First time in Beijing - tours vs. independant sightseeing

Need some Advice..

Visiting China for the first time in April (Hong Kong 5 nights - Beijing 4 nights - Shanghai 3 nights)

With regards to BEIJING specifically..

I want to see all the important sights over 4-5 days:

TIAN%26#39;NAMEN SQUARE

FORBIDDEN CITY

TEMPLE OF HEAVEN

SUMMER PALACE

OLYMPIC STADIUM (BIRDS NEST)%26amp; SWIMMING CENTRE

GREAT WALL OF CHINA (BADALING)

MING TOMBS

HUTONGS

BEIJING ZOO

LAMA TEMPLE

SILK ST / XIUSHU, YAXIU %26amp; PANJIAYUAN MARKETS

NIGHT FOOD MARKET

ACROBAT SHOW

As well as a few bars/clubs, and many excellent dining options ranging from street food vendors to upscale restaurants and everything else in between!

HOWEVER.. I do not speak, read or write Mandarin.. Would it be rather challanging to do all of this on my own?

I have done a lot of reading and research and it seems as though one can easily visit all of these places independantly and inexpensively by taking taxi%26#39;s busses, the metro or just walking around the city...

I am aware that most taxi drivers and bus drivers may not speak any English, but your hotel concierge can write down all of the names and addresses of the places you want to go in Mandarin, so that shouldn%26#39;t be a problem for me. Also most taxi journeys around the city cost no more than 5 or 10 US Dollars at most (with the exception of the Great Wall) and generally you don%26#39;t have to tip.

With that said are taxi%26#39;s safe? Are there many scams? overcharging? Driving a much longer route to get to a short distance? etc??

Since I only have 4 1/2 days to really see and do all of this, the sightseeing tours do look a bit tempting.

THE ADVANTAGES:

Most sightseeing tour companies will offer full day tours that will take in most of the sights that I want to see..

You have an English speaking guide that will give you some (hopefully) interseting commentary, insight and history as to what you are actually seeing..

Your transportation is provided, your time is managed and your day is structured so you won%26#39;t waste time getting lost trying to find all of these places on your own..

THE DISADVANTAGES

This is what I absolutely HATE about these sightseeing excursions and tour companies!! You always inevitably end up in some sort of overpriced JEWELERY factory or CRAFT MARKET which of course you know the tour operator is getting a hefty commission from.. (I have horror stories of Carpet salesmen in Morocco!!) This is a complete waste of my precious and limited time! As I want to see the important sights and not get stuck in some overpriced market for an hour or so when I could be spending more time in a temple or at a museum!

And of course with most organized tours, you never seem to have enough time in one particular place.. If you see something interesting or want to go off the beaten path, it is not as though you can stray to far from your tour group, or else you will be stranded on your own.

So I am weighing out the options here and may comprimise between the two.

I want to see as much as I can in a short time but I don%26#39;t want to be trapped in tourist hell either..

I want the freedom to see and do what I want and when I%26#39;d like but I don%26#39;t want to pay an arm and a leg wasting money either..

Most importantly I want to be able communicate in English or creatively in Chinese (with cards and pictures, sign language and attempt learning a bit of Mandarin) in order to accomplish all I want to see and do and be able to get around the city without being scammed, ripped off or being put in any akward or unsafe situations.

So I think I will spend 2 or 3 days on my own and maybe one or two days with a guide or sightseeing tour.

With that said.. Can anyone recommend a good tour company offering day tours in Beijing?

I would prefer to keep it under USD $50 per day if at all possible..

So far I have found on the internet a company called China E Tours http://beijing.etours.cn/

Their tours seem to be rather affordable and they were mentioned in the Time Out Beijing guide..

Does anyone have any experience with this tour company?

Does anyone know if their tours stop at all of those tourist trap jewellery factories and overpriced markets?

Or Can anyone recommend a good tour company?

I am thinking a private tour guide may be an even better idea..

This way I can customize and create my own itinerary and have a friendly and knowledgable English speaking guide to help me navigate through and learn more about this amazing city..

But then again finding a friendly, knowledgable and reliable guide in Beijing (for less than USD $50 per day) may be a bit of a challenge!

I am getting the impression from reading some of the posts on this website that private tour guides in Beijing are a waste of money, and many of them are not really that good..

Can anyone recommend a private tour guide in Beijing that you had an excellent experience with?

Again preferably one under USD $50 per day...

Any help/ advice will be greatly appreciated!

Many Thanks and sorry for the rather long post!!

First time in Beijing - tours vs. independant sightseeing

Buy a guidebook. Use the subway and taxis. DIY. Don%26#39;t go Badaling Great Wall. Go to another part - for example Mutianyu.

Thousands of people with no Chinese skills are able to see Beijing without a tour guide /tour every year, so why can%26#39;t you?

First time in Beijing - tours vs. independant sightseeing

Positive in your favor - you have done lots of research.

Yes, you can really do all the things you want to see in the time you have.

We don%26#39;t speak Chinese and get about quite well as do other people who choose to do it alone.

Sorry I can%26#39;t recommend a guide only because we have never felt the need to use one in Beijing. But i understand what you are saying %26amp; yes if you find a good one you may get to see %26amp; hear about things you may miss out on.

Probably do a search on this forum and send some emails and see who suits you most.

Mave fun,

Annie

P.s: I can really see that you have researched %26amp; looked into your questions. JPDeM posted a great website for Beijing the other day that would be handy for you. If i find it again I will post it for you.

This is it: http://www.mobilenative.com/

And thankyou again JPDeM for this site.

Wow, what a long post.

To give a short and sweet answer: Do your own research and you should be able to DIY. No need for the tour company.

The ';do it yourself'; option is the most flexible one. There is a lot of info in books and forums. Totally feasible.

The opposite is using tour companies. Fixed programs and fixed schedules.

Independent guides can be a good extension to the first option. But is is more expensive then the other two. You can use a guide for one day where you do a program outside Beijing: Great wall, ming Tombs sacret way. I would recommend the Mutianyu GW instead of Badaling.

Hi NYCworldTravelBoy,

When my husband and I went to Beijing we spent a lot of time contemplating what you are posting about. We did end up doing a lot of the Beijing sights on our own and had absolutely no problem doing that. At most places you can rent an audio guide for around 20 RMB, which know where you are within the gounds and gives you all the information that you would receive from a real guide. Plus there are people selling maps of the places before you go in that can help too. We used to the subway for almost everything and never had a problem on it. It is so much easier to use than the NYC subway system.

We did end up signing up for a few organized tours, one was with Greyline, and one was through a hostel to take us to the Great Wall. The Greyline tour was very inexpensive but it did take us to 2! places that were not on the list of sights. One was a tea house and the other was a silk factory. Which all that it was was a scam to get you to buy their goods. The really good thing about going on the tour though was that we did so much in one day. If we had tried it on our own we would have lingered way too long and not seen half of what we saw. With the tour we were brought to the zoo, the summer palace, the lama temple, and someplace else that I%26#39;m completely drawing a blank on. If we had done that on our own we would have spent a whole day wandering the grounds of the summer palace. I still can%26#39;t make up my mind how I feel about Greyline, since we did get to see so much, but they still tried to pressure us into buying things at the places we went to. The tour to the wall with the hostel was just that, a ride to the wall and back and it included lunch.

Behind the Great Wall, the temple of heaven park was my next favorite thing to see. You got to see real people doing real things, not just the history. It was really cool there. Some of the other sights kind of blurred together for me. But I hope that helped. Sorry this is so long.

revlon india

Serviced apartments in Hong kong

Hello

We are trying to find a serviced apartment (preferable 2 bedroom) for 1 week and it%26#39;s really hard to find in Hong kong...

Has anyone first hand information regarding the following:

Royal View Hotel,Tsuen Wan

CHI 279 or 120 Residences

Four Seasons Place

Thankful for any help!!

Serviced apartments in Hong kong

try going to hk asia xpat site. they have a short let flat listing

hongkong.asiaxpat.com/property/shortlets/

serviced apartments in Beijing

Hi

Anyone stayed at Lanson Place Central Park Residences??

Is it brand new and is it in a good location?

Thanks for any help...

serviced apartments in Beijing

I %26#39;m not sure what you mean by ';good location';. if you%26#39;re livig here long term and work in the CBD, then it%26#39;s a great place. As a Tourist, it%26#39;s a little off the tourist path but still very accessible. I haven%26#39;t stayed there but do know that the apartments are quite new. It%26#39;s about 10 -15min walk to line 1 subway station, Yonganli. Located above Yonganli station is the famous Silk market which practically all tourists flock to.

Next to Lanson Place Central Park are 2 malls with dining options - local, Taiwanese, Singaporean, Thai, HK cuisine and a bakery. There%26#39;s an English style teahouse ( it%26#39;s in fact taiwanese) a 5min walk away. There are also plenty of food options along the foot path to Yonganli subway station. Taxis aplenty in the area in the day but could be harder to flag one down in the evenings esp on Fri. I think there%26#39;s also a organic food convenience store located within Central Park.

New World Hotel??

Making plans to Beijing and looking to stay at the New World Hotel located in Jingguang. able to get the 2 adjoining rooms with 5 breakfast buffet, and taxes included for 1500rmb per night. Seems fair price for hotel. My concern is the location, it is within 3rd ring but reviews say not much else around. hate to give up a good room but would like to walk around near hotel. Whats your opinion?

What is average rate for tour guide?

What is average rate for car to carry 5 people or 6 if have guide with?

thanks

New World Hotel??

The location is not too bad,it is in CBD Area and opposite of New CCTV Tower.Subway connected.It used to be the highest building in Beijing.Dengxiaoping,the great former leader stood the 42th floor and had a bird view of whole Beijing City.15 minutes to Tian`anmen Suqare,10 minutes to Silk Market by subway.

New World Hotel??

I stayed there last October and will go back there coming May. The hotel itself is OK. Has been renovated for the games.

The location is not so bad. You can walk from there to silk street and even Tien anmen. Also nearby is the acrobatics theater.

