Backpacking Around China...

light487

October 23, 2008, 07:29 PM posted in General Discussion

On my trip to China (and now a short stay in Taiwan as well.. hehe) I have decided to do it backpacking-style. I have NEVER backpacked before and I know that a few poddies have done this, I think sebire and gesang are at least two who have backpacked around China.

I am wondering what to take... are there things you took that you thought you needed and you ended up not needing? Are there things you didn't take and ended up needing? I'm really lost here..

Obviously I need to take a small sleeping bag, first aid kit, small toiletries bag, change of clothes.. but beyond that I am just not sure.

sebire

October 24, 2008, 12:19 AM

Things I brought:

Insect-repelling sheet sleeping bag. Could be useful, depending on what kind of dives you're staying in. Didn't repel any of those evil, evil Aussie bed bugs though. Didn't bring an actual sleeping bag because I didn't go camping. If you're not going camping you won't need one. I don't think I even needed to use the sheet sleeping-bag in China, because everywhere I stayed was clean/hot.

Clothes and toiletries, though you don't need much because you can always buy cheap stuff while you're out there.

First aid kit (see if your doctor can give you some antibiotics for food poisoning, I didn't have any and wish I had). I also had a alcohol hand rub thing in case I couldn't get to a sink. DEET, because 蚊子 are also evil, though I also had the thing you plugged into the wall that gassed the mozzies and probably you as well. It was either that or sleep in DEET in some places, so I went with the lesser of two evils. Don't forget the travel adaptor.

Camera and charger (mobile phone).

Padlock. Really useful, especially if you stay somewhere with a locker. I also had locks on the zips of my rucksack. Someone broke into where we were staying in Fiji and went through half the bags, but mine was locked up. It's a deterrent, if nothing else. You may find a lightweight chain handy, if you're unsure about security, but don't waste your money on a Pacsafe. No one is going to slash your bag open, and they're really heavy.

Sewing kit - not totally necessary due to obliging old ladies in the street (love China for that, I hate sewing so much). Plus you can buy needles and thread if you're desperate.

Guide book! Or you can blag your way round. Might be more fun, depends how much guts you have!

Photocopies of insurance and passport. I uploaded them as well, just in case.

Small bag to use during the day.

Notebook and pen.

Cpod lessons (on said mobile)!

English-Chinese mini-dictionary. Occasionally came in handy.

Basically, if you forget anything, you can almost certainly buy it, so don't stress too much. I didn't take travellers cheques, but I did have some US dollars, but never needed them.

I used almost every item in my bag, except for one or two really small things.

There are loads of sites on the internet that give advice, though there really are some people who get away with a change of underwear, a spare t-shirt and their passport! My bag was around 60 litres, so you could probably get away with a smaller one if you're ruthless with your clothing (I wasn't, and ended up with four jumpers, three pairs of trousers, two pairs of shorts. I only ended up having this many purely because I got bored wearing the same things for months!)

Oh, and merino wool t-shirts are amazing if you don't get time to do any laundry... :D

Things I wish I had, but didn't take: Hair-dryer, hair-straighteners, going-out clothes, nice shoes, perfume etc.

This post is much longer than I intended!

light487

December 06, 2010, 01:39 AM

I'll be going to China again next year in May.. this will be my 3rd trip there and I must say that during my 2nd trip I was a lot more adventurous and felt right at home amongst the locals. The first time wasn't all bad but there were times that I did feel very out of place and wondered what the heck I was doing there by myself. :)

So the first trip went: Shanghai, Wuhan, Chengdu, Xi'an , Beijing. And the second went: Shanghai, Hangzhou, Mogan Shan, Nanjing.

Now the third trip will go: Shanghai, Hangzhou, Huangshan, Xiamen, Shanghai, Suzhou, Nantong, Taipei. :)

As you can see, the itenary has grown to include places that are a little bit off the standard fare.. not much though.. not going to the middle of nowhere because I am still travelling alone and while I may be more confident, I am certainly not stupid. :) haha

Being able to speak, even at the level I am at now, Chinese makes a HUUUUGE difference in being able to backpack around efficiently and confidently. It's more than just being able to ask for directions or buy a bus ticket.. there is a certain level of comraderie (or guangxi I guess) that can be had with extra vocab.

