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If you love beaches, bright blue water, warm weather, and great food, then the Thailand islands are definitely a good pick for travel. It's a bonus that it's very inexpensive to travel around Thailand, which means that you can book a tropical island vacation for much, much less.
Read on to see exactly what my costs were for five days island-hopping. It may surprise you!
Planning for a big trip often includes some pre-travel shopping, from bug spray to new shoes!
I put together a short haul including some things I went out to buy before traveling to Southeast Asia, New Zealand, and Australia.
Many of the things I bought are all highly suggested by other travelers for these regions, so I thought I'd give 'em a try!
If you haven't considered China as a travel option, you're missing out on one of the most interesting, fast-paced countries in the world! My first time in Asia (and a non-western country) was definitely an experience I'll never forget. I traveled through Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai for two weeks while working abroad at an international leadership conference.
7 Useful Tips For Anyone Heading To China!
Heading to China? Here are some essential tips to help you prepare for the exciting journey ahead!
Especially if you are from a Western country and have never been to China, you'll definitely want to ensure you read through this post as it covers the basics of this complicated, exciting, and very unique place in the world.
(Please keep in mind that I am writing this from the perspective of having visited main cities like Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai!)
If you need a tourist visa - chances are, you do - provide plenty of time beforehand to get one. You'll need to drop off or send in your passport to the embassy or consulate to get your visa inserted.
One of the cool things about being a U.S. Citizen is that the Chinese visa lasts 10 years! That makes the price not seem so bad, knowing you can return within the decade.
The Bund Shanghai Skyline during the daytime
You will need this for your departure card at customs. The woman sitting next to me on the plane was filling her card out and didn't know the location since she was going on a tour. Make sure you know the address so you can smoothly move through customs.
Beijing at Night
Not many people in China speak English, especially cab drivers. Having a printed out version of the characters will make it a lot easier to show a cab driver where your hotel/place of accommodation is upon arrival. You can find the character version on the hotel's website.
The Great Wall of China
Hello (ni hao) and thank you (xixi) go far in any country. Also try to learn the words for any foods you may have allergies to so you can communicate that at restaurants. Mandarin is an extremely difficult language to learn and pronounce for non-native speakers, so don't beat yourself up if you can't learn a whole lot prior to departure.
Hangzhou Monks
Jokingly referred to as "The Great Firewall of China," you'll notice that many popular websites are censored in China. If you'd like to have access to blocked sites such as Google, Gmail, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, etc. you will need to download a VPN prior to arriving in China.
There are a number of free or paid VPNs you can find. I used Hola on both my desktop and iPhone, and also SurfEasy on my iPhone. I recommend having a backup VPN on each device - my Hola stopped working on my desktop and there was no way for me to download a new VPN after that (because the sites to download a VPN are also blocked, obviously). I used the paid 1-month version of SurfEasy for $5 and then canceled my subscription after I got home.
Here is a full list of blocked websites in mainland China.
VPNs I currently use when traveling (updated 2017):
TunnelBear
SurfEasy
Also, since this post was originally published I am aware that Netflix and Hulu do not allow you to access their sites in other countries, even if you are using a VPN that changes the appearance of your country location (found out about this in Europe!). I personally haven't had issues with the other sites on VPNs, though.
Forbidden City
China and Australia have same/similar electrical outlets, so make sure if you're not from there to get an adapter. The voltage in Chinese outlets is 220V, so also check your electrical appliances to make sure they're the correct voltage.
VIDEO: How To Use Travel Adapters!
Chinese Street Meat
If you come across something completely different than what you're used to at home, try to be open-minded and go with the flow. For example, as an American I had never used a squat toilet or been to a public bathroom without toilet paper. However, there are both squat and throne-style toilets in China that may or may not have TP and soap. Instead of complaining, be prepared by keeping pocket tissues on hand as well as a small bottle of hand sanitizer.
If you've never been to China you may experience many cultural differences in China in terms of food, social norms, and communication. Embrace it and enjoy it!
Book a place to stay - my all-time favorite booking website is the well-known Booking.com - I’ve used it for years all over the world.
It is the easiest way to search and find the best hotels (hostels too!), especially based on reviews. I always check the reviews on Booking, even if it’s a name-brand hotel. You never know!
I thought those photos of rows upon rows of green plants in an exotic setting were only reserved for rice fields in Southeast Asia or vineyards in Europe or Northern California. Then I went to Hangzhou. Little did I know, tea plantations look similar with rows of greenery, just a little shorter and bushier. I've been to vineyards in various places in the US, but never rice fields, and never a place as beautiful and relaxing as this.
Hangzhou Tea
Driving through the winding roads of lush, garden-like greenery set the scene.
Hangzhou Tree Scenery
As someone who doesn't really drink tea, I still enjoyed learning about how the tea was grown, how the leaves are hand-picked, and certain hot water pouring techniques.
Hand picking tea baskets
Tea plantation China
Tea Demonstration Hangzhou China
Tea is very much a part of Chinese culture and learning more about it helps you understand more about China.
Green Tea
Hangzhou Tea leaf
After the demonstration we walked around and took photos of the surroundings.
