Travel: China - Shanghai

[verykiasu2010]

v4l3n:

Original Title: Travel to Shanghai in Dec


Mummies,

This is my first time bring my ger overseas. We plan to travel to Shanghai in Dec for 8 days. She's only 18mths old by the time. What do i need to bring along and how many clothes I need to wear on her to keep her warm? Food wise, she's now on solid. So should I purchase food jar from SGP or just let her eat the food in Shanghai?

remember to bring some standby medication & personal thermometer too (stomach upset, fever, cough etc). go and get it from your paediatrician

do note that it gets dark by 5pm in December

[MMM]

There are many travel agents in Shanghai Eg. Da Tong, etc… They do offer local tour to other parts of China. The most common ones are :

* Zhou Zhuang
* Hangzhou
* Wuxi
* Wuzhen
* Suzhou
* Nanjing

The prices are quite cheap around RMB160-RMB200. Fare varies agent to agent but note that they usually pool all tourist from different agents together and depart as a group.

This is good if you speak the language and don’t expect luxurious treatment. Also, the price is nett and usually they don’t tip the tour guide. Do expect to see alot of local from other area on the tour. Food is usually not provided but it’s ok for some places eg zhou zhuang so that we can explore on our own.

The only con that I observed so far is seats on coach rather small. Be there early otherwise you might end up sitting with some stranger though there are 2 of you.

In Nov last yr, we did a tour to Suzhou-Nanjing back to Shanghai. The train there was not the fastest type. It was quite a terrible experience and we wondered how to survive on the same type of train back to Shanghai. Luckily coming back was Dong che (express train) new and fast so that was a breeze. In Nanjing, the bus died on us twice. Hubby even had to go down to push the bus… Worst… at the last stop, the bus really died on us so the tour guide had to get mini bus to fetch us… Then there was some dispute on the fare by the bus driver so he stopped 1/2 way… Fortunately we managed to catch the train on time. Don’t think we will consider gg there again. Also find the people more loud and "quarrelsome".

Though I go to shanghai at least 4 times a year, still get some culture shock from time to time. Once we were at yuyuan and I was waiting for someone to get off the cab. Some local just came and plonk herself at the front seat (despite that she can see that I was waiting for the passenger beside the cab). That is so ungracious. Also do not take the traffic light for granted in shanghai. Trust your eyes whether to cross the road and not the traffic light. The driver don’t seem to respect people’s life. They are left hand drive so it’s always opposite of Singapore.

[verykiasu2010]

MMM:

Though I go to shanghai at least 4 times a year, still get some culture shock from time to time. Once we were at yuyuan and I was waiting for someone to get off the cab. Some local just came and plonk herself at the front seat (despite that she can see that I was waiting for the passenger beside the cab). That is so ungracious. Also do not take the traffic light for granted in shanghai. Trust your eyes whether to cross the road and not the traffic light. The driver don't seem to respect people's life. They are left hand drive so it's always opposite of Singapore.

see the same carry over to singapore by the PRC immigrants ..... lolz

[MMM]

verykiasu2010:

MMM:

Though I go to shanghai at least 4 times a year, still get some culture shock from time to time. Once we were at yuyuan and I was waiting for someone to get off the cab. Some local just came and plonk herself at the front seat (despite that she can see that I was waiting for the passenger beside the cab). That is so ungracious. Also do not take the traffic light for granted in shanghai. Trust your eyes whether to cross the road and not the traffic light. The driver don't seem to respect people's life. They are left hand drive so it's always opposite of Singapore.

see the same carry over to singapore by the PRC immigrants ..... lolz

Actually, my initial response was :!: But I know we can never bring ourselves to do the same thing..... So we ended up walking back to the hotel around 30 mins walk....

[jeparent]

Hello ,


Thought of signing some FnE shanghai package and extend a couple of nights.

