I'm Leaving For China With No Plans: I Need Some Plans!
August 2, 2010 3:33 PM Subscribe
My son wants me to ride trains and hike with him, starting this weekend, all over China. He says he wants to leave Beijing (I arrive exhausted on Thursday night) on Sunday and go, over the next 17 days, to visit Xuchang, Xi'an, Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou, Kunming, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Guilin, Yangshou, Suzhou, and FengHuang; then back to Beijing so I can go home. Can we do it? We have no itinerary. Shouldn't this be pared down? Where should we go? What travel websites can I use on my iPhone or at internet cafes? How can I find cheap airfare within China, with no advance reservations, and do it on the fly? This post is as "quick and dirty" as is my planning. Now, I have to get back to packing ultralight for monsoon territory. I'm too old for this, but am excited!
I am going to China on Wednesday, my first time in Asia and only my second time overseas. I am bringing a medium size back pack and am going on the cheap, traveling with my son who has been in one spot, in central China, for a year. The places listed are clipped from his email to me on itinerary.
I decided to go at the last minute, and can only go now. I have done no planning. I have a phrase book and I am downloading maps via an iPhone app called oMaps, for offline maps. I am packing the right stuff, because I have spent all my time doing that: we are going to maybe camp, and will use hostels, etc. I have a couch surfing account, but haven't the time to use it for this trip. I am not bringing a computer.
I will have about four hours tomorrow to use the internet for preparation.... I am going to start here at mefi. I will be packing, etc., all night.
I am going to China on Wednesday, my first time in Asia and only my second time overseas. I am bringing a medium size back pack and am going on the cheap, traveling with my son who has been in one spot, in central China, for a year. The places listed are clipped from his email to me on itinerary.
I decided to go at the last minute, and can only go now. I have done no planning. I have a phrase book and I am downloading maps via an iPhone app called oMaps, for offline maps. I am packing the right stuff, because I have spent all my time doing that: we are going to maybe camp, and will use hostels, etc. I have a couch surfing account, but haven't the time to use it for this trip. I am not bringing a computer.
I will have about four hours tomorrow to use the internet for preparation.... I am going to start here at mefi. I will be packing, etc., all night.
We took 22 days to go to Tibet, Chengdu, Woolong, LiJiang, Dali, Yangshuo, and Hong Kong. All reservations were made in advance. I wouldn't want to do more in that time but China seems to be a lot more flexible in last minute timing if you are a little flexible.
We got to the Shenzhen airport with a ticket to Chengdu for the following day. A little sign language and pointing to the ticket and a calendar got us on a flight one hour later than our scheduled flight. We missed the last flight to Lhasa and taxi'd to our five star Hotel reserved for the next week's return from Tibet. With no reservation the put us in a business suite overnight for about $80.00. Have fun but give yourself a little time to see not just to go.
posted by leafwoman at 3:52 PM on August 2, 2010
We got to the Shenzhen airport with a ticket to Chengdu for the following day. A little sign language and pointing to the ticket and a calendar got us on a flight one hour later than our scheduled flight. We missed the last flight to Lhasa and taxi'd to our five star Hotel reserved for the next week's return from Tibet. With no reservation the put us in a business suite overnight for about $80.00. Have fun but give yourself a little time to see not just to go.
posted by leafwoman at 3:52 PM on August 2, 2010
17 days sounds rushed to me for that kind of itinerary. Keep in mind that China is a very large country, and trains are very slow, and you're likely not going to get sleeper class tickets in the kind of rush you're in. You may not be able to get train tickets at all on short notice.
You will not be able to do anything the day after an overnight hard seat class train ride.
Your son is also failing to account for the traveler's diarrhea you are absolutely going to have.
Besides, you are going to want to explore some of these places. Give yourself a good four days in Xi'an, and make sure your hotel or hostel is inside the old city walls.
For domestic plane tickets, use elong.com. They have an English website. They will deliver your tickets to your hotel in major cities, and you pay the delivery guy in cash. Or you can pick up your ticket from a kiosk at the airport and pay cash there.
Even if you don't hit everything on your list you are going to have a blast so don't worry too much.
posted by zjacreman at 4:02 PM on August 2, 2010
You will not be able to do anything the day after an overnight hard seat class train ride.
