"Where did you stay in China, Kirien?" Here goes..

Let me lead in by saying that, I’m not one of these crazy people you find on Tripadvisor who pays £3 a night to stay somewhere and expects a concierge service. I’m realistic and open-minded. 

In Beijing I stayed at Beijing Downtown Backpackers - here's their Tripadvisor page. 

For a private twin room the cost was 190 RMB which was about £23 per night. 

Photos of Beijing Downtown Backpacker Hostel, Beijing
This photo of Beijing Downtown Backpacker Hostel is courtesy of TripAdvisor.
I was really impressed with this hostel. The staff were very responsive to all of my emails. Because I was staying longer than 5 nights, they offered a free airport pick-up. As I arrived in Beijing a member of their staff was there to collect me. 

The location of the hostel is good, it’s about a 2 minute walk to the metro, and I don’t remember it taking longer than 20 minutes to get to any of the attractions. The “hutong” where this hostel is located, is very busy, right up until about 11pm at night. It has lots of food, quirky cafes, hidden dens, singing beggars, shops that have literally hundreds of people queuing up outside, sizzling barbeques on display, oh – and be prepared, when you walk up and down this hutong, it’s so tight and over packed that you will, inevitably, bump into people. 
Photos of Beijing Downtown Backpacker Hostel, Beijing
This photo of Beijing Downtown Backpacker Hostel is courtesy of TripAdvisor
The staff, for me, make a big difference to your stay. And the staff were awesome. They don’t try and sell you things, or encourage you to go on tours, they’re organised, they have cards of local attractions written in Chinese so you can hand them to your taxi driver, and just generally helpful. One example would be on the last day when I was trying to get to a hot yoga class but couldn’t see how to get there. The lady on reception called them up and wrote down the directions for me. 

Every day they organise a trip to a deserted part of the wall, you’re literally the only people there. It's incredible! This cost about £30 and was worth every penny. There’s no forced shopping, they provide you water, you do the walk at your own pace and the guide is really cool. Literally everyone on this trip said it was one of the best they had ever experienced. 
The Great Wall
The rooms – this is technically a hostel, so you shouldn’t expect a plasma screen TV and a king size bed, I didn’t. I got what I expected – a very clean room, with air conditioning, a bathroom that had a hot shower, minimal storage units, and a plug to charge my phone. 
Photos of Beijing Downtown Backpacker Hostel, Beijing
This photo of Beijing Downtown Backpacker Hostel is courtesy of TripAdvisor 
Shanghai - Shanghai City Central Youth Hostel (Utels) £18-£20 per night for a double private room, with en-suite bathroom. Here's their Tripadvisor page. 
Photos of Utels Youth Hotel Shanghai Wuning Road, Shanghai
This photo of Utels Youth Hotel Shanghai Wuning Road is courtesy of TripAdvisor 
Let me start by saying that this place is very easy to find. I arrived on the bullet train from Beijing and easily located this hostel. 
Photos of Utels Youth Hotel Shanghai Wuning Road, Shanghai
This photo of Utels Youth Hotel Shanghai Wuning Road is courtesy of TripAdvisor 
This place is very popular, it attracts a great crowd of people. The communal area is huge, and you will no doubt get talking to a colourful crowd of travelers from around the globe. 
Photos of Utels Youth Hotel Shanghai Wuning Road, Shanghai
This photo of Utels Youth Hotel Shanghai Wuning Road is courtesy of TripAdvisor 
The room itself was impressive, a big – and comfortable – double bed, a private bathroom with a good quality shower, a TV (which worked), air conditioning, plenty of storage for your luggage and you had room service, so your bed was made every day. 

Location is good. You’re about a 3 minute walk from the metro shop and there’s lots of places to eat nearby. The hotel will call a taxi for you, but you can easily find taxis outside, too.  

This hotel did offer trips, but I didn't go on any so I can't comment. And I didn't speak to anyone who had used them either...sorry! 

The staff – I really don’t want to sound like someone who complains, but I think this is an area that could be improved. The guy who works in the restaurant doesn’t talk – or smile. Having said that, the food in the restaurant is good. The staff on reception are okay, but not the super friendly guys you see at Beijing downtown backpackers. The management however, who you will find around the wider reception area, I found to be more friendlier. 

