Jing Du Yuan Hotel, Beijing

Advantages: Frenzied energy of chaotic city, many worldclass tourist attractions, delicious food, incredibly safe & ridiculously cheap.
Disadvantages: Gruesome pollution, occasional racism targeting foreigners & lack of freedom for those who take an organised tour (not recommmended).

...is desperately simple. Book air tickets (I would recommend www.cheapflights.com as the ultimate booking resource), choose a hostel or hotel with an address from a guide book (I would recommend the Lonely Planet as usual, but the Rough Guide’s Beijing specific guide has some good day trips detailed that the Lonely Planet does not have) and saunter along to the Chinese embassy at 49-51 Portland Place, London W1N 4JL. There is also a consulate of some kind in Manchester where you can apply for visas. The new visa is a decent full-page affair with a print of the Great Wall. If you get a long term or working visa you’ll also get a rather fancy hologram. It should cost 30 pounds I think. A note on money before anything else. The Chinese currency is the RMB and there’s about 13 RMB to the pound. Given how cheap China is, and the fact the prices you... Read review

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Advantages: Lots to see and do, the great wall, Forbidden City
Disadvantages: Pollution, not the best weather in March, people spitting everywhere

...by the way) was that it was damaged as if someone had taken a crowbar to its side. I went to the luggage centre to report it and was refunded 400 RMB. RMB is the local currency and it is known as Renminbi (people's money) and is often abbreviated as RMB….the unit of Renminbi is a yuan by the way. On the money topic: once again we travelled “without” any money. The only thing we had was our VISA and MasterCard. And as we had read on the net there are ATM’s once you get out of customs. I didn’t really know what to expect from Beijing. Sure, I knew about the great wall and the Forbidden City but what would the city itself be like? And going from the airport to the hotel I got a bit sceptical. It was misty, raining and everything looked greyish and boring (just like it does here in Norway in the winter time). And the taxi was driving really... Read review

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Advantages: Great people, fabulous food
Disadvantages: Pollution levels high, extremes of temperature

..., and order by either pointing at dishes on other tables or use the food guide in the Lonely Planet. It will be worth it. Don't worry too much about levels of hygiene - they are no longer that bad and the worst that will happen to you is an upset stomach. If you really can't stand Chinese food, then there are many western restaurants, especially in the Sanlitun and Houhai areas. There is even a fish and chip shop run by three Chinese men with English wives. Don't tip - the service charge is included in the price. Hotels There are a number of four and five star hotels in Beijing, all at international levels and prices. If you need to book your own hotel, then the Kerry Centre Hotel, the China World, the Wangfu Hotel and the Shangrila Hotel are all excellent, although the last is rather too far away from most attractions. For those looking... Read review

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