Where to go!

Hello!

My wife and I have gone to THailand for the last 4 years...We now want to try China but have no clue!

WHat we loved about THailand was shopping and the beaches...

Where do we go In China for SHopping asnd relaxing?

SOme reviews advise Hong Kong others say Beijing!

Please help us!

Where to go!

If you like beaches, stay in Thailand. For shopping,yes Hong Kong is good, but not as cheap as Thailand. Places such as Beijing and Xi%26#39;an have the history - a little like Ayuthha in Thailand if you have been there. Shanghai would be the city to visit to see the new China (although it does have the old as well). China also has some good countryside - Yangshuo and Yunnan which are good for relaxing.

Where to go!

Shopping and relaxing?

What are you shopping for? Window-shopping or really buying stuff?

Relaxing not really that easy to do in China... especially when you%26#39;re not used to the crowds here. Do you have a daily budget to keep to?

When are you planning to visit? How long do you have in China?

Hello!

SO sounds like Thailands has the edge!

Misc buying....local good /. electronics etc??

No budget in mind! THe nicer the better...

Wamted to travel to a nice beack then to a good place to shop?

You will find Thailand a more relaxing and easier holiday.

China will leave you with more memories, although in the short term these might not be happy, but when you are older you will laugh at them.

So, do you want to repeat the same happy experiences, or try to get some new ones (which might or might not be the sweetest at least in the short run)?

Hello Again

We have done Thailand for the last 4 years. THe last one being when we got married on the 1st of Jan. Thailand Offers very busy yet also very relaxing.

We would like to try China but as I advised im not sure where to go.

We want to experience the shops as well as the relaxing.

Im sure it cannot be any busier than Bangkok?

Bangkok is a great place!

Beaches aren%26#39;t a highlight for China, better to stick with the ones in Thailand since you%26#39;re happy with those.

For general relaxation I would suggest that you try Yangshuo (http://www.yangers.com), Xiamen (http://www.amoymagic.com.cn), Lijiang or Qingdao.

Sorry, missed out Hangzhou from the list. That has to be one of my favourite destinations in China.

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Best restaurant!!!

What would be the best restaurant in Beijing?/

Best restaurant!!!

The roast duck we ate in Quanjude restaurant is delicious.

what%26#39;s more,Quanjude is called the best and the most famous restaurant in Beijing.

Best restaurant!!!

that depends on what you%26#39;re looking for :) What type of experience, cuisine etc. Suggest you try getting your hands on a copy of That%26#39;s Beijing when you arrive. Plenty of restaurant recommendations. My personal favs: For duck: Da Dong

For Yunan cuisine: ';Middle 8th';

For Hakka food: Lao Hanzi

For Chinese hot pot: Hai di Lao ( cos it%26#39;s really entertaining eating there and service is quick, polite and warm. A rarity!)

For Western/ Brazilian fusionthat tastes good and deosn%26#39;t break the bank: Alameda

To impress with the over the top decor: LAN

How long is a piece of string?!

Your question is too open-ended for anyone to give you any reasonable answer.

Cost of Taxi

Hi,

Does anyone know how much it would cost me and how long it would take in a taxi from Hong Kong airport to Silvermine Hotel in Lantau Island?

If I took a bus how much would it be and whats the timetable like on a sunday?

Many thanks

Cost of Taxi

Around HK$140 for the taxi, takes about 40 minutes.

For bus costs and timetable, see

http://www.newlantaobus.com/road_A35.htm

Cost of Taxi

Brilliant, thanks for your quick response

Help with Huangshan Logistics Please

Hi All,

We%26#39;re travelling to China this June with our two adopted daughters to visit their homeland. In addition to some of the main sites in Beijing and Xi%26#39;an we%26#39;re planning visits to their orphanages in Nanchang and Lu%26#39;an. After Lu%26#39;an we%26#39;re planning on visiting various places in Anhui province, including Huangshan.

Just before Huangshan, we%26#39;ll be staying in the small Ming era village of Zhaji, which is located several hours west. We can arrange transportation from Zhaji to any of the cable cars going up the mountain. My question has to do with getting to the Beihai Hotel and what to do with luggage we do not want to bring up the mountain.

From what I%26#39;ve read here, it is not a long or difficult walk from the Cloud Valley Cable Car to the Beihai. The north Taiping cable car is actually easier and less expensive for us to get to. How long and difficult a walk is it from there to the Beihai? More importantly, what facilites are located at either cable car for leaving luggage that we don%26#39;t want to lug up Huangshan? We%26#39;re planning on only bringing the things we need for our one night up on the mountain, which means we%26#39;ll have several suitcases we want to leave down below, and collect before heading out to the airport the next day.

And on the topic of flights to Shanghai, we%26#39;ll be flying out of Tunxi on a Thursday. The only flight I can find is very late at night (11:20 if memory serves). Am I missing any alternative flights, or is their only 1 on Thursday/Friday?

Help with Huangshan Logistics Please

Taiping cable car is my favourite out of all 3 on Huangshan, as it has the best views.

Would it be possible for you to stop by Tunxi and leave the excess luggage there?

Rather limited flights for Huangshan. You might also want to consider the overnight sleeper trains.

Help with Huangshan Logistics Please

Thanks Ellyse,

You are a one woman Huangshan travel agency! I%26#39;m not yet clear on the route from Zhaji to Tunxi and or Huangshan Mountain, but I suspect it may add the full time required to go from Huangshan to Tunxi and back, as I think we come in from the north.

Would it be faster/easier to go to the airport rather than Tunxi town itself, or are they really close. Given we%26#39;re currently thinking of flying out, we%26#39;ll end up at the airport after the mountain anyway.

However, I%26#39;ve heard it is 1 to 1.5 hours from the airport to Huangshan Mt. cable cars, so it is possible that heading down there to drop our bags will add 2-3 hours to our day.

Thanks for the compliments, I do my best. Not just for Huangshan either!

Would it be possible to pay the driver extra to drop you off at Taiping cable car, but continue on to somewhere in Tunxi (or even Tangkou) to drop off your extra luggage? That would be the best solution I can think of.

Hi Ellyse,

I%26#39;m sure we can pay extra for a trip into Tunxi or Tangkou. My only concern has been the additional time - but maybe I do that and let the family head up earlier. Will the round trip from Taiping, to Tunxi or Tangkou, add 2-3 hours? More? Less?

On a different note, we%26#39;ve been advised that it is about a 30 minute walk from the top of the Taiping cable car to the Beihai Hotel to drop of what luggage we will bring up with us. Is that about right in your experience?

Thanks again,

Bill

No, I meant that all of you get off at Taiping cable car, and only the driver and vehicle continue onto Tunxi/Tangkou with the luggage.

I think I%26#39;d figure on about 2-3 hours for the round-trip to Tangkou and perhaps 3-4 hours for the round-trip to Tunxi.

Hmmm it depends on what kind of luggage you have, how many, and how heavy! I would probably reckon on about 45 mins.

You%26#39;re right. That makes a lot more sense. Thanks for the perspective on walk time from the cable car to the hotel.

And thatnks for the many other comments you%26#39;ve posted throughout this discussion group. It is a real help to so many of us!

Thanks for the compliments, I do my best. :)

BTW, if you%26#39;re ascending from Taiping cable car, Paiyunlou Hotel would be the nearest.

Nintendo DS Lite and Brain Trainer Game

Does anyone know where the best place to buy a nintendo DS Lite hand held Console in Hong Kong. I would like to know that I am going to a reliable shop and dealer. Are these consoles and games compatible with the UK market. If we bought games in the UK would they be able to be used on the machine. I am going to Hong Kong next week for a week. Is it possible to buy these machines in Szuchan? Would appreciate any advice. Thanks

Nintendo DS Lite and Brain Trainer Game

hi. i saw your post a little late. were you able to find the type of electronic shop you were looking for? i have the game and brain aware and love it, wondering your thoughts and experience? also, how was hong kong. going in two weeks.

Nintendo DS Lite and Brain Trainer Game

are the games for the nintendo DS in Hongkong compatable with a us bought handheld unit?

Hi Guys, Nintendo DS Lite games are universal. They are not region coded so you can buy a game anywhere and it will work. Some games will be for the japanese market though as a lot of people from Japan go to HK for holidays so if you are looking at a game that you hadnt heard of before, it might be in japanese (a new or different pokemon or final fantasy game for example...).

I found that the games and consoles were not much cheaper than at home as most of the big chains here discount the older titles. As I was going to be buying the games as a gift I ended up buying from a dealer in HK a thing called a supercard. It works really well. You should look it up on wikipedia or google it if you want to know more about it.

Hello all. Thank you for your replies. I got back yesterday from HK. It was coolish but dry for our week. I thought it would be warmer, and definitely needed a light jacket during the day.

Yes, I bought 2 nintendos for people at home. We went to a shop near the top of Nathan Road which advertised that it had all the big names for cameras and electronics. If you want to know the name I can advise.

We queried that the guarantee should cover the world and not just HK and area surrounding. We were quoted different prices for both these guarantees, and found that for a worldwide cover, that most reputable dealers quoted HK dollars of 1200 to 1400.You do not want to buy the %26#39;local%26#39; machine because it is in chinese apparently.

