real paradise of the holiday.But you need fly to there. If you want to choose a city where close to shanghai .I think Suzhou and Hangzhou are very good .

hainai is good, but it%26#39;s too far, and you need to take a plane to get there.

Jinshan is different now, Shanghai government has using a lot of money and want to change it into a natural area. My friend%26#39;( roommate) home is located in Jin Shan area, I believe what she said as she is the local Jinshan people.

Airport Express Tourist Octopus Question...

Hi there

I will be arriving in Hong Kong for 2days this Friday and wanted to know a specific question regarding the Octopus card and the Airport Express...

firstly what i want to do is get a bus from the airport to my hotel - the ramada hotel on des voeux road west. i know the airport bus is either A10, A11 or A12 (i think). the reason i want to do this is to see the scenery (ie, bridge) that you cannot see on the airport express. according to this link octopuscards.com/consumer/…index.jsp

i can get HK$220 ';ONE Airport Express Single Journey'; which i think permits me unlimited different types of travel for 3days? it also allows me one way single journey on the airport express, right? well, because i have chose to use the airport bus inward does this mean i can get the airport express train on the return journey (sunday)? i want to do this because my flight leaves late (after 8pm) on the sunday and i wanted to drop my suitcases at the hong kong station in central sunday morning (the ceck your bag in servise) so i can carry on in the city for a few hours with just my hand luggage. would i be able to do all of this with the HK$220 ONE Airport Express Single Journey? or would i have to get the HK$300 for TWO Airport Express Single Journeys? hope i made sense?!

kind regards

Airport Express Tourist Octopus Question...

The Tourist Octopus should entitle you to one ride either to or from the Airport. You may check the details here: www.mtr.com.hk/eng/train/ae_tourtickete.htm

Also, please note that you can use the said Octopus for MTR travels only, not on bus, tram, minibus, train, or other means of transport. You are entitled to unlimited MTR rides though.

Airport Express Tourist Octopus Question...

Are you sure about that? I thought you could use the Airport Express Tourist Octopus card on many different types of transport, ie trams, ferry, MTR, peak tram,busses and more importantly the A10 or A12 busses from the airport?!

If not then that plan is pretty pointless for me!

anyone else got any idea on how i should travel into the Ramada on the A10 or A12 then use the various transports in Hong Kong for 3days before returning on the Airport Express? I also want to use the check your suitcase in service on the final day, allowing me to walk HK for a few more hours without cases. Should I use the 3day tourist octopus option (will it allow me to use all those various modes of travel)? or should I just get a single Airport Express ticket on my return (will that accept my suitcase this way though?) and pay in cash the few times i get onto a ferry, tram or bus?

That%26#39;s what I gather from the MTR website. But don%26#39;t panic! I can check with them tonight when I take the MTR home. Will tell you first thing in the morning. Hope it%26#39;s not too late!

Ok, here%26#39;s the answer from the MTR staff: the $220 you pay for the card only allows you 1 Airport Express ride and unlimited MTR rides within 3 days. When you leave HK, you can return the card to them and they will give back $50 to you.

If you want to use the card for other means of transport or for purchases, you have to add value to it first. Which means the $220 doesn%26#39;t give you unlimited rides with all means of public transport in HK.

Is that clear now?

Shanghai & Beijing

Hello experts! I will be in China on business but will have one day in Shanghai before my business meetings in Sanya and two days in Beijing on the way home. Here are my questions:

I understand that eating is a group activity in China. Will I seem really strange if I go to a restaurant alone? I would really like to not be stuck eating at my hotels unless eating out will be uncomfortable. (I don%26#39;t speak Mandarin by the way.)

Also, I%26#39;m a larger person and I%26#39;m wondering how much, if any, teasing I may be subject. I%26#39;m reading that it would not be unlikely to be taunted simply for being a foreigner (America), but I expect being overweight would make it worse.?

Thanks very much for any advice. Michele

Shanghai %26amp; Beijing

In Beijing on one of the evenings you can combine a duck meal with the acrobatics or the Kung fu show.

Shanghai %26amp; Beijing

most Chinese people are very kind and willing to help you!

In Shanghai, you can see foreigners almost everywhere, we , local people don%26#39;t feel strange!

sometime you will meet some Chinese kids greeting to you=D

1) No.

2) No. People would stare but it%26#39;s most probably out of curiosity instead of any malicious intent.

Dear Michele,

you will face as much attention in Shanghai (China) as everywhere in the world (because of your size) Do not worry too much about that as people in China are very polite and will hardly comment that matter, except for some smaller children. Some of them might have not seen any foreigner att all (size does not matter)

If you want to have chinese food, just ask at the reception of your hotel if there are any restaurants close by with an english menue or at least a menue with pictures.

In case you want to have western food in Shanghai, go to Xin Tian Di, there you find German, Brasilian and French restaurant. They are used of one person dining, if that makes you feel more comfortable.

People from the cities won%26#39;t stare much at foreigners, but there are people from smaller towns visiting the city.

I don%26#39;t think people will tease you about our weight, but they *are* likely to ask how much you weigh, for example. I don%26#39;t think this is meant to be mean, they just don%26#39;t think of it as being rude to ask.

Traditionally, plumpness was associated with wealth and fortune--you will notice that some of the Buddhas are quite large! But more recently, people have been getting ideas from the west and are starting to have a more negative view towards it.

dermatologist

great wall bus trips from city

IN the lonely planet they list tour buses 1and 2 as ways to reach the great wall at Badaling and also the Ming Tombs from downtown. They are both fairly cheap at 45-50 yuan.

Has anyone had experience with either bustour? Your comments are welcome

How long so the tours give you at the Wall?

How long at Ming tombs and do they just past by the Spirit Way as suggested by many posts.

3rd do these tours also have stops at various shops, medicine shops etc all trying to sell you stuff!!!!!

Heard a lot of mixed comments about Ming tombs. True or Americans just don%26#39;t understand /appreciate the significants of this sight?

REplies welcome

great wall bus trips from city

You can take line 919 departure from Deshengmen bus station to Badaling or Juyongguan Section, check this thread: adventurechinatrip.com/bbs/forum_posts.asp鈥?/a> But if you also want to visit Ming tombs, perhaps the tourist bus you mentioned, buses 1and 2, are more suitable for you.

';How long at Ming tombs and do they just past by the Spirit Way as suggested by many posts.';

yes, some body do not like ming tomb. But sacred road is a good alternative.

Cheers

great wall bus trips from city

If you decide to visit Badaling great Wall,try to do this

Take subway to Jishuitan,then walk to Deshengmen or take taxi to Deshengmen directly.Take bus 919,(around 10) directly to Badaling great wall.

After the wall,you can find a taxi(local taxi mini van) to Ming tombs(spirit way,this is the only thing worth to see,not the tomb) the van will charge around 30-50,then there have bus again back to downtown,in my opinion,if you do this bus tour,no tourists shops,however it is a little difficutle for you find the way to Ming tombs,maybe just to the wall,not the tomb.

I have some tips on the bus to Badaling at virtualtourist.com.

We caught the 919 airconditioned express bus to Bedaling and it was great. We caught a cab from our hotel (Crowne Plaza Wangfujing) to the bus depot, but be warned the cab drivers will insist that there is no bus to the great wall, just ignore them and state where you want to go. Make sure you get the airconditioned, express bus its very comfortable and very cheap, about 16 Yuan from memory.

