Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BoholDiver]

For those who have been to Beijing, what do you reckon would be my minimal budget to stay there?

I don't want to stay in a pisspot but it doesn't have to be luxurious. I will mostly ride the public transport and just really want to see the Great Wall. Tienanmen Square too maybe.

Let's say 2 nights 3 days. Do you think I could do it on 200,000 won not including ticket and visa?

[ttompatz]

[Reappropriated]

Not including the ticket and visa I did almost exactly what you are talking about. I stayed an extra night, but also was sharing a room, so it evens out.

Getting out to the great wall was our largest expense, and even that was relatively cheap. If you really don't like the planned tours there are three or four nice hostels that are in the middle of things that I have heard good things about (most of them also have people there who can book rides to the great wall and other tours if you want them).

When I added up all the expenses (including taxis, entrance fees, food, and hostel it was a little over 200,000. Once you get to Beijing I found everything to be cheap, but then I would also want to have more money budgeted in case I wanted to do something that was more expensive.

[alwaysbeclosing100]

for the record i thought beijing was a hole.....i was not impressed.....the air is as bad as delhi.........

find a room in a hostel with a high rating within walking distance of tiananmen....you can walk or get a cheap taxi to the crazy food market and shopping area.......

you can ride the subway from the airport to the hostel....

taxis are a hassle if you can get one at all in beijing.....taxi touts and general tourist touts are everywhere in the city.......

i havent been to the great wall.........the visa for americans is like $200+.....china sucks.....i wasnt impressed with any city i have seen so far.......

[Gamecock]

[travel zen]

Big city China is the pits...unless you like crowds, spitting and hooker bars.

Small town China you can actually get to meet nice people, and see some stars in the sky, and breathe without wanting to hork spooge

I've been there for three months and about 10 cities and in the countryside.

Women are good and plentiful, food is cheap but greasy (hotpot was good), and people rip you off and are unprofesional in their dealings.

Racism, sexism and ageism are all as common and as acceptable as red lanterns in China and you will see it.

[BoholDiver]

I already face crowds, spitting and hooker bars in Korea. I guess I'd feel at home there.

Does China have puke puddles and drunken men lying around too?

[travel zen]

Funny thing is that its much milder in Korea.

I flew from China to Korea, not knowing if I was going to end up sleeping in rice paddies or towering skyscrappers...didn't know a thing about the country.

Korea at least has a very good pretense of being Western! The food, more foreigners, much more cosmopolitan, even the local koreans have a great style of their own (I'm speaking as a tourist for 3 months in Korea).

I was relieved and fairly impressed coming out of China. Korea has it's problems of racism, sexism, spitting, etc but I found it very mild comparatively.

[sheriffadam]

I went to the wall about a year ago exactly, weather was perfect, slightly cool to begin with and hot when we'd finished walking around! We went mid week which was great as it wasn't that crowded, if it was busy there it'd be hell, got some great photos of the wall basically void of people, this made it easy to walk on the thing as it's very steep and awkward in parts!

Friend and I took some hotel organised taxi shuttle out there and the cable car up, can't remember which section we visited though

Recommended going there (the wall) tiannemen square is nothing special, cool to say you've been, but you'll be walking away from it after 10 minutes.

Will try and think of other gems in Beijing, but to me there aren't many?

[Spud10]

If you want to see the wall, the farther you travel from the wall, the better the scenery and less people. Kinda obvious to state I guess, but it's worth saying again. It's actually kinda amazing to witness the dissipation of the horrid smog as you drive north to the wall.

As for the touts that are everywhere, hassling you every 10 meters, just have fun with it! I've told Hat seller's that I couldn't wear a hat because I have tuberculosis, told some tea-shop scammers I didn't drink tea because I was afraid of werewolves.... etc.

It makes it much easier to enjoy your time when you goof off with the scammers.

[nstick13]

I'd be much obliged if recent visitor to China could provide some insight into the visa process for an American. Cost, length, etc.

Cheers!