PHOTOS AND TRAVEL TIPS ON CHINA
 

If you want travel tips, see photos, or just getting ideas of where to travel in China, have a look at www.jeremierita.canalblog.com

If you have any questions on China, don't hesitate to ask.

Enjoy!

Wonderful!

Really enjoying your blog and pics. Thanks for sharing.

I really enjoyed your photos and travel log. I too love Lijiang and would love to return there someday.

Your travel log is wonderful and the photos are stunning, may I ask what type of camera was used?

Thanks for your nice comments. Glad to see you like our blog.
The camera we use is a Sony DSCV1. But we only use the manual feature to take photos. We thus choose for every photo the right level of speed and aperture.

Just to mention that I've added some informaton on Yuangshuo/Guilin, and how to avoid the big boat tour groups.

These are wonderful photographs and a most interesting blog. I was in China at the same time as you but probably 1800 km further north and east. [ Liaoning ] Not as picturesque but perhaps just as interesting even though I was working most of the time. I will return to Liaoning 10 days from now but alas there will be little time for sightseeing and tours. Enjoyed your account and hopefully I will get to the south of China during one of my trips there.

thxs!

Jeremie - posted earlier on a different post but recopied here to the China post.
I'll probably have lots of questions (as those here who helped me plan my Thailand/Laos/Cambodia trip can attest). I did that trip on my own with my daughter, but I had things planned in advance. Not sure I could wing it like you did. The big problem is that we are strictly limited on time. We absolutely can't do anymore than 3 weeks - and I want to see as much as possible. So if we can't get a flight, it messes up our itinerary. I might try arranging hotels/flights in advance and some tour guides and winging the rest. Tell me about transfers from the airport and getting around in general. In Thailand, for example, lots of people speak English and it's easy to go outside the airport and tell them your hotel name and they'll take you. I don't have the sense that it's so easy in China. Beijing? Maybe? But what about someplace like Lijiang? And then how about arranging a guide/driver for the day? Did you need that? And if so, how did you arrange it once there? Thanks!
Karen

Karen,
When taking taxis in China, you'll need the name of your destination in writing to show to the taxi driver. It may also help to have the street address if it's a newer hotel or more obscure destination. Official taxis are metered and drivers are generally very honest but unlikely to speak any English.

Agree with Patty. Getting around by cab is really no problem but you must have the name (and yes, address) of your destination written in Chinese. Mandarin pronunciation is tricky and even a small variation from the correct tones may guarantee that you won't be understood.

Thanks for the wonderful photos and travelog, Jeremie & Rita!

I hope to visit China in the next year or two, and Guiling/Yangshuo are certainly on the list (for nearly the same reason as the girl 15 years ago). Do you hapen to recall the name of <i>Restaurant Affreux</i>, so that I can be sure to avoid it?

Hey Rizzotto, I see you read the blog with attention... Well, to be honest I don't remember. It's close to the river... that's all I remember. Anyway, Guilin has no real interest (except if you're a park fanatic!), so I'd recommend you head straight to Yangshuo (or half way as we did)
Anyway, that was the only bad experience of food. Apart from this, it was great food everywhere.

Karen,
Moving around China is straightforward. Loads of taxi, buses, etc. The only tricky thing is to make sure you arrive at location. Before leaving your hotel (or airport) ask someone who speak english to write it in a paper for you. Don't forget about the price too!! In Yunnan, I haven't seen any taxi that are metered.
Lijiang is very easy. You don't need transportation within the city since all that is interesting is in the old city. oooops, I forgot the superb bridge north of the city. Very nice to rent a bike (5usd) and go there.
We never rented a driver or a guide for a day. Very easy in China.
But take a mandarin phrasebook with you. Essential!! (LP's good)

Some hotels now have &quot;take me back to the hotel&quot; written in Chinese on the back of their business cards. If not, ask the hotel people to write it for you.

That's indeed the best to do. But don't worry much, finding one's way in China is easier than one think. Once you understand how things work, you simply have the reflex to prepare things a bi in avance when it comes to find your way. A good thing is to have a guidebook that spells locations in mandarin writing. This was very helpful in China too.

Jeremie: No message?

We are traveling to China and also taking the Viking River Cruise on the Yangtze. We would like some advice on how large of suitcases we should take, for ex: 26&quot; or so as we will be moving around alot.

Thank you very much,
The Larson's