On numerous occasions, in various cities, I was able to quickly form bonds with Chinese travellers who would then take me with them while they explored the city they had also come to visit! :) Usually it's the university students who are taking time off to see parts of China but with their level of natural Chinese and knowledge of "how things work", it makes sight-seeing so much more convenient and enjoyable. :)

So learning Chinese is more than just the language.. it is about the people too.

bodawei

Hi light

Wish you the best for your trip - you seem to have it down now, planning for your third trip. I can see that you like Shanghai (a lot), and Hangzhou, going for a second look. What do you plan to do in Hangzhou this time? I recommend walking in the hills around/in the city, if that appeals. Some of my favourite hills in China. And Huangshan is a great experience - you will get your Chinese practice asking for directions. :) A lot of Chinese tours combine Hangzhou and Huangshan (freeway all the way between the two now.)

I looked up Nantong because I don't know anything about it - big in cotton production. Sensible place for it, right next to the Yangtze. In Australia we support (extremely water intensive) cotton growing in the driest continent - environmental madness.

light487

Ahh Nantong.. a friend of mine's hometown is Nantong. She lives/works out of Shanghai but of course returns home, more often than she'd like I get the feeling (that's how all young people are though.. they don't necessarily mean it!). So she has invited me to come and meet her family and share a meal. Hangzhou.. yes, it was/is the prettiest and most comfortable city I've visited by a longshot. I definitely want to spend more time there! :) It's more of a stop over than anything else though and to get a feel for things in a more relaxed environment than Shanghai before departing for Huangshan. I am hoping to take a train to Huangshan from Hangzhou rather than a bus.

Interesting story about bus ride: When I was there last, I went to the DeQing county to the north of Hangzhou so that I could traverse onward to Mogan Shan. On the way back, there were no available buses directly to Shanghai so I quickly read the timetable (all in Chinese of course), made a decision and bought a ticket back to Hangzhou. Was a really nice and short bus ride back (only about an hour). I think the taxi ride from the bus station to the train station might have actually taken longer! :) haha.. The satisfying thing was being able to move quickly, take in the situation I was forced into, read the timetable and make a decision to go back to Hangzhou completely unplanned etc.. very satisfying indeed.

I had originally planned to go to Fuzhou because one of the cPOD members was from there.. but I've since lost tough with her and my other Chinese friends say it is a boring place.. lol.. they said to go further south to Xiamen instead. There's like an island down there that is supposed to be very local.. though I doubt it to be honest.. nothing in China, along the coast, is very "local" any more.. especially in tourist cities. Even Mogan Shan, while virtually untouched and pollution free, was perhaps the most touristy place I have visited aside from Xi'an.

bababardwan

October 24, 2008, 02:10 AM

light

DEET [diethyltoluamide] is the most effective of the mossie repellents and in Australia is commonly found in Bushman's [but at 80% is a bit strong] and in repel [which at 30% is the preferable strength ] and some other brands.

ps Don't forget to take the dongxi Sebire forgot to take like hair-straightener :) hehe

jamestheron

October 24, 2008, 02:58 AM

I used these sites when planning a train trip from Shanghai to Kunming. I ended up just going to the station to purchase my ticket instead of trying to book online or through a service.

General info, mostly the bigger places: http://www.seat61.com/China.htm (English)

Official schedules: http://www.chinamor.cn.net/ (Chinese) Navigating this will either frustrate you or inspire you to learn how to read characters.

sebire

October 24, 2008, 02:17 PM

I forgot a couple of things: LED torch, which has to be one of the most useful things I took. You may find it less useful because you're not staying in dorms, but it's handy on overnight trains and things.

Also, I had a microfibre towel. They're a bit pricey over here (but mine was a gift), so if you're economising, you could probably just get away with a normal towel. Only problem is they take up so much space and take ages to dry, unlike the microfibre ones.

One last thing was something to use as a washing line. Most of them I didn't need it, but on occasion you may just need to wash something in the sink. You can, of course, just hang whatever it is on the back of a chair/bed/anything.

Hostels supply sheets and duvets, and if you find you're cold at night, just sleep in your fleece, or ask for another blanket. No decent hostel should allow people to use their sleeping bags, as they can carry bed bugs. Anyway, if you don't take a sleeping bag, you have more room for souvenirs!