The shop where we bought our ds lites, also persuaded us to purchase a %26#39;chip%26#39; and %26#39;stick%26#39; thing (sorry but I am not the computer buff, my husband is!), which allows us to download games for free off the internet. The games you buy cost about UK拢30 and although this piece of kit was in the regions of UK拢80, this equates to 3 games. And if you can do this with lots of games, it pays for itself after 3 downloads. One of the purchasers has registered his machine. And tonight will do the downloading part, and the playing of the games! I trust this will go OK, and will let you know.

The shop in question, was very helpful, and put the anti scratch screens on to the Nintendo, and put in the names and birthdays too.

If you wish to know anymore, I shall let you know.

Please do your homework before shopping for electronics.

Language on NDS depends on the game cartridge, not the machine.

Hie...how much do u pay for the console (DS Lite) itself in HKD?

Hi! I think I paid HKD 1200 for the universal ds lite. Hope that helps you.

Also, a Brain Trainer game was bought in UK and works absolutely fine on the Nintendo we bought.

Does the price HKD 1200 include in your ';chip'; %26amp; ';stick'; thing for the free internet download?

Hi! I just want to know the name of the shop from where you bought the DS Lite? and where it is located exactly?

Hi! No, the 1200 HKD does not include the extras. In total we paid about 2500 HKD for each nintendo and its extras.

We bought them from Jordan Digital World. 318 Nathan Road, inbetween Ning Po St, and Nanking St, in the area of Temple Street market.

Hope this helps you.

silk comforter

Questions regarding Ritz Carlton Financial Street

Would like some input if possible, many thanks.

The RC, I know is in the Financial area about 4-5 k%26#39;s out of town, they say that it takes 10-15 minutes by cab is this correct. I know they say that the Grand Hyatt is abetter location but apparently apart from their pool the RC Financial St is better. The other Ritz Carlton is way to exp.

Has any one stay at the RC Financ. St. lately and if so how was it. Perhaps someone has stayed in the Junior Suite any comments on this. Where are the majority of hotels are they all out of the centre with the exception of a few and is the Taxi thing all the norm. Dont mean to sound like an imbesile but its hard to explain oneself. What would the best time to travel by taxi during the day, say after 9 and before 5???? we are going in the month of November late.

Questions regarding Ritz Carlton Financial Street

I suppose almost anyone who could afford to stay in 5-star hotels in Beijing/China wouldn%26#39;t be thinking twice about just taking taxis anywhere and everywhere since for the prices these travellers are used to, they would find them cheap.

However for other less well-heeled travellers like me, we swear by the metro and then some taxi rides to go where the metro can%26#39;t reach.

There%26#39;re plenty of hotels located all over Beijing, within the 2nd ring road and out of. I%26#39;m not sure why you had the impression that the majority of hotels are all out of the centre.

Questions regarding Ritz Carlton Financial Street

Funny that, I dont recall anything in my Post about the costs of a Taxi it was I believe the duration of how long a Taxi takes. But once again you have succeeded in giving another condecending answer, I guess that is what happens when you are far less travelled.

Geez, I wasn%26#39;t giving a condescending answer. I was trying to point out why different types of travellers usually take different kinds of transport!

If you didn%26#39;t see that, I wonder who%26#39;s the less-travelled?

I have stayed at the Intercontinental on Financial Street, and it is just a few subway stops from the Forbidden City and major shopping, or the 10-15 minutes in a taxi as you mentioned. Other attractions, such as the Summer Palace, the Lama Temple and the Temple of Heaven are considerably farther. So do not be concerned about the Financial Street location. Things are fairly spread out in Beijing. Of course, the Great Wall is considerably out of town, too. You will be spending a lot of time in taxis to tour Beijing, no matter where you stay.

I liked the Financial Street location for its convenience to the Second Ring Road and the non-touristy neighborhood shopping.

Many thanks for your reply, my next question was about a subway so you have put my mind at ease. If it is like Hong Kong then nothing will be an issue.

Thank you.

I think it is fine to stay at the Financial Street. It takes a few minutes to get to the city center, but as noted by others, you have to travel to see the sights no matter where you stay in Beijing.

Beijing is not a walkable city and the sights are not centralized.

There is a big shopping center with a grocery store at the Financial Street, so you can buy anything you might need.

China Itinerary advice - 2wks

Thinking of a 2 week trip to China in Beijing, Xian and Guilin. Would fly in and out of beijing and probably do internal flightsbetween cities, possibly one train instead of a flight?

What are your recommended amounts of time in each place?

Is it easy for vegetarians to get food (not strict veggies but no meat at all)? Are there pizza type restaurants in these places? Love chinese veggie food but not sure about 2 weeks worth! Sorry to ask this!

Is end of Oct early Nov a good time to visit?

Thanks for any help.

China Itinerary advice - 2wks

You could do something like

6 days in Beijing

Overnight train

2-3 in Xi%26#39;an

1 day for travel

5 in Guilin, Yangshuo and in the countryside.

You could add time in Xi%26#39;an and climb Huashan.

You can get vegetarian food, but there are challenges. Chinese food uses lots of vegetables, but also often flavors them with small bits of meat and seafood. Vegetable and tofu dishes may come with bits of meat, tiny shrimp, etc. A big surprise for Westerners in China is that tofu is often served with meat.

People may take %26#39;no meat%26#39; to mean %26#39;no pork%26#39;, so you might get other meats or seafood.

Otherwise vegetarian dishes might sometimes be cooked in lard.

If you are willing to eat around meat and risk some animal broth, juices or fats it%26#39;s pretty easy. It%26#39;s much harder if you want to steer clear of that. Obviously, vegetarian restaurants are a good choice, but you do have to plan ahead so you can find those.

As for non-Chinese vegetarian foods, Beijing has lots of options, from pizza to Indian.

There are less places in the other cities, but you can almost always find pizza, and the big hotel restaurants are an option if you can%26#39;t find anything else suitable.

China Itinerary advice - 2wks

Beijing (5 days) -- overnight train -- Xi%26#39;an (3 days) -- flight -- Guilin/Yangshuo (5 days) -- flight -- Beijing. That%26#39;s assuming if you only want to visit these 3 places and nothing else.

I have a printable JPG file with Chinese characters detailing what vegetarians cannot eat. If you think that would be of use to you, email me at ellyse99@yahoo.com and put ';TripAdvisor'; and your own username (eg mrspink) in the subject line.

There are some absolutely world class vegetarian restaurants in Beijing. Check with your hotel concierge and on line before you go. One is a few blocks south of Lama Temple. Another is a buffet across the street from the Confucius Temple. (Not world class but good and cheap nontheless.) Several more are inside the Second Ring Road. I found the quality and quantity of vegetarian restaurants the best in Beijing, so pass on the pizzas in Beijing. A Buddhist-style veggies place a bit west of the Forbidden City was great.

Elsewhere, stick to stir fried vegetable dishes. There is a common dish of red peppers and tofu that is fairly good. A big western breakfast is a good time to pack in the protein with dairy and grains. Restaurants associated with Buddhist Temples are a good bet too. You should have no problem finding cheese pizzas, but the cholesterol will kill you night after night!

I agree with the above comments. Also, I find vegetarian dumplings (jiaozi and baozi) to be a very reliable choice.

One issue I%26#39;ve had when taking people to vegetarian restaurants was that they objected to all of the mock-meat dishes.

You might want to steer clear of those when you order, or you can just accept that that is part of the Chinese vegetarian tradition and give them a try. I understand that Western vegetarians are not trying to pretend to be eating meat, but the Chinese Buddhists apparently were, and the mock-meat vary from not being like meat at all to being pretty amazing facsimiles.

For example, the mock shrimp I%26#39;ve had are an utter failure as shrimp, but fairly tasty nonetheless. In any case, I think it can be interesting experience if approached with an open mind.

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spring or fall

Is the weather in china better for travel in the spring months or September/October? How cold is it in Beijing end of September?

spring or fall

China is just as large as the USA and has climates which vary just as much. That being said, most prefer fall as drier than springtime in many places. Beijing will be nice, see:

weather.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx鈥?/a>

spring or fall

Generally I%26#39;d say Sep/Oct, but avoid the 1st week of October as that%26#39;s the National Day holiday week. Crowds everywhere, higher accommodation prices and difficult to get inter-city transport.

Look on wunderground.com/global/stations/54511.html and weather.msn.com/local.aspx鈥?/a> for Beijing%26#39;s weather conditions.

I agree with the above, as it is the clear consensus among those with experience in China.

help with 3 week itinerary for may/june

I am just looking for suggestions for my 3 week itinerary.

These are the cities I am thinking about stopping by:

Beijing - see the big touristy things: great wall, forbidden city, tiananmen square, etc

Shanghai - and see the city, the bund, etc. (Probably not spending too long here because I dunno really what to see there, it%26#39;s more of a base to see the next two cities)

Hangzhou - see West Lake

Suzhou - see the gardens, silk museum

Guilin/Yangshuo - see the scenery, maybe do a little biking/hiking, river cruise

Chengdu - see the pandas, giant buddha

Xian - see the terracotta warriors

So, how many days should I allocate at each area? Any other general China tips (combating the pollution, food sickness, etc)? What to bring and what NOT to bring? What foods I MUST try in those above locations? Any other off the touristy path I should visit as well?