But that was my only displeasure whilst at this hotel. 

Nevertheless, I would totally recommend staying here; the location and quality of the rooms for the price you pay is excellent. 

Accommodation in China

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Saturday, 3 August 2013

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Sometimes, you don't want long paragraphs of information about the cities you're visiting. You want quick tips. 

 And here, my friend, is some quick fire information I thought some of you may find useful.  

Beijing 

 - The Great Wall - lots of companies offer trips there, make sure you don't sign up for "shopping." Beijing Downtown Backpackers offered a great trip from Jinshanling section to Simataiand. I would thoroughly recommend them. 
- Getting around by subway is very easy and very cheap. Ask for a subway card on the first day. 
- Print out your hotel address in Mandarin, none of the taxi drivers I used spoke English. Oh and taxis are very cheap in both Beijing and Shanghai. 
- Head to the Summer Palace early as it gets very crowded. When you leave the Summer Palace you need to turn right and keep walking for about 15 minutes until you come to the subway station. 
- Avoid using the guys who have bicycles - I head a few horror stories whilst I was there from people getting ripped off and beaten up. 
- I would avoid the Silk Market, it's just bit boring. 
- The Lama temple is quite pretty and will take about half an hour of your day. 
- There are many Hutongs to visit, and I particularly loved the Hutong by Nanluoguxiang subway station. Take exit A from the subway station cross over the road and you will see everyone walking in to this popular Hutong. 

 Shanghai 
- Firstly, if you're a foreigner when you are walk along East Nanjing Road or along The Bund, you will get harassed by people wanting to take you for a "sex show, sex show." The best to deal with this is point your camera in their face and they immediately scatter. 
- The Pearl Tower is great, and the glass floor makes for a scary view of Shanghai. 
- Food in Shanghai is excellent and the hotels there serve great food. Some of my highlights include lunch at Jean George and High Tea at Hotel Indigo. 
- The urban planning museum was okay but I think to get the most out of it you need a guide. 
- The Little Black Jacket exhibition is currently in Shanghai and it was great to visit. So is the Museum of Contemporary Art. 
- Taking the subway to the airport is easy enough but a little tiresome if you have a suitcase and it's a hot day, next time I will take a cab for 200 RMB. 
- SmartShanghai is a great website to find out about local events and places to eat. You can also print off the address in Mandarin which is useful. 
- Spend an afternoon walking around the French Concession and stop in at the never ending bakeries before you carry on.  

Other notes
- As with most places in the world, people in China are extremely friendly and do their best to help, but many don't speak English so have the places you want to go to written in Mandarin. Tourists stand out here, so if you're stuck speak to them. 
- The bullet train between Beijing and Shanghai is extremely easy to book, most hotels arrange this for you. The train ride is very smooth.

China - The Facts

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Saturday, 20 July 2013

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If food is the most important thing in your life, when you go to a new city you make it your personal mission to taste everything. 

And that's exactly what I did when I was in Shanghai. Foodies will be pleased to know that this city truly delivers on the food front, some of my highlights include:- 

Not strictly food, but when the weather is 30c you're going to need a lot of drinks. This chain is dotted all over the place and they create some interesting combinations.
Mr Willis - perfectly placed in the French Concession on the second floor above an Italian bakery, this delightful restaurant served up some of the best pork I've had, and the pizza was pretty damn amazing too. 
This Piggy Went Nowhere
Pidzzza
An Array of Food
To build up our energy before an afternoon of venturing around museums we went to Shook. When a three course lunch for less than £12 tastes this good, you need to know about it, actually - you just need to go there. 
For Starter
For Mains
The British love their High-Tea and when you're craving it in Shanghai, you'll want to head to Hotel Indigo. The views over the Bund are as nice as the peach melba on offer. 
A Little Quirky
Cake
Ginger is a cosy restaurant that offers tasty food. We were bit full from snacking throughout the day so just went for kebabs, a pork salad and desserts. 
We All Love Taking Pictures


A Much Better Pic.
Get stuck into some Cantonese food at Bu Duo, you can find the place here. Everything we had was delicious and will set you back no more than £5-£7.  
Lunch at Jean George No. 3 on The Bund was the perfect way to end my trip in Shanghai. Everything here was perfect, except of course for my inability to take pictures. On my next trip I will invest in a good camera. The set lunch menu and a drink cost around £30.
Starter
Good Piece of Fish

Beef - As Rare As Possible


Shanghai - The Food.

