where to go in china with kids – Family World Travel

In Routs For Nature Loving Families

A Month in China with kids – A Route for the Nature-Loving Family

October 23, 2017 No Comments

As the biggest country in the East, China is a place to be attended to with care and precision. Short of moving there for the rest of your life, it might be difficult to conquer the vast amount of natural delights China has to offer (for example, its 225 national parks!). That being said, while you might not get to excavate every unique, cultural crevice and crack, taking a month off with your family to explore China’s innate and man-made wonders is definitely the way to do it.

Day 1-2: Hong Kong

Getting there: Fly into Hong Kong international airport from your home country.

After flying into Hong Kong, you’ll want to spend a little time getting a feel for the city’s bustling streets and becoming accustomed to the language. If you’re keen on delving right into nature, take a day to walk around (make sure to see the markets in Mong Kok and try the eggettes) and get ready to head out to Yangshuo after a good night’s sleep. Your destination? The Li River.

Day 3-8: Li River and Guilin

Getting there: Take the train from Hong Kong to Lo Wu station in Shenzhen. After passing through customs, head upstairs to the bus station, where you can take the sleeper bus to Yangshuo (leaving every night at 7:30 PM).

While a bit touristy, the Li River (or Lijiang) is surrounded by karst mountains and stunning river views all around. It spans the 51 miles up to Guilin, and you can take a bamboo-raft or fancier cruise ship to get a feel for it. Explore the countryside for a couple of days, and then head over to Guilin for another three nights, via the express bus from Yangshuo station. Some sights you may see along the way include the Reed Flute Cave, decorated in stalagmites and stalactites, and Elephant-Trunk Hill, aptly named as it looks like an elephant drinking water. Your little ones will love it!

Day 9-12: Wulingyuan and the Zhangjiajie Forest

Getting there: There are no direct trains from Guilin to Wulingyuan as of yet. However, there is a short, direct flight (about an hour and forty-five minutes) between the two cities. If you prefer to take the train, you can take the bullet train to Changsha South Railway Station, and from there, a bus from the Changsha West Bus Station to Zhangjiajie.

From Guilin, your next venture should be to the “Avatar Mountains,” i.e. Wulingyuan National Park. The Zhangjiajie Forest makes up most of the park, featuring towering mountain pillars that allow for climbing, hiking, and of course, magnificent photo opportunities. You can take the family rafting, or simply spend your time comparing the Zhangjiajie mountains to the floating rocks your kids remember from Avatar. Either way, give yourselves three to four days to wander through all the park’s main attractions, before making your way to Chongqing.

Day 10-17: Chongqing and the Yangtze River

Getting there: The quickest way from Zhangjiajie to Chongqing is by flight (around three hours; note that there are only three flights per week), but the best alternative is probably by train. You can hop the train from Zhangjiajie station to Yichang East, from where you’ll transfer to the train to Chongqing. Allow yourself a full day of travel time, as you may have to wait awhile for your transfer train, and the voyage is long!

Here, the 9th-13th century Dazu Grottoes will make for some interesting family discussions, as they portray the ins and outs of life in olden-day China. These intricate rock carvings can be found on the hillsides of the Dazu area, and will tell a story of religion as they delight aesthetically. Following this day trip, it’s high time to experience the Yangtze River- the longest river in Asia. From deep into the Tibetan mountains and flowing all the way to Shanghai, the river spans a number of interesting cities and the famous Three Gorges, which are best experienced from aboard a cruiseship. You can spend anywhere from three to twenty days on the cruise, depending on how many sights you want to see (like the Shibaozhai Temple or the “ghost city” of Fengdu), but when you’re ready to move on, you can head over to Chengdu, in the south-western Sichuan region.

Day 18-21: Chengdu and Mount Qingcheng

Getting there: Your cruise! The easiest way from Yangtze is to sign up for a cruise that lets you off in Chengdu, but you can also take a bullet train from Chongqing Station to Chengdu Station.

There’s much to do in Chengdu, like hug a giant panda and check out the ancient Dujiangyan irrigation system. Mount Qingcheng is nearby, which is a great place to learn about Taoism and its origins. The scenery is stunning, of course, and there’s enough culture there to satisfy the family for days.

Day 22-25: Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong

Getting there: You can take a one-hour flight from Chengdu to Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport, and then catch a bus from the airport to Jiuzhai Valley. Or, you can opt for an eight-hour bus ride, either from Xinnanmen or Chadianzi Bus Stations in Chengdu. While much longer, it’ll give you a great view of the natural scenery along the way!

