Asia - North-East Asia

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Sep 7, 2012 5:00 AM
sannevangent

last reply
Sep 7, 2012 11:47 PM
woolf135

4 replies
641 views
location: China

car rental (with or without driver) China (Shanghai to Beijing)

Hi there,

Does anyone know where I can rent a car in Shanghai and return in Beijing? I'm thinking about driving by myself (if this is an option because a chinese drivers licence is necessary) but car rental with driver is also an option!

Thanks!

Sanne

Sep 7, 2012 12:43 AM
katytu

last reply
Sep 10, 2012 12:42 AM
everbrite

1 replies
420 views
location: China

China self drive - Kazhstan to Laos 2012

So here we are - driving our motor caravan from Wales UK to Perth Australia!. We are currently camped on a beach near Didyma on Turkeys west coast and busy organising our route through China. We want to enter through Kazakhstan and exit through Laos doing the trip as quickly as possible. We have contacted several China guides and waiting for responses. Geez some of the replies to date are quite expensive. Just wondering if anyone has had experiences of this type of journey or if anyone is doing the same route in the near future.
Cheers
Kat

Sep 6, 2012 11:44 PM
michello

last reply
Sep 7, 2012 8:54 PM
WalkingfoolNZ

1 replies
412 views
location: Japan

kiso valley, nakasendo way (2)

Hi again

Just checked hyperdia and bus timetables - won't be able to do the yabuhara-narai walk and get back to ryokan in time for dinner. So was thinking about walking from tsumago to nojiri for day 2 then just 9 min train back to nagiso. Oxalis Travel brochure says it takes 6 hours (suspect this is very leisurely pace) through "valleys, bamboo and cedar forests". Once again has anyone walked this area, is it worth it, is it an established track/safe to do alone etc etc...

Thanks

Sep 6, 2012 11:16 PM
michello

last reply
Sep 6, 2012 11:16 PM
michello

0 replies
235 views
location: Japan

kiso valley, nakasendo way

Hello Fellow Travellers

I would like to walk part of the Nakasendo Way in October. Will do the popular Magome-Tsumago leg but was wondering how easy/difficult it is to do more as an independent traveller. I'm not looking to do any serious hiking but just thought it might be nice to do part of the walk apart from the most touristy Magome-Tsumago stretch. I was thinking I could walk Magome-Tsumago, overnight in Tsumago, get the train to Yabuhara then walk over the Torii Pass to Narai then train back to Nagiso and spend another night in Tsumago.

Is it worth doing the second day over the Torii Pass or would I get the "Nakasendo"experience from the Magome-Tsumago leg alone?

I assume the Magome-Tsumago stretch is very well trodden, does anyone know if the stretch from Yabuhara to Narai is a well established path/track, signposted etc?

Also can anyone tell me if the luggage forw... more »

Sep 6, 2012 9:59 PM
sutaseyu

last reply
Sep 6, 2012 9:59 PM
sutaseyu

0 replies
296 views

4 Days in Chengdu Itinerary Suggestions

I'll be visiting Chengdu for the first time and could use some itinerary suggestions.

I plan to volunteer at the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center for one day, after that I have 3 full days to explore nearby sights. I'm open to traveling 3-4 hours somewhere if it's a must see!!

I'm very interested in Tibetan culture and would like to meet and see villages, food, and people. I hear in Jiuzhaigou that is possible. I've looked at some tour packages and see that the "Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong National Park 3-day Tour (By Bus)" is over $400USD. That seems steep to me.

Should I book my entire trip and hotel online before I head to Chengdu? Or will it be cheaper for me to book when I'm there? Any other suggestions on things to see nearby?

Day 1: Arrive Chengdu late night
Day 2: Volunteer Panda Day
Day 3:
Day 4:
Day 5:
Day 6: Fly to Singapore early morning more »

Sep 6, 2012 9:11 PM
AlexFoo

last reply
Oct 1, 2012 9:36 PM
AlexFoo

4 replies
547 views
location: Japan

Whre to buy Campingaz gas canisters in Osaka/Fuji?

Hi guys, I'll be travelling to Japan in the following weeks. I will be hiking around Mount Fuji and will be using my mini stove for some light cooking while out there. Would like to know is it safe to bring the gas canister on a flight; if not, where in Osaka/Kyoto/Fuji area that I can purchase one gas canister before I ascent Mount Fuji?

Sep 6, 2012 7:05 PM
DocWatson

last reply
Sep 10, 2012 2:59 AM
lyz0901

9 replies
682 views
location: China

Visit Pingyao

Hi all,

I'm planning a visit to Pingyao, before going there i will stay for a few days in Luoyang, there are busses from luoyang or zhengzhou directly to pingyao? Or I have to go by train?

Sep 6, 2012 1:43 PM
ForHoover

last reply
Sep 7, 2012 5:19 AM
laketraveller

1 replies
256 views
location: China

Shanghai

Hi all,

It's been a while since I last posted on the Thorn Tree. As a big thank you for all those who helped me out (particularly with the information on China and Pakistan) I wanted to share some of my videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOTXPbs088k&feature=plcp

I'm still experimenting with a lot of material I collected two years ago, but I hope you like some of the clips!

