China Travel Tips
- on 11.09.09
- Filed Under Travelling
- 18 Comments
Survival China Travel Tips and Tricks
The China Travel Tips, survival techniques, to help avoid and make his trip to China easier, so you will be able to experience the real China, with a little less stress.
China is a strange beast that must be respected; major cities, Beijing, Shanghai and Xian, all have their own personality.
Some complex situations which in his view would be a disaster organization to become big and then you wonder what all the fuss and worry. So the simplest of tasks can become a great calamity.
This is when you have what we call here a “China Day”.
These days come and go and are part of the experience of all-day trip to China. One has to have an open mind when traveling in China. It is a place with thousands of years of history and culture overnight that it is trying to adapt to Western lifestyles.
You need to have a very open mind when you travel in China. I have listed below a few China Travel Tips that will make life more bearable little pee in their travel experience of China.
Travel Tips – China toilet wise
• Never expect a clean toilet 100% of the time.
• Be prepared; Bring some tissues.
• You may need to use a toilet squatting, again, if you know this is not a shock. If you do not know how to use a toilet building, try the following experiment at home.
While something to keep in support with both hands, lower your body down in a low squatting position, so that the cheeks of his bottom was almost touching the heels or the back of his calf. Now, go with your hands. See if you stay in this position for at least 1 minute. If it is upside down or could not get up after a squat toilet could be a problem for you! , Has the right to be happy you did.
• If you get a clean toilet, Go… may not come again for a while.
• Many public toilets around the cities, usually those who are to pay OK (RMB, 5), the other best to stay away from if you can. You will soon notice as you walk around the cities.
• Be warned that public spaces such as bus and train stations, which tend to be the class as “hard toilets”, but if you are going gotta gotta go.
• Outside the big cities, toilet systems are old or have very close plumbing / piping and get easily blocked. In these cases, a small basket is usually the bathroom next, it is used for toilet paper.
One of the best China Travel Tips toilet I can give is the use of the hotel lobby toilets, which are everywhere and are always clean. Yet it may not always have toilet paper. It depends on the category of hotel being used.
I do not want to frighten you. However, of all of China Travel Tips to all other sites on the Web that I have read, this is an issue that is not mentioned often, but it is very important for all of us.
So outside of the big cities conditions can be tough. But most of the time everything will be fine, especially if you book a tour, all will be checked before hand. However, even the best laid plans can go wrong, so be prepared, the toilets in smaller cities, towns and villages can be scary.
China Travel Tips – food
• The food is great and the variety is overwhelming. Most of the time you get to choose what you eat, or you can recognize what you are eating, but sometimes you do not get a choice. Wearing a chocolate bar or something, which will keep you going until some foods that can recognize laps. Drink bottled or boiled water since tap water is not drinkable, that is for the whole of China. Even boiled water, while sterilized can contain a large amount of minerals and iron deposits that you probably do not want in the system. The bet is safe to drink bottled water. Tap water in most large cities is OK to brush your teeth.
• Eating habits-Most Chinese have a great habit of being very noisy and when they eat lunch and dinner times can be a wonderful celebration noisy, the food tends to go in all directions, its just part of being in China .
• People smoke cigarettes on the table while everyone is eating, so some restaurants get very loud and smoky.
• If you get stuck which so since most of the menus are in Chinese just look at the table next to you and point to the plate and ask you how much it is, this system works really well and it seems learn to mind.
• I have a basic menu that will help to food safety, (no cats or dogs), this visit will allow greater choice of restaurants, not just tourists with high prices. You can bring with you and use it on the premises where most of the restaurants could serve as what is on it. This way you will know what they are eating.
These premises are very cheap and the food is great. Contact me if you would like me to send it to you.
China Travel Tips – Taxi
• Travel Tips – China – Taxi cabs are an experience that you can have headquarters complaints and panting, but it is too early to get used to it, after the first few rides, you are a veteran.
• The taxis in Shanghai are generally quite good. Try to get the Blue, Blue’ish Turquoise, Oro Blanco and taxis, these are the best… these are the four major taxi companies and are generally recognized by its unique color painting. The others are OK, only older and a rougher ride (others may also have defective meters). No drivers speak English.
• Carry your hotel accommodation or business card with you, written in Chinese, which helps if you get lost walking around town.