Not too far away there is also a complete new area with restaurants and so. It is in the middle of an office area and I believe it is about half way between the hotel and silk street.

The central subway line is also not too far away.

There%26#39;s nothing much to sight see / shop near the hotel. But everything is pretty accessible via taxi or subway. A 14 rmb taxi ride will take you to Sanlitun bar street which has plenty of dining options. It%26#39;s walkable distance to subway. To put it into SG context, distance feels similar to walking From orchard MRT station to the fountain outside Ngee Ann City :). However, this subway line is not along the ';tourist route'; so you%26#39;ll have to change trains to get to most of the tourist sites.

ittwit

Wholesale lingeries

Hi, i%26#39;m looking for those wholesale lingerie over at fujian. can someone advise me where i should go to have the most %26amp; best range of selection?

thanks

Pls. help with the sequence of trip

Hi

After Shanghai, I would like to visit Suzhou, Hangzhou and Zhuzhuang without returning to Shanghai, but move on to Chengdu.

I still could not figure out the most logical sequence for the above places.

Can go Shanghai - Suzhou - Zhuzhaung (day trip from Suzhou) - Hangzhou - Chengdu?

thank you for your help

Pls. help with the sequence of trip

The correct spelling should be ';Zhouzhuang';. I really wouldn%26#39;t recommend this one as it%26#39;s the most crowded and touristy, there%26#39;re other ones which are just as pretty and less crowded.

Best would be Shanghai -- bus -- Zhouzhuang -- bus -- Suzhou -- bus -- Hangzhou -- flight -- Chengdu.

Direct flight from Lijiang to Shanghai?

Hi - I%26#39;m trying to plan a trip in early April that involves flying from Lijiang to Shanghai. I%26#39;ve heard there%26#39;s a direct flight, but can%26#39;t find out any more. All help appreciated! Thanks

Direct flight from Lijiang to Shanghai?

IIRC the ';direct'; flights still make a stopover in Kunming.

revlon india

Planning to go to Shanghai on 19 March - need help with trip

I am flying into Shanghai on 19 March. I am not sure where to start. Me and my friend want to see the highlights of Shanghai and other parts of China in 8 days. Please suggest the best way to travel, get around, and what to see and do. We are thinking of going to Beijing as well. I think some small towns would be nice along the way. Please tell us if we should arrange a tour, or if we can get along on our own. We are 2 girls.

Planning to go to Shanghai on 19 March - need help with trip

If you only have 8 days then Shanghai and Beijing will keep you busy for all of that time, without adding anything else!

You need to start by reading some destination guides, online or in print. Some URLs are provided below for you to start with.

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/1d57/5be/

www.frommers.com/destinations/shanghai/

lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/china/shanghai/

roughguides.com/website/鈥?/a>

http://www.timeout.com/travel/shanghai/

travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/shanghai.htm

Yes, you can DIY if you do your own homework. You don%26#39;t necessarily need a tour even if you have no knowledge of Chinese. No, English is NOT the lingua franca in China.

Planning to go to Shanghai on 19 March - need help with trip

Thank you for all of the great links. I am reading them and find them very useful. 1 item I have been looking for is the high speed train that goes from Shanghai to Beijing. I read about it in Time Magazine. It is supposed to take only 10 hours, and travels all night. It was supposed to go into service on Dec 21. Do you know about that train?

That%26#39;s the most expensive train on that route, but I think it would be nice if you could splurge... I haven%26#39;t had the money nor the chance!

Here%26#39;s a lowdown on the train choices for this route. Listed from the best quality train to the lousiest quality -- in terms of comfort.

1) Overnight D train (10 hours, 2 daily): 2nd-class and 1st-class sleepers, not sure about the price but heard to be around 800 RMB (currently seems to be discounted to 755 and 630 RMB)

2) Daytime D train (9.5+ hours, 1 daily): 2nd-class seat 452 RMB, 1st-class seat 542 RMB

3) Overnight Z train (11.5 hours, 3 daily): soft seat 283 RMB, soft sleeper 478/499 RMB for upper/lower bunk

4) Overnight T train (13.5 hours, 2 daily): hard seat 179 RMB, hard sleeper 306/317/327 RMB for upper/middle/lower bunk, soft sleeper 478/499 RMB for upper/lower bunk

5) Lousy slow train (23+ hours, 1 daily): hard seat 88 RMB, hard sleeper 176/183/190 RMB, soft sleeper 290/304 RMB

I wouldn%26#39;t suggest going by hard seat, it%26#39;s really too traumatic and not worth the savings. The D train is too expensive and a waste of money for most of us. The hard sleepers for the T trains are almost impossible to get so don%26#39;t count on them. My best options would be soft seat or soft sleeper on the Z trains.

Details and photos on my VirtualTourist Shanghai Transport travel page: members.virtualtourist.com/m/1d57/5be/9/

Thank you Elise. You have been so helpful! I have another question about Hotels in Shanghai. Most important, I am looking for a Hotel in an area that has a lot to do, so we can walk to many places. It would be good to have shopping, restaurants, fun activites, and some sight-seeing. What area of Shanghai would you suggest? Location is most important.

Either the French Concession area, or around the People%26#39;s Square/Nanjing Lu pedestrian street area. I personally prefer the former. Make sure you%26#39;re walking distance to a metro stop, preferably no more than 5-10 mins.

We had a lovely two days around Shanghai, including a day trip to Suzhou last spring. Rather than repeat much of what%26#39;s been said here and elsewhere, here%26#39;s a link to my travel blog where I recently posted about our experience, with photos. I hope it%26#39;s helpful...

鈥logspot.com/2009/03/shanghai-china-funding鈥?/a>

Happy Travels!

Your blog is good. I really liked the U-Tube Video you had on the site. It really got me excited seeing all of the buildings, the Mandarine Ducks, and the music.

Please tell me the very best location to have access to restaurants and shopping if we want to go back and forth to our hotel throughout the day. What Hotels specifically would you recommend? I was looking at the Salvo Hotel. I would like a Hotel for less than $100.00 USD per night.

Excuse me, but did you see my earlier response re accommodation areas?

For within 100 USD, I would suggest A-Live Design Hotel, Lijing Hotel, Pacific Hotel etc.

Chops

Will be in Beijing next week and was wondering if anyone could tell me the best place to get a chop made? I%26#39;m presuming different costs for different materials. Would you know approximate costs?

Thanks!

Chops

Price varies according to material, size, where you buy and of course your bargaining skills.

Sorry, I%26#39;m not that familiar with Beijing to know where would be a good place to get those made. :(

Chops

GanderGirls

Sorry to barge in on your post but I%26#39;m intrigued....what are %26#39;chops%26#39;? Those I%26#39;m aware of are of the meat variety (lamb, pork) and I didn%26#39;t think you meant those!! Can you please enlighten an ignorant me!

You might know them as ';seals'; instead of ';chops';. These are pieces of stone, wood or other hard material, at the bottom of which your name is carved in Chinese script. These were traditionally used in lieu of signatures, on official documents.

chinahighlights.com/travelguide/鈥eals.htm has more information.

Thanks bjticket and ellyse for the info. I will check out the market this weekend (we arrive on Friday!). Would really love to have one for my little girl. I already have one for myself but it%26#39;s made of plastic. Love to have one made of a different material and perhaps round instead of square.

looking forward to visiting Beijing!

Thank you, Ellyse, you really are a fountain of knowledge!

You%26#39;re welcome, both of you. :)

Hongqiao pearl market also has a stall on the 3rd flr ( same level as the pearl stalls) that makes such seals. Takes about an hour to make.

The Silk Market also sells them as does Panjiayuan market.

Thanks, Hainult! I will check that out as well. Nice to know a couple of places to go.

why dousbports founder

China Tour October weather

Hi

My wife and I and going on a 9 day tour with Hayes and Jarvis in October 2008, we are going to Beijing, Xian and Shanghai, what is the weather likely to be in temperature and rainfall so that we have an idea what to pack.

Thanks

SKCI

China Tour October weather

Look on the following URLs for historical weather data.

Weather Underground (Beijing): wunderground.com/global/stations/54511.html

Weather Underground (Xi%26#39;an): wunderground.com/global/stations/57036.html

Weather Underground (Shanghai): wunderground.com/global/stations/58367.html

MSN Weather (Beijing): weather.msn.com/local.aspx鈥?/a>

MSN Weather (Xi%26#39;an): weather.msn.com/local.aspx鈥?/a>

MSN Weather (Shanghai): weather.msn.com/local.aspx鈥?/a>

China Tour October weather

Hi there.

We have just booked this tour for Sept 09 as part of our honeymoon and I was wondering if you have any feedback / tips etc?

We have been looking on-line for a while now however there does not seem to be much info available on this particular tour? We have not upgraded the hotels and having looked at the review on the hotels only, we are now a little concerned?

Any help/advice would be appreciated.

Tks, Wayne

For Shanghai October is perfect! The summer heat of up to 40 C is gone and the winter still way ahead. Temperatures are in the low/mid 20%26#39;s and you could surely still sit outside for your dinner. You might want to take a light jacket with you however. For Beijing and Xian it could be quite chilly and surely already well below 10 C in the night.

April/May and September/October (excluding first week May and first week October when they have national holidays) are surely the best times to visit China.

We visited Shanghai early October and it was warm (I wore shorts %26amp; T-shirt in the daytime!), cool enough for a lightweight jacket in the evenings.

Xian in mid-October was cooler, we had wet weather but not too cold.

Beijing (3rd week October) was lovely and sunny (maybe atypical?), lightweight fleeces OK.

I think with these multi centre tours the key is to do layers so you can adjust to the changes in temperature.

Hi skci In Nov 2008 my husband and i went on a hayes and jarvis trip to Beijing, Xian and Guilin then we went to Honk Kong and did our own thing. Overall the trip was great - a few minor glitches but we are easy going and made the best of everything.Not everyone in the group was as happy as us.

