| First-time trip to China; need lots of help... | |
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| Aug 16, 2005 09:49 |   |
 | Welp, after some prodding from a friend of mine to go to China as well as Japan, we've decided to spend about two and a half to three weeks in China. Therein lies the problem...I've been studying Japanese for about four years now, have a fairly good knowledge of the culture, people, and country, and I'm basically floundering in the water. I'm going to be taking Mandarin Chinese in college for the next year until our trip, but I just have a whole bunch of questions that I'd really appreciate to have answered... I know about the more seemly side of China, but how safe is it? We'd like most of our excursions to be in the Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangdong, and Hunan provinces, and I was wondering about the general safety of both ourselves and our possessions. I'll be sure to learn the universal basic traveller's expressions (where is the bathroom; etc), but are there any endemic expressions that I should take it upon myself to learn? And what is probably my biggest question, especially considering I've only planned a trip in a country with an extremely convenient railway system: what's the easiest/cheapest way to get around? We'd like to land in Hong Kong, go see Wulingyuan mountain, the Bamboo Sea in Sichuan (especially this), the Terracotta army possibly Wudang mountain, Yunnan, Chengdu, and a few other places, but I was wondering how easy it is to get around and what mode of transportation we should choose. I've looked around online but the train schedules are almost impossible to decipher, and I'm confused as to what to do; and, also, how easy is it to get around inside Wulingyuan? Any answers will be very greatly appreciated, and thank you all for your time! |
| Aug 16, 2005 10:18 | #1 |
| hi,enresshou,firstly,welcome come to China for travelling!You have choosen some most beautiful places of China!!! 1.Yes,you are clever that you learn chinese before the trip,some problem very be easy to deal; 2.You should have a latest map of that area,it is so important!!!and then,you should make a plan for your routing.Avoid to walk the same routes many times; 3.The traffic in some areas are not very convenient,you have to by bus!It is a little difficult,but it is ok!you can speak chinese,you can ask the native; 4.It is easy and safe by train for travelling in China,in most of times,it is on time; 5.If you go to the area of Minority Nationality of China,I think,especially in Yunnan province,you should know the customs of them. Ok,that's all,have a good trip! |
| Aug 16, 2005 18:52 | #2 |
| hi,my friend. Most places in China are almost safe in day,especially some big cities. I'm a Sichuan native,and I know something about Bamboo Sea.It's in YiBin ,southeast of Sichuan. It's a long journey if you start from Chengdu,may be it will take you a few hours bus and more time by train,but it is easy to get a ticket. It's not a wise idea to travel in recently to Bamboo Sea, some epidemic disease is flood there. It's safe in other places of Sichuan.And if you have sufficient time ,I advice you to Jiuzaigou or Emei moutain instead.To find a guide who can speak English or other language is not hard ,especially in University.There are many universities in Chengdu . PS: Chengdu is also a good place to enjoy . and most important thing is Do not compare Chinese and Japanese before Chinese.why ?you can ask you guide. That's all I know and have a good journey. |
| Aug 17, 2005 11:20 | #3 |
| the public security is almost the same as any other countries , if a city without any thief ,it must be a fairyland ,and the police offices will be shut down and policemen will out of work. It is wise to learn some Chinese before you come to China ,if you just have a trip ,the basic ABC will be enough ,such as "Where is ~~? ", "How much~~?" etc. Good Luck ! |
| Aug 28, 2005 12:01 | #4 |
| Good on you for choosing to visit China next year. If you can read and write Japanese you are streets ahead of most of us who have started from scratch. After one year on the oral language you should be pretty well set for your trip. Safety is not an issue in too many places but you do need to be careful same as anywhere you travel these days. I travel alone sometimes and feel pretty comfortable most of the time. Trains, buses, mini vans, taxi (at set or negotiated prices) and boats are all efficient modes of transport. Keep in mind that the further one gets from larger and less touristy places the worse the roads and the longer the trip will be but the fares are less. One trick to getting around quickly here, especially if you can communicate well is asking the right questions. You may be told there is no transport to your next destination, end of conversation. Or it's mid afternoon and you want to keep travelling but the last bus to your destination left 30 mins ago. You need to ask if there is a bus going to some other place on route or leaving from another bus station. Just keep asking until you get as much information as you can so you can make a decission based on all the info. My last trip we did a lot of short bus rides to avoid the night sleeper buses which are none too savoury on some of the runs. Have a look at the buses before signing up for these. Some are really good but trains are better where they are available. Have you tried the schedules listed on this site. They are pretty easy to navigate once you know how. I recommend Juizhaigou in northern Sichuan and Chengdu along with the Bamboo Sea area which has a lot to offer and is easy to get to. Close to Leshan (Giant Buddha) and Emei, two popular temple areas. Yunnan is easy to get around Guizhou is great but heading into Hunnan transport is a little different and requires some patience. We took a lot of small minivans or negotiated a taxi which is great if you are a group otherwise you have to wait until they are full but still a convenient option for all travellers. I travelled with my girlfriend and two yong Chinese freinds which made life much easier for us all around. I'll be posting some of this summers travels during the next few weeks so have a look for them. Any more questions? Just ask. You've got lots of time but it will go pretty quickly |
| Aug 28, 2005 12:09 | #5 |
| Sorry was that Guangdong you want to visit/ Anywhere in particular. Come armed with a guide book, like LP and you can pick up a city map of most towns and cities on arrival at bus/train stations or hotels. Have a good but flexible route/itinerary worked out and two or three free days for those unexpected contingencies or a good rest as independant travel here can get a little arduous depending on your age. |
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