We liked it because we were free to stay at the Wall as long as we wanted (with no mandatory stops at Jade factories etc etc) and buses were returning to Beijing all the time, so getting back was no problem.

thanks for the replies. I was just inBeijing 2 weeks ago for business and visited the wall at badeling on a Sunday. Hard to capture a memory when 3 people are tucking on your sleve wanting to sell you postcards.

I know they are poor, but it can wear on you.

We are apcking light for this vacation and don%26#39;t need to tote Jade nick nacks around

Denim too hot for weather?

I%26#39;m visiting HK for the first two weeks of March. Would jeans be too hot for the humid weather?

Denim too hot for weather?

Jeans are fine in March, expect cool temperatures.

Denim too hot for weather?

It depends on you. Do you get hot easily?? I do and I NEVER wear jeans in Hong Kong with that humdity! Unless I%26#39;m going somewhere that requires long pants.

Jeans are best actually for March%26#39;s weather..... Linen, jeans, cotton... always the top favorite of MANY locals... (except going to work for those with suits and office attire)

From Vancouver, March will be similar to your end of August, early September weather. Not THAT humid yet in March..... much more humid in May and June.....

Depends on the individual. For me, yes it can be too much. At the same time, you%26#39;ll see people wearing scarves and down-filled (or what look like down-filled) jackets when it%26#39;s 20 Celsius.

i saw a lot of people in june wearing jeans, they looked comfortable

it depeands on where you come from and what you are used to. We just got back from HK and the locals were wearing jackets on days I was wearing shorts and was hot from walking around. I am from the middle USA and we left cold snowy weather so the 23-26 celsuis temps. we had seemed very warm to me. I would plan on wearing light clothing during the day if I were you.

And it also varies from day to day, in March it could be 9ºC on one day, but 26ºC on another day. Watch the weather forecast before leaving home at

www.hko.gov.hk

where to buy:

like i said in my opener, I still dont know wher to look to puchase specific items in my list., Maybe perhaps, I would want to ask if anyone would like to accompany me for a day on a shopping adventure....

where to buy:

Well, as you said, you don%26#39;t know where to buy some things on your shopping list. But why aren%26#39;t you telling us what they are, if you want us to help with suggestions?

train timetables

hi there,

hopefully someone can help me with my request, iam struggling to find a train timetable for beijing to shanghai and shanghai to hong kong at october / november time. am i too early for such info?

p.s. where%26#39;s the best place to buy tickets? and how early can i get them?

thanks

train timetables

The timetables will be readjusted in April, so you should check back with us after that. Otherwise the information that I could give you would only be outdated after that.

In any case the official website for the Shanghai -- Hong Kong trains is at http://www.kcrc.com so you might want to bookmark that.

Best place to buy tickets would be either at the train station that you%26#39;re departing from (brave the crowds and language barrier) or pay your hotel/hostel a nominal service charge for them to take care of it. NOT ONLINE, PLEASE.

The Beijing -- Shanghai Z trains can be bought up to 20 days before departure.

train timetables

you can check the latest china train timetable through www.adventurechinatrip.com/chinatrain.asp, including tibet, hongkong and international train schedule.

Good luck

thankyou very much for your reply Ellyse and Asprila, it%26#39;s helped me alot.

quick question for Ellyse, if you don%26#39;t mind me asking but why shouldn%26#39;t i go online for train tickets?

thanks again

Because so far the online companies which help you with buying train tickets charge an arm and a leg for it, which personally I think is ridiculous and unnecessary.

Octopus cards is there only one type.

Im travelling to hong kong 16 march i will probably take a bus from airport to my hotel which is the ramada. I have read about octopus cards and other types of cards. I will be using tram, buses, mtr and ferries on my stay im looking for a card which will allow me pay for these, just to make it easier as apposed to carrying change everywere. Can any one advise me what card i need, were i get it from and how much

thanks

nick

Octopus cards is there only one type.

There are many types of Octopus cards. For your case, a usual Octopus is suitable. If you are below 65 years old, then get an adult card for HK$150 (consists of HK$100 credit, and HK$50 refundable deposit), if you are 65 or above, then get an elder card for HK$70 (consists of HK$20 credit, and HK$50 refundable deposit). You can get the card at any MTR station including the airport express train service counter at the aiprort arrivals hall. You can top it up in multiples of HK$50 when getting the card or later at any MTR station or convienence stores.

You can return the card to the airport express train service counter at the aiprort arrivals hall before leaving Hong Kong to get back the deposit and any remaining credit subject to a fee of HK$7. If you are going to return to Hong Kong later within a couple of years, you can keep the card and use it on subsequent visits.

Enjoy Octopus

Octopus cards is there only one type.

Think you have to keep the Octopus card for 3 months before you can have the deposit refund.

Salisbury YMCA Hotel to Airport

I am staying for one night at Salisbury YMCA on 13 April and need to get to the airport the following day (14th) for a 9.00am flight to Australia. Can someone please tell me how long before the flight do I need to be at the airport and the best way of getting there at that time of the morning from the Salisbury.

Salisbury YMCA Hotel to Airport

If you have luggage to check in that morning or not already have the boarding pass, I suggest taking a taxi to Airport Express Kowloon Station and do the check in there, and then take the Airport Express trains to airport. You must check in at least 90 minutes earlier than the flight time (7:30am). You can leave hotel at around 6:45am.

If you have no luggage to check in that morning and already have the boarding pass, then be at the airport 1 hour before the flight (8:00 am) is appropriate. You can take airbus A21 on Nathan Road near the MTR station. Allow 1 hour to reach airport, and frequency about 15 minutes. You can leave hotel at around 6:40am.

Salisbury YMCA Hotel to Airport

Don%26#39;t be tempted to use the free hotel pick-up service bus to get to the airport express check in. It may be free (or very cheap) but it takes forever as it goes round all the hotels picking up! Definitely take a taxi!

Thank you so much EmSal42 and Tin for your assistance. One last question - on arriving in Hong Kong on 13 Apr is it possible to immediately check our luggage through to Australia and obtain a boarding pass for the following day. If it is possible, we can get by with our hand luggage for the following night at the Salisbury and then not have to get to the airport the following morning until one hour before the flight.

It is possible to check in luggage on Apr 13 in Hong Kong. Actually, it is even possible that your luggage can be check in all the way through to Australia when you are in London (i.e. you won%26#39;t see you luggage in Hong Kong), ask the airline check-in staff if they can do that if you want to.

dermatologist

Family holidays

Do you have any advice for a family holiday in Hong Kong?

Family holidays

Good day, Depends on how long you want to stay. If your children are small, I recommend you to visit Disney Land or even Ocean Park. If you children are teenagers, you may bring them to Golden Centre in Sham Shui Po to buy some cheap computer softwares, hardwares or games.

Jade street, Ladies market, Peak, Victoria Habour are the places you should go to feel Eastern and Western style.

You can even stay in the service appartment or resort to feel another side of Hong Kong.

www.involvementstay.com/Accommodation.htm

Hong Kong is a nice a safe place and you can even split up with your children so that they can visit the other place for one or half day if they are teenagers even, no worries

Chuxiong Torch Festival, Dali, Lijiang

I%26#39;m planning to attend the Bai minority tribe%26#39;s Torch festival this August 6. Does anyone know about the festival activities so we know how long to stay (1 or 2 nights)? We%26#39;ve been to Kunming so we%26#39;ll skip the sights. I%26#39;m allowing 1 day for Dali and 1 day for Lijiang before heading back to Shenzhen. Do we need longer stays at either city?

