Travel to China for 10 days

On Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:56:07 +0100, "tims next home"
wrote:


"Alfred Molon" wrote in message
m...
In article , tims next home says...

When travelling in China there are two rules that you will very much
regret
breaking:

1) never, ever, ever, drink the tap water (don't even use it for cleaning
your teeth),
2) don't forget to take toilet paper with you everywhere.

So the answer to this question is: branded bottled water (check the seals
before you buy) and toilet paper.

What a nonsense. In all places where I stayed they had clean western
style toilets with toilet papers

I wasn't referring to "places where one stays", I was referring to "whilst
one is out and about". This is what the question was about.

and brushing the teeth with tap water
caused no problems.

Until you get unlucky. You are probably right that this might be
unnecessary, but who's to know

It sounds you have been staying in extremely cheap low-end places with
shared toilets.

The water in the most expensive hotel comes from the same place as the
grottiest flee-pit. If a town's water isn't treated by the municipality,
then it isn't treated by the hotel. I was only following advice give to me
by colleagues, all of whom, without exception, had been ill whilst there.

tim

I used bottled water every place I went on my recent trip
(Cambodia, Thailand, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, Egypt, UK,
USA, Mexico). I also took a roll of toilet paper.

The water was necessary, and I totally agree with you on
that. I also used it for cleaning my teeth.

But I didn't use that roll of paper at all. However, Hong
Kong hardly represents China. I got three doses of
traveller's curse, all from choosing the wrong restaurant or
food. Hong Kong, Cairo and Dallas. Incidentally, I
discovered that, for me, Norfloxacin
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/d...r/a687006.html
is a wonder drug and I was immensely grateful that my doc
prescribed it for me to take on my travels for use "as
needed":-) I had asked for immodium.

That may be worth discussing with the doc before travel.

Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan_s/
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com
Latest: On Indian Roads

On Jun 13, 1:08*pm, "tims next home"
wrote:
1) never, ever, ever, drink the tap water (don't even use it for cleaning
your teeth),
We always heard the same advice, even from some locals living in a
very ritzy part of Shanghai.

Our tour operator supplied us with 2 small bottles of water per day,
about 1 liter total. All of the hotels had electric teapots, and we
boiled water for brushing our teeth and other uses while at the
hotel. With that strategy and all the liquids we got with the meals,
we did not use up all of the bottled water (and we never even used any
of the camper's water purification supplies that we brought).

I am not disputing the posting that it might be safe to brush with tap
water, just providing a way to reduce spending money on bottled water.

My other observation is that it was hard to avoid all ingetion of tap
water while showering, but it seemed prudent to miimize the exposure.

On Jun 13, 2:56*pm, "tims next home"
wrote:
"Alfred Molon" wrote in message
In article , tims next home says...
2) don't forget to take toilet paper with you everywhere.

So the answer to this question is: branded bottled water (check the seals
before you buy) and toilet paper.

What a nonsense. In all places where I stayed they had clean western
style toilets with toilet papers

I wasn't referring to "places where one stays", I was referring to "whilst
one is out and about". *This is what the question was about.
When we stayed at a budget hotel in Beijing (Super 8), the amount of
toilet paper that came with the room was clearly inadequate, but they
sold rolls in the lobby convenience store. For me, it was the only
time I used the TP that I had broaght. Males have less need for TP.
The women in our group had more opportunities to rely on thier own
supplies.

On Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:25:03 -0700 (PDT),
" wrote:

On Jun 13, 1:08*pm, "tims next home"
wrote:
1) never, ever, ever, drink the tap water (don't even use it for cleaning
your teeth),
We always heard the same advice, even from some locals living in a
very ritzy part of Shanghai.

Our tour operator supplied us with 2 small bottles of water per day,
about 1 liter total. All of the hotels had electric teapots, and we
boiled water for brushing our teeth and other uses while at the
hotel. With that strategy and all the liquids we got with the meals,
we did not use up all of the bottled water (and we never even used any
of the camper's water purification supplies that we brought).