Your son is also failing to account for the traveler's diarrhea you are absolutely going to have.
Besides, you are going to want to explore some of these places. Give yourself a good four days in Xi'an, and make sure your hotel or hostel is inside the old city walls.
For domestic plane tickets, use elong.com. They have an English website. They will deliver your tickets to your hotel in major cities, and you pay the delivery guy in cash. Or you can pick up your ticket from a kiosk at the airport and pay cash there.
Even if you don't hit everything on your list you are going to have a blast so don't worry too much.
posted by zjacreman at 4:02 PM on August 2, 2010
Go to a travel agency in Beijing at any of the big hotels. They can book domestic flights for you. China Eastern Air is a fine airline. Easy to use, pretty much just like domestic flights in the states. You can book trips the day before if necessary. Camping isn't really encouraged in China so make sure you know where to go. Hotels can be really cheap if you stay at Chinese run hotels.
The train system is great. Quite cheap and if you want to splurge a little more for 1st class, very comfortable. A soft sleeper is a room with two bunks and a little couch and the tickets are sooo much cheaper than their US equivalents.
You can totally do this trip. Enjoy the adventure. China is totally safe and really easy to get around. Food and transport are really cheap and I encourage you to do a lot of your travel "by the seat of your pants"!
posted by yfatah at 4:07 PM on August 2, 2010
The train system is great. Quite cheap and if you want to splurge a little more for 1st class, very comfortable. A soft sleeper is a room with two bunks and a little couch and the tickets are sooo much cheaper than their US equivalents.
You can totally do this trip. Enjoy the adventure. China is totally safe and really easy to get around. Food and transport are really cheap and I encourage you to do a lot of your travel "by the seat of your pants"!
posted by yfatah at 4:07 PM on August 2, 2010
have a GREAT time! i was in southern china about a decade ago (my first overseas trip) & it was quite an experience. warning: i always thought jet lag was a myth until i took that trip. i, too, was up all night packing, then was afraid to lay down for fear of missing my flight; thought i would sleep on the plane but that didn't happen. guilin is beautiful; simply beautiful.
travelers tip: i had our hosts write down their names, address, and phone number before my american friend & i set out on our own. since we didn't encounter very many people who spoke english, and because we got lost on the way home, that came in VERY handy!
also: if you can take a sleeper bus, do it! completely, totally weird experience (and i didn't sleep a wink), but worth it.
have fun!
posted by msconduct at 4:27 PM on August 2, 2010
travelers tip: i had our hosts write down their names, address, and phone number before my american friend & i set out on our own. since we didn't encounter very many people who spoke english, and because we got lost on the way home, that came in VERY handy!
also: if you can take a sleeper bus, do it! completely, totally weird experience (and i didn't sleep a wink), but worth it.
have fun!
posted by msconduct at 4:27 PM on August 2, 2010
That is way too many places for 17 days. Personally, I'd take half those destinations off. Doing even Xi'an, Chengdu/Jiuzhaigou, Kunming/Tiger Leaping Gorge/Lijiang, Yangshuo/Guilin is pushing it for 17 days.
I really love taking the soft sleeper class train. (Hard sleeper isn't that hard, the bigger problem is that it's awfully crowded. though on the other hand if your son can speak Chinese, you'll definitely meet interesting people) so I'd recommend trying to fit in at least one train trip. Do NOT take an overnight sleeper bus unless absolutely necessary. Those things are filthy, cramped, and dangerous and you won't get a minute of sleep.
posted by alidarbac at 6:14 PM on August 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
I really love taking the soft sleeper class train. (Hard sleeper isn't that hard, the bigger problem is that it's awfully crowded. though on the other hand if your son can speak Chinese, you'll definitely meet interesting people) so I'd recommend trying to fit in at least one train trip. Do NOT take an overnight sleeper bus unless absolutely necessary. Those things are filthy, cramped, and dangerous and you won't get a minute of sleep.
posted by alidarbac at 6:14 PM on August 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
Too much for 17 days I think. Tiger Leaping Gorge alone is two days... I wouldn't spend too much time in Kunming and head to Lijiang and Dali instead.
