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May 9

China Travel Tips

Posted by travel in Travel Destinations, Travel Tips on 05 9th, 2010 | Comments Off

Summer Palace
Creative Commons License photo credit: Roydy

Survival China Travel Tips and Tricks

The China Travel Tips, survival techniques, to help avoid and make his trip to China easier, so you will be able to experience the real China, with a little less stress.

China is a strange beast that must be respected; major cities, Beijing, Shanghai and Xian, all have their own personality.

Some complex situations which in his view would be a disaster organization to become big and then you wonder what all the fuss and worry. So the simplest of tasks can become a great calamity.

This is when you have what we call here a “China Day”.

These days come and go and are part of the experience of all-day trip to China. One has to have an open mind when traveling in China. It is a place with thousands of years of history and culture overnight that it is trying to adapt to Western lifestyles.

You need to have a very open mind when you travel in China. I have listed below a few China Travel Tips that will make life more bearable little pee in their travel experience of China.

Travel Tips – China toilet wise

• Never expect a clean toilet 100% of the time.

• Be prepared; Bring some tissues.

• You may need to use a toilet squatting, again, if you know this is not a shock. If you do not know how to use a toilet building, try the following experiment at home.

While something to keep in support with both hands, lower your body down in a low squatting position, so that the cheeks of his bottom was almost touching the heels or the back of his calf. Now, go with your hands. See if you stay in this position for at least 1 minute. If it is upside down or could not get up after a squat toilet could be a problem for you! , Has the right to be happy you did.

• If you get a clean toilet, Go… may not come again for a while.

• Many public toilets around the cities, usually those who are to pay OK (RMB, 5), the other best to stay away from if you can. You will soon notice as you walk around the cities.

• Be warned that public spaces such as bus and train stations, which tend to be the class as “hard toilets”, but if you are going gotta gotta go.

• Outside the big cities, toilet systems are old or have very close plumbing / piping and get easily blocked. In these cases, a small basket is usually the bathroom next, it is used for toilet paper.

One of the best China Travel Tips toilet I can give is the use of the hotel lobby toilets, which are everywhere and are always clean. Yet it may not always have toilet paper. It depends on the category of hotel being used.

I do not want to frighten you. However, of all of China Travel Tips to all other sites on the Web that I have read, this is an issue that is not mentioned often, but it is very important for all of us.

So outside of the big cities conditions can be tough. But most of the time everything will be fine, especially if you book a tour, all will be checked before hand. However, even the best laid plans can go wrong, so be prepared, the toilets in smaller cities, towns and villages can be scary.

China Travel Tips – food

• The food is great and the variety is overwhelming. Most of the time you get to choose what you eat, or you can recognize what you are eating, but sometimes you do not get a choice. Wearing a chocolate bar or something, which will keep you going until some foods that can recognize laps. Drink bottled or boiled water since tap water is not drinkable, that is for the whole of China. Even boiled water, while sterilized can contain a large amount of minerals and iron deposits that you probably do not want in the system. The bet is safe to drink bottled water. Tap water in most large cities is OK to brush your teeth.

• Eating habits-Most Chinese have a great habit of being very noisy and when they eat lunch and dinner times can be a wonderful celebration noisy, the food tends to go in all directions, its just part of being in China .

• People smoke cigarettes on the table while everyone is eating, so some restaurants get very loud and smoky.

• If you get stuck which so since most of the menus are in Chinese just look at the table next to you and point to the plate and ask you how much it is, this system works really well and it seems learn to mind.

• I have a basic menu that will help to food safety, (no cats or dogs), this visit will allow greater choice of restaurants, not just tourists with high prices. You can bring with you and use it on the premises where most of the restaurants could serve as what is on it. This way you will know what they are eating.

These premises are very cheap and the food is great. Contact me if you would like me to send it to you.

China Travel Tips – Taxi

• Travel Tips – China – Taxi cabs are an experience that you can have headquarters complaints and panting, but it is too early to get used to it, after the first few rides, you are a veteran.

• The taxis in Shanghai are generally quite good. Try to get the Blue, Blue’ish Turquoise, Oro Blanco and taxis, these are the best… these are the four major taxi companies and are generally recognized by its unique color painting. The others are OK, only older and a rougher ride (others may also have defective meters). No drivers speak English.

• Carry your hotel accommodation or business card with you, written in Chinese, which helps if you get lost walking around town.

• In all taxis around the country will be able to see the name of the taxi drivers and registration number in plain sight. If you have any problems, or if you think has been most pronounced, etc., just take this number down, make a big fuss about it, then the driver should wake up and solve any problem you have. Even better is to take the receipt. This has all the details on the trip and who can call the taxi company if they want to have more things or if you have something left in the taxi.

• The government takes rip-off drivers in all cities, especially Beijing and Xian, very seriously, and if they complain they will lose their license. This is their livelihood. So far I have not had a driver in 3 years that has not been withdrawn, and then we have agreed a price for the trip or solve our problem.

• In Shanghai, which is common practice taxi increases after 11pm. However, one can haggle for a 20% discount, which will return to the previous rate-11pm fee. Be strong with the taxi drivers, never the less, keep calm, smile and negotiate.

