The Beijing Olympics are almost here. If you plan to go to Beijing in the near future, here are a few Beijing Travel Tips and Insights:
- Traditional Chinese toilets are drains on the floor. Western style toilets can sometimes be found but they are sprinkled throughout upscale environments that cater primarily to Western Clientele. Therefore, if you have lousy squatting muscles , watch your liquids. Make sure you know the name and address of the nearest luxury hotel in case you need a real toilet. Most of us tourists do not want Montezuma’s Revenge over a hole on the ground. We’d like to worry about getting the right antibiotics, not our aim.
- Bring Kleenex as toilet tissue is not readily available in Beijing, as well as most of China. If you need to buy toilet tissue, the available brands are harsh on your soft spots.Even if you are stocked with Purell, bring disposable towelettes. Even for the less fanatical, you’ll need them.Don’t use tap water, even in the finest hotels. Just to err on the side of safety, brush your teeth with bottled water. It is okay to drink anything that has been boiled.
- Watch where you buy bottled water. The closer to a major tourist site, the more expensive it will be. Walk a few blocks and you’ll pay at least 50% less for the same size of water or soda. There is a second reason not to purchase drinks in touristy areas. It is rumored that the vendors refill bottled containers and reseal them. A safe choice is to buy Popsicle type bars. The picture on the wrapping will tell you what flavor you are buying.
- Stick with places that have clearly marked pricing as you are bargaining even when you are not.
- Beer is very cheap; it can be a fifth of the price of water, especially in restaurants and Chinese beer is exceptionally light.
- Ordering Meats and Fish. The Chinese use all parts of animals so if you are finicky, watch what you order. If it says chicken, it is chicken but it could be chicken ankles or chicken guts. Upscale restaurants define their cut of meat.
- Delicacies like Sharks Fin and Bird’s Nest are exactly what they say. The most discerning restaurants are reported to hire their chefs after sampling both their bird’s nest and sharks fin dishes.
- Deserts aren’t sweet. Bird’s Nest can be a desert but we did not find it worth the money. If you have a sweet tooth you can find ice cream or sherbet in stores and hotels. Also, there are Kentucky Fried Chicken’s all over and even in Beijing you can find ice cream in a McDonald’s.