Any suggestions on food, sights %26amp; shows, esp. pertaining to the minority tribes, will be much appreciated. Thanks!

Chuxiong Torch Festival, Dali, Lijiang

At least 2 days for Lijiang, more if you%26#39;re going to visit Tiger Leaping Gorge. Personally I think it would be a shame not to see Tiger Leaping Gorge when you%26#39;re already so close.

Chuxiong Torch Festival, Dali, Lijiang

Thanks for the suggestion. I have a sample itinerary that squeezed Lijiang into 1 day:

- The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Is that different from Leaping Tiger Gorge? If not, how long is the car ride each way from LiJiang to Leaping Tiger Gorge?)

- Ganhaizi, Baishui River.

-Murals at Baisha village

-Yuquan Park

-Lijiang Ancient Town (How much time to spend here?)

Should I drop some of the ';attractions'; from the list and spend more time on other things??

That%26#39;s impossible. I think those would work for at least 2-3 days.

Baisha is at least half a day.

Yulong (Jade Dragon) snow mountain would be more than half a day. And no, it%26#39;s NOT Tiger Leaping Gorge. It%26#39;s about 1-2 hours from Lijiang to the nearest point of Tiger Leaping Gorge which%26#39;s called Qiaotou, and you need at least a full day for Tiger Leaping Gorge even if you%26#39;re not planning to hike it.

I don%26#39;t remember offhand about Ganhaizi, but Baishui River, or more appropriately Baishuitai or White Water Terraces (bai = white, shui = water and tai = terraces) is closer to Zhongdian than Lijiang. It%26#39;s usually half a day to a full day to visit from Zhongdian, and definitely a full day or more if you%26#39;re doing it from Lijiang.

Stay in Lijiang old town as there%26#39;re plenty of guesthouses, hostels and hotels here. The others mentioned above aren%26#39;t in the old town area and should be arranged as trips FROM Lijiang old town.

Personally I stayed in Lijiang for almost a week and found it a good place to relax.

And, did you come up with that Lijiang itinerary yourself, or is it a tour that you%26#39;re following?

It was a suggested itinerary by a travel agency. so I%26#39;m not keen on taking the standard tour. I%26#39;d rather do something that is more personalized.

That%26#39;s what I thought, sorry to say but that sounded like perfect nonsense for an itinerary. Looks great for ';tick-each-visited-place-off-my-list'; tourists but lousy otherwise.

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I am going back on my own trip planning.

What do you suggest I do at Lijiang if I spend 2 days there? Any suggestions for Dali if I only have a day there?

You don%26#39;t necessarily need to spend all your time actually in the old town area. I meant that you should ';stay'; ie sleep there and take daytrips out in addition to roaming the old town area. Tiger Leaping Gorge would be a fine overnight trip, but I see that you don%26#39;t have that much time.

Dr Tea

Any time you been to this Tea house please don%26#39;t waste your money there,they have nice tea art,however when you buy the tea from the teahouse,it is not the same as the one you taste.

Dr Tea

Would be helpful if you could provide more specific details about this place eg address.

Dr Tea

Close to Olympic village,i think most tour company will provite this tour,their price is almost the same as downtown teahouse%26#39;s price,however the quality not good:(

you got the name of this teahouse?

The Name Dr Tea,on the way to Olympic area

yes,i agree with chineseqing said,most of time they will show you after Great Wall on the way to the downtown.

Best time to Trek the Great Wall of China for a first timer

Greetings to all....I would like to plan a trip to Beijing...for a first time traveller with a family of 5 adults, when would be the best time of the year to go up and trek the Great Wall of China...somewhere in Beijing?

Looking forward to your reply please....

Thanks.

Best time to Trek the Great Wall of China for a first timer

Probably around October, anytime but the 1st week of.

Best time to Trek the Great Wall of China for a first timer

We went in September earl/mid morning and it was fine - not too crowded. If you are going to Badaling I%26#39;d suggest that you take the North route by turning left at the main entrance. It%26#39;s steeper so most people turn right and walk along that way. We%26#39;ve got loads of photos of the wall with no other tourists.

from end of Sep to begin of Nover,avoid the first week of Oct,its called golden season travel to Beijing.

Travellers Cheques v Credit Card

Hi. We are travelling to Hong Kong in May and we are staying at the Langham Place. We%26#39;ve been saving hard for this trip and intend to do a fair amount of shopping when we%26#39;re there. Practicality wise, can anyone advise if the use of travellers cheques is conveniant (and easy to change) or if I should just pay for things on credit card? I%26#39;m reluctant to take our whole spends in cash only. I%26#39;m sure I%26#39;ve read somewhere that credit card transactions are subject to a sur-charge?? Any advice would be appreciated.

Travellers Cheques v Credit Card

Use credit cards.......TC are a bit of a thing of the past and you are likely to pay fees just to cash them. No surcharge except the exchange rate the bank uses to charge you pounds will be not in your favour.

But the pound is so strong against HKD everything will look cheap.

Travellers Cheques v Credit Card

ATMs are everywhere so you can withdraw cash whenever you like. If you use a debit card , most banks will charge a foreign transaction fee, say 1.5%, subject to minimum charge.. If using a credit card to withdraw cash then obviously you will be charged a foreign transaction fee and cash advance. Nationwide do not charge a foreign transaction fee on debit or credit cards. Haven%26#39;t used traveller%26#39;s cheques since 1989! Also, for major purchases you have some protection when paying by credit card. There are banks everywhere at street level (hsbc). Just check out before you do anything how much it will cost to purchase your cheques and then the fee you will pay when you buy hk$ in hk unless you buy $hk traveller cheques in uk. So much to consider!

Whatver you do, your pound will go along way in hk as the exchange rate has been so good recently. Enjoy spending!

TC is not convenient. However if you plan on paying thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in cash, I guess it%26#39;s the cheapest and most practical option. otherwise use bank machine or credit card.

Every menthod of payment is subject to surcharge. When you exchange foreign cash, you pay a hidden fee (difference between buy and sell rates) which is usually more than credit or ATM card, unless you work for a bank and can get special exchange rates.

When you pay by credit card, you usually get charged around 1 to 2% (check with your credit card company for the actual rate) so it%26#39;s not much. Each card is different so find the cheapest one and use it. If you use ATM debit card to get cash, depending on your bank again, be sure to get a larger amount each time and not pull HK$100 in small batches since many banks charge a fixed transaction fee each time.

Thanks everyone. All the responses have been very useful. I hadn%26#39;t thought about the use of an ATM and as as my bank has free worldwide withdrawals, that would seem the most sensible thing.

Thanks again.

ATM is the way to go, many of the shops in the market and fashion areas have a cash price and a credit price so having HK dollars will give you a better deal almost always.

Where you see a different cash vs credit price is usually at specialty shops such as computer shopping centres at Wan Chai, Sham Shui Po, and Mong Kok. Some audio equipment companies also have this policy as well. For general shopping or eating, some smaller shops don%26#39;t accept credit card if the amount is too small (usually less than $200). Larger chain stores or restaurants don%26#39;t have this policy. At the two local major supermarket chains, you can charge even if you are only buying HK$40 worth of stuff.

Agree that TC%26#39;s are almost obsolete for use with merchants in HK. Only really viable if you use them at FOREX or major banking centres and then, you may find you are charged a premium over cash.

ATM%26#39;s are convenient but watch for service charges.