Thanks!

help with 3 week itinerary for may/june

You can%26#39;t see all of this very easily in three weeks.

Keep in mind that travel takes most of the day, so you don%26#39;t really get two days in Xi%26#39;an since most of the second day is just getting to the airport and flying to Guilin.

Beijing, 4 days, overnight train to Xi%26#39;an

Xi%26#39;an, 2 days, flight to Guilin

Guilin/Yanghshuo, 3 days, flight to Shanghai

Suzhou or a water town, 1 day

Hangzhou, 2 days

Shanghai, 2 days. Fly out of Shanghai or return to Beijing for flight home.

Even if you cut a day from Beijing and Guilin, you don%26#39;t really get enough time to add Chengdu. Of course you could go to Chengdu instead of Guilin.

help with 3 week itinerary for may/june

Beijing: 4-5 days

Shanghai: 2 days

Hangzhou: 1.5-2 days

Suzhou: 1 day

Yangshuo: 3-5 days

Chengdu: 1.5 days

Xi%26#39;an: 1.5 days

Once you add up the travel time then you%26#39;ll see that you won%26#39;t have much time for any more destinations. I presume you%26#39;re travelling overland, or are you flying for some legs? What are your points of entry and exit?

Flying the longer legs, and bus/train the shorter (the shanghai/suzhou/hangzhou region). Point of entry/exit is Beijing

Beijing (4 days) -- overnight train -- Xi%26#39;an (2 days) -- flight -- Chengdu (2 days) -- flight -- Guilin (transit only) -- bus -- Yangshuo area (4 days) -- bus -- Guilin (transit only) -- Hangzhou (2 days) -- train -- Shanghai (2 days) -- train -- Suzhou (1 day) -- overnight train -- Beijing (2 days)

I know that%26#39;s 19 days, but figure on half a day wasted when you fly each time.

Call Me Dumb.....

but I just assumed the weather in Lijiang in mid-April would be on the cool side. I just checked two different weather sites, and it is in the mid-90s to 103 degrees F.

Does this sound right for this time of year? I was packing long-sleeved shirts and pants. What about Guilin? Will it also be toasty?? Thanks...

Call Me Dumb.....

The temperatue should be in the 14 to 20 degrees celcius range during april with occasional light showers.

it is really dependent on the sun, if the sun is up than even a light t-shirt is enough for most people but if the sun is not up than it can get abit chilly.

Call Me Dumb.....

Right. I know that the average temperature for April is lower, but the 2 websites I am checking (Accuweather %26amp; MSN) both are showing that the temps in the upcoming week will be %26gt;100 degrees.

I am just wondering if they might be wrong, or if it really IS that hot in Lijiang. I am packing for the trip, and don%26#39;t know whether to pack my hot-weather clothing. Any help would be appreciated!

well, i run an inn here in lijiang so am here right now. and the weather is hovering around 1324 degrees celcius depending on whether the sun is up or not

Thanks, Woodenman Boss. I appreciate your response about the weather. I am looking forward to my trip to Lijiang!!

I can%26#39;t imagine those temps in Lijiang. Your right that this is what the websites say, but given the mountainous location and the above response from someone who is there, this appears to be an error!

dog

Airport to Hotel by train help please

Hi, am going to Shanghai and am thinking about using the fast train into Shanghai City and a taxi from the station to the hotel.

Just one question, are there any steps to navigate at either the airport or the station, as we have a elderly person with us who cannot walk far or climb many step, with luggage it may therefore prove difficult

Thanks

Airport to Hotel by train help please

There are lifts and/or escalators at the stations. If you are catching the Maglev, it only goes at maximum speed (430kph) between 9am and 4.45pm. It might be more convenient for you to catch a taxi on arrival and do the Maglev when you are leaving Shanghai.

Airport to Hotel by train help please

Thanks for the fast response, arrive Shanghai at 11am, want to try the fast train, but are you saying that a taxi is the best option anyway?

Hi the maglev train at a speed of 431km/hr starts at 715am.It takes 7 mins to reach Longyang station at Pudong from the airport.Only thing early morning the train might go a bit slower for the engine to warm up.Still its the fastest train in the world.There r escalators available if not short flight of stairs which r wide n so its not too difficult for slow moving people to be on the train unless so bad that even slight mobility is even a difficult manouver then its not advisable

So i would strongly recommend it if the person concerned r not too handicap.Moreover usually there r not many people on the train so n its usually well regulated so there wont be any rushing or pushing.Its a great experience only setback is its too fast by the time u enter its not long that ur leaving the train at a journey of 30 over kms.I would say its not a problem if u r taking maglev but if its the metro wellhmmnnn there could be some problems.Anyway which part of the city u intend to go?.

Thanks again for the response, am staying at the New World Hotel just off Nanjing Road, so guess the station is the other side of the river to the hotel?

Hi u have 2 options.If u take Maglev n reached Longyang u can either transfer to the Metro line 2 at the adjacent building n fromm there disembark at the Peoples square station New world hotel is just a stone throw away from here.It takes about 15 mins from the metro from Longyang to reach the Peoples square station.ITs simple provided u have strong guys to carry yr luggage n yr luggages r not too excessive.I have seen numerous times travellers with big suit cases doin it this way though personally i always prefer to travel light.Other method is by taking a cab from Longyang station to yr hotel takes about 25 mins provided no jam n cost about 25 to 28 Rmb.Well u can consider whichever way u prefer.The other easiest option of course is to take taxi or shuttle bus from the airport.By cab takes about 45 mins,n cost around 130Rmb.but remember the cab can take in 3 to 4 persons max.only.n the luggage might not be able to accomodate.Yr hotel is at a very convenient location n easy to reach from the metro station at Peoples square.

Many many thanks for the answers, given me some ideas to think about, most likely will get the train at least one way just to try it and will get a taxi at the other end. Thanks again

From the arrivals hall to the maglev is a 10min. walk with escalators at both ends. At Longyan station it%26#39;s a short walk and escalator to the taxi rank. From there the taxi journey time would be about 20mins.

The Maglev (http://www.smtdc.com) only goes to Longyang Lu metro stop on line 2 in the boonies of Pudong, not into downtown Shanghai.

I presume you mean the Radisson New World Hotel, at 88 Nanjing Xilu. The metro stop for that is People%26#39;s Square which%26#39;s an interchange for lines 1, 2 and 8. Nearest exit IIRC is no.7 or 8. Look on http://www.exploreshanghai.com/metro/ for an interactive map of Shanghai%26#39;s metro.

No stairs to navigate at Pudong airport, and there%26#39;re escalators between the Maglev and metro stations at Longyang Lu. However the problem with People%26#39;s Square interchange, other than not enough escalators (some exits still only have stairs) is the amount of people. After a longish flight, the crowds and chaos might be too much for you to stomach.

Do you have the option of taking the Maglev on the way out instead? I would suggest that you take a taxi on the way in, then when you leave, a taxi to Longyang Lu Maglev station and then go by the Maglev to Pudong airport.

Hi,Neilhc,

As I know, the elderly person%26#39;s heart may be not suitable for the 450km/hour. So we will suggest to taxi only.

For young people, you can choose other time to experience. It is more better.

Enjoy!

Susan Zheng

There are big lifts to the Meglev level so I do not think you would have problem to get to Meglev from the airport, from the Meglev Long-Yang-Road stataion, you can use the escalator to go ground level for the taxi queue.

Of course, you can just get a taxi at the airport which might even cheapter since you travel with your family, but Meglev is way faster, I can get to my downtown apartment from PVG within 35 minutes thanks for the Meglev and Subway 2.

Huang Ting Restaurant, Peninssula Hotel

Hi, has anybody eaten here? It%26#39;s supposed to be very good and fancy, i read the menu on their web site but there were no prices! Can you give me an idea of the price for a dinner for two?

Huang Ting Restaurant, Peninssula Hotel

Around 300 RMB/pax.

Huang Ting Restaurant, Peninssula Hotel

Thanks, do you think it%26#39;s worth it? Also i%26#39;d like to try these other places: Li Qun Roast Duck Restaurant and Jing Ding for a yum cha. Any comment?

Sorry dear, I%26#39;m not based in Beijing neither do I have the money to eat in such up-market places! Gleaned my answer from a Chinese-language food BBS.

Da Dong, Quanjude and Liqun should be the 3 most famous names for Peking duck. On that same food BBS, Da Dong is the overall winner.

I stayed at the Peninsula but don%26#39;t remember thus place. But really, I never find hotel food worth it. There are so many great places to eat for a fraction of the price of a hotel restaurant.

infact i was wondering if it%26#39;s worth to spend those money in a country where you can have great food also on the street. But we%26#39;re very foody and if this place is suggested by a famous chinese chef in sydney (Kylie Kwong), that%26#39;s why i was curious.

Xian Guide/Driver

I am looking for reports from tourists who used a specific guide/driver in Xian that they felt was very good. Thank you in advance!

Xian Guide/Driver

Please do a forum search for ';Xi%26#39;an guide';, or similar keywords. There%26#39;ve already been a number of related posts.

Xian Guide/Driver

I was hoping to hear directly from some tripadvisor users who had actually used a specific person in Xian.

