ronacele

Hi everyone

I'm leaving for Beijing Saturday very early. I'm travelling with Natural Habitat. First we go to Beijing and Xi'an and then on to the real purpose of the trip - to see the pandas. We'll be going to Maoxian, Jiuzhaigou, Chengdu, the Wolong Research center and that's about it. What kind of weather can I expect? I've already packed my Ugh boots as I was expecting really cold weather until I read a very recent post. Should I take them out? I'm just afraid the places where the pandas are may be colder than the cities

I'd also like to hear from the ladies about their experiences.

Thanks, Rona

thursdaysd

weather.com has ten-day forecasts. Looks like it will be in the low 60s in Chengdu. I was there at about the same time of year and it was cool and wet. I visited the pandas just outside Chengdu and they were adorable.

What sort of experiences did you have in mind?

baaj

If you are going to the Panda preserve, it is just on the outskirts of the city. The weather will be the same as in Chengdu proper. Jiuzhaigou can be much cooler than Chengdu however, although I don't think you'll be needing winter boots.

rkkwan

I won't call Oolong on the outskirts of Chengdu. You've started to climb the mountains, and I believe it's at over 6,000ft above sea level. Chengdu is at about 1,700ft.

baaj

I meant the Panda preserve on the outskirts of Chengdu. I remember renting a bike from my hotel to get there. I certainly didn't bike up 4300m!

ronacele

Thanks everyone. I'm just thinking of bringing my Ughs because: 1) they are light-weight and easy to carry and 2) to keep my legs warm when I wear the travel skirt I'm bringing.

Thursdays, and all ladies, I'm curious about how you found the toilet facilities. I was trying to be delicate but now realize you may have thought I was looking for romance - not at all, just pandas.

I am going to re-pack my one check in bag today so still have time to make changes. I'm planning to bring a bright red warm-up outfit (pants and jacket by Kaelin) that I will leave in the last hotel but am wondering if that's a good idea .

Also, for the first time I'm flying China Air. Any comments.

Thanks

Rona

rkkwan

You mean <b>Air China</b>. Bring your own entertainment.

baaj

And earplugs. On some flights, they offer no earphones and just play the movie on the cabin speaker system.

rkkwan

Earplugs or noise-isolating/canceling headphones are a must for longtrips. Especially near Chinese people. Yes, they are capable of yapping loudly next to you from JFK to PEK 13 hours straight.

ronacele

Rick

I'm leaving from Los Angeles. The flight seems to be a little longer from the West Coast.

I flew Cathay Pacific once and there weren't any loud people on that flight. I also get to fly business class so I hope the talking will be more controlled. I usually just read as it's too noisy for me to watch a movie, usually. I am bringing my ipod.

I've had my coffee and I'm really excited!!!

Rona

LeighTravelClub

Rona, have a great time. You are right to be excited....China is exciting!!! TRY to sleep during the flight, you will need all your energy when you arrive.
When you have any spare time, try to visit the local parks...any park. In my experience, this is where you will really experience China and meet and share with wonderfully, friendly, interesting people.

thursdaysd

Rona - see my &quot;Seven Steps to Happy Squatting&quot; at www.wilhelmswords.com/faq. Ignore the parts about Xinjiang province and the Taklamaklan - you'll probably do better than that.

thursdaysd

Forgot to ask, why the warm up suit? Thermal or silk undies would be better if you're really worried about being cold. And I flew Cathay Pacific business class Trans-Pacific one time, and had a crying baby in the seat in front, so noise-canceling head phones would still have been helpful. It was comfortable enough I still got some sleep, but would have been better without the noise.

Have a wonderful trip - trip report and photos would be much appreciated!

ronacele

The warm up suit is just another comfortable pair of pants with a matching jacket. But you have me wondering,.

atravelynn

Have a good time. Have you traveled with NatHab before? I have and they do a wonderful job with wildlife travel.

I was at Wolong in June and it was a pleaseant temp. while the rest of Chengdu was miserably hot.

I am a lady or at least a female and I had a wonderful time at your destinations. (in response to your request) I volunteered a week at Wolong and it was fantastic. The red pandas in Chengdu are a beautiful sight. You may want to spend more time with them since you'll see the Giant Pandas all over Wolong.

Xiong Mau is panda in Mandarin. Might come in handy. It means bear cat.

I just realized you are on your way. But if you have Internet access upon your arrival, let me wish you a fabulous trip.

ggreen

Rona, ni hao! I realize you are in-flight now, so I can't offer you any useful packing tips. But I can tell you a bit about bathrooms in Chengdu and above.

The bathrooms by the info center at the Panda Research Center were clean and modern. If I remember correctly, they may have even been seats... (Entrance is around to the right of the main entrance to the welcome center.) The toilet facilities in the national parks in Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou were some of the best I saw in my travels! Protective coverings, mirrors, a hook to hang your bag; lights in the Huanglong ones (but not at Juizhaigou). Very nicely done.

I read thursdaysd's &quot;seven steps&quot; before my travels and found it helpful. (I didn't find skirts an issue, though.)

Also, just a note to prepare you for the trek to Wolong. Since the roadway ascends into the mountains, it is a series of switchbacks all the way up. When I was there in July, it was bumper-to-bumper with tour buses, construction trucks, produce trucks, and cars. Lots of honking to let travelers going the other direction know the vehicle was approaching! And a lot of the lower part in the mountains overlooks a rocky, bleak riverbed. But the mountains are stupendous! I mostly wanted to tell you all this so you can anticipate what's at the end of the ride. I had a fabulous time up there!

I hope you are enjoying Beijing!!!

atravelynn

Oh, that's what you meant about ladies and experiences. Yes, the Wolong toilets were western and lovely.

Speaking of the ride to/from Wolong. If you are prone to motion sickness and have something to prevent it, take it.

You are there by now.

atravelynn

So are you back yet?