Best option is often changing foreign currency but again, depends on amounts and factor in the cost to change back any not used.

Lastly, there may still be some credit cards which DO NOT charge a 1 or 2% exchange premium but you have to do some web research to find those. If you locate them (possibly Capital One, Mastercard, Citibank,...-- they were noted on another post in this forum in the last 18 months or so), note that you may find you get the best of both worlds; no premium for forex AND the benefit of the best exchange rates that the large institutions dealing in large currency volumes can deliver, much better than you can do on your own.

Hi - we have a bank account with Nationwide and used their Visa debit card when we were in Hong Kong a few months ago. We also used the same card to withdraw money from the ATM machines and have had no problems. Best thing of all is there is no charge for withdrawing money and there%26#39;s no commission/transaction sur-charge on using the Visa debit card either. My advice is open up an account with Nationwide - it might be a good idea to have two seperate accounts for you and you partner so if one loses the debit card then at least you have another debit card in a different account as a back up.

You will be amazed with the shops in HK - it%26#39;s one of the best places I%26#39;ve been to. Have a fantastic trip!

Pudong Airport - Meeting point

Next week I%26#39;m meeting a possible supplier in Shanghai, but since my agenda is so full and I don%26#39;t want to risk missing my PVG-HKG and HKG-TPE flights of later that day, I was thinking of meeting this person at Pudong Airport.

We don%26#39;t know each other, and PVG is massive. Can you suggest an easy-to-find meeting point? It should be near the boarding gate for my flight to Hong Kong with Dragonair.

Thanks in advance!

Pudong Airport - Meeting point

It won%26#39;t be near the flight boarding gate by any shot since Shanghai -- Hong Kong is an international flight and you%26#39;ll need to go through immigration and customs. You%26#39;ll have to meet somewhere before the immigration area.

Pudong Airport - Meeting point

Yes, I was thinking about some easily recognisable place before immigration. In Barcelona, for example, there%26#39;s a big statue by Botero, and it%26#39;s a common meeting place among travelers.

Try to meet your friend in KFC .There is only one KFC.

There IS only 1 KFC, but I can%26#39;t imagine that being easy for travellers to find unless they happen to be taking the Maglev.

I think telling him to meet you at a certain door or check-in row number would be better. Although I%26#39;m familiar with Pudong airport I can%26#39;t think of any prominent meeting point on the departures concourse.

If you come out through immigration (as long as you have a Visa for China) go onto 2nd floor. There are 3 coffee shops called Hope Star (They have signs with International, Middle and Domestic) Just ask your supplier to meet you at the Hope Star, International which is right above the exit of international arrivals on 2nd. floor. Once he arrives there, ask him to call you on your mobile phone for identification

I%26#39;ll talk to the supplier and will let him choose the place he knows best among these.

Thank you all for your suggestions!

dermatologist

Lijiang or Pingyao?

Hello,

I need your help. I will do a long trip to China next summer which will include Beijing, Xian Chengdu, Leshan, Dazu, Yangtze Cruise, Lhasa, Guilin, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Also, I have time to visit Datong (Yungang Caves, Hanging Temple and Wood Pagoda) and Pingyao or Lijiang.

Can anybody help me to decide which place to go?

Thanks.

Lijiang or Pingyao?

Best advice you%26#39;ll ever get: Skip the darned 3 Gorges cruise and you%26#39;ll have enough time to do both Lijiang and Datong + Pingyao.

Lijiang or Pingyao?

Ellyse,

Thank you for your recommendation. However, why you think that of the Three Gorges Cruise? To tell you the true, I started my trip to China after planning a cruise by the Yangtze.

Do you know something about Sinotour? I%26#39;m doing all the trip with them.

Thanks,

Kartikmexico.

Pingyao will be less out of the way for you. I think Lijiang is the nicer of the two, even though it is even more overrun with tourists than Pingyao.

It is nice to get out of Pingyao to visit one of the big family mansions like Da Wang Jia Yuan.

Around Lijiang it is also nice to visit some of the surrounding villages and perhaps go for a hike.

It%26#39;s not all that it%26#39;s cracked up to be. Simply put it was a royal waste of time and money. If you%26#39;ll email me at ellyse99@yahoo.com I%26#39;ll be happy to give you more details and candid photos taken from my 3 Gorges cruise trip in mid-Jan (last month) -- please put ';TripAdvisor kartikmexico'; so that I don%26#39;t junk your email by mistake, thanks.

Sorry, don%26#39;t know about that tour company.

I%26#39;m not a local expert (not being Chinese) but I have been living for 2 years in Shanghai ( and travelling round China with my family).

I think Lijiang was a bit disappointing. Full of tourists and tourist shops that all sell the same things...

I would go for Datong and Pingyao.

As for the 3 gorges cruise , I haven%26#39;t been on it but heard it can be a bit boring...

Thank you for your help. I already decided to go to Datong and Pingyao. I still don%26#39;t know what to do with the 3 Gorges Cruise, but I will have to decide that in the next few weeks.

$$$$$ How much do I need...

Hi there!

Am off to Hong Kong for a week at the end of March (HK 7%26#39;s +++). Any suggestion on how much I should budget per day for meals, transport and a bit of sight seeing?

Jax

$$$$$ How much do I need...

Meals and transport in HK are slightly higher priced than SG. Say budget double the price as in SG and you should be fine in HK. For sightseeing, many places are actually free - such Victoria Peak, Symphony of Lights, Mid-levels escalators. Ocean Park costs HK$185 but it is of very good because it include the rides, shows, and attractions in the park, imagine this is similar to all those attractions in Sentosa adding up but in Ocean Park you get everything for just one price. Ngong Ping cable car costs HK$88 for return or HK$58 one way. Madame Tussauds cost HK$115.

$$$$$ How much do I need...

As far as meals, it depends where you are planning to eat. Cheap places, expensive places, etc.

Table Tennis in Kowloon or Hong Kong

My brothers and I are planning travel to Hong Kong in early April 07, are there any good places where we can play other table tennis (ping pong) players? We%26#39;re pretty competitive and would also like to know if there are any table tennis tournament events occuring between April 1 to 13th? If there is a contact person that someone provide, it would be very much appreciated.

Table Tennis in Kowloon or Hong Kong

It is a very special question, I heard that tehre is a table tennis competition for Hong Kong teenagers in April

I dont think you can find any for you but still can try, below is the email of Hong Kong table tennis club, hope it helps

hktta@netvigator.com

Table Tennis in Kowloon or Hong Kong

royng, Thank you for your help. Much appreciated.

China Hostelling

I%26#39;ve previously been to China, but not by traveling extensively and staying at hostels. Does anyone know how what the general availability of beds are? Would it be OK to go to a city during the summer without booking the beds far in advance?

Any info is welcome, doesn%26#39;t matter what city in China it is, I plan on going all over.

Thanks!

China Hostelling

Would be advisable to book in advance if the hostel is popular.

China Hostelling

Thanks for the tip!

It%26#39;s too bad, though. I would like to not have a very rigid itinerary. The trains aren%26#39;t really going to be a problem booking as I go, but I guess I%26#39;ll have to be more thorough when planning where I sleep. Oh well, it%26#39;ll still be an awesome trip!

Weather in November/December

My family is considering a trip to China (Beijing, Xi%26#39;an, Shanghai) leaving Nov. 22 and coming back the first week in December. I%26#39;m assuming the trees will have lost their leaves by that time. I%26#39;m wondering how ';pretty'; the cities are that time of year. Would it be better to wait until the Spring (say May) or Fall (September/October) to hit the best season. We want to be able to experience the best of the area as this will probably be our only trip to China. Any opinions would be appreciated.