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Tuesday, 9 July 2013

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I've got loads of travel info about China which I'll get around to posting, but for now, here are some pictures that give an overview of the lovely Beijing and Shanghai:
Forbidden City 
Temple of Heaven

Some Park
The Same Park - pretty picture, right?
Museum Stuff
My Life Saver
Museum of Contemporary Art  
Been a fool  
Starter at Jean Geroge - No. 3 On The Bund

Jean Geroge - Part 2 
The Great Wall
View From Taxi
My Feet and the Pearl Tower 
Olympic Village
Friends on The Bund


I'll post some more information soon....

China - Travel Pics.

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Saturday, 29 June 2013

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My first weekend in June was spent visiting two friends in Bristol. I didn't know what to expect as I had never been there before, but after having a few days wondering around the city, I'd highly recommend going. Highlights include:- 

Hyde & Co - A secret bar just off Park St. 

 Haus Bar - Underneath an Indian restaurant, probably my favourite place we visited. Very old school with a nice crowd and average price but great tasting cocktails. 

 Rosemarino - served a good Egg Royale, with perfect poached eggs and the hot weather meant we could sit outside

Saturday night dinner was spent at Aqua, a great Italian restaurant with friend friendly staff and awesome food. My lobster ravoli tasted great, surprisingly, I had no room for dessert. 




Bristol

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Tuesday, 11 June 2013

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Below are some of the common questions I wanted to know when I was applying for my tourist visa to China. Hope they help.

1) This is the official site. Use it to print off all the forms.
2) You need to send ONE photo measured at 48mm high X 33mm wide. I couldn't find anywhere that did this specific size so I got a standard passport photo and trimmed it. 
3) Doing it by post is expensive. If you take the passport to the visa office it costs £36, by post it costs £54. You also need to send it Royal Mail special delivery and provide a pre-paid envelope which also needs to be special delivery. This is an additional £13. 
4) According to the official website, you have to book your flights and hotels before applying for the visa. I tried searching online to see how strict they are about this, but couldn't see much information and therefore I booked these before applying. 
5) You need to apply about a month before you go. It says on their website that applying by post takes between 7-10 working days for the visa process to be completed. I sent mine on a Thursday and it came back to me the following Friday. 
7) I sent mine to the Manchester office and the address is -  

Visa Application Service Centre
First floor, 
75 Mosley Street
Manchester M2 3HR

Other tips... 

 Emirates seemed to the best airline both in terms of price and total journey time. Emriates flies from Birmingham daily which is great if you don't live in London. 

 For information on the bullet train and how to book tickets, this guy is a hero and gives you all the information you need for both trains in China and everywhere else in the world - http://www.seat61.com/China.htm#.UaXiV5ywfsc

 I sent out a random tweet about local food and the Hilton replied back with the following. Thanks, guys.

Still thinking of going to China and need that nudge? Check out these videos...
Disclaimer -

All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site.

How to get a Chinese Visa - and other things.

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Wednesday, 29 May 2013

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Budapest. The facts:-
1 - It's a 2.5 hour flight from London Stansted. We went with RyanAir. 
2 - A taxi from the airport for 4 people cost us 8000 HUF
3 - We stayed here, which was a great location
4 - We went between March 28th & April 1st and it was cold - pack layers!!
5 - As mentioned in the previous most, Onyx is well worth a visit 
6 - The Terror Museum, Castle Hill and Ludwig museum are all great
7 - Tram numbers 4 and 6 run through the centre of the city all day and night
8 - Do make sure you go to Instant and Corvinteto, both are fantastic nights out and you wont leave before 5am. 
9 - We went to Szechenyi Baths, and although they were really clean and everything you would expect, because they're the biggest in Budapest, it's extremely  busy. I'd suggest going somewhere smaller.
10 - Note: there is a 24 hour McDonalds by Oktogon metro stop which is heaven after a late night at Instant.
11 - And PLEASE go to the ruin pubs! Click here for a list
    12. A great source for information is http://visitbudapest.travel/
                      


Budapest

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Wednesday, 1 May 2013

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