Firstly, i know it seems obvious but you are in china and the food is chinese - not quite the same as chinese food here but all perfectly edible. Some of the group were upset that we were eating chinese food every day i dont know what they were expecting.

The weather was great - bright and cold in beijing but dry. Xian was fantastic - weather a bit warmer lots to see. Only fly in the ointment was that our guide said he could squeeze in an extra trip for us which was great but when i spoke to other tourists at the site our guide had charged us triple the entry price which all went into his pocket. It left a bit of a bad taste and we all felt we had been duped as gullible tourists. When i reported this to hayes and jarvis they were not interested - so we will think again about using them if they condone this behaviour from their guides.

Guillin great - weather warm and sunny in the day but very cold at night. Hotel dreadful - supposed to be 4 star but more like 2 star not what i would expect hayes and jarvis to use and not in context with the rest of the holiday. Also its position was outside the town and our guide advised us that it was unsafe to leave the hotel and if we did so not to take any valuables with us - we were not happy with this at all not only were we stuck inside - it was a ghastly hotel!

Apart from these gripes we really enjoyed the holiday and have some fantastic memories of the great wall, the forbidden palace, the summer palace,the terracotta army, and most of all the fantastic friendly chinese people.

Gluten free food

Our family are going to Hong Kong in 2 weeks for the Rugby 7%26#39;s games. My husband has a food allergy %26amp; can%26#39;t eat anything with flour in it. This means we can%26#39;t have any lovely Chinese food as he can%26#39;t eat noodles, soy sauce,dim sum etc. Can anyone recommend anywhere nice to eat. Some friends have told us we can eat food suitable for my husband at Outback Steakhouse and The Chapel pub in Yik Yam Street but we need other suggestions as we are there for a week.He can eat any fish,meat,poultry,rice so any ideas will be great. Thanks in advance

Highlights for 2 day stopover?

Hi all,

We%26#39;ll be in Hong Kong for 2 nights on the outward leg of our honeymoon to Australia, in June.

We%26#39;ll obviously have limited lime and wanted to know the must-see / must-do things for our 48 hour visit!

I%26#39;d appreciate anything from sights, to tips and good places to eat / drink.

We%26#39;re staying at the Excelsior.

Thanks

Cath

Highlights for 2 day stopover?

Look here:

www.discoverhongkong.com/

Decide where you want to go and ask more specific questions.

What kind of food do you want to eat?

Highlights for 2 day stopover?

the peak, star ferry ride, strolling around tsim sha tsui and mongkok, HK island tram from end to end if possible.

Jardine%26#39;s Bazaar street is walking distance and has a good number of local food places including a Soy shop.

If you%26#39;re at the Excelsior you can see the noonday gun no prob.

Dan Ryan Sunday Brunch ?

Do Dan Ryans serve Sunday brunch?. We are going to Hong Kong at the end of the month and would like to have a Sunday brunch. Or, can anyone please recommend somewhere for Sunday brunch suitable for children, western style food (I have a very fussy 7 year old). I have looked at the Intercontinental but is a bit out of our price range. Thank you.

Dan Ryan Sunday Brunch ?

Excelsior in CWB has a good one, both western and Indian when we were there. Fussy son loved it.

Dan Ryan Sunday Brunch ?

Cafe Deco at the Peak does a Sunday brunch (11am to 2-30pm) with children%26#39;s entertainer. It costs HK$328 for adults and HK$198 for children with unlimited wine for adults and unlimited soft drinks for kids. The food is ';international';.

revlon india

Irish pspt holder: poss to get visa on arrival for Shenzhen?

Dear All

I am an irish passport holder and want to visit Shenzhen on a day trip from HKG. Can I purchase a visa on arrival and how much?

Also, how do I get there from HKG and where is the border crossing where I purchase the visa if possible?

Regards and thanks

Mccarri

Irish pspt holder: poss to get visa on arrival for Shenzhen?

You can get a 5-day single entry visa for Shenzhen at the visa office at either of the Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau border crossings (both reached by MTR East Rail about 45 mins journey from the East Tsim Sha Tsui Terminus in Kowloon). The cost was HK$150 until recently but I believe for visas-on-arrival payment is now only accepted in RMB and the cost is approx 160RMB.

Alternatively you can get a visa at the PRC visa office in Wan Chai, details here;

http://www.fmcoprc.gov.hk/eng/zgqz/blsjfy/

or through various travel agents in HK.

cryptoapi vs capicom

Our Beijing experience (it was great btw)

I%26#39;m writing a series of posts on my travel blog about my 2 days in Beijing from last year. They include photos, video and various stories we came away with in April 2008.

http://happyalaskan.blogspot.com

Stop by and see what you think - and feel free to write if you have questions.

Happy Travels!

Our Beijing experience (it was great btw)

Great posts. You manage to convey the awe one feels when visiting these wonderful sites. I am looking forward to our trip in Oct.

Our Beijing experience (it was great btw)

Great Blogspot. Thanks for posting. Read you report on Ephesus too - wonderful isn%26#39;t it ;)

Thank you both for your kind comments... both Ephesus and Beijing rank among my favorites. Hopefully someday soon I%26#39;ll make it to Australia %26amp; India as they are longterm dreams too!

Happy Travels!

Weather in Asia

Hello,

My girlfriend and I are considering a tour of Asia between May 1, 2009 and July 31, 2009.

Are there particular parts of Asia to avoid during this time due to unbearable heat, monsoon rain, etc...??

We%26#39;re obviously just starting our research. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance!!!

Steve

Weekend away by train

Hi

Staying in Nanjing in April and want to have a weekend away to see somewhere else.

Were going to fly to Hong Kong but that is now too expensive.

Can you recommend an interesting long weekend destination by train from Nanjing.

Thanks

Weekend away by train

What are you more interested in seeing/doing/experiencing?

Where else have you already been in China? I presume you%26#39;ll already have seen the sights in Nanjing?

What%26#39;s your budget like?

Weekend away by train

Budget, not too much of a problem but doesn%26#39;t run to 2 x 3000 rmb air tickets to Hong Kong.

I have done the big tourist sites of Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Wuxi, Suzhou (this is a reserve to do again) and Guilin.

Yes I have spent time in Nanjing a couple of times.

Interested in seeing the real China - people and places and some traditional scenery.

Can do some walking but not too much.

Thanks

Sorry, I%26#39;m afraid I must take offence at the reference to wanting to see the ';real'; China. Everywhere in China IS for real, we%26#39;re not acting in movies or something all day. Perhaps ';rural'; would be a better adjective.

Have you ventured to Yangzhou (no, not Yangshuo) before? This isn%26#39;t very much on the Western tourist trail, but has a couple of nice gardens, a temple or two, and some teahouses where you could get your fill of local dimsum. It%26#39;s pretty easy to get there by bus from Nanjing.

If you%26#39;re interested in mountain climbing, Huangshan would be a good choice -- better if it%26#39;s not the weekend, but I guess you might not have a choice. Take a bus (around 4 hours) or overnight train (6.5 hours) to get to Huangshan city aka Tunxi, then another bus (1.5-2 hours) to get to the foot of the mountain itself.

Another choice, but further away, would be Wuyuan in Jiangxi province. You%26#39;ll probably need more intrepidity to make this work, if you don%26#39;t know Chinese. Buses (around 1+ hour) run from Huangshan city to Wuyuan. There%26#39;re Hui-style villages aplenty here, less touristy than the ones nearer to Huangshan.

That%26#39;s 3 choices for you already!

Or how about Hangzhuo - 4 hours away by train. Lots to see there and very beautiful. There is the lake, the temples, the tea houses.

Ellyse

Firstly I must apologise there was no intent to offend, I%26#39;m sorry.

You%26#39;re right probably rural China might have been a better way of putting it.

Thank you for your ideas, I will take some time to have a look at these.

No worries, I know most travellers have no intention of sounding arrogant or whatnot, but sometimes it would be more sensitive to use a more appropriate word. :)

If you%26#39;re wanting to discuss in more detail, feel free to email me at ellyse99@yahoo.com -- put ';TripAdvisor'; and your own username (eg traveller3720) in the subject line.

Tibetan plateau area from chengdu

Hi,

this blog report from ChengduUK shows very interesting trip from Chengdu to Kanding with pictures of the Tibetans.

http://chengdutravel.blogspot.com/

How can I arrange for a similar trip from Chengdu? Can this be done as a day trip?

Are there places where I can see more Tibetan culture around Chengdu without having to go into Tibet?

thank you for your help.

Tibetan plateau area from chengdu

I might be wrong, but when I went to Kangding a couple of years ago, it was still about 6 hours drive each way from Chengdu even if you had your own vehicle and driver.

For some Tibetan flavour in Sichuan province, I would strongly recommend Jiuzhaigou -- this place also has awesome scenery, check it out online. If you%26#39;re more intrepid, or have a fair command of Chinese/Tibetan (the latter probably unlikely?!) you might also want to try Danba.

Citslinc Tours

I recently went on a 9 day Chamber of Commerce tour of China (Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou %26amp; Shanghai) with Citslinc. While the tour was stated as a 9 day tour, there were only 6 full days in China. Citslinc does deliver what they say they will deliver, but there are several things worth knowing if you plan on taking one of their Chamber of Commerce tours:

You will have a 6:00am wake-up call each day and will leave the hotel at 7:30am. You will not return to your hotel until approxmiately 9:00pm. This early start is even the case on your first day after the long flight and jet-lag. We also had a 3:45am wake up call on the day we flew from Beijing to Shanghai. The group arrived at our hotel this evening at 9:00pm...a very long day!

You will stop at 2 - 3 ';factory tours'; or other selling venues each day. This will take up 3 - 5 hours of each day. When not being sold ';stuff'; at gift shops, you will be sold ';stuff'; on your bus or at restaurants.

Meals will often be at the ';factory tour'; restaurant - this is typically a restaurant above or adjacent to the gift shop. Your group will sit in a large room with other tour groups. You will not be eating in restaurants where locals eat.