I notice most of the travel agency include this compulsory City tour with Lunch. To opt out, you have to pay 300 RMB. Wonder any kiasuparents menber have experience with this and what is the catch?

thanks

regards


City Tour Highlight : (compulsory)

lNanjing Road ( 南京路) lCheng Huang Miao（城隍庙） lThe Bund（外滩）
lSongQingling Mausoleum（宋庆龄陵园）l One Way Maglev Train Ride (单程磁浮列车)
lTong Ren Tang (Free Foot Massage)（同仁堂免费脚底按摩）OR Pearl shop ( 珍珠馆 )

[verykiasu2010]

jeparent:

Hello ,


Thought of signing some FnE shanghai package and extend a couple of nights.

I notice most of the travel agency include this compulsory City tour with Lunch. To opt out, you have to pay 300 RMB. Wonder any kiasuparents menber have experience with this and what is the catch?

thanks

regards


City Tour Highlight : (compulsory)

lNanjing Road ( 南京路) lCheng Huang Miao（城隍庙） lThe Bund（外滩）
lSongQingling Mausoleum（宋庆龄陵园）l One Way Maglev Train Ride (单程磁浮列车)
lTong Ren Tang (Free Foot Massage)（同仁堂免费脚底按摩）OR Pearl shop ( 珍珠馆 )

To pay Rmb 300 to opt out ? Or to opt in ?

All the locations are OVER RATED !

The maglev ride cost Rmb 40 each way per pax if you have same day boarding pass (used one is okay) / eticket (Time of operation : around 7am, to 9.30pm; 12 minutes interval, each ride is 8 minutes)

normal ticket price for the maglev is Rmb 50

[jeparent]

The 300RMB payment is to opt out. That’s what i see on most of the travel agent brochure

[verykiasu2010]

jeparent:

The 300RMB payment is to opt out. That's what i see on most of the travel agent brochure

so you have to pay to NOT join their program ? wow !!

[thebusybee]

jeparent:

Hello ,


Thought of signing some FnE shanghai package and extend a couple of nights.

I notice most of the travel agency include this compulsory City tour with Lunch. To opt out, you have to pay 300 RMB. Wonder any kiasuparents menber have experience with this and what is the catch?

thanks

regards


City Tour Highlight : (compulsory)

lNanjing Road ( 南京路) lCheng Huang Miao（城隍庙） lThe Bund（外滩）
lSongQingling Mausoleum（宋庆龄陵园）l One Way Maglev Train Ride (单程磁浮列车)
lTong Ren Tang (Free Foot Massage)（同仁堂免费脚底按摩）OR Pearl shop ( 珍珠馆 )

If you speak and understand simple Chinese, you should have no problem getting around China.

How the tourist industry work is : Tour agency needs to earn the extra $$ from tourists, i.e. compulsory tips for guide, driver and the extra income per head for every shopping location he brings, so without your family (at least 3?) means less income for the agency there. Nothing gotta do with the S'pore agency as they're simply passing the Singapore 'goats' to the China butchers - 宰, as part of the deal.

Hubby and I went on our own (during CNY) to China Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou, Lijiang, Shangri-la, Lugu Lake for 2 weeks only spent S$4000. (Joined some local tours there)

My mum and bro went 1 week Chengdu, Jiuzhai, Emei 1 week spent the same amount by joining the S'pore tour package, not including tips, shopping and other ++ activities like Cultural performance, BBQ dinner at Jiuzhai, etc...

I suggest you just buy the air tickets and go online search for hotels. We stayed in 上海老饭店, just around the corner of 豫园, can take slow walk to The Bund. Other places are easily accessible by taxi, not expensive. You can also just walk around the city, won't get lost one!

As for some attractions, it depends on your interest, I find they charge very high fees (at least RMB80) across China. My experience in Mt Emei, we have to pay a few Yuan to enter some temples, after paying RMB150 park entrance (excluding cable car). To pray, you have to pay 80-300 depends on size of the incense sticks/candles (bigger, more expensive ones for better returns/different 'protections') - of course we did none of those +++.

**If you are not sure what places to go, collect itinerary from different agencies, from there you plan your own, that way you won't miss out the 'must-sees'

[verykiasu2010]

of course the new "must see" in shanghai is the world expo