Thank you.

That%26#39;s what the search function would%26#39;ve gotten you. Other travellers have posted reports about whoever they%26#39;ve previously used in that capacity.

I agree with you all

and there are some quite guides in Xi%26#39;an can help us

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Afternoon Cruise?

We are scheduled to arrive in Guilin at 10:40am and will leave two days later at 18:45pm.

Are there any cruises we could catch up with on the day of arrival, possibly around 13:00?

General suggestions on how we could best organise our days would be welcome.

Afternoon Cruise?

Guilin is really an unattractive city. You should jump on the first available bus to Yangshuo and do the cruise from there - on a bamboo raft rather than a crowded tourist boat.

Hong Kong, money

A very dumb question but how much money would i roughly need for 5 nights in Hong kong, doing the whole touristy thing and possible a little shopping....?

Hong Kong, money

this might help.

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294217-i1496-k167鈥?/a>

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HK itinerary

Hey guys, this is the updated itinerary for my friends and I this coming May. Please advise on the feasibility, and make suggestions as you guys see fit. Thanks

Day 1 May 10 Saturday

1000 Arrive at Chek Lap Kok Intl Airport

1130 Depart from airport after immigration and waiting for the shuttle

100 Arrive and check in at Shamrock hotel

130 Late lunch at nearby restaurant Hon Po Restaurant BP International??

230 Tsim Sha Tsui

Granville Road ,Canton Road, etc

500 Star Ferry to Central

Take Bus 15 from Pier 7 Bus Terminal to the Lower Peak Terminus

Take the Peak tram up to the Peak

830 Take a bus down from the peak (What bus number??)

930 Temple Street Night Market

Day 2 May 11 Sunday

800 Breakfast at Tsui Wah Restaurant 15-17 Wellington Street Central

900 MTR to Admiralty

Citybus Route 629 to Ocean Park

1000 OceanPark

500 Leave OceanPark and take a bus to Admiralty

600 MTR to Prince Edward

Spend the evening in Mongkok area Ladies Market and all the other themed streets

1000 Back to Hotel

Day 3 May 12 Monday Public Holiday in HK

700 Breakfast Use coupon at Mcdonalds

730 MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui Exit A1 to China Ferry Terminal

Get tickets to and from Macau

1000 Arrive in Macau, earlier if there%26#39;s no crowd at China Ferry Terminal

1100 Macau DIY Tour

800 Head to Macau Ferry Terminal, catch the 9nish ferry to Hong Kong

1000 Arrive in HK Kowloon side, head home to Hotel

Day 4 May 13 Tuesday

800 Breakfast at Australia Dairy Company at 47 Parkes St. Kowloon HK

900 MTR to Disneyland

1000 Arrive at Disneyland, get tickets

800 Leave Disneyland

Day 5 May 14 Wednesday

800 Breakfast in Mcdo鈥?/p>

930 MTR to Central

Visit the Lanes, wet market, other shops and buildings

Make way eastward to Causeway Bay by tram??walk??, shop and looksee

300 Leave for hotel

400 Airport transfer

700 Flight back

HK itinerary

not sure what time the markets in mongkok closes but it might be better to place mongkok on day 1.

place victoria peak on day 2 after ocean park and then tsim sha tsui or mongkok after victoria peak.

HK itinerary

info on the night markets and other markets can be found on this link....

geoexpat.com/hong-kong-lifestyle/鈥?/a>

geoexpat.com/hong-kong-lifestyle/鈥?/a>

geoexpat.com/hong-kong/鈥?/a>

Any reason to have breakfast at Tsui Wah in Wellington Street when there is a Tsui Wah on Jordan Rd?

15 bus down from the Peak.

Also, it is 15C from central to the lower peak terminus and 15 back down.

Also going to Macau on a public holiday mightn%26#39;t be such a good idea. If you have to go that day, make sure to get your tickets well in advance. We went on a Thursday and were amazed at the number of people travelling.

We also found it better to plan out a day but not for a specific date, just wake up an see what the weather is doing, then work out what to do that day.

A lot depends on the weather, keep the peak for a day with good visability, same with Macau. Foggy days are good for shopping.

Have a great time,

Pat

Thanks for the quick replies!

greenarcher: Mongkok is open til 10- 1030...How do we get from Ocean Park to the Peak? My friends want to ride the tram up the peak, so if you could give directions to the Lower Peak Tram Terminus, but if a bus is more convenient then we%26#39;re open to that option also.

drumbrake: Aside from using the trip to Tsui Wah Central to look around Central...no reason..just plain ignorance =) We didn%26#39;t know there was one on Jordan road. All the Internet sites we came across pointed to Wellington. Our first choice was supposed to be Mak%26#39;s but some site said it opens at around 10am which is too late. Is Ka ka Lok near our hotel? We also want to try it out.

pat: Yup we really picked a good time to visit HK -a weekend and a holiday..=( But this is the only time our schedules matched... hmmm well ordinarily I would have put Macau on Tuesday...but my friends wanted to visit Disney on Tuesday to avoid the ';peak rate'; ticket of HK DIsney during holidays and weekends...

Additional questions: Are there shops selling ';chops'; in the night markets?(Temple or Mongkok) Or are Man Wa Lane and Stanley the places to get chinese name chops made?

Is there a place in Jordan that serves good roast goose and packages it to go..I mean for the plane ride back home?

take a bus from ocean park to central, then another bus from central to the peak tram terminus (bus 15C). get off at the terminus and ride the tram going up the peak.

if you have kids, better get off at admiralty...

go thru and out pacific place mall, and go through the hk park. the park will be a fun activity / stroll thru specially for the kids...

when you get out of the park, the peak terminus is just across the road.

Query

Anybody who have stayed at Metropark Hotel Mongkok?

What%26#39;s your evaluation?

How do I get there from the airport?

Query

Metropark Hotel has recently been renovated.

The location is a bit odd. The neighbourhood is purely residential and not much activities around. They have free hotel shuttle bus going to Tsimshatsui.

After renovation the hotel is pretty tidy. But mind you in 2003 it is where the SARS outbreak began!

Getting to the hotel from the Airport is a bit difficult. Perhaps you can take the airport express train to Kowloon Station and transfer to a taxi.

In Hong Kong taxi is relatively inexpensive.

Query

Francis, you%26#39;ve got the Metropark hotels mixed up. Metropark Mongkok (previously Hotel Concourse) is near Prince Edward Station, and very conveniently located. Shopping malls just across Nathan Road, and the A21 airport bus stops right outside the door.

The one that had the SARS outbreak was the Metropark Kowloon on Waterloo Road, much less convenient in terms of location. And SARS was 5 years ago so don%26#39;t scare the guy ;)

Day trips to China & Macau

Hi all,

I%26#39;m planning to be in Hong Kong next month and want to do some separate tours to mainland China (particularly Shenzen and Guangzhou) and Macau.

Could someone please advise the best way to do it or if they know any good tour companies which do this? I know there are quite a few and have looked at some websites, but just wondering if people could give some personal recommendations? Just some company names would be great, as I know you can%26#39;t post site addresses here.

Day trips to China %26amp; Macau

you can take the train to shenzen (lo wu station)

take the turbojet / ferry to macau

you might need to fly to guangzhou though.

Day trips to China %26amp; Macau

1. No need to go on a tour. Just do it yourself. Buy a guidebook. Ask for advice on here.

2. Macau is very easy. Just catch a ferry. No need for a visa in advance.

3.Visa costs are going up for China for many nationalities. This will affect your decision about whether it is worthwhile going for a day trip.

4. Shenzhen is generally seen as good for shopping. Guangzhou has more historical sights.

It takes around 2 hours by train to Guangzhou. By the time you arrive, the flight may be taking off from Hong Kong.

You could reduce costs by doing a triangle instead of two seperate trips eg HK-Macau (TurboJet); Macau-Guangzhou (bus, via Zhuhai); Guangzhou-Shenzhen (bus); Shenzhen-HK (MTR/train)

Doing a triangle trip would definitely work well (HK-Macau-Guangzhou-Shenzhen), but do take note of all the changes in visa issuing procedures that are going on at present - you will need to either get a mainland visa before you leave Australia, or have at least a couple of days in HK before you do the mainland China bit.

If you do decide to go with a tour, don%26#39;t go with Gray Line. A friend went with them and spent more than half the time being shuffled around the shops which paid commissions to the tour guides (quite a common practice, btw).

Hotel

Hello,

I%26#39;ve decided to visit Shanghai but I%26#39;m having a lot of trouble deciding on a hotel...

I%26#39;m looking for a 5 star hotel within walking distance of the main areas, shops, attractions, etc. The issue, though, is that everything is so expensive.

What would your recommend for a 5 star hotel that isn%26#39;t too expensive and is in a good area?

Thanks!

Hotel

1) Please define ';isn%26#39;t too expensive';.

2) What are your dates of stay?

Hotel

ideally around US250 a night, no more than $300. I will be there June 16-22.

Thank you

In rough order of preference: Jinjiang Hotel, Jinjiang Tower, Okura Garden, Radisson New World, Ramada Plaza, JC Mandarin, Howard Johnson All Suites, Eton.

