If you plan on travelling domestically anytime between now and July 31, check out using your PayPal account to get 5% off your flight cost AND a refund of the 3% transaction fee charged upon purchase. That’s a full 8% discount on ALL domestic flights! Get booking now!
(Just so you know – when you checkout you will be paying the full price of your ticket (and the transaction fee), but the 8% discount will be refunded to your PayPal account within 1 month of your fly date)
April 25-29
Fenghuang: A neon-lit river runs through it – One of the most gratifying things about your friends finally making it out to visit you in China is being able to show them first-hand, rather than trying to … (Read more)
Xinjiang food: One laowai’s favorites from the far west of China’s Silk Road – Any trip to China is a voyage of culinary discovery, and the wildly different tastes and textures encountered are bound to form some long-lasting … (Read more)
China Blogger Spotlight: A look at Life Behind the Wall with Jo Gan – Exchanging Florida oranges for Zhejiang “yang mei”, Jo Gan was following a lifelong dream when she moved to China. Little did she know she’d fall in love, marry and end up living like a … (Read more)
Check the Technique: Kunming’s DJ DSK funks up the Ctrip YouTube channel – There are loads of self-proclaimed DJs in China making money from the fact that music scene here is still in its teenage years. And while that kind of opportunism is to be applauded … (Read more)
April 18-22
Little Steps Asia: Stepping out with kids in Hong Kong – Traveling with children in China can be the ultimate adventure in family fun, but a little forward planning goes a long way when youngsters are involved! Hong Kong-based … (Read more)
China Eats: A hot pot primer – An eating tradition with over 1000 years of history in China, steam-filled hot pot restaurants abound in many different guises throughout the Middle Kingdom. Here, Sascha Matuszak introduces you to … (Read more)
China Blogger Spotlight: Jake DeLois, adventurous eater and Shanghai Foodist – While some eat to live, others live to eat. Jake DeLois, the man behind Shanghai’s favorite foodie blog, Shanghai Foodist, definitely falls into category number two. Sinking his teeth in to … (Read more)
April 11-15
Club Level luxury at the Ritz-Carlton Beijing – After a hellish flight from Shanghai, two hours of non-stop turbulence sandwiched between a bickering couple with a broken seatback, my flight … (Read more)
Studying Abroad in China: Studying Chinese musical and martial arts in Shanghai – China is becoming an increasingly popular destination for foreign students. Many come to study at Chinese universities, while others … (Read more)
When is a tour not a tour? A running UnTour of Shanghai - There are many reasons why people run, with general health and well-being figuring high on the list, but here’s one that you may not have considered: Sightseeing. In much of the world, throwing on … (Read more)
Two words for you: good luck.
After living in the country for nearly six months now, it seems that the more I see and learn about the country, the more I realize how little I truly understand. From the very beginning of my stay here I found myself marveling over the diversity of life and culture, and confused over the strangeness and uniqueness of it all. More than anywhere else I’ve seen, China is a country of paradoxes— the very rich and the very poor, the very modern and the very traditional— and as such, it can often seem like another planet those trying to learn more.
