hypatia

OK I finally made the reservations and got the dates...HK first and then Beijing - 10 days then have an additional 9 or so days..

.I have been working on this part of the trip and it is daunting!! I have done many trips but this is the most challenging...

My dream was Thailand and the idea was to go to Guilin(Yangshou)for three days from Beijing and then do a discovery pass to Bangkok for 4 nights, Chiang Mai for three nights and then back to Bangkok and on to Hong Kong.....here are the problems...the flight schedules and M-W-F connections (yes I tried itevery which way)and I would end up at the airport in Bangkok one night and in Shenzhen for a night also PLUS have to get a double visa and ferry..last problem it will be April.. hot.

I was thinking about saving Thailand for another trip so I developed a different plan...How about flying to Jiuzhaigou Park from Beijing for about 4 days and then on to Guilin for a few days and then on to Shenzhen, ferry and HK airport....I thought it would be easier.. HA Now I find Id have to fly to Chengdu and get the commuter plane and bus into the park..I'm a bit unsure of this senario and the food but I'm hooked on the "Yellowstone like" scenery and "Tibetian-like" experience.

I'm not a backpacker and being new to China do you think it is too much for us to do?..Is there something to see in Chengdu??? I dont want to go do Shanghai or on the gorges cruise..
What is you opinion???? can you advise? Thanks

thursdaysd

There's plenty to do in Chengdu. Pandas. Largest stone Buddha in the world at Leshan. Two sacred mountains. Temples. Wonderful Szechuan food. See my trip report at www.wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004 - Chilly Chengdu.

rkkwan

hypatia - My parents have been to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong twice, many of my relatives have also gone from years ago to very recently. They are in a pretty remote area at high altitude, and are just not easy to get to. I mean, Yellowstone is not easy to get to.

But my feeling (and from what I'm hearing from recent visitors) is that it's already too late to go. I have never been there, and I probably will not go in a long long time. Reason? It's on top of the "wish list" for many Chinese tourists who have the resources for the first time in China's 3,000+ year history to travel to such places. And you know there are over 1 billion people in China.

So, I know I will not enjoy such places now, regardless of how great the natural scenery is. The crowd is simply way too much. I wish I had gone say 15 years ago, but unfortunately I couldn't turn back time.

Same thing with places like Zhangjiaje in Wuhan, or Huangshan. So, let me just warn you about that.

rkkwan

There are lots of places you can go with simpler logistics. But here are a couple of thoughts.

If you want to do Thailand, why not finish your trip in Hong Kong then just go to Bangkok and Chiang Mai from there? Lots of competiton (including airlines from all continents - Finnair, Gulf Air, Ethiopian, etc) on the HKG-BKK route, so fares are quite reasonable.

But if you want to skip Thailand and spend more time in China, I'll suggest the Yunnan Province. You can fly non-stop from Beijing to Kunming, then you can fly or take train to Dali, then go to Lijiang and Shangri-La, and then come back.

Or if you want a more "Chiang Mai" like experience, fly from Kunming to Xishuanbanna in the far SW corner of China. The people living there share common ancestries to the Thais. Pretty exotic and not that crowded.

I went to a different part of Yunnan Province earlier this month, and it was one of the most amazing trips I've ever taken. And I've been to so many places on earth.

hypatia

Cannot change the HK and Beijing itinerary as it is a business trip ...Yes it is a problem...

I'm afraid that the Thailand leg will be too difficult after a 10 day trip..In other words too much crammed in to 9 days in the heat and a lot of flying...neeed a break after dirty noisy smoggy places and if there is any nature left in China I would lke to see it...but.Im sure Bangkok is noisy smoggy dirty and hot as well..
.I am interested in the SE Kunming area near the wild elephant park but this trip is not so much treckking as a beginners course...and I hear there are a lot of poisonous snakes

I would be interested in hearing from someone who has taken the commuter plane from Chengdu to the new park and stayed at one of the new hotels.
yes, Yellowstone is easy to get to.. for me ...Just fly to Billings or Bozeman MT and rent a car and you are there in a flash...it does take several hours to drive across it..

hypatia

I could only find a Air India flight from Bangkok to HK for 175...where do I need to look now? do you have a link for search???

rkkwan

I'm still a little confused about your fixed itinerary. Can you elaborate a little better?

The flight from Chengdu to Jiuzhai/Huanglong is on 737-sized planes. Not tiny commuter. But the airport is at over 10,000ft, and it's a long way from Jiuzhaigou. Jiuzhaigou is lower, so usually no altitude problem, but Huanglong is very high. So, one needs to be careful about altitude sickness.

Anyways, I still think Dali/Lijiang/Shangri-La in Yunnan may fit your bill. It's also a short flight from Kunming to Guilin, and another short flight Guilin to Shenzhen/Hong Kong.

hypatia

sorry to seem so muddled ... I have to attend a business conference (4 days in HK and then on to Beijing for addtional 5 days). Then I have 9 free days before my return trip from HK..I have done 5 countries in three weeks on my own before but that was Europe..

