China Travel Forum

[Rafael]

My husband and I will be going to China at the end of May. We will be in Beijing for 3 days (short I know). I am looking for recommendationns for a private 'guide'. We would like the guide for a hutong tour, trip to the Mutinayu (sp) section of the great wall, Summer Palace and assistance at the Markets.
This leads to another question. If you could only go to one market on a Monday which one would you go to? Also any recommendations for an acrobat or kung fu show.

Also, looking for recommendations for good places to eat. Unfortunately, we do not speak a word of chinese so somewhere that has an english menu or where we can point at what looks good.

Also, I need a recomendation for a hotel in Xi'an. I have heard good things about the Bell Tower hotel. Is this a good pleace.
Thanks in advance.

[Wangme]

Well, get yourself a phrasebook. Rough Guide, Lonely Planet and Berlitz are just some of the choices


Beijing's metro system is clearly signposted in English and Chinese. That would be your best way to get around to many sights: fast, inexpensive and no need to understand Chinese.

If you only have 4 days, just stay in Beijing!
Cheers!

[Guest]

Went to Beijing and Xian last May. You do not need a guide for the places you suggested going to. I do not speak Chinese either, but with the help of a guide book and taxi maps, which your hotel will give you, you will be fine.

Even the Beijing public are very helpful if you are looking completely lost! Go with your husbands advice! We did hire bikes from cycle china and did our own hutong tour! We also booked the acrobats through them and the one's we saw were very good. I can't tell you which one's they were though! Cycle China were very helpful whilst we were in Beijing.

Most restaurants will have pictures that you can point to, even MC Donalds and KFC!

Silk Markets were our favourites but it would depend onwhat you are after?

We stayed at the Melody Hotel in Xian which was comfortable enough for us, but if staying there, go somewhere else for breakfast, even for me it was a challenge to eat something! And no tea and coffee!!!! Weird. That was our most disapointing breakfast in 3 weeks in China.