Hi for Usd250 or less u can get a suite in Ramada Plaza.Howard Johnson,Central hotel,a deluxe room at Radison,JWMarriot,a suite at Okura Garden,Jinjiang hotel.LeMeridien is slghtly more expensive.They r in the central part of Shanghai been the earlier mentioned hotels close to the Peoples square.Later mentioned hotels r close to Xintiandi n Huai haizhonglu.

Thank you.

How do you feel about the Pudi hotel (its location, etc.)?

Thank you!

Not bad either.

Hi Pudi hotel at Fuxing park,the hotel itself is good but its location is not perfect,close to French concession area.Location wise is so so n definitely not walking distance to landmark area like the bund or Nanjing pedetrian street.U need to take metro or a cab but cabs r easily available n dont cost much.Quite central cos Shanghai is a huge city,so its location is still considered central.But i will definiotely choose hotel s near to the Peoples square if i have the same rate.unless of cos if u think of nightlife,for bars n bistros,its nearer but even u stay near Peoples square a short cab ride or metro will bring u to these places.For shopping i think u need to go a distance.Heard that the rooms r good but its also good at hotels like the Le Meridien.or Ramada plaza.

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Directions to Macau From HKG

My plane arrives at 18:30 on April 11th 2008 and the only ferry I could make would be @2200 becasue I have luggage. So I am trying find out how I get to the HK ferry terminal and what the routing would be please and what feery time I could make

Thank you

Directions to Macau From HKG

The cheap and easy way is to catch the A11 airport bus to Sheung Wan (stop 4, HK$40), then the turbojet that leaves every 15 mins to Macau.

Directions to Macau From HKG

A quicker/more relaxing way would be Airport Express to HKG Station ($100 - 25 minutes), then 10 min walk to the Macau Ferry terminal if your luggage is portable/draggable

That is a Friday night - ferries will be very busy - definitely book before or you might not get on. If it was me, I would take the Airport Express train (so simple and quick, but yes, a little more expensive), then walk to the terminal (if you have dragable baggage - about a 20 minute walk, Hey, you have been in a plane, a walk would do you good) and then get the Turbojet/boat.

Leave yourself plenty of time to get to the boat - immigration may take 1 minute or 20 minutes, plus which gate you get off at, plus baggage. It can be quick, but there is no point worrying all flight/transfer.

Also, it will give you a little time to see some (ok, not much) of Hong Kong.

Enjoy.

wow thank you very much that is what I will do thinking I would have just got off the plane and its a 13 hour flight. so quick and easy is where I will be at that time. just trying to get to my hotel in macau. to sleep lol

asumming I need to clear custums before getting the train do you know the average wait time from landing to clearing immagration I amtring to establish an ETA for my pick up at the macau ferry terminal.

Thanks again

The 2200 ferry departs from the Skypier from the airport.

No need to clear immigration or customs in Hong Kong. No need to take train or bus to city.

Once arrived at HKIA, go for the transfer desk inside the secure area and buy ferry, let them have your luggage reclaim tags and they will handle your luggage. You will then take a special bus to a pier on the airport island, and take the ferry to Macau. On immigration record, you have never been to Hong Kong.

But the poster is arriving at 1830 at the airport. If they wait until 2200 ferry, they%26#39;ll get to Macau around 2300.

If they go into town, they should be in Macau about 2130 at the latest.

You have to balance out the relative (dis)advantages of queueing up for HK immigration, collecting luggage, catching train / bus / taxi / whatever - with all the luggage - to CFT or MFT, and possibly having to wait for a couple of hours to get on a boat (if the Turbojet website won%26#39;t let you book online, which seems quite a common problem) for MAYBE arriving a bit earlier in Macau, with those of hanging around in HKIA airside for the extra time, having someone else carry your luggage, being sure of a seat at 2200, and saving half a page in your passport. Maybe I%26#39;m just lazy, but I would definitely go for the latter; at least HKIA has plenty to look at %26amp; places to eat that aren%26#39;t outrageousely expensive.

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traveling to Guangzhou from Macau

I would like to know the best and fastest way to get to Guangzhou from Macau please

traveling to Guangzhou from Macau

Cross the border to Zhuhai and take a bus from there: zhuhai.expat9.com/handbook/macau-to-zhuhai

Reverse the information given in the following URLs.

bestofguangzhou.com/travel/…

bestofguangzhou.com/travel/…

…expat9.com/handbook/guangzhou-to-zhuhai

traveling to Guangzhou from Macau

I presume you already have a mainland China visa sorted out? If you want to do it in Macau you will have to spend at least two nights there and waste quite a few hours hanging around the Foreign Affairs office.

I'm intimidated about independent travel in China

My title says it all. We are experienced independent international travelers, but our only experience in Asia was Vietnam. There we made our own arrangements with agencies and had private guides pretty much all of the time except in the large cities which we handled on our own with no problems. We were pretty far off the beaten path for most of our trip, and I know we would have not been able to manage what we did on our own without a guide.

Now China is on my horizons--possibly Sichuan or Yunnan. I really am not looking to just take a typical guided group tour because they are not our style. One issue is that we often like to do things that are not on the typical tourist itinerary. Another is that I know tours often cost a lot more because of all the middle-men being paid. Enforced shopping stops are not to ur likes either. Also, we are not looking for 5* type expensive lodging so won%26#39;t be able to avail ourelves of the hand-holding that comes with this type of tourism. Finally--the biggie--we have zero language skills and obviously can%26#39;t even read the characters.

Bottom line. How difficult is it to travel in the areas of China I%26#39;ve mentioned independently? Are my fears for naught or are they justified? We want to do more than just travel from one large city to the next or each major tourist site to the next. I guess I should also add the question of how much more expensive it would be to do our own thing, which I know would entail hiring private guides and drivers vs. just signing on for the typical tour group? Thanks.

I'm intimidated about independent travel in China

Yunnan province is extremely well-travelled by independent backpackers, Sichuan a little less so but still very doable.

I just went for 2 weeks in Yunnan province -- 1st 8 days as 3 together and the later 6 days as 2 together. Including round-trip flights from Shanghai, and a Jinghong -- Kunming flight (which turned out to be unnecessary, upon learning -- too late -- that it was doable by overnight bus), our 14-day trip cost about 6500 RMB.

I'm intimidated about independent travel in China

We are also experienced independent travellers.Having had everything planned (from hotels to private guides in each city), the final decision was made due to the fact that well priced domestic flights can only be booked close to departure or when already in China. We%26#39;re a group of 6 on a tight schedule, unwilling to chance it. So we decided to present our itinerary to China Connections (Xian office as we wanted to skip the USA/Canada middle man). The result is that we%26#39;ve come to an excellent agreeable price for them to book our domestic flights, some hotels %26amp; most guides(we chose to book our hotels independently in Beijing %26amp; Lijiang %26amp; we also preferred to be completely independent in Yangshuo). We were promised no unwanted shopping stops as well. Referral for China Connections was made by a fellow traveller,sssteve, on the Fodors website.

My son (11years old) and myself travelled to Beijing - Xian - Chengdu and back to Beijing independantly last April/May with no hassles at all. WE enlisted the help of cycle china to do some train bookings and timing was important and they also organised a domestic flight, we did do a Great wall trip with them as well, but apart from that we did everything else ourselves and it was all relatively easy. The only problems we had were very small language problems which are always worked out with patience and a bit of humour!

I have travelled Vietnam independantly and it is also easy.

Do it yourself you will be fine!

If I am correctly interpreting what I hear from you, your scenarios were that you did some things completely on your own, used agancies to make certain arrangements, travelled independently from place to place but often used hired guides to show you around the locales.

Actually I can figure out how to do the hotel reservations myself. In Vietnam we found our way around Hanoi and Saigon and took in the sights on our own. After arrival in Vietnam we went to an agency and made our own internal flight arrangements once we had arrived in Saigon, so I know this is doable. We did the overnight train trips by ourselves, but there was a guide waiting for us when we got off the train. We then used the guide and driver services for the outlying area we were planning to visit.

Is what I am describing what you mean by being able to do it yourself? Or, did you do everything independently with no assistance?

Is it easy to find your way around Chinese train stations and find the correct train? As I talk myself through this, I can comprehend that we%26#39;d probably be fine just going from typically touristed city to city on our own. My area of concern would be going out into more rural or off-the-beaten-path type places; here I%26#39;d imagine we%26#39;d need guide/driver services.

I appreciate the comment on costs too. Did this figure for your 7 day trip involve any help with guides or drivers? Thanks again.

There is a big difference between going to rural areas in China that have no international tourist traffic verse those that do. Going to small towns around Guilin or those in Yunnan on your own is not going to be a problem, because lots of independent traveler%26#39;s go to those places.

There are rural places in China where it would be harder to manage, but most of them are also not places you%26#39;ll have any reason to visit. You can get to those that are worthwhile by arranging trips through guest houses in towns like Lijiang and Yangshuo.

Train stations can be a little confusing, but between the English (or at least pinyin) on some signs, showing people your ticket and going where they point, and people who speak English who will offer to help you, you can manage.

