Hi China experts!

I'm trying to decide whether to include a yangtze cruise in my China trip. I may go to China in 2009 (or in 2008) and have read mixed reviews of cruising. One posting mentioned a long bus ride between ports, another said they loved their cruise, while a few stated it was just okay.

I'm looking to see a variety of places while in China, so your comments are appreciated. I'm just beginning to read up on cities to visit and deciding whether to go with a tour company or find a travel agency that can book my flights/hotels, and then hire guides along the way.

Thanks!

Monica

My position is this. A Yangtze cruise of the 3 Gorges is no longer a "must see" like it was years ago before they started building the big dam unless you want to see the dam.

If you have limited time in China, you may want to skip it and go somewhere else. But if you have like 3 weeks or more, then it's not a bad use of your time, and besides seeing the scenery, it gives you a chance to slow down and rest for a few days after running around places for a while.

Thanks for your comments. I'm looking at about 17-19 days not including my flights to/from the USA.

Monica

Monica, this question gets asked with some frequency. If you do a search on the forum, you'll find lots of comments.

I hated it. In three months travelling around China the Yangtze River cruise was the only part I really regretted. Basically mass tourism Chinese style is not for everyone. I know some people who have enjoyed their experiences however, I just think there are far more interesting things to do with your time in China.

http://www.travelsinasia.com/China/China.htm

First off, I don’t think you need to take a tour, and I think that would be the opinion of most people on this board. An agent who can set you up with cheap air fare and maybe good deals on hotels would be worthwhile; although in many cases I think you can get just as good a deal on hotel rates by going directly to hotels you are interested in. With e-mail and fax, you can contact hotels directly and cut out the agents.

You really do not need a guided tour to shepard you around the PRC, as you can get around easily by plane, train, etc on your own. There is certainly enough English spoken to make this easy IMO. A guide for certain places is certainly useful and as you seem to know, you can hire those by the day. These things are quite easy to arrange by yourself either through reccos on this board, your hotel or sometimes a guidebook. In some cases you do not need a guide at all. There is an excellent audio tour of the Forbidden City, for example, and for that you don’t even need a guide. I have used a guide and the audiotape for the FC, and IMO the tape is just as good and in many ways better than a guide because you can take your time and wander around as long as you want with the tape. You don’t need a guide for the Great Wall, just a driver to get you there. You can easily do walking tours on your own of Shanghai and in Lijiang. In Hong Kong you do not need a guide at all if you have done some basic reading and have a good guidebook or have seen the myriad of reccos on this board.

With 19-21 days I personally would skip the Yangtze cruise. I did it many years ago before the dam as built. It was very pretty, but very polluted even then, and I understand it is worse now, and of course a good bit is underwater, and as parts of the lake system created by the dames and locks are still filling up there are detours from time to time. I can think of many, many other places that are more interesting and several that are just as beautiful if not more so, notably Tiger Leaping Gorge outside of Lijiang. With 19-21 days, think about Beijing, Xian, Lijiang, Guilin, Shanghai and of course Hong Kong. (Taking rkkwan’s comment a bit further, if you want to rest, go to Lijiang and stay at the Bayan Tree hotel and have some of their great spa treatments while gazing at the snow capped mountains, that will refresh you after the rush of a place like Shanghai...) You could also consider Tibet and places along the Silk Road. You could also think of a place like Hainain Island, the “Hawaii” of the PRC. You could not do them all, and I am sure I am forgetting others, but you will not be without choice if you do not include the Yangtze.

Also consider going to the Olympics in August 2008 which I think will really be a great experience.

I think the comment above about the mass tourism is a really good one and not very well appreciated by many non-Chinese. The Yangtze region is heavily sold within the PRC as a tourist destination and is also very important as part of the culture of China, so you do get waves/hordes of people visiting there. It’s not a “unique” trip in any sense of the word.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Yes, I agree that going independently is much better and an agent can help set things up. I have never been on a tour before with the exception of St. Petersburg (while on a cruise) and I booked the tour with a private company for a group of 11 people.

The olympics would be a great experience but because of the job I have I can't take vacations in August or September. Even July is pushing it.

The places mentioned are on my list of where I want to go. I have lots of reading to do.

Now I need to decide when to go. I posted a comment on another thread about wondering if I should go before or after the olympics (May 2008 or May or October 2009). Someone posted a link to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6709099.stm which talks about the redevelopment of areas in Beijing to include the hutongs. Other comments I received was to go in 2009 after the olympics and when everything is over with, the beautification of gardens, parks, etc.

Suggestions on when to go?

Thanks!

Monica

PS: I should have stated, "to include the demolishing of the hutongs."

Monica

You choices are May 2008 or then not for another year, May or October 2009 is that correct? I think I would choose 2009 then, as the more I read and talk to people, there is still a lot of construction and sprucing up going on in Beijing which may not in fact be done by May 2008, they may be rushing to finish by August for the Olympics. A poster here just wrote that part or all of Wangfunjing street was closed for renovations, which was news to me. That is a recent closure and I am wondering if that is for a year or more, which would bring it to June next year. Even if not, I think you may find disruptions like that going on until August 2008. I had thought that the PRC was going to have major work done before that, but they may turn out to be more like the Greeks who were just about down to the wire on stuff for their Olympics (the difference there is that no one is going to go to jail for it...) it. If you are not going to be able to go to the Olympics, then wait until afterwards I would think.

As you may have read already, avoid the first weeks in May and October of ANY year, they are major public holiday weeks in the PRC. Virtually the entire country has those weeks off, and is traveling. Planes and trains are jammed as are hotels and sights and everything is more expensive. (Does not apply to Hong Kong, only May 1 and October 1 are holidays.) Given a choice, I think weather is better in October, cooler and more pleasant and less chance of rain in places like Guilin. Temps are especially better in Hong Kong.

Cicerone, thanks so much for your imput. Yes, my choices are May 08, May 09 or Oct 09. It's good to know about the weather in October for Guilin. I do want to go during the best times for weather. I'm limited on the months to go. And yes, I did read about avoiding the first week in May and October.

Thanks again!

Monica

One more question...for tonight:

Cicerone, what about traveling to China in October 2008 after the olympics? Or is that cutting it too close for the crowds/booked hotels, etc. I understand the Olympics are just over 2 weeks long but I'm wondering if things will calm down by the second week of October - maybe arrive the 10th of October.

Monica

The Olympics start on August 8 2008 and will be over by the end of August, so an October 2008 trip won’t have any Olympic spill-over. The “golden week” holiday week is going to be September 28-October 5, so again if you came a week later you should not have crowds or the high prices of that time. Also, temps and humidity drop pretty much like clockwork in Hong Kong around October 12-15, so overall I think it’s a good time to come.

Cicerone, thanks!! That really helps. I think I'll go with Octoer 2008, which will give me plenty of time to plan, as I have a big trip coming up this October an need to work on those plans.

Monica