Weather in November/December

Not very pretty. Would advise coming at a time when these cities still have more green leaves on the trees and not so polluted due to coal burning -- latter applies for Beijing and Xi%26#39;an.

Thus September should be fine.

Weather in November/December

mid-Sep to mid- Nov its best time to visit Beijing.and at end of Nov,not bad

best way to travel from beijing to shanghai

Firstly, a big thank you to JohnNiew for responding to query re shuttle bus to Harmony Hotel. We are talking the same hotel.

We would prefer to fly from Beijing to Shanghai to save time but have read many participants to the forum advising taking the overnight train. Please let us know if we do fly, would it be cheaper to buy tickets while we are in Beijing or shall we book in advance on the net? Any recommendation to booking sites would be most welcome. Any idea what would the fares cost? Do domestic flights depart from Beijing International Airport , if not where do they depart from? We shall be in Beijing during May 20 - May 26. Any advice will be much appreciated. Many thanks

best way to travel from beijing to shanghai

Taking overnight train to shanghai from beijing is very convenient, the cost for a soft sleeper is RMB499. Check the train timetable through www.adventurechinatrip.com/chinatrain.asp.

If you can get a discount air ticket, the price may be aroung RMB500, but you need to pay RMB130 extra as the tax. Besides, from the downtown beijing to Beijing International Airport, you also need a transportation. So my point is by overnight train is the best way.

The train ticket can be easily obtained, just go to the railway staion to buy.

Cheers

best way to travel from beijing to shanghai

most flights depart Beijing at intternational airport.

Buy tickets when you%26#39;re in Beijing. It%26#39;s too far in advance now to be pricing them, check back with me after the 1st week of May for realistic discounted prices.

And yes, they will depart from the same airport as you%26#39;re coming in on.

I found the railway station to be pretty intimidating, with loads of people in the square outside the station and loudspeakers blaring out some kind of info. The experience is quite unlike any other railways stations I have come across. I had the opportunity to take a train from Hefei to Shanghai with a friend and I would say maybe not again. Plane tickets can be bought at hotel desks and to me, are far more convenient than the train. It is not much pricier, esp. between the big cities, and definitely more flexible. But this is personal preference. I can%26#39;t sleep in trains anyway and do not want to arrive tired. I took the airport bus in Beijing on two occasions and think it is convenient but just about fine for one with a rucksack.

I LOVE the overnight train from Beijing to Shanghai. The train rocks me to sleep and if that doesn%26#39;t wok, an ambien always will. Flying in China is no different that flying anywhere else. You might as well eat at McDonalds while your at it. The train has CHARACTER. You%26#39;ll meet real people and have a more cultural experience. Plus, if money is a big issue, rmember you won%26#39;t be paying for a hotel the night you are on the train. A boxed dinner is even included in the price of a soft sleeper.

One of my favorite memories of China happened on an overnight train in the hard sleeper section. In the middle of the night I got up to go to the bathroom and as I was walking down the hallway, this very old Chinese woman was on a top bunk trying to get down, but she needed some help and I guess didn%26#39;t want to wake her family. I walked over to her and asked if I could help her down. (I don%26#39;t speak any Chinese, but some things are just universal) She grinned and let me help her. I waited until she got back from her bathroom trip and then helped her back up , which involved quite a bit of pushing her rather large bum from underneath. Once she was back in place on her bunk, she smiled and talked to me for a few minutes and I smiled back and nodded a lot. I didn%26#39;t understand a word of it, but I got it. I treasure that memory. Nothing like that has every happened to me on a PLANE!!!

bazoeker: I guess you must%26#39;ve tried taking a train during the Spring Festival period recently? That%26#39;s the worst time to be taking any train in China.

purplepearl: Great to hear about your unique experience! :)

thank you to all who responded to request. You all are great!

dermatologist

Shooting video in Beijing China

Can I videotape in Beijing China? I鈥檓 traveling to Beijing and want to make a documentary of my visit. I have 2 HDV video cameras. One is a larger more professional camera and the other is a smaller consumer looking camera. Are there any laws about video taping in China? Can I shoot there with out permission? Should I leave the professional camera at home? Does any one have experience video taping there? Or are there other resources about what I can or can鈥檛 get away with while shooting video there.

Thanks

Shooting video in Beijing China

No problem about shooting home videos, don%26#39;t worry.

Shooting video in Beijing China

What if it was a show or documentary that I might try to have shown on American TV?

Thanks for your input.

In that case I think you should be asking someone working in the legal profession who would know of the consequences/legalities involved, not normal travellers like us.

Sorry about that double post! :(

Thanks! I%26#39;m a normal travler too. I have heard how beautiful it is there, it would be great to share it with many people. How is the shopping in Beijing? Would that be fun?

In information I found, it stated that you were allowed 1 movie camera and 1 still camera.

yes,but should remember dont shoot video to Military entrance.

Read this www.youth.net/olympic/student.china.html for some of the ramifications of what you might be planning to do.

Which restaurants/clubs to go in Lan Kwai Fong??

Hey, we%26#39;ll be in HK in less than 2 weeks...will definitly check out

LKF....any suggestions? thanks!

Which restaurants/clubs to go in Lan Kwai Fong??

For Vietnamese food at LKF go to Indochine

Before you go make sure you get the hotel concierge to make reservations for you.

For Lebanese food go to Beirut....again reservations are strongly recommended.

Which restaurants/clubs to go in Lan Kwai Fong??

there is lots of restaurants in Lan Kwai Fong that you don%26#39;t need to book, you can just walk in off the street. It is fun just to walk around and choose whatever appeals on that day/night. I agree that Indochine is a great place to eat,and as suggested, you must have a reservation.

yiu fai guesthouse - nathan rd - kowloon

Can anybody give me any feedback on this guesthouse,iwill be in hk for 9 nights at the end of march 07

yiu fai guesthouse - nathan rd - kowloon

tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294217-d630鈥?/a>

Caritas Bianchi

We will be going to Hong Kong in April with 3 kids for a vacation. Can anybody give his/ her comment on Caritas Bianchi Lodge? Can we walk from Yau Ma Tei Station to the hotel? How%26#39;s their buffet breakfast?

Any comment will be appreciated. Thanks.

Caritas Bianchi

tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294217-d309鈥?/a>

Please help me - on the visit to shanghai

Hi all,

I will be planning a trip for 7 adults (most of them are quite old) to Shanghai (4 days / 3 nites). I have checked with the tour agent and yet to book the tickets. Can I know :-

1) Is there a ';lido'; hotel ? how to get there from the airport ? i am flying in with china eastern from Singapore.

2) what are the temples and old streets(nite markets where they can buy things) that i can bring them ?

3) any 24-hours book stores ?

4) Is it more convenient to take subway or taxis to get around ?

5) Any other places of interests where I can bring old people to ?

6)Any old coffee shops where they sell beers/drinks till late hours ?

7) Where are the famous food stalls that you can recommend ?

Please help me with these informations as this is the 1st time i am going to shanghai and bringing some old folks there. Thank you.

Please help me - on the visit to shanghai

Fortunately Shanghai isn%26#39;t a hilly place. They can walk along Nanjing Rd during the day or night for shopping - restaurants and drinking etc. Also Huaihai Rd - very fashionable. You will find departent stores/shopping malls in both of these places to purchase things for them if they can%26#39;t get out too much.

