This Olympics, play Chinese check in
This Olympics, play Chinese check in
With the 2008 Beijing Olympics just months away and the whole world's interest in China continuing to build, your family has no doubt lately heard a lot about this country — its long and storied past and its fast-changing present.
Whatever impressions you've got, your family's first trip to the Middle Kingdom is sure to be full of surprises.
Taking your children to China will give them a glimpse of a place they will one day need to understand — and one they will certainly enjoy exploring now.
Travelling to China is easier than you might think. With daily Emirates flights direct from Dubai to Beijing and Shanghai, these cities are now just as accessible as London or Paris.
Flights are less than eight hours, a manageable duration for children.
And while you will no doubt encounter language and cultural barriers, with patience and a little creativity you will find your way around and learn a lot in the process.
In China, a great tour for first timers starts in Beijing or Shanghai and can include a trip to Xian and the Terracotta Warriors.
These areas can be covered in two weeks via train, aeroplane or sleeper bus.
It will give you a look at China's most important cities and one of its remarkable archaeological sites.
While China is huge and changing fast, the practical aspects of travel are uniform.
Once you've learnt to find your way at a station and order gong bao ji ding (spicy chicken with peanuts) and jiaozi (dumplings) in one city, you can do it anywhere.
Wherever you go in China, here are some steps to ensure that you have the best experience possible:
Don't travel during Chinese festivals. These are the only times that most Chinese get a vacation.
Hotels jack up prices and tour groups overrun attractions.
Chun Jie (Chinese New Year in January or February), Mid-Autumn Festival (early October) and May Day (first week of May) should be avoided.
No reservations. With the exception of high-end properties, Chinese hotels rarely honour reservations and you can get a better deal on the spot than over the phone or through a travel booking website.
Notable exceptions include the domestically run chains Home Inn, Greentree Inn and Jin Jiang Inn.
They have multiple locations in each major city as well as helpful websites and English-language customer service call centres.
Finding a SIM card is easy. Finding a place to buy a China SIM card for your mobile phone is easy.
Just look for one of the ubiquitous China Unicom or China Telecom stores or a Motorola M-Zone shop.
It may take some time to find an English-speaking service person but persist and the store will find someone.
Don't charge this vacation. Your credit card won't get you far in China. You'll need cash for most meals, transport and hotel stays.
If you prefer to use a credit card, you'll pay more and have fewer choices.
Let the children explore. If you're comfortable letting your children roam on their own in strange cities in other parts of the world, you can do the same in China.
Just make sure they are carrying your hotel's business card and enough cash.
Language barrier. Even in travel service industries, English is not spoken widely.
Carry a Mandarin phrasebook and a sheet with the names of key destinations.
If you haven't studied the language, you won't be able to pronounce the words but you can show the pages to someone who can help.
Everyone stays healthy. Chinese pharmacies have equivalents of most of the over-the-counter medicines you're familiar with but finding the right thing can be difficult.
Bring a small supply of antibiotics. For stomach problems, consider packing probiotics, which help fight bad bacteria.
— Maggie Rauch is a freelance writer based in China
Attractions
- Must-see sites: The Forbidden City, Great Wall and Summer Palace
Don't miss Beijing's most-visited landmarks. The Forbidden City, located across from Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing, is the sprawling grounds of the former imperial palace.
It will take half a day to visit. The Great Wall, on the other hand, is a full-day excursion.
The Summer Palace, in northeast Beijing, is a great place to get away from Beijing's concrete and cranes. Part park, part outdoor museum, it offers a great example of Chinese gardening. - Subterranean capital: The Underground City
A tour of Beijing's Underground City, just south of Tiananmen Square, will appeal to children with an interest in history or science.
Mao Zedong ordered the massive bomb shelter built in 1969, when China feared a USSR invasion. Its 33 square miles of tunnels house a school, factories and a roller skating rink. - Endangered communities: Hutong life
Beijing's hutongs are old neighbourhoods where one- and two-storey traditional courtyard-style homes occupy narrow alleyways and locals live in close-knit communities.
The old homes are being destroyed as China gets modern, so see this gem before it's gone. Your hotel should be able to arrange bicycle or rickshaw tours on the old streets.
Go there ... From the UAE ... From Dubai
Emirates flies daily. Fare from Dh3,760
China Southern Airlines flies three days a week. Fare from Dh2,700
Qatar Airways flies four days a week via Doha. Fare from Dh2,470
From Abu Dhabi
Etihad flies four days a week. Fare from Dh2,000
Information courtesy: The Holiday Lounge by Dnata. Ph: 04 3166160
Getting there
Getting around by bus, train and aeroplane is cheap, convenient and relatively safe.
It heavily favours Mandarin speakers but with some patience, you can get to your destination.
- Air travel
You'll save money by booking when in China and the chance of not finding space on a flight is slim.
Websites Elong.com and Ctrip.com offer last-minute deals, have English-speaking agents and accept international credit cards.
Reasonably priced tickets can also be purchased at airline offices in each city and at the airport. - Trains and buses
Train travel is a great way to see the parts of the country that lie between your destinations and overnight Chinese trains are quite cosy and convenient.
“Soft sleeper'' class is the most comfortable, with enclosed rooms with four beds.
Larger families might prefer the six-bed “hard sleeper'' cabins.
Buses, while less pleasant than trains, also offer reliable transport.
Long routes often have an overnight-bus option, with beds instead of seats.
Most travellers buy bus and train tickets at the station but hotels can also help you reserve tickets. - Hired cars
Consider hiring a driver for short trips.
Vans have room for six passengers and cost about Y300 to Y400 per day (Dh155 to Dh207), plus tolls and petrol.
You can arrange for a van via your hotel or pick one up at most tourist sites and transport hubs such as stations; the second way is cheaper.
Working safety belts are rare; if you want the children buckled up, you should consider a black car instead of a van.
Make it clear you want a vehicle with an quan dai.
