Posts Tagged ‘Travel Tips’

I am traveling to Egypt and the Nile in March.  Are there any insects as I am prone to getting bitten?  Also, do you have any other travel tips?

Many thanks.  Dave

I have got a Job in Melbourne and this is the first time I am moving out of my home country India.  I need some travel tips and sufficient Information to get tuned with the cultural differences prevailing among the two countries.

When traveling to China, one needs to have an open mind. It is a place with thousands of years of history and culture and yet, trying overnight to adapt to the Western ways of living. China is a country that needs to be respected and each of the major cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Xian, all have their own personalities and is different from one another.

Below are some travel tips to help you get around China and make your trip easier and less stressful.

They have what they call a “China day.” This is when the most complex situations which are expected to be a disaster eventually turn out to be great and when the simplest task turn out to be a major calamity. These days are a part of the everyday travel experience in China.

1. Using the Restrooms

• You should never expect a clean toilet 100% of the time.

• Always be prepared and carry your own tissue.

• Some restrooms use what is called as a “squat toilet.” If you don’t know how to use one, try the following experiment at home: Hold onto something for support while lowering your body down into a low squat position. The cheeks of your bottom should be almost touching your heels or the back of your calf. Once you are in this position, you may now let go of your hands. Stay in this position for at least one minute. If you fall and cannot get up, then this will be a problem. Practice. Practice. Practice.

• A clean toilet is rare. If you see one, go and use it right away. You will not see another clean one for awhile.

• There are also some public toilets that require payment (usually RMB .5). These are usually cleaner than the rest. The others are best to stay away from if you can.

• Be warned that public areas like bus and train stations are usually “tough toilets.” It is best that you have gone to a toilet first before going to these places.

• Outside the major cities, the toilet systems are old and have very narrow plumbing /pipes. These get blocked easily so a small basket is usually beside the toilet. Throw your used toilet paper here and do not flush it down.

• One of the best toilet tips is to use hotel lobby toilets. These are everywhere and are always clean. DO note however, that they may not always have toilet paper. The availability of the toilet paper depends on the class of hotel.

• Outside the major cities, conditions can be tough. You should be aware that the toilets in the smaller cities, towns and villages can be scary. Most of the time, everything will be fine, especially if you book a tour. Everything has been checked out beforehand. However, even the best laid plans can go wrong. It always pays to be prepared.

2. The Food

• The food in China is great and the choices are overwhelming. In most cases, you are able to choose what you want to eat and can recognize what it is you are eating. Sometimes, however, you do not get a choice. This is when a chocolate bar or a small snack stashed in your pocket comes in handy. Always be prepared and have something with you in case of emergencies. This will keep you going until you can find some food that you can recognize.

• Always drink bottled or boiled water. Tap water is NOT safe to drink. This is true for the whole of China. In fact, even boiled water can contain a lot of minerals and iron deposits that you probably do not want in your system. The safest bet is to drink bottled water. Tap water in most big cities is okay to use for brushing teeth.

• Most of the menus are written in Chinese. If you do not know what to order, look at the tables around you and point to the food you like. Ask how much it is. This usually works well and no one seems to mind.

3. Eating Habits

• Lunch and dinner times can be a wonderful and noisy celebration as most Chinese people have a great habit of being very noisy when they eat.

• Food tends to go in all directions and this is just part of being in China.

• Some restaurants get very loud and smoky as people tend to smoke at the table while everyone is eating.

4. Taxis

• Riding a taxi in China is an experience that you will never forget. It will have you griping the seat and gasping for breath. You will soon get used to it and after the first few rides, you will become a veteran.

• Overall, the taxis in Shanghai are quite good. It is recommended that you select from one of the four major taxi companies -
  • Blue
  • Blueish Turquoise
  • Gold
  • White

These taxis can be easily recognized through their single color paintwork.  Other taxis are okay however, they tend to be older and you will experience a rougher ride.  It is possible that others may also have faulty meters.  Just be warned that no taxi driver will speak English.

• Always bring the hotel business card with you.  Make sure that you bring the business card written in Chinese.  This will definitely help you when you get lost and don’t know how to get back.

• All the taxis in China will show the driver’s name and taxi registration in plain sight.  In the event that you encounter a problem, whether you were overcharged, etc., take note of the number and make a big fuss out of it.  The driver will usually be amenable to fixing whatever problem you have.  It is also advisable to always take the receipt.  The receipt has all the trip details on it and you can always call the the taxi company if you want to take things further or if you’ve left something in the taxi.

• The government takes rip-off drivers in all cities very seriously.  This is especially true in Beijing and Xian.  If you complain, they will risk losing their license.  So, they would rather solve the problem before letting it go out of hand.

• Taxi fares in Shanghai increases after 11pm.  However, you are free to bargain with the driver for a 20% discount.  Doing so will get the fare back to the pre-11pm rate.

• Be strong with the taxi drivers but always keep your cool and negotiate.

