Chinese domestic flight luggage limit
Is Train Travel comfortable and convenient in China?
I am a lover of tea. Where do you recommend to purchase the best tea in
china as well as a visit to the tea plantation?
How to Rent a Bicycle in Beijing?
How to Protect Your Feet While Traveling?
Why I can't receive my flight tickets or train tickets all at once at the
time when I enter China?
How to Eat While Traveling?
How to Handle Plateau Sickness?
What about drinking water safety?
Is Train Travel comfortable and convenient in China?
Traveling by train in China is one
of the cheapest ways to travel some of the long distances in China and is used
widely by the local population. It is important to know what to expect if you
decide to travel by train in China.
There are 4 classes on Chinese Trains:
Hard Seat - Hard Seat is used by a large percentage of the population as it is
probably the cheapest way to travel in China. Sitting only carriages, they are
usually crowded and often more tickets are sold than there are seat available so
the competition for a seat can be fierce. You will not want to visit the toilet.
Soft Seat - Soft Seat is available on the inter-city lines and provides a better
level of comfort. Soft Seat is quite comfortable inexpensive method of travel
for a journey of a few hours. Don't be concerned if people take your reserved
seat, just find another.
Hard Sleeper - There are six narrow bunks to a compartment that has no door so
there is no privacy. They are usually very noisy and with a squat toilet at each
end of the carriage. The condition of the toilet will get progressively worse as
the journey progresses. Food trolleys pass back and forth along the train so it
is possible to eat quite cheaply. A blanket and small pillow are supplied with
each bunk.
Soft Sleeper - There are four bunks in a compartment which has a door for
privacy. Each bunk will have a blanket and pillow. Toilets are at the end of the
carriage and may be a western toilet however they mat not always be clean as
they are used by people from other carriages. No toilet paper is provided in the
bathrooms.
If you choose to travel by train, we recommends booking a soft sleeper.
The restaurant carriage will be the 10th car. The choice of food will be limited
and only Chinese food will be available. Most local people buy food in advance
or buy food from the vendors on board the trains.
English is generally not spoken by any of the staff on the trains or in the
railway stations. Limited English signage is available in the railway stations.
A separate waiting lounge is available in the railway stations for passengers
traveling in the soft sleeper section. Preferential boarding is available for
those passengers.
I am a lover of
tea. Where do you recommend to purchase the best tea in china as well as a visit
to the tea plantation?
China is the homeland of tea and boasts some of the best tea in the world.
Chinese tea generally falls into five major categories: Green tea, Black tea,
Oolong tea, Jasmine tea and Brick Tea, otherwise known as the Pressed tea.
The best Green Tea is Dragon Well Tea which grows on the hills west to the West
Lake, Hangzhou.
The best brands of Black Tea are Qihong of Anhui in East China and Dianhong of
Yunnan in southwest china.
The most famous Olong Tea is mainly found in china's south areas including
Guangdong, Fujian and Taiwan region.
A tour to Hangzhou is easily combined with a visit to a tea plantation.
How to Rent a
Bicycle in Beijing?
Beijing has a large number of bicycle rental shops-especially around subway and
park entrances.
Bicycling down one of Beijing's hutongs (ancient alleyways in Beijing) is a
magical experience. And luckily, the city is home to a large number of bicycle
rental shops - especially around subway and park entrances.
Each rental shop has its own specific rental policies, but we can still provide
some helpful general information.
Cost
Renting a bicycle should be a fairly inexpensive proposition. The manager of
"Bird of Freedom," a well-known rental shop on historic Qianmen Dajie, charges
15 RMB / day for his nicer Giant brand bicycles, while only 2 RMB / day for his
shabbiest, yet still functional, bicycles. Expect similar prices at other shops.
If a shop is too expensive, simply go to another one.
Deposit
Foreigners looking to rent a bike should come with their passport, Chinese with
their identity card. Rental shops will record your passport/identity card number
and then ask for a cash deposit. Some might accept your passport/identity card
as collateral, but we would advise against letting such important documents out
of your possession.
While bicycle rental costs are low, deposits are generally high - usually the
cost of the bicycle being rented - meaning several hundred RMB. This is to be
expected, as rental shops realize that even with passport/identity card numbers,
law enforcement won't do anything over a missing bike.
Tips
(1) Inspect your bicycle before leaving with it. Inform the rental store manager
if there is any pre-existing damage, so you won't be held liable.
(2) The rental shop will provide you with a lock, or even two. But these locks
are usually pretty flimsy. So try to park in a safe place. There are bicycle
parking lots all across the city, each staffed with an attendant who guards the
bikes. They cost just a few mao to park in and don't have time limits. Another
good idea, rent an ordinary-looking bicycle that few thieves would be interested
in.
How to Protect
Your Feet While Traveling?
Do you plan to travel with your family during the long holiday? Tourists often
encounter problems, and what troubles them the most is aching feet. A little
blister can prevent people from continuing on a trip and cause a lot of pain.
Here are several tips and hopefully they will help you to have a good trip.
First, you should know how long your journey will be and what is the road will
be like: Is it a footpath, a cobble alley or a treacherous ridge? Then, you can
choose suitable shoes. Generally speaking, you need protective shoes with some
padding that are not too soft.
In addition, it is a good idea to bring two pairs of shoes and rotate them to
reduce the chances of getting a blister or your feet swelling.