You can’t travel through China’s glorious parks without stopping at Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong, also in Sichuan. Some must-sees in Jiuzhaigou include include snow-covered peaks, many-colored calcite pools, hot springs and stunning waterfalls. If you get lucky, you might get a peek at a world-famous giant panda, or even an Old World golden snub-nosed monkey- but you may not want to get too close! Similar astonishments can be found in Huanglong, as well as remarkable, multicolored ponds that you could spend days staring at. Two days in Jiuzhaigou and another day in Huanglong should be enough to get your fill; however, photographers should take an extra day, as there is just too much beauty to capture.

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Day 26-28: Leshan, Kunming, and the Yuanyang Rice Terraces

Getting there: You’ll have to retrace your steps through Chengdu the same way you came (it may be worth it to buy round trip plane tickets to save you time), and from there, a short train from Chengdu East Station to Leshan.

While staying in the area, you may want to spend a few days in Leshan. Here, you’ll find the 71 meter Giant Buddha, carved in a red, sandstone cliff. You can also trek up the infamous Mount Emei, which is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. From there, take a short plane to Kunming and plan a couple of day trips. A must-have experience lies to the south of Kunming in the Hani Yuanyang Rice Terraces, which will really give the family the flavor of the East if you don’t feel quite like you’ve tasted it yet. It’s scenic, it’s colorful, it’s cultural, and it has sunsets equivalent to none. The time you can spend exploring the terraces is endless, so it’s probably best to just go to one more place from there- Beijing.

Day 29-30: Beijing

Getting there: From Kunming, you can take a 3 hour flight to Beijing, or an 11 hour train from Kunming Station to Beijing West Station.

China’s capital boasts the modern interwoven with the historical, and comes with a lot of traffic on the roads. Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City are two of the many main attractions to visit, but of course, nothing beats the infamous Great Wall. Seeing this World Wonder up close is sure to be a bonding experience, and the perfect way to end off your family vacation. Before your flight home, make sure to try some of the local cuisine- such as Peking duck or Jiaozi (Chinese dumplings)- and don’t forget to check out the palaces, temples, alleyways and parks that permeate the city streets. Who knows; they may give you a reason to come back!

In How to travel with kids

East Asia with kids- What to take in your first aid kit?

February 10, 2016 No Comments

A first aid kit is one of those things that make you feel safe, even when you’re in the middle of nowhere in southeast Asia, and especially when you are with kids. When you always have one in your bag, you can be as spontaneous as you like and still be a ‘responsible adult’. It’s important, though, to never forget it in your room because that will be the one time you actually need it. Yes… I learned that the hard way :-).

Things I recommend taking:

Basic first aid- sterile pads, disinfectant, plasters of different sizes, bandages, tourniquet, and something special for burns.
Hand sanitizer (a small bottle just in case you really need but don’t have one).
Mosquito repellent. I always have some in my bag, but in my first aid kit I always carry some wet wipes with mosquito repellent, just in case.
2 hygienic bandages in a sterile wrap.
And empty plastic bag.
Multiple purpose disinfecting liquid- a little bottle that can disinfect anything, cuts, surfaces, toilets.
A salve to sooth the skin- stings/sun burns/nettles.
Antihistamine.
Two unopened tooth brushes+paste. The small kind they give in hotels and airplanes. Yes, sometimes you have dinner at a friend’s home and the girls decide to stay to sleep there.
Lavender oil for everything- scratches, cuts, burns.
Soap pages in a travel pack.
Lipstick for dry lips.
Hair bands.
A lighter.

In addition, it’s best if you give your kids a few basic safety rules. Whatever seems important to you. For example, my kids know to beware of certain plants that irritate the skin- you just need to point it out to them and tell them to be careful. They also know not to touch shoe soles or anything off the floor, or to come close to a motorbike’s exhaust pipe (in southeast Asia there are more bikes than cars)

You can buy a ready-made first aid kit and just buy a few more things that are important specifically for a trip in southeast Asia with kids. That’s what I did to begin with, but as time went on the bag got ripped and ruined so I bought a camera bag. A square bag, waterproof, opening from the top and divided to several compartments. I chose the size that fits comfortably in the bottom of our bag that still goes everywhere with us, and put everything in it.