• In all taxis around the country will be able to see the name of the taxi drivers and registration number in plain sight. If you have any problems, or if you think has been most pronounced, etc., just take this number down, make a big fuss about it, then the driver should wake up and solve any problem you have. Even better is to take the receipt. This has all the details on the trip and who can call the taxi company if they want to have more things or if you have something left in the taxi.
• The government takes rip-off drivers in all cities, especially Beijing and Xian, very seriously, and if they complain they will lose their license. This is their livelihood. So far I have not had a driver in 3 years that has not been withdrawn, and then we have agreed a price for the trip or solve our problem.
• In Shanghai, which is common practice taxi increases after 11pm. However, one can haggle for a 20% discount, which will return to the previous rate-11pm fee. Be strong with the taxi drivers, never the less, keep calm, smile and negotiate.
China Travel Tips – Shopping
• China Travel Tips – Shopping – China is a paradise for customers, markets, Bargains; Top labels… nothing, and if you have all the time. With clothing, the largest (Western) sizes can be hard to find, however in the big cities, where you can find a lot of tourist traffic, can find them.
• Electrical arts, DVDs, cameras, things like this are not worth buying in China, Hong Kong is still the best place for this.
• Store hours in major cities from 10am to 10pm, 7 days a week.
• Visa card remains the best card to carry, with ATMs in good supply everyone with access PLUS etc. There is usually a charge for using VISA, MasterCard and other forms of credit card.
• Wait on the purchase if they can look around to have a vision of prices. The Chinese are very experienced in the sale and we know that we are to halve the opening price when the negotiations. In markets go for 25% of what they ask first; go so low that they let you walk. This gives you an idea of the bottom price. The end result of the price will probably be around 40% to 50% of the starting point.
Whatever the market people say, which are used to push for better prices and haggling. Do not worry about being too hard, they are used to it and you do not sell an item unless profits. Do not be concerned with the body language apparently injured when going low it is all part of the game. At the time they had wrapped their first purchase, they will try to sell something else. Remember to keep smiling and having fun while negotiating.
China Travel Tips – medical treatment and records
• Most hotels have a doctor who can see. At major hotels speaks English.
• Always take a small first aid kit, repair cold, headache tablets at least. WATSONS is a large chain pharmacies. Most of the remedies, pills, etc., which you may need to be in these workshops. These shops are all over China.
• There is a large network of pharmacies in the stores type, which is indicated by a Green Cross. There will always be a 24 hr Green Cross pharmacy in the city you are in. It is useful to keep a book stage, as it is not going to speak English, but you end up with something that will help.
• INPORTANT POINT-in most mass production package type of medication, the packaging will be written in Chinese on one side, English on the other. But in the stores that only sees the Chinese side. Take a good look, in turn most of packaging, which gives you a lot more confidence knowing that you can read the package.
• If you have a medical problem, make records, most of the doctors have written OK / English reading, even if their oral English are poor.
Travel Tips – China Phone
• Using the phone is as easy as at home. However choose the person to not speak English or have very broken English… chief 4 or 5-star hotels all will be OK.
• What is being done is worthwhile to buy a SIM card from China Telecom, which are about RMB100 and thereby obtains RMB50 in the calls, the other 50 is the price of the SIM card; this SIM card will all major brands of phones and work OK.
In this way, people can get to you inside and outside China if there is an emergency. If you have a couple of phones, it can short message (txt) yes (SMS). Also you can call your tour guide, hotel, and so if you have big problems. It is a cheap way to keep in touch.
NB.Before you buy a Chinese SIM card, make sure it will work on your Cell / Mobile. There is a lot of China Telecom shops that can help.
Travel Tips in China if China does not move.
• Spring Festival, this will be the Chinese New Year time, around late January / Early February
• In early May, Labor Day Holidays
• In early October, the National Day holiday
Of all the Travel Tips China National Day is the largest. Millions of Chinese travel at this time of year holidays. Most of the trips back home towns or to visit his family. Hotels, trains, planes, cars, buses, and all the roads are the most overcrowded. Major congestion, everywhere.
Similarly, the rates for travel are at their full price. Not offering discounts! Staying in one place and will enjoy. It is better and causes less discomfort.
China Travel Tips – TV
• If you want to watch television, most of the major hotels will have cable and if you are in the smaller places, the national channel, CCTV9 is in English. Over the past two years has been greatly improved, with some major China Travel Tips programs, news and opinions about people and places around China.
China Travel Tips – Airport Tax
• There is a “rate of construction” in almost all airports.
Domestic flights RMB 50 International flights RMB 90, to be paid in local currency.
