Korean Job Discussion Forums

cunning_stunt · Joined: 16 Dec 2007

I'm going to China for my winter holidays .Stupid choice , but I'm trying to save some cash . I mainly want to spend a week in Beijing and a week in Shaghai .

1) Flying is cheap enough , but I was wondering if anyone had the "low down" on the Ferry service (I hate flying and avoid it if there's a practical alternative ). How long does it take ? How much does it cost ? I'd really appreciate any info in these regards .

2) Visa . I'm South African . I'm not even allowed to travel into Japan , so I imagine I'm up for a headache to China . Anyone got any info in this regard ?

Yesterday · Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 8:54 pm Post subject: Re: Travel to China

cunning_stunt · Joined: 16 Dec 2007

Yes , because I'm South African I've been told it's near impossible to even holiday in Japan .

Thanks for the help . So the Ferry is more expensive than to fly ?

cunning_stunt · Joined: 16 Dec 2007

Is this the only Ferry service ???

pugwall · Joined: 22 Oct 2006

Why is going to China a stupid choice?

There are lots of ferries to different locations in China but none will goto Shanghai or Beijing. Your best bet is to get a boat to Tianjin and then take a taxi(which should not take long and only cost you about 9 dollars) to Beijing. The Ferry companies name is Jincheon. I can't imagine getting the boat is that much cheper than flying. Also I think thatfrom a week in BJ and Shanghai you would not be getting the most you could from a two week trip in China. Better would be if you tried to include BJ, Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou into two weeks which is very easy (HZ and SZ near shanghai). But hey its your trip, do what you want.

Zaria32 · Joined: 04 Dec 2007

You're going to love Beijing...

cunning_stunt · Joined: 16 Dec 2007

Thanks pugwall...I'll look into it .

Some people might consider China stupid WINTER choice was all I meant to imply .

Yesterday · Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:54 am Post subject:

Why not go to the Philippines - you will have to fly - but its ultra cheap there - and at the moment very hot....

But China is still fine - I would take the Weidong ferry - pay the 110,000won for economy class...

you will not have to sleep much on the ferry anyway - plenty to do - (sauna, games rooms etc etc)

problems is getting to Shanghai or Beijing once you arrive.. but you could back-pack it (bus, train) if you're on a tight budget - you did say you had 2 weeks...

soju pizza · Joined: 21 Feb 2007

My God, you posted in the wrong forum!!!!!

Kill him! Off with his head!

mistermasan · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Location: 10+ yrs on Dave's ESL cafe

how'd you get the china visa?

dogshed · Joined: 28 Apr 2006

I went in July and train tickets were hard to get so I made sure
near the end of my trip that I was in towns that had a Ferry to Korea.

I took the ferry to Qingdao and returned from Dalian. Tianjin also had
a ferry. Check the schedules and see which ones will work the best for
you.

I don't live in Seoul so taking a plane would have required me to stay
the night in Seoul. This meant the ferry saved me the cost of a hotel
room and didn't take much longer.

I slept in an upper
bunk with curtains going to Qingdao. Coming back from Dalian I
paid for the room with a shower. The Dalian ferry was nicer overall.

The Chinese ferry from Tianjin to Dalian was an interesting experience.
I bought the cheapest ticket and slept in bunk beds in a cargo hold.

thatwhitegirl · Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Location: ROK

You should check on the travel forum....quite a few posts on China.
Anyway,
if you've never been to China, you'll enjoy it.
I concur with pugwall....try to fit in a visit to Hangzhou and Suzhou. We lived in Hangzhou last year, and it is a nice city. Quite touristy...Suzhou is very cool. More of a 'real' China feel (as in cool old buildings and the gardens and canals-what you've seen in old films and imagine it to be like).
Shanghai....to me, it was a cluster-feck. Really didn't enjoy being there...but it's good to have been there. There were just too many people shoving and trying to over-charge you for things, and then get angry when you speak some Chinese back and try to bargain. Twisted Evil

China is an experience, for sure. Dalian is also an ok city...interesting architecture...rather hodgepodge.
If I were planning a short trip to China, then I'd make sure to see Beijing, then on down to Shanghai, on to Suzhou and Hangzhou if there's time.
There's some great shopping to be had in Beijing and Hangzhou at the markets.

lastat06513 · Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:59 pm Post subject:

It takes about 27 hours to go from Inchon to either Tainjin or Dalian and even longer to go to Shandong.

Don't get this ferry mxied with western-style cruise ships as alot of them are crammed with Koreans looking for "a fun, economical way to get to China" or with Chosun-Jeoks, Chinese-Koreans, who made enough money in Korea and want to return to China without the hassles of boarding a plane....

It would be an adventure......have fun Wink

pugwall · Joined: 22 Oct 2006

If you want to stay away from the cold maybe do three days in the cold and then fly to Yunnan or Guangxi provinces which are superb. Yunnan has great tourist infrastructure and is pretty tropical in parts.

cunning_stunt · Joined: 16 Dec 2007

Thanks for all the advice . Good to know there's plenty to do on the way over . I'm travelling alone (my school has given holidays at a strange time ) so this might be a good way to meet travel mates too . Well , probably not , but I've got to validate my irrational fear of flying somehow .