In Asia with kids

China with kids- 15 tips I wrote down for you all, after our visit to china

January 29, 2016 No Comments

1. because China is a bit different than what we’re used to, it’s important to make sure the landing is as soft and as easy as possible. Especially when traveling with kids. The most important thing to make sure of is a good hotel or another place that can give you information in English.

2. In China there is a network of youth hostels that provide everything the western traveler needs. Rooms with a great price range- from the cheapest (a bed in a dorm with shared bathrooms and showers) an up to the expensive intimate rooms. And the staff is made of Chinese youth (most are working there as a part of a student program) and western youths, studying Chinese volunteering there to brush up on their Chinese. They help with everything you need. They helped me buy a local sim card, book bus tickets, organize a birthday party for my daughter, they wrote a note with Chinese sentences I asked them to, explained to me how to get everywhere and much more. In every hostel there’s a common room where there is a bar, a small restaurant, a few strategy/thinking games (the staff is always happy to play with you, or at least teach you how to play), art materials, computers, books, sometimes table-football or a snooker table or a tv room with loads of movies for you to choose from. Within a day or two the staff knows all your names.

3. in short- I warmly recommend you to book a room with one of the youth hostels spread across china, they’ll make your trips that much easier, especially in the first few days after landing.

4. don’t come to china without an app that translates words and sentences to Chinese, preferably one that also sounds the words, and that doesn’t require internet.

5. anyway it’s recommended to buy a local sim card on the first chance so you can use the internet comfortably on your phone.

6. that way you could also use maps and navigate in busy streets, whose names are written in Chinese.

7. the taxi drivers in china are very strict on the max number of passengers- four. So anyone going to china with three or more children is going to have a problem. To find a taxi, especially in the big cities, especially in the tourist centers, is not an easy task, and finding two is a nightmare. Easier to find two rickshaws or deal with the public transportation.

8. If you chose to walk notice that the green light for the crosswalk is very short and there’s an arrangement with the two-wheelers so warn the kids.

9. and about the public transportation: in China there’s a very wide range of buses and trains. From old trains, stuffed so full of people that you can’t breathe, sweaty and sweltering, through to a relatively comfortable sleeper trains all the way to express trains that look like they’re taken straight from a futuristic film. The same goes for buses.

10. in the sleeper trains they lock the bathrooms in the morning long before you actually get to your destination. Just so you know.

here you will fond a special route for nature loving families traveling to china

11. the Chinese, even those that speak good English, tend to get confused between the ‘teen’ numbers (11, 12, 13…) and the whole numbers (20, 30, 40…) it’s best to always make sure exactly what they meant. There is a big difference sometimes. (how many hours is this bus drive? 40??? Ahhh 14.)

12. in restaurants and street foods they use a lot of tasting powder (msg). you can tell them “no msg” and most will understand.

13. public restrooms: I have to say that the public restrooms in China were the most disgusting I ever saw. But really. Those on the roads, in between, at bus stops during long drives. They were actually a long narrow hall, with an open draining tunnel (sewage) and two long boards on the sides, to step on. Everything is open, without even partitions. There are places where this even costs money.

For few more extreme experiences in china click here :-).

14. the rumors that the Chinese are not nice proved entirely false. The Chinese people we met, almost all of them, were simply charming, and sometimes really went out of their way to help us any way they could. Even those that didn’t speak a single word in English.

15. the Chinese, like the Indians, and a few more, have a favorite hobby. They love taking pictures with tourist. Especially with kids. Especially those that don’t look like them (=curly hair for example). Sometimes, and in very touristic places, you need a lot of patience to take pictures with all of them. Prepare the kids.

To find a youth hostel to your taste you can begin with this link

Or simply google ‘youth hostel’ in whatever specific destination you have in mind.

OR- you can take a look at Our favorite hotels & guest houses in china.

before going to China, try to learn some mandarin. it will be very beneficial!

In Asia with kids

China with kids- Our personal experience

January 23, 2016 No Comments

China is a destination on which opinions divide. Especially when thinking about China with kids, if you ask around you’ll get more than one opinion. Before I went there I got a confusing shower of information, ranging from ‘don’t ever go there for any reason’ to ‘my sister went there with her four kids and they had lots of fun’.

They told me it’s impossible to find bread. They told me the Chinese don’t speak a word of English, and even the way they count to ten isn’t the way we know. They told me they have pastries filled with sweet green Beans and that it’s a delicacy. And that they eat Pig’s tails. They told me that the views are incredible but the people aren’t nice. They told me the south is awesome. They told me the north is awesome. A couple I met in a guesthouse in Pokhara (Nepal) gave me a Hebrew-Chinese dictionary and out of genuine concern warned me not to go there. Anyway..

