Shanghai information needed
 

We are planning a first trip to Shanghai in November for 6 to 7 nights and wanted information regarding your favorite shopping places, restaurants and things to do while there. We will be staying at either the Westin or the Hyatt (or a combo of both) on points.

Do we have enough time to do a watertown and is it worth it?

Aloha!

most people prefer japan in november

We will also be doing a couple of weeks in Japan on our way home.

Aloha!

HT: Glad you have a chance to spend time in Shanghai, 6-7 nights is enough to give you a good flavor of this mega city.

Taxis are cheap and the subways are easy to use with english signs. Spend a few days in the city visiting People's Square, Shanghai Museum, Old Town, Yuyuan Gardens, Nanjing Road East, The Bund, The River, Pudong highrises, Jade Buddha Temple, French concession, Art alley, etc. If you like gardens, a daytrip to Suzhou is eye candy. A watertown is well worth it to give you a different snapshot of China, it's a short daytrip, and if you feel pressed for time, you can do a 1/2 day to a closer, smaller one.

Not sure what you like to shop for, click on my name for TRs which I think should still be useful today.

Happy Planning!

What Shanghainese said, especially the museum - I went back to Shanghai just to revisit the museum. I also spent time that trip in Hangzhou and Suzhou and recommend both, although better if you can do more than a day trip, and visit more than the most famous gardens in Suzhou. There's a great temple in Hangzhou in addition to the lake, ad you should see the silk embroidery "museum" (aka workshop) in Suzhou.

Thanks Shanghainese & thursd, just the type of info I wanted. The museum was already high on our list, even more excited now. Where can I find good Cantonese food?


Aloha!

There's a very small water town inside Shanghai, if you don't get to an outlying one: we enjoyed a day in Qibao (Cheebao) and the nearby Qibao pagoda was beautiful. Fun shopping, including a 10 yuan store or 3.

anxious to read all about your trip so that we can follow next year.... there have been such good trip reports here on S that it seems one of the wonders of the world...

"it seems one of the wonders of the world..." - depends on your taste. If you're into shopping and modern architecture, certainly. But I may well not return.

I spent 6 days in the city on my first trip in 2007 and loved every minute. In fact, Shanghai is one of my favorite cities. Period!

You certainly have time to visit a watertown. I really liked Xitang but, as noted above, there are other options.

If you are looking for information on eating in the city, I have lots of that in my two trip reports that include Shanghai. The most recent of these was written after my last visit in March 2010. but I have to ask, why do you want Cantonese food in Shanghai when the local fare is so fantastic? (Don't worry, there are scads of Cantonese restaurants!)


http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...g-shanghai.cfm


http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...yssey-2010.cfm

Peter, are you skipping Bangkok yet again???? tsk tsk tsk... what does Linda say about that!

Have fun in any case.

Carol

We love shopping and modern architecture so this should be a treat!

Eks, thanks for the advice. I had already read and printed out your stellar report. I like all kinds of Chinese food but didn't get any Cantonese last time we were there and I love Cantonese dishes so figured we want to try this trip.

Carol,hahahaha......I haven't told her we are not going to Bangkok but going to Shanghai instead yet but soon....... :^o

Bob, I'll do a complete report this time as we plan a water town visit too,then we'll head on over to some very interesting places in Japan's Northern Tohoku section that <b>you and K </b> should visit soon!
Want to join Linda and I here? Lots and lots of stairs.....

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7940.html

Aloha!

Oh, good. You are really in for a treat in Shanghai! Very friendly people, too.

Also, I just learned, thanks to our esteemed local expert, Shanghainese, that you can see pandas in a park in or near Pudong airport. Not sure if that is up your alley, but they sure looked cute in the pics I saw!

I just had a tour from Hangzhou to Suzhou to Shanghai. And Suzhou may be my favourite city among these three so I also highly recommand you have an extension tour to Suzhou by visiting those elegant gardens.

And Shanghai is a metropolis. Besides the must-see attractions such the Yuyuan Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund, Shanghai Financial Center etc... Another interesting thing you can do is to have a Huangpu River Cruise to see the nightview of Shanghai.

Some new attractions are also can be included such as the Shanghai French Concession which records the past Shanghai and the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall with so many exotic collections about the development of Shanghai.

Do you have any detailed itinerary?

peggy, thanks for the current info, always appreciated. No we don't have a current itinerary yet as you and others are helping me make one right now. How did you get from Hangzhou to Suzhou to Shanghai on your tour? What means of transport? Thanks again!

Aloha!

brooks, thank you for the wealth of information, what a great first post!

Aloha!

A fantastic restaurant is South Beauty in the World Financial building (the building that looks like a bottle opener near the Pearl Tower).

It was somewhat expensive but not too bad (around $30-40 I think for just me). I had a simple steak and a smoothie. The steak had a peppercorn sauce on it that made me want to lick the plate to get every last drop. :)


The World Financial building was nice because then I could get photos of the skyline with the Pearl Tower in them. I highly suggest going up before sunset so you get photos before, during and after sunset if you decide to do that.

Thanks Iowa for the reco. I also read your recent trip report and gleaned a few ideas from it.

Aloha!

I hope peggyjiang comes back and answers hawaiiantraveler's question about getting from Hangzhou to Suzhou to Shanghai on her tour. I'm trying to figure out the best way to see these places as well.

Peggy: Are you local and joined an arranged tour?

HT: How many days do you have, now you're tempted with Hangzhou & Suzhou in additon to a watertown? Suggest you use Shanghai as a base, and go to the others from there. If you decide on overnight trips, the hotel will store your luggage and won't charge you for your room if you arrange it when you make your reservations.

If you adore small classical gardens (there is one in Shanghai (Yuyuan Gardens), Suzhou is the place. Stay overnight and go to Tongli watertown the 2nd morning. Hangzhou can be done in a rather long daytrip if you skip the night show on the West Lake, or else it becomes another overnight trip, which does not leave you much time in Shanghai. Decisions, decisions ...... Aloha!