My cousin is concerned about going to China in October
 

Hi my fellow fodorites!

My cousin is concerned about our trip to China this October (10th - 3 Nov). She thinks with the problems in Tibet, it may spread to the places we plan to visit. I'm thinking no, we'll be fine. We'll be visiting Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu, Yangshuo and Hong Kong (with day trips from these cities). She also mentioned the China kidnap plot, but I believe that was about the athletes for the Olympics.

Should there be any concern? I was getting ready to buy our tickets to Beijing this week. If I wait another month or so, prices will most likely be even higher! They’ve already gone up $250 since I last looked and I know I can get a non-stop flight from Dulles to Beijing on Untied.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Monica ((F))

I think she's wrong. I also think you might save money if instead of taking the IAD-PEK non stop you look at the possibility of changing in either ORD or SFO..but that may have changed since I looked at that route (and also got FF award tickets on Air Canada).

We're going over but not until next February..I'm more concerned about the air pollution than anything else and somehow I doubt the Chinese in the major cities will start rebelling

Hi Dukey,

Thanks for your comments. I did check on flights with a change in plane and a couple are about $60 less and the others are even higher!

Would trip insurance cover our cancellation if there were specific riots/problems in the cities we visit?

Monica ((F))

Security concern is extremely low. I wouldn't worry about it.

rkkwan,

Thanks! I'll let her know. I would hate to miss a trip I have planned for so long! Plus I got my vaccinations done last week. It didn't cost me anything but man, my upper arms were sore for a few days.

Monica ((F))

I think you should go to www.kayak.com & type in your departure code & arrival city & then choose one stop & see what it pulls up for airfares... as going through LAX, SFO, SEA
may make it cheaper

A recent article in Conde Nast Traveler rated travel websites & loved Kayak for finding fares, BUT said that once you find it, check directly w/ carrier's website so see if you can get a cheaper fare...

Also be aware that if you alter you departure & arrival date by ONE day, it can make the fare MUCH cheaper (leave on a Saturday)...

China is a totalitarian country, you will be FINE, they are not going to let the Tibetan fight for freedom spread because there are many other ethnic minorities in western provinces that will also start unrest.

The air pollution is worse than you could possibly imagine. Think about wearing a mask when you go outside... especially if you have allergies or are asthmatic.

You should consider going to Guilin in the south for a day trip along the Li River, as the landscape in stunning... it will be warmer.

Xian will be cold in Oct., it's dusty & many people get respiratory infections after visiting it... so try to schedule it to the end of your trip.

There's a village in the Szechwan province called Dazu that has an amazing grotto filled w/ Buddhist & Confucian carvings.

The only thing other than pollution you need to concern yourself with is scams run on tourists in the big cities.

Not all travel insurance companies cover terrorism or insurrection, so call them & ask them... and then READ the specific language as most companies consider it FORCE MAJEURE (not covered).

Also Travel Guard is owned by AIG & they are not doing well due to being mortgage insurers... I don't know that I'd trust their insurance due to financial reasons...so you might want to buy ACCESS AMERICAN via AAA, which is what we bought & they DO cover terrorist cause trip interruptions.

I have not seen or read anything that would make me consider cancelling a trip to China this fall. At this moment, I still plan on taking my kids the summer of 2009....

It's the tetanus shot that hurts!

My wife and I depart in a couple weeks for China. We will keep Fodorites posted upon our return in late May. Fear not, Monica. All will go well.

I agree with previous poster, that air pollution should be your biggest concern. It is absolutely staggering!!!
During our time in Beijing last June, I was constantly wondering how on earth the endurance athletes will cope during the Olympics.
Don't think you should be over-concerned about any other issues that you mention.

Enjoy China....it's certainly unique.

Monica,

I am also visiting China in October/Nov and going to most of the places you are. I have absolutely no concerns about safety and agree with the posters here - pollution and pickpockets are probably the greatest dangers.

Cheers

Peter

How about Tibet in October, is anyone planning a trip there??

I would like to start my research but hate to book it all and then cancel as we were planning to take the train from Beijing to Tibet and then fly to Kathmandu from there, so there would be alot of cancelling involved should this not settle down by then???

Hi, Monica!

Another couple of good websites to check for airfare is:

gatewaylax.com

I got a really good fare to Bangkok earlier this year through them.

When you are checking for airfares to Asia, make sure the taxes and fees are obvious. They could add another several hundred dollars to your total. What may seem like a bargain from one site/airline could turn out to be higher than another fare which includes all taxes and fees.

Another great website is:

sidestep.com

They check hundreds of fares and will let you do comparisons, like how many stops you want to make and which day of the week, etc.

Have a great trip! :)

Oksana, have you ever been to China? Just wondering if you are writing from direct experience..(???)

Hi friends,

Sorry for not responding sooner. Been busy these days.

Arm all better now. :)

Yes, I understand the pollution is a concern. I plan to see my dr. about getting an inhaler, as I've had asthma/alergey problems in the past. I do plan to bring a mask or two.


I did check Kayak, but they're not much less expensive than booking directly with United, plus Kayak only shows 2+ flights and United has a non-stop to Beijing and only 1 stop coming home.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Monica ((F))

Hi Tracey B
I have just seen your post.My daughter was due to do your trip in reverse flying into Katmandu on the 1st June. At the end of last week the airline allowed them to change their tickets.They will now spend their time in Nepal and Northern India instead.
The papers today say that no tourist visas will be issued before 20th June but I don't feel that the situation will automatically rectify after that.
She had this trip booked about 5-6 months ago. I feel she's been quite lucky with the airline because I understood the ticket to be non-changeable

What is the timeframe to get a visa? My trip isn't until the beginning of October.

Thanks!

Monica ((F))

Visa timeframe depends on how you're getting it. Since you live in the DC area, you can go apply for it in person at the Chinese Embassy. Standard processing time is 3 business days, but you can pay more to get it faster.

But make sure you check the holidays. For example, October 1 is National Day, so if you're going on 10/10, you definitely want to get your passport back before the start of their holiday.

If you decide to use a visa service, then you need to ask them how much time they need.

Monica,

We are just back from 23 days in China. Although I was very worried about the pollution in advance, and it was definitely in evidence for at least part of our trip, it didn't really affect me. I took an Advil Cold and Sinus every night and sometimes needed a few cough drops in the morning, but never wore a mask. My DH, who travels with an inhaler and sometimes suffers from mild asthma found the pollution more annoying than I did, but he didn't feel the need for a mask either.

I know there are pickpockets and scammers so you need to be careful, but if you know where to hold tightly to your bag (or wear your money under your clothes) and you are aware of the scammers, you can relax and stop worrying so much.

We were there during much of the Tibet controversy and the start of the Torch Relay, and experienced no problems whatsoever (one day they blocked a few seconds of a CNN broadcast news item on the subject!)

I hope you enjoy your trip as much as we did.

Linda

To put it mildly the Chinese authorities have a low tolerance for dissent. The problems in Tibet are no doubt well and truly under control, and it's hard to see them spreading very far from the borders of the province. Certainly the Tibetan cause has few if any supporters among the Han Chinese populace.

I'd have no concerns whatever about visiting China, even in areas where there are significant concentations of ethnic Tibetans. It's a bit like being worried about visiting the USA because riots have broken out in one or two cities.

Don`t worry.It is no problem for travelling in China all the year round.seeing is beliving.
you can try book domestic flight by www.elong.com or www.ctrip.com to find good fares.