TravelMore&More

Not correct.

Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong require visas for nearly anyone who visits there.

But most nationalities - including Americans - are automatically granted visas as they enter these countries.

Those Visas (usually 90 days) are stamped into your passport as you clear Immigration.

 

If you stay in the transit areas of the airports there, you rarely need to go through Immigration and are able board the next flight without legally entering the country.

Hence no visa required.

Sorry Bruce but I stand by my statement.

For one thing, many countries do not stamp passports anymore. For one, Hong Kong stopped stamping passports some time ago. For Japan and Korea I forget.

I am not sure if you have been to these countries, but I have many times. But don't just rely on me, check these official government sources.

Hong Kong: here is the list of nationalities who can visit HK "visa-free": http://www.immd.gov.hk/en/services/hk-visas/visit-transit/visit-visa-entry-permit.html

South Korea: list of 102 countries that have a visa exemption: http://www.mofa.go.kr/ENG/visa/application/index.jsp?menu=m_40_10

Japan: 67 countries have a visa exemption: http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html

Obviously these exemptions are for visitors which is what this forum is about and not long term strays such as for work or studying that obviously need a visa. A "visa exemption" or "visa free" means that a visa is not required.

As an American, you do not need a visa even if you decide to visit so certainly not to transit.

There is a company called Tour-Beijng and another one called Tours-Beijing. The first one seems to have some reviews on the web such as http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g294212-i2147-k5312031-Beijing_Tour_with_Tour_Beijing_com-Beijing.html

I don't believe that. He never recommended specific restaurants. Most of our meals were included with the tour. We probably had, at most 7-8 meals not covered by the 21 day tour.

 

He was an excellent program manager that frequently went out of his way to take care of details that he was not required to undertake.

 

I have been on day tours where you are taken to a carpet or jewelry shop and the tour guide is likely to get a commission. Perhaps even a restaurant, but our out of pocket meals were when he was no where to be seen.

 

If you follow the news about China, it food contamination is a huge problem there.

I have been traveling and living in Beijing for 10 years. There is no such thing as a government certified restaurant for tourists.

I eat everywhere and have never been sick and neither did anybody who visited me. If one is too paranoid then you can't enjoy your trip, no matter where you go.

One of the best and most interesting hotel would certainly be the Fairmont Peace hotel.

Do you have a budget or you don't care?

You take the subway then walk. No need to take a bus.

Go to Google maps and search Beijing. Once on the Beijing map search for Summer palace. You will see that there are two subway stops next to the park.

The best strategy is usually to enter via one entrance and exit by the other.

Not that it matters but just look at a map.

Wusongkuo is not on the Yangtze river, it is on the sea side in the gulf. It is in Shanghai but not in the city center. From the port to, say, People Square, is a 30-minute drive without traffic. But no traffic is a rather rare occurence unless it is an odd time of the day. Taxi is best as public transportation would take forever (over 2 hours with several transfers).

It is better to get a hotel on the Puxi side as the travel time to the Pudong side of town would be at least 15-20 minutes longer and having to cross a bridge or tunnel could make it much worst.

From the airport to the hotel, taxi is the best. Just follow the signs for the taxi lineup and ignore touts. Have the name and address of your hotel in writing in Chinese as well as the phone number. Over 5,000 hotels in Beijing, you can't expect taxi drivers to know them all. Get the Chinese name and address from the hotel website (do not use Google translate).

To move around you can use the subway. It takes you everywhere except the Great Wall. Here is a good subway map: http://www.explorebj.com/subway/

For the Great Wall you need a driver (no guide). There are several drivers listed here: http://www.thebeijinger.com/classifieds/cars-drivers

The key places to see are the Temple of Heaven (early morning), Tian'Anmen square, Forbidden city, Jingshan park, Drum Tower area including Houhai and the other back lakes, Nanluguoxiang street, the Lama Temple, Qianmen street and adjacent Dashilar, Liulichang, the National Museum, Summer palace, take a random walk around the hutongs around the Drum tower or Qianmen.

Plenty of shopping, depends on what you want. For fakes you have the Pearl market (across from the Temple of Heaven) or Ya Xiu. On weekends you have a flea market at Panjiayuan. I think that a good buy is to get prescription glasses made. Usually same dayfor $20 to $100 depending on the frame.

Then, obviously, there is the food....

There is nothing around the port, so this is not an option. As for the airport, like most airports in the world, the hotels nearby are more expensive. It is also a very boring environment.

Go to town (you have to do that in any case to catch your cruise) and at least you'll have a selection of restaurants and you can walk around. Tons of hotels in Shanghai but hard to recommend one without knowing your budget.

First: best wishes for a speedy recovery!

 

 

 

I would try to obtain some local currency before you depart and not expect to use credit cards or US dollars all the time. You may find some items to buy from individual vendors that will require local currency.

!

Actually, one cannot use US$ in China. Yes you can get some Chinese currency before you leave but not too much as the exchange rate is likely to be terrible. Better use your bank card in ATMs instead.

