My husabnd and I just spend 10 days visitng Tokyo, Beijing and Xi'an- I would be happy to answer questions! We really enjoyed our trip- visiting both Japan and China made for a very interesting contrast in cultures. <BR> <BR>We stayed at the Palace Hotel in Tokyo, as well as in Beijing (although they are not afiliated). Both were wonderful. We flew to Xi'an, and spent a day with a guide- this was an ideal way to see the tombs and a smaller town without losing time in Beijing. PLease be aware that they are having a very cold winter in China- dress VERY warmly as it is snowing! I'd be happy to help with sites, etc if I can! <BR> <BR>

What did you see in Japan ? I know Tokyo well, but it would take lifetimes to see all there and everybody's point of view is unique. <BR> <BR>Also, what main differences did you find between Japan and China ? <BR> <BR>Onegaishimasu ! Please share ! <BR> <BR>

Robyn -- 2 of us are starting to plan a trip to China - we had in mind May as we are not familiar with their weather. When is the rainy season, when does it get too hot? Will stay away from those months. We are doing the tour thing, with a reliable travel agency; going to beijing, hong kong, Xi'an - etc. and taking the side trip to Tokyo, Japan - What do's and don't's can you suggest - is water/food safe there? Anything you can add in the way of advice or sights to see, would certainly be appreciated.

Robyn -- My wife and I are starting at the beginning of March a trip to Xi An from Beiging (we plan to stay there 2 nts and a complete day visiting the tombs. You say you made the visit in one day. How you do that. Is easy to find a guide. I may change my travel plans as you suggest and stay more days in Beijing and Shangai. Please what you suggest. Luis <BR> <BR> <BR>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <BR> <BR> <BR>

Shyrlee, <BR> <BR>I'm not sure about water in China, but it is absolutely safe everywhere in Japan, as is food in both countries. <BR>

Florence: Since my husband is working in Tokyo (the only city I visited in Japan) we lived life more as locals than tourists- we went to tiny, back alley restaurants and the sumo wrestling matches! I spent a lot of time walking- from the Imperial Palace all through Ginza and around that general area. We visited Asakusa and I perused several of the large department stores. Unfortunately I missed many museums since all of them are closed on Mondays, and the Bridgestone was closed in preparation of a new Renoir exhibition. <BR> <BR>The best example I can give to illustrate the difference between Tokyo and Beijing would be a cab ride. In Tokyo, the door of the spotless car opens autmotically, the driver with white gloves probably doesn't speak English but drives you to the specified destination and then charges you the going rate, which is approximately 6 times that of a NYC cab. In Beijing, the cab driver may or may not want to take you. If they agree, then hopefully the door to the car opens without yanking on it too hard. If the driver speaks English (which many attempt), you might go to your destination; and even if you have the directions in Chinese, you will probably be dropped off several blocks away, inexplicably. The cab driver will then charge you the going rate, usually around $1, unless you have previously negotiated a set price. <BR> <BR>I give you this example with the hope that you not think negatively about either, but refelct on the differnces in their cultures. Both are interesting, fun, different, annoying, etc and very fun to experience! <BR> <BR>Enjoy!

Shyrlee: <BR>I would be the last person to advise about the weather! Every report I read prior to going to China said nothing about how bitterly cold it was when we arrived; it snowed most of the days as well! Just be prepared- the buildings in China are not climate controlled and most sites are outdoors or offer little protection. <BR> <BR>If you are going with a group, I imagine most everything will be planned for you. For example, we missed seeing museums in Tokyo because all of them are closed the same day- your tour group will know this and plan accordingly. Likewise, they won't take you to restaurants with bad water. Although we had no problems, since we ate in recommended resturants and stayed in a lovely hotel, I would recommend drinking bottled water and avoiding ice in drinks on the streets- just to be safe. There are also a plethora of food stalls and street vendors- be sure you eat food that is well-cooked or avoid meat and foods which could cause a problem. <BR> <BR>My advice is to see as much as you possibly can! We were surprised that some musueums in Beijing were inexplicably closed- the Museum of the People's Revolution for one. But if one thing is closed, there are many other possibilities! We visited many temples, the Silk Market, the Wall, the Summer Palace (with a frozen lake!), Forbidden City, etc If you have more specific questions, please ask!