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We stopped into their store to get some tea, but the salespeople were very pushy. We found that common in many stores in China though, perhaps it was because the gift shop was a "tourist" shop or maybe it's just the culture of shopping. I didn't do enough shopping in China to really understand this, though.
Overall, it was an interesting experience and something I'd definitely recommend to people visiting Hangzhou.
Location: Longjing Imperial Tea Garden
Book a place to stay - my all-time favorite booking website is the well-known Booking.com - I’ve used it for years all over the world.
It is the easiest way to search and find the best hotels (hostels too!), especially based on reviews. I always check the reviews on Booking, even if it’s a name-brand hotel. You never know!
When one wonders of the top things to do in Beijing, trying fried scorpions on Wangfujing Street or seeing the giant pandas at the Beijing Zoo come to mind. And don't forget the nearby Great Wall of China! But what about some more unique things to try during your trip to Beijing? Here are 3 cool Beijing activities to do in between the highlights.
Foot massage
When in Asia, you MUST try a foot massage. These massages are different than your typical massage as the style is very different. It's not just for relaxation and sore muscles, it's for your circulatory system and health.
The chairs are extremely comfortable and you keep your clothes on. Sometimes the massage will come with a glass of hot water and watermelon.
The pressure is usually much harder than an average massage and your limbs are lightly tugged in many directions. I often found that the pressure would be too much, though saying "ow" communicated to the masseuse to tone it down a bit. Also, while they're labeled as a foot massage, it typically includes other parts of your body, such as shoulders, arms, calves, and sometimes the head.
A couple of massages we went to also kept Chinese reality TV on in the background, which made for a humorous and entertaining note.
Forbidden City
For unrivaled, panoramic views of the Beijing, head to the top of the hill at Jingshan Park. You'll see the city buildings, though the best view is perhaps of the Forbidden City behind Tienanmen Square - from above, you can truly see its enormity.
The park is quite large, though, so you'll be able to find beautiful scenery around the area as well. Perfect for photo ops or to simply get away from the hustle and bustle of the city!
English Corner Remnin
Remnin University of China is located in northwest Beijing. Every Friday night there is the English Corner, a place where anyone can gather to converse with others to practice English. There are no rules, just an open space for anyone to participate.
Our (all American) staff went to the English Corner and everyone literally flocked to us in under five seconds. We each had our own circle of Chinese people firing off questions, curious about our culture. I asked if they could teach me some Mandarin phrases, which they taught me a few, but they were like, "No! This is for speaking English! We speak Chinese every day!"
It was fun to converse and joke around with local Chinese people about everyday life, Netflix, dating, food, and culture. Definitely recommend this.
The Great Wall of China
While I only spent a couple of weeks in China, I'd love to return to spend more time in this fascinating country. From the culture to everyday life, China has so much to offer any visitor.
It's definitely the most "different" place I've been to, but that's why I enjoyed it so much.
Experiencing new places with a completely different way of life allows you to look back at your own way of living, as well as ensure you don't take your "luxuries" at home for granted.
In China, Pizza Hut is definitely not the fast food joint you'd see at your local strip mall in the US. No joke.
There are real plates, bowls, silverware, and candles on the tables. The servers wear bow ties and come to the table to take your order. The furniture and decor are of nice quality. The music is classical, what I'd expect to be hearing at a steakhouse in New York City. Dessert options include tiramasu.
Don't get too excited about western fast food in China, though...KFC is still your typical KFC.
Beijing Meal
I already expected the food to be good, but didn't realize how much I'd truly enjoy it. Dining in a circle and sharing every dish with the whole table makes for fun, social, and communal experience.
Also Read: 10 Foods You Must Try In China
It's still good quality, though for a meal at a restaurant you'll be able to save plenty of cash, at least compared to the US and Western Europe. Many of my restaurant meals were between 15-20 yuan - about $3-4 USD - and typically included a main dish, side order, and a Coca Cola.
The Great Wall of China
Where I come from, a compliment would be "that's nice," or "that's cool," or "very interesting." In China, however, calling something "big" (even if it's not truly "big") comes from bigger being more expensive and of higher quality.
The exception to this is women...never call a woman big! Instead, one would compliment a woman by saying she is "white," since pale skin is the beauty standard for Chinese women.
Beijing Face Mask
Supposedly the air pollution in Beijing isn't as bad this year as it was last year, though I saw less people on the streets wearing face masks than originally expected. I never felt the need to wear one, though I definitely got the infamous sore throat a couple times that comes with spending all day outside in the air.
I also heard that one of the main reasons people wear face masks is if they're sick - they do it to prevent germs from spreading to others. Very considerate!
This one is random, though I found it interesting that the term for people selling last-minute tickets outside of event venues is an animal. Supposedly it doesn't have anything to do with oxen being bad, as the ox is one of the Chinese zodiac animals. It's just the term for them.
Book a place to stay - my all-time favorite booking website is the well-known Booking.com - I’ve used it for years all over the world.
It is the easiest way to search and find the best hotels (hostels too!), especially based on reviews. I always check the reviews on Booking, even if it’s a name-brand hotel. You never know!
