China Travel Guide II

[blooming]

If AUGUST ang punta ko ng china, kailan dapat ako mag-apply ng visa?

kainitan sa Beijing ng August.
You can apply around July.  Normally kasi they give you 1 month visa for single entry. Tama si sis mama squeak, through travel agency nalang, less hassle.  Mas strict na kasi sila lately such that they want tickets and hotel accommodation confirmed and booked to process your application.

[girl_interrupted]

How's the weather like in xiamen and shanghai during mid-May? TIA

[pinkyb]

hi everyone. my friend and i will be going to shanghai sa june. can you recommend a nice hotel? wala pa kami accommodation till now. :s will apply for visa next week na. mainit ba sa shanghai ng ganung time and madali lang ba makapunta sa mga tourist spots? kaming 2 lang kasi and nagkataon wala pa ako sense of direction. thanks in advance!

[Frenzied]

if you stay at the pudong area, malapit lang with tourist spots.

[Gladz31842]

who has been to Nanjing? maganda ba don?

[mama squeak!]

I'll be back in Beijing this May. Anyone who has gone on a Hutong tour? Which area's the best to go visit?

[blooming]

It's nice!    Pero hindi kami nagtour. We just went around on our own, and mas ok sya kasi hindi ka nagmamadali and you can walk according to your pacing. In fact, I highly recommend going to Hutong - taka lang ako bakit hindi sya normally kasama sa mga tour itineraries. For me, it is a must!

[mama squeak!]

^Sorry what I meant when I said the Hutong Tour is to visit it and not join a tour. I don't join organised tours kasi, I always DIY. As you said hawak ko oras ko when going DIY. Would you still remember which area you went to? There are a lot of Hutongs in Beijing and hubby and I would want to visit the most authentic as possible. Yung tipong di pa commercialised.

 

[Frenzied]

who has been to Nanjing? maganda ba don?

hmmm... Nanjing east pedestrian street nice at night, lots of lights and shops also. Nianjing west is lined with shops but the place is just ordinary.

[blooming]

sis mama squeak, sa gulou kami nagpunta. what we saw were old houses sa banda likod kasi yung main street are more modern stalls establishments na. very quaint and ang cute ng mga items na tinitinda nila.  ang guess what, that is the only public place in China na napuntahan ko with the cleanest restroom, kahit squat sya.

[mama squeak!]

^Thanks sis! Hanapin ko yan. Re the toilets, I was warned before hand about their loos. Kaya mega-banyo ako sa hotel before we leave. In case lang maabutan sa labas, I always have alcohol and wipes with me. Pero in fairness, the banyos at Fobidden City are also clean and they're the squat type too.   

[betty]

mas prefer ko naman ang squat type atleast you di mahirap magwiwi hahaha

[shasta]

Do I need to bring a coat to Beijing in May? Can I wear dresses or should I add tights?

[mama squeak!]

^Probably a light coat only. Para na lang daw naka-aircon ngayon dun. It sometimes gets hot pa nga during the day. Check the weather forecast before you leave to be sure. I'll also be in Beijing this May.

 

[shasta]

Am so excited, I'm leaving on the 15th. Will be going on a tour. High 25-26 deg Celcius, low 14-15 deg Celcius. It's been a long time since I've experienced such temperatures so I'm unsure of what to wear. Thanks mama squeak!

Will probably pack tights (just in case) and dresses. So impractical, but a chance to look good in pics.

[blooming]

^Thanks sis! Hanapin ko yan. Re the toilets, I was warned before hand about their loos. Kaya mega-banyo ako sa hotel before we leave. In case lang maabutan sa labas, I always have alcohol and wipes with me. Pero in fairness, the banyos at Fobidden City are also clean and they're the squat type too.   

if you are fond of coffee shops and beer places, this is also the place.

Re forbidden city, para sakin, madumi pa yung CR na yun.  Sa Hutong napuntahan ko, nagulat ako. as in walang amoy!  promise! 

[Gladz31842]

hmmm... Nanjing east pedestrian street nice at night, lots of lights and shops also. Nianjing west is lined with shops but the place is just ordinary.

sis thanks for replying...sa crowne plaza ako magsstay, madami daw shops nearby, ok din ba shopping dito?

[mama squeak!]

^^Ganun? Good timing siguro kami kasi wala masyadong tao the time we went and bagong linis.  So far dun pa lang naman ako nakapag-public toilet since na-warningan na nga ako about their public toilets I try to avoid using them as much as possible.

I love coffee! Beer not so much. Would you remember the nearest metro station to Gulou? We'll be taking the public transpo lang. It's so much convenient kasi.

 

[blooming]

naku sis I did not bring the map with me back home hehe But I have a soft copy of the subway map

Pero near sya ng bell tower.  It is north pa of Forbidden City. Sa baba banda ng Summer Palace. Parang lapit sya sa 2nd ring.

So kung tama tancha ko, sa May Guloudajie sya malapit. (Kasi pangalan nya Gulou Hutong hehe)

[mama squeak!]

^Thanks, blooming!    I just read my friend's email who's in Beijing now. He also recommended Gulou and there's a subway station nearby, Guloudajie (of course!) on line 2. Okay, solve na kami ni hubby on our hutong tour.     So here's out tentative IT:

Day 1  half day na lang kasi our flight 5J arrives early morning. Plan to go to the Summer Palace and spend the whole afternoon there. Dinner around the Wanfujing area.

Day 2  whole day Hutong tour and look for that elusive duck place (Quanjude or Bianyifang). Last time we were there kasi we got lost and ended up somewhere else. Check out Quianmen. Shopping.