Jade Emu in Dali is a nice hostel. Mama Naxi Guesthouse in Lijiang is great for the dinner she serves.
posted by backwards guitar at 6:49 PM on August 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
Jade Emu in Dali is a nice hostel. Mama Naxi Guesthouse in Lijiang is great for the dinner she serves.
posted by backwards guitar at 6:49 PM on August 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
Sim's Cozy Guesthouse is a great hostel in Chengdu, although its location is not great.
You might have trouble getting train tickets because it's high season for Chinese student travel.
Sleeper buses aren't worth it - it's easier to sleep on a normal bus than on a sleeper bus, especially if you're tall.
You might want to look at a map and pick a smaller part of China instead of doing the whole thing. I spent 3-4 weeks in southwest china last summer - Chengdu, Songpan (horse trek + beautiful scenery and some Tibetan culture; a nice alternative to Jiuzhaigou), Chengdu, Lugu Lake (very still and remote lake on the border of Sichuan/Yunnan), Dali, Lijiang, Kunming. I found that I enjoyed the time I spent outside of cities more than the time I spent in them. Chengdu and Kunming are giant cities; Dali and Lijiang can be a bit on the touristy side but are still worth visiting.
posted by asphericalcow at 7:28 PM on August 2, 2010
You might have trouble getting train tickets because it's high season for Chinese student travel.
Sleeper buses aren't worth it - it's easier to sleep on a normal bus than on a sleeper bus, especially if you're tall.
You might want to look at a map and pick a smaller part of China instead of doing the whole thing. I spent 3-4 weeks in southwest china last summer - Chengdu, Songpan (horse trek + beautiful scenery and some Tibetan culture; a nice alternative to Jiuzhaigou), Chengdu, Lugu Lake (very still and remote lake on the border of Sichuan/Yunnan), Dali, Lijiang, Kunming. I found that I enjoyed the time I spent outside of cities more than the time I spent in them. Chengdu and Kunming are giant cities; Dali and Lijiang can be a bit on the touristy side but are still worth visiting.
posted by asphericalcow at 7:28 PM on August 2, 2010
Definitely pare that down. Even if you could manage the itinerary, you wouldn't actually have time to see any of the places you went to. I'd argue for a flight from Beijing to Kunming, then the bus up to Dali, then Lijiang/Tiger Leaping Gorge. Then back to Kunming, and for your train riding purposes, take the train from Kunming to Guilin (36 hours, if I recall correctly). Look around Guilin, say "wow, it's pretty" then get a bus up to Yangshuo, which was much prettier, and much less crowded when I was there. From there, maybe you could get a train back to Beijing, but I'm not very up to date on my train maps of China.
Definitely aim for hard sleeper or soft. Soft was roughly equivalent in price to a plane ticket, I recall. You get a room with a door, four beds (two on either side, bunk style), and access to the restaurant car (which actually serves tasty food). Hard gives you a berth in an open space with six beds on either side. The top is the cheapest, but it's so close to the ceiling you can't sit up. Bottom is the priciest, but you'll have to deal with people from the top sitting on your bunk during the day. Middle is actually just right. Room enough to sit up, decent amount of privacy. Bring your own food, and do your best to avoid using the toilet. Seriously.
Don't even dream about taking a night bus. When I was in China, I did. My students (!) laughed at me for doing it. If you've got a traveling companion, that's good, because you have to share beds on the bus. The man across and down from my bunk decided he didn't want to wait ten minutes for the rest stop, so he pissed on the floor of the bus, I shit you not. Avoid night buses.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:51 PM on August 2, 2010
Definitely aim for hard sleeper or soft. Soft was roughly equivalent in price to a plane ticket, I recall. You get a room with a door, four beds (two on either side, bunk style), and access to the restaurant car (which actually serves tasty food). Hard gives you a berth in an open space with six beds on either side. The top is the cheapest, but it's so close to the ceiling you can't sit up. Bottom is the priciest, but you'll have to deal with people from the top sitting on your bunk during the day. Middle is actually just right. Room enough to sit up, decent amount of privacy. Bring your own food, and do your best to avoid using the toilet. Seriously.