China Travel Tips – Shopping

• China Travel Tips – Shopping – China is a paradise for customers, markets, Bargains; Top labels… nothing, and if you have all the time. With clothing, the largest (Western) sizes can be hard to find, however in the big cities, where you can find a lot of tourist traffic, can find them.

• Electrical arts, DVDs, cameras, things like this are not worth buying in China, Hong Kong is still the best place for this.

• Store hours in major cities from 10am to 10pm, 7 days a week.

• Visa card remains the best card to carry, with ATMs in good supply everyone with access PLUS etc. There is usually a charge for using VISA, MasterCard and other forms of credit card.

• Wait on the purchase if they can look around to have a vision of prices. The Chinese are very experienced in the sale and we know that we are to halve the opening price when the negotiations. In markets go for 25% of what they ask first; go so low that they let you walk. This gives you an idea of the bottom price. The end result of the price will probably be around 40% to 50% of the starting point.

Whatever the market people say, which are used to push for better prices and haggling. Do not worry about being too hard, they are used to it and you do not sell an item unless profits. Do not be concerned with the body language apparently injured when going low it is all part of the game. At the time they had wrapped their first purchase, they will try to sell something else. Remember to keep smiling and having fun while negotiating.

China Travel Tips – medical treatment and records

• Most hotels have a doctor who can see. At major hotels speaks English.

• Always take a small first aid kit, repair cold, headache tablets at least. WATSONS is a large chain pharmacies. Most of the remedies, pills, etc., which you may need to be in these workshops. These shops are all over China.

• There is a large network of pharmacies in the stores type, which is indicated by a Green Cross. There will always be a 24 hr Green Cross pharmacy in the city you are in. It is useful to keep a book stage, as it is not going to speak English, but you end up with something that will help.

• INPORTANT POINT-in most mass production package type of medication, the packaging will be written in Chinese on one side, English on the other. But in the stores that only sees the Chinese side. Take a good look, in turn most of packaging, which gives you a lot more confidence knowing that you can read the package.

• If you have a medical problem, make records, most of the doctors have written OK / English reading, even if their oral English are poor.

Travel Tips – China Phone

• Using the phone is as easy as at home. However choose the person to not speak English or have very broken English… chief 4 or 5-star hotels all will be OK.

• What is being done is worthwhile to buy a SIM card from China Telecom, which are about RMB100 and thereby obtains RMB50 in the calls, the other 50 is the price of the SIM card; this SIM card will all major brands of phones and work OK.

In this way, people can get to you inside and outside China if there is an emergency. If you have a couple of phones, it can short message (txt) yes (SMS). Also you can call your tour guide, hotel, and so if you have big problems. It is a cheap way to keep in touch.

NB.Before you buy a Chinese SIM card, make sure it will work on your Cell / Mobile. There is a lot of China Telecom shops that can help.

Travel Tips in China if China does not move.

• Spring Festival, this will be the Chinese New Year time, around late January / Early February

• In early May, Labor Day Holidays

• In early October, the National Day holiday

Of all the Travel Tips China National Day is the largest. Millions of Chinese travel at this time of year holidays. Most of the trips back home towns or to visit his family. Hotels, trains, planes, cars, buses, and all the roads are the most overcrowded. Major congestion, everywhere.

Similarly, the rates for travel are at their full price. Not offering discounts! Staying in one place and will enjoy. It is better and causes less discomfort.

China Travel Tips – TV

• If you want to watch television, most of the major hotels will have cable and if you are in the smaller places, the national channel, CCTV9 is in English. Over the past two years has been greatly improved, with some major China Travel Tips programs, news and opinions about people and places around China.

China Travel Tips – Airport Tax

• There is a “rate of construction” in almost all airports.

Domestic flights RMB 50 International flights RMB 90, to be paid in local currency.

Recently, the tickets are tissued with the construction include VAT but make sure you have money in taxes just to be sure.

I hope that some of these China Travel Tips input and will make your trip to China that bit easier.

More Information at BestCityTourGuide

BestCityTourGuide

Apr 25

The 10 Cheapest Cities in the World

Posted by travel in Travel Destinations, Travel Tips on 04 25th, 2010 | Comments Off
From BraveNewTraveler.com:

Feature Photo: bradipo Photo of Sana’a, Yemen: Tom Volger

Heather Carreiro looks at the 10 places with the lowest cost of living.

A year ago my husband and I were living in a posh three-bedroom apartment,
driving a 2002 Toyota and eating out twice a week.
Now we live in a windowless basement,
drive a Volvo wagon with over 260k, and allow ourselves to splurge on a coffee date twice a month.

We’re making more money per month now than we were last year, but moving from one of the cheapest places in the world to one of the most expensive places seriously changed our lifestyle. This move made us realize that local cost of living is much more important than the bottom line on any expat contract.

Xpatulator quarterly publishes an index of 282 international cities by cost of living. By comparing thirteen different categories including things like the cost of housing, groceries and recreation, Xpatulator ranks the cities from most expensive to least expensive.