Unless you're intending to cart around 45-60 L worth of stuff with you whilst you're exploring Shanghai, you can just leave your bag in the hostel! That's why the padlock is handy. Some hostels have lockers, where you can lock it away (if you're staying in dorms), and if not, just chain it to something. Most of the time I didn't bother, and just left it by my bed, but of course, the zips were locked. Other people were quite happy to leave all their bags wide open. At the end of the day, if you want to steal someone's dirty laundry, then you're a bit weird.

One thing I brought, but didn't use (however many people do use them) is a money belt, which is a pouch that you wear under your clothes to store passport/cash/credit cards. Obviously, this is to avoid pickpockets, however I had one pair of trousers with some zip pockets, and I sewed an internal pocket into another pair of trousers, because it's more comfortable. On the other hand, you do end up in these embarassing situations where someone wants ID, and your passport is down your trousers... (thankfully, driving license seemed to work, or distraction tactics!)

The thing with a money belt is not to let anyone know you have it. Pulling it out from under your clothes lets everyone know it's there, which defeats the object entirely.

I don't know the statistics, but I suspect you're probably only as likely to get pick-pocketed in China as you are in London, and I am not that paranoid in London. I guess as long as you're not reckless, you'll be fine. Indeed, I often left my passport and cash in my rucksack in the dorm (though I may have only done that in places like Aus, because why would you want to leave your passport unattended on the beach!) I think you are more likely to get stuff nicked/lost on the street than locked in a bag in a locked room.

Some hostels have safety deposit boxes, but I only used one once, that time when the dorm was robbed in Fiji.

I hope you have fun, I was just like you before I left too, but it turns out you don't need to worry too much! It'll all work out fine! (And if it doesn't, you have insurance. Unless your camera gets nicked twice, as what happened to my cousin. Back up your photos!)

sebire

October 24, 2008, 02:22 PM

bababardwan, 100% humidity and my hair are not happy companions...

light487

October 30, 2008, 02:02 AM

Wee hee! I now have the airfare paid for. Departure date is 18th March 2009!! :) I got my travel insurance done, and have to wait till end of January/early February to apply for my visa but now I am wondering about booking stuff.

I have my itinerary worked out so I know exactly what days I will be where etc.. so I can book hostels and ensure I will have the ability to check-in without too much fuss.

Someone recommended HostelWorld.com earlier and I have been using that as a guide, I was wondering if any one has had trouble with the booking on there? Or if it's even necessary to book?

Also about the trains.. I will be doing all of my city-to-city travel by train (hard sleeper). I am wondering whether it is worth booking these online and paying the online booking fee to ensure I have the best chance of getting on the trains I need to. Or is it just as easy to do it when I am there in China? I figure that the convenience and peace of mind knowing that I don't have to queue up for tickets and potentially miss out is worth the online booking fee.. but I might be wrong.

Also.. should I take the bottom, middle or top hard sleeper??? I am 6'1" (186cm) and obviously going to have a large backpack with me.. what would you recommend?

MuampHeadphones

October 30, 2008, 08:20 AM

I'm 6'8 and I used to opt the the bottom hard sleeper. You can put a medium size ruck sack under your bunk. The top hard sleeper is the worst all round, since you get the minimum space between bunk and top.

sushan

October 30, 2008, 09:07 AM

You can play it by ear instead of pre-booking; the great advantage of backpacking is a lot of flexibility in the schedule. Note that around what is considered earthquake zones in southern parts we can still only buy train tickets one day in advance.

For hostels I booked only once since I was getting into Beijing (an unfamiliar city) late at night, and the only place I've regretted not booking was extremely touristy Xian, but we only wasted half an hour or so trudging to the next hostel.

The best way to get deals at a hostel is to show up later at night (ten or so) when they are willing to cut the rates on the remaining beds. Definitely bargain, especially in Hong Kong.

And for the previous questions, another no to the sleeping bag unless you will be wilderness camping (they are cheap and readily available in China to buy as well). You will need a pair of very comfortable durable shoes since you are on your feet a lot. Laundry, hair straightening, and such services are cheap and easy to find so no need to pack many clothes or implements.

light487

October 24, 2008, 01:12 AM

Awesome.. there's a lot less stuff needed than I would have thought. Yeh I figrued I could always buy cheap clothes if I needed them while I was in China.. I mean.. most of the stuff I own (not just clothes) is made in China , and my clothes are generally the cheaper stuff anyway.