The daily schedule is firm. It is not easy or convenient to leave the tour to go out on your own.

There are ';optional'; extra tours on many days. While they are stated as optional, it is not convenient to not go on the optional tour. If you choose to not join the optional tour, your best option could be to wait on the bus.

Citslinc Tours

We travelled in October 2008 with the Citslinc Chamber tour, (Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou %26amp; Shanghai), and completely agree with all remarks of RJG2007%26#39;s post. I wish I had read this prior to departure. The trip was strongly impactful and what I saw/learned changed me possibly forever. I remain extremely appreciative of the country%26#39;s pride and loyalty. I appreciate my Western lifestyle more and continue to be embarrassed by the American practice of complaining and undermining our leadership in the face of greater advantages than many worldwide people enjoy.

Expecting this trip would have more of a business audience flavor as it toured commerce and was organized by the Chamber of Commerce, we found some of our group members were somehow surprised at the ';commerce'; flavor. Each day incurred at least one personal sightseeing event, but I do recommend travelers understand this is an educational and commerce related event. While patronizing the host factories and promoters of this obviously subsidized high value trip is encouraged, it is not required, and this is not a personal sightseeing trip with lots of discretionary shopping. I bought a beautiful and expensive embroidered framed wallhanging and was assured it was sized for flight carryon. It was too large at checkin and was smashed by the baggage handlers. Consider shipping and don%26#39;t necessarily trust the ';carry on'; or ';safe packaging'; language.

I believe the key to traveling well on this trip is ';expectation.'; The value is amazing. Know that you will be exhausted during and after the trip. Know that you will have very little free time and very little opportunity to disconnect with the tour. Know that even with a global cell phone and Internet access at all hotels (we enjoyed FABULOUS hotels), the lack of free time and time zone difference make communications with the US difficult. Even on the bus, you will have very little opportunity to read, perform work or have discussion. The tour guides keep talking, and our bus bounced a bit much for reading.

Our tour guides gave an ongoing rehearsed presentation on history, economic development and commerce, but weren%26#39;t able to answer questions in any meaningful way. To hear their perspective and their values was among the most impactful trip experiences. Don%26#39;t miss it, but to have your questions answered, I suggest doing your own research beforehand. The language barrier was difficult although not an issue unless you separated from the group. The optional trips were not optional. Some weren%26#39;t offered at all. Those that were offered either offered option to participate or stay on the bus.

We took our last day in Beijing for ourselves and skipped the bus tour. Our tour guide was very displeased and tried to ';bully'; us from doing so, but I%26#39;m thrilled we separated. We cabbed to the Olympic village, subwayed back downtown and found solitude, familiarity and Americanized service/food at the Hard Rock Beijing. We then walked around on our own and got the feel of the population and lifestyle in Beijing. The subway was overcrowded and for a moment scared me as people continued to pack in. What really impressed me was the calm and courteous manner in which people shared little space without pushing, violence or creating discomfort for others. We also separated from the tour our last day in Shanghai, although KFC%26#39;s chicken sandwich did us no favors and we lost time due to stomach illness. I understand McDonald%26#39;s and Pizza Hut were ok according to others in our group. Please expect to grow tired of the tour food. You may lose weight. Breakfast was typically the best meal of the day, so don%26#39;t skip it.

You will be pushed out of typical comfort zone more than expected. It%26#39;s worth it, but don%26#39;t expect a ';vacation.'; As a business person with clients in the cities we explored and opportunity to do more business in China, I am glad I took this trip. There was an opportunity to present your business prospectus to Chinese local government, but not all tour members knew of it. You will also need to prepare in advance, so ask your Chamber beforehand if this is of interest.

revlon india

domain name hosting

Hotel Sintra or Emperor Hotel?

Hi everyone.

Just wondering which is a better choice, I can get Emperor for HKD 520 and Sintra for HKD 565.

Thanks,

Hotel Sintra or Emperor Hotel?

Hi,

Sintra is slightly more centrally located (just by a few hundred metres) and is more oriented to couples and family groups. The Emperor is more a mainland businessmen%26#39;s / casino hotel, with the nightclub and pretty young women providing *additional services* hanging around after dark. Your choice!

Hotel Sintra or Emperor Hotel?

Hello,

Stayed at Hotel Sintra during 10-13 Feb 09 and Grand Emperor was opposite (Is that the same with Emperor Hotel , i am not sure?)

Hotel Sintra was in very good location (7-10 mins walk to Senado Square, 5 mins or less to Grand Lisboa, 10-15 mins walk to Wynn and Stars world)

Taxi to and from airport-Hotel Sintra was around 70-90 HKD.

Service is good too. My grandma, parents, uncles and aunties (total 15 of us) but checkin was fast and easy.

the restaurant in level 3 serves fresh and delicious dimsum and not very expensive.

It%26#39;s true, Emperor and Grand Emperor are two different places, so be careful! Now, if you can get into the Grand Emperor more cheaply than the Sintra, then go for GE - it%26#39;s much newer and flasher than the *ungrand* Emperor or the Sintra.

West of Chengdu opening again - our trip to Tagong

During the summer Olympic period there had been restrictions with regard to foreign travelers and getting out to those fantastic areas to the West of Chengdu and beyond Kangding (Kangding is an easy 6 hour%26#39;s Motorway and mainroad drive from Chengdu). However we had been getting reports that these restrictions were coming to an end and from September tourists were once again being allowed through. Knowing that the best to check out rumour is to test them - we made the trip to Tagong last weekend - and yes no problems its all open!!!!

When we had to stop at the one security check-point just on the edge of Kangding I wasn%26#39;t even asked to show my passport (I%26#39;m a Brit) - in Tagong a policeman came to talk to us - but he was all smiles - informing us of road construction and telling about the best routes.

This area is totally awesome - nomadic herders, grasslands, soaring mountains,Temples - and none of the restrictions that are often placed on you when entering some of expensive tourist parks. In fact - so far - this place is ticket free!!!!

To get an idea of what this place is like go to look my picture report at my blogger site - a report entiled; Tagong Grassland is now open to foreign travelers.There you%26#39;ll find the pics of last weeks trip.

You%26#39;ll find it at -

http://chengdutravel.blogspot.com/

If you dont want to read the info just scroll down and enjoy the pics - they speak the loudest. A fantastic place!!!!

West of Chengdu opening again - our trip to Tagong

Hi ChengduUK

Your pictures look fantastic.

How did you arrange for the trip to Tagong ? Can you also give me an idea of the cost for such a tour?

thanks

Dirtiest Hotels - Hong Kong

See www.tripadvisor.co.uk/DirtyHotels鈥?/a>

Only one Hong Kong hotel makes the top 10 list, while Singapore and Bangkok both have 3! Not a competition that Hong Kong minds losing I suppose!

As for the The Imperial Hotel , I think staying next door in Chungking Mansions is probably a better idea!

Dirtiest Hotels - Hong Kong

True, Drumbrake - at Chungking you can stay in the same conditions for only about 1/5 of the price of a room at the Imperial, LOL.

Dirtiest Hotels - Hong Kong

The Sunday Morning Post (HK) reports today (page 2, behind a pay wall) about this story. Besides the paper thin doors and the faint aroma of cigarette smoke, their review of the HK$990 Imperial is generally positive.

World of Suzie Wong question.....

Does this club cater to English speaking? Unfortunately, I don%26#39;t speak Chinese. I just need to be sure I can get in the door and get a drink ;0)

Thanks!

World of Suzie Wong question.....

I think it is no problem that you don`t speak Chinese.I have been to there and saw lots of foreigners.

World of Suzie Wong question.....

This is an expat and tourist hangout. English is fine.

Clubbing!

My girlfriends and i are planning to go clubbing.

Any suggestions for clubbing in HK? What are the hottest clubs? How much is the entrance fee %26amp; alcoholic drinks?

is it better to visit on a sat or sun night?

Thanks!

(:

Clubbing!

Some info here:

www.hkclubbing.com

Saturday night would be better usually. Females often charged less than males, but much depends on the doorman. Alcohol is expensive-expect at least HK$50 for a basic drink, probably double.

database

Food Recommendations

Hi forum experts,

Kindly advise food recommendations for:

1) Tsim Sha Tsui

2) Causeway Bay

for lunch and dinner.

preferably dim sum or any local food.

P.S: kindly reply fast as we are flying on monday.

thanks for your help! :)

Food Recommendations

1)Chuk Yuen Seafood Restaurant (Kimberley House, Kimberley Road, TST) cooks fresh dimsum

Kimberley Street Market Cooked Food Centre - very popular local food.

Food Recommendations

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294217-i1496-k399鈥?/a>

if you can read chinese, rating system is pretty straightforward:

openrice.com/restaurant/鈥sim_sha_tsui.htm

openrice.com/restaurant/鈥auseway_bay.htm

I am a big fan of Din Tai Fung!!

Their ';siao long pao'; are the best :)

Its located in Tsim Sha Tsui

revlon india

Irish passport holder: possible to purchase visa on arrival?

Dear All

I am an irish passport holder and want to visit Shenzhen on a day trip from HKG. Can I purchase a visa on arrival and how much?

Also, how do I get there from HKG and where is the border crossing where I purchase the visa if possible?

Regards and thanks

Mccarri

Irish passport holder: possible to purchase visa on arrival?

Yes. Around 160Rmb. Catch East Rail MTR train to Lo Wu.

Tailor in Beijing?

Does anyone know of an excellent high quality tailor in Beijing (who is expert with women%26#39;s clothing - suits etc)? My work colleagues and I have a conference coming up and were thinking about getting a tailor to come to the conference venue and do a number of fittings and come back at at the end of the conference with the finished products. Any suggestions?

Tailor in Beijing?

Just had a fitting with Lisa Tailor , which I was given good feedback in City Guide. They will do fittings for you were ever. Back of Thursday for 2cd fitting so will report back on quality when its finished.

Speaks English too. I%26#39;ll pm you later in the week , to see what the finsihed outcome was like.

