GCT China & The Yangtze

[curly14]

We are traveling in July 05, any suggestions?

Thanks!

[luv2cruise450]

We took this trip last year in March and it is absolutely fantastic! GCT does a great job. We met some terrific fellow travelers and have kept in touch with about a dozen of them. As a matter of fact...we arranged to travel again this past January (GCT's Egypt & the Nile trip) with 2 other couples that we met on the China trip! Bring comfortable walking shoes..you'll be doing lots of walking sometimes on uneven pavement! And bring lots of US singles (newer bills preferred) for your 'street' puchases of postcards, hats, various little knickknacks, sometimes tipping (like your hutong pedicab driver) and such. Also it's nice (tho certainly not compulsory) if you can bring a little gift for your home host/hostess when you go to their home for a homestyle meal. And if you can...maybe bring some school supplies for the school you will be visiting...even if it's just a few children's books in English. Some of the stuff that people in our group brought included books, packages of construction paper, boxes of pencils, crayons, colored pencils, markers etc. These we presented to the school's principal to be dispersed as he/she saw fit. Bring lots and lots of film! We brought along 4 dozen rolls of film and also I had about a gigabyte's worth of memory for my digital camera! Learn a few everyday phrases in Mandarin and you will be rewarded with wonderful smiles of appreciation from the local people.

If you have specific questions...just post. And go with an open mind...it is an amazing and memorable trip!

Enjoy!

[curly14]

We did the Australia etc. trip last year and our leader worked ever so hard to keep us informed and happy.

The weather in July is warm in China do you know if it is appropriate for us to wear shorts? Here in AZ I live in shorts year round.

Thanks.

[lobsterlover]

Hi,

 

Please post a review with tips you pick up on when you return. I am very interested in this trip for 2006. Have a wonderful time. Please let us know what type weather to expect should we do July. Thanks.

 

LL

[luv2cruise450]

Hi Curly14...we've been to China 3 times but have never been there in the heat of the summer. I've read that parts of China...like Beijing, Chongqing etc can be sweltering in the summer months. I would think that it would be OK to wear bermuda-type shorts for touring in the summertime. But perhaps someone who has actually travelled there in the summer months will post an answer.

[Pati]

we just came back a couple weeks ago from the imperial viking tour.....in china.....many of us wore shorts as it was already getting hot end of may. no problem at all. saw lots of people in shorts. in all ports....shanghai, on river, xian and beijing........patti

[curly14]

Thanks all! I'm not comfortable in slacks even the lightweight slacks when the temp and humidity are high. I think I will take some sun dresses along with a couple of pairs of shorts and use lots of sunscreen. When I was in Fiji last year I got some sundresses that are colorful and very comfortable.

Thanks again. Will inform you of my discovery tour when we get back in Aug.

[lindberg]

Curley14

 

I went to China, on an OAT tour, last June/July. It was quite hot and I wore shorts every day. I live in Phoenix so I know what hot summers are like. China is more humid so those 95 degree days in China felt worse than Phoenix at 105. Take shorts. If you stay in a hotel more than one night, you can get your laundry done. It is quick and very reasonable. Pack light and let someone do your laundry. Save room for a nice silk rug or a beautiful piece of porcelain.

 

Have a great trip!

Laura:D

[cmthomas]

we just came back a couple weeks ago from the imperial viking tour.....in china.....many of us wore shorts as it was already getting hot end of may. no problem at all. saw lots of people in shorts. in all ports....shanghai, on river, xian and beijing........patti

 

Patti, can you give us a little insight into the drinking water situation over there? Is the tap water safe to drink in the 5 star hotels or is it ALL from the bottle? How about teeth brushing? Earlier this year we went to Peru and Ecuador and any water usage at all had to be from a bottle and that is a pain after a while. Thanks. Clarence:)

[Dice]

can you give us a little insight into the drinking water situation over there? Is the tap water safe to drink in the 5 star hotels or is it ALL from the bottle? How about teeth brushing? Earlier this year we went to Peru and Ecuador and any water usage at all had to be from a bottle and that is a pain after a while. Thanks. Clarence:)

 

We just got back from the Viking Cultural Delights tour June 5th through June 20th from Beijing to Shanghai with 9 days on the Yangtze aboard the Viking Century Star and 3 nights in the Shangri-La Beijing, 1 night in the Shangri-La Xian and 1 night in the Westin Shanghai. All 5 star motels with Viking telling us the ice is safe, but don't drink the tap water. They furnished us 2 complimentry bottles of water everyday during the entire trip.

[curly14]

Thanks everyone.

Got my tickets today, very excited.

Sandra

[smeyer418]

We just got back from the Viking Cultural Delights tour June 5th through June 20th from Beijing to Shanghai with 9 days on the Yangtze aboard the Viking Century Star and 3 nights in the Shangri-La Beijing, 1 night in the Shangri-La Xian and 1 night in the Westin Shanghai. All 5 star motels with Viking telling us the ice is safe, but don't drink the tap water. They furnished us 2 complimentry bottles of water everyday during the entire trip.

Don't use the ice on the intra country flights ...people tend to get sick on them. International is ok..