5. Shopping

• You can find everything you want in China.  It is definitely a shoppers paradise.  However, electronics such as DVDs, camera, etc. are not worth buying in China.  HongKong is still the best place for this.

• When it comes to clothes, the larger sizes can be hard to find.  You can only find this in the major cities where there is a lot of tourist traffic.

• Store hours in the major cities are long.  They are open from 10am to 10pm, seven days a week.

• Visa card is the best card to carry around.  They have a lot of ATMs around all with PLUS access.  Note however, that there is usually a surcharge for the use of credit cards.

• Shop around to get a feel of the prices before you actually purchase.  The Chinese are very experienced sellers.

• When shopping in the markets, bargain for 25% off their initial asking price.  You can even be bold enough to go really low that they will not agree to it.  This technique will give you an idea of the bottom price.  Usually, the bottom price will probably be around 40% to 50% of their initial asking price.

• People in China are used to bargaining and haggling to get the best price.  Do not worry about bargaining too low.  Remember that they are used to it and they will not sell you an item unless they make a profit.  The hurt body language that they show you is all part of the game.  You will notice that as soon as they wrap your first purchase, they will try to sell you more.  Remember to keep smiling and to have fun while bargaining.

6.  Medical Treatment and Records

• Should you require medical assistance, most hotels will have a doctor with whom you can consult with.  English will be spoken in the major hotels.

• It would be wise for you to take a small first aid kit with you when traveling to China.  At the very least, bring some cold remedies and headache tablets with you.  Should you need to visit a pharmacy, opt to go to Watsons.  It is a very large chain and most of the medicines you require should be available here.

• The pharmacy type shops are everywhere and are always indicated by a Green Cross.  There will always be a 24-hr Green Cross pharmacy in the city you are in.  Always carry a phrase book with you as no one will speak English.

• For most of the mass produced packet type medicines, the packaging will be written in Chinese on one side and English on the other.  Anytime you encounter a Chinese-written medicine pack, turn it over to see the English translation.

• It is advisable for you to take your medical records with you should you have a specific medical issue.  While most of the doctors have difficulty speaking in English, most of them will have sufficient skills in reading and writing English.

7.  Telephone

• Using the phone is as easy as it is at home.  However, the person answering the call will not be able to speak English or at most, will only be able to speak broken English.  This is not the case for the major four or five star hotels.

• It is recommended that you purchase their local SIM card.  They are about RMB100. Of this, RMB50 can be used to make calls and the other RMB50 is the cost of the SIM card.  The SIM card will go into all major brand phones and will work well.  Doing this will allow people in and out of China to get in touch with you.  You will also be able to call your tourist guide and hotel if you have any major problems.  It is a cheap way to keep in touch.

• If your phone is not compatible with the Chinese SIM card, there are plenty of China Telecom shops that can help you.

8.  Traveling around China

• Below are the days you should avoid when traveling around China:
  • End of January/Early February; Spring Festival, this would be the Chinese New Year time
  • Early May; Labor day Holiday
  • Early October; National Day Holiday

• Millions of Chinese travel during holiday times of the year.  Most are traveling back to home towns or visiting family.  Hotels, trains, planes, cars, buses and roads are all crowded to the maximum.  There is major congestion everywhere.  Travel fares are at their full price and no discounts are offered.   It would be best to stay in one place and enjoy it.  It will cause you fewer hassles.

9.  TV

• Most of the major hotels will have cable.

• If you are in the smaller areas, you can view the national channel, CCTV9.  It is in English.

10.  Airport Tax

• There is a construction fee in almost all the airports which has to be paid in their local currency.
  • Domestic flights:  RMB 50
  • International flights:   RMB 90

• Just recently, tickets are being issued with the Construction Tax included.  But to be sure, always be prepared and have the airport tax money with you.

In 6 weeks I will be traveling to Los Angeles. This is my first visit to the USA. I live in Canada. Can anyone offer any travel tips, or just little things that I may not think of before we go. Things like, is there taxes on items purchased, inexpensive sight seeing, tips for public transit, those types of things. Perhaps areas to avoid and must see places.

Thanks, I appreciate the help!

My brother is taking a car trip with his wife and new baby, 4 months old, does anyone have any travel tips on how to keep him entertained and happy?

I never traveled much when my kiddos were “babies”, so I’m clueless here…
It will only be about a 4 hour trip.

I am going to Vancouver in a couple of weeks, for a few days. Having never traveled outside the US as a civilian, are there any travel tips that will make my trip smoother? Like things to bring, or to keep in mind about the culture? Any useful info would be appreciated!

This will be my first time going to Vegas. I live in Florida and my Mom lives in Michigan. I want to surprise her in September with this trip. We will be leaving from each of our separate airports and I would like for us to arrive around the same time. I would appreciate any travel tips anyone has about deals , hotel , car rentals, must do things while there, best hotels. Thank you !