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A fantastic restaurant located next to the Phoenix Hostel on Yunnan Street in central Shanghai. There is a wonderful array of local and Chinese provincial specialities on offer including Hunnan style pork buns and lamb and shrimp dim sum. All are utterly cheap in price as well as being exquisite in taste. Definitely worth a visit if you get a chance.
17 Yunnan (South) Road, Shanghai
Google map: tinyurl.com/ydqwaat
This was my first taste of Korean Barbeque, and my friend, a native Korean, mentioned that this was one of the finest places in Shanghai. My friend couldn't have been more right, as the food served here was excellent and very light.
Huai Hai Zhong Road, Shanghai
www.pankoo.com.cn/
Just some feed back from the border crossing at Pingxiang(China)/Dong Dang(VN) since there have been conflicting messages out there.
Bought bus tickets from Nanning-Hanoi www.seat61.com/Vietnam.htm in Nanning at the south bus station (take number 6 bus from Nanning train station,it's the last stop). It left at 08.30 the following morning and cost 133 RMB. The bus was excellent, had AC and we were given a bottle of water and a can of soup. The bus stopped a couple of meters from the border. We then took a open mini bus (belonging to the bus company) to the Chinese border exit which took about three hours. From the Chinese border exit we took another mini bus to the Vietnamese border. Since we were Norwegian we got a 15 days visa on arrival www.myvietnamvisa.com/ (also for people from Sweden, Denmark and Finland), no problem. When we got out from the passport control a another excellent bus was waiting for us and it went straight to Hanoi taking about four hours. Got another water bottle.
The bus had one stop before getting into Hanoi. Here you can buy food and exchange money with an OK rate.
Don't know if these tickets can be bought at travel agents in Nanning, but it was no problem getting them at the bus station.
You can ride the Yangtze all the way from Chongqing to Shanghai, cutting across nearly 2000km of China and seeing major sites along the way. You hit Three Gorges Dam of course, Wuhan, and Fendu, among others. Really gives you a sense for the country.
The country and river is changing overnight, probably best to see it while it still exists.
Victoria Cruises is the premier cruise line for Westerners if you want to cruise the Yangtze River and take your time about it:
www.ruba.com/tour/angelavictoriacruises/14_Day_China_Exploration_the_Magnificent_Yangtze
Yang Yang's is one of Chengdu's hottest local restaurants; visited by locals and ex-pats alike. If you arrive late for lunch or dinner expect to have to wait for a table.
For purveyors of Chinese cuisine this restaurant fits into the "dirty delicious" category. For those who don't know, dirty delicious is a category of local restaurant that would not meet Western standards of hygiene, but whose food is outstanding. Notable dishes on the menu include tie ban qie zi, and tie ban tu dou si.
Price: average
English menu: yes
English speaking staff: no
Walking directions: From the American Consulate on Ling Shi Guan Rd. head east to the next intersection, turn left (north) at the WoWo 24 hour convenience store, continue walking for about 100 meters and it is on the right hand corner.
Google map: tinyurl.com/yaexwgn
I had seen this restaurant recommended for its crispy Peking Duck on the Grauniad website and in a couple of books. Went twice when I was in Hong Kong recently. Fantastic place with a great atmosphere and friendly staff and the duck really is to die for.
Full of locals which is generally a good sign. Advance booking recommended - turned up on spec one night and couldn't get in.
42 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon Nearest MTR station Tsim Sha Tsui East)
A nice bar with interesting people. It's close to the universities in Kunming so a lot of foreign and local students hang out here.
Jian She Lu, Kunming
Enoteca is a pair of wine bars where bottles start at around 90RMB- the same price as you pay in a Shanghainese supermarket.
The low profit margins don't mean that corners are cut though, as the service is spot on, French-style bar food (Croque Monsieur, creme brulee) is delicious and the XinTianDi branch has great live music on Wednesday nights.
Classy on the cheap with a loyal following.
Enoteca 1
53-57 Anfu Lu, near Changshu Lu
Tel: 5404 0050
Enoteca XinTianDi
58 Taicang Lu, near Jinan Lu
Tel: 5306 3400
Windows Scoreboard- the best of the three Windows around town, Scoreboard serves up a steak dinner for 30RMB, and 10RMB beers to a crowd of expat college kids and credit crunchees.
The music is a lot better than the service, and there are screens showing random TV channels everywhere you look, but it's hard to argue when Fish and Chips cost 10RMB a plate.
3F, 681 Huaihai Zhong Lu
near Sinan Lu
Tel: 5382 7757
C's Bar
Open until the last person leaves, students and expats rolling dice together over classic Hip-Hop, occasional left-field club nights (check out Antidote or Brown Nylon Suit), 10RMB beer, 20RMB whiskey.
685 Dingxi Lu,
near Fahuazhen Lu
6294-0547
On clear days, it's hard to beat the view from the Nanpu river in the South of Shanghai.
Tickets cost 68RMB to go up the elevator to the start of the bridge's arch. From there it's some 360 steps to the observatory deck at the top.
From this point you can see the Expo site (opens in June 2010), and the city laid out like a map as far as the eye can see: The Pearl Tower, the Financial Centre, People's Square, and miles of skyscrapers in every direction.
Ticket office at the very end of Lujiabang Lu (near Xietu Lu).
farm2.static.flickr.com/1292/543456092_f3b2854f9b.jpg
ispyshanghai.com
Most visitors to Hong Kong would be forgiven for thinking that this "Special Administrative Region" of China is entirely urbanised. The New Territories actually make up the majority of the land area, of which vast areas are lush woodlands.
