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Week-end break travel

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flintstone

Squeeker

Joined: June 02, 2003
Posts: 17

Status: Offline

Posted: June 02, 2003 - 12:28 PM
Post subject: Week-end break travel

Hi guys,

Shanghai is a pretty exciting city, but once in a while you need a chilling break from it all.

I was wondering if anyone knew about a close destination from Shanghai (max 4-5hours drive/train away) which offered one of those well deserved week-end chill out breaks. Something which offered a contrast from this wild city, its scyscrapers, traffic jams, and dense pollution...

Could be a place in a more natural environment, or maybe an \"unusual\" city activity (rafting, bunjee jumping, moutain climbing, etc.). Whatever really, as long as it somehow gets your mind off Shanghai and offers a glimpse of a different China.

Would be extremely gratefull to get your feedback and personal experiences on that.

Cheers!

Raysh

Newbie

Joined: May 28, 2003
Posts: 6

Status: Offline

Posted: June 02, 2003 - 12:48 PM
Post subject: Week-end break travel

You will have a wild choices at Shanghai Tourism Central. I think it is quit convenient. You can arrange your time at the destination. No ciceroni will hasten you. And there are lots of destinations with beautiful landscape. I am looking forward to having this kind of tours again since last time trip. Smile

More information :http://www.tickets.com.cn/sh/tour/
www.hotcinema.com/dissertation/pg/tour/

Thomas

Reacher

Joined: Dec 18, 2002
Posts: 240
Location: France
Status: Offline

Posted: June 02, 2003 - 01:28 PM
Post subject: Week-end break travel

Hangzhou is a classic destination for tourist, there\'s a lake named \"west lake\" at the bottom of hills covered by an exuberant flora , then you can also visit temples, drink and buy some longjin and discover there\'s nothing in the well but a little excavation with some lichen. It\'s rather a wooded city...Eat a sour sweat fish coooked with the water of the lake and beer prepared with the same water (not bad \"urk\"), 2 hours from Shanghai by train.
Suzhou, parks aren\'t so amazing but at least recreative...little town, sweat food, I ate really fresh veggies and perfumed rice, Suyang moon cakes, temples ....No I go there only to eat Razz

7rmb-14RMB 1 hour from Shanghai by train.
IMHO, best places to travel around Shanghai are in Zhejiang , If you have more time I advise you to have a travel in the Wenzhou\' outskirt (10 hours by train from Shanghai), natural sites, thousands of little hills where tombs overhung a narrow curved bumpy road, following \"Oujiang\" (the local river).Yandang shan is the most popular site, really grandiose... Razz

Food also tastes so good...cheap crustaceas (I ate langouste, clams, fishes...etc for 20 RMB), try the WOntons soup, very thin skin and the fried \"baozi\" Razz

...

That\'s it I leave my office and catch a cab to the train station Razz

[Edited on 2/6/2003 by Thomas]

edbreejen

Ranter

Joined: Apr 24, 2003
Posts: 560
Location: Shanghai, Zhongshan park area
Status: Offline

Posted: June 02, 2003 - 08:34 PM
Post subject: Week-end break travel

With the travel time range you note there\'s plenty of choice! Just a few hints:

Natural:
- Mogan Shan in Zhejiang 2.5-3 hours by express bus
- Putuoshan (very nice island, though 6 hours by boat or 8 on the night boat)
- Chongming dao, one of China\'s largest islands, only about 2.5 hours
- Wuxie (nice scenic area with the \'locally famous\' 5-step waterfalls, near Zhuji)
- Huang Shan, the famous beautiful mountains, with the high-speed bus about 4.5 hours to Tunxi and then for RMB 8-12 with a local minibus to Huang Shan. The express bus departure station is 50 metres from the Baoshan Lu light rail station.

Some cities in the area:
- Hangzhou, already mentioned, nothing to add
- Suzhou, good food and gardens in relaxed atmosphere
- Shaoxing: follow the traces of Lu Xun with some bowls of Huangjiu.
- Ningbo, also good food!
- Wuxi, scenic beauty near the Taihu (Tai Lake)
- Tried some of the outskirts of Shanghai already, you\'ll be surprised how quiet it can be there.

Good luck!

flintstone

Squeeker

Joined: June 02, 2003
Posts: 17

Status: Offline

Posted: June 06, 2003 - 02:25 PM
Post subject: Week-end break travel

Hey guys, thanxs for your feedback!

Still not so sure where I\'ll be heading this week-end but will definitely pick one of those destinations.

Will let you know how it was.

Cheers again.

Very Happy

PhatAV8r

Raver

Joined: May 31, 2003
Posts: 401
Location: Qingpu District, SHANGHAI
Status: Offline

Posted: June 09, 2003 - 06:45 AM
Post subject: Week-end break travel

Lived in Shaoxing for three years, nice place to visit, if you are traveling with a Chinese friend, or even alone, you will enjoy the \'ancient market\' on Sat/Sun, and a nice quiet dinner at the OLD Xianheng Hotel (good food). The public plaza is MUCH less crowded than places in Shanghai, but it is a happening place. Be aware, outside of Shanghai, most of the outer cities and town basically roll up the carpets, even the discos and bars close up by midnight.

Hangzhou is another place to go and have some different experiences, West Lake is overrated in my opinion, but there are couple of good little night spots along the lake. The ShangriLa is a nice place to take in a western style buffet on Sunday as well. You might plan a trip there that coincides with a HIBA (Hangzhou International Business Association) meeting. There would be additional contacts to show you the night life.