Zhouzhuang, Nanxun, Xitang: Which water town outside Shanghai do you recommend
 

I saw a discussion in early 2007 on the water towns. I am wondering which towns were chosen for visits and what do you recommend: sssteve, childlife, ekscrunchy, others?

Zhouzhuang is considered number 1 by some, but is it full of tourists?

Can more that one town be done in a daytrip by car from Shanghai?

We appreciate any and all advice. Carol

All watertowns are full of tourists, Zhouzhuang is the largest, hence the most tourists.

You can do two towns in one day but I won't recommend it, it'll be a very long day and you will be rushing around instead of really enjoying the trip.

Are you visiting other cities near Shanghai, i.e. Suzhou and Hangzhou?

To: Shanghainese: We have been to Suzhou and hangzhou on previous trips. Where would you suggest we go since we have only one day for a trip outside of Shanghai?
Thanks. Carol

Tongli or Xitang, google them and decide which one suits your taste.

One that might be less touristed is Nanxun, which is a bit further from Shanghai. I did not visit there but did take a day trip by private car to Xitang and liked it very much. I did not find it overwhelmed by tourists.

ekscrunchy, did you do Xitang as a day trip from Shanghai? How long is the drive from the city, and how long would you recommend spending in Xitang? We've stayed in Suzhou and Hangzhou before, and are interested in something different -- but Zhouzhuang sounds much too crowded. Also, how much should we expect to pay for a driver for the day out of Shanghai, or did you go with local friends? Thanks.

Yes, I did Xitang as a day trip from Shanghai. I hired a driver with car and paid about $100USD. As I remember, the drive took about 2.5 hours. I would allow four hours more or less, for the town, including lunch. I had a very good and very cheap lunch in the new part of town. Here is my trip report with information, including the contact info for the driver. His english is minimal but he is a good and careful driver and has a good sense of humor. I would not hesitate to use him again. I had asked about doing Nanxun and Xitang on the same day and he said it would not be a great idea, timewise:

Scroll down towards the end of the report for the Shanghai section:


http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34984181

Can't remember if EK took a small boat ride in Xitang, it's like a gondola, very relaxing and a great way to see the town. YOu may even see fishermen with their cormorants.

ekscrunchy, thanks for the info on the Shanghai driver. I'll definitely try to use Mr. Zhong, if we don't want to catch a bus to Xitang. It sounds like more fun wandering around with him, rather than having to worry about making the connection back.

I'm sorry I missed your trip log previously, but I just finished reading the whole thing and it's marvelous. I'm getting excited about our October trip. We were previously in Shanghai about 4 years ago, and in 5 days barely scratched the surface. I did buy 5 or 6 Mao and "Rolex" watches for $1 each -- and they NEVER worked! Their straps, on the other hand, are pretty good... My family also tried the dumpling restaurant you went to in YuYuan. Having 2 grumpy and hungry teenage girls with us at the time, no one was in the mood to fight for a table, and so we left. But it was a real pleasure watching the ladies assemble the dumplings through the window. I'm glad you explained about ordering at the cashier, too, because I don't think that was obvious to us at the time.

Last trip we stayed at the Sofitel Hyland on Nanjing -- great location, but prohibitively expensive this year. We're tentatively booked at the Ramada, which you mention in your log -- and I'm wondering if you heard any comments about the place from anyone who stayed there.

Anyway, my thanks along with all the others for detailing your trip so well. It sounds like we have some great restaurants to try.