Sai Kung Town is located in the east of the region. It is famous for its seafood, which is impressively displayed outside the harbourside restaurants and on the small fishing boats, some of which offer paid fishing trips. The town has a much more laid-back feel than its urban cousin and is a welcome retreat.
Sai Kung region, New Territories
I would like to share my best tips for train journeys for people who don't plan ahead. These were shaped from my travel experience riding seat-less in China with three friends as we criss-crossed our way down through the country using the busy train network. We travelled on a shoestring budget, and with no fixed agenda we often arrived at stations with only a loose idea of where we were heading. However, demand for seats and beds on these trains is huge and when there are literally millions of citizens using the network at anyone time, these spaces are booked days in advance... Surprisingly, my tip isn't to plan ahead, be sensible and book in advance - but top tips for surviving and enjoying an overnight train journey with no seat or bed to speak off. Following these tips allows you to get closer to the fascinating Chinese character and fully involve yourself to feel like a true and accepted local which is lost in 1st and 2nd class travel.
My first tip is to play the Chinese at their own game in order to get the best floor positions for your overnight journey. Your competing 3rd class companions will be travelling with half their kitchen larders strapped to their backs, which can include two or three 'cash and carry' style bags of rice or even sacks of chicken feet! So i would advise teaming up with a friend or fellow westerner, which combined with your likely height advantage and 20kg backpacks, you'll find yourselves with some kind of purchase on the crowds of surging travellers to get to your carriage first.
The second tip is on boarding and locating your floor space. With competition fierce, and the odds stacking against you, you will need to prepare for your mini sprint. Try and establish from platform gates, which end of the train your carriage is in; you don't want to find your self running in the opposite direction as you are then likely to be stood beside the toilet for the next 15 to 20 hours. So, once at the carriage doors, I would recommend boarding at the same time as your friend, guarding yourselves from the beating crowds to give you the opportunity to seek the best position, ideally not near the toilet or wash basin, but next to a guards door, which is likely to leave you some good leg room and uninterrupted sleep from people getting on and off through the night.
The third and final tip is spread yourself out, as selfish as it might sound, conceding early on or showing weakness will leave you sharing your pillow another guy who likes to chain smoke and cough up loosening flem from his lungs. This early initiative also gives you the flexibility of lying down and sitting up to read throughout your journey, as fidgeting to get comfortable will become your new best friend. Once you have your little enclave, you can pick and choose who you share your space with, and observe the fascinating culture and characters on board your train as people pass through and squat to chat to the unlikely westerners slumming it on floor.
These light-hearted tips are really just great memories and a product of clashing national psyches, for which I believe brings so much colour, character and adventure to a train journey and gets you right under the skin of a nation which is quite literally on the move.
Many thanks for reading my top tips for character rich 3rd class train travel in China.
Shanghai's Maglev airport train shoots you across 30km at over 500 kph - the world's fastest. Take it for an experience rather than ease, unfortunately it doesn't take you right into the city centre but the station is well connected by taxis which wait around the station.
A one-way ticket is just around GBP5 so well worth the experience.
An Asian restaurant that serves great food at a reasonable 'Western' price.
Situated on the top floor of a shopping complex in the embassy district of Beijing this was a real find. The aubergine curry was sublime, the chicken in the balti was tasty if not immediately recognisable. Friendly service and a welcome change from the local cuisine.
In September 2008 58 of us cycled the above route to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. It was a fantastic experience and I have a DVD copy chronicling the twelve days we spent in China with various photos. We saw some main tourist attractions but it was the unexpected sights along the way which delighted us. However nothing compared with the contact we made with the Chinese. We stayed in hotels in Beijing and Xian but felt more at home when we camped with locals who lived in primitive houses and caves for seven fascinating nights.
Through the newspaper?
This hotel is in Shatin. An ideal place to relax and collect your thoughts. It is a long bus journey from the airport but one that is both direct and I believe cheapest to reach, unless you can afford the Regal airport hotel. If you book online and in advance, the early bird promotion is a good deal. You can take a healthy stroll by the river or visit the wide array of shopping centres networked together just over the bridge.
Regal Riverside Hotel
Tai Chung Kiu Road
Shatin
Hong Kong (A41 bus from Airport)
Regalhotel.com
Whether you're in Hong Kong for business or you're doing a stopover en route to Australia, a great way to soak up the Hong Kong vibe is to take a beginners Tai Chi class on the waterfront.
The class is in English and assumes no previous knowledge of Tai Chi. There are a few demonstrations first followed by lessons on how to do the most basic tai chi routines. All this in front of Victoria Harbour with the skyscrapers in full view. It captures the whole East-West fusion that Hong Kong is all about.
Best of all - the lessons are free.
The lessons take place in front of the Museum of Art on Salisbury Road by the waterfront. It is a five minute walk from the Star Ferry terminus on Kowloon. They start at 8am and run on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Ring the Hong Kong Tourist board on +852 2508 1234 to ckeck days before going.
This is a chain which has a range of restaurants across the far East. In a city where you can get cheap and plentiful food this is a restaurant that produces quality food in smaller quantities. More pricey but worth it. An eight-course sampler of signature dishes is 228 yuan.
Wangfujing shopping mall
The Grand Hyatt is within easy reach of the Shanghai Stock Exchange and World Financial Centre, and is the highest hotel in the world. It occupies the 53rd to 87th floors of the Jin Mao Tower and has good desks in its rooms, as well as high-speed internet access and a 24-hour concierge. There is also secretarial support and a translation service available from the communications centre.
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