Funny, I'll be heading to China in June. Any restaurants or not to miss activities you recommend? We're arriving a couple of days early.
I'm going to figure this quote thing out. Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't. Hmph!
I got the green light to go off-topic here, Cousin Orville/Kevin so here are the suggestions I tried to message you:
You MUST visit The Summer Palace in Beijing before the tour starts. My husband and I walked there from the Peninsula, some might not say its walkable. The day after a full day of sitting on an airplane and we were happy to walk. You will not cover the entire complex, it's just not possible. But it is without a question the number one thing I recommend. I asked my husband his top must-see and he echoed my response. The Temple of Heaven was worthwhile too, but a distant second. You'll likely get overwhelmed after a few hours but def allow 3 hrs at a minimum. We thought about taking a cab to the hotel after but I wasn't used to such aggressive cab drivers, including having people walk up to us, offer to drive us, and then find out they didn't have taxis. Decided to hoof it at the point but was exhausted after. It's very cool that while at The Summer Palace you get a great view of the Forbidden City and then as a group the next day you can look up from the Forbidden City and see some of the taller pagodas in the Summer Palace. We had not realized how high we climbed.
Our first night I explored the night market on my own. My husband, along with half the people on our flight, couldn't stomach the bumpy landing and I was on my own once we checked in. When you exit the hotel turn left. Just follow the street (it's pedestrian) and you'll see the night market vendors. VERY COOL. Expected the scorpions, not the sharks-on-stick, honeybees-on-stick and all other kinds of animals you wouldn't think you could skewer. Don't just look at the "food," read the menus. You won't believe what some of the items are--I have great photos of the menus and items but don't want to spoil the surprise. Fred and Jason Palmer, our truly fantastic guides, cautioned not to eat anything you don't see cooked in front of you. The Peninsula has a great map, I'll locate it this weekend and try to give you more tips. There is another market, you turn left out of the hotel and left again (another pedestrian street), but a street name might be helpful. Down that street is lots of shopping, a famous duck restaurant my husband enjoyed that our guide rec, the food court I reluctantly ate at on the first night when I wasn't feeling adventurous enough to eat the unknown at a bustling dumpling shop (really rough landing). They had selections made up so you could see exactly what you were getting and I felt fairly confident I had chicken with vegetables and a diet coke for under $3US. (As opposed to the $30 bill we ran up on bottled water alone at the Peninsula restaurant for lunch the next day when my husband still wasn't feeling adventurous.) But one of my favorite restaurants the whole trip was the Hakka restaurant we went to on day 2. I will look up the name of it bc I would def go out of my way to find it again if I return.
One other note about food: it is outstanding at the Peninsula Beijing. I was disappointed that I did not make my way around the breakfast buffet the first day and ate an American breakfast. If your son likes wonton soup he should look for it at breakfast. It's the only time I saw it during the entire trip. The pork buns were absolutely amazing. AMAZING! Everyone says you'll lose weight visiting China. I gained 2 pounds! I could go on and on about the food but I'll spare you. I will just say the the Peninsula Beijing breakfast buffet is truly incredible.
You will have an incredible trip. If there are any female travelers with you have them bring "purse packs" of Kleenex for the bathrooms outside of your hotel. Some bathrooms are quite an adventure of their own. From the tour books I'm reading I'm expecting better in SE Asia, although sometimes the bathrooms with toilets in China were not any more approachable than those without.
Any specific questions, let me know! Oh, I met Jennae on our China trip-she was going to be leading the next trip so she was kind of "on" the trip with us so she could learn. She seems great and I enjoy her FB posts. Maybe you'll get her again in China and I'll see her again on my trip, too.
. We're going to the Summer Palace and the temple of Heaven. Also hitting Jinshan Park, Lama Temple, and the 798 Art Gallery. We'll be sure to walk over to the night market on our own.