Here is some help for you but I am by no means an expert.

1. Sorry I am not familiar with the hotel, Are you sure it is in Shanghai?

2. Nanjing Rd - is flat and walkable. Xintiandi - walkable.

3. The only bookstore I know that sells Foreign Languages is Garden Books, located in the French Concession. Other places to try is actually at the airports which you will use. Garden Books is only open during the day. Dongtai Rd Antique market is very interesting with many things they will enjoy browsing. Again it isn%26#39;t 24 hours.

4. Taxis are probably going to be easier with the oldies. Less confusing I would imagine. And no steps to worry about. Cheap as well if sharing. Obviously you will have to go in two taxis or hire a private driver and van all of you each day you need to travel

5. I think you guys should go for a drink at Ruijin Guesthouse in the French Concession for some old world charm. and somewhere in one of the old buildings along the Bund, say in the Peace Hotel for jazz and drinks. Yu Garden and surrounding souvenir market.

6. Why not go for a spin on the Tourist Tunnel??Links the Bund with the Pudong side. A must if you are going to go up the Oriental Pearll Tower for views over Shanghai. Its doable and not just for the young.

7.See no.5 - look for them in side streets too

Aslo recommend that you go on an excursion to a water town. For ease the nearest one is Qibao - it won%26#39;t be a long drive. I have never been there but Lonely Planet recommend the place. Tours are available here so I would book a tour to take care of any logistics.Read this reference

travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shanghai/qib…

Please help me - on the visit to shanghai

1) Are you sure the hotel name is Lido? Lido Hotel, Beijing is famous, but I can%26#39;t find any lido hotel in Shanghai....

Temple:

*Jade Buddha Temple which is well-known for the Buddha statue made by jade.

*Long Hua Temple which is the biggest and oldest one in Shanghai.

*Jingan Temple which is famous as well.

old street:

*Shanghai old street, nearby Yu Yuan Bazaar, you can do some shopping both on Shanghai old street and Yu Yuan Bazaar. Some traditional Chinese products can be find there.

*Renmin Road, an old road, and you can find Confucius Temple located in that area

3)As I know, there are no 24-hour bookstores in Shanghai, the biggest book store in shanghai is Shanghai Book Mall.

4)Yes! We have several subway lines for you to choose. Each stop has Chinese and English name for both Chinese and Foreigners. Take taxi, you can get to almost everywhere. One important thing is , when you pay the fare, pls check the rate on the screen of the meter machine.

5) Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower, I recommend the history museum which is located on the ground of the tower.

another one I think old people will be interested in is Shanghai Museum.

oh...almost forget, the Bund is a good choice too!

6)you can try to find in Xintiandi

7)You can find some famous food stalls in Yu Yuan Bazaar.

the other one is Shen Da Cheng, this restaurant has hundreds years%26#39; history. It%26#39;s located in East Nanjing Rd

1) I think that%26#39;s the hotel which has now been renamed Lijing Hotel, near People%26#39;s Square. Since you%26#39;re 7 and with elderlies I would advise you to book a minivan to get in from the airport directly instead of mucking about.

2) I don%26#39;t think there%26#39;re any pasar malams in Shanghai, but Yuyuan Bazaar comes close, and Wujiang Lu would be interesting for street food and stuff that%26#39;s like the market at China Square. As for temples, the best would be Jade Buddha Temple and Longhua Temple.

3) No, definitely not.

4) Both have their pros and cons. I%26#39;ve seen Singaporeans who were unable to go on the subway as they were very intimidated by the amount of shoving and jostling, and this could be a problem for your elderlies as well. Taxis would be good (I assume you all speak Mandarin fluently) but since you%26#39;re 7 you would need to take 2 taxis everytime you go somewhere and you could end up hunting for each other at the final destination as the drivers could drop you at slightly different locations eg one in front of a building and the other behind the building.

5) Erm we know that they%26#39;re elderly but what are they interested in seeing/doing/experiencing?! Don%26#39;t discriminate on the basis of age!

6) Coffee shops?! Are you asking about cafes, bars and such? What%26#39;s your definition of ';late hours';? Are you asking for places suitable for all of you to go to, or just the non-elderlies?

7) Nanxiang xiaolongbao restaurant in the Yuyuan Bazaar, perhaps. You might be familiar with this if you%26#39;ve seen its counterpart in The Edge at Bugis Junction. However I can assure you that it tastes a lot better here, but very crowded!

Private message or email me if you have any more questions.

Shidu worth it at this time of year?

Just after some advice, I am currently in Beijing and have a day or two free next week. Was thinking of a trip to Shidu, but have heard it is only really worth it later in the year. Anybody have another opinion on this? Was at the Jinshinling Great Wall this morning and the weather was beautiful and views amazing.

Will it really be as amazing as Guilin or all a bit brown and lacking in life in early-March?

Thanks in advance!

Shidu worth it at this time of year?

Not worth visiting Shidu now. It%26#39;s not the right season.

dermatologist

Ground transportation from Hong Kong to Taishan

What ground transportation options are available to travel from Kowloon to Taishan on April 3, 2007? Any advice would be appreciated.

Ground transportation from Hong Kong to Taishan

Do you have a time limit for how long the whole journey can be?

I presume you mean Taishan in Guangdong province, not the famous Taoist mountain in Shandong province.

Ground transportation from Hong Kong to Taishan

I will arrive at Hong Kong on April 1st and spend a few days there, before leaving to Toishan (at Guangdong province) on April 3rd. Will stay at Toishan for 2 nights/3 days.

ctsbus.hkcts.com/english/routes/dt-shunde.htm

http://www.trans-island.com.hk/eng/index.html (scroll down for Taishan)

Ellyse,

Thank you very much for the travel info.

Rod

No problem, glad to be of help.

take train from hongkong (kowloon) to guangzhou and then head to taishan by train T180 or T160\T161to taishan. Check the latest china train timetable through www.adventurechinatrip.com/chinatrain.asp.

Cheers

Chairman Mao's memorial Hall will close for renovation

Chairman Mao%26#39;s memorial Hall will close for renovation

the date from 3rd March to 20th september

Chairman Mao's memorial Hall will close for renovation

Thanks for the update!

Chairman Mao's memorial Hall will close for renovation

Is this the mausoleum - i do hope not as i was looking forward to seeing this ?

its in the centre of Ti`anmen Saure,Chairman Mao`s remines reclined in a crystal coffin inside it.

frenchfry: Unfortunately yes, it%26#39;s one and the same.

I was there today,my tourists fortunatly see it today,not long line,and we met two students from Tsing Hua university,they ask foreigners feeling of Chairman mao,thats good

If you have no chance to see this time,come here after Olympic games:) everything will be perfect,haha...

Advice on hotel for 1 night stop

I am stopping for 1 night in Hong Kong and have found the Regal hotel too expensive. Any suggestions as my flight out of HK is at 7.55 the next day.

Advice on hotel for 1 night stop

Novotel Citygate is new and less expensive than Regal Airport, and is within 10 minutes from airport by taxi.

Airline Differences

It%26#39;s a long, long way to China; I%26#39;d hate to get stuck with tinier-than-usual seats, inedible food, etc. Which airlines are better from California to China? Any to avoid?

Airline Differences

http://www.airlinequality.com/

Shooting video in Beijing China

Thanks

Shooting video in Beijing China

%26gt;%26gt;Should I leave the professional camera at home

If they want, they can hassel you if you just have a tourist visa, even at immigration.