I am not disputing the posting that it might be safe to brush with tap
water, just providing a way to reduce spending money on bottled water.

My other observation is that it was hard to avoid all ingetion of tap
water while showering, but it seemed prudent to miimize the exposure.

Most hotels were good during my travels, providing
complimentary or cheap bottled water. Occasionally you come
across one that has rip-off prices. Almost always I found
locals selling water nearby at cheap prices. Of course, when
buying locally always check the seals on the bottles.

It's not unknown for a thriving business to involve
collecting used empties and filling them from the tap for
sucker sales:-)


Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan_s/
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com
Latest: On Indian Roads

In article , Alan S says...

I used bottled water every place I went on my recent trip
(Cambodia, Thailand, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, Egypt, UK,
USA, Mexico). I also took a roll of toilet paper.

The water was necessary, and I totally agree with you on
that. I also used it for cleaning my teeth.

I only use bottled water for drinking. Otherwise, unless the tap water
is smelly or has some colour or there is an outbreak of a disease
(tiphoid etc.), I use it to brush my teeth.

But I didn't use that roll of paper at all. However, Hong
Kong hardly represents China. I got three doses of
traveller's curse, all from choosing the wrong restaurant or
food. Hong Kong, Cairo and Dallas.

Last time I had a stomac upset because of the water, was in India in
1992. Since I have never had any problems. I eat a lot of fresh stuff,
salads etc. which in theory should cause problems. I even get the
opposite problem (constipation) because I walk a lot in hot climates and
do not drink enough.
--

Alfred Molon
http://www.molon.de - Photos of Asia, Africa and Europe

In article 6b00e8f1-2961-4ae7-b568-fe5d2544cbe4
@r37g2000prm.googlegroups.com, says...

When we stayed at a budget hotel in Beijing (Super 8), the amount of
toilet paper that came with the room was clearly inadequate, but they
sold rolls in the lobby convenience store.

Since hotels in China are very cheap anyway, there is no need to stay in
budget places.
--

Alfred Molon
http://www.molon.de - Photos of Asia, Africa and Europe

"Alfred Molon" wrote in message
...
In article 6b00e8f1-2961-4ae7-b568-fe5d2544cbe4
@r37g2000prm.googlegroups.com, says...

When we stayed at a budget hotel in Beijing (Super 8), the amount of
toilet paper that came with the room was clearly inadequate, but they
sold rolls in the lobby convenience store.

Since hotels in China are very cheap anyway,

As I said in the other thread. Try walking into the Holiday Inn without a
booking and see if they are cheap!

4 star hotels in China are affordable if pre-booked, but the rack rate if
you just turn up are New York prices.

And (given the comments already made about the certainty of train bookings)
it is not always possible to pre-book.

tim

In article , tims next home says...

As I said in the other thread. Try walking into the Holiday Inn without a
booking and see if they are cheap!

4 star hotels in China are affordable if pre-booked, but the rack rate if
you just turn up are New York prices.

And (given the comments already made about the certainty of train bookings)
it is not always possible to pre-book.

I found four star hotels in China at rates between 200 RMB (Chongqing)
and 500 RMB (Beijing, a very nice high class hotel). That is what I
consider cheap. For all hotels I either booked on the day of arrival at
the airport hotel reservation counter or in some cases I asked the taxi
driver to find a hotel for me.
Three star hotels are even cheaper and perfectly adequate. No need to
stay in budget accomodation.
By the way, it helps if your currency is the Euro and not the US $.
--

Alfred Molon
http://www.molon.de - Photos of Asia, Africa and Europe

On Jun 15, 6:01*am, Alfred Molon wrote:
I found four star hotels in China at rates between 200 RMB (Chongqing)
and 500 RMB (Beijing, a very nice high class hotel).
This hotel was walking distance to Tiananmen, and it was 240 RMB/
night. Some relatives chose it for us based on the criterion that it
be centally located.

That is what I
consider cheap.
I would not presume to tell anyone else what they can afford or how
they should spend their money.