Nothing to fear!!!China is quite convenient destination,I spent a month there last year,doing the popular places like Shanghai,Suzhou,Hangzhou,Putuoshan,Nanjing,Luoyang,Xian,Beijing,Qingdao and Taishan...This year (May) will try Sichuan and hopefully Tibet...It s not very hard to travel on your own,as soon as you step off the train you%26#39;ll be surrounded by older ladies offering accomodation(cheap),just make sure you are happy with the location(next to train station or center of town) and check the room before paying.I don%26#39;t expect any dramatic difference in other parts of China,cause there are really a lot of people travelling without arranging tours through the agencies.Yunnan is a very popular destination,once you found backpacker friendy hotel all the latest travel info within the province will be at your disposal. Same for Sichuan. Check www.chinatrekking.com,www.gogosc.com,www,travelchinaguide.com.Have a nice trip!

Answer to your second post ~ NO we did not have guides waiting for us, we did not need them at all, but we did only go to Beijing, Xian and Chengdu.

Using the agency to book our train tickets and flights and Great wall trip. We left from Beijing West train station and it was ok to find out way around as previous suggested. Xian and Chengdu stations not so big as Beijing and easy enough to figure out.

Hi Julie,

Don%26#39;t feel intimidated at all.....

We spent 5 weeks travelling independently in China in June/July last year and apart from one very delayed flight which was our last in China and caused a bit of panic no real problems. The only arrangements we had made in advance were international flights to/from Hong Kong, the flight to Beijing and driver for our round trip to the wall.

The rest we just booked as we went (Accommodation, flights, train, van transport, guides etc) with a little help from accomodation staff, local guides and even cafe staff. I do admit tho it was kinda nice to have our driver meet us at Beijing airport with a sign.....

I had done a fair amount of research and had a itinerary which we varied as we went along. Our route was Jingshaling (the wall), Beijing, Datong, Xian, Lanzhou, Xiahe, Langmusi, Chengdu, Leshan, Kumning, Lijiang,Tiger Leaping Gorge,Zhongdian, Yangshou,Longsheng (+several villages), Macau. So not exactly always on the well trodden path......

We had a fantastic time and absolutely no regrets in fact we were extremely happy to have had the flexibilty. By the way we are in our late 40s/50s so not spring chickens either

My opinion just go for it.... and enjoy.

Cheers Tracey

wolong nature preserve closed to visitors?

I%26#39;ve heard from some people in China that the Wolong Nature Preserve is closed to visitors? If so, is this a new thing and how long would it be that way?

wolong nature preserve closed to visitors?

We don%26#39;t think it is closed.

dragonexpeditions.com/en/鈥ccess-west-sichuan

If you are looking for an alternative, the breeding and research station in the N.East of Chengdu City is a lot more accessable and offers panda hugging (at a price) and pandas of all ages.

wolong nature preserve closed to visitors?

Do you know if the reserve has an offical website, phone number, or email? In chinese is okay.

http://www.pandaclub.net

What readers have to understands is that the Panda research center base that most visitors to Wolong visit isn%26#39;t a preserve/reserve type environment as one would expect in a western style conservation habitat - its more a small panda breeding farm that has been styled to attract tourists, which means that it has the appearance of a zoo (even though the animals have large areas to roam there are enclosures and cages). Most visitors never set foot on the rugged paths that lead to the uplands and forest habitats that contain the incredible natural treasures of this area - and not much provision is made for the more ambitious visitor in the way of signposted paths or trails.

However if you%26#39;re fit enough, and are looking for real adventure - then getting into the real nature reserve rather than just visiting the zoo is quite an experience!!!!!!!

As for Wolong being open - I can%26#39;t see any reason for it being closed. There is no history of trouble in this area - you have to travel a couple of hundred Kms before you reach potential hot-spots.

I suppose contacting Chengdu backpacker type hostels is the best way of getting current info. Wolong itself doesn%26#39;t seem to provide any sophisticated service apparatus that gives current info. Sim%26#39;s Hostel in Chengdu has a website - with Emails and telephone - why not give them a call and ask if their guests are still visiting Wolong. Here%26#39;s the link for them -

http://www.gogosc.com/en.asp

I just came back from Wolong the day before yesterday,5th April.I can say our trip went on smoothly and had no any trouble.I also met other groups there,so it is opened completely.

The pandaclub site looks like it%26#39;s more for research/adopting pandas and information like that, but not too much about actually visiting the reserve (like hours, fees, etc).

Is there any other site that tells the hours and fees? Also, are the phone numbers and emails on the panda club site to the wolong reserve or is the wolong panda club an separate organization from the actual facility?

I%26#39;m just looking for links/info to show some people to prove that it%26#39;s still open to visitors, not just open for research and adoption, etc.

The pandaclub is a site about making money out of pandas.

Just as Wolong is a lot about making money out of tourists.

For those of us who live in the area - we are glad that Pandas give the local authorities a reason to conserve the environment - and that conservation can also bring economic benefit. But we also realise that the environment is so under threat in Sichuan through urban development and Social Change - that these monies have to carefully spent to ensure effective conservation for this and other vulnerable area of great eco-diversity(in the five years I%26#39;ve lived in Sichuan, Wolong has been so developed - the new road, building up Wolong town and other villages).

So if you do decide to spend a small fortune on your Panda hug try and ask a discreet question or two about conservation projects and how your money is used to save Wolong wildlife. Remember Wolong is not just about Pandas - there are many endangered species in this area, such as Snow Leopard, Clouded Leopard and snub nose monkey - it would be nice if specific conservation efforts were made for these animals - even if they%26#39;re not as cuddly as Pandas.

As for getting finding out opening times and that kind of stuff in China - well since you don%26#39;t directly make money out of that kind of info - its often overlooked. But rest assured - the Panda center will probably be open between 8am and 6pm every day of the year!!!!

To Hotel 36 (Prince Edward MTR Station) from Airport

I will be meeting a friend at Hotel 36, which is at 36 Boundary Street, Mongkok, Kowloon. Apparently this is close to the Prince Edward MTR Station in Kowloon.

What would be the best way of getting there from the airport?

I looked up the A21 bus but the stops appear to be many blocks away. Would the train/metro be a better option? I will have one suitcase with wheels and a daypack.

To Hotel 36 (Prince Edward MTR Station) from Airport

On the A21 bus you can get off at the Metropark Mongkok hotel, and walk 4 short blocks to Hotel 36. It%26#39;s not that far, and I think quite a manageable walk.

With the train you%26#39;ll have to transfer twice, and carry your suitcase up the stairs from the MTR station. More hassle and more expensive as well.

';visa on arrival'; services suspended

No more casual shopping trips to Shenzhen or Zhuhai until after the Olympics, folks! The following is from www.scmp.com 8th April:

Foreign passport holders will not be issued short-stop visas at border checkpoints as part of a series of entry restrictions imposed by mainland authorities last week.

The move, in addition to a ban on multiple-entry visas, was revealed by local travel agents as security tightens ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Travellers are now restricted to single- or double-entry visas valid for a month and three months respectively. Multiple-entry visas that have not expired are still valid. Travel agents say they have been told the ban will last until mid-October.

Michael Wu Siu-ieng, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents, said that, since last Tuesday, the Office of the Commissioner of the Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong had been processing all applications for mainland visas.

';In the past, travellers could apply for short-stop visas when they arrived at the border. But we were told the authorities there were no longer handling applications,'; he said.

Mr Wu said the new rules applied to travel agencies that applied for or renewed visas on behalf of visitors at checkpoints.

A spokeswoman for the commissioner%26#39;s office said the changes were due to ';computer system upgrades';. She refused to say when the previous practice would be resumed.

According to the office%26#39;s website, updated last Tuesday, visa applicants will have to wait for at least one day for the ';rush service'; and two days for ';express service';. Previously, same-day service was available.

';A longer waiting time is expected as all visa applications are handled by one office,'; Mr Wu said.

';visa on arrival'; services suspended

The SCMP report is sloppy and dated to say the least.

The suspension of 5 day visas is only for sea crossings as far as I%26#39;m aware, and you can still get the 5 day visa at Lo Wu land crossing. Prices have increased though.

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bans multiple-entry visas in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, April 6

China has stopped issuing multiple-entry visas to foreigners travelling from Hong Kong until after the Olympics, a news report said Sunday. The issuing of visas is also being delayed, taking four days to process in Hong Kong instead of one or two days, the South China Morning Post reported.

Business people and tourists who make regular trips to mainland China from Hong Kong can now only apply for single or double-entry visas, the newspaper said.

Travel agents in Hong Kong say they were told of the ban on multiple-entry visas March 27 and have been told it will remain in force until Oct 17.

No explanation was given for the ban but it comes at a time when China is restricting access to western parts of the country....

thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/china-ba鈥?/a>

bans multiple-entry visas in Hong Kong

The ban of multi-entry visas mainly affects business travellers.

You can still get single or double entry visas, each of 30 day duration.

If you apply at the Visa office in Wanchai, the fastest it will take is 24 hours (for example, hand in Monday morning, collect Tuesday morning). Some agents say they can can the visa in one day (hand in before 9am,collect after 6pm).

Crowne Plaza Hotel Sanya

Hi,

We are going to Sanya next month and looking at hotels. Caddie at SunnySanya.com has given us some good prices at a number of hotels, all of which include breakfast. I%26#39;ve been looking at The Crowne Plaza (IC hotels) website and it has some really good room only prices for mid-April. Does anybody know the price of breakfast if we were to pay when we get there.

