Adventures in China

These trips are geared towards those traveling off the path the Chinese government has beat for foreign tourists. If you are traveling with a group or with a tour company, you can travel virtually the same as you would in the west. If you are attempting to travel on your own, or your trip involves a train, these tips may be useful to you.

1. China is not handicapped accessible: Travel light
If you are handicapped and considering traveling in China, please ensure that you will be able to get around. It's hard enough to get around when you have luggage.

For those of you who are not handicapped, travel as light as possible. There are no ramps in China, there are only stairs. There are very few elevators. If you cannot get all of your luggage and yourself up two flights of stairs in one trip, leave some of it behind. You may be able to bring more with you if you are only staying in Beijing or Shanghai and are not moving your luggage beyond the hotel. If you are traveling around other parts of China, there is a 20kg limit on luggage on the trains or you will be charged more. Just don't bring so much with you, it will only cause you trouble.

2. China is dirty: Carry tissues with you
Unless you are taking a totally westernized tour, carry tissues or a roll of toilet paper with you. There is no toilet paper in bathrooms, so this is really important. Tissues are also good for cleaning a dirty bench while you wait for something or cleaning a dirty tea cup in a restaurant. You don't need to bring a supply for your whole trip. Most sit down restaurants will provide packages of tissues for your meal, just take some with you when you leave.

3. Water is available: Carry a water container
You need to be careful about not drinking the tap water in China. Most places that I have been, even the train and in hotels, provide hot, boiled water. The water is usually in the world's most effective thermoses, so it will still be near boiling when you wake up in the morning. This water is safe to drink. You can make tea with it or fill your water container and wait for it to cool a little.

There is a lot of bottled water and bottled drinks (all bottled drinks are safe, but make sure you clean where you are going to put your mouth) which you can buy at about six different shops within every city block. Be careful about carrying glass bottles away with you. If you get a drink in a glass bottle you are usually expected to drink it there and return the bottle. You can take plastic bottles with you. I'm not sure about finding bottled drinks in the countryside. You may want to carry a water purification kit with you, just to be safe, but I have not found it to be necessary.

4. China is dirty: Bring shower slippers
All the Chinese people I know use shower slippers in their own homes. Using them while traveling is considered a necessity. Most hotels will provide you with disposable slippers.

5. Use the Chinese toilets, already
Chinese toilets may seem scary and awkward, but it doesn't take very long to get used to them. (around the third time, you're a pro) Public bathrooms are usually really dirty. If you are given the choice between sitting and squatting toilets in a public restroom, chose the squatting one. The sitting one will be more like home, but the squatting one will be more sanitary because your bare skin does not touch anything.

6. There will be limited resources: Give yourself enough time
Things in China move at a pretty slow pace and people don't expect to get a lot done in a day. Neither should you. It may take a day or two of work for you to find a train ticket, or that train may be cancelled. You'll be tired while traveling, and trying to see 4 historical sites a day will be impossible unless you rent a taxi for the day. So slow down, see what you can, and give yourself as much leeway as possible when planning.

7. There are thieves: bring a money belt
It is not worth losing your wallet or your passport in China. Bring a money belt and wear it.

8. There are no ATMs and few credit card readers: carry cash
Unless you are on a Western tour, carry lots of cash in your money belt. Besides, you wouldn't want to pay the international fees on your credit card.

9. China is dirty: worry about your lungs
If you have respiration problems, bring whatever medications or inhalers you might need. There is smog and particles in the air Everywhere and you may have problems.