Either way, safe travels :)

Stef

Sep 6, 2012 12:05 PM
glwine

last reply
Sep 6, 2012 1:12 PM
Aribo

1 replies
289 views

Short First trip to Tokyo

Hi

As part of our trip around the world, myself and my wife will be arriving in Tokyo on the morning of Oct 13 and leaving the morning of Oct 16. We keep hearing about how large tokyo is and we would like to stay somewhere central to the sites and somewhere where we can do some walking around in the local neighborhoods. We can afford to spend somewhat on a good hotel. As far as sites to see, we are not sure.Definitely Mt Fuji. But does Tokyo have any local sites, not just the "touristy" spots. Not big into clubing. Not this time around anyway. Need to conserve strength for rest of trip. We both like to cook so a local outdoor market area would be cool.

Help is appreciated

Thanks

greg

Sep 6, 2012 9:52 AM
tricky9

last reply
Sep 21, 2012 9:52 AM
petrovic22

10 replies
1,050 views
location: Japan

Tokyo in late September; 5 days of glory!

Hello everyone

My wife and I are lucky enough to be going to Tokyo for our very first visit to Japan at the end of the month.

We're there from 29 Sept until 3 October prior to going on elsewhere for work.

So, what should we be doing while we're there?

We're from the UK and regularly visit London (and lived in New York some years ago), so we like big cities and all they offer, so what's best to do in Tokyo?

We're in our early 40s (extremely old, I'm sure, to most people on these forums!), but keen to try anything that sounds good.

Our budget is not massive, but we can treat ourselves while we're there!

Where should we stay? I suppose we can pay about £100-150 GBP per night if we need to.

I'd like to stay somewhere like Fitzrovia or Bloomsbury in London. Lively enough, but not stupidly noisy all night. Coffee bars, restaurants for lunch and a few shops to look ro... more »

Sep 6, 2012 8:49 AM
shelemm

last reply
Sep 12, 2012 5:48 AM
jonallen1966

4 replies
1,852 views
location: South Korea

Car Rental and Driving in South Korea

Not many travelers seem to know about car rental in South Korea or about the experience of driving there, so I’d like to recount my experience of renting a car for a week. It was a great experience.
I rented a car for a week from Hertz, starting and returning to Gimhae International Airport (Busan). The total Hertz cost for 8 days was 418,000 Won. This included all costs. Hertz doesn’t’ have their own counter at the airport, but their sign is prominent at the KT Counter where all the car rental companies are lined up.
I asked Hertz in advance about GPS in English, but they couldn’t confirm over the phone. When I got there, much to my delight the car came automatically with GPS in English. It was not an option.
The GPS in Korea is very advanced. It includes your rate of speed, speed limits, and announces speed bumps and sharp curves in the road.
It’s best to have an addre... more »

Sep 6, 2012 8:47 AM
manila_traveler

last reply
Sep 6, 2012 8:47 AM
manila_traveler

0 replies
356 views

Dress shirts with mandarin collars -- where to buy in Taiwan?

Hi All,

I'll be going to Taiwan this November and I want to take advantage of this by looking for dress shirts with mandarin collars. I have a couple, one white and the other black, that I wear to work often but they're secondhand and I want to buy new ones for myself.

Does anyone have any shopping advice for me about where can I buy such shirts in Taiwan? I don't know any of the Chinese languages so I almost certainly won't be able to haggle well (if at all; I'm a lousy haggler). They seem like a practical and useful souvenir so I'm interested in buying some. Are there specific department stores / shopping malls I should search in?

Many thanks!

Sep 6, 2012 8:41 AM
0bBQ42Q

last reply
Nov 10, 2012 7:35 AM
Paradise_Lost_a...

8 replies
948 views
location: China

Employment prospects in China for CELTA holders?

Hi,

I'm thinking of doing a CELTA certification to teach English in China but first I would like to set aside the enthusiastic hype from CELTA schools and ask about the employment-finding success (or lack thereof) from CELTA graduates? Does the demand for ESL teachers in China really exceed the supply? Can't the Chinese produce enough home-grown Mandarin-speaking ESL teachers? Better find out before I shell out 3050 NZD on a four-week course.

What are the chances of a non-native English speaker to find employment? I hasten to say that I have a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from McGill; further, through an assiduous frequentation of The New Yorker, The Atlantic and other snooty East Coast publications (as well as reading the works of John le Carré and Philip Roth with the Unabridged Webster in my lap), I have acquired flawless grammar and a vocabulary considerably more extensive than your ... more »

Sep 6, 2012 8:07 AM
1986Adam

last reply
Oct 28, 2012 12:07 AM
backpacker121

8 replies
829 views
location: China

China visa in se Asia and hong kong

Hello all

I am going to be in Thailand in january 2013 and want to go to china for 1 month in feb for their new year, I was wondering where is the easiest place to get the visa?

Also do you have to really book a flight in and out of china and every night accomodation before, the flights won't be a problem but the hotel will plus I have a friend does Tefl in china could they help?

Thanks adam

Sep 6, 2012 6:37 AM
R88

last reply
Nov 3, 2012 8:01 AM
R88

11 replies
1,134 views
location: China

Cycling Iran to the Stans, Visa ,travel advice

Hi

I thought this is going to be the best place as anywhere to ask, quite a few people have been recommending the Thorn tree forum,, basically im planning on cycling across Iran to Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan on to Kyrgyzstan then to China then to work out a route to India, at the moment im in Istanbul

1, What is the visa situation like at the moment for applying for a Chinese visa, i was under the knowledge it is possible to apply for a visa in Uzbekistan?

2, What route(s) are they to take from the Stan areas to arrive to India,(Kathmandu)area, what is alsothe situation for applying for Ivisas while on route to arrive to India?

3, Regarding i`ll be arriving in winter time time to kyrgyzstan, ive heard of border crossings being closed depending on the weather, is there a certain of year border crossings are open closed on into China,

i hope this makes sense,, basically... more »

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