Regards,

Darren

Crowne Plaza Hotel Sanya

RMB98/person. Try this link, you%26#39;ll find all information you need.

www.chinasanya.com/cgi-bin/Hotel/Read.aspx鈥?/a>

Macau Visa on Arrival?

Hi,

I have read on all the websites and they have listed the countries that can get free visa into macau and have also written that %26#39;all other countries can get visa on arrival at a fee%26#39;. I want to know whether I can get into Macau on a russian passport if I have a return ticket. I need to go to Macau for applying a Z visa at the China visa office.

Any tips?

Thanks,

Zhanna

Macau Visa on Arrival?

I tried checking the link from cn,macautourism.gov.mo to the macau security police, but the English site is not yet running. As you state you are posting from China, is there anyone who can help you read the Chinese page?

I don%26#39;t think a Russian passport holder would have any problems entering - many Russians work in Macau (almost certainly illegally, on tourist visas).

Macau Visa on Arrival?

From the Macau Government Tourism website:

'; Passports and Visas

All visitors must hold a passport or a valid travel document. Please note that the validity of these documents must not be less than 30 days since the day you enter Macau.

If travel arrangements are made through an agent, the visa processing is handled by Macau tour operators.

A.Visas are required by all visitors except:

a) Residents of Macau;

b) Nationals of Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Croatia, Czech, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Malta, Mongolia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania and the United Kingdom(6 months) for a stay up to 90 days;

c) Nationals of Australia, Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Namibia, New Zealand, Philippines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United States of America and Uruguay for a stay up to 30 days;

d) Nationals of China with valid Macau entry/depart documents, including residents of Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas Chinese for a stay of up to 30 days;

e) The ';Hong Kong Identity Card'; (with symbol “*”, “***” or “R”), ';Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card'; or ';Hong Kong Reentry Permit'; holders may stay in Macau for a maximum period of one year.

f) Holders of Diplomatic Passport or ';Laissez Passer'; issued by the United Nations.

g) Holders of Consulate/Diplomatic documents issued by the Macau SAR or Hong Kong SAR.

B.Visas can be obtained from the Immigration Services through Embassies/Consulates of the PRC and should be used within the validity, the visa is expired after the valid date.

C.Visas are also available on arrival in Macau at the Immigration Services for a period of 30 days.

There are three types:

Individual - MOP$100, for individual traveller for a single stay of up to 30 days in Macau, children under 12 years of age pay MOP$50.

Family - MOP$200 for couples, husband travelling with wife and or children (under 12 years of age) of same surname or on proof of their relationship.

Group - MOP$50 per person for bonafide groups of 10 or more and children aged 12 or under.

For further information, please call the Macau Immigration Services of Public Security Police Force: (Macau Area code) 853 - 2872 5488 or visit the website: www.fsm.gov.mo ';

I don%26#39;t see Russia mentioned as a country whose nationals do not require visas, so perhaps if you visit the website you can enquire what to do.

I finally just called them and they said that it is ok for me to get a visa, just need to have 15,000RMB ( If coming in from china ) to show that I would have enough to live here!

Thanks for the help though, appreciate it!

Wheat intolerance

Hi,

I am about to travel to Beijing and I was wondering whether Chinese Cuisine uses wheat flour? Are pancakes, dim sums, dumplings etc generally made from wheat flour or are they made of rice flour?

Thanks ;)

Wheat intolerance

You%26#39;re a coeliac, I presume. The 2nd time I went to Beijing, I was with one.

Peking duck pancakes are made of wheat flour. Dumpling skins are, as well.

Wheat intolerance

Yes, pancakes, dumplings (Baozi, jiaozi), steamed bread, and most noodles are all wheat flour. It shouldn%26#39;t be that hard to avoid wheat, however.

A friend of mine has celiac and because of this I know a majority of soy sauce has wheat added to it. Be careful becuase something may be seasoned with soy sauce and you won%26#39;t necessarily be able to tell.

You might want to bring an explaination of what you are allergic to written in Chinese. I did a quick google search and there are some sites that advise this, like this one: www.glutenfreeforum.com/index.php鈥?/a>

Yes, it all has wheat flour and soy sauce. Vegemtable dishes are ok, and there are alot of those. l am coeliac and travelled to Beijing last year, l am lucky in that l can cheat a little! l did take soem skacks from home ie. musli bars and l ate a lot of fruit which is very good. Main meals were the biggest problems, but managed ok.

Thank you all so much for your advice.

Actually, I am not Coelic I do have only wheat intolerance. Thus I can eat rye, barley and oats. Only wheat is causing the problems.

Nothing is worst than having to suffer stomach problems while on holiday. However, at times it is so difficult to know what%26#39;s in what food. I guess, best thing is to avoid everything that one is not sure of. Which of course, is a pain in a backbone. Especially for some who is always open to try new foods. It%26#39;s quite boring always to eat ';safe things';. Oh well, that%26#39;s life ;)

Turquoise

I have a friend who is really into various types of turquoise, who has asked me to look into jewelry made with Chinese turquoise. Will I be able to find it in the same places with pearls and other types of jewelry? Is there any place that specializes in turquoise? I%26#39;ve done a little research but not much, admittedly, and a search on TA turns up nothing....any suggestions?

Turquoise

Panjia Yuan

Turquoise

I%26#39;m sorry...is that a place in China, or a store?

I was hoping to be able to find it in Beijing; are there stores in/around the city that would be selling Chinese turquoise jewelry?

Panjiayuan dirt market (娼樺鍥競鍦? is what the other poster suggested. However I suspect if you%26#39;re looking for more serious stuff, it might not be the most appropriate place.

Beijing Pan jia Yuan Antiques market can be a good place to be.

for Identification of jade or turquoise you should visit jade shop with National identification certificate.

I don%26#39;t know a lot about Chinese turquoise but I noticed that they had quite a bit at ';Kelly%26#39;s store'; on the 4th floor at the Silk Market. It is also called Xianpai Jewelry. I do know pretty much about pearls and they had excellent quality pearls there and excellent prices, so I%26#39;d assume that the turqoise is of good quality as well. Ask for Aulina, she is very nice and speaks English well. They can make any kind of necklace up for you there on the spot for no extra charge, double knotted with the clasp of your choice. I%26#39;ll be glad to answer any other questions you might have. By the way, I love Seattle- what a beautiful city!

Thank you! great information to take with me on our trip to Beijing. I%26#39;ll keep Aulina%26#39;s name in my little book of notes ~ maybe I%26#39;ll get some pearls as well...I was hesitant since I wouldn%26#39;t know a fake pearl if it bit me.

I%26#39;m going to try searching for the turquoise under the other name you gave...maybe it will turn up more information.

Thanks for the compliments to my city as well :~) When the sky is blue here it really is gorgeous in all directions!

oops. just re-read your post, uvagrad. I gather that Xianpai Jewelry is another name for the jewelry store, not chinese turquoise...duh!

You are right, it is another name for the jewelry store! You can really find some great deals on pearls there and just ask if they are real if you don%26#39;t know how to tell the diff-- they will tell you. I feel confident that Aulina would answer honestly any questions you have about the turquoise, too. By the way, i think all of the pearls that they have in the cases are real- the chinese fresh water pearls are the least expensive, seawater are more, then South Sea are very expensive. You can really get some great deals on the chinese fresh waters and they are beautiful!

Thank you. It is going to be a very interesting search for turquoise and I think I will also find lots of interesting things along the way!

10 days in Beijing...with only 3 taken up by watching our daughter in the Olympics - we should have lots of time for exploring!

software

Taxi to Lido Hotel

Could someone guide us on how to get a taxi or shuttle to Lido Hotel at Beijing Street. This is our first time to Guangzhou. Appreciate it very much.

Taxi to Lido Hotel

it juet takes 10-20 minutes cab away from anywhere of yue xiu district, easy job!!! if you don%26#39;t know how to get a cab, plz e-mail to me: swlz2007@163.com

Taxi to Lido Hotel

If you%26#39;re taking a taxi then all you%26#39;ll need is RMB cash, and the hotel name and address in Chinese characters.

广州丽都酒店: 北京路182号

Sorry, I%26#39;ve have made a mistake. What I really meant is from the airport to the hotel mentioned. So sorry.

How long is the journey from the airport to Lido hotel in Beijing Street. Thank you.

Roughly 32 km by taxi from the airport to your hotel.

Gzhou Baiyun airport has their own Airport express coach to served to most travller needs. The terminal are well positioned just outside the arrival building.

Look for route No 5 coach which will take you to town to Haizhu Plaza area. The coach interval is 15 mins. Drop off at the 2nd stop after departure i.e at Guangdong hotel. Thence take a local cab to Lido Hotel at Beijing St.

If you travel light and preferred to walk thence ask the bellboy of the hotel for the direction to Beijing stret. Everyone around there knows where is Beijing street. This street is closed to traffic for pedestrain and is very crowded at night.

The airport counter at the arrival hall can direct you where to take the Airport express bus or look for the many uniform ladies outside the buidling in front of each Airport express bus terminal. There are nine routes. 1 hr to town depending on the traffic and the cost is 30 rmb plus 3 for insurance. Airport coach website is www.jckx.com

The abovementioned website isn%26#39;t working.

