A few weeks ago, I wrote an article entitled Traveling by Bus in China. Some of you may noticed a glaring omission in the article, which mainly focused on long distance bus travel. I did not include information about traveling locally by public bus in China. Why not? Mainly, because I think that this aspect of traveling in China [...]
Archive for the ‘Traveling in China’ Category
Traveling by Airplane in China
Posted by Robert Vance on September 29th, 2008
I was not happy as I watched a tube of gel, a glass container of cologne, and a bottle of shampoo that belonged to me get unceremoniously dumped into a trashcan as I passed through security recently at a Chinese airport. I guess I should have known better. It was just that I had flown [...]
Traveling by Bus in China
Posted by Robert Vance on August 19th, 2008
If I had a penny for every kilometer that I have traveled by bus in China, I would never have to travel by bus again. Twenty-eight hours by bus from Qinghai Province to Lhasa, Tibet. Twenty-four hours from Central China to Xiamen. Twelve plus hours from Laos to Kunming. There were many more; too many [...]
10 Things NOT to Do on Your Travels in China
Posted by Robert Vance on July 24th, 2008
Some of the items on this list may seem a little crazy. While I am trying to have some fun, I have observed foreigners doing most if not all of these things during different trips that I have taken in China. Feel free to add some of your own in the comments section.
1. Wear a [...]
Weaning Myself Off China Travel Guidebooks
Posted by Robert Vance on July 8th, 2008
I always used to carry a Lonely Planet Guidebook with me wherever I traveled. Then one tragic day, while I was journeying in western India, I discovered that I had left my precious guidebook in the hotel where I had last stayed. I desperately called the hotel and begged them to send me the book. [...]
10 Tips to Make your Travels in China Safer
Posted by Robert Vance on June 19th, 2008
Unless a tidal wave washes you away or an earthquake swallows you up, your country’s embassy or consul in China is about as useful as an expired passport in an emergency. If you get into any trouble that is even remotely your fault while traveling in China, do not expect your friendly neighborhood embassy to [...]
Posted in Traveling in China 
Tags: Asia Travel Agencies, China Safety, chinese culture, Chinese Tips, travel in China 
4 Comments »Tips for Hunting for Hotel Rooms in China
Posted by Robert Vance on May 29th, 2008
I have never paid more than 20 USD for a hotel room throughout all of my travels in China. Somehow, I’ve almost always managed to avoid the dark, damp, dirty, and rat infested rooms that are the stuff of legend amongst travelers in China. For under 20 USD, I have usually been able to secure a private room [...]
Coping with Culture Shock in China
Posted by Robert Vance on May 15th, 2008
I recently received the following email from a teacher who has been in China for a very short time. I will call him Daniel.
Dear Mr. Vance,
I am non-native English teacher completing my third day in
China working at ***, the **** based ***** company.
Even though I have only spent three days here, it feels like three months or more, [...]
Traveling by Train in China
Posted by Robert Vance on April 28th, 2008
My first train ride in China was very pleasant indeed; maybe a little too pleasant in fact. I had spent my first few days in China visiting the major attractions in Beijing and getting a feel for the land and the people. A lady from Singapore had befriended me on the Great Wall tour and in [...]
My Journey to Mount Everest
Posted by Robert Vance on April 13th, 2008
While I did not climb Mount Everest when I arrived at its base in 2006, my journey to the world’s tallest mountain left me feeling a little bit like I had scaled its heights. In fact, there were different times during my journey that I almost gave up on going to see it. Traveling alone in Tibet as [...]
Posted in Traveling in China Tags: Chinese Travel, Climb Everest, lhasa, mount everest, Mt. Everest, Shigatse, travel in China 1 Comment »
