Expert: Nilesh Korgaokar - 11/23/2005

Question
Hello,

I live in the U.K. and i'm 19. I have just finished college and I have about a year and a half off until I go to university.

I'm keen to travel to China on a budget and I don't really know where to start! I'd love to be able to save some money and then go away and travel for a while but I don't know how to go about it. I plan to travel alone and stay in cheap accommodation wherever i go. I don't know how long I want to go away for.
Can you help by with telling me what i MUST have to go out there and also tell me anything else you think I need to know.

Thank you for your time,

Regards,

Simon

Answer
Hi Simon,

What you must have is a good travel book on China - I used the LONELY PLANET publications guide on CHINA and HONG KONG and did not regret it. You can also try other publications like LETS GO, ROUGH GUIDE or FODDORS. Go to the nearest bookstore or order them through their websites of the same name.

Remember that very few people in China speak English and you will have to rely entirely on the travel book. Also you must guard it like you guard your passport. If you lose the book it is very difficult to find another in China.

Going thru the book at least a couple of months before setting off on your travels is a must as it will give you a good idea about what you should be doing. You will agree that it is not possible for me to list out all the DOs and DON'Ts in an email.

Hope this helps.

Cheers and safe travelling.
Nilesh