Hung Hom Station

I%26#39;ll be staying at the Holiday Inn Express Causeway Bay in a few days, and while in HK I%26#39;ll have to travel to Guangzhou by taxi. I have a few questions:

- Is Hung Hom Station the nearest one to my hotel?

- I guess that the fastest and most convenient way is to take a taxi to the station. How long should it take me from the hotel at 6:45 or 7:30 in the morning? Is that before the main traffic jams?

- As far as I know, there are no major fairs in either GZ or HK during my stay. Should I be able to buy the ticket, say, 20 minutes before departure or is it too risky?

Thanks in advance.

Hung Hom Station

You can go to Tsim Sha Tsui East KCR station or Hung Hom station, but I think you can go to Hung Hom station first and take the train to Guanzhou directly.

If you take a taxi to Hung Hom station from Causeway Bay, it takes less than 20 minutes, no traffic congestion as time is early

It takes risk if you buy the ticket so late always, recomeend you to buy a little bit earlier

Hope it helps

Hung Hom Station

Hung Hom Station is actually the only station that one can take a diect train to Guangzhou.

It sure helps, thank you!

I%26#39;ll try to buy them in the previous afternoon, although I won%26#39;t be able to get there earlier than 20:00. Is there a MRT station nearby? Or can I buy the online, or at the hotel desk?

Xie xie.

josmon10,

Forget about taking MTR to Hung Hom Station. From Holiday Inn Express Causeway Bay, there are cross harbour buses 112 and 116 which can take you to Hung Hom Station in 10 minutes. Take the bus beneath a flyover near your hotel, travel for only one bus stop, get off the bus just after the harbour tunnel, Hung Hom Station is right opposite connected by a footbridge.

Wow Tin, that%26#39;s really convenient, thanks a lot!

By the way, isn%26#39;t that building from Whampoa that looks like a ship near Hung Hom? I%26#39;d like to see it. Is it accessible from the station?

That ';ship'; building in Whampoa is in Hung Hom, but quite a long walk from the station, suggest taking a short taxi ride.

the ';ship'; is just Jusco department store, really nothing interesting in there, and it%26#39;s SO old already.

The other way to get to Whampoa from Hung Hom station is take the no. 6 mini bus (green). Stops right underneath the FOOD building. LOTS of local/specialty foods in the Choi Lan building. Right across the back of the ';ship';

dermatologist

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Advise needed

We are going on an 18 day tour of China on the 1st April. Has anyone done this trip around this time of the year? What clothes would you advise we pack?

Advise needed

I%26#39;m sure countless travellers have been to China at this time of year.

However China is big and weather differs greatly between different regions. Without knowledge of where exactly you%26#39;re going there%26#39;s no way to give you a truly useful answer.

Advise needed

Where will you go for this time?if you go to south of China,T-shirt with long sleeve is ok,if north of China like Beijing,you should take jacket.

From 1st of April we will be visiting,Beijing, 4 /5 days including the Great Wall at Badaling then onto Nanjing and then Wuxi. Around 8/9th April go to Suzhou. Followed by Shanghai, 14th go to Yangshou before leaving for Hong Kong. Could you please advise on weather and suitable clothes for this time of year?

Check on http://www.wunderground.com for historical weather data. We%26#39;re having rather warm weather this year.

I don%26#39;t think you need to be wearing long underwear nor down coats for Shanghai and the surrounding region, but bringing a normal coat or jacket would be wise. Wear good covered shoes (eg sport shoes) as I think you would be doing a lot of walking.

cheap airflights hong kong to HCMC vietnam

hi,

can anyone tell me if there is a LCC carrier flying between Hong Kong and HCMC -

I%26#39;ve checked Airasia (no),

Tigerairways (no)

I also checked Silk Air but with no luck

thanks in advance

maz

cheap airflights hong kong to HCMC vietnam

Try United Airlines and see if it is low enough.

cheap airflights hong kong to HCMC vietnam

Silk Air isn%26#39;t a budget airline. Must you fly direct?

Cross the border to Shenzhen, and you can fly Shenzhen -- Singapore and Singapore -- Ho Chi Minh City via Tiger Airways.

Or, fly Hong Kong -- Singapore and Singapore -- Ho Chi Minh City via Jet Star Asia.

thank you both for your replies

I will check United -

Elleyse- all your suggestions are not suitable as we would be flying from Melbourne and I can go to VN on quite a few other options with stopovers in either Sing, KL or BKK but I thought it would be a nice change to have a stopover in Honkers as I haven%26#39;t been there for many years.

we may just book Cathay- if the fares are not too much higher than the other options

Well... if you provided the extra information earlier... :P

Another airline for consideration would be Vietnam Airlines.

yes, sorry - I should have been clearer-

London to Hong Kong Stopover Ideas

I%26#39;m planning on going to HK for a few days in May would also like to stop off somewhere else for a few days also.

Have thought about Singapore and Thailand. Anywhere else that isn%26#39;t going to add a lot to my flight cost?

All ideas/ recommendations appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

London to Hong Kong Stopover Ideas

Doha (Qatar), Moscow (Aeroflot), Frankfurt/Munich (Lufthansa), Dubai (Emirates), Istanbul (Turkish), Paris (Air France), Beijing (Air China)

using mobile phones ?

I am not a worldly traveller so please do not think of me as a bit thick,but.......What is the best method for using my mobile in Japan ?

I know in Europe my phone will pick up the nearest local provider,and the calls charged by them and my uk provider which is expensive,is this the same in Japan ? Will I be able to by a Sim card in Japan,pay as you go,and use it as I would in GB,and just top up when required ?

any advice would be gratefully accepted !

cheers

using mobile phones ?

the answer is no, unless you use 3G system.

your service provider in GB might have some rental deals for handsets in Japan.

or you should put your question to the Japan forums.

Advice: where to go for a weekend away from Hong Kong

I am looking for a weekend away from Hong Kong this May (anywhere within short flying times) , and wondered whether anyone has any recommendations. I%26#39;ll be travelling alone, and (normally living in Europe) would enjoy maximum exotisism, either in a city or village/countryside. I%26#39;ve thought of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Beijing .... Any ideas? Thank you

Advice: where to go for a weekend away from Hong Kong

Beijing is fabulous You can see The Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall. Hotels reasonable on Internet. It has the most sights of any Chinese city. If you want somewhere warm well go to Bangkok. Japan is great especially Tokyo and Kyoto but expensive but possibly the most truly Oriental experience.

Richard

Advice: where to go for a weekend away from Hong Kong

How about Yangshuo (http://www.yangers.com) and the surrounding countryside? The Dragon%26#39;s Backbone rice terraces should be quite nice at that time of year.

BTW, I hope you%26#39;re not thinking of travelling in the 1st week of May!

dermatologist

money

I%26#39;m off to China in March (can%26#39;t wait) can anyone help me, is it best to take sterling travellers cheques or cash

money

Where are you going in China?

Generally, GBP cash and TCs would both be fine to bring, but TCs are more troublesome to exchange than cash.

If you have an ATM (preferably debit) card with the logo(s) Maestro/Cirrus/Plus/Visa/Mastercard on them, bring those and get RMB cash out directly from ATMs here which accept these cards.

money

we are going to Beijing, Chengde and Xian its only for 10 days

If you have an ATM card as detailed above then I think that would be the most convenient, followed by GBP cash.

thank you

Similar story, were are going to Beijing in a week, I have a Bank of America Debit card, which according to their Web Site I can get free ATM use with ';China Construction Bank';... anyone know if this is a large bank in Beijing with many branches or affiliated ATM machines?