I thought that Jiuzhaigou has a new airport and it was 40 minutes from the entrance???I have had altitude sickness before.....but I dont care for high desert I like trees

rkkwan

hypatia -

There's only one airport at Huanglong/Jiuzhaigou. It's relatively new, opened just about 3-4 years ago.

The airport itself is at over 11,100ft above sea level. It's closer to Huanglong, about an hour away. The highest point at Huanglong National Park is over 13,000ft. (The highest mountain peak is at 5,588m or over 18,000ft).

Jiuzhaigou is lower, but the highest point you can get is still close to 10,000ft. It's about 100km, or about 2 hours by road from the airport.

[Not to argue the point, but I don't see how you can say Yellowstone is much easier to get to. Say you are in DC. It requires the same 2 plane trip plus a relatively long ride (unless you fly to Jackson). And the plane going to Jiuzhai/Huanglong is larger than the one you fly to Bozeman.]

Anyways, there are really lots of places you can go in China in 9 days. Besides Yunnan and Guilin, you can go travel part of the Silk Road, you can go visit ancient temples and towns in Shangxi (west of Beijing), etc. It's a very large and diverse country with more than just the large cities and the Yangtze Gorges.

hypatia

Indeed that's what makes it hard..

no argument from me as I've never been to China.. Not comparing but I just meant that Yellowstone is not remote or inaccessible to me..or maybe it just doesn't seem so as my family worked there...most people do think of Jackson Hole as the way to get there....

Anyway I am picturing that Chengdu is akin to Denver..What altitude is it there?
No, I wouldnt be able to just fly into the park as I am from sea level and take medication.I need a day for sure to aclimate
Thanks

rkkwan

Chengdu is at around 1,600ft.

Just don't go straight to Huanglong after you arrive at the Jiuzhai/Huanglong airport. Rest, or visit Jiuzhaigou instead. Many tours go straight to Huanglong, and I know lots of people with problems up there and can't walk.

LynnieD

I love rkkwan's suggestion of Xishuanbana. I had never heard of it when my sister dragged me there. It turned out to be my favorite (Lijiang aside) part of China. If you go, be sure to take a bamboo raft trip down the Mekong River. The botanical gardens were fabulous and the simulated Water Splashing Festival was an absolute hoot. Be sure to participate, getting into costume.

I rarely hear of anyone going to Xishuanbana and want to give it my thumbs up as a wonderfully cultural place in southern China.

rkkwan

As you can tell, I'm becoming a big fan of Yunnan.

Anyways, I forgot to answer on other thing. For cheap airfares out of Hong Kong, look at this website: www.tiglion.com I've never used them, but the fares are representative of what one can buy locally in Hong Kong.

BLao

Jiuzhaigou is heaven on earth. I'd even say more beautiful than Yellowstone as it's nestled in a valley. However there isn't much Tibetan culture.

If you're attracted to fusion of the east and the west, there's a little book - winter stars, poems born between the Alps and the Tyrrhenian, by Beatrice Lao, a Chinese artist and poetess. Available from myself and at a few 5 star hotels in Hong Kong.

hypatia

thank you! I have considered carefully and purued the guidebooks and have finally decided on Thailand. But with recent events and the weather I have to keep a plan B .Because of some here, we will consider LiAing for 4 days.I think it would be ideal for us!!!!the problem with this is the flight from Beijing..I understand there is only 1 direct a day....which airline and when????and the cost? also Is there a flight to Guilin from Lijaing...Im assuming you go thru Kumming? I have looked some already

rkkwan

PEK-LJG MU5712 14:15-19:15 with stop at Kunming.

Full fare is 2,410 RMB. Depend on how you buy your ticket, you should be able to get 40-60% off.

MU is China Eastern.

No non-stop flight KWL-LJG.

hypatia

wow,that is just one way too........how much to get down to Guilin from Lijiang? I would still need a flight to HK also...

discount? do you mean waiting till I get to HK? do you have a site?

thanks Bob ...loved you pics ...I really couldnt do this without you all.I really do need a plan B if things go downhill in Thailand or if we have health issues but I have made reservations

rkkwan

hypatia - Full-fare Chinese plane ticket are priced mainly by distance. But on most flights, you can get reduced fares when buying through the right channel.

PEK-LJG is 1,419 miles if you fly non-stop, about the same as New York-Houston. Longer if you count the KMG stop. And with little competition, it's therefore not cheap.

The cheapest way to get Chinese domestic tickets is to buy them from local travel agents. But that means wait until you get to China. If you have several days in Hong Kong, you can buy them from an agent there, though the discount won't be as much. Or try using one of these sites:

ctrip.com
elong.net

BTW, full-fare KWL-KMG is 840yuan, and full-fare KMG-LJG is 530yuan. Same discount rule applies.