Prior to this trip I hadn't been to Shanghai in years, so I was curious to see how it changed. For whatever reason I wasn't a huge fan of Shanghai the last time I visited. I far preferred Beijing, which has lots more to see. Anyway, I actually really liked Shanghai this time around. It…
Continue reading: Week in the Clouds: Exploring Shanghai
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Do you do any advance prep on the places you're going to visit (history, culture, politics, etc.) or do you just drop in cold?
@ JetAway -- Depends where I'm going. For city trips, like this one, I usually don't do all that much advance prep. When I have a few days I usually literally randomly wander the first day without any plans, and then have a more structured plan for the next couple of days with the help of the concierge and Google.
Next time, check out the Tianzifang district in the French Concession on Taikang Lu. It's like Xintiandi but less touristy and more interesting (it's where the real expats go). Full of cafes, restaurants, and small art shops. There's plenty of history and culture in Shanghai, it's just not as tourist-friendly as Beijing's.
If you go to Ningbo, be sure to stop in Hangzhou as well.
Lucky - really enjoy your reports on exploring cities. While some of us can't fly first or business all the time due to lack of travel, we can certainly explore all the sites you do and I find it extremely valuable. Please keep the city reports coming!
Michael is spot on re: Taikang Lu. It is more rustic with people still living in the area, laundry on the line, electrical lines handing across alleys, etc.
You can get turned around in a matter of two blocks which is, in itself, a possible sign of authenticty in China.
Aman hotel anywhere in Asia. Bhutan, river cruise in Burma or just Burma but prices are skyrocketing. Bali is back but a villa or Aman Hotel. New Qantas route Santiago-Sydney you can burn your miles QF and Lan. Bangkok has great 6 star hotel deals at the moment. Though the hottest in Asia is really Burma. Though not many hotels to redeem points in, New Park Hyatt Sydney is just about to open but heard no award rooms for first year. Remember AA code shares on a lot of QF flights down under and in Asia.
I love it when white people who can't speak Chinese judge people who can't speak english.
hello,
can someone comment if they have recently visited Manhattan bar there? i hear there are some good selection for ladies of the night
Hey Tom - do you have any sense of humor at all? Or are you just one of these morally superior dead fish who likes to "judge" others? It's meant as a chuckle! Geez!
Great article!
By the way the Park Hyatt Ningbo is now open and if like me you plan to stay there, you might also have a look to this page:
http://www.helloningbo.com/hotels/resorts/park-hyatt-ningbo-resort-and-spa
This page has a full review with maps and taxi directions which can be very convenient for anyone planning to stay there.
Cheers!
M.
What do you mean by you still 'thing' Beijing is a better place to visit. Don't/didn't you mean 'think'