home https://dailyfix.co.za/subscribe/ https://dailyfix.co.za/subscribe-to-ideas/ ideas Click to Subscribe

DAILYFIX

Search
  • All
  • Lifestyle
    • Food & Drink
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Work & Money
    • Caring & Giving
  • Recipes
    • Banting
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Main Dishes
    • Pantry
    • Soups & Salads
    • Starters and Sides
    • Vegetarian
  • Style
    • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Wellness
    • Style Guru
  • Home
    • Décor
    • DIY
    • Fix it with Flair
    • Promotion
  • Garden
    • Garden
    • Pets
  • Travel
    • Destinations
    • Travel News
    • Share your journey
  • Crafts
    • Templates
  • Win
    • Winners
  • Wedding
  • Test House
  • Shop
    • Fairlady Shop
    • Home Shop
    • Ideas Shop
    • Spree Beauty Shop
  • Destinations

    The Great Wall of China and beyond

    26 June 2014

    Travellers Pat Ladds and sister
    Destination China
    Dates 5 – 15 September 2011

    Reason for visiting Eight years ago, my twin sister and I listed ’70 things to do before we turn 70′. To walk on the Great Wall of China was one of them, but really it was a goal we just never thought we would achieve. Then a work colleague brought home the most hauntingly beautiful photographs of China, showing misty mountains, high rise buildings, modern architecture and old-world charm – and we bumped this destination up to number one on our bucket list.

     

    Our little black book

    The best hotel
    Sofitel Wanda Beijing
    93 Jiango Road
    Beijing (Peking)
    This is luxury accommodation with expansive beds, a TV in the bathroom and a remote vanity screen between bathroom and bedroom. It even featured a pillow menu. The long indoor pool was to die for.

    The best place for dinner
    The Tang Dynasty Theatre Restaurant
    75 Changan Road
    Xian
    Shaanxi
    www.xiantangdynasty.com
    The after-dinner show is spectacular!

    The best place for lunch 
    The Spaghetti House
    221 Nathan Road
    Hong Kong
    Price: HK$64 – HK$158
    Cuisine: Italian, Pizza, Pasta
    Don’t be put off that it’s below street level.

    The best place for a drink
    Staunton’s Wine Bar & Café
    10 Staunton Street
    Hong Kong
    Best people watching spot in Hong Kong. Watch commuters coming home on the mid-level escalators.
    Currently hosting World Cup Soccer viewings and serving special edition Budweiser World Cup beers.

    The best place to shop
    Walmart is conveniently situated right next door to the Sofitel Wanda hotel in Beijing. Reasonably priced, there is nothing that you cannot find here, from clothing, toiletries to food and drinks. It is open late at night and is a safe walking distance away from the hotel. Plenty of ATMs in the vicinity too.

    The best way to get around
    The Octopus Card in Hong Kong, available from all MTR stations including at the Airport Express station at Hong Kong Airport. You can buy one for UK£150, of which HK$50 is a refundable deposit. Rides cost about HK$8 and it can be used on the metro, buses, trams, ferries, coaches and some taxis. It can also be used at some convenience stores and cake shops.

    If you want to feel like a local you should… Join an early morning Tai Chi session. This ‘soft’ martial art is often practiced by older people, but is beneficial to all. It is a non-competitive, gentle and generally slow paced form of exercise. It increases strength, flexibility and mental concentration and prepares the busy tourist for the day ahead.

    Watch out for… People who approach you incessantly on the streets of Hong Kong offering watches, bags etc or asking you to teach them English. Our local guide also warned us that the electronic shops stating ‘duty free’ were not reliable. Staff working at some Apple stores don’t even know they are selling fakes. Although no vaccinations are required to get your China visa, several are recommended, including Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, rabies, typhoid and polio. I was unaware and had none of the above. Ten days after returning from China I was diagnosed with Swine Flu (H1N1).

    Don’t leave without… A visit to the ancient Hutong area in Beijing. Take a rickshaw ride and dine with the locals. Although it is a poor area that you access through a dingy alleyway, the houses surround a courtyard and each family contributes to the meal.

    Insider tip In Beijing, we were advised that once we had drawn money from the ATM, we should exchange it for smaller denominations at the hotel’s concierge, to prevent being given counterfeit notes as change by the street vendors. Present yourself at the ICF 1 and 2 Buildings; show your passport and as a visitor, you may catch the lift to the 55th floor, for free views of the city. Pre-book Nong Ping cable car tickets in Hong Kong to avoid long queues. Squat toilets take quite some getting used to, so take a disposable smog mask – not for the smog, but rather when entering a squat toilet. Western toilets can however often be found hidden right towards the back of the rest rooms, so check there first.

    Been travelling? Share your holiday on Dailyfix.

    Sofitel Wanda bedroom

    Tian’an Men Square

    Forbidden City

    Family scooters

    Great Wall of China twins

    Cloissonné vases

    Food umbrellas

    Ming tombs

    Memorial Archway

    The 17-Arch Bridge

    Terra cotta warriors

    Delightful dumplings

    Xian show

    Tai Chi

    Light show

    Orchids

    Jumbo restaurant

    Trams

    ICF buildings

    Duk Ling

    Neon Hong Kong

    Cable car

    Giant Buddha

    I love Hong Kong

    email print

    To have more Dailyfix content delivered directly to your inbox, subscribe to our free newsletters here, or get your Dailyfix by following us on and .

    Email this link to a friend

    • FREE NEWSLETTERS

      Choose from our menu of newsletters to receive the latest from Dailyfix in your inbox:
    • SPREE SPECIALS
      MORE VIDEOS

Other Posts in Destinations

  • Destinations

    A Mozambican Retreat

    anantara-island

    Paradise is just a stones throw away

  • Destinations

    Boutique Accommodation

    Coopmanhuijs

    The Coopmanhuijs Hotel and Spa, in Stellenbosh, is where comfortable becomes remarkable

  • Destinations

    A Wildlife Getaway

    dwyka-tented-lodge

    Retreat, renew and revitalise

Other Posts in Travel

  • Travel

    It’s Never Too Late To Travel

    travel-holiday-2

    Our senior citizens seem to have the right idea!

  • Travel

    On To The Next One

    Plan-Vac

    Don’t lose that holiday feeling – make travel plans

  • Travel

    You Are What You Drink

    cocozone

    100% good for you and 100% nuts for coconut water

More Posts on DAILYFIX

  • Main Dishes

    Chicken, Avocado And Papaya In Pita Breads

    Deliciously scrumptious and full of flavour!

  • Fairlady Shop

    Collarless Coat

    Collarless coat animal print, Next (R1 599)

  • Pets

    Animal Antics

    No matter what sort of mischief they are getting up to, you simply can’t help but love them to bits

Shop with DAILYFIX

  • Fairlady Shop

    Court Shoes

    Lace court heels.jpg

    Lace court shoes black, Daniella Michelle ( R749)

  • Fairlady Shop

    Maxi Cardigan

    Maxi cardigan.jpg

    Maxi cardigan mid pink, Next (R754)

  • Fairlady Shop

    Kaftan Blouse

    Kaftan blouse.jpg

    Kaftan blouse multi-colour, Next (R535)

  • Newsletters
  • Advertise
  • Terms & Conditions
  • DAILYFIX

    Dailyfix copyright Media24.
    Dailyfix is the new online home of Fairlady, Home and Ideas magazines.
    Read more about us here.
    Made by OnNet.
    Sitemap