Rm.5011 5/F 3.3 Fashion Plaza

3.3大厦5层5011号

Open 11am-9:30pm

gaoli518@gmail.com

www.lisa-tailor.com

Tailor in Beijing?

A friend of mine had men%26#39;s trouser suit shorts made by this guy, fully lined and he done a fabulous job

Sunny

No 3066 3/F Yashi Tailor Shop

Yashow Clothing Market

Sanlitun

Tel 64132432 mob 13701320756 -

worth a go

you can find at Dazhailan Street,

Hi,

Sunny is quite good but expensive as compared to the others.

The other tailor where we did some suits (this after a prolonged pick and choose....)is

Susan Tailor Shop

No 3156 3/F Yashow (ya xiu) clothing Marketp

Sanlitun, no. 58 beijing Gongti North road

Tel 64179467 mob 13601157588

there are a couple of more tailors in the same premises, infact in the same floor....all are quite competitive especially in terms of rates.

Dont forget to look and BARGAIN in all the tailoring shops before you pick yours..you can even try getting a good price, if you ask them to do your shirts as well..

Rgds

Sweta

Had mine done at Ya Shi Tailor Shop as well...and with great results.

A few friends went to the tailor straight ahead after you get off the escalator at Ya Show market. Everyone there had bad results (uneven sewing, switched fabric)...at least 6 people. Two of us at Ya Shi had great suits, shirts, tuxes, and pants made.

Very professional...and done overnight.

Location: Beijing %26gt; Ya Show Market

Thanks for the info rpi80!

What did you pay for your suits at Ya Shi Tailor Shop?

600 yuan per suit

75 yuan per shirt

Perfect - thanks!

My husband and i have just come back from Beijing where he had a suit made at the market, also at Susan Tailors.

He was very happy with the result, had to have 2 fittings but they bent over backwards to get everything done on time to his satisfaction. They even dropped the suit off at the hotel for us.

Suit cost 800, extra trousers 350 and 3 shirts - mtm - for 80 each.

Can%26#39;t say enough good things about Wendy and Ya Shi tailors at the YaXiu market.

Picked up 1 suit, 1 sportcoat, 2 pairs trousers and 6 shirts for less than $360 US. Would have been lower if I had bargained harder, but get the sense that now (May, 2008) inflation is taking hold and prices are starting to rise.

One word of advice, be sure to go back for at least one fitting. Made all the difference in the world for the suit coat. Only possible complaint is that lengths on 2 pair of trousers were too long, but I can easily take care of that back in US.

A Great Guide in Yangshuo

My husband and I had a fantastic day in October with Amy in Yangshuo. She really took great care of us! She met us at the boat dock and led us to our hotel (Magnolia). She met us the next day with motor scooters and took us on a 4+ hour tour of the countryside - beautiful scenery of course. We went to her house, too. Then she secured tickets for the light show that night and practically led us by hand to a van to get us there on time. I asked if I could give her email on tripadvisor and she agreed: linfengamy2004@yahoo.com. Amy is a wonder - she is an entrepreneur who taught herself English by hanging around West St. after realizing that would be her family%26#39;s ticket out of poverty. She works extremely hard farming and guiding - and always with a smile on her face! If you%26#39;ll be in the area, please contact her and you will have a great time - she will tailor the day to your wants! Enjoy!

A Great Guide in Yangshuo

Here%26#39;s another great guide from Yangshuo. Her name is Jessie Lu and her email is jessilu714@yahoo.com She works with Yangers and is a 26 year old Guanxi native who has spent 7 years in Yangshuo. Very nice, excellent English, great sense of humor and knows everyone in Yangshuo and can change plans easily via her cell phone. We spent 2.5 days with her in Yangshuo in July (Biking to Dragon Bridge, Rafting the Yulong, Hiking Moon Hill, Walking / Boating the Li River (Yangdi to Xingping) and ballooning. We were very well taken care of by Jessie and the Magnolia staff. Many great memories of Jessie and Yangshuo

A Great Guide in Yangshuo

Oops! I meant to say that Jessie Lu hails from Guangxi, not Guanxi.

But she does have an incredible amount of guanxi.

I tried the email address for Amy provided by Pearcesip, but I got a bounceback.

If you want a guide who is not attched to any Hotel or tour service and there fore you are not paying any commissions in the guiding fee try lulilly12@hotmail.com. She is honest and has a good command of the english language and has lived in and around yangshuo all of her life

Lucky Aussie

Moshefeng , a local guide is great -no nonsense ,no kickback I could discern- great off the beaten track bike trips and farmhouse meals/homestays at her place near Moon Hill -where she taught herself English selling water on the climbing path.I have used her services twice ,only problem is slow reply to emails so book /contact her well ahead .She will also send a smicko Audi with leather seats and smooth ride for that rather bumpy trip to Yangshuo to pick you up at the airport for the same price as hotel pickup...will post her email if asked...

Mo =Moshefeng on moshefeng@yahoo.com.cn but well before trip as emails checked infrequently

regards

The other guide mentioned .Lily, by Lucky Aussie is nice if you like nonstop chatter ,I don%26#39;t, its a matter of personalities and compatibility I guess she is personable certainly but it is actually her brother with the boat for the river trip and $$$ we felt...

Mo suits me better ,a real downhome girl ,very sensible no chatter unless needed.Trustworthy and kind.Easy going, doesn%26#39;t hang around your hotel waiting to ambush you for more outings than you want...And can Mo cook... wow delicious no greasy simple farmhouse fare.Does anyone remember the name of the cafe near the bus terminus in Yangshuo ,quite big ,very busy ,through the market on a no car alley ? on the right?has superb food can%26#39;t recall the name which was very prosaic like ';the cafe '; or something...plastic on the tables...

I would second the recommendations re Jessie Lu. My wife, daughter and I just returned from a 4-day trip to Yangshou. We made a booking at the Magnolia Hotel in advance (through email), but left all the rest of our arrangements to Jessie. I had contacted her in advance by email just to be sure that she would be available on the dates we would be visiting. We met with her on arrival in Yangshou and mapped out a rough itinerary/set of activities. She had everything arranged and confirmed by the next morning. We found her to be engaging, very efficient, and very flexible (we needed to make some changes from the original plan). For someone whose English is self-taught, she speaks remarkably well. I also found her to be very responsive in corresponding by email and text messaging.

Out favorite guide was Li Jing Feng. She was professional, well organized, treated us to a home-made meal in her home outside Yangshuo, took us on many back roads for a tour of rural living without any other tourists to be seen. We had a private bamboo raft ride all alone on the Li River south of Yangshuo, as well as the regular tourist circuit places. Her email is lijingfeng88@yahoo.com. I am a very frequent China visitor and she is highly recommended. No shopping or restaurant stops for commissions, either!

entry visas for china

My husband and i are heading to Vietnam and Hongkong with some friends in July, and were thinking about heading over to China, mostly to see the great wall.

We are not using a travel agent, and so were making all the bookings ourselves, but have never had to apply for a visa before.

i have downloaded the visa application form, but it states we will have to have accomodation and flights booked, before we can apply, but we dont want to book everything, apply and be rejected and lose our money.

What are the chances of acceptance / rejection, and are we more likely to be rejected if we dont use an agent??

has anyone applied for their own visa (were all australian citizens) and can send me any info??

Thanx in advance!

entry visas for china

I think the accommodation and flight requirements are from last year during the Olympics. There are numerous recent reports of Australian passport holders being able to get Chinese visas without any problems. Australians can also get a one year multiple entry tourist visa if you intend to return to China. Remember that if you enter Hong Kong from China, and then want to re-enter China, you will need a double entry Chinese visa. Australians do not need a visa to enter Hong Kong.

entry visas for china

thanx. we will be going from australia, to vietnam, to china to hong kong.

so do i just fill out the application and send it and a photo to the embassy then?

Straightforward in that you just need to fill out the application form, attach and photo and pay your money. However, I don%26#39;t think you can post the application in - rather you have take it in person, or use an agent to do that for you. The Chinese consulate / embassy in Australia might be different though.

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macau food!

Heyya! Ill be going with 3 friends who are food lovers. but all of us have a rather tight budget.

Is it possible to find authentic portuguese food within the budget of 100 HKD per person ?

What are the other must-trys besides Margaret%26#39;s Egg Tarts?

(:

yaleryn,

macau food!

Should not be too much of a problem as dishes are often quite large and great for sharing. Regarding authentic Portuguese food, I worry less about the authenticity and more about the taste! A lot of places in Macau are a blend of different styles anyway.

Places I like (not all could be described as 100% authentic Portuguese) include Nga Tim Cafe in Coloane Village, Santos and O%26#39; Manuel in Taipa Village, Alorcha near A Ma temple and Fernando%26#39;s (big servings and good atmosphere).

macau food!

Sorry - some spelling mistakes above:

O Manel, 90 Rua de Fernao Mendes Pinto

O SANTOS - Comida Portuguesa Restaurant, Rua de Cunha No. 20, Taipa Island

Fernando , 9 Hac Sa Beach, Coloane Island

A Lorcha , 289A Rua do Almirante Sergio

Drumbrake has given a good list already, so I%26#39;ll just add some personal must-tries as they come to mind - anything from the take-away desserts shop downstairs from Dumbo%26#39;s restaurant in Taipa village,

milk puddings from Leitaria I Son on Senado Square (they also do excellent pork chop buns and French toast %26lt;xi duo%26gt;).

Margaret%26#39;s home-style lemonade. She has lots of other yummy stuff too :-)

I%26#39;m a fan of Macau%26#39;s ';dry barbecue'; meats, but most Singaporeans seem to prefer the version they get at home.

Pressed almond cookies - you%26#39;ll be offered plenty of free samples of these last two on the walk between Senado Square and St Paul%26#39;s, so you can decide whose versions you prefer.

Pig liver congee - I don%26#39;t know what the local cooks put in it, but yummm. The Areia Preta area has produced the best versions I%26#39;ve tried.