Luis: <BR>I highly recommend our guide in Xi'an, Clarence Guo. He has a website and you can email him at [email protected]. Depending on how much time you have and what is on your list to see, he can tailor the site seeing to your needs. (We flew in at 9am and left on a 7pm flight) Since we flew in for the day, he picked us up at the airport, drove us everywhere, and then took us back to the airport in the evening. Unless you are really into the soldiers, I think 2-3 hours is plenty. They are all in the pits still or behind glass, so you can't study them up close. Besides the tombs, Clarence took us to visit a family residing in the traditional cave houses of the area, lunch in the local village (delicious!!), a small open-air market, and the town of Xi'an to see the city walls, the Drum Tower and the mosque. <BR> <BR>I would definitely recommend that you spend more time in Beijing ( I have not been to Shanghai, so I can not answer about that). We were there 4 days, and left with more we wanted to see! China is wonderful- hae a great time!

Hi Robyn, we are travelling to China independently in October and would love you advice as to what are the priority or best buildings to vist within the Forbidden City/Tinammen Square. With so many buildings, we hope to make a list and just work our way down until we run out of energy (or enthusiasm!).? Thanks for any info you can offer - Gayle

Hi Robyn, sorry I missed your last posting to Luis regarding using Clarence in Xian. I have seen his posts on every travel forum on the net (he's a trier isnt he! ha!) and so I contacted him a few weeks ago to check his prices (800RMB) for the day all inclusive. <BR>How much extra was it for your sort of day, as I would prefer to fly onto Guilin that night as you did instead of staying in Xian? Thanks - Gayle

Robyn, do you remember how much the airfare from Beijing to Xi'an and back was? Did the concierge arrange it for you, or from whom did you buy your tickets? Thanks, much. I'm going in early March and am limited in time--spring break.

Gayle: We started our first day with Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City. In Tianamen, we visited Mao's tomb <BR>(there will be a line, which will be long or short depending on the season and the weather, and don't forget to check your backpack and/or camera across the street!), the Museum of Cultural History, and walked around the square a little bit (it was covered in a 2 inch sheet of snow and ice so we didn't linger too long). The Museum of the People's Revolution (not the exact name, but it is right next to the National Msueum I mentioned) is closed indefinitely. The other only had one room open. So our visit to Tianamen was very quick. I have heard the Great Hall of the People is also interesting, but again it wasn't open to the public during our visit. <BR> <BR>From Tianamen we crossed the street and entered the Forbidden City. This will take you at least 2 hours- there is a very good audio guide (narrated by Roger Moore of 007 fame) which leads you through most of the buildings- you pick this up after you enter the thrid gate I think. You should buy the ticket which allows you access to the Hall of Watches and Jewerly. At the very end, once you exit the far end of the palace you will see signs which will lead you to these buidlings. They are very interesting, and give you the best idea of the interior of them (most you are not allowed into, you can only peek in). You really can't see just a few of the buildings in the Forbidden City- the layout requires you walk through the entire complex, otherwise you have to back track. And most buildings are not open to the public- you just walk through the primary Imperial gates and halls that were once used, located in the center of the layout. <BR> <BR>I would also highly recommend a visit to both the Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace. These were extraordinary, both in terms of craftsmanship and as examples of the wealth of the emperor. <BR> <BR>Have fun!!

Gayle: I almost forgot about Xi'an! We paid in US dollars, and for two of us it was $140. This included: round trip transportation to the airport, entrance fees and visit to the tombs, lunch (which was delicious!!), a stop at the cave dwellings, a stop at an open-air market, and entrance and visit to the mosque and drum towers in Xi'an. And Clarence acts as your guide- he is quite knowledgable and speaks great English. <BR> <BR>

Thanks very much Robyn for bothering to detail so much on Tinamnen Square and the Forbidden City. It is exactly the detail that I have been looking for(and spent hours reading in the process) Youve really helped me to plan our "plan of attack" ha! ha! (I <BR>We have decided to use Clarence and are to fly out that night to Guilin without staying in Xian (as you did) <BR>Thanks once again, I really appreciate your help. - Gayle

Boots: I don't recall the exact amount, but I do know you can check fares on the web (use American Express or some service which will show you a lot of airline choices). Many Chinese carriers fly to Xi'an; we flew China Air one way and Northwest China Air the other, both of which had nice 747 planes. We weren't able to purchase the ticket for one leg of the trip from the States, so don't be surprised if this happens to you as well. The concierge woudl be able to help if you have a problem, or you can go to a travel agency for help. Have fun!