In the very rare markets where a vendor will accept a foreign currency, it will be at a terrible exchange rate. I think it is probably going to be even more difficult more since there was a big news recently over there about a large amount of Euros being exchanged in a market in Beijing and it turned out to be fake.

Sorry, I tried to post links to photos using ******* but it seems that it doesn't work here.

so here are the full URL for the Three Gorge cruise: http://www.absolutechinatours.com/specialtopic/China-Luxury-Travel/images/Three-Gorges-Area.jpg

And for Yangshuo: http://www.wendyscollection.com.au/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/720x300/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/g/u/guilin-yangshuo-longji-explorer.jpg

and http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/YangshuoFromTvTower.jpg

Over the last 10 years, I have visited most areas in China. I have also visited the Three Gorge Dam area, rode up and down the river and checked out the cruise ships.

A few years ago, the Three Gorge dam was built and the water level was raised by over 100 meters. Most of the historical villages between Chongqing and Yichang (the cruise route) are now underwater. In addition, when the water level was much lower, the path was much narrower and certainly spectacular. In my opinion, now this cruise is a waste of time.

Of course this is a matter of opinion. If you are into cruising, this is probably still the only 'interesting" domestic option in China. The scenery is ok but I would not call it spectacular. I think that while there is nothing that wrong with the cruise, there are many many more interesting places to visit in China. Based on my extensive travel experience in China, I would not place this area in the top 50. For example, I think that the Three Gorge dam (see photo http://*******.com/lwn84oa ) compare to the Yangshuo area (see this photo http://*******.com/m4gvkl8 or http://*******.com/kvnlkrc )

No it is United the entire way and the layover is 2 hours and 20 minutes. That is long time to just sit in an empty plane waiting.

Just ask them. you should be allowed off the plane. In a case like this you can usually leave your carry-ons on the plane but you need to boarding pass to get back on.

If you want shopping in Shanghai then you want to go to;

 

580 West Nanjing Road

 

Four floors of the most amazing fake market shopping I have ever experienced and I'm an experienced shopper !!!

 

Offer 50% of what they quote you....and the game is on :D

 

BTW...We stayed very near the Bund and Nanjing Road at the Grand Central Hotel..one of the most impressive hotels for that area..WONDERFUL...can't wait to go back !!!!

This place is about a quarter of the size of the market at the Science and Technology Museum subway. Also, if you are paying 50% of the initial asking price, you are overpaying by quite a lot. 10 to 20% is more like it.

I just checked the Chinese Consulate site about visas. It states that no visa is needed for Hong Kong which is our only Chinese port on our Millennium cruise.

 

I thought that was strange. Has anyone else only visiting Hong Kong gotten a visa?

 

Marion

Nothing strange. Most nationalities do not require a visa for HK.

This is true in general, but tours have developed their own set of ruies and culture. I would never tip in a restaurantin China (or most of Europe for that matter) but tour staff are paid assuming a certain level of tipping from their mostly Anglo-American clients. In China I wouldn't be surprised if tips were their only (if relatively lucrative) earnings.

Yes, some tour companies have developed this new trick. They asked for tips (usually even paid in advance) from travelers from countries where people usually tip generously (mostly Americans). Guides only get paid from tips and commissions (about 40%) on purchased made on those mandatory shopping stops.

This is really an additional fee rather than a tip.

When it comes to medical advice, it is better to ask your doctor rather than ask complete strangers on a travel forum who know nothing of your medical condition and probably have health issues very different from yours. Also understand that travel clinics are businesses that will make more more money by selling you more shots.

This habit about pouring hot water over the plates and chopsticks comes from the south of China and it is mostly that, a habit. Rarely see this nowadays. I spend a few months per year in China and lived there 3 years and don't think I have seen this more than 2-3 times per year.

There is no tipping required anywhere in China. As it is no longer illegal, they will gladly take your money though.

Oh, and yes, you will look like a tourist no matter how you dress. It is more about your white skin than your clothes as Chinese also shop at Zara, H&M, etc...

There is no dress code in Buddhist temples. In China I have often seen Chinese girls with very short shorts. You do not need to worry about how to dress for temples specifically.

We can visit there for 1 day if part of a group tour --out of Hong Kong--without a visa.

Most hotels travel desks can arrange this. Since no visa is required, you must travel with and stay with the group. My wife and I did this 2 years ago and really enjoyed the day long visit.

You can't go in China without a visa. In this case, you had a group visa.

Would you explain why, please?

As per an agreement between the 2 governments dating back a few years, China must issued multiple-entry visa to qualifying US citizens (if they ask for a multiple entry). As a result the price is also the same for a single, double or multiple entry. consequently, an american should always ask for a multiple entry visa.

for citizens of other countries, they have pretty much standardized everything now and a double-entry is the best one can do.

I am Canadian and have traveled many time to China in the last 10 years. I used to get a multiple-entry visa but recently I can only get a one-year double entry visa despite my "good history".

Everybody except citizens of Japan and Singapore need a visa for China. It has been the same for years. The cruise company should certainly know that but a traveler can easily find this information on the web.