Got back from Guangzhou last week. Had an enjoyable time shopping. We took the metered taxi to the hotel, it cost RMB120. Anyway thanks for the help. Looking forward to Gunagzhou again in the near future.(waiting for Air asia offer,haha)

halloween makeup

3 full days enough?

Will be arriving in afternoon 12/7- If we spend three nights and leave on the overnight train to Xian on the 10th, that will leave us three full days. It that adequate to see Tiannaman square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven and Great Wall at Mutainyu? Planning on staying at Tianxiang Coutryard , so should be easy to get to square for flag raising and go right to Forbidden City.

3 full days enough?

Yes you have enough time to also squeeze in some shopping as well.

3 full days enough?

Yes,it%26#39;s enough to finish these sights within three days. When will you arrive in Beijing that afternoon. Because most of the sights stop to sell tickets about at 4:00pm-4:30pm. Maybe you can do some shopping in that afternoon. Silk Market or Hongqiao Pearl Market.

Forbidden City and Summer Palace are very huge,so don%26#39;t do these two on one same day.

Flag raising is very early, usually,not later than 7:00am. But the Forbidden City is open at 8:30.

Have a nice trip.

enough. but you should also arrange your trip carefully, especially the transportation part. you know, beijing%26#39;s traffic is awful. Tiananmen,Forbidden, and Temple stay near with each other, but Summer Palace lies more than 20 km from downtown. Muianyu stays even further; it will probably take you 2 hours.

Our flight gets in at 3:30, I figure we won%26#39;t do much that day other than wander around and familiarize ourselves with the neighborhood and sample street food. I know Temple of Heaven and Great Wall require significant travel, I%26#39;ll leave the whole day for each of those (will do great wall first, just in case) and if we get back early, can just wander around. How far is the train station from our hotel (hotel is very close to Forbidden City) for overnight train to Xian?

Thanks

Sorry, I meant summer palace, not Temple of Heaven. Is Temple of Heaven close enough to Forbidden City to do in the same day? If we leave a full day for Summer Palace, are there other sites in the area or on the way?

Temple of Heaven is just a short taxi ride away from the Fobidden City. We did them both on the same day Easter weekend but could be a lot of walking.

Another time we would spend more time at ToH as we liked watching all the dancing/singing/music making etc going on but you might have other preferences.

If you get a chance try to squeeze in the Lama Temple. I thought that was one of the most interesting and impressive places we went in Beijing.

PS I love San Antonio, what a great city you live in!

I%26#39;ve just come back from china and had a few days in Beijing.

If you are getting around why not try the metro - The roads can get clogged and even through the metro can be busy at times it does not suffer with gridlock. There is a metro station right next to temple of heaven - I caught this from Ti%26#39;annamen square

Hilton Wangfujing?

Does anybody know the opening date of the Hilton Wangfujing?

How does it compare to th Beijing Hilton?

Cable Car

Hi,

What is the cable car ride like?

My problem is I suffer with a bit of vertigo and will quite uneasy if the cable car travels at great heights or travels out over the water.

Any thoughts on how I might go?

Thanks, Denza

Cable Car

My question related to the Ocean Park cable car.....

Denza

Cable Car

Wo. Steer clear if vertigineous (?) It%26#39;s HIGH. Not Quite over water but close.

Ok....it might be a bit of an issue - do you have to use the Cable Car or are there other options?

There are free shuttle bus running between the two entrances of Ocean Park.

Thanks Tin, that sounds like the best way to go for me.

Denza

Before you leave the park to use the free shuttle bus (number 888) you need to request a member of staff at the exit turnstile to stamp your hand for same day re-entry at the other entrance.

Denza,I have done it twice and hated it. I sit there with my eyes closed and can hardly wait for it to finish. I have done it because at that time I did not know there was an alternative other than walking all the way back to the start. We are going again in October so I will be doing the shuttle! I believe however for other people the view from the cable car is spectacular.

Just for your information...

In a year or so, there will be a new funicular rail that shuttles between the two sides of the park, part of the redevelopment project now underway in Ocean Park.

Isn%26#39;t the uphill escalator still running? It connects the hill with the flatland beneath. You should have no problem finding it IF it is still running.

Otherwise, take the bus or blindfold yourself(:P)

Special Girls Day Out

Hi All,

I%26#39;ll be visiting my aunty and her daughter (50 and 25) in HK in May 08 (My aunty has lived there for 1 year now and her daughter is a frequent visitor). Given their genrosity i would love to take them out for the day. I know a luxurious western spa would be great but I would like to find something more traditional, say chinese massage, accupuncture and pedicure then off to a nice traditonal restauarant for a banquet.

There will be 4 of us, the above and myself (30%26#39;s) and little sister (twenties).

By the way my aunty is in the new territories but am more than happy to travel or have a day trip.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Special Girls Day Out

a day out in lamma maybe?

but post your q on either asiaxpat or geoexpat sites, locals and residents would be able to better assist you with your q

Special Girls Day Out

5678,

Lamma sounds good and I will certainly do some research 4 weeks and 3 days to go.

I had a look at the expate website forums and went through pages to find out lots about botox, private schools and taxes?

It doesn%26#39;t seem they are discussing these type of things:-)

for geoexpat

you can post your q under the everything else forum

5678,

Cool I%26#39;ll have a go at that:-) although I did think some of the local experts here could help and I am sure they will.

chuanspa.com/en/treatment_hk_massages.shtml

What about afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel? It is a great girls outing.

pink hair

Finding restrooms and clean toilets

My wife and I will be visiting Hong Kong in the month of May and plan on doing a lot of walking as we explore the different areas. Would appreciate your thoughts on where we might find restrooms/clean toilets in areas such as Stanley, Central, Nathan Road, Temple Street, Wanchai. I know that generally the shopping malls and hotels are good places. Also wanted to know if there are any facilities in the subway stations. Thank you.

Finding restrooms and clean toilets

Restrooms in hotels and shopping malls are very well maintained, and you shouldn%26#39;t have problems finding them in Central, Wanchai, Causeway Bay, Tsimshatsui, etc. In Mongkok, the best bet is Langham Place and Hotel.

In Stanley, head to the old Murray House or the mall next to it.

It%26#39;s more troublesome looking for toilets along Nathan Road. There%26#39;s a couple of hotels near Yau Ma Tei (Eaton Hotel in particular). Otherwise I would look for some fast food place, but they won%26#39;t be the best. Chinese restaurants (the big ones that offer dim sum) should have better toilets.

If you%26#39;re on Temple Street, well just hold it best as you can :D

Except for the East Rail and West Rail lines, there are no restrooms in MTR (subway) stations. But if it%26#39;s an emergency, you can contact the station staff and they%26#39;ll let you use their hidden toilets.

Finding restrooms and clean toilets

if you are in fa yuen street in prince edward... the royal plaza hotel would be your best pit stop

subways do not have toilet facilities

otherwise... if you really cannot hold it- go to a mcdonalds or a coffe shop like starbucks, pacific coffee

You are right about the subways, BUT my daughter had to go and we asked at one of the information booths where we might find a toilet and a lovely attendant escorted us to the staff toilets. He was lovely.

The worst we found was at SOGO department store, it was disgusting.

Thank you everyone for the information. It is very helpful.

The toilets at SOGO were disgusting? Wow I would have thought they were quite well kept. But usually the basement and the first couple of floors receive a lot of traffic, so they may not be in tip top condition. Better go several floors up and those should be better.

One thing we discovered when in HK- if you go to a public toilet and they%26#39;re all the traditional squat toilet (which I prefer not to use unless I have to due to bad knees), if you look for the handicapped toilet (often just around the side or back of the building), it will be a Western style pedastal toilet.

We found most toilets in HK were spotless, though not all had toilet paper- so carry tissues with you.

Just wanted to let you know that in Hong Kong, the government also has public toilets placed all around. I found one accidentally one night and it was great. Completely clean and odorless. I don%26#39;t know if they are all like this or not though. They are basically a small room with an entrance on the sidewalk and (from what I remember) a lock on the door (so you can lock yourself in. You would never find anything like this in New York - or if you do, there would most likely be some homeless guy passed out in it.

Here are some links you can check out:

fehd.gov.hk/pleasant_environment/鈥lean1.htm

(scroll down to the ';Public Toilets'; paragraph for links to lists of public toilet locations)

fehd.gov.hk/pleasant_environment/cleansing/l鈥?/a>

fehd.gov.hk/pleasant_environment/cleansing/l鈥?/a>

fehd.gov.hk/pleasant_environment/cleansing/l鈥?/a>

鈥logspot.com/2007/04/lung-kong-road-public-鈥?/a>

Finding a toilet in hong kong will be the least of your worries. I have never found anywhere in the world where relieving oneself is so convenient, and free. There are too many shopping centers around.

After 2 weeks in China we were amazed at how few loo%26#39;s there were in HK. We hadnt thought about it on previous trips until we went into the mainland for 2 weeks before doing HK on the way out. There were toilets everywhere in China. Shensend, Guangzhou, Xi谩n etc, but when we returned to HK we had to really look for toilets in public places.

take some wet ones as well - they come in very handy.