If you need help waking up in the morning, go to the nearest cha-chaang teng for a cup of cha-fe - I don%26#39;t know if you%26#39;ll like it, but it%26#39;s 100% Macau.

THANKS DRUMBRAKE %26amp; OISAAN!

Ill definitely try some of the places u guys have suggested even if it means putting on all those calories. LOL

:D

Good hardrock cafe?

Hi,

Maybe a strange request but having noticed the lively nightlife here I was wondering if there%26#39;s a hardrock cafe where on can pogo around with everyone on some good hardrock :)

Good hardrock cafe?

Ummm There is a Hard Rock Cafe in Beijing %26amp; Hongkong. If there was ever one in Chengdu it is Demised, No More, Bit the Dust, Defunct, Dead, Ceased to be, and Unplugged or Disbanded.

Best hop on your Pogo stick %26amp; bounce off elsewhere.

Good hardrock cafe?

Mmh, ah well then I%26#39;ll stick to the clubs then :) I guess rock isn%26#39;t very popular in China?

I%26#39;m sure there is - just not the famous Hard Rock Cafe brand:)

ohh, then you misunderstood. I didnt mean the particular brand. Just in general: place that plays hardrock music with pogoing people :)

revlon india

bed size

Can anyone tell me the size of beds in Hong Kong?

King

Queen

Double

I%26#39;ve tried googling this info but haven%26#39;t been able to get it.

Thx.

bed size

You mean actual measurements?? Aren%26#39;t they standard? Most hotels have something on their websites if you just mean what%26#39;s in the rooms. We%26#39;ve had queen, seemed normal if that%26#39;s any help.

bed size

I%26#39;ve seen posts where people referred to the beds being a smaller size than what people from U.S. or Australia typically consider king or double (don%26#39;t know about queen).

I%26#39;ve seen posts where people referred to the beds being a smaller size than what people from U.S. or Australia typically consider king or double (don%26#39;t know about queen).

British and American sizes differ but I%26#39;da thought it wasn%26#39;t that noticable having checked some charts. HK possibly is on Brit sizes, which may be an inch or so shorter or narrower maybe. We%26#39;ve also had singles which def. weren%26#39;t king singles. But OK.

Hi

We emailed a variety of motels and asked the for the actual bed measurements. The sizes returned are smaller than Aussie beds - usually a HK double = Aussie king single and a HK Queen = Aussie double.

I would recomment you just email the motels you are interested in and ask the for actual measurements.

Karen

Shanghai and Xi AN - how much time for both?

I have a stopover in Shanghai in August 2009 as part of a larger around the world itinerary. For flight booking purposes, I need to figure out how many days to allow in Shanghai.

While in Shanghai I plan to do an excursion (by plane) to Xi An.

Yes, I realise it is subjective, but would appreciate advice on how many generally days are needed to see the ';top attractions'; of Shanghai and Xi An.

Thanks.

Shanghai and Xi AN - how much time for both?

Generally 2.5-3 days for Shanghai and 2-2.5 days for Xi%26#39;an.

Shanghai and Xi AN - how much time for both?

I think you should plan 3-4 days for Shanghai so that you can include a sidetrip to the classical gardens of Suzhou, a UNESCO World Hertitage Site (1 day of the 3-4 could be allocated for this side trip).

Here%26#39;s a link to our recent trip to Shanghai with photos etc:

鈥logspot.com/2009/03/shanghai-china-funding鈥?/a>

I believe Xi%26#39;an can be accomplished in 2 days, 3 at the most.

Good luck!

I would say 5-7 days in Shanghai if you can and at least 3 dyas (2 nights minimum) in Xian. Remember that you might be delayed with flights. You don%26#39;t want to allow too little time to see all there is to see in Xian.

Shanghai for a day

Hi All, looks like I will be able to spend a day in Shanghai on my trip to China this year, I know its a short time but looks like I may arrive at the airport around 9.30am and leave at the airpot at 8pm, cab anyone suggest the best things to do in this short time? I plan arrive and leave from Pu Dong (from Beijing) so I can use the Maglev in and out of the centre any advice would be welcome

Thankyou

Shanghai for a day

I hope you mean that you already have a China visa, yes?

What are your basic sightseeing interests and preferences? Are you travelling alone?

Are your flights domestic or international? Do you have to collect your luggage in between, or will that be checked through to your final destination?

Take the Maglev into the city and perhaps another form of transport (airport shuttle, perhaps?) on the way out. Maglev might not be running at the full speed of 430 km/h on your way out, depending on what time you need to be back at the airport.

Shanghai for a day

Ellyse yes I have a visa as I will be in Beijing and will return to Beijing so it will be a domestic flight, I am aware there is two airports and that Pu Dong is where the Maglev is from into the city.

Hi not much time for you to jay walk!!!i suggest u take the maglev n then from Longyang station transfer to metro line 2 to take u to Nanjing dong lu.Here visit the Urban Planning Center,Shanghai museum,walk to Huai hai zhonglu to see some modern part of Shanghai n Xintiandi as well.Take a cab to the bund,do the undertunnel tram ride to Lujiazui.Here take in the sights of Oriental Tower,Aquarium,JnMao Tower,SWFC.U may tkae the metro at lujiazui back to Lonagyang n then trasfer back to airport by maglev.m afraid thats about all u could do in hardly a few hrs.

I really dont thinbk u have the time to do YuYuan.What a waste lol.

now in Shanghai if your transit flight is within 48hours you could get visa free and have a short tour in Shanghai. Take maglev + subway will be the best %26amp; fastest way for you to go into city downtown area and back to the airport. Just don%26#39;t forget to leave you luggages to '; Luggage deposit';

Take maglev + subway to West Nanjing road then take a cab around 11RMB to Jade Buddha temple for the first stop then take cab to Yu Yuan Garden %26amp; Bazaar ( don%26#39;t forget the famous steamed bun in Yu Yuan Bazaar), cab again to the Bund then go straight to East Nanjing Road ( walking street) and arrive People%26#39;s Square, you could pay a short visit to Shanghai urban planning exhibition center or Shanghai museum depending on which one is more attractive to you:), then take subway line 2 to Lujiazui, visit Pearl TV Tower %26amp; Shanghai history museum inside. Then take subway back to LongYang Road Station and transfer Maglev back to airport.

forget to mention, except Pearl TV tower %26amp; Shanghai history museum inside, the rest sites close at 5pm and stop to let tourists in at 4:30pm.

Thanks CuteMinMin

Will I have time in 8 hours to do all you suggest?

Hehe!put on yr running shoes n make sure u r physically very fit then u may be able to cover all the places mentioned.YuYuan bazaar alone could take up to 2 hrs .

personally, i%26#39;m not a shopping fan of Yu Yuan Bazaar, esp the vendors give you a very high price and you need to bargain hard.

first take you around 1 hour to jade buddha temple, spend around 45min-1 hour there;Yu Yuan garden %26amp; Bazaar, I suggest to see Yu Yuan Garden %26amp; have lunch in Bazaar ( the steamed bun), if you are not the fan of shopping you could just go through some part of bazaar, and totally spend you around 2-2.5hours. If you want to buy some souvenirs there, it will spend you longer time. The Bund - Nanjing Road ( take the sightseeing train there, 2 RMB) to People%26#39;s Square around 1 hour, when you arrive people%26#39;s Square, I suggest you just take the subway to Lujiazui and see pearl tower %26amp; Shanghai history museum ( coz it might be later than 4:30 so you couldn%26#39;t pay a short visit in neither uran planning exhibition center or shanghai museum) And it depends on how the weather will be that day, if too foggy just do the Shanghai history museum and skip the observation deck, coz you will see almost nothing.Anyway you don%26#39;t need to do all the sites I suggest, just pick up some you like.

sorry, spelling mistake, ';urban';

white hair

Wendy Wo Tours

We are shortly to embark on the Wendy Wo highlights tour of China. Looking at various forums we seem only to find negative comments regarding the Tour, Accomodation and Food... Is there someone out there who has positive things to say ref the tour.. we would love to hear them.

Wendy Wo Tours

Hi Murgie, I%26#39;m not a big fan of tours but they do have their place - especially good ones.I have a friend who did a Wendy Wu tour at the end of last year. She had nothing but praise.

I remember reading a negative post regarding the food but i think that is the same with most tours:) You can always choose to eat somewhere else as food is very inexpensive in China.

My friend has traveled widely %26amp; has high standards %26amp; did not mention any negatives. Hope this puts your mind at rest.

I am sure I can put you in touch with her if you want to know about any thing.

Annie

Wendy Wo Tours

Hi Murgie My s-i-l did a Wendy Wo tour and was happy with them, food accom etc was good. The thing was they were charged a ';tipping fee';. The group was from Australia and some questioned the guides and they said that it was not passed on to them. It was quite high, something like $20 a day on top of the tour cost.

Can%26#39;t complain too much about the tipping fee too much - it%26#39;s clearly outlined in the travel brochures, booking information etc.

Murgie

Is that the 27 day tour?

We did almost the same tour last October but with CTS Horizons.

Here%26#39;s my review, it may give you some pointers:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294211-i642-k2348鈥?/a>

I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll have a great time.

Li River Retreat vs Yangshuo Mountain Retreat

We are visiting Yangshuo area in Sept 09 and are having difficulty in deciding on which of these two hotels to book. We are in our late 50%26#39;s, my wife does not ride a bike, we are looking for a hotel that provides a great view with a bit of comfort clean bathroom and good food, nothing much really. They both look to provide all we are looking for and have good reviews on TA.

Li River Retreat vs Yangshuo Mountain Retreat

Most people prefer Paradise which is known as a four star hotel and good location in Yangshuo. It is convenient for you to walk around the town. You could rent an electric vehicle to enjoy local sights instead of biking.

Li River Retreat vs Yangshuo Mountain Retreat

If that really is what you want the YMR is ideal. If you want to go shopping and eat in different restaurants the 20 minutes taxi ride is a bit of a hassle - we did 2 nights at YMR and 2 in town.

It is hard to say which one is better, I have been both hotels, the rooms of Li River Retreat is much nicer and newer.

