Summer Travel Advice

[icebear]

Hey all
By the day it looks increasingly likely that I'll have 3-4 friends from home coming out next August to do some exploring for 2-3 weeks. Being the man already in China, I've been delegated with producing a vague list of 'possible' destinations along with approximate costs there. Obviously we aren't interested in spending the whole 3 weeks in Shenzhen (if I have it may way it'll be under 3 days). I know there is a huge list of city info in the Library, and maybe this should go there too, but that list is huge to trudge through with this sort of purpose in mind. Suggestions on good 'routes' that hit a few main spots would be cool too.

I'm not looking for a paragraph on each location, just a list of ones that strike you as must sees as well as what I can expect the area to cost.

Christ I could probably use a Lonely Planet, but it was just rubbish for Shenzhen (1/3 of a page for a city of 12 million?!) and Yangshuo (prices completely unreliable). Thanks for any advice!

[gengrant]

don't you mean "relegated?"

I'd put on my list at the very least:

Xi'an and the Terra Cotta Warriors (great band name, btw)
Beijing
Great Wall
Mongolia

Hope this helps...

[Dajiang]

yangshuo, and take your time here. a weeks easy to spend and it is worthwhile too.
chengdu and jiuzhaigou are cool places, and Yunnan is nice enough.
Around Lijiang see Tiger Leaping Gorge and Lugu Lake. Dali is excellent too. If you got time Zhangjiajie is amazing in Hunan province, and you could plan it along an overland route from Guilin to Chengdu perhaps. from Jiuzhaigou you can go overland to Songpan, and onwards to Langmusi and Xiahe. Well worth the trip and time. But then you might not have enough time to see Xian and Beijing, if your friends insist on seeing those places too.

Id say, dont try to see all the highlight, but choose a region: South-West or East China (Shanghai hinterland). It's all pretty cheap in the South as you probably know, but prices go up every year, and it really depends on what you want to do, and how much of it, and what kinds of hotels/hostels youll be living in.

Good luck with the preparations.
Dajiang

[Lotus Eater]

August will still be hot - I'd head somewhere cooler.

Lake Kanas in far northern-western Xinjiang is gorgeous - and Urumqi is a good place to spend a few days in as well, either going to or from.

The grasslands in Inner Mongolia are also fascinating.

Or western Sichuan, or Qinghai Lake.

Plus of course, there is always Tibet....

All of these are also way out of your own territory so could be more fun for you than going to 'normal' places.

A lot of this depends on your friends - do like like comfort, do they want to see the 'normal' tourist things - the Wall, the Terracotta Warriors, Forbidden City etc?

[Eagle's Nest]

I think LE has it right on. What would they be most likely interested in seeing? We have some family coming in May for two weeks and we KNOW that they would NOT be interested in out of the way unique experiences. So we will take them on the Shanghai, Suzhou tour as well as send them to Beijing for the Wall and the Forbidden City. We will then show them our city for about three or four days.

We will save the exploring for when it is just the two of us. Now if certain other family members came we would do a different experience with them. And if other certain members came, we would suggest we meet in a tropical location were we could experience yet another all-inclusive resort much like the other resorts in tourist world - LOL!

[icebear]

They are pretty much open to whatever. I'm sure they'd like to see the standard fare - The Wall, The Warriors, etc. But they are mostly seasons travelers as well, so off the beaten path suggestions are more than welcome. I just need a list - quite frankly I don't care where, as I'm going to gear my other holidays like in May and Feb around what we plan to see next summer.

Thanks for the suggestion!

[Jollyjunklass]

I would suggest the west of China, especially if you want off the beaten path. Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi, for sure. If you decide to go to Zhangjiajie in Hunan province, make sure to see Fenghuang, which is nearby. i think Fenghuang is much nicer than Zhangjiajie. Rarely do foreigners go to Fenghuang, it is mainly Chinese tourists, it is also probably one of the most beautiful places to see in terms of architecture.

Also, in Guangxi province, do not miss Longsheng, it is a day trip from Yangshuo. It has terraced rice paddies, and it is something that they will have never seen before and absolutely fascinating. In Guangxi province you can stay in hotels and guest houses for 40 yuan, and they are nice. If you go to Guangxi, I would skip Guilin, or perhaps only spend one day there and then head down to Yangshuo. In Yangshuo you can gather a lot of information , re: places to see. It is also a good base for many day trips or overnight trips. San Jiang is also a must see.

If you decide to go to Guangxi PM me I have a lot of info. and tips for you.

Also, in Sichuan province you could spend a few days in Leshan, where the big buddha is. Leshan, itself, is a very cool relaxed city to chill in. However, it may be expensive to stay there. I had a place for a month so I am not sure of prices.

Places I want to go to and have not been are: Guizhou, Gansu, Tibet, and Yunnan. From my research and what I have gathered, they are all worth the visit. I also suggest, if you want a large city to show them, Xi'an.

Suzhou, too, is very beautiful. But, personally, if I had to choose one area, I would head to the west of China. People are kind, and prices of lodgings are right on.

[solongtinik]

i would always go for dalian...

it just cost me 110 for the accomodation. not the best though but it's a single room with two beds..a shower...TV and near the beach. food is so cheap except for the taxi fare. therre are lots of buses if u want cheaper transpo. i practically spent 300 yuan for a 3 day stay...

then went to QINGDAO. i took the boat/ship/ferry and it cost me less than 200 yuan. u can find cheap hotels there (they look more like a dorm but comfortable) which costs 40 yuan/night. bus still costs 1 yuan. food is still cheap.

adventure for me is taking the simplest and cheapest rides and eating street foods and staying in a comfortable place...

from changchun to dalian to weihai to wifang to qingdao, i spent less than 2000 yuan.

[Crippler]

Qinhuandao and Shanhaiguan in northern Hebei near the Liaoning border is a better look at the wall than the Beijing area. Old Dragon's Head is where the wall meets the sea and 9 gates is very good too. And of course the ancient city 2 hours north in Xingcheng is one of few actual walled cities from ming dynasty still standing in original form. What others said is very also good. What your friends want to see is what you should see. Northern China is a bit cooler in August than the south but not much.

[nolefan]

I second crippler on seeing the great wall at Shanhaiguan instead of badaling. It's truly amazing to see the sunset/sunrise over that part of the wall where it does look like the head of a dragon laying over the sea.
I took the missus there for her B'day last year and we stayed at the Gloria Resort Villas right off the beach for 2 days. It was great!