Hi h=guys, just booked my flight which flys into shanghai beginning of January and flys out at the end of april from Bangkok. Im gonna make my way to Beijing, Xian, Hong Kong, then through Vietnam, through Laos and into Thailand.
Any one done a smilar trip and can offer any advice on sights, prices, visa's, border crossings etc?
Thanks
MAtt
???
hi;
i'v never travelled so far,so no much useful advice,but
i saw no people replied then give advice as much as i know
sights i think you like from xi'an to chengdu,yunnan,then
turn to guangxi guilin to the end vietnam border.actually
lots of choice but west china is more attracting in travellers'
heart.
price except i guess shanghai,beijing,guangzhou,hongkong
others are not too high/as to scene spot tickets cost no big difference.
your problems i know little,but travellers know much,however
you can imagine on travelling they are busy and strange don't have
much free time visit here/
whole journey by land?
Hi
I am doing the same trip myself but i am going to do it all the way from norway.
But i will bee in china in early january, maybee our paths will cross on the way, meet and have a beer maybee?
ole
I should still be in Shanghai then (studying here) so drop me a line if you want to meet up for a chat/tea/meal. I've travelled through quite a bit through China (not Hong Kong though) so I could probably give you some tips.
Yes, I've done the whole trip, although not quite in teat order (i had a chunk longer and had to do some odd backtracking), and Ole, I started near Kiruna in Northern Sweden, so if you want to ask stuff about the earlier section of the trip, feel free!
Im gonna make my way to Beijing, Xian, Hong Kong, then through Vietnam, through Laos and into Thailand.
Ok. If all by surface, remember that you need a double entry visa for China (because you will be going via Hong Kong). Get your Vietnamese border from the normally empty consulate in Hong Kong (it's on the 14th? i think? floor of a building ion Hong Kong island between Central and Causeway Bay, and is easy to find.
You can get a Lao visa at the border (BUT only up to 14days) or any travel agent/hostel/etc in Vietnam (up to 30days) for only a dollar or so commission, which is normally worth it to avoid the hassle. There are consulates/embassies as well, but they are not always tourist friendly, shall we say.... Payment is almost always in dollars. Alternatively, if you get as far as Kunming in China [if you are going to Dali/Lijiang, you will go through it], you can get your visa there easily from the consulate in the Camellia Hotel, which is one of the 3 main hostels anyway (with a great breakfast buffet 
). If you do go through to Dali etc, you can leave your passport at the consulate and collect it on the way back, BUT you need to take photocopies of your chinese visa, entry stamp, and also the information/photo page of your passport when you go to Dali.
Bear in mind that to stay anywhere in Vietnam, they will keep your passport, so don't think that you can dump you passport and dissappear for a few days and then collect it again.
Two ways into Vietnam from China. By Train/Bus between Nanning and Hanoi at Dong Dang, or Bus from Kunming to Lao Cai. In the later, you walk across the border, and can then either continue through to Hanoi by train, or go up to Sa Pa etc.
Lao is wonderful, especially the Northern part. But, it's not a quick country to travel around, and night options are thin on the ground anywhere North of Vientienne. You can easily take 8-10hours to travel 200km. But the scenery etc is wonderful, so no big deal.
Lao - Thailand has several border crossings. Most used is the friendship bridge from Vientienne (Lao capital) to Nong Khai, and then train to BKK. Lots of through buses are ticketed as well, although you often have to change buses at the border. The border between Pakse and Udon Rata.... is more useful if you have been down to Don Det etc, and just as easy. Thai visa's are available at all borders without problem for most passport holders
If you want to know more, or have specific questions about any of the places, just holler.
Thanks a lot everyone for your advice! Any ideas on prices of food and alcohol in the main cities on my journey i.e. beijing, shanghai, hng kong, hanoi etc?
Thanks
It depends on how well you want to eat, but aim for about 20 RMB for a budget (not rock-bottom) meal in Beijing/Xi'an/Shanghai.
hi matt. i actually grew up in hk...i'm living in london now (but i'm an aussie!) thought i could recommend a few places to go/see/do
if you have a couple of days try and make it out to a beach called Dai Long Wan in the nothern territories. its beautiful when the weathers nice and a part of HK most people don't know about. head out to sai kung, you'll need to get a bus and a small boat, but its well worth it. if you're tight on money eat from any of the tai pai dongs (restaurants) that serve locals...there is an amazing (and very cheap) restaurant/cafe called Yoshinoya at the top of Cameron Rd in Tsim Sha Tsui. definately recommend. try to get out to clearwater bay or sai kung. (theres a few cool little restaurants/pubs) and you MUST take a ferry over to Lamma Island (you can catch it from Central ferry terminal), takes nearly an hour and there are heaps of amazing seafood restaurants out there all along the waterfront. its fun, relatively cheap and a great night eating out. i know the peak is your all time favourite tourist trip, but it is worth it...go on a clear night and do the walk around the top. if all else fails and you run out of money for food...7 eleven spaghetti and dim sum (you cook it in the microwaves in the shop) is a cheap, very tasty trick!! hope you have fun, erin 