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[mattandnicole]

Hi everyone,

After deciding going to sri lanka from S.Korea would be too much, i had a look for cheap flights. I have found a VERY cheap flight to Beijing!

However i assuming that this is because China is very cold at the moment. As i am in a very small village, getting a travel guide is not easy, so the internet is the only option for info, and while i have found out many things that would be great to see, i am wondering whether I could see them in winter i.e. mountins, hikes etc.

So at the moment i am flying into Beijing in two weeks and i have a month to waste. What should I do?

1) I'm thinking of going to see the ice festival in harbin, has any where been there?

2) Fly into Beijing -->Xian and iinto Tibet. Has any one been into tibet in winter? I've heard it is cold but bearable and a great time to go as there a very few tourists. Also can i do this with a single entry Chinese visa?

3) Any where else that you would recommend that I could realistically see in winter. or that would be worthwhile regardless of the weather?


Sorry for the vague question but this issue of 'it being winter' has really confused me as to where I go and see realistically.

Matt

[rbisset]

North China will be bloody freezing at this time of year. You'll be lucky if it gets above 0C. Anywhere north of Beijing and you're looking at -10C.

You can visit Tibet on a single entry Chinese visa as it is part of China. You do need a permit to enter Tibet but the agency you book the flight with will be able to sort that out for you. Flight/permit for me from Chengdu-Lhasa was 2100Yuan ($268) which was a major splurge on my budget. You could alway take the train now which would be well less than half the price.

Tibet in winter will be bloody freezing! Maybe +3C during the day and -35C at night. I left Lhasa in late Oct last year and it was the last week of the tourist season. A lot of the hotels will close down during that period so it may be worthwhile to look into it before you go.

Weather wise the further south you go in the country the warmer the weather. China is vast so the temperatures will vary wherever you go. Guilin/Yangshou in the south is supposed to be gorgeous but I doubt you'll be inner tubing down the river like in summer. Max 20C in daytime. Take overnight trains around the country where possible as they are really good fun and quite cheap.

Southern areas like the Yunnan province bordering Tibet and SE Asia may still be quite warm at this time of year. The hike along Tiger Leaping Gorge is incredible but the accomodation on route may not be running this time of year. Lijiang, Dali and Kunming are all worth visiting and if you visit Tibet, Zhongdian in northern Yunnan is a reasonably cheap flight from Lhasa.

You say the flight to Beijing is very cheap, what about the overnight ferry instead? Might be even cheaper?

Hope this helps.

[kacee]

my favorite place in china so far has been feng huang in west hunan province. the city has been protected by the government, so it has a very nice, antiquated feel to it. also, it's built along a river, so that's gorgeous in and of itself. there are ladies that come out and sing for the boatmen and the women washing clothes in the river. plus, you can't beat the fact that you can get a luxory hotel room there for the price of a bed at a hostel in beijing.

it's also of great ethnic and historical significance because there is a large population of the Miao minority that live in feng huang (which were solely responsible for the building of the southern great wall).

if you get a chance, it is definately worth your time...definately won't be as cold as beijing.

but i agree with rbisset...you should definately run for the southern boarder...or better yet HAINAN DAO...an absolutely gorgeous island off the southern coast.

[charlotte850505]

ice festival is beautiful ,you can see lots of ice statuary
xizang is a adventure for some visitors,you should think about it ,and don't go there in winter ,the winter in china is very very cold ,you will not fit to it

[bob8888]

Go south to Guangxi Province. Go to Yangshuo or over to the coast at Beihai. Yangshuo is a wonderful place to see and a lot cheaper then the places you just mentioned. Check out www.itsaboutchina.com for some hints and pics. also write the tour guides direct to in the cities you are going to under the China Guide tab. When you go to Yangshuo go north on the river road and visit the 49 Juice Bar and say hi to bob and have one of theri great smooties.
Bob

Hi everyone,

After deciding going to sri lanka from S.Korea would be too much, i had a look for cheap flights. I have found a VERY cheap flight to Beijing!

However i assuming that this is because China is very cold at the moment. As i am in a very small village, getting a travel guide is not easy, so the internet is the only option for info, and while i have found out many things that would be great to see, i am wondering whether I could see them in winter i.e. mountins, hikes etc.

So at the moment i am flying into Beijing in two weeks and i have a month to waste. What should I do?

1) I'm thinking of going to see the ice festival in harbin, has any where been there?

2) Fly into Beijing -->Xian and iinto Tibet. Has any one been into tibet in winter? I've heard it is cold but bearable and a great time to go as there a very few tourists. Also can i do this with a single entry Chinese visa?

3) Any where else that you would recommend that I could realistically see in winter. or that would be worthwhile regardless of the weather?


Sorry for the vague question but this issue of 'it being winter' has really confused me as to where I go and see realistically.

Matt

[happysheep]

the weather at the moment in Yunnan is fine and clear and sunny everyday. And stays that way all winter. Blue skies.

[chinaguy]

so exciting information

[bob8888]

how was your trip? Did you like China in the winter.