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[Incrediblelife]

We finally decided on where to go this summer - China! But, given we sort of pulled it out of the air, I don't really know much about the country and where to go, what to see. Any must see places that you'd recommend? Unfortunately, we only have 2.5 weeks for this trip, so it'll be quick. We're going mid June to July 5th and we're flying into Beijing and out of Shanghai. We're not much into cities or shopping, more historical stuff and nature, and of course the people! And it will be cool to see it all before it changes with the Olympics!

Any cool suggestions are welcome - places to go, things to do, hostels/hotels, restaurants... if you liked it, pass it along!

Thanks a bunch!!

[Caro!]

Incrediblelife, I have a couple of good friends that live in Beijin and they can give you a hand once you get there. They are super nice people that can help you with the language or guide you where to go.
If you want their contact numbers, send me an email.
Caro!

[Barrett]

Caro! What a generous offer! I hope we are able to see more of these types of invites coming to and from Travelpodders.
Very cool cause there is nothing like a local or a well plugged in expat to help you out and show you the best sights.

[lraleigh]

I hope you enjoy your travels in China. It's a fascinating place. Beijing is a sprawling place. I would recommend staying in the Hutongs, which is the older part of town and has the most character and life. Many of the monuments are being redone for the Olympics, so be prepared for scaffolding. I found it interesting watching their work, however. If you're more interested in culture and nature outside of big cities, I'd recommend going to Yunnan. I've been living here for about a year now. There are dozens of different ethnic groups and it's the most diverse place in China in terms of wildlife and ecosystems too--jungles in the south, 6700 meter mountains in the north. Reading other people's blogs on China has been a pleasure and may provide you good information. I always enjoy seeing what people say about Zhongdian (a.k.a Shangri-la) where I've been staying.



If you end up coming this way, I won't be around anymore, but feel free to contact me if you want some hints.

enjoy!

Lloyd

[rbisset]

I found Zhongdian a little bit weird. All the old style houses mixed with loads of new buildings built in the old style. It seemed like a movie set rather than a town! They also seemed to have more bars than any other small town I visited in China. Flying into Zhongdian wasn't exactly the nicest experience I've ever had flying either lol! Still was a cool place to hang out for a day before Tiger Leaping Gorge.

[lraleigh]

Oops, last post was by me--didn't sign in...

cheers,

Lloyd

[rbisset]

I doubt anyone would need a week in Xi'an. I was there 4 days and that was 2 days too long. Nice enough place though.

[Barrett]

Zhongdian is a wacky place, and not just cause its named after a fictional location from an English book. I would blog more but I'm short on time
so: http://www.travelpod.com/cgi-bin/guest.pl?...pod#ENTRY_START

Should give you some example of my time there. I flew into Tibet from there, which was great. Super easy to arrange.