Beijing Basics

Kold

So I've just arrived in Beijing and if I'm honest, I haven't done a whole lot of research. I'm guessing the water isn't really safe to drink but does that translate to a lot of the food then?

Also, how do people get around here? By absolute fluke I was able to find my hotel in Hulong, Dongchen. I've read that cabs will rip you off a lot of the time and don't often know too much English. Haven't acquired a subway map but are they extensive? Where are good places to find bars where I can meet English speakers for some conversation?

Also noticed that the drivers here are completely mental, is there some kind of 'Chinese' green cross code where I can avoid getting run down?

Lastly, is there a good way of using things like fb without compromising my laptop with a free proxy?

Brokentime

Kold wrote: »

So I've just arrived in Beijing and if I'm honest, I haven't done a whole lot of research. I'm guessing the water isn't really safe to drink but does that translate to a lot of the food then?

Also, how do people get around here? By absolute fluke I was able to find my hotel in Hulong, Dongchen. I've read that cabs will rip you off a lot of the time and don't often know too much English. Haven't acquired a subway map but are they extensive? Where are good places to find bars where I can meet English speakers for some conversation?

Also noticed that the drivers here are completely mental, is there some kind of 'Chinese' green cross code where I can avoid getting run down?

Lastly, is there a good way of using things like fb without compromising my laptop with a free proxy?

You on vacation or working?

Kold

Travelling, will probably head to Shanghai at the weekend.

Brokentime

Kold wrote: »

Travelling, will probably head to Shanghai at the weekend.

I live in Shanghai. I know sod and all about Beijing, except it's dirty.

Try Wikitravel; should have some pointers

Brokentime

Got the hang of that place yet?

Kold

I guess, thinking I'll leave as soon as I'm done seeing the sights I want to see. It's weird how capitalist this communist country is.

Was thinking of a route like >Datong >Xian >Shanghai >Guilin

Not sure what the best way to travel is though.

Brokentime

Kold wrote: »

I guess, thinking I'll leave as soon as I'm done seeing the sights I want to see. It's weird how capitalist this communist country is.

Was thinking of a route like >Datong >Xian >Shanghai >Guilin

Not sure what the best way to travel is though.

Train's mate. Cheap(ish) and fast.

When do you think you'll arrive in SH?

Kold

2 days at 10pm. Know any decent hostels?

blackdog2

When in a taxi, watch the road ahead. Don't be afraid to alert the driver to oncoming dangers. While I was reading a text my driver crashed en route to the airport!

knipex

I travel to china about 8 to 10 times a year. Only been to Beijing twice but both times was in a taxi that crashed.

Luckily I normally have a mandarin speaker with me but have gotten around on my own OK. I try it have the address written down in chinese (business card etc or get someone to do it for you) just in case.

Food is normally OK but stick with the bottled water.

jay-me

I found taxi's honest and cheap while I was there once you can pronounce your destination correct. The food can be a bit hit and miss but I got the runs only once and not bad. Although I am a vegetarian. I booked hostels on the fly with the usual sites. For a proxy I used freegate but you have to have it installed beforehand. Crossing the road I generally crossed with other people or waited till it was clear. People also say to avoid ice but I didn't and it was grand although I got it in Mc D's not off street vendors.

You will always meet English / Engrish speakers in hostels. Another thing is if you're trying to visit the great wall you can save a bundle doing it by yourself on the fly.. There is a bus you can get most of the way and then another bus or a taxi.. The taxi can be rip off if you don't speak mandarin but you can still haggle. Same with everything sold in China it will all be overpriced because you are a westerner but if you haggle they drop the price!

Kold

I've paid for proXPN and now I'm having real trouble getting it connected and sometimes the connection will drop a few minutes after getting onto facebook. It's a pain.

vibbow

You can try Psiphon for proxy, which is free.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/u82l-8wic-60er/en.html

use Firefox + AutoProxy addons is a better idea.


For hotels, you can look for these, they are all hotel chains:
Home Inns - 如家酒店连锁
7 Days Inn - 7天连锁酒店
Hanting inns & hotels - 汉庭连锁酒店
Jinjiang Inn - 锦江之星
Super 8 - 速8酒店

Just show the chinese words to the taxi driver, and they will drive you to the nearest one.


If you have any questions in China, you can ask me, I will try to give you the answers.

And have a nice trip in China.

Kold

The one thing I'm thinking about at the moment is my itinerary. I will leave China on the 15th when my visa runs out. To where? I'm not sure. Probably either Taiwan or Hong Kong.

I'm heading to Shanghai tomorrow and would like to go to Yangshuo also. Now that's not really gonna eat up 2 weeks but the other place I had in mind of seeing was Yunnan which is just so far from anywhere I want to end up but it does sound great.

vibbow

Hong kong is an option for shopping.
Taiwan is an option for travel.

If you go to yunnan, be careful of the mosquito.

norrie rugger

X'ian is very easy to walk around, once you are inside the walled city.
Hostels and hotels organise trips to the warriors site but are expensive and you will, of course, be brought to a workshop that makes smaller statues. The site is a fair distance from the city, so the tour might be worth the cost if you are worried about talking to locals/getting your meaning across.

Beijing, you are prob used to it now but EVERYTHING closes early.

Shanghai is great but very very big and a bit smelly. I stayed with family there so not much use, in terms of what you need to do there to get by

halkar

Maybe it's too late to reply but may help others that are thinking of trip to Beijing
Best transport around Beijing is subway. Just get a card and top up as needed. Card is also used on buses in the city and buses that connects the suburbs around Beijing. You will be surprised how cheap it is. Subway is much faster than taxis and buses but it can be very busy all day and they close after midnight around 2 am I think. Taxis are cheap but most of the drivers doesn't know Beijing very well. Always have your destination written in Chinese and give to taxi driver as it is almost impossible to find any taxi driver speaks English. It also helps a lot if you have phone numbers of your destination with taxis. Just give the address and the phone number they will find the route.

You can see the Great Wall at Mutianyu. It is very small town and not as busy as other sites. You can take a bus to Mutianyu from central bus station. If you leave early in the morning you can catch one of the buses going non-stop to Great wall (very cheap). If you are late you will have to get another bus or take taxi. You can share the taxi with other tourists around. Never pay the first price they ask you. They will ask around 60-80 yuan for one way. We paid 60 yuan return.
P.S. Taxi drivers are mental there

If you have a smart phone download the city guide by tripadvisor. It is free. It will link to google maps and you can get directions in google map. Very useful.

Going to Xian will eat your 3 days there. You can take an overnight train from Beijing. Make sure you book it in advance as the tickets run out very quickly. If you can not sleep in the train like myself book the seats not the sleepers. They are very cheap. It is an unusual experience to be the only foreigner in a carriage full of Chinese Great fun though. It takes about 12 hours to get to Xian on a normal train. Bullet trains are quicker, cleaner, expensive but for the experience try normal trains. Once in Xian there are buses to attractions. You will need a day to recover after a busy trip to Xian on your return to Beijing.

Beijing is very cheap if you avoid big malls and bargain a lot. Most of your spending will be on the entrance to attractions. Tripadvisor guide have links to shopping sites check it out. You can pick up some great bargains there if you are interested.

If you are staying in Beijing longer than a week I recommend booking self catered serviced apartments. You will have everything you need in them and are much cheaper than hotels.