I was thinking whether to go to China or India. But I’ve already been to India (three time) and the tickets to China were really cheap and I had to escape the monsoon in Nepal and anyway I’ve been meaning to go to Mongolia and China is really just on the way…so should I give it up??

No. so I went there.

And I was terrified. Alone with three kids in a country where no one speaks English. Where they eat pig’s tails. petrifying.

We landed in Chengdu where we spent two weeks including a trip to the panda reserve and a five-day trip to Jiuzhai valley and a visit to two national parks: Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong. A trip that was breathtaking in its beauty. As well as a meeting with a fascinating Tibetan populace that was entirely different from anything else we’ve seen in China. From Chengdu we journeyed a few days to Beijing. A journey that included all different types of buses and trains.

We started the journey in Xian, a city whose main tourist attraction is the Tera Cota warriors.

From there we moved on to Ping Yao, an ancient town that is amazingly well preserved. We spent a few days there walking among the ancient alleys, staying in a guesthouse that used to be a traditional Chinese home, with a charming open courtyard and stunning woodworks that covered the whole front of the building.

The town is surrounded by walls and has in it a lot of interesting building with huge historical and cultural value. It was very interesting to travel in its streets and enter ancient temples, tea houses, castles. Chinese style gardens, tall heavy wooden doors.

The food was very different from what we’ve had so far. But just as spicy.

We fell in love with that small picturesque town and decided to stay there longer than planned, and give up on a few more stops on the way to Beijing.

And so we found ourselves one sunny day, torn away from the feeling of being a million years ago and getting thrown right back into the 21^st century in a ride in a cool express train that got us to Beijing in only a few hours.

I felt like I was in an airplane.

We had three days to spend in Beijing. We walked on the great wall, of course. With mixed feelings. Because the story of the wall isn’t a simple story. A lot of people died building it, and were buried underneath it. The weather was hot and humid. And of course, the thousands of other tourists that also came to walk the wall haven’t really improved the experience.

We went to the forbidden city, but after three hours waiting in lines in the hot sun we decided to give up.

We took part in a traditional tea ceremony, which was very nice and educating (and delicious).

We took photos with the ‘bird’s nest’.

The local food in Beijing was tastier than anywhere else that we’ve been to in china. In Chengdu for example we avoided local food and made do with more western alternatives- Pizza Hut and Starbucks to begin with and afterwards we found a small Sushi place, cheap and excellent and ate there all the time (and laughed that we went all the way to china only to eat SushiJ). In fact, it’s only in Beijing that we found good Chinese food.

click here for a post with many lesser known great attractions in Beijing

After three days we took a sleeper bus, 17 hours to the border town Erenhot. Everyone says that it’s a boring town lacking charm, but I actually liked it.

And at the end of a full month in China, we crossed the border to Mongolia, to an experience, that while we didn’t know it yet, would be one of the more amazing ones we’ve been through.

What was fun for me and the kids in china:

♦ The Chinese people were a pleasant surprise and in fact most of the people we’ve met were exceptionally nice. Even if they couldn’t understand a single word we said.

♦ The trip to the national parks was the highlight. We’re talking a work of art by mother nature. As Wonderful and as breathtaking as only nature knows how to make.

♦ The Panda reserve in Chengdu was nice, to see the Pandas living their lives, the cubs playing and roughhousing- it was an exciting experience.

♦ The express train was really fun.

♦ The small town, Ping Yao, was a tasty treat.

What was less fun for me and the kids in china:

♦ The food. We definitely couldn’t get along with the food.

♦ Communication problems made everything feel difficult and heavy… even in hotels in Beijing, where you’d expect at least a bit of English- they couldn’t answer me when I wanted to know how to get to the great wall.

♦ And that’s also how it was with getting public transportation tickets. If we didn’t get along with some nice locals, there’s no way we could even buy bus or train tickets or even understand where they’re going and where they stop and when do we need to change and when to get off.

♦ The big cities are very modern. It’s nice- in China there’s everything, everything is huge, everything is spectacular. But to find places a bit more ‘Chinese’ you have to work hard.

♦ Anyway, in Chengdu for example there are a few nice gardens good for a walk, to sit in tea houses and watch the locals play their Chinese games that now everyone is downloading to their smartphones…

Sources worth checking:

The national park that is also a world heritage site and part of the biosphere plan: