| Guest has requested to remain anonymous |
20 August 2005 |
Stayed at Novotel Peace Hotel Beijing - Beijing, China.
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For first timers, I found Beijing very manageable - and easy to get around. The Novotel has a postcard with top Beijing attractions in their stationary folder. Just take this with you, and use it to show the taxi drivers where you want to go. I found the taxis mostly reasonable . . . except one who rushed up and solicited my business at the Summer Palace. I should have known better . . . his meter was set on fast. The ride back cost 2x what the ride out had cost . . . and even then it was only $12. But, beware. Best day was Prince Gong Palace and the Lonely Planet recommended walk back along the lakes . . . a real delight. Don't miss Mao. The line moves fast . . . and the bag checking across the street seems to be safe and quickly returns your possessions to you. Have fun.
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| S Sin hock |
15 August 2005 |
Stayed at Bell Tower Hotel - Xian, China.
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Never take up the local day tour with many places to go. You will be exhausted! Select trip with just Terracotta, Ching-Hwa Lake and Da-Yan Temple!
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| D Hammond |
13 August 2005 |
Stayed at Hyatt Regency Xian - Xian, China.
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You can not visit Xi'an with out going to the Terracotta Warriors. I took a local taxi there with an English speaking guide. For little over half a day it cost 400 RMB (ca £30). This included a trip to the Tomb of Qin Shihuang & the hot springs Huaquing Pool.
The next day I used the same taxi to do the Western tour to Zhao & Qian Tombs both very impressive & the Famen Si temple. Its a long day 9.30 till about 5.00.
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| J Walpole |
16 May 2005 |
Stayed at Paradise Yangshuo Resort - Guilin, China.
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Check out Uncle Sam's shop on West Street to arrange tours of the surrounding area. No hassle approach to exploring the area. We went hot airballooning and hired kayaks and went paddling downstream from Yangshuo and had the river to ourselves.
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| P Tyrrell |
12 May 2005 |
Stayed at Harmony Hotel - Beijing, China.
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Apart form the normal tourist sites...all of which exceed expectations...you should visit the Wall at Simitai,see the Acrobats,drink in Sanlitun and eat your Duck in the Hutongs not the westernised version !
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| J Mert |
09 May 2005 |
Stayed at Paradise Yangshuo Resort - Guilin, China.
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Yangshuo is great, albeit pretty touristy on West Street. Brilliant for a long weekend of shopping, scenery, river trips, eating and drinking. It's a good hour and a half from Guilin airport and worth organising a taxi transfer to your hotel if you don't mind paying about $30 each way. As a western tourist, don't accept the first price in the West Street shops as they are just trying to see whether you'll pay over the odds. Start at about 70% below and see how you go. If you're after both scenery and a lively place to be based then stay in Yangshuo rather than Guilin town. Excellent breakfasts at Mei You on West Street. Hire a bike (+ guide if you want to be shown the highlights, although you end up paying a bit more) and definitely go on a bamboo raft. We had a guide called Wendy who was excellent, although there are a plenty of guides to choose from. The river tour from Xing Ping to Yangdi town was very scenic, but if you sign up for the sunrise tour then don't set your expectations too high. For our trip, it poured with rain and so there was no spectacular sunrise. Not sure it was worth getting up at 4.30am for unless you know how to guarantee the sun - the clouds and mist around the mountains were still pretty cool though - very Lord of the Rings. If it's your first trip to China as it was ours, then try not to be put off by the locals spitting in the street - maybe they've just got phlegm problems! Also, if you're a non-smoker then you'll be in the minority.
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| L Murray |
06 May 2005 |
Stayed at Bell Tower Hotel - Xian, China.
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We used Golden Circle Tours - they have an office on 2nd floor of hotel - to go to see the Terracotta Warriors. It was a great day - 7 of us in a mini-bus and a charming guide called Cassie. We also used them to take us to the airport, with a stop at the Han Yang Museum on the way. Worked out very well and this museum is definitely worth a visit. Also, don't miss the Lamasery in Xi'an - it's lovely.
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| G Darbari |
19 April 2005 |
Stayed at Harmony Hotel - Beijing, China.
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While in Beijing I visited Great Wall of China by booking a tour @ RMB 180/- per person, this included Good lunch, Tickets to Great Wall and Ming Tomb. Ticket at Harmony was expensive, so I walked to Youth Hostel in China Post Office building and found a cheap but good tour.
Temple of Heavens was travelled by own, used a taxi to go to Temple. It was a good visit. Taxi's in Beijing are cheaper.
Tiaanmen Square and adjoining places like forbidden city and area around is worth seeing of your own. Forbidden city ticket counter closes by 3.30PM, so go their early.
Wan-fu-jung street is close by, taxi takes 10 RMB, one can even walk back- a cool 2 Km.
Overall Beijing is a happening place and one can spent 3-4 days comfortably.
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| F Tai |
18 April 2005 |
Stayed at New World Courtyard Beijing - Beijing, China.
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We visited the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Ming Tombs and the Great Wall. The last two sites we took a local tour arranged by ourselves. The Peking duck restaurant near the Tianamen Square was superb and value for money. We should visit Beijing again in the near future. It is necessary to acquire a working knowledge of mandarin before venturing out on your own.
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| G Rose |
04 April 2005 |
Stayed at Pine City Hotel - Shanghai, China.
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One tour not worth doing is the 3 hour river boat trip, if you have to do a river tour then 1 hour is enough unless you enjoy seeing cranes and more cranes. My best trip was to Suzhou & Zhou Zhuang water village and the city tour is fine although both include the inevitable silk factory. The city is more modern with little pockets of the old way of life. Shanghai is worth a visit but personally I would not stay much longer than about 4 days.
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Traveller's Tales: Things to do in China