So, to help those who, like me, are attempting to better understand this place called China, I’ve compiled a short list of some things I’ve come across that enhanced my perspective of the country and its people…
April 4-8
An afternoon of fire and face changing at the Sichuan Opera – If you’ve been in Chengdu for a few days and managed to pet the pandas at the Breeding Center, stuff your face in the lanes and alleys of town and … (Read more)
48 hours in Shanghai (Part II) now on YouTube – Hope you enjoyed 48 hours in Shanghai (Part I), last week’s contribution to the Ctrip English YouTube channel. We feel pretty good about the community that is starting to … (Read more)
Filmmakers Jonah Kessel and Kit Gillet examine the fate of old Beijing’s hutong – It’s a sadly recurrent theme in China, as James Weir recently documented with his post on the ongoing destruction of much of old Shanghai in the name of making way for the … (Read more)
March 28 – April 1
Marina Bay Sands: Move over Merlion, Singapore has a new icon – A year ago, China Travel editor Stephan Larose made his way to the southernmost reaches of the South China Sea to Singapore, reporting back on … (Read more)
Demolished Shanghai: Witnessing traditional neighborhoods lose out to the new – So you’re traveling in Shanghai, hitting the highlights. Perhaps you’ve strolled down the Bund on a nice spring afternoon, then jumped over the … (Read more)
The Ctrip English YouTube channel strikes again: 48 hours in Shanghai (Part 1) – It’s been a while since we left you without a cool travel flick to step to. Our last video adventures took you on a tour of Shanghai’s Seafood Market at Tongchuan Lu and … (Read more)
Ctrip China Travel Photo Contest: The best of the rest – Well that’s it folks, the Ctrip China Travel Photo Contest is over… for now. It’s been a great few months and no doubt we’ll be back for more later in the year, but before we go, we still have … (Read more)
Study abroad in China: Escaping Shanghai for a weekend in Suzhou – China is becoming an increasingly popular destination for foreign students. Many come to study at Chinese universities, while others participate in study abroad programs run by … (Read more)
March 21-25
Ctrip China Travel Photo Contest: And the winner is… - Before we go on to look at who’s taken the top spot and won themselves RMB 2000 Ctrip flight and hotel vouchers, let’s just re-cap on where we … (Read more)
Ctrip China Travel Photo Contest: In 2nd place… – In yet another tie, for the number two spot we have the people’s favorite Vincent Tandijo Saputro’s smiling Harbin Man who went through to the final round with a massive … (Read more)
Ctrip China Travel Photo Contest: In 3rd place… – After yesterday’s runners up are you ready for the next winner? Well, it’s two winners actually, because in 3rd place we have another tie. Two great images with exactly the same score will both receive … (Read more)
Little Steps Asia: Stepping out with kids in China – Are you little jet-setters looking to scale the Great Wall, shop with mom and dad in China’s top markets, and eat some of the world’s tastiest cuisine? Traveling with kids in China can be the ultimate adventure for … (Read more)
Ctrip China Travel Photo Contest: The results are in! – It’s the grand finale of the Ctrip China Travel Photo Contest! Our top 10-vote-getters have passed under the critical eye of our panel of pro photographers, and they’ve had the final say. So let’s take a look at … (Read more)
March 14-18
The China study abroad experience: Welcoming culture shock and exploring radical differences in Shanghai – China is becoming an increasingly popular destination for foreign students. Many come to study … (Read more)
Shanghai revs up for Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix 2011 – Rev-heads the world over are gearing up to enjoy the 2011 season of the fastest and most fashionable race car rally on the planet, the Formula 1 USB Grand Prix. Kicking off … (Read more)
The people have spoken! Ctrip China Travel Photo Contest top 10 pics – The people have spoken, public voting is now closed and your top 10 Ctrip China Travel Photo Contest finalists are winging their to our judging panel! Freelance photographer … (Read more)
A China Travel Holiday Special… MEET THE GROOMS! Episode 16: 28 beds and 2 months later, it’s time to head home – The intrepid Aimee Groom (aka Daughter From Hell) is back from her own travels in Europe but the story continues as we … (Read more)
I’m an American, which apparently is synonymous with coffee-lover to the greater Chinese public. Unlike many stereotypes I’ve encountered here, however, this one’s not too far from the truth. In fact, perhaps its one of those “you want what you can’t have” kind of things, but I’ve never craved coffee more than I have since coming to China.
Unfortunately, what doesn’t seem to translate so well is the word “coffee.” The watery, sweet, milky drink I get when I order “一杯咖啡” (one cup of coffee) at most Chinese cafes leaves a lot to be desired. And the ubiquitous use of instant coffee powder is enough to make even this addicted college student say no thanks. So what’s a desperate American living in China to do?
Answer: Go to Vietnam.
