China Travel Guide 3

[mama squeak!]

Just came back from Beijing. Weather's comfy, sunny and warm but the wind was cool. I was in a shirt and jeans lang. Di ka papawisan habang namamasyal. But at night it becomes a little bit cold pero pwede na a light cardigan.

This time around hubby and I visited the Summer Palace and went around the different hutongs in the city. We did it DIY pa rin. The Summer Palace is very accessible by their metro system. Take line 4 and get off at Beigongmen. 500-600 meters away is the North Gate entrance. We paid RMB30 each for the park entrance. If you want to enter the temples and some enclosed gardens you pay RMB60. We weren't interested in going inside the temples so we just paid the cheaper park entrance. Hubby and I spent the better half of the afternoon just strolling through the park and ending up at Kunming Lake near the East gate entrance. From the East gate entrance it was a leisurely 10 minute walk to Xiyuan metro station.

For dinner we went to Wangfujing again for my hubby's favorite roast leg of lamb. Konting ikot and shopping then back to the hotel for us.

Next day was our hutong walk. We chose to go to the Guloudajie area. Once again very accessible by their metro system. We spent half a day just walking around and ending up at the Beihai and Houhai parks. Love their cafes and restaurants along the river walk. Then back to Wangfujing for a very late lunch. After lunch we had to go back to our hotel to rest up before our flight back home that night.

Had a wonderful but tiring visit this time. Bitin-bitin pa rin. Hopefully hubby gets another flight there next month para sabit ako ulit.

 

[eischied_21]

Planning to go to beijing end of November or 1st/2nd week of Dec. Start na kaya ng snow ng ganitong month? Kaya ba ng DIY dito or better to get a tour package from agency? Naiimagine ko na kasi yun language barrier. TIA

[mama squeak!]

^sis, madali mag DIY. My two trips there were all DIY. You can find everything on the net na plus their transpo system (metro) is so convenient. Since they held the Olympics there in 2008 there are English translations everywhere. I didn't find the language barrier a big concern at all. Even their taxi drivers nakakaintindi ng konting English specially if you ask them to go to the popular tourists sites.

Backread ka lang, I posted my trips to Beijing here.

 

[eischied_21]

@mama squeak, yup I backread na kaso 4 pages pa lang so not enough info . There were times rin ba na nagtatanong kayo to other chinese people there? Nakakaintindi na rin ba sila ng English?

[mama squeak!]

^No, we never had to ask for directions when we were there. Before we left kasi I researched na the places where we want to go. I also have maps for reference plus google earth helped a lot. Usually sa mga tourist area medyo marunong na umintindi ng English yung mga tao. You can check out this other thread too:

http://www.femalenetwork.com/girltalk/index.php/topic,180349.0.html

[eischied_21]

ok..thanks sis. backread ulit muna ko sa link na binigay mo

[irische]

hi mga sis, i really need your help...especially those sisters nanakapunta na sa beijing.
my best friend and i are both planning on going on a "girls adventure weekend" trip to beijing.
this would be our first trip nakami lang dalawa...and beijing seemed like a good idea, although
thinking of thailand too...thing is neither of us have been to beijing before...

anyone know kung what airlines are offering cheap fares? cebu pacific lang alam ko eh...
and anyone know any cheap but clean hotels near tourist sights and subways?

thank you talaga in advance for your help

[LiL019]

Planning to go to beijing end of November or 1st/2nd week of Dec. Start na kaya ng snow ng ganitong month? Kaya ba ng DIY dito or better to get a tour package from agency? Naiimagine ko na kasi yun language barrier. TIA

hi!
December is winter time na in Beijing, my friend lives there and she said it's about negative 10 degrees F. and yeah, it's already snowing na by that time.
we visited Beijing last year and it was DIY. the language barrier was difficult, kasi kahit water hindi nila maintindihan. so it's better to know the chinese term for those.
the subway system is okay. sa bus naman okay din pero the problem is yung mga stops lahat in chinese character, no english, unlike sa subway.
our friend was our savior. good thing she speaks the language and she was able to accompany us in all the shopping areas (tourist and not), the tourist areas, etc.

regarding sa air fare, okay din ang PAL. and for the winter season dun, parang off peak yung season, so mura yung fare. (kasi, who would want to come to a cold place).
Cebu Pacific sometimes have promotional fares roundtrip and one way.

[eischied_21]

^thanks for the info sis. sobrang lamig na pala kun nagne-negative na. I thought umpisa pa lang ng snow nun kaya mejo tolerable pa.

[mama squeak!]

New thread!

Link to the old one:

http://www.femalenetwork.com/girltalk/index.php/topic,180349.0.html

 

[wickedbone]

Hello ladies! Meron bang specific requirement sa COE? Like do I need to put other details aside from my tenure, salary, my position or these basic info lang? We are going to apply for VISA 3rd week of September. Our travel date is last week of November pa actually. Pasok pa naman yata sa 3-month validity period. May paggagamitan kasi kami ng money kaya kelangan makapag-apply na ng VISA habang may laman pa ang account 

[eischied_21]

Nagpapapasok ba sa Great Wall pag peak ng Winter like month of February. Someone told me na minsan closed daw ang Great Wall lalo na kapag makapal ang yelo.

[mama squeak!]

^Yes, they close sections of the Wall if hindi na safe for sightseeing. Plus hindi mo rin naman mae-enjoy kung sobrang lamig di ba?

[mchristine519]

Hello ladies! Meron bang specific requirement sa COE? Like do I need to put other details aside from my tenure, salary, my position or these basic info lang? We are going to apply for VISA 3rd week of September. Our travel date is last week of November pa actually. Pasok pa naman yata sa 3-month validity period. May paggagamitan kasi kami ng money kaya kelangan makapag-apply na ng VISA habang may laman pa ang account 

Alam na dapat ng HR nyo yan. When I requested for mine it indicated my position, basic salary, other compensation benefits and tenure. My boyfriend had the same and we're from different companies too. I didn't had any problems with the Chinese Embassy. 

[eischied_21]

^Yes, they close sections of the Wall if hindi na safe for sightseeing. Plus hindi mo rin naman mae-enjoy kung sobrang lamig di ba?

hmm, anong month ba ang peak ng winter sa Beijing - Jan to Mar? Safe na kaya pumunta ng April ..ayoko naman kasi pumunta ng summer dun.

Considered as low season din ba for tourist pag winter sa isang country, thus mura ang mga hotels? just wondering..thanks

[hulawho]

anyone who has an idea how to buy train tickets in Beijing? kelangan ba advance purchase?

[mchristine519]

Kami we just bought it directly from the train station. We took the sleeper train from Shanghai to Beijing. Morning palang, we already bought tickets for the 8pm trip. Once in Beijing, interconnected na naman yung train station to the mrt lines kaya wala nang hassle.

[hulawho]

^thanks! kasi i was thinking mamaya pag bibili kami ng train sa morning for the evening sleeper train to Xian, sold out na.

[tulips28]

helo sisses! we'll be going to beijing end of september, what clothings shall we wear na ba by then? Winter clothing ba? or parang Baguio-clothing ay ok na? Thanks to those who will reply, mmmmmwah!

[eischied_21]

^summer pa ang end of september.