january-2011

trip journal
CHINA
BEIJING
COUNTRY CODE +86
CURRENCY RMB1 = PHP 7.13/US$ 0.14
TOUCHDOWN Arrive at the Beijing Capital
International Airport (BCIA). After clearing customs
and claiming baggage, catch the downtown
airport shuttles or taxis from outside the arrival
lobby. en.bcia.com.cn
BY DAY Walk through the hutongs (old lanes).
Rent a bike and tour the Summer Palace. Visit
temples and stroll by the huge lake. Autumn,
when red leaves are falling (October to November)
is the perfect time to see the Great Wall of China.
BY NIGHT Take the subway to Bird’s Nest (Beijing
National Olympic Stadium) and Water Cube
(Beijing 2008 National Swimming Centre) in the
early evening. Both are best seen when the lights
are lit. Hit Sanlitun Street for dinner and clubbing.
SLEEP Check into Opposite House, probably
one of Beijing’s best high-end, boutique hotels.
Highly accessible, and in the middle of almost
everything. www.theoppositehouse.com
Karen Go
group account
director
BEST BUYS Authentic Chinese jade
pendant for PHP150 from Da Shi Lan
Shopping Street. Cheap with price tags!
BEST DINNER Vineyard Café,
tucked in a hutong in the Andingmen
area, is a cozy place.
INSIDER TIP Ask for fapiaos
(receipts) when dining out. Scratch
off the silver, right top corner of it and
you could get a cash rebate!
DID D YOU
KKNOW?
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CHINA
GUANGZHOU
COUNTRY CODE +86
CURRENCY RMB1 = PHP 7.13/US$ 0.14
TOUCHDOWN Board the Airport Express bus
from the airport, about RMB10–30 (PHP71–213).
Taxis from the airport cost about RMB120
(PHP854) for the 28km-long ride to Haizhu
Square in the city.
BY DAY A one-hour cruise on the Pearl River may
be the most romantic way to see the city. Take the
ancient reproduction wood vessel called the South
Sea God. Its classic and elegant set-up will satisfy
your taste for culture and history.
BY NIGHT Xing Hai Park, with its 7km 2 lotus
pond, is on the west bank of Luhu Lake. Spend a
day by the lake, then after dinner, take a moonlit
stroll around the area and refresh yourself with
traditional Chinese herbal tea.
SLEEP Shangri-La Hotel offers views of the Pearl
River. Make sure to book a signature massage at the
award-winning CHI Spa to balance your qi. www.
shangri-la.com/en/property/guangzhou/shangrila/
Lauren
Tang
PR manager
BEST FESTIVALS Guangzhou
is China’s “Flower City”and it holds
fl ower fairs in spring (February).
BEST DESSERT Strawberry
Forever in Tianhe district serves over
30 kinds of strawberry desserts.
BEST DINNER Shunde Cuisine
serves fresh seafood delicacies. 1-3/
F, Yihai Wan Tower, 299 Nanhua
Zhong Lu, Haizhu District.
Scenic Beihai Park in Xicheng was
once part of the Forbidden City.