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!

Shanghainese, Our schedule is still in the making, no tickets yet so we can add and subtract days as we need still. What is the best way to get between Shanghai Hangzhou and Suzhou, trains, taxi, private drivers? Waiting for my Shanghai guidebook to arrive from amazon :)

Aloha!

Hey there Hawaiiantraveler! You will enjoy yourself for sure. Here is a link to our travelogue and some Facebook galleries from our adventures here in Shanghai. We've been living and working here since the end of July last year. Through these you can see what a family from the northwest, who basically loathes big cities, does for fun in and around Shanghai!

http://www.cokesmithphototravel.com/...Adventure.html

Haha, in my opinion, Hangzhou-Suzhou-Shanghai just a triangle so visit can start from any city among this three.

Private car may be a good way to travel in these three cities because the distance between these cities are not far and about hald-day driving will be from one to another. And it is freer to visit the attractions.

Another reccommanded vehicle is the CRH (china railway hihg-speed train).It is fast and convinient but you should have some local transport information.

cokesmith, fantastic pics, what a new life for you,lol thanks for the info! Thanks peggy!

Aloha!

Just noticed this post. Not sure if you've already planned everything but here's a link to my trip report from a few years ago. http://www.fodors.com/community/asia/shanghai-14.cfm

Hi Paul, how are you guys doing? Has Jay been back home lately? Thanks for bringing back this wonderful report.

I do remember this report and we actually had reservations at the Le Meridian the first three nights and the Grand Hyatt for the last 4 nights in Shanghai but have had to curtail that part of our trip this year due to Linda's heavy work schedule in November. We have put this part of China on the back burner and will do it sometime in the near future.

Where are you traveling to next?

Aloha!

Looks like Basngkok over Thanksgiving next. We may actually be flying in and out of Shanghai but would just stay there a day on each end. Still a bit up in the air. Are you still going to be able to go on some trip or does Linda's work preclude an escape?
Have not been to HNL in a while since we've been trying to visit Jay's parents in Maui more to help out.
Have a good one.

ht, no Japan for Koyo viewing.... :(

We had to cut 2 weeks and change out of our trip but will still be gone for three weeks of koyo viewing on Kyushu, Shikoku, Kansai and the Kanto ;)

Looks like our Thanksgiving has been moved to Hakone but I'm not one to complain.

Next time any of you are in HNL drop us a line....

Aloha!

Would love to hear about your insights on how if any Japan has changed since the tsunami. We were there last year for Thanksgiving but that seems so long ago now. Also love to just hear about Kyushu and Shikoku since we have not been to either yet.

Me too, ht - I canceled my spring trip to Kyushu - plan to do it next spring but I am taking a quick trip in November as well, but only to Kyoto, Nikko and Tokyo.....

Mara, love those quick trips ;)
we will be in Kyoto and Tokyo in Nov also. Right now we are in Kyoto 11/21-11/24 and Tokyo 11/25-11/29. Any chances for a gtg?

Aloha!

HT:

Aloha! Just following up, did you make it to Shanghai or was it cut out?

Aloha Shanghainese!!!

Hope you are doing well. We had to cut Shanghai out last year, Linda couldn't get enough time off work for it. We have Shanghai in our plans for this October though,so all the planning hasn't gone to waste. We will be fortunate to be traveling with rhkkmk for a bit in Shanghai so we can blunder through the city together,lol. Any other bits of information or insight into your home town for us? Your favorite Shanghai restaurant(s) maybe?

Aloha!

Do you still have the notes you printed out from my TR? If not, I'll top it for you. Btw, I'm going next month.

@hawaiiantraveler - make sure to avoid week of October 1st which is the national holidays.
For restaurants check here: http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/

Here is a nice list of attractions
http://www.touristlink.com/china/shanghai-ch.html

I visited a few years ago and most liked just walking around the
different areas of the city and seeing the sky scrappers. Dont
miss the local dumplings that are sold on the street.