The Li River Retreat is within walking distance to downtown, about 2 km, and it is a nice walk along a nearly empty winding level road which follows the river. The views from the second floor balconies are great, especially with sunrise and moonrise.

We stayed at both as well and have fond memories of each. However, I recommend the Li River Retreat due to its proximity to the city. We found the back and forth by taxi from the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat to be a hassle. While YMR%26#39;s very nice staff arranged a fixed-price taxi into town, the return trip was always an adventure with taxis quoting nearly double for the return trip and not budging. In contrast, at the Li River Retreat, we had the option of a nice walk to town or a fixed-price taxi in both directions for a fraction of what we paid for the YMR roundtrip. The owner of the Li River Retreat owns a bar and restaurant in town and we simply went there and they arranged the return taxi.

In terms of facilities, a big difference at least 1 to 2 years ago was the bathrooms which were much more modern at the Li River Retreat. Staff is wonderful at both and they both offer breathtaking views.

We stayed in the Li River retreat in November and cant recommend it highly enough. The room had great views, was large and comfortable. The food in particular was great (both local and western dishes).

We stayed at the Li River Retreat in Sept 08. It is a great place to stay. We rented the largest room which was huge with a queen size bed, big comfortable chairs, a refrigerator and hot water pot, a tiny balcony, spotless bathroom with a shower, and windows on three sides! I spent a lot of hours sitting in those chairs listening to our tunes on our Zune and writing in my journal. (Don%26#39;t forget your portable speakers for your ipod or Zune). The walk to town is easy and relaxing. Most days we went in twice. The only time we used a taxi was when we had luggage and after the San Jie Light Show (another must). After a week, we still were not ready to leave. By the way, there is a beach the locals use about another mile further down the road from the Retreat. We went there every afternoon and met some of the same young adults every day. I would go back in a heartbeat. We usually had breakfast at Alf%26#39;s bar in town then headed out for the day.

Late night taxi fare

Hi, anybody have any idea if late night charges for taxis are imposed ? If yes from what time ?My flight will touch down around 11pm, so would will need to get a taxi to the city.

Late night taxi fare

16rmb instead of 12.5 for the first 3km after 23h. It won%26#39;t break the bank.

revlon india

Impressions Liu Sanjie - any pro photos or dvd?

I%26#39;ve seen a lot of amateur photos of the Liu Sanjie show. They are usually poorly exposed and it%26#39;s difficult to see anything clearly.

I was wondering if anywhere in Yangshuo sells professional photos, postcards, a program, or a dvd of the show?

I think it would be very difficult for me to capture the show with my inexpensive camera. But I would like to have some good photos to remember it.

Impressions Liu Sanjie - any pro photos or dvd?

After the show finished,they sell DVDs

Very hard for our common camera to take photos.Good to seat on the top

Impressions Liu Sanjie - any pro photos or dvd?

You can buy dvd or professional photos in Yangshuo, I am local of Yangshuo, Guilin. any further info please contact with me.

Thank you both! I%26#39;m happy to hear I can get a DVD.

XieXie!

Even with a pro. camera, I had a hard time with photos.

I bought the cd/dvd set after the show. Fairly cheap, too!

Darn, I wish I knew that when we we there! I would have loved a DVD of that show! I thought the CD/DVD system was different in non US countries.

Travel from Kunming to Lejing, China

I want to travel from Kunming to Lejing. China Eastern Airlines list flights at $108 one way, which seems a little high. I read on another site that tickets can be purchased at the airport for only $28 - but the entry was from 2006.

Any information on flights?

Alternatively, train or bus service?

Thanks very much!

Travel from Kunming to Lejing, China

Do you mean Kunming to Lijiang?

Several ways to go. You can catch an overnight train to Dali (worth a day) then onward bus to Lijiang - another 4 hours.

Or you can catch direct bus from Kunming to Lijiang - overnight sleeper bus possible or daytime.

Or you can fly. Look on sites such as www.travelzen.com or www.ctrip.com

Travel from Kunming to Lejing, China

This a popular route with a number of flights with different airlines. They are mostly discounted if you wait. Are you just looking at the China Eastern websites? Best to have a look at the travel websites for flights that Drumbrake has posted.

Not sure about turning up %26amp; jumping on a flight for that price but wouldn%26#39;t discount it - maybe not for that price however:)

I presume you mean Lijiang. There%26#39;re flights and also buses (seater or overnight sleeper). If you want to go by train, Lijiang has no train station so you%26#39;ll end up taking a train to Dali (could be overnight) and then a bus to Lijiang.

The best overnight sleeper buses from Kunming to Lijiang only cost 100+ RMB. That%26#39;s definitely worthwhile.

meet people in

Book Guilin train ticket

I need to book train ticket from Guilin to Guangzhou. I am currently staying in Hong Kong. Is there any online ticket website available ?

Book Guilin train ticket

No online method except some very expensive agencies. If you are staying in Guilin before your train journey, get your hotel there to book it for you.

Book Guilin train ticket

Online train ticket agencies charge an arm and a leg for the service. Try getting your hotel in Guilin/Yangshuo to pre-buy for you.

How safe is Shenzhen for tourists?

Hello,

Im sorry for sounding steriotypical, but I have seen articles about tourists being involved in scams and kidnappings is Shenzhen really as dangerous as they make it sound. Im intrested in coming on a day trip and just making sure because I want my family to be safe.

Thanks

How safe is Shenzhen for tourists?

It%26#39;s safe.

I%26#39;m not stereotyping but I assume by your name you are of Chinese appearance, so you will be one of 13 million in SZ. I am white with grey hair and stuck out like a sore thumb, but apart from strange looks I had no problem in 5 days there. I think SZ is as safe as any city.

How safe is Shenzhen for tourists?

Well I am half Chinese so i look kind of different but am darker then white, but thanks alot so I guess I wont have to worry about my kids safety.

Thanks

bchang -

I am a regular visitor to Shenzhen and I can say there is no special problem with crime there, except in the Baoa%26#39;an area near the airport.

If you stay in the main city you should have no problem if you just observe the normal precautions of staying in any major city anywhere in the world.

%26gt;%26gt;so you will be one of 13 million in SZ

You are being funny :)

Foreign Chinese (including people from HK) can be spotted from miles away.

I witnessed pickpocket gangs in action at the pedestrian footbrdiges close to the train station, everytime I went there. Foreigners are often victims of scams and crime, ONLY IF they are not vigilant or being overly sympathetic to seemingly extreme poverty( like giving money to someone eating from the garbage bin... they do it everyday and received a lot of ';donations';).

Kidnappings happened mostly to HK people who flaunt their wealth and/or have mistresses in Shenzhen, or being (potential) customers of $ex workers.

you watch your pocket and the people suround you, shenzhen city is safe compare to the baoan and longgong area.

Being a black male from the UK travelling to Shenzhen, should i expect any different treatment?

Oyster King, I%26#39;d suggest that the most noticeable result of being obviously ';not from around here'; is not that you will feel unsafe, rather that you may feel swamped by touts at LoWu!!

I would do all the sensible things about keeping wallet and passport secure but it isn%26#39;t a threatening or scary place.

We are Australians and just spent 4 days there in Dec 2006. Myself, my wife, and my 11 year old daughter. Crime and safety was no worse than any other city, and we did not have any incidents or trouble. Take normal precautions, always be vigilant of who is around you, and be careful if approached. Watch your bag or wallet in a crowd.

Having basically lived in SZ on and off over the last few years, and NOT in a well guarded foreign ghetto-compound, AND using the public transport system every single day, I will have to say that SZ can be a dodgy place.

I have eye witnessed and also experienced any number of crimes, obviously of which pickpocketing is the most prevalent.

Big and small gangs operate on all the busses and in all the busier shopping districts and they seem to be immune and fearless.

At the moment there is another police %26#39;crackdown%26#39; going on, where you will see lots of cops aimlessly riding up and down.

Hopefully this encourage the gangs to lie low...

The great thing that might struck you about SZ is the multitude of security guards to be found EVERYWHERE, at busstops, underpasses, restaurants, banks, gates, entrances...just remember, they are there for a good reason...wear an inside moneybelt at all times with your cash and passport tugged inside your pants.

Even in KFC and Mcdonalds you might find staff telling you not to put bags or cameras next to you but to keep them on your lap.

Upperclass restaurants also worry about your stuff dissapearing while you dine...

Taxis can be tricky too...better bargain for a price BEFORE you get in...unless you know exactly where you are going.

When you receive change after shopping, better carefully check it for fakes, even the one RMB coins can often be fake, not to mention the bigger bills...

If you do buy something like expensive alcohol, especially at the Lowu border, better check that the seal is not broken.

There are numerous other rip-offs, too may to mention, and don%26#39;t give any money to %26#39;beggars%26#39;...keep your eyes open and your wits around you...

Hi There,

could you give us an advice? My boyfriend and I are currently living in Hong Kong, but we are planning a trip to mainland China and the flights from Shenzhen are a lot cheaper, so we are planning to leave from Shenzhen airport.

After reading all of this we are a bit scared about our safety! How should we do to get to the airport in the safest way? Thanks for all!

Ari

what to wear?

Hi Forumers,

we will be travelling to hong kong / macau this week. would like your expert advise on what to wear for this trip.

thanks!

what to wear?

http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/fnd.htm

Gulangyu Island

How close is the ferry to Gulangyu island from the cruise ship terminal? We are arriving via cruise ship and wondering if we can get to the island on our own rather than taking the expensive cruise ship tour. Is it easy and reliable to get back as well?

Gulangyu Island

Just take a taxi.

Gulangyu Island

THat is my first inclination, but some ports around the world are industrial and not near taxis, etc. I%26#39;m trying to find out about the docking port.....any info would be appreciated.

