Thorn Tree travel forum

1

I think your budget is reasonable. I got by fairly comfortably on $30/day travelling alone. I would reconsider Tibet if you are looking to cut costs. accommodation and food won't stretch you budget but transportation, guides, entrance fees etc. will.

Do a search on Yangtze River cruises to gage opinion. Won't go into detail here but I hated it! Mass tourism Chinese style isn't everyone's cup of tea. Horse trekking from Songpan was a definite highlight, also travelling through the south.

WeiLong in China

http://thewanderingant.com/travels/betel-nut.html

2

I second #1 about leaving out Tibet, if you need to save money. Instead, after you go to Xi'an, continue on to Xining in Qinghai Province, then down to Repkong/Tongren and Xiahe then on down to Songpan. Repkong and Xiahe are Tibetan towns.

!! Be warned that "students" who want to practice English with you may actually be scammers. In Shanghai they try the Tea Ceremony Scam. In Beijing it's the Art Student Scam. Be very wary if a stranger wants to speak English with you, especially if you are in a tourist area. !!

3

I go along with both above posts.
Only after leaving Xi'an I would head for Guilin and from there to Yangshou. It is amazing.

4

Yeah,

$4,000 for the two of you for six weeks will leave you in pretty comfortable shape. I think that everything that you want to do is completely doable. . . .even going to Tibet. Printing out a few Chinese phrases (I am assuming that you do not speak any Chinese languages?) off of the internet will also save you a ton......Phrases like types of food....."I want a hard sleeper" .. . .. .then you will not have to pay the extra cash for English language service.

Your trip sounds like fun . .. .I don't think you have to worry about money.

Walk Slow,

Wade from Song of the Open Road travelogue

Oh cricket!
There is enough rice, at least
for tomorrow

5

Well it looks like you're putting a limit on time AND a limit on money so that poses a problem, but honestly 6 weeks is a good amount of time.

Of course you can cover the most places if you travel around by plane but that would cost the most (by the way, if you want to save money, buying domestic tickets IN China is usually a lot cheaper than buying them outside, if you know anyone in China, ask them to get some tickets for you, you can save 30+%, or you can just arrive and buy tickets when you arrive. I've heard tickets are the cheapest about 2 weeks before departure, when I did it I got 45% off one time). Look into taking trains or long-distance buses for province-to-province trips as you can take an overnight train and skip paying hotel costs by sleeping on your transportation (however, the most comfortable train tickets, the soft sleepers, usually cost as much as discounted plane tickets, and take 4-10 times longer). It's less comfortable of course and I probably would recommend against it if you're an older traveler. Train tickets can usually be purchased either a 2-4 days before departure (and sometimes, a few hours before) and long-distance buses can usually be bought the day of departure.

For your destinations, you might want to link locations together logically by distance:
- fly into Beijing (3-6 days) --> train/bus to Xian (2-3 days) --> train/bus to Chengdu (2-5 days) --> train/bus to Songpan (??? days, never went there so can't recommend) = 1-2 weeks
- from here, take a plane to Tibet if you want to go there. Xinjiang is another option. but im not sure if you can go to either from Songpan, if you cant just go back to Chengdu. (5-7 days) = 1 week
- from tibet or xinjiang, make your way to Lijiang (??? days) by plane (or go to Kunming first, then go to Lijiang by bus/train). either way you probably want to see Kunming for 1-3 days. --> bus/train to Guilin (1-2 days) --> bus to Yangshuo (3-5 days) = 1-2 weeks
- return bus to Guilin, train/bus to Chongqing (1-3 days), Yangtse River cruise (3-4 days) to Shanghai (however much time you have left) = 1-2 weeks
- then go home!

That's a rough plan I got in my head in a few minutes, could probably serve as a rough draft. Hope it helps.

Oh, and the LonelyPlanet isn't a travel BIBLE, it's a travel GUIDE. There's a good chance that some places (like hotels or restaurants) have closed down and that the prices of things (especially tourist places and hotels) have risen. The restaurants/bars/hotels listed in the guide aren't the only good ones around, so keep an open mind about selecting places to go to :)

6

oh, when i say go back to Chengdu after Songpan, I mean from there take a plane to Tibet/Xinjiang if you want to go to those places (if Songpan doesnt offer flights)

7

Crap. One more thing, with $2000 each, you have about $333 per week (if 6 weeks) --> $45ish/day. That is a good amount if you stick to the bare essentials and have acceptably comfortable hotels. However I'm assuming you two aren't familiar with China so if you want to do the full 6 weeks, expect to have a backup $500 each just in case. people who arent used to china have difficulty gaging prices and usually end up getting ripped off by vendors/tourist merchandise sellers. if you dont buy any clothes or touristy stuff, this wont be THAT big of an issue (if you're western looking, i guess a decent broad generalization is you should get 25% of their asking price for goods that are negotiable). also always ask for discounts at hotels or for plane tickets. train/bus tickets/tourist tickets arent negotiable almost all the time, although i think prices to go on tours with tourist agencies MIGHT be negotiable

look up some websites for negotiating prices in china! its a must if youre a noob :P

8

I agree about negotiating. I would add that most hotel prices, even posted ones, are quite negotiable, especially now that it's low season. For nicer places, you might be able to get half off the posted price, if you are pleasant and patient. I never paid the lodging price I was first quoted in four months.

-- Cat www.centralasiatraveler.com

9

Re #5 some good advice here, but the LP Guidebook is more reliable than that.
Whilst never claiming to be of biblical proportions, it's as reliable for the information and massive detail it provides, and for the information it excludes.

Some TTs try to add locations or to contradict the LP recommendations, but that minority usually has a vested interest.
I've relied on LP guidebook and never had a difficulty with closed venues or price hikes.

: )

10

Well yeah, it's just stuff in China changes so fast. I'd say the latest editions (of any travel guide) are 95+% accurate, but theres always that chance of something being closed or prices being higher (especially as we inch closer to the Olympics). LP guide is a great guide, but at times there are methods to do things/places/etc. that are better than what is in the guide. I'm just encouraging to keep an open mind for things not mentioned in the book. Not trying to give the book a bad rep, it's just sometimes I think people think a little too highly of it to the point where they're inflexible

11

OTOH some travellers will just skim through the LP guidebook, and then ask questions that are already documented.
I'm all in favour of TTs asking questions but, when the answers are in big, bold guidebook print, it can be frustrating.

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there are methods to do things/places/etc. that are better than what is in the guide

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TT is where we share this insight, to make sure it's picked up in the next edition.

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I think people think a little too highly of it

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With apologies to OP for this slight diversion, I gauge from the number of TTs posting about their LP guidebooks that we do think highly of it.
When it's confiscated at a border crossing or we leave home without it and then try to locate a replacement, it's of almost "holy grail" proportions.

If anything, we first-time travellers should be using the LP guidebook more.
Put it on the table at Starbucks or Maccas, or the front bar, and soon you'll get a debate going about its contents, or someone will flick to their favourite destination to share its hidden intrigue with you.

: )