Not the biggest, but quite major enough. :)

thanks ellyse

You%26#39;re welcome, glad to be of help. :)

Guizhou for May holiday week!

My friends and I will be heading to Guizhou for the May holiday week. Our tentative plans are to depart Shanghai (plane/train) on 29/4 (Sat) and be back in Shanghai by 7/5 (Sun) night, or at the very latest, early morning 8/5 (Mon).

1) What are your best recommendations for sightseeing in Guizhou?

1a) Ideally, we%26#39;d like to visit a Miao village, a Buyi village, a Shui village and a Dong village, without any repetition. I don%26#39;t mind missing out Buyi and Shui villages due to time constraints, especially if they%26#39;re not very photogenic... any opinions?

1b) We%26#39;d also like to see 1 waterfall, 1 group of caves and enjoy 1 rafting experience. I%26#39;ve thought about going for Huangguoshu Waterfall, Zhijin Caves (instead of Longgong Caves) and the rafting at Maling River Gorge... any opinions? I%26#39;ve heard that the Zhijin Caves are not very well-run... If visiting Huangguoshu Waterfall, I%26#39;d ideally leave it till the end of the holiday week when there should be less tourists there.

1c) It seems that northern Guizhou isn%26#39;t very interesting, so I%26#39;m skipping that. Any other recommendations for the rest of Guizhou will be welcome!

2) Apart from me, there should be about at least 4 other friends coming along. The number of people coming along could increase by quite a lot, but I%26#39;m not keen on having such a big group, due to logistics problems! It%26#39;s pretty hard to satisfy everyone in a big group, and also less freedom for everyone. If I had my way, I%26#39;d take only a maximum of 3 other friends, and that%26#39;s it. Any ideas on how to manage this? Especially since I don%26#39;t want to offend anyone by being rude...

3) Should we fly both ways, train both ways, or train and fly once each? I%26#39;m getting worried about the budget and time constraints! Train is cheaper, of course, but takes 33 hours each way; flying would be about 1500 RMB each way!

4) Any recommendations on where to hire a vehicle for 5-10 people? Driver recommendations will also be very welcome. Minivans seem to take a maximum of 9 people... :(

5) Any festivals during this period that%26#39;ll be worth seeing? As far as my research shows, there%26#39;re a number of festivals on 5/5 (Fri) as it%26#39;s the 4th day of the 4th lunar month.

6) Any recommendations for where to stay will also be very welcome! :) We%26#39;re on a student budget, so please, nothing too extravagant.

Thanks in advance to all for any advice offered. Happy travelling!

Guizhou for May holiday week!

Sorry, I don%26#39;t have much advice to offer as I haven%26#39;t been to Guizhou yet. But it is supposed to be one of the best places to go in China these days. I am sooo jealous. :)

Check out the WildChina website. They do a lot of really neat off-the-beaten track tours to Guizhou and their itineraries will no doubt give you some ideas. (I can%26#39;t afford those tours either--just look for inspiration.)

2) You%26#39;ve got to keep the group small. Maybe you can plan your trip so that it will cost too much and scare some people off or won%26#39;t fit everyone%26#39;s schedule...

3) Of course you should fly one way and take the train the other. Unless you really love these friends and want to spend 66 hours trapped in a 1.5 meter cubed space with them! You can fly both ways if you need to price some people at of the market if your group gets too big.

Guizhou for May holiday week!

Ellyse,

Tell me about your experiences with the ethhnic villages? Waht was set up and what was ineresting? And...the festivals?

I%26#39;m also planning a trip there in april/mai next.

Thank you,

Wim

Sorry, we actually didn%26#39;t see very much of the villages and were quite disappointed. I%26#39;d still recommend Xijiang though, but be prepared for very bad roads anywhere in southeast Guizhou province.

I am looking at taking some student from an American University to Guizhou. What advice to you have on places that we should visit, what are some projects that we could participate in, and what is the food like?

Tianxingqiao (Heavenly Star Bridge) near the famous Huangguoshu waterfall was my best experience of Guizhou. Clambering around (getting very lost in the process) Xijiang Miao village was a close 2nd, especially when we found the gorgeous rice terraces to the back of the village. Very worthwhile even despite stumbling upon (and having to escape headlong from) a funeral, TWICE!

Huangguoshu waterfall was actually quite disappointing as it%26#39;s expensive and not as spectacular nor as varied as the scenery at Tianxingqiao, and Tianxingqiao was also much cheaper. IIRC it was a difference of 90 RMB for Huangguoshu vs 30 RMB for Tianxingqiao!

Other places that we visited were the Zhijin caves, rafting at Maling river near Xingyi, Kaili, and Nanhua Miao village, plus passing by the outside of Langde Miao village.

Zhijin caves: interesting if you haven%26#39;t been to similar places before, but a bit boring otherwise. A lot of walking involved, and the limestone formations started looking all similar about half to two-thirds of the way through.

Rafting at Maling river near Xingyi: there%26#39;re 2 different sections, it%26#39;s not too bad if you find the right one, otherwise it%26#39;s going to be very boring. It%26#39;s not cheap either, plus it was very crowded and we had to wait for a few hours before being able to go. On hindsight, we felt it was too far to come all the way just for this. I think Xingyi is actually closer and easier to reach from Kunming in Yunnan province, than from the rest of Guizhou province.

Kaili: nothing too spectacular here.

Nanhua Miao village: very touristy! No qualms about missing it if you%26#39;re going to Xijiang or other villages in south-east Guizhou.

What do you mean by projects that you can participate in?

The food that we had was nothing to sing about, since we were eating at roadside places most of the time. We got horribly sick of stir-fried eggs after the 3rd day as we had that for every single meal, yucks. Too much of a good thing!

Be warned that the bill for eating at tourist spots like outside Huangguoshu waterfall is going to knock you out cold. We were charged %26gt;200 RMB for a scrawny chicken that was mostly bone! Our fault for not clarifying the price beforehand. Never ever order anything that%26#39;s ';special'; or ';local';. In fact, try not to eat anywhere near tourist spots.

Guizhou cuisine is mainly sour and spicy. One of the best-known dishes would be fish in sour-tasting soup (hotpot) with pickled vegetables.

I work with some professors and students that do international statistical projects that look at increasing tourism revenues. People have suggested that we go to Guizhou and do some projects to improve tourism there. We are just starting to research Guizhou. Last year we were in Shenzhen, so we are used to China.

Hmmm sorry, I don%26#39;t really have a clue of what you could do. :(

What would make a holiday to Guizhou better? How could your trip have been improved?

- More time, that%26#39;s for sure.

- And yes, more money!

- Should%26#39;ve arranged our transportation in another way. Getting ONE driver and vehicle for all of Guizhou is a bad idea, especially when the driver was as lousy as the one we had.

- Better accommodation. It wasn%26#39;t fun at all having 3 out of 4 of us (including myself) getting electric shocks from having an interrupted hot water shower.

- Knowing what sights to go for and what to drop.

- One major gripe was that I chose to trust a Miao girl for the arrangements for our last couple of days, and she totally failed us, very irresponsible. We were left with zilch arrangements for sightseeing, and no train tickets to get back to Shanghai. We had to get our own plane tickets back in the end.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Sunday, March 28, 2010

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