I'm sure people will add to this thread but thought I'd post a few tips and tricks that we learnt whilst we were in this fascinating country.

1. The pace is hectic from the moment you land and the traffic often means that there's no time to change for dinner. There were opportunities to dress up on the cruise but generally we went to the restaurants in our day clothes, so pack accordingly.

2. Packing Cubes really come into their own on a trip with so many stops

3. Travel light! Internal flight allowance is 20kg and believe me, you will definitely make plenty of purchases whilst you are there!

4. Air China does not allow any batteries in suitcases and will pull your luggage and open it if you accidentally leave one in your case. Make sure you know where your batteries are! This includes car keys, toothbrushes, torches and especially 'Zap-It' type mozzie gadgets.

5. If you are lucky enough to have a flight upgrade,pack another bag in your luggage to use to bring all your extra purchases home. Those of us doing the river cruise knew we were returning to Beijing and so left our purchases with the concierge rather than carting them round China.

6. Most of the hotels had UK style sockets, a few had US-style.

7. All hotels had a lovely selection of toiletries and a hairdryer.

I thoroughly recommend this trip, there are too many highlights to mention and many of my best memories are from the charming and welcoming Chinese people we met along the way.

Karon

Thank you for your tips, they are very informative.

Kindest regards,

Monty

I'm just back from a fantastic (and exhausting!) Inspirational China trip with Yangtze River cruise add-on. Hello to my lovely fellow travelers and thanks for your company.

I'm sure people will add to this thread but thought I'd post a few tips and tricks that we learnt whilst we were in this fascinating country.

1. The pace is hectic from the moment you land and the traffic often means that there's no time to change for dinner. There were opportunities to dress up on the cruise but generally we went to the restaurants in our day clothes, so pack accordingly.

2. Packing Cubes really come into their own on a trip with so many stops

3. Travel light! Internal flight allowance is 20kg and believe me, you will definitely make plenty of purchases whilst you are there!

4. Air China does not allow any batteries in suitcases and will pull your luggage and open it if you accidentally leave one in your case. Make sure you know where your batteries are! This includes car keys, toothbrushes, torches and especially 'Zap-It' type mozzie gadgets.

5. If you are lucky enough to have a flight upgrade,pack another bag in your luggage to use to bring all your extra purchases home. Those of us doing the river cruise knew we were returning to Beijing and so left our purchases with the concierge rather than carting them round China.

6. Most of the hotels had UK style sockets, a few had US-style.

7. All hotels had a lovely selection of toiletries and a hairdryer.

I thoroughly recommend this trip, there are too many highlights to mention and many of my best memories are from the charming and welcoming Chinese people we met along the way.

Karon

Thanks Karon for the tips. I am going there next month. You have mentioned shopping. Would you mind explaining what sort of things one could buy from there? I would appreciate it so that I would know how much money I need to allocate in my budget.

Dyuti

I did this trip last year and agree that there are lots of interesting and varied shopping opportunities. Plenty of fake goods of dubious quality but also some very nice items, for example:

- Jade jewellery and ornaments. You'll go to a factory where you'll get better quality than from a street vendor.

- Silk duvets and pillows (I kid you not) - Don't worry they can either ship them or vacuum pack them for you.

- Pearl jewellery

- Jiinli Street - A fascinating maze of shops and food outlets where you can pick up all sorts including silk clothing and unusual carvings

- Fridge magnets by the thousands!

I didn't mention the 'proper' loose leaf China tea which they sell from huge jars in plenty of little shops - particularly around the Hutons in Beiijing.

In short, there are plenty of souvenir options at varying prices - be prepared to haggle and have a fabulous time!

All the best

Mandy

P.S Pack throat sweets and cold remedies because the pollution can sometimes be pretty bad and can affect your chest.

Welcome back Karon. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

Hope the rest of the group did as well.

The rest of us had a 6 hour delay at Brussels airport because of the fog at Heathrow!!

I agree with everything you have said about the China trip. It was AMAZING!!

Due to work commitments am only now getting over the holiday! Felt jet lag for ages!!

Fond memories of our time together as a group and what a lot of sights we saw!!

I think you have summed up the holiday very well. We could probably write a book about it!!

We were so lucky to have such nice guides to help us.

Hope you enjoy your trip to India.

Regard Una:rolleyes:

Sorry Dyuti - I hit the wrong button and posted before I'd finished!

I didn't mention the 'proper' loose leaf China tea which they sell from huge jars in plenty of little shops - particularly around the Hutons in Beiijing.

In short, there are plenty of souvenir options at varying prices - be prepared to haggle and have a fabulous time!

All the best

Mandy

P.S Pack throat sweets and cold remedies because the pollution can sometimes be pretty bad and can affect your chest.

Thanks AELB, I guess I will have to increase my budget! I had flu in Australia so I made a note to take all flu remedies with me.