China Travel Forum

[Eric]

I interested in travelling to China for 2 -3 weeks next year.As a student, I am very limitted on budget. I am also not interested in travelling with a tour group, as my goal is to make this into a "backpacking" trip in which I can see some places of special interest that are off the beaten tourist track. I will likely have one or two companins with me ... all of us are avid backpackers/hikers and we have no problem camping out with our sleeping bags or staying in unusual places ... in fact, that's what we are looking for.
obviously I need to have some idea of cost and logistics (for example, if we want to hike along the Great Wall for several days, is it even possible? Are there places to sleep/get food and water. How much might this whole trip cost?). How difficult will it be to get hotel/hostel accomodations without a reservation? How long in advance do we have to buy a train ticket?

Right now, I am mostly interested in staying in the Northern areas. I would like to fly into Beijing, and possibly travel as far West as Kashigar. I would like to hike along the Great Wall, possibly take a short cruise along the Yanghzee, stay in a yurt in Hohot/Inner Mongolia, and travel along the Silk Road. I am especially interested in the Kunlun Mountains (because of an acupuncture point named after them and its background), but I'm not sure what there would be to see/do in that area. We really want to see the land and experience the culture.

[Alexander Li]

I think you can do it though you will not be able to stay in anyone place too long.
Some things I do ACTUALLY know; camping along the great wall is only possible in certain areas, and obviously the further from Beijing the better the liklyhood you can camp, going west from Beijing takes you through Hohhot (inner Mongolia) and so stopping there for a short trip is VERY possible (11 hour train trip) but staying in a yurt and getting out into the "grasslands" can prove to be difficult and a tourist trap, but hey if that's what you want then who cares right? As for buying your tickets in advance...it is difficult to do and in most places impossible, you just have to buy them at the station when you get there, I know that's a little scarey, especially with your time schedule but if you buy in advance you really could pay through the nose...try the CITS in Beijing they have a few english speakers and maybe able to help you, though when I tried the CITS here in Urumqi they couldn't help...anyway...fly into Beijing and hit the train station right away and if you really have to the bus station but but but...well talk about SLOW...as for buying food, you needn't worry about that, as long as you don't mind trying new things, food at the local stands is cheap, and (most of the time) very tasty, once you get here you will be surprised exactly how cheap the food is. And finally cost...in total for three weeks, and watching your expenses I would say you could easily do it for $1000.00 per person maybe even less if you cut some corners...that's just a ball park figure and again after I go on my trip I would be glad to update this thread to let you know what I've experienced
Sleeping outside is a good idea at this time in north China, because it is too hot in houses without air-conditioning. You can see many local people doing so just on roadside (if not raining). Food and water are no problem if there are people, and China is not lack of people. Backpacking is a good idea, but you should drop on a correct place: China is a place as large as US, with so convenient transportations. areas near Beijing, Urumqi and Kashgar; Kunlun Montain is not too far away,you take train/plane from Xian to Urumqi and you will see some plases (like Heavenly lake,turpan)
from Urumqi take train to Kashgar(so beautiful scensry)
from Kashgar to Hotan(by bus),
from Hotan to Urumqi (acrss the desert highway)