Recently, the tickets are tissued with the construction include VAT but make sure you have money in taxes just to be sure.
I hope that some of these China Travel Tips input and will make your trip to China that bit easier.
More Information at BestCityTourGuide
HuMuch
I have never been to Hongkong.But I am familiar with Beijing.
Try to avoid travel agency,just buy air tickets and book hotels on your own. Remember the important sightseeings, go to destinations by subway or taxi.
Most educated young people can speak some English.You should speak english slowly and simply.
test
defintely take a jacket, i was there at end of january last year and it was really quite cold, should be warming up a bit now?! dont worry about things being closed they wont be just enjoy the trip! you didnt say where you were going in china, but hong kong wise defintely take a cable car up to summit and a wander round hong kong bird park its gorgeous and free! and make sure you make it to temple street night market its great opportunity for gift bargains! best advice for you in hong kong and china .. haggle when shopping and eat in proper cafes not just restaurants the food is gorgeous!! enjoy! oh and avoid the street sellers trying to sell you suits to measure etc dont make eye contact you'll regret it!! ;o)
your first question is about your age..
Answer:If it's not too important to declare so,don't declare it!
your second question is warned or not..
Answer:If there isn't a warning don't be so confused (actually I don't understand this question)!
your third question is how do you change your money..
Answer:Go to the changer.All the country have 1 or 2 changer bank..
I live in China. As for air travel, it has never frightened me, but I have to admit, I don't like the long flights from China back to the US. The first thing you'll want to do is distract yourself. Bring an MP3, some books or puzzle books, maybe a journal, and maybe a hand held game.
Drink plenty of water on the trip, and I like to bring snacks. My stomach always feels a little odd when I'm at 30,000 ft. Not bad, just odd, almost like I'm hungry, and somehow a snack makes it feel better. I prefer the aisle seat so I can get up and walk around.
China is very interesting. It depends on which part you will go to, but I'm sure you'll be shown a good time. However, you'll need to go with adventure in mind. Not just because it's China, but whenever you go on one of these kinds of trips you need to be ready to be amazed, or often you'll go home disappointed. The most fun you will have is being with a group of people out of your element and out of the eye of your parents and other authority figures in your life, but don't forget to take in your surroundings and soak up the experience. And don't give your band leader too much trouble. I'm a teacher, and I know what a massive responsibility it is to take a bunch of teenagers on a trip. It can be total hell for the teacher, and remember, he is making a major sacrifice for your benefit.
As for China, as I said, it depends on what parts you are going to what you will see. Regardless, leave room in your luggage and bring a little cash to buy souvenirs. There are tons of cheap stuff for sale here, but don't be afraid to bargain for the price. You are expected to do that here. I usually pay between 10 and 50% of what they are asking, depending on if I'm in a high tourist area or not, but you should just pay what you think it is worth to you, as long as it's less than what they start at. Don't worry, you won't offend them. In fact, if you pay the first price, they aren't satisfied because they worry that they could have gotten more from you. Bargaining is fun!
Try some street food, just be careful what you choose. I've never gotten sick from the stuff, but you never know. Take lots of pictures. Carry toilet paper with you and be prepared to squat. Actually, you'd prefer to use a public squatter than a regular toilet. They may stink and you'll sometimes see some distusting stuff, but at least your body isn't touching anything. Drink bottled water. In Chinese restuarants, if you ask for water, it will be hot water in a glass glass, but they usually also serve Coke, Sprite, or orange soda with the meal. The hot water is safe to drink, but I don't enjoy it.
People will call out "hello" to you from 300 yards away, and then giggle madly. They will stare. If you are blond, they will want to take their pictures with you. Just go with it. Wave back, make faces, and have your picture taken.
Read up on the places you will go. I've never had a good guide in China. They put me to sleep and frustrate me with their insistence on sticking to the script. They don't tell any human interest stories about the places you visit.
I can't think of more than that. I hope you get the chance to visit the Great Wall. If you do, I'm sure you will go to Ba Da Ling, though I prefer Mu Tan Yu. Either way, if you have the chance, ride the luge down. SOOOOOOO much fun. Also, be prepared to be hassled at the major tourist sites. The people there want to sell postcards, guidebooks, and all sorts of stuff, and they can be agressive. Just tell them very firmly, NO!
One last thing. China is very safe! But pickpockets are becoming more prevalent, so be careful.