Robyn, thanks very much for the info. I will follow your suggestions. Boots

Robyn: <BR> <BR>Am planning to go to Japan in May. Have never been to Asia, but have been to Europe several times. I've heard many of the stories as to how expensive Japan is... <BR> <BR>Can you perhaps translate these stories into real-world examples? <BR> <BR>How much is subway fare? Train fare? What should I plan on spending for meals at an average restaurant? Are there any "must-see" sites? You mentioned that all of the museums were closed on Mondays...is Monday their version of our Sundays, where many shops/attractions are closed? <BR> <BR>Also I would be staying with some family friends, and would like to give them a small thank-you gift. They have lived in the states before, and I am wondering if there is something that Japanese people like from the U.S., that they can't readily get there, and that would be an appropriatre thank-you gift... Perhaps a nice bottle of California wine? <BR> <BR>Also, what is the time difference between Tokyo and the Eastern time zone? <BR> <BR> <BR>Thanks! <BR>

Rich, <BR> <BR>I can answer a few of the Japan questions. Japan is very expensive for some items, yet reasonably priced for others (compared to NYC which is where I'm from). For example, a subway ride is Y160 (about $1.35), but a cab ride is Y640 just to enter; even a short trip is easily Y2000. When you arrive at Narita Airport, don't even consider taking a taxi - it will cost you at least $200 and take twice as long as the train. The mass transportation system here is amazing - clean, efficient and always on time. In Tokyo, they have subways that go almost anywhere, the JR (think Metro-North/LIRR), and then the Inter-City trains like the bullet trains. Except for a few moments of queasy-ness when the conductor first rips it open, the trip is a joy. By the way, from Narita, you can take the Narita Express - its Y3140 and will get you into Tokyo in 1 hour. <BR> <BR>Japan will be more expensive if you don't speak the language or have a guide. There are a number of local, family type restaurants and shops that are very reasonably priced. But if you go to the best restaurants, or to tourist-oriented places, expect to pay a bundle. And beware, the high-end in Japan, and Tokyo in particular, is stratospheric (it would not be hard to spend $150/person on dinner w/o going crazy on wine). <BR> <BR>Tokyo is a big sprawling metropolis - think Manhattan meets Los Angeles. I haven't traveled as much as I hoped, but you must see Kyoto. This was the historical capital of Japan before it became "Westernized", and the city retains a charm and sense of proportion that Tokyo definitely lacks. <BR> <BR>The time difference b/t Tokyo and EST is 14 hours; during Daylight Savings, its 13 hours. And a nice bottle of wine is a very nice gift b/c wine here is very, very expensive. <BR> <BR>Hope this is helpful. Feel free to email me directly with any add'l questions. <BR> <BR>Chris

Rich: I think the only area which Chris didn't touch on is the museum and site seeing. Asakusa is really beautiful; I would recommend you see the temple and spend a little time walking around the market. All of the museums are closed Monday, as I mentioned, and there are a number that are very good. The Bridgestone has an excelelnt reputation for Impressionist paintings, and the Museum of Western Art also focuses on art by European masters (they have a large Rodin collection for example). However, since you will be in Japan I think you should try and see the National Museum and the Sword Museum! <BR>Have fun!

Chris & Robyn: <BR> <BR>Many, many thanks for your responses! <BR> <BR>Had some follow-up questions: <BR> <BR>- Will be spending most of my time in Morioka (approx. 2 hrs. N of Tokyo), which means that I will probably be taking the train quite frequently. Is there something similar to Eurailpass that would allow me to take unlimited trips? If so, can I obtain it here, before I leave? Would this also include the train from NRT into the city? Does the NRT train go to the same station as the other trains, or is it like in many European cities, where they have several main train stations? How much is the train fare? Also, I have vivid images in my mind of the trains being so packed that the conductors have to literally shove people in so they can get the doors closed....how common is this?!? <BR> <BR>- What will the weather be like in late May-early June? <BR> <BR>- Again, I'm wondering if Monday is a "day off," like our Sundays, since all of the museums are apparently closed? <BR> <BR>- Would also like to pick up one of those Japanese robes (like the kind the Sumo wrestlers wear!) while I'm over there...how much should I be prepared to pay for one of these? <BR> <BR>- Also, I've been to Honolulu several times, and have noticed that the Japanese can be (at times) kind of pushy and inconsiderate. Should I be prepared for this type of behavior? I would imagine that if our country had the population density that Japan does, we might act the same way... <BR> <BR>- From my experiences in Europe, have noticed that people in different countries have differing levels of like/dislike for Americans...how do the Japanese treat Americans? <BR> <BR>Again, many thanks for your insight, and I'm looking forward to your (and others') responses... <BR>