Dennis McCrohan wrote:
My wife has been looking at some of the
package-tours that you can buy here in the States. From the description
of these, it looks like you would spend most of your time in 5-star
Western hotels (Hyatt, et al), eating western meals, riding around in
tour busses with a bunch of other Americans (and I'm guessing that most
of them would be, ahh, "mature"), and basically running from one
tourist-trap to the next.
A remarkably accurate description of much of China touring, except that
you omitted mandatory shopping stops galore with massive overcharging
and large kick-backs to the guides, poor food due to restaurants being
chosen by the guides according to how big a kick-back they get which of
course reduces quality to you still further, lots of pressure to tip in
a country where there is no tipping, etc.
My wife is ethnic Chinese, speaks some Mandarian (in addition to her
parent's dialect), and our kids have been taking Mandarian classes for
several years. So I'm thinking that we would be better off with a tour
designed with children in mind (nothing like having other kids to talk
to/play with during long bus/plane rides)
Such tours are rare, although Pacific Delight does one for families. But
you still have the same tourist trap itinerary, problems with
kick-backs, absurd advice to bring US$1 notes, shopping stops, etc.
or just putting a package
together ourselves and hiring a private guide.
Or...
Just going to China and doing it yourself as you go, saving a great deal
of money over tour charges, and having the flexibility to stay as long
as you like in any spot you visit that appeals to the children, as well
as to stay longer in one town if that's working out well, and to alter
your itinerary in general according to what you hear on the way.
Even non-Mandarin speakers can do this without much difficulty. For
Mandarin speakers it's easy. For most of the year in most of China
there's a vast oversupply of hotel accommodation and the best rates
(typically 30% to 50% off published) are available by bargaining at the
counter. Similarly much flying is done on a walk-up basis, and booking a
couple of days ahead through an agent will, with little difficulty other
than asking for a cheaper rate, gain similar discounts on domestic
airfares over those available by booking in advance from overseas.
I'd still like to stay in
higher class hotels (yes, I know about the Chinese attitude about
bathrooms)
If you want to stay in Western brand-name hotels, in most cases you'll
find they now guarantee their best rates are available on their
websites. This fluctuate frequently according to demand, however, and
you're better to book just before leaving (if you much book at all),
unless there's one particular hotel you absolutely must be in. But few
hotels in China are like that. You can also consider Chinese-run
up-market hotels, which deliver vague imitations of high-class
accommodation, for published prices similar to those of the foreign
brand names, but for half the price over the counter.
But there are plenty of perfectly acceptable hotel rooms with perfectly
acceptable bathrooms right down to two-star level, if recently opened. A
new three-star is often as good if not better than an old four-star.
Away from the big cities a night in a perfectly acceptable Chinese
four-star can often be $30-40, if bargained at the counter.
but other than that I'd rather eat in local restaraunts
(assuming food safety isn't an issue)
It's not. Simply avoid the cold dishes at the front of the menu, and
stick to things which are freshly cooked and hot.
and do things that would be of
more interest to the kids (say visiting an amusement park, or a school)
rather than trouping thru the 17th Imperial bedroom of the day.
Again, amusement parks (which can be pretty horrendous, however) are not
on mainstream itineraries, and you'll need to travel independently in
order to visit them. There are other pleasures between the historical
and the manufactured likely to please children, though. Zoos should be
avoided, but the Milu Deer Park just south of Beijing is well-run and
designed to appeal to children, for instance.
Anyway, I'd be interested in feedback on all this, particularly from
folks who have taken their own school-age children to China.
The single biggest issue is one of hygiene. It must be absolutely clear
to children arriving from particularly hygienic conditions that they
must keep their fingers out of their mouths, and wash their hands (or
use wipes) very carefully before eating. Otherwise stomach problems are
guaranteed.
Peter N-H
http://members.shaw.ca/pnhpublic/China.html
http://list3.xianzai.com/mailman/listinfo/oriental-list