Your first-hand tips on an area you have been to in China will help other fellow travelers on their trip planning and on-the-spot stay. Please choose one of the specific categories.
Tips 1 - 8 of 777, < Previous 1234567Next > Go To Page
Good Western food in ChinaHebei
| FRIBDOLL
| Apr 13, 2008 03:15 GMT-5
If you are looking for a Western food fix in Tanggu, head for the Parrot Restaurant, Huanghai Road, Dongying Xia Qu (district). It's a cozy, clean and quiet restaurant run by an American man and his Chinese wife. The food is great, large portions and there is a good wine list as well. There is a small bar inside too. Prices are reasonable if slightly high, but it's a great spot for a romantic dinner or a great evening out to satisfy your Western food cravings: steak, pizza, pastas, anti-pastos, salads - YUM!
In the small city of Korla in Xinjiang province there is some great food to be found! An absolute MUST is the multi-level Bei Yuan Chun restaurant. The food is fabulous and the wine list is mind boggling. There are some pictures, but no English menu. Another great place to eat is the Hong Rui Hotel, third floor. Again, no English menu, but some fantastic Chinese food. The local mutton skewers are roasted with all kinds of spices and are to die for!
Beijing to Qingdao by bullet trainQingdao
| MUDDIEDKNEES
| Apr 13, 2008 00:42 GMT-5
Originally, we were planning to fly (round trip tickets for 2 cost around RMB 2400, highly discounted at www.elong.net), but I decided to take the new bullet train called China Railway High-speed (CHR) 2.
The train takes around 5 1/2 hrs. Compared to the 1-hr something flight, it still takes much longer, but is much more convenient and comfortable. Considering that you don't have to check-in an hour in advance and take two 40-min taxi rides to and from airports, the train option is actually very attractive. Currently, the main Qingdao train station is under renovation, so they use the Sifang station, which is around 20 mins away. However, most Chinese cities, including Qingdao and Beijing, normally have conveniently located train stations.
The premium train seats cost us less than RMB1400 (round trip for two). The seats were wide as airline business class seats and were super comfortable. The food can be slightly expensive and the choices not so good, so bring food with you. A quick stop at our favorite fast food place right before the train ride was all we needed.
Cheap way from Nanjing to HK via KCRHong Kong
| MUDDIEDKNEES
| Apr 13, 2008 00:24 GMT-5
The goal was to find the cheapest way to go to Hong Kong from Nanjing and spend all the money we save on clothes. Me and my wife took this trip December 2007.
We flew from Nanjing to Guangzhou, booking highly discounted tickets via Elong.net. The tickets cost us around RMB1800 roundtrip for two people. Then we took the KCR train to HK. KCR tickets cost us RMB85 per person each way, so that was 380 roundtrip total for two.
We stayed at the Cosmic Guest House in Nathan Rd. It was very cheap and small, but clean. The building, Mirador Mansion, was a little creepy though. The hotel cost us RMB500 for three nights. Not bad for a hotel in a nice area, right next to the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station. Call +852 2369 6669 to book or go to LonelyPlanet.com.
If you like numbers, the trip cost us less than RMB3000 for two people. Note that food can be expensive in Hong Kong. To go cheap, go fast food. Save money for the best part--shopping. We spent the rest of our budget on clothes, shoes, and a cool cell phone.
An important tip for mainland China residents: don't change your shopping money to HK$. You can pay for almost anything using your UnionPay debit card. You won't get charged for anything and you'll get a much better exchange rate than what any of the HK money changers can offer.
I have been ripped by elong!!!!!! - PUGGYBARKER Apr 12, 2008 20:51 GMT-5
FYI on air travel in Urumqi and surroundsUrumqi
| FRIBDOLL
| Mar 28, 2008 22:38 GMT-5
For anyone planning to travel to Urumqi or onward from there, please be aware that due to recent terrorist attempts in the air sector in Xinjiang, absolutely NO sharp objects are allowed to be carried in your CHECK IN baggage. Unfortunately, if you have been to the Grand Bazaar in Urumqi and purchased any of those beautiful knives on sale, these will be confiscated at the airport if you are traveling by air. If you wish to buy a knife in Urumqi, you are better off to ship it home instead.
All local Beijingers would know about the famous 'Peking barbecue' restaurant, Kaorouji 烤肉季. It first started in 1848 in the Qing dynasty and was rebuilt in 1995. This 'Chinese old name' restaurant serves authentic Chinese Ismalic cuisine, with the famous dishes like slices of barbecue meat Kaorou 烤肉 and Baked Sesame Seed Cake Shaobing 烧饼. It is situated along the north bank of Qianhai 前海 in the Houhai area 后海, opposite the Silver Ingot Bridge Yinding Qiao 银锭桥.
This restaurant has a very small branch along Yan Dai Xie Jie Slanting Pipe Street 烟袋斜街, also really close to the Silver Ingot Bridge Yinding Qiao 银锭桥. This place is a real find; a lady stands at the small entrance and calls upstairs to the waiter (who I think is her husband) to get you a seat, as they only have seats upstairs; she does it with a real Beijing accent! You go up a narrow flight of stair to the small restaurant full of proper old Beijingers like rickshaw drivers and the like. The waiter is an old Beijinger as well and has a traditional politeness about him. The view from the upstair window is great and you can witness the hussle bussle of the Yan Dai Xie Jie Slanting Pipe Street 烟袋斜街 down below. The food is very traditional and delicious - needless to say the slices of barbecue meat Kaorou 烤肉 and Baked Sesame Seed Cake Shaobing 烧饼. They also make great meat pancakes Roubing 肉饼 and the BEST Sour plum juice Suanmei Tang 酸梅汤, which is a sweet and slightly sour drink that is very cool and refreshing in the summer (this place makes it with real rock sugar, not normal sugar like you get in the bottled ones in the supermarket). If you want something that you can't get anywhere else in China - try Fermented Mung Bean Juice Douzhi 豆汁- but it's not for the fainted-hearted because it stinks! The only downside is that I don't think they have English menus and the waiter probably can't speak English.
In the years I've been here I've noticed at study increase in the number of pickpockets in this city. Don't get me wrong this is a Great place to live and really a very safe place to visit, just be careful. Especially near the train station and the main traffic circle (penshuichi)
Sample some of the things less advertisedBeijing
| LAR19
| Mar 9, 2008 11:10 GMT-5
<A> Many go to the various acrobat shows but few choose to experience the Peking or also known as Beijing Opera. Though it may not be to many tastes it is truly an experience that is wonderful. A combination of music, song, bright colorful costumes and martial arts it is truly a delight for the senses. Take some time to study the history of the opera and it won't matter if you don't know the language. There are many available to experience so depending on where you are staying ask for recommendations.
Travel Destinations
|
Copyright©
1998-2008 TravelChinaGuide.com, All rights reserved. Users of this site agree to be bound by the