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| Jumping on the Great Wall of China in Beijing |
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| Tired airport selfie when we ran into each other |
1. Trying to get my visa without having all confirmed travel plans.
After I purchased my plane ticket, I received a notification with my confirmation saying that I had to get a visa. Previously, I've traveled to Europe and Central America. Therefore, I thought that they would just stamp my passport and I'd be on my merry way. #WRONG. I was mistakenly confused. Luckily, I lived in New York City and the Chinese embassy was a few blocks away from where I worked. I was informed that I needed the complete itinerary of my trip and passport including, hotel reservations, flight confirmation, passport, etc.
TIP: Give yourself ample time to plan this trip. Also, don't wait last minute to get your passport because the embassy will take your passport when you submit your documents.
2. Spending too much at the first shopping site.
Cassidy and I decided to utilize Discover China Tour to make our trip planning process easier. Every place that they took us had ample shopping opportunity and I spent most of my trip money in Beijing at Dr. Tea House and The Silk Factory. Although, I am very satisfied with my souvenirs. I could have easily gotten them in the other cities that I visited for a lower price.
TIP: Research what you want to buy ahead of time and make a budget for each city that you visit. Popular things to purchase there are silk, tea, jade, and porcelain chop sticks just to name a few.
3. Not installing the apps that I wanted use before I left.
In My Favorite Apps for Traveling, I recommended my favorite apps to use while On the Go. When I arrived in China, another tourist we met recommend an app that I wanted to try. However, I couldn't download it because the app store didn't work.
TIP: Download Pleco translator app before you travel there.
4. Not utilizing the subway more in Shanghai.
I'm from New York, so I'm pretty comfortable using the Subway. However, since it was a city that we were unfamiliar with, we chose to take a taxi until the last day. Shanghai's subway was easy to use with arrows pointing to where you need to go, signs were in English, and it was inexpensive.
TIP: Don't be afraid to use the subway.
5. Not packing my camera.
Before I left the U.S., I couldn't find my camera cord to charge the battery in my camera. Therefore, I decided to leave it behind without realizing that China has electronic stores that sell devices to charge lithium batteries. Therefore, every picture that I have was taken on my iPhone. Thankfully, they didn't turn out too bad.
TIP: Give yourself ample time to plan this trip. Also, don't wait last minute to get your passport because the embassy will take your passport when you submit your documents.
2. Spending too much at the first shopping site.
Cassidy and I decided to utilize Discover China Tour to make our trip planning process easier. Every place that they took us had ample shopping opportunity and I spent most of my trip money in Beijing at Dr. Tea House and The Silk Factory. Although, I am very satisfied with my souvenirs. I could have easily gotten them in the other cities that I visited for a lower price.
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| Before the Dumpling Banquet in Xi'An |
3. Not installing the apps that I wanted use before I left.
In My Favorite Apps for Traveling, I recommended my favorite apps to use while On the Go. When I arrived in China, another tourist we met recommend an app that I wanted to try. However, I couldn't download it because the app store didn't work.
TIP: Download Pleco translator app before you travel there.
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| Me at the Bund in Shanhai |
I'm from New York, so I'm pretty comfortable using the Subway. However, since it was a city that we were unfamiliar with, we chose to take a taxi until the last day. Shanghai's subway was easy to use with arrows pointing to where you need to go, signs were in English, and it was inexpensive.
TIP: Don't be afraid to use the subway.
5. Not packing my camera.
Before I left the U.S., I couldn't find my camera cord to charge the battery in my camera. Therefore, I decided to leave it behind without realizing that China has electronic stores that sell devices to charge lithium batteries. Therefore, every picture that I have was taken on my iPhone. Thankfully, they didn't turn out too bad.
Overall, the we had so much fun in Beijing, Xi'An, and Shanghai. If you have the opportunity to travel abroad, I highly recommend visiting China and learning about the rich history that they have there. If you utilize the tips above and plan accordingly, you will have a good time.
If you have questions about traveling abroad, feel free to leave them in the comment section below or contact me on twitter @Accepted2Degree.
If you have questions about traveling abroad, feel free to leave them in the comment section below or contact me on twitter @Accepted2Degree.
- Danae
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