According to the April 2010 rankings, here are the 10 cheapest international cities in the world.

1. Harare, Zimbabwe

While Harare ranks as the cheapest city in the world, there are numerous reasons why expats and travelers won’t be flocking there. Zimbabwe has a 94% unemployment rate and a major refugee problem due to the country’s financial collapse. In 2008 there was more than 150% inflation and the national currency was eventually ditched for the U.S. dollar.

Zimbabwe also scored pretty high on the Transparency.org’s 2009 corruption index with a rank of 146. If you’re not familiar with the rankings, keep in mind that New Zealand is 1 and Somalia is 180. The higher the number, the more corruption pervades every day life.

2. Tianjin, China

Buenos Aires: Armando Maynez

It’s not Beijing or Shanghai, but China’s sixth most-populous city is one of the cheapest places to live. Eating out is inexpensive and you can visit Beijing for a day trip, although the Tianjin expat scene is small and there aren’t really a lot of sights or attractions in the city.

For language students Tianjin University offers Mandarin classes.

3. Sana’a, Yemen

Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, is not only a cheap city to live in but also an excellent place to learn Arabic. Grocery and housing costs are some of the lowest in the world, although opportunities to experience nightlife are limited. Female expats may feel more comfortable wearing a headscarf or full-length black abaya in public, and foreigners may be required to apply for special permits to travel outside Sana’a.

4. Buenos Aires, Argentina

Out of these 10 locations, Buenos Aires has the lowest hardship level according to Xpatulator. “Hardship level” refers to how difficult it is for expats to live in certain place. Foreign employees serving in extreme hardship areas can often negotiate higher salaries or special allowances. While Sana’a scores 40% (extreme hardship), Buenos Aires scores 20% (some hardship).

Buenos Aires is an excellent place to learn Argentine tango, binge on beef and empanadas, and enjoy the street art scene.

But living in Buenos Aires isn’t for “those without street smarts,” as Matador Nights editor Kate Sedgwick warns. Expats need to be prepared to deal with noise, poverty and layers of bureaucratic hurdles. Foreigners can’t sign lease agreements without a co-signer who owns property.

5. Thimphu, Bhutan

Living in Bhutan’s capital and largest city, Thimpu, is relatively inexpensive. The country still hasn’t developed a large tourism industry, largely due to the fact that foreign tourists visiting the country are obligated to spend $200 per day. Matador destination expert Tim Patterson gives the skinny in The Rucksack Wanderer’s Guide to Bhutan .

As an expat you would be able to travel in Bhutan without having to abide by the tourist regulations. Everyday groceries and housing are cheap, but eating out and staying in hotels could run up your monthly budget.

Bhutan: jmhullot

Although living in Bhutan is classified as an extreme hardship, the country has the least amount of corruption out of the 10 on this list. It comes in at 49 even beating out countries that are popular with expats like Italy (63), Greece (71) and Brazil (75).

6. Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Dushanbe has a small expat community, temperate weather and easy access to Central Asia’s Pamir Mountains. It’s a great place to learn Tajik or Farsi, although jobs for expats tend to be limited to diplomatic posts, teaching positions and humanitarian aid work.

7. Colombo, Sri Lanka

Colombo is a good base for exploring Sri Lanka and India. You can picture what living in Sri Lanka is like by checking out this photo essay or reading about a visit to a Sri Lankan tea estate.

The city has a sizeable expat community, tropical weather and uber-cheap housing, although if you to move to Colombo you must also be ready to experience monsoon season.

8. Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Cambodia and Tajikistan are tied as the “most corrupt” countries on this list coming in at 158 out of 180, and Phnom Penh is listed as an extreme hardship location. At the same time, Cambodia is a sweet jump-off point for exploring Southeast Asia, and it’s much cheaper to live in Phnom Penh than in any of the region’s other capital cities.

Quito: _PaulS_

Learn what life in Cambodia is like in this video about Getting Around in Phnom Penh or check out this Tales from the Road: Cambodia.

9. Quito, Ecuador

Expat and international investor Simon Black recently blogged about reasons to consider Ecuador. Some of the benefits he mentions are quality medical care, low rental costs and excellent fresh produce. At 9,300 feet (2,835m), Quito is also the second highest administrative capital in the world.

On the downside, the country is far from politically stable and alcohol can be expensive. In Simon Black’s words, “Ecuador is great for retirees, hermits, nomads, and internationalists. It’s terrible for hedonists.” It also scores quite poorly on the corruption index – 146 out of 180.

10. Karachi, Pakistan

Most often featured in the international news as the site of political protests or sectarian violence, Karachi is Pakistan’s most cosmopolitan city. It’s probably the only place in this officially “dry” country where you can attend an all night rave on the beach. Karachi is a major business center, has some top quality hospitals and international schools and is home to a dynamic arts scene.

Some expats positions in Karachi require employees to travel with an armed guard, although that is far from the norm for foreigners in Pakistan. If you’re interested in learning more about living in Pakistan, you can check out What NOT to Do in Pakistan and Tales from the Frontier of Expat Life: A Memsahib in Pakistan.

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