I just read some of the other posts. You'll definitely want to bring your own medicines. Unless it's narcotic, you don't have to worry. I always stock up on several huge bottles of tylenol, etc., when I go home because I can't read the labels here, and it's not the same stuff anyway. Also, if you are bringing any electronics, like battery chargers for your camera, etc., you'll need a converter. Most camera equipment comes with its own converter, but check. Other than that, you should be able to buy everything here.
make sure you are in Hong Kong for Christmas, it will be the most decorated and most like home
Beijing – go to Temple of Heaven, Pearl Market acrss the street from there, Great Wall, try to go to Si Ma Tai, remote area of the wall very little commercialism and in ruins, very nice
Shenzhen – http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/guangdong/shenzhen/
HK and Macau – http://gohongkong.about.com/
Great Tips!
yeah in Kuwait they had an atm that exchanged currency. Dollars for Denari.
If you want to see the real people of China, get out of the organised centres of Beijing and Shanghai as they are both overly western flavoured. Get out past the second ring road in Beijing to experience the wonderful traditional Chinese way of life. If you can, visit Hangzhou which is not far from Shanghai (2 hours by train) and see West Lake etc and also go to Guilin in Guangxi province if you can where you will see the tall conical mountains and magnificent rivers often depicted in classic Chinese landscapes. The food is great, you will never be offered dog, and the people are greater once you get away from western commercial influences. Good Luck!
Well said and full of energy,
You are full of positive vibes,
Peace, Love and Happiness,
Dawn Mendonca
Good list from a previous poster, but maybe a little over the top..
It is very similar to traveling anywhere else. Pack for the weather, generally cold right now in the North and not so cold in the South. As far as a first aid kit, I pack a few bandaids and some polysporin in my shaving kit… that's enough. Bring a little cash and your debit and credit card (s). Let your bank know so they won't kill them on you. Buy a little cash at the airport to get you to your hotel then use ATMs to get money. Exchanging at the bank is a huge hassle and at hotels is expensive. Bring some of your favourite brand name medicines, like cough syrup or diarrhea medication, you will not be able to find your favourite brand here (or anything like it). A small bottle of hand disinfectant might be handy as well as they can be hard to find here. You can by small packets of tissue when you get here, so no need to bring roles of toilet paper. Bring a jacket with inside pockets and pockets with zippers.
The most important thing to bring is an open mind. Try the food, try the theatre, meet the people. Enjoy the experience and have fun. You will be able to tell people the stories for years.
Enjoy your trip.
#1: get to know a local people, once you have the one connection, you can get to know more people. You might hear of "guan xi" (means relationship in Chinese). That' s the No.1 guideline.
#2: if you happen to know a friend, you can ask for help: invite all the " friends" you want to know to a dinner. Dinner is the most popular networking event in China.
#3: search for any conference/forum/submit held on Guangzhou during your stay and register for it. Even you are not interested in the event topics, you want to meet people.
From culture perspective: show them how you can help them with the relationships, especially for local business people who don't have global travel experience. They want to know why they want to spend time with you, a stranger without a “guan xi" in China.
I've never been to Hainan, but my friends say it's a lot like Thailand, except the shopping isn't as good and it's just not as hospitible. Still very nice, though. It will be warm in October. It is warm all year.
Hong Kong is great. Very busy and modern. I've only been once.
October is the best time to go to Beijing. You'll definitely want to see the wall. I prefer Mu Tan Yu to Ba Da Ling. These are the two nearest sites to visit the Wall, the latter being the more popular. Both have luges you can take to get down from the Wall – sooo much fun!
You'll visit the Forbidden City. Get a tour guide. They can tell you all the little interesting facts. Shopping in Beijing is GREAT! If you are there on the weekend, visit Panjaiyuan. It's called the Dirt Market in English and it's sort of like a flea market. It has all sorts of things. It was redone a few years back and now it's very upscale compared to what it used to be, but it's still a wild cultural experience that is lots of fun even if you are not buying. Go early in the morning before the crowds get too big. Go to Hong Chou, the Pearl Market. It has everything Silk Street has but they seem to bargain better than they do at Silk Street. I haven't been to Silk Street since they moved it into that building. Be prepared to bargain! DON'T pay the first price they ask. You should be able to get it for much, much less than they ask. Walk away if they aren't willing to come down, they'll call after you.
Where am I now supossed to put my handguns and knives? You never mentioned them at all.
When are you going to china?
I will be in China for 6 months… I really need to figure out how to access my money!… thnx for the info!!!!!
Very helpful video! Thanks!