Modern sandals look charming, but they are not suited for traveling. For women
who like high heel shoes, they can cause twisted ankles and aching feet. To
you're your feet clean, you should wear socks that can absorb water because
sweaty feet can cause bacterial growth which can easily lead to infections. Some
people think that 100% cotton socks are the best, when in fact 50% cotton ones
are the best.
Swollen feet is a common problem while traveling. Doctors suggest loosening your
shoelaces. If that does not work, have a cold and hot foot soak: Put your feet
in cool water for one minute, then in hot water for 3 minutes. Repeat it 4 times
and end in the cool water. Do not take blisters for granted. You should puncture
blisters with a disinfected needle, squeeze out the pus, then put a band-aid on
it.
Why I can't
receive my flight tickets or train tickets all at once at the time when I enter
China?
There are differences in the way the systems operates in China to other
countries.
Air Travel
It may not always be possible to issue airline tickets for you whole tour before
the commencement of your tour. This situation is caused by the need to purchase
tickets in a particular city to obtain the best possible airfare. Your guide
will ensure that your tickets are available for each leg of your journey.
If you are unescorted for all or part of your tour we will ensure that your air
tickets are available form your hotel in good time for your departure. We will
attempt to have the tickets available when you check into your hotel on your
arrival in the city.
Travelers to Tibet and Yannan will always have to collect tickets when they
arrive as laws prevent us from purchasing tickets outside those regions.
Train Travel
Train tickets can only be bought at the origin city for the train travel and can
only be collected 3 days before the date for travel. This means that train
tickets will always be collected by the traveler on arrival in that city.
How to Eat
While Traveling?
You should pay more attention to your diet when traveling.
If traveling by air, you should not overeat, you should be about 70% full, and
you should not drink too much gaseous liquids such as soda and coke to prevent
discomfort or vomiting while flying.
If you travel by train, water or car, you should eat something at the beginning
of your trip and eat regularly. Remember to have breakfast. For those who get
carsick or airsick, you can keep a piece of salty plum in your mouth.
Try not to eat or drink while traveling except for when you are thirsty. Drink
fruit juices such as apple, pear or watermelon. Do not drink too much when you
are sweating, otherwise, it will destroy the balance of nutrients in your body
and cause abnormal sweating. It will not only take up a lot of physical strength
but also cause dizziness. If cool drinks do not satisfy your thirst and soda
upsets your stomach, you can drink tea, boiled water or mineral water. When you
get hungry, eat things that are high in calories like biscuits or dried fruits.
Never eat unclean food.
Have a ligh lunch and do not eat too much meat. Otherwise, it will make you
tried and affect the rest of your trip. Take a short break after lunch and have
some tea. Do not drink alcohol, especially hard liquor.
On your way home, try not to eat food that you have bought and pay attention to
the quality of the food bought at the scenic spot. After the end of your day
sightseeing, then you can have a big dinner. Do not take a bath immediately
before or after dinner.
How to Handle
Plateau Sickness?
After the official opening of the Qinghai-Tibet railway , more people have been
inspired to travel to Tibet. But once they get there, dealing with plateau
sickness is an unavoidable question.
Beijing Military General Hospital Heart and Lungs Center Director He Yubin said
that low levels of oxygen on the plateau result in the human body's deficiency
of oxygen causing a sickness called plateau sickness. The speed of ascent and
intensity of work are all directly related to plateau sickness.
Plateau sickness can be divided into acute plateau response, acute plateau
pulmonary edema, and acute plateau hydro-cephalus. Symptoms of acute plateau are
headaches, dizziness, nausea, heart palpitations,rushed breathing, weakness, and
vomiting. In acute plateau pulmonary edema, other symptoms may appear such as a
cough, stuffy chest, and pink frothy phlegm. In acute plateau hydro-cephalus,
there are behavioral changes in addition to the previous symptoms and death may
occur.
He Yubin said, for people who have not ever been on the plateau should go
through a 1-3 month-long adjustment period and the majority of people will
adapt. After a doctor's exam, people who travel to Tibet should know that the
blood vessels in their brains may be weak in Tibet for the first few months so
they should strengthen the body by doing exercises and getting the body
accustomed to the lack of oxygen. Several days before going to Tibet they should
rest and not engage in strenuous exercise.
Tiredness, cold, a high fever and low temperatures are all possible side effects
of plateau sickness. Therefore, the first day after getting to Tibet, travelers
should spend a day in their hotels and not engage in strenuous activity. They
should avoid meeting other people and doing indoor or outdoor activities to try
to reduce oxygen consumption as much as possible.
Furthermore, you should eat food that is easy to digest and absorb. It is best
to take carbohydrates to supply the body with sugars. But do not overeat because
blood may rush to the digestive system rather than supplement the brain, thereby
causing plateau sickness.
He Yubin also said, once symptoms of the illness appear, rest and breathe some
oxygen. If your condition does not improve, immediately go to the nearest
hospital and seek medical treatment.
top
What about drinking water safety?
Nothing ruins a good trip like getting sick -- and we're not talking about a few extra bathroom stops.
The best way to protect yourself is not to drink to local tap water unless you boil it first. Instead seek out bottled water in the supermarket; when that's not available, boiling tap water generally kills most micro-organisms, and there are a number of good water filters and purification tablets that can easily be stowed in your carry-on. Read on for tips on how to keep yourself safe, healthy and well-hydrated on your next trip.