Traveling solo to Beijing for Thanksgiving
Nov 2nd, 2009, 09:17 AM
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Traveling solo to Beijing for Thanksgiving
Hello Fodor Fam,
I'm going to be traveling to Beijing the week of Thanksgiving holiday. Not wanting to sign up for expensive tours that stop in places I may not be interested in......wondered if you experienced travelers could offer some advice. I was wondering if there is a way to connect with ex-pats there who might be interested in showing a fellow american around on the cheap. I'm on a 7-day tour but would only be interested in their services maybe 1-3 days that I'm there. Wanting to do the tourist and non-tourist view of the city.
I'm going to be traveling to Beijing the week of Thanksgiving holiday. Not wanting to sign up for expensive tours that stop in places I may not be interested in......wondered if you experienced travelers could offer some advice. I was wondering if there is a way to connect with ex-pats there who might be interested in showing a fellow american around on the cheap. I'm on a 7-day tour but would only be interested in their services maybe 1-3 days that I'm there. Wanting to do the tourist and non-tourist view of the city.
Nov 9th, 2009, 02:56 AM
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Beijing can easily be negotiated on your own. The tourist infrastructure is strong enough to organize your own trips. The Wall can be seen by bus or hire a driver. The Forbidden City needs no guide, just wonder. the same is true for the Lana Temple.
Nov 9th, 2009, 09:04 AM
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Thank you Gpanda for the advice. I feel okay that I can navigate all the tourist sites on my own. My concern - moving about at night. I don't want to spend my evenings stuck in my hotel room so I thought a guide would be useful and safer for me to experience the nightlife of the city.
Your thoughts?
Your thoughts?
Nov 9th, 2009, 09:17 AM
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Why are you afraid of going out at night? Is where you live dangerous at night? Don't assume Beijing (or, indeed, the rest of the world in general) is the same. Beijing is perfectly safe, and has no ghettos or 'no go' areas as you might understand them. Walk around the streets, through any park, or go wherever you like at night. The chances of danger or harassment of any kind are as near zero as makes no difference.
All you need to do is exactly the same as during the day: jump on the metro, a bus, or in a cab and show the driver the characters for your destination. If it's nightlife in particular you're interested in, it's all tame from glossy nightclubs no different from those in the West to a live music scene that's good-humoured even when the most hard-core Beijing punk band is playing.
Particularly approachable and (for now) the least tacky of the bar/entertainment streets, with a mix of foreigner-targeting restaurants (everything from Indian to fish and chips); small, sociable cafés with a mixture of foreigners and locals; slightly pricey but interesting gift shops; and an assortment of bars, is Nan Luogu Xiang (南锣鼓巷). If this is really all about having someone to talk to, chances are you'll strike up conversation with expats or English-speaking locals there.
Peter N-H
All you need to do is exactly the same as during the day: jump on the metro, a bus, or in a cab and show the driver the characters for your destination. If it's nightlife in particular you're interested in, it's all tame from glossy nightclubs no different from those in the West to a live music scene that's good-humoured even when the most hard-core Beijing punk band is playing.
Particularly approachable and (for now) the least tacky of the bar/entertainment streets, with a mix of foreigner-targeting restaurants (everything from Indian to fish and chips); small, sociable cafés with a mixture of foreigners and locals; slightly pricey but interesting gift shops; and an assortment of bars, is Nan Luogu Xiang (南锣鼓巷). If this is really all about having someone to talk to, chances are you'll strike up conversation with expats or English-speaking locals there.
Peter N-H
Nov 13th, 2009, 06:54 PM
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You're very unlikley to fall victim to a white slavery gang. We felt not the smallest discomfort in walking around Beijing and Shanghai at night.
Take a good city map with streets and main points of interest shown in both characters and Pinyin (Roman alphabet). Also be sure to take your hotel's business card or brochure with its name and address rendered in characters.
If you get lost, just flag down a cab and point out where you want to go. Your chances of finding an English-speaking driver are somewhat less than winning the lottery, but we didn't find that a problem, and we found the (licenced) cabbies invariably competent and honest. I hope that hasn't changed.
It's a good rule to politely decline any assistance offered in English, as the "helper" will usually be looking to sell you something at a larcenous price. The ordinary citizens are outgoing and friendly, but the language barrier restricts their ability to be much help.
When we got lost looking for the Liqun roast duck restaurant and showed an old shopkeeper its business card he went to a lot of trouble to write down the directions for us. In Chinese characters. He did at least include the numerals "500", which we took to mean 500 metres, and pointed in the general directions, so we thanked him profusely and continued. The point is that we were thoroughly lost at night in a ratmangle of narrow streets somewhere SW of Tiananmen Square and felt as safe as houses.
Take a good city map with streets and main points of interest shown in both characters and Pinyin (Roman alphabet). Also be sure to take your hotel's business card or brochure with its name and address rendered in characters.
If you get lost, just flag down a cab and point out where you want to go. Your chances of finding an English-speaking driver are somewhat less than winning the lottery, but we didn't find that a problem, and we found the (licenced) cabbies invariably competent and honest. I hope that hasn't changed.
It's a good rule to politely decline any assistance offered in English, as the "helper" will usually be looking to sell you something at a larcenous price. The ordinary citizens are outgoing and friendly, but the language barrier restricts their ability to be much help.
When we got lost looking for the Liqun roast duck restaurant and showed an old shopkeeper its business card he went to a lot of trouble to write down the directions for us. In Chinese characters. He did at least include the numerals "500", which we took to mean 500 metres, and pointed in the general directions, so we thanked him profusely and continued. The point is that we were thoroughly lost at night in a ratmangle of narrow streets somewhere SW of Tiananmen Square and felt as safe as houses.
Nov 13th, 2009, 07:46 PM
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I was in Beijing last month and we wandered freely and never felt even a tiny bit at risk. In fact, it felt much safer than at home on the streets at night in San Francisco! Taxis are amazingly cheap! Our 30 min. cab ride to the Peking Opera cost the equivalent of $3.00 US. If you have trouble catching a cab, just queue up at a hotel. We also found locals who were very helpful at flagging down a cab for us. Bring the card from your hotel. You will love Chinese customer service.
Nov 14th, 2009, 07:28 AM
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Thank you all for your replies. I so much appreciate the advice.
BTW - I was assuming that it would be dangerous for me. I Didn't me to give this impression. It was more like looking for confirmation that I could move about on my own at night and I received that. Thank you all so much! This has been a huge help to me in planning my trip.
BTW - I was assuming that it would be dangerous for me. I Didn't me to give this impression. It was more like looking for confirmation that I could move about on my own at night and I received that. Thank you all so much! This has been a huge help to me in planning my trip.