Hello guys, im a beginner here! i will be visiting xiamen next week? i will be staying in Overseas HOtel inXxiamen, can anyone help me how to go to Gulangyu Island from Overseas Hotel?? im planning also to go to Quanzhou , can anyone help me what to take to arrive quanzhou the fastest way except taking plane. How many hours will it take to arrive quanzhou and Chosai from xiamen ? thanks in advance for the help! have a nice day .. :D

Overseas Hotel? You mean Overseas Chinese Hotel, don%26#39;t you? Get a taxi to the ferry docks and take a ferry to Gulangyu.

There%26#39;re no flights for Xiamen -- Quanzhou, they%26#39;re only a couple of hours apart by bus!

What%26#39;s Chosai???

The Overseas Chinese Hotel is about a 10-15 mins slow walk to the GulangYu Ferry Point.

Walk left as you leave the hotel, and about 50m away is the Gems Hotel. Turn left immediately at Gems Hotel and you are on Zhong Shan Road, which is a shopping street. About 300 m down you will reach the pedestrianised part.

The ferry point is at the end of this street.

thanks for the quick reply ..:D i will be in xiamen next week.can u tell my what places should I need to visit in xiamen ?? im planning to go to Quanzhou too. if im going to hire a private car, do you guys know how much it will costs me for private car to Quanzhou? because if im going to take a bus it will take me too long hours. right? thanks !:)

yeah .its Overseas Chinese Hotel .. thanks for the info. is that safe to take a bus alone to Quanzhou ?

Taking the normal long-distance buses between Quanzhou and Xiamen is NOT unsafe, nor is it slow. It%26#39;s only a couple of hours between the two cities at most.

Look on http://www.amoymagic.com for Xiamen sightseeing information.

thank you .. by the way, do u know someone where i can rent a private car?:) thanks!

revlon india

Need advice on China/Hong Kong travel

My wife and I want to tour China in the Fall. Her family lives in Hong Kong, so she would like to spend a few days there before or after the tour of Beijing, Xi%26#39;an, Shanghai, etc. I only speak English, so this limits many of the tour packages, as they only speak Chinese. We have about 18 or 21 days altogether. Can anyone recommend a tour package or agency that is reasonable and reliable that would fit our needs? Your advice is appreciated.

Need advice on China/Hong Kong travel

Most people on this board arrange their own trip, this is the reason of this board.

If you search the word ';tour'; some posts about it may come up. Speaking only english does not preclude you from traveling on your own but that really depends on the type of traveler that you are and you travel experience.

Need advice on China/Hong Kong travel

You do know that it is perfectly possible to travel in China independently (especially cities such as Beijing, Xi%26#39;an and Shanghai) even if you don%26#39;t speak Chinese?

I utilized chinaspree.com for my recent trip to China. I suggest that you contact them for assistance. A wonderful company.

Yes, I realize that.

Thank you for the information. I will indeed follow up.

remove nail polish

outdoor pool in June

How risky is it to get a hotel with an outdoor pool for June? Does it rain only at certain times of day usually? When?

outdoor pool in June

it rains when it rains. No point booking a hotel around the weather.

Summer showers are normally heavy but short-lived and it can be sunny and clear 30 mins later.

Outdoor pools will close if there is a thunderstorm warning and these can last several hours.

Car and driver rental in Beijing

My husband and I will be going to Beijing in October of this year and would like to know best way of getting a car with driver for sightseeing, etc. Just for two people. Is it better to go on the internet or wait until we get there. Anyone know any prices. Thank you. Oba

Car and driver rental in Beijing

I am going to Beijing in early June and have booked Robinson Li (www.beijingtaxi.com). He has been very helpful and easy to deal with via e-mail. I got his name as a recommendation on this forum - I%26#39;m happy to let you know how it goes after my trip. His e-mail address is robinsonlitour@hotmail.com

Car and driver rental in Beijing

I would recommend waiting til you get to Beijing to find a tour guide. It will most likely be cheaper b/c you can negotiate the price. Anything is negotiaoble in China. Just my opinion.

We just returned from Beijing and spent a fabulous day with Robinson Li at beijingtaxi.com. He is funny and friendly, his English is great and he went out of his way to make our day special. He took us to the Great Wall (Mutanyu and another spot not yet fixed up), Ming Tombs, arranged a killer Peking Duck meal at a small restaurant and arranged for tickets to the acrobats at the National Theatre. Get ahold of Robinson Li...you won%26#39;t be disappointed!

JJvC

JJvC- Can you give us an idea of the cost for this service? Just a ballpark figure?

Lyn

i have been reading your question about drivers for the day. In china, in the large cities such as beijing, there are different coloured taxis of different sizes. From what i remember when i needed to hire a car with driver for the whole day last year, there is no reason why you can%26#39;t just hire a beijing taxi driver for the whole day to take you anywhere - however he will speak no english at all. The smaller the taxi (3 types in beijing if i remember correctly) the cheaper it is. However, rather than clocking up a metre all day make sure you agree a price before you depart for the day depending on wherever you%26#39;re going and how many hours you%26#39;re going to be gone for. It is incredibly helpful if you could get the hotel to help you with the language side of things. i was lucky enough for a chinese friend i met there who spoke english to help me and negotiate with the taxi man. Just get them to phone for a taxi at the hotel and explain that you want to go somewhere for the whole day rather than just across the city!

Don%26#39;t get big companies that rip you off and are specialised in the tourist trade to provide you a chauffer service in a shiny car (unless you want a tour guide and mod cons and money%26#39;s no object). If you%26#39;re going out of Beijing to the great wall simply hire a taxi for the day because the driver will earn the same amount of money that he%26#39;ll earn for every hour in beijing yet he%26#39;ll just be lazing around for a few hours waiting for you wherever you go (rather than working!!) So its good for him and its good for you.

I don%26#39;t know much about private sightseeing tours of beijing city, however if you go to the great wall or to an area of interest outside of beijing for the day then get people to negotiate with the taxi company for you as to ho much you pay. I think for about eight hours, when I went to a section of the great wall, the taxi driver charged about 38 british pounds (give or take a few pounds either way). This i thought was fantastic for a whole day%26#39;s private driver hire and unimaginable somewhere like Europe!! Make sure you agree a price and remember, the smaller the taxi, the cheaper. be sure to bargain hard tho and whatever you do don%26#39;t pay a lot more than that! i think i paid thirty eight. well, it was certainly between 20 and 45 - cant remember now exactly!

When you go to Beijing whatever you do don%26#39;t go to the touristy section of the great wall near beijing city. The best section, and about two and a half hours away, is called SIMATAI. Leave early in the morning and, compared to the section of the wall in beijing, it%26#39;s unbelievable (there are not that many tourists there at all either - and there%26#39;s even a cable car if you don%26#39;t want to walk up!) Its not at all a dangerous section of the wall as some of the guide books might imply - plenty of normal tourists with normal shoes on! Its absolutely fantastic and one of the most amazing places i%26#39;ve been in the world. The one in beijing is full of tourists, not nearly as beautiful and full of souvenir stalls.

Admission at Simatai is also very cheap!

I recommend a trip to the Lama Temple in Beijing too (see lonely planet!) many tourists often miss this out and it was very good experience! Again, like anything in beijing just stop a taxi and make sure you have the name of the attraction written down in chinese characters by someone at the hotel, and he%26#39;s sure to take u there!! I emphasise again, if u do do a day trip in a taxi, or for that matter go anywhere in a taxi, make sure tha tyou have the location of the place you want to go to written down in chinese characters!!

If you do want to have a car chauffeur hire that speaks english and you want to spend more money than i%26#39;m suggesting then certainly wait until you get to china and don%26#39;t book anything on-line before you go. Go to one of the Tourist Information centres in beijing or simply ask at the hotel.

Lyn, As I mentioned we had a great day with Robinson Li. I think the cost was somewhere around $80 - $100 U.S. equivalent. With three kids in tow we wanted them to get something other than transportation out of the day so were willing to spend more for Mr. Li%26#39;s English and insight. Certainly you would want to negotiate ahead of time. I have also gone to the Great Wall alone (without the addition of the Ming Tombs, Peking Duck and Acrobats) with a driver speaking no English and no personality...the cost was $55 U.S. equivalent. Mr. Li was more than worth the extra $$ for his personality alone! JJvC

I hadn%26#39;t read the other member comments before i wrote to you about hiring a car and a driver for some of your time in beijing. Of course it is great, as some other members say, to have a reliable driver who can speak English. If the price for Mr Li is what you were thinking of then i%26#39;m sure this would be a fantastic, if not much better option, than my suggestion. It%26#39;s very good to know that you will get a good personality and a good linguist from a driver. As Mr Li is personally recommended then you can%26#39;t go wrong with him i guess. If you get the right driver or guide anywhere in china its great. If you get a very annoying one it%26#39;s hell! Thats why recommendations like Mr Li on trip advisor are so cool!

The taxi option is just as good if one day you feel you%26#39;d like to go somewhere and not spend as much money (especially if you%26#39;re in another part of china and the array of guides is worse!), however i forgot to mention that the reason i found the normal taxi option better than a private driver every day in beijing was because i was in china for several weeks and therefore could not afford this type of service on a regular basis (especially as i%26#39;m a student!!).

It can often be very annoying in china if you do hire a private english speaking guide and they turn out to be too chatty and not neccessarily what you were looking for or can%26#39;t in fact speak english well at all! This is why it is often better to see beijing independanly. However, Mr Li appears to be one of the many experienced drivers and guides who does strike the right balance and has a good personality and is in touch with tourism. A couple of guides in china that i paid money to show me around main attractions, such as the terracotta warriors, got on my nerves so much that, in a polite and friendly way, i simply had to ask them to go away (not because they were nasty, all chinese people are so friendly, but because their level of english was awful or they didn%26#39;t realise that an information overload wasn%26#39;t what you wanted - especially if you didn%26#39;t understand any of it!!)

Please write back after you%26#39;ve been to China with a reminder of Mr Li%26#39;s contact details if you do opt to go for this option and if he is, as other members have said, a great guide! I have to go back to beijing for several months next year therefore such a good guide would be fantastic when people come to visit me and they want to go sightseeing!