Don't even dream about taking a night bus. When I was in China, I did. My students (!) laughed at me for doing it. If you've got a traveling companion, that's good, because you have to share beds on the bus. The man across and down from my bunk decided he didn't want to wait ten minutes for the rest stop, so he pissed on the floor of the bus, I shit you not. Avoid night buses.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:51 PM on August 2, 2010
Booking through hotel travel agencies would be one option, but travel sites like eLong and CTrip are also worth a look, and will also allow you to book hotels if your son doesn't have a line on a hostel.
That itinerary does seem pretty packed for 17 days. Alidarbac's suggestions are good re: paring it down, I think, and he's also right (as is Ghidorah) about night buses. Not the end of the world if you end up on one, and I've actually had a couple of not-terrible experiences on night buses, but generally speaking they will be cramped, dirty, and dangerous, especially if you're doing anything involving mountain roads. Hard sleeper trains are a great option, and the toilet situation is markedly better than it used to be.
Other things: you're going to want to carry more cash than will feel comfortable. Can't speak to the hostels people here have recommended, but most places still don't do credit cards, or will only be able to process Chinese debit cards, and once you're out in the boonies ATMs can be hard to find. A traveller's wallet might be a good purchase. You'll also want to carry your own toilet paper - most places don't provide it - and you'll probably want to bring some Imodium and hand sanitizer.
Good luck and have a great time! I've been living in China for 8 years now, and if you make it to half the places on your itinerary you will be better-travelled than I am.
posted by bokane at 10:22 PM on August 2, 2010
That itinerary does seem pretty packed for 17 days. Alidarbac's suggestions are good re: paring it down, I think, and he's also right (as is Ghidorah) about night buses. Not the end of the world if you end up on one, and I've actually had a couple of not-terrible experiences on night buses, but generally speaking they will be cramped, dirty, and dangerous, especially if you're doing anything involving mountain roads. Hard sleeper trains are a great option, and the toilet situation is markedly better than it used to be.
Other things: you're going to want to carry more cash than will feel comfortable. Can't speak to the hostels people here have recommended, but most places still don't do credit cards, or will only be able to process Chinese debit cards, and once you're out in the boonies ATMs can be hard to find. A traveller's wallet might be a good purchase. You'll also want to carry your own toilet paper - most places don't provide it - and you'll probably want to bring some Imodium and hand sanitizer.
Good luck and have a great time! I've been living in China for 8 years now, and if you make it to half the places on your itinerary you will be better-travelled than I am.
posted by bokane at 10:22 PM on August 2, 2010
I did a very similar itinerary to the one you describe over two months (this was several years ago). I would agree that it is way too much for 17 days.
For example, the trip to Jiuzhaigou was 10-12 hours in a bus each way over pretty rough terrain. That alone is a big chunk of travel time out of your trip (assuming you don't fly there). Although quite isolated, it is a beautiful place though and is one of the highlights of my travels there.
Having said that, I second Ghidorah's recommendation to fly to Kunming and explore that area a lot including Zhong dian, Dali, Lijiang, Tiger leaping gorge etc. See how your time goes and take it from there.
You want to spend some time actually enjoying all the places you travel to. Either way, I'm sure you'll have a blast. Enjoy!
posted by Gomez_in_the_South at 1:08 AM on August 3, 2010
For example, the trip to Jiuzhaigou was 10-12 hours in a bus each way over pretty rough terrain. That alone is a big chunk of travel time out of your trip (assuming you don't fly there). Although quite isolated, it is a beautiful place though and is one of the highlights of my travels there.
Having said that, I second Ghidorah's recommendation to fly to Kunming and explore that area a lot including Zhong dian, Dali, Lijiang, Tiger leaping gorge etc. See how your time goes and take it from there.
You want to spend some time actually enjoying all the places you travel to. Either way, I'm sure you'll have a blast. Enjoy!
posted by Gomez_in_the_South at 1:08 AM on August 3, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! This got me going, and ready to trim the itinerary and expand the vision!
posted by swlabr at 8:03 PM on August 3, 2010
posted by swlabr at 8:03 PM on August 3, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by bearwife at 3:41 PM on August 2, 2010