What is this DEET thing you are talking about?

I'm surprised you didn't take a sleeping bag or even a thin blanket. I'll be staying in hostels (most likely dorms), so I assume that at least thin blankets are supplied during colder months?

Also, you mention that you have a smaller bag for the daytime. Where do you store your rucksack during the day??

I'll be travelling on the Chinese Rail networks and staying, on average, 3 nights in each of the cities I am visiting. I'm currently doing a more accurate and itemised itenerary. I wasn't going to do an itenerary at all but I think that it's a good idea for a lot of reasons to know where you are going and when you'll be there. The number one reason would be safety of course but I think it would make it easier to not get distracted by things if I know I have a limited time in each place.

I'm also having trouble finding approximate travel times and fares for the Chinese Rail network. I can find them for the major stops but not for places like Wuhan (WuChang), Chengdu, Xi'an etc. I found a site with these locations as destinations but not the other way around. So I can work out it will cost approx. $90USD for a hard sleeper from Shanghai to Wuhan, and that the train leaves around 10pm and arrives 7am in Wuhan. However, I can't work out the same approximate info for the trip from Wuhan to Chengdu.

sebire

October 31, 2008, 02:40 PM

The problem with the bottom bunk is that people will sit on your bed at wake-up time, i.e. 6 am. If you're like me and a bit of a night owl, this is less than ideal, plus I take issue with people eating their dinner on my bunk.

Some tall people like the top bunk because their feet can stick out over the end of the bunk. Oh, and if you can, try and get a berth that isn't near the end of the carriage otherwise you'll choke on cheap cigarette smoke for the entire journey.

I like the middle bunk the best.

MuampHeadphones

October 31, 2008, 04:10 PM

Now you mention it, I do remember that people did sit on the bottom bunk quite a bit. It didn't really bother me at the time since most times we were travelling in a small group, so it wasn't an issue.

Another thing about the trains was that normally only ONE carriage had a western style sit on toilet, all the others being the traditional hole in the floor. If your not used to squatting the carriage with the western toilet is better, or a possible long walk.... and they lock the toilets (out of use) when coming into the stations....

MuampHeadphones

October 31, 2008, 04:17 PM

I personally hated the top bunk, far too claustrophobic. Mmm,... Maybe the middle bunk has most advantages.

light487

October 31, 2008, 11:06 PM

Hehe.. I forgot about the toilets. I'll make sure I pack myself some toilet paper as one of the essentials in my pack. :) I don't have a problem with public nudity as such but yeh.. I take it that the toilets have to be seen to be believed.. hehe.. Not only would be be difficult to squat by itself (in the proper way), with the train moving it would be even harder.. ha! :)

I don't mind about being woken up at 6am or whatever, most of my train trips will be arriving at the destination shortly after.. :)

bababardwan

November 01, 2008, 12:30 AM

lol.Yeah,doing the squat on a moving train sounds like a scene for Mr Bean [or maybe Frank Spencer....can imagine him calling out to Betty for help]

rdifyg

September 27, 2010, 07:12 AM

If you want to travel around China, I think you need Chinese English translation machine, because the biggest difficulty is language problem.

rdifyg

September 30, 2010, 02:24 AM

For more about China travel info, I recommend you read this resource: http://www.chinatraveltourism.com

light487

October 31, 2008, 02:31 AM

Awesome.. thanks. That puts my mind at ease for a while. Everything seems to be that way.. "Book only 1 or 2 months before the trip.", even the visa application. I find it odd because I like to plan everything so far in advance to make sure I will be approved/booked etc. Luckily my travel insurance covers cancellations outside my control, such as having my visa declined.. but still.. I like it to be all out of the way and secured. I've got all the times of the trains, all the names of the hostels I want etc.. I'm ready to book everything but everything I read suggests I wait till at least 2 months before.. *sigh*.. With regards to the earthquake zones, can I book in advance for the Sichuan province? So bottom bunk, hard sleeper.. ok. :) I will remember that. I think I should definitely book the hostel where I have decided to take out a private room. I only do this once during the month, in Xi'an because it is so cheap and it halfway through my trip. Will give